When your Friends are on Adventures...

 

Unfortunately the last thing I want to do after being on a computer all day is come home and be on the computer.  There is an odd relationship between being at work on the computer and being at home on the computer.  

 

The other day I went on my facebook and was bombarded by all the places my friends were.  There was evidence of my friends going to places that were adventurous to them.  Some of the evidence wasn't of a pretty statue or building, but them with all bags in hand in the airport.  There were also words expressing their joy, wonderment, and excitement.  

 

Please don't think that I am not excited for them.  I am. Truly. 

 

I am so excited.  I would love to be living the stories with them as they happen, rather than hearing them after the fact.  I would love to see these new places and see them interacting with the people and the place.

 

It’s one of those times where I wish I could multiply myself and be in a million places at once.  Or maybe just 10 places at once.  The truth is, there would not be enough of me to be in all the places I would want to be, or enough time in the day to do all the things I would want to do.  When opportunities are seen and the doors of possibilities are opened, the dreams get bigger.  There is much more room for those dreams to grow into bigger, better, and loftier ideas.

 

Needless to say, I am being disciplined not to look at airline websites.  I am weary to look at my bank account.  But I am excited to do a little travel dreaming.  And yes, I'm looking at the calendar and plotting my next destination.

 

A {few} of the people and places:

Devrie and Lauren are melting and loving in Haiti.  Anna is exploring Ecuador.  George just got back from Brazil.  Katie is in Thailand.  Kaiten went all over Africa.  Dominique just spent months in Kenya and is now planning to go back.  Jenny has been in East Asia all year and is going back.  Natalie is headed to El Salvador for a year.  Paige just soaked up the history of many cities in Europe and Tiffany is just about to take it by storm.  Oh and Hawaii, there's just too many to count.

 

Coffee Shop thinking

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, I love coffee shops. 

And you know what I love is that there is a coffee like beverage that is a part of almost every culture.  Ok, so some cultures its tea.  But when I think about some of the best conversations I’ve had with complete strangers have been the ones that take place in a coffee shop, at a park, or while riding public transportation. 

These days I’m loving the coffee shop because it is a place to stop, sit, talk, and think.

I recently moved back to the bay area.  That would be due to graduating and going with the assumption that living at home is the best option right now.  It’s been a transition, and it will continue to be.

I’m back on the central coast for brief weekend trips this summer.  And as I sat in one of my favorite college coffee shops I was sitting enjoying the surroundings.  There are the most beautiful paintings up on the wall. 

This particular shop has revolving art displays.  Some I have enjoyed, but others aren’t my favorite.  This one, I moved seats just to be able to look up and see two specific pieces.  We all know that in Europe I was the art junkie that went to museums and learned about the history and the times.  I could walk around art shows most days.  {I also like the outdoors}  I’m feeling inspired to ride a bike and find a huge oak, thanks to these paintings.  I love that something indoors can move you to be outdoors. 

I encourage you to go sit in a coffee shop soon.  No agenda.  Simply taking it as it comes.

Reality

 

 

 

You know what I’ve figured out.   I’m not Wonder Woman.  I know! Who would have thought?!

 

{Sweet Melody and I have a wonderful joke about this, makes me smile every time}

 

 

 

 

These last few weeks I have had so much going on.  So much that I wanted to be a part of.  And I have learned that the world doesn’t stop.  The earth doesn’t shatter when your own world feels like it’s about to explode.  The things I always knew but hadn’t experienced became a reality.

 

 

This year has been a lot of things becoming reality.  Truths coming into their full being.  And many times it means that things don’t make sense.  And experiences didn’t turn out or go the way I thought and hoped they would.

 

 

It’s been a struggle the last few weeks.  Life is hard.  One of my favorite quotes is “it takes courage to grow and become who you really are” e.e. cummings.  When I was younger I thought it was strange and I liked the sound of it, so I kept it tucked away in my memory.  I brought it out a couple of months ago.  I mull it over very once and awhile.

 

 

Courage.  Its hard to come by and its important. “20 seconds of courage that’s all you need sometimes” We bought a zoo, anyone?  You got to love the movies that are sweet and sappy and remind you of growing up.

 

 

Anyways, I’ve learned that I can’t do it all.  I’ve realized more than ever that I don’t understand how those popular bloggers can do it.  And I don’t understand a lot of things.  And I’ve learned how much I have to learn about my life.  Life is an adventure and part of the adventure is beginning to let go so that you can move on.