Inaugural

I'm sitting here, enjoying a goblet of the excellent Westvleteren XII, a beer that's brewed in limited quantities by Trappist monks in Belgium. I bought a fancy, and overpriced, boxed set that included six bottles of beer measuring in at 30 decilitres, and two goblets. The goblets have some Latin written on them. It reads, "Ad aedificandam abbatiam adiuvi." With the help of Google's translator, I discovered that means "I helped to build the abbey." That makes sense, as part of justifying the outrageous price of this beer were the proceeds going towards renovating the Trappists' home.

This beer, oddly enough, represents where I am in my life. I am in the midst of a transition from soulless consumer to... well, something more than that. I have a vague idea of where I'm headed but I can't say for certain. If there's anything I've learned in my life it's that plans are easily hijacked and redirected. Buying this beer was an impulse purchase of the worst kind. Encouraged by my friend and fellow beer enthusiast, I gave away nearly $100 for the boxed set. It's too bad that doesn't count as a charitable donation! I have a very strong desire to move past the consumerist lifestyle that pervades society. I believe that as I consume the beer, it represents me leaving the last vestiges of that life behind me. I will then be left with two overpriced goblets, of which I'll give one away and keep one as a reminder of the person I was.

I have gone through a lot of soul searching in the past seven months, and I have realized that my life needs some balancing. This blog will be a journal of the journey I take from the life I had, to the one I'm forging for myself. Ironically, the time that I originally gave to myself to pursue a career that I thought I wanted has allowed me the space to take a step back and see that that career wasn't anything at all like what I want from life. My biggest lesson from these seven months is that a little space from the daily grind can grant a whole lot of perspective. 

That perspective has truly opened my eyes. I have begun exploring my spirituality through Hermetic magic and druidry. I realized that I don't want any part of the rat race that society generally considers to be success. I want to pursue a vocation, a true calling to what I was meant to do on this green Earth, with the life that's been given to me. These are all new and very exciting revelations for me.

I've tried blogging in the past, and I lacked the discipline to see it through. Honestly, I also wasn't blogging about anything particularly interesting. This time is different; I'm much better with journals now, I have the discipline to see this through, and I want to share my experiences with others so they can see that there are alternatives to what society at large considers is best for everyone. I hope you'll join me on this journey.

Bottoms up!