June 30, 2012. I glided across a concourse of the harried current of Miami International Airport. I climbed out of the summer waters and stood upon the threshold of adventure. "What lies ahead?"

There was London, of course, the greatest cosmopolitan city in the world doing its final prep work to host the Summer Olympics. I would be there 1 July - 4 July before embarking upon a flight on the American Independence Day to that great medieval town / spy city of the 1960's, Prague. My itinerary from there included a two-night stay until spending the rest of the month, 6 July - 27 July, in Plzeň, Czech Republic, to earn a TEFL certification and complete my graduate studies. With one night in Prague as the Olympic Opening Ceremonies commenced, what boon would I bring back to America?

As I stood at the threshold in this call to adventure, I did not know what was ahead, beyond these summer months, past familiar autumn winds, and deep into the frozen wastelands of the north. On that Miami day, I looked across the ocean and felt the warmth on my skin, sanguinely unaware of future days.

With older eyes, I would have been more cognizant (wouldn't I've?) known the places to pivot (shouldn't I've?)—how to...how to...evade all the weight of nights of looping what-if analysis...no, I did not have older eyes and Future Me, for all of his promise, seems to have never found the keys to the DeLorean.

On that Miami day, I embraced adventure with Vedder's soundtrack of Into the Wild on my iPod, Shinedown's Second Chance in my hands, and R.E.M.'s Überlin in my heart.

On today's June 30, I stand again as that trilogy plays on.