Not Done Yet…

Joshua Michael
Jul 10, 2017 · 2 min read

Recently I saw an interesting TED Talk on “Survivors” and it made me realize something about myself. Ever since I was diagnosed with cancer over 6 years ago, so many of my stories begin with telling people of the days immediately following or the month I spent in and out of the hospital. For some reason we feel as cancer survivors that we need to continue to tell this story over and over again. Maybe it is because it is natural by now and we’ve already told it a million times, maybe without realization we enjoy the recognition of our struggle, but the fact of the matter is I am not struggling anymore and I don’t need to continue to tell this story. It’s a part of who I am, but I’d rather build on that and tell a new story…a story of passion and excitement and growth.

So let me start a different story here…

I’ll be celebrating 5 years of remission in September, and I’ll be putting an exclamation point on that celebration by leaving in December to travel the world for a year!

I’ll be in a different city every month and in somewhere around 10 different countries over the course of the year.

Since reaching remission I have been able to finish my degree, start a career with an amazing company, gaze on countless star-filled skies, watch beautiful sunsets across the long horizons of Oklahoma, toast my 30th birthday in Miami, take my nephew to get his first “big kid” haircut, and enjoy countless other incredible moments both big and small with family and friends.

But I would be doing an injustice to those people who have been with me along the way if I didn’t keep chasing my dreams…if I were to just be satisfied.

A few months back one of those dreams presented itself…the dream of travel.

There are few things in my life that have been certain and things I KNEW I was supposed to do. One of those things was my current job. After my first interview, I had to drive past the office everyday on my way to my job at the time. It took 4 months before they finally hired me and for 4–5 days a week for 4 months I drove past, looked at the building, and said to myself “I’m going to get that job”. I don’t know why, but it was just supposed to be.

The day I got the email confirming my interview with Remote Year I had the exact same feeling. I didn’t know why but it felt right. An interview and weeks of planning and conversations later and a dream is becoming a reality.

Now I sit here and do this constant back and forth dance of excitement and nervousness. So many things to plan for, so many uncertainties, so much outside of my comfort zone…but I’m doing it!

1st Stop Buenos Aires, Argentina…here I come!!!

Joshua Michael

Remote Year citizen, traveler…bringing you bits of what I'm learning, feelings, good memories, etc.

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