Shall we get to know each other?

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." -Anais Nin

So, here we go. Hello. Nice to meet you. My name is Robby Ray (first name "Robby," last name "Ray." I preface this because many folk want to believe my name to be farce, or completely void of a surname, so this is me just setting the record straight.)

I am about to embark on a journey, unlike any that I have had the utmost pleasure and sheer fear of beginning. 25 days ago, on my 24th birthday, I made the decision to leave the comfortable, cozy, and constricting life I created in Orlando, Florida, to pursue a life of adventure by traveling to Sydney, Australia. All I can say right now is, "Let the fun begin."

 

Now, let's talk about what I'm thinking... "Holy shit, wait, what?"

 

I think we should step back a few paces, let you get a sense of who I am, before we dive right into the basis of this blog. I was born on April 15th, 1991, in a lovely suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A word about April 15th. For many, people connect this day with the looming feeling of procrastination in completing their taxes, for fear of government onslaught. However, April 15th is known for quite a bit more, in fact. Our beloved 16th president, a Mr. Abraham Lincoln, was taken from the world by assassination via gunshot to the head, the evening of April 14th, 1865. Despite medical efforts to revive him, Mr. Lincoln passed away the morning of April 15th, hence becoming significant, not only to the world, but to me. Now, I wish I could say this was the last of historical tragedies to occur on this hallowed day of birth, but alas, history brings more sorrow, this time, among the tumultuous seas of the North Atlantic Ocean. When the RMS Titanic met that saucy minx, little miss iceberg, at 11:40pm, April 14th, it kept afloat for two hours and forty minutes, until ultimately reaching its demise in the wee hours of April 15th, 1912. So, needless to say, when Robert Gordon Ray (me) popped out of his dear old mother's womb the afternoon of April 15th, 1991, this fateful day in history had the air of one thing: Tragic Foreshadowing.

 

It is important for you to know this timeline of events, not because of the historical impact it had upon the world and how it shaped our culture and all that, which it did, definitely, but more importantly, the emotional impact it had on my childhood and how I viewed the world around me. I was a frightfully superstitious child, and upon learning the history behind April 15th, I immediately began to suspect the very worst. Morbid? Maybe. Delusional? Certainly. But important, nonetheless. Every aspect of my life was based on the thought process, "will this decision ultimately lead me to my untimely death?" I played life safe. When faced with the crossroads of life, where to my left I saw dangerous adventure, and to my right was clear, boring security, I reluctantly always veered right.  

 

So you can imagine my surprise when on April 15th, 2015, I decided to quit my job, sell my apartment, and eventually buy a one-way ticket to Sydney, Australia.

 

You see, my birthday continues to be historical. This was the day that I decided to let go of that fear of the unknown. This was the day that I decided to reignite the curiosity within myself and explore its potential. This was the day that I jumpstarted my heart, resulting in an emotional near-death experience and many very real panic attacks that followed. This was the day that I turned left.

 

For those who read this, my many thanks for your interest in following me down this foggy, yet breathtaking path. I do hope we become closer along the way, and I can share with you my experiences, my thoughts and my musings on the world out there. For those who remain skeptics, fear not, part of me is right there with you. Uprooting one's life isn't supposed to be a simple task, nor a safe one. I can only try to give you comfort in this: I have never felt more alive than I do in this very moment. So it's ok to worry, and it's ok to fear, trust me, I am going to need that realization from time to time. However, please never stop being curious, because it's from curiosity that we explore ourselves further. After all, we all deserve a little bit of soul searching.

 

Until next time, my new friend.

 

-Robby