Following the Call to Adventure (Substack Writings)

Rather than try to block or ignore life, what’s calling, or try to control our way through unpredictable circumstances, let the adventure unfold. Let yourself be unraveled, forged, and even softened by your experiences.

Solo for the First Time

I remember when I left my beloved home in Puerto Rico and my family to go to college in the US for the first time. I flew by myself, my first solo trip, with two suitcases full of clothes, some cash in my pocket, and no idea what I was getting into.

I had never seen the university before, only the brochure, and I wasn’t sure what was waiting for me at this small, quaint school nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. But I knew one thing: this was an adventure. My adventure. And while I had absolutely no reference for what I was about to do, no family or support system anywhere near me, I was up for the challenge. Because it felt right. Deep in my bones. Deep in my heart space. My spirit was calling for this, and I made myself a quiet promise: I would see it through.

On the Right Track — Confirmed

No confirmation was clearer than what happened on the very first day of move-in. Driving up to my dorm, who crossed the street in front of my car but an older classmate from my tiny high school back home in Puerto Rico. Of all the people, in all the world, in all the places — the first day I arrived at this university, thousands of miles from home, and there he was. I knew right then that I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

Four years later, with a business degree in hand and a commission in the Army, I fulfilled that promise.

The Calls That Matter

Those four years taught me something I often write about at thecrv.com and here that we are often guided, called, and nudged toward certain situations, circumstances, and people. And those calls matter. They mean something. Because there’s an adventure of a lifetime waiting inside them, if we take them.

But sometimes we bypass them. We ignore them, too afraid of the unknown and the unpredictable. Yet it’s in those exact scenarios where we learn. My four years away were not easy by any means. I was thousands of miles from my family and my support system. I had to learn to become resilient, resourceful, persistent, and focused on the end goal. There is no substitute for that lesson in those early years — because that earned resilience is what carried me through darker years later.

Let the Adventure Unfold

We don’t always know the impact of a circumstance, a person, or a situation until much later. So rather than try to block or ignore what’s calling, or try to control your way through unpredictable circumstances, let the adventure unfold. Let yourself be unraveled, forged, and even softened by your experiences.

We aren’t here to control every part of life. We’re here to experience and live a story that is singular, and to become someone unique, worthy of an unrepeatable adventure of a life.

And here’s a secret tip: how do you know you’re going the right way when you know nothing at all? The universe will sprinkle some magic your way — like that classmate who crossed the street the exact moment I arrived, thousands of miles from anyone I knew. His presence gave me comfort and reminded me: I will be ok. I am not alone. All will be well.

And it was.

Here’s to saying yes to the adventure. 🤍 ~ C

If you want to read more on life transitions and letting go, check out our Wisdom in Transition series here.