"If you take the leap, what is the worst that could happen?"

This is the question I asked myself last month as I debated whether or not to pack up my life and move to the side of the world opposite everything and everyone I have ever known in order to do the most difficult thing I have ever done. I had been accepted in to circus school in Turin, Italy, and at that point was simultaneously talking myself into and out of going for it.

As with any life altering decision, there were arguments for and against Cirko Vertigo. In the Pro-corner I had things like: 

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!”

“You’ve been working towards this since before you knew circus was an option…”

“Sure, you can learn Italian!"

“Free is the best tuition price for higher education…”

"What doors will this open for you as a person as well as a performer?"

And in the opposing corner: 

“What if the training causes irreparable damage to your body?”

“What if this isn’t what you really want for your life?”

“Portland is safe – you have a strong circus community, loads of friends, steady income, and family.”

“Can you really learn Italian, Meg?”

“What doors close if you step through this one?”

These and many more thoughts and questions - along with an overwhelming desire to run off to a tropical island and find myself – were almost enough to talk myself out of moving to Italy. Almost.

Fortunately, I’m a lucky person with an incredibly supportive social circle who assured me that maybe I’ll find a different dream to follow someday – but that doesn’t mean I can’t follow this one now. Portland will be there later, as will my tropical paradise. 

(2012 theories notwithstanding.)

With an incredible amount of love from my friends and family in mind, on October 23^rd I took the greatest leap of my life. I said goodbye to my beloved Portland, and 20 hours of travel time later, I started my first day of circus school. I only made it to the last class of the day, arriving straight from the airport, vintage suitcase in hand. It was a class on safety and rigging, taught entirely in Italian, of course. Needless to say, it had some very confusing moments as my Italian vocabulary is limited. And by “limited” I mean that the only Italian I had ever made note of hearing prior to a month ago was on The Godfather. Capisce?

It seems to me like this fresh chapter needs to be documented, so this shiny new site of mine will be an eclectic log all about my new life and adventures in Italy. Maybe it will be a guiding light to others out there questioning whether they should follow their own dreams, or maybe it will just be a fun way to pass some time. Either way, here's what I'll do on Trajectory of a Firefly: I’ll cover the basics - circus stories, crafty experiments, and culinary concoctions... but as a bonus you lovely readers get the added pleasure of learning a little Italian along the way (this girl needs all the practice she can get). Thanks for reading and benvenuto!

The view just prior to landing in Turin