The lead up to the cosmic event was one of excitement and trepidation. For a brief time I considered traveling somewhere to see it, but money and scheduling prevented that from happening. The days ticked closer, but I failed to make any concrete plans. Despite NASA being able to accurately calculate eclipses thousands of years in advance, the day came before I knew it. The entire city of Orlando was bristling with excitement on Monday. I'm sure that pretty much everywhere was bristling, too, but I can only verify that Orlando was bristling.
My last ditch efforts were all thwarted. None of the stores had viewing glasses, none of the hardware shops had welding glasses left (which is apparently a thing), and the Orlando Science Center had a line of cars going on for blocks. Ultimately my friend/Eclipse-Partner-In-Crime Sarah and I opted for the DIY method. Cereal boxes, tin foil, and white paper were the tools of our destiny.
(All I needed for a good day)
It was a remarkable day. Sure, I did not travel anywhere new or exciting. No, the DIY boxes didn't really work. Heck, it was also pretty cloudy. I'm not sure I even saw the eclipse, but there was magic in the air. At the height of the moon's arc the entire sky changed color, and I suddenly I was transported elsewhere.
I recalled being a child, and being fascinated by the cosmos. All the times spent peering into my microscope came zooming back to me. At the same time I was overcome with the realization that I was experiencing something special and rare. It was the same sensation I felt when I caught my first glimpse of Machu Pichu or when I witnessed the sunrise over Angkor Wat.
(Easily in my top 5 sunrises)
The eclipse, for what it's worth, was a good reminder to me. We can find new experiences all around us. Sometimes something big, huge, and exciting is right in your backyard (or in your parking lot, in this case). All it takes is a keen eye and a little bit of research, and you can find plenty of magic in whatever place you call home.
Orlando may be known for its theme parks, but I have had such a great time over this past 9 months discovering its offerings. Whether I am noodling along on a nature trail or holing up in a kooky bar, I have always managed to fill my free time. Despite this, I still feel like I'm just barely scratching the surface!
And this is important.
It is frustrating to be a person with Wanderlust. One's thoughts are always elsewhere. If I'm not daydreaming about taking a trip to a new destination, I am reminiscing about where I have been and wishing I could go back. Occasionally I catch myself being jealous of others when they travel. More than once I have been on a trip of my own, only to see that a friend of mine is also on a trip, and I have gotten so envious of where they were traveling to. Mind you, I actually travel extensively for a living and am on the road for more weeks than I am not on the road during the school year. It doesn't matter, though. I still want to see more!
We can't all be vagabonds wondering from country to country. We can't all be that guy who quit his job and plans to bike across all 197 countries in the next 5 years. Even if you are lucky enough to travel at all, there will still be periods in your life when you are "stuck at home". However, with the right attitude, even the most seasoned traveller doesn't have to feel "stuck".
I think I'll go to Mexico for the 2024 eclipse...
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