It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude. - Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance

I signed up to do this, I promised to “Blog, journal, or create something” for 30 days – and now I must.

I’m going to be entering into the midst of crowds this weekend. In fact I am writing this from Logan airport waiting for my flight to Portland, OR and Chris Guillebeau‘s World Domination Summit.

Frankly, I’m a little overwhelmed. I’ve been lurking in these realms for years now, but something about the description of the event, when I first read about it back in November 2010 (I think!), made me leap and take action. I wasn’t sure of the outcome, but I was sure I wanted to be there.

Then, through serendipity, or the working of another higher power, I discovered Donald Miller‘s Storyline conference starting the very next day, in the very same city. Too good to be true – I signed up for that too!

So, in not so many hours, I will sit in the midst of crowds of like-minded people, feeling overwhelmed, feel, quite honestly, like a serious under-achiever.

I do not believe in chance, I believe in “meant to be”. I believe in a God who watches my steps, and guides my path.

I believe I am supposed to be in Portland for the next 5 days.

I trust that I will be able, even in the midst of such crowds, to maintain the independence of solitude and find my path, hear what is speaking to me, and land back on the East coast with a strong sense of what lies ahead and how to get there.