A Job Ends, A Project Begins

About three years ago, I got this crazy notion that one day I'd be traveling around the globe doing something. Now exactly what this "something" was, I had no clue. Being the logical, scientific mind I am, I dismissed this notion as part of an active imagination. After all, would wouldn't want to travel the world? Who was I to have such dreams? And even if I did, what would happen to my career, my house, my friends, my fill-in-the-blank? While I'd like to say I remained open to the possibility, I buried it like a old t-shirt at the bottom of my laundry basket. And then June 9th happened. 

Around 10:00am, June 9th 2011, 200 anxious employees crowded into a sterile white conference room overlooking the San Francisco Bay to be told that our company was relocating to New Jersey and that most of us would not be relocating with it. The "most of us" included me. 

Over the next several weeks, I began questioning, "What next?" I've always been the sensible one, choosing stability and career over creativity and whimsy. But where had that gotten me? Where had it gotten any of us?

Everywhere I looked, I saw the signs of a shift. Everything that we were taught should make us happy obviously wasn't, or couldn't. The economy hasn't recovered, abandoned McMansions are turning communities into ghost towns and fewer and fewer of us are choosing to get married. If our jobs, our homes, our institutions no longer provide a sense of fulfillment, what does? 

And then one night, while walking home from yoga class, the idea came to me clearly. It was as if all the self-inflicted complexities and doubts about finding one's life purpose had been unraveled and summarized in three simple sentences: 

~ Travel the world ~

~ Take photos of what people treasure ~

~ Share these stories and images with others ~

What We Treasure is my project where I will travel the world and take photos of what people treasure most life.

What insights may we gain by seeing what's important to others? Does what we cherish change depending on our socio-economic, political or geographic location? What do we truly desire, seek and collect? What, in turn, do we learn about ourselves by revealing what is most precious to us? I hope my project will uncover some of these answers. My project starts when my job ends: June 30, 2012. 

For years I have relied on facts, statistics, the tangible. For once, I am relying solely on intuition and trust. I hope that you will help direct me to places I should be and people I should talk to. Maybe you'll let me take a photo of what you treasure.  I have no set expectations, other than to learn what is important to other people, capture it and share it with others. I am committed to allowing the project to develop organically, in whatever direction it leads me...

So join me, laugh with me, share your stories with me. Together we'll build a new vision of what matters most. 

Thanks for stopping by, and hopefully coming along.

Comments

[Evan]

Bravo Carrie! I'm so happy for you. Reading this put a smile on my face as I am crammed into a tiny office with four other consultants in New Jersey. I look forward to following along on your project and maybe even join you sometime! You MUST go to India. India India India. There - that's 3 times. Add it to your list =)
xoxo
Evan

[carrie breinholt]

Thank you Evan! You have actually been a big inspiration in helping me decide to "go for it"! I'm such an admirer of your sense of adventure. Thanks for the India suggestion, it's officially on the list. Talk soon, C