Welcome to the Emerald City, maybe I'll find Oz.

My favorite film has been the Wizard of Oz since before I could walk the yellow brick road. I should have guessed that I would end up in the Emerald City searching for my Oz. I have left behind the great and lesser-than-great things of Provo and come back to my homeland of Washington. I am not entirely certain what I will find while I'm here, but I'm ready to meet the tin mans (tin men?), scarecrows and lions along the way. I've already enjoyed the fine Pike's Place Market in the rain and having the Space Needle nestled right outside of my window. The next year (or maybe longer) of my blog life will most likely consist of my adventures living in the realm of Seattle. Mariners games, Seattle Pacific Science Center, Post Alley, NOT the aquarium (19 dollars? Really, Seattle? It used to be five.), and venturing up to Victoria when the weather improves.

It feels only proper to say, "Toto, I don't think we're in [Utah] anymore!"

Le Petit Prince of Reason.

When we were children all we could think about were the things we wanted to be when we became grown-ups. At least, this is how it was for me. I wanted to be a race car driving - Egypt tomb exploring - traveler - astronomer - dentist. Why did I have to choose just one when there were so many interests I had? When you're a child, you believe that the world was literally created for your taking.

But, something morphs when we become adults. There's a societal expectation that we need to become an expert in just one specific field. I don't want to be ostentatious enough to proclaim myself a polymath, but I will say that the expression "Jack of all trades, master of none" is befitting to me. I have a number of passions and interests I wish to consider (as do most people). Some may see this as being indecisive. For me though, I want to learn as much as possible from the world around me. There are so many countries, ideas, landmarks, beauty, cultures, beliefs and skills out there that I would like to explore.

I feel like we lose the effervescence we once had for life as a child when we hit a certain age. I am reminded of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's story Le Petit Prince. A young boy travels to various planets where he meets adults who are acting foolish in various ways. It's the child in the tale who has the insight and wisdom to see through the unhappiness of the poor choices of the adults.

Understanding that there must be a sense of reality in conjunction with the desire to dapple in so many fields, I know that there are bills that must be paid, money and shelter that are required to live in this world and hard work that goes into becoming a race car driving - Egypt tomb exploring - traveler - astronomer - dentist. However, I do believe that sometimes it's better to have the mind of a child. I think that it is much more beneficial to examine as many disciplines as one is able. Finding one's passions and motivations of what compels them to be content in this world is what makes life intriguing. As Saint-Exupéry stated in Le Petit Prince, "Voici mon secret. Il est très simple: on ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux."