Trusting the Process

Late last night I received word that I needed to go to the police station today.

Nothing dramatic. Just part of the visa process — or so I was told.

I had no clear idea what it meant or what I would be required to do, but I carried a quiet hope that this would finally resolve everything. That soon I would be holding a fresh six-month visa, allowing this journey to continue without interruption.

This round has been harder than previous ones. I’ve heard of others being rejected for the same vague reason I was in Hong Kong. The logic feels unclear. The options feel limited.

So today, I crossed my fingers and chose optimism.

Sitting in a large government building, filling out paperwork whose deeper meaning I don’t fully understand, I noticed something interesting.

I trust the process.

Maybe it’s because I don’t understand it.
Maybe it’s because people here simply do their jobs and help where they can.

I found myself surprised by that surprise.

Perhaps it says more about where I’ve spent the last decade than it does about this place.

With each step, I feel like I’m relearning how life can be.

Never too old to learn.

Smile.

By the end of the day, the outcome was clear.

Success.

The visa was granted.

For the next six months, I will remain at the Wudang academy, continuing this strange, demanding, beautiful chapter of my life.

The first six months have been hard. They’ve also been deeply rewarding. Progress has been steady. Lessons have been plentiful.

And now the road stretches forward again.

Where it leads, I don’t yet know.

But tonight, I couldn’t be happier.