To refresh the idea of what the OVERLAND blog is all about: to take one of life's many wistful abstract concepts each week, and weave them into one of the themes included in the novel OVERLAND. In previous weeks I have written about finding lost loves, a pleasant memory frozen in time, writing what we know, and a few other arbitrary yet meaningful posts.

Today's entry is about living a sheltered life. I would think most of us do. In fact it is in our innate survival instincts living in a modern society, to make our life as comfortable and least disruptive as possible. We become used to our routines, and eventually settled in our ways. Recently, I had to get a new bed pillow because the one I had simply wore out. I loved that pillow, the way my head contoured to the down feathers within. My new pillow took some getting used to, and as silly as this may sound, it is our survival instincts to adapt....even to a new pillow.

Have you ever been shaken up by your routine, and dislodged from your comfortable life and literally had to reinvent yourself? Perhaps (God forbid) losing your home, or your job, a painful relationship,  some traumatizing event with your kids, or even just going through your life with no disruptions is all very disturbing and life changing. Even the actual routine itself could cause internal conflicts that we clandestinely wish for something to happen...something to shake us out of our routine and sheltered life.   

Danny, our main character from OVERLAND is a prime example. Although living in Los Angeles, his life was very sheltered as he went from school to medical school and to his eventual residency, never traveling more than a five mile radius…except for that one time when he was 17 and traveled for an extended family reunion in Northern Ireland.

Let's just say that was his wake up call to let him know there was more to life than his five mile radius back home. And perhaps this time away from home for the couple weeks in Northern Ireland was the seed to allow him to make that impetuous decision to follow Heather half way around the world when she left. That was a pretty adventurous and brave decision for someone who had lived such a sheltered life.

As the reader will discover in OVERLAND, why would someone of Danny’s upbringing and serious path of medical studies and to ultimately become a doctor, would set off on such an untamed notion of finding someone when it appeared so highly unlikely to achieve it? You'll want to read the book to find out.

As scary as the notion of a disruption of your life is, sometimes can be the best medicine. It worked for Danny. It's worked for me. Has this ever happened to you?

As always, your comments are welcome and appreciated!