Looking Ahead

I've always had a strange obsession with the old sea stories. There is something about setting out into the vast open ocean on a small wooden vessel that has always captured me. The smell of sea salt, the creak of timber, being powered by the winds of the earth, the stars as your guides. I can't get over it.
And then there are the battles! You come face to face with your enemy and at point blank range fire bowling ball sized projectiles at them. I can't even imagine the courage, or stupidity, that would take. And all in order to protect King and country.
And the discovery of new lands! A whole new world of opportunity opening up, appearing on the horizon alongside the rising sun. Danger. Adventure. Exploration. It intrigues me.
All this to say, I think I've watched Master and Commander far too often.
I sometimes wish I could live back in those days, heading out into the wild unkown. And now I realize that that is exactly what I am doing. I will board a giant metal bird, be whisked at amazing speeds to the other side of the world into a place where I know no one and where I know nothing. I will be like a child, stripped of all language, cultural knowledge and familiarity. Frankly, I'm kind of scared.
Maybe that's how they all felt, scared. Scared, yet exhilerated by the boundless opportunities that being willing to losing sight of land opened up for them. Maybe not.
Either way, I think I'm in for a wild ride.