Dude. I Totally Time Traveled!
Ok I totally didn’t, but I totally thought I did for a moment and that totally got my wheels turning. Totally.
Here’s the exclusive story. I flew to Chicago for a whirlwind twenty four hours to see my favorite band Phish. On Monday morning after the show I got off the train at the airport and there was an electronic sign that let me know I had arrived at O’Hare airport. Sweet! That’s exactly where I wanted to be. The sign also said it was January 1, 2000. What!?!?!?!
I did a double, triple and quadruple take. Was this a practical joke? Am I in a movie? Are people going to jump out and yell “gotcha?” Am I awake? I pinched myself and it hurt so I knew I was awake. I freaked out for a moment or ten. I looked around at people’s clothes to see if they were dressed like it was New Year’s Day 2000. Everyone looked like they were going to work and they didn’t look hungover and covered in sparkles. I checked to see if they were holding I-Phones. I texted Dan and asked him what year it was. When I got the text back it was 2013 I was relieved.
Then I started thinking. What if I really did somehow taken a train time machine and traveled to January 1, 2000? What if that could really happen?
Would I try to live my life the same way and make all the same mistakes so I would end up right as I am right here right now in 2013? I took a crazy journey to get here and even though at times it was difficult and dark, my journey was perfect. Without thinking my first reaction was, “Yes! Of course I would do everything over again.”
I took a moment to question that response. I really started to think about what that would mean. In the moment when I thought it might be January 1, 2000, I realized I was the person I am in 2013. I had all the knowledge I gained during those years, been through all the heartbreaks, experienced the darkness, found the light, learned many life lessons and experienced what true love felt like.
Would I be able to live my life the same way again with the way I see the world now?
I’m not so sure.
I thought back to where I was on January 1, 2000. I had just witnessed Phish perform all night long at Big Cypress in Florida.
I was a single, wild, all over the place, gluten intolerant but didn’t know it so my stomach hurt all the time, partying, bloated, allergy ridden, ritilin taking, body hating second year senior studying dance at Arizona State University.
I had made a lot of mistakes, had a lot of fun, experienced good and terrible relationships, moved around a lot, held and lost many jobs, made a good amount of money, spent all my money, learned a lot about money, made many friends, lost some friends, cheered for a professional sports team, went to the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, fell in love, got married, moved to Vermont, started a business that makes my heart sing and that was all possible because of the soul searching and healing I did during those years.
But if I was brought back to 2000 the way I am now, I had already done all that soul searching and healing already.
I now know how amazing life can be.
I now know the keys to happiness.
I now know I am in control of my life.
I didn’t know that then.
Another thing I realized was Dan was at that Phish show in 2000, but I didn’t know him yet.
I would want to find him and let him know I love him and he loves me and we get married and we should just get together right now.
I would have freaked him out.
He would have thought that I was a crazy person (Which he does today, but in a good way)
He wasn’t ready for me then.
He wasn’t ready for the song “Call Me Maybe” then either. Haha!
When we found each other in 2007 we were both ready for each other because of the lives we lived before we met.
He needed to have those experiences to become the amazing man he is today.
He had to go through that depression in order to learn to be grateful for what he has every day.
He needed to experience all that he did so he would be ready for me to come along at the time I did.
I would never want to mess with that!
I learned so much from the two serious boyfriends I had before Dan and they learned so much from me.
I wouldn’t have wanted to change that.
I realized everything that happened to me from 2000-2013 made me and everyone I came in contact with the way they are today.
Yes at times it was hard.
Yes at times it was horrible.
Yes at times I didn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Yes at times I was lost.
Yes at times I was suffering.
but…
At times it was amazing.
At times it was sooooooo fun.
I created memories that will last a lifetime.
I made friends that will stay in my heart forever.
Everything made me who I am today.
Everything made everyone else who they are today too.
That was my journey and my journey was perfect.
I would have tried to live those years similarly as I did the first time around, but with more love and compassion.
When I was in those dark times it would be easier because I would know I would eventually see the light.
I would know I would be consistently happy.
I would know I would live the life I love.
The light was there all along I just didn’t see it.
I learned a lot of almost time traveling.
Although I might have pulled a Biff from Back to the Future and bet on some sport teams. Haha!
What would you have done if you got off a train and it was January 1, 2000?
What would you have done the same?
What would you have done differently?
Join the conversation <3
I love you so much!
That is such an awesome thing to think about! I sometimes go back and rethink about the year that I have had and how much has changed me and what those experiences have taught me. Thank you for your blog and for your this article in particular! You rock!
Thank you Melisha for taking the time to read it and to comment. What did you learn from the year you just had?