(F)ly, Little Bird

The Arctic Tern,  a medium-sized seabird, migrates annually from pole to pole, flying an average of 44,000 miles. 44,000 miles, flown by a bird. If that sounds like a lot, it is. Arctic Terns win the distinction of having the longest annual migration of any animal in the world. Furthermore, since these birds live relatively long lives (approximately 30 years), this means that their lifetime migration is the equivalent of flying to the moon and back ... three times. A bird.

Frankly, this gives me an entirely new perspective on how long my own journey has been, searching for a career path that excites me.

The awe-inspiring Arctic Tern

Granted, an Arctic Tern is probably a little more single-minded and needs-driven than a human suffering from the affliction of free will.

I turn 40 this week, and to say that I am frustrated and disappointed that I have neither a satisfying career nor my bachelor's degree yet is an understatement. But my birthday will come and go, and those facts won't change, and I'll just get on with things.

What I can be proud of is the fact that I actually have been getting on with things for a couple of years: in less than a six-month period beginning at the end of 2012, I began volunteering at the zoo, working with animals in a paid position at the shelter, and pursuing my degree in earnest.

When the Arctic Terns begin their migration south, they don't do so with immediacy. They spend close to a month at sea in the middle of the ocean, a lengthy stop-over that researchers believe is their chance to "fuel-up". The waters farther south provide less food, and the birds must be prepared. Their return journey is even less direct; the birds take a circuitous route which allows them to take advantage of global winds, thus reducing the energy they must expend to reach their breeding grounds in Greenland.

I can't clearly identify my "fueling-up" points at this stage in my personal migration, or the benefits gained from my own circuitous route. But I'm confident in a couple of things: First, I am not the only free-willed human out there feeling like they have mucked up most of their personal journey thus far. And second, retrospect will show me how and why my trek was the right one for me.

In the meantime, I don't need to focus on a destination as distant as the moon. Or even 44,000 miles. I just need to fly, little bird ... fly.