One of the better things I ever wrote in the old blue journal book that I lost -- container of all my most personal post-college scribblings -- was the line "life, the adventure of your lifetime."

It is what it is, and all we can really hope for is that we keep giving it 100%, and that the people around us are good ones. The world is impossibly huge, more giant than any of us can comprehend. Forget the goddamn universe, just the planet Earth is so much more vast, varied and wonderfully amazing than anyone can ever possibly conceive. Just don't even worry about it, and dig the fact that the world is always going to present the potential for more.

I feel the pull of exploration again, for the first time in a while. I used to really think of myself as a scout -- indeed, I'm sure that old journal has a series of great long entries on what exactly it means to be "an explorer" -- but lately I've been building and nesting, husbanding my resources even as that took me hither and yon. In 2008, it feels like I might have to get a bit more balsy, risk some chips, try out some new things, ditch the risk-aversion, etc. Sounds good.

The world is huge, like I said. I think I should see more of it. Time to start packing a towel.