47 YEARS

 THE WAY I FIGURE IT, THAT'S HOW LONG IT TOOK ME TO OPEN MY EYES,
 TO WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND ME, I'M NOT SAYING I WAS COMPLETELY
        BLIND TO EVERYTHING JUST MOST OF THE IMPORTANT STUFF...

 SO MUCH HAS CHANGED LIKE MOVING A COUPLE OF THOUSAND MILES
      AWAY FROM EVERYTHING THAT MADE ME FEEL COMFORTABLE.

        IT'S THE CLOSEST THING I COULD IMAGINE TO BE LIVING IN A
                                               FOREIGN COUNTRY!

     YET IT'S BEEN SUCH A POSITIVE MOVE, DEPENDING ON NOBODY
                                 LEARNING TO FEND FOR FOR MYSELF.

LIFE IS GOOD! AND I KNOW I'VE SAID IT BEFORE BUT I'M GOING TO SAY IT
      AGAIN YOU JUST NEED TO KNOW WHICH DIRECTION TO LOOK!

     I AM NOT SAYING EVERYTHING IS EASIER NOW, I JUST KNOW WHAT
  I WANT TO DO AND WHERE I WANT TO BE, AND I AM DOING IT A LITTLE
         BIT AT A TIME, AND NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS I AM GOING IN
                                               THE RIGHT DIRECTION...

     THIS IS A GREAT FEELING, TO RISE ABOVE DOING WHAT EVERYONE
          ELSE AROUND YOU IS DOING, AND BECOMING INDEPENDENT,
               GOING AFTER YOUR GOALS IN YOUR OWN DIRECTION!