I could hear the disappointment in her voice when I told her that I was considering NOT going to spend my junior year abroad in London.
“It might set me back an entire year,” I tried to explain.
“That won’t matter once you’ve done it,” she replied, “It’s a chance of a lifetime.”
I knew she was probably right, but the thought of another year of college –
I promised I would think about it.
My Guidance Counsellor agreed with her.
“I’ve directed you in plays,” he began, “you’re not like the others.”
“They’re never going to leave this town, let alone this state,” he continued, “you’re going to go far.”
“You don’t have to worry about an extra year… you might not even come back.”
It’s a chance of a lifetime.
To this day, it was one of the best decisions I could have ever made.
I still went reluctantly because I wasn’t old enough to know enough.
Now that I am older, the only thing I would’ve changed would have been to say “Yes!” without hesitation.
About ten years ago, I heard a saying that guides me to this day.
Say YES and figure it out later.
So that’s what I’m doing with this London Opportunity right now. I’m figuring it out as I go along.
I’ve already blown past the funds raised and am not done spending.
I’ll figure it out.
But this is a chance of a lifetime. Not just to be, but to two young men barely younger than I was when I took that first step into the Unknown.
What’s going to be different this time is I KNOW.
I know how truly special this moment is.
I know that these two boys don’t know, and won’t know, until they look back on it from the Future.
Back then, I used to call my mom every Sunday at 11am Eastern. On the dot. Wherever I happened to be in the world. It was 8am while I lived on the West Coast and 2pm from one of the red boxes while in London. Religiously.
I just wish I could call her again this April.
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Thank you from the bottom of my heart for creating this “Chance of a Lifetime”. I’m still offering products and portraits to those who want to come along on this journey. Donate here: https://gofund.me/f6cfc391 or Venmo @StuRosenArt. Every bit helps.