While languishing through Dry January these past few weeks, I’ve kept coming back to two thoughts: how incredibly fortunate I am, and how amazing this world is.

Anything I dare to complain about becomes laughable when compared to the strife others are facing. What did I do to deserve such an inheritance of circumstances? By luck of the draw, I was born into an American middle class family and enjoy near the height of luxury and convenience. A different continent of birth and my situation would be unknowable.

Because I enjoy such good fortune, it’s easier for me to see the multivariate aspects of life on this planet. I know nothing of life in Japan or Ghana or Paraguay. The finer distinctions of European law elude me. I’m not privy to the magnitude of work it takes to broadcast an American football game. It’s just such an extremely diverse world... the history that’s brought our civilization to this point, the sheer amount of biodiversity on this planet, the wondrous geological features on its surface.

There is so much to explore, so much to experience. Privilege affords a peek into the depths of it all, but not the first-hand understanding. It is imperative to appreciate the surrealism of existence in order to fully exist. Consider me in awe with reality.