For as long as I can remember, kids always have a way of getting what they want. It's either they stare at you with the most awesome puppy dog eyes, throw an annoying tantrum, or cry and cry and cry til you cave. And I know we all know this to be true, because let's face it we were all once those very kids.
And while as adults we lay our heads low in shame of how easily we are suckered into doing just about anything, we should all take a second to learn from these little culprits because they are onto something. The "Power of the ASK" that is.
Think about it. How often as an adult have you wanted something and followed the easy route? And I mean just asked for it. Not beaten around the bush, danced a little dance around the topic, waited patiently for someone or something to fold, instead just plain out ASKED for it, like an order of MacDonald's french fries. HOW OFTEN? I bet not many. Hell, I will be the first to admit that I'm like a 0.0000001% on the ask scale. And likely because I am ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED of hearing the word NO. I would rather sit, arms folded waiting patiently then be rejected, like a massive B#%^H Slap across the face. WOULDN'T YOU AGREE?
But what if for every five times that you asked for something you got a couple of Yes's. And I mean Yes's that were massive massive WINS that would trump all the rejections. Would you ASK then?
NO? Because I know about a million NGOs that would say YES to those very odds. In fact, welcome to the wonderful world of Non-For-Profit work. Where rejections and door slams are the norm, but where risks of rejection are taken day in and day out all in the hopes of that potential YES. That YES that is often far few and between.
It's incredible, actually awe inspiring to be surrounded by people that live and breath their lives by the " IT AIN'T OVER TIL THE FAT LADY SINGS " motto. The amount of blood, sweat and tears that go into everything that is done for these organizations is absolutely insane. So in insane that it often makes me look at my cushy corporate job and wonder if I am doing enough. Which is likely, how I ended up in the middle of Africa.
And now that i am here, I believe it's time I, like the little kiddies and inspiring people I am working with learn the POWER OF THE ASK. No more dancing around topics or waiting for seasons to change, from this point on only bluntness at its finest. I will ASK FOR EVERYTHING I WANT...After all even the bible stuck it to me:
"Ask, and it shall be given you;
seek; and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. For every one
that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it
shall be opened. [Matthew 7:7-8]"
The question is will you NOW get of your A%$ and just ASK - ask for that raise, the promotion, forgiveness, that date, you know anything your little cyber heart desires? What do you have to lose? You already know what the word NO looks and sounds like :)
Off on an ASKING RAMPAGE :)
- A
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Saturday, August 10, 2013
What are your ANCHORS?
An an-chor /ˈaNGkər/ (noun), by definition is a heavy object attached to a vessel by a cable or rope and cast overboard to keep the vessel in place either by its weight or by its flukes, which grip the bottom. And while I do love the water, and believe that in a past life I must have been some sort of an exotic fish or dolphin, I am not sharing this definition with you all in cyber space for that reason. Instead I am asking you to stop and think of this word and its accompanying definition and ask yourself - What your Anchor(s) is/are? What are those things that hold you back? That keep you stagnate and afraid of inching forward?
Now don't think for a second that I am putting this all out there for you to all think about and not do it myself. I may try to appear inquisitive and ask a million questions of those around me to avoid talking about myself, but there is a huge part of me that knows that during this little African Adventure, I must also ask myself some of these questions and figure out how to ensure that I am no longer held back by the things that keep me stagnate, my anchors.
So here it goes. My anchors, are ironically things that tend to allow most people to move forward in their lives, they are my dreamy, naive, child-like nature. I believe in the good in people, the truth behind what is said and the realness in intimate moments between people, you know all that fairy tale stuff us girls were made to believe when we were younger. They are the things that keep me believing and holding onto the people around me - whether good or bad. And while its refreshing to realize that my anchors are so positive in comparison to the things that keep most of us anchored in one place - i.e. the "baggage", "negativity"or things alike from past years of life that stop you from believing that things can be different and different good - they are still anchors that are stopping me from inching forward and grasping the awesomeness that at times is in front of me.
So now what? Now that I have realized this, am I supposed to continue to let my anchors keep me stagnette? Or do I cut the ropes that keep my anchors in place and take that giant, scarey step forward?
OBVI, I had the chance to debate this paradox :) And as I sat around with my African crew last night at one of the local hang outs sharing awesome stories and laughs. I realized that at this point in my life, there really is only one way to go. And it most definitely is the later of the two.
You see, there is a time, place and moment for our anchors to serve there purpose. They are meant to keep you stagnate so that you can re-evaluate, grow and learn. But once you have faced the excuses you have come up with to avoid massive, scary leaps of faith forward, you need to take that long hard look in the mirror and just agree to cut those anchors off and have some faith.
Truth be told, that Mother Teresa likely said it best:
"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”
Let us begin to face those anchors head on and than in as dramatic as a moment as you need, cut those ropes, release those anchors and walk away light as a feather ready for the awesomeness in front of you.
Off to enjoy the blasting African sun, ex-pat life and every adventure in between.
-A
Now don't think for a second that I am putting this all out there for you to all think about and not do it myself. I may try to appear inquisitive and ask a million questions of those around me to avoid talking about myself, but there is a huge part of me that knows that during this little African Adventure, I must also ask myself some of these questions and figure out how to ensure that I am no longer held back by the things that keep me stagnate, my anchors.
So here it goes. My anchors, are ironically things that tend to allow most people to move forward in their lives, they are my dreamy, naive, child-like nature. I believe in the good in people, the truth behind what is said and the realness in intimate moments between people, you know all that fairy tale stuff us girls were made to believe when we were younger. They are the things that keep me believing and holding onto the people around me - whether good or bad. And while its refreshing to realize that my anchors are so positive in comparison to the things that keep most of us anchored in one place - i.e. the "baggage", "negativity"or things alike from past years of life that stop you from believing that things can be different and different good - they are still anchors that are stopping me from inching forward and grasping the awesomeness that at times is in front of me.
So now what? Now that I have realized this, am I supposed to continue to let my anchors keep me stagnette? Or do I cut the ropes that keep my anchors in place and take that giant, scarey step forward?
OBVI, I had the chance to debate this paradox :) And as I sat around with my African crew last night at one of the local hang outs sharing awesome stories and laughs. I realized that at this point in my life, there really is only one way to go. And it most definitely is the later of the two.
You see, there is a time, place and moment for our anchors to serve there purpose. They are meant to keep you stagnate so that you can re-evaluate, grow and learn. But once you have faced the excuses you have come up with to avoid massive, scary leaps of faith forward, you need to take that long hard look in the mirror and just agree to cut those anchors off and have some faith.
Truth be told, that Mother Teresa likely said it best:
"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”
Let us begin to face those anchors head on and than in as dramatic as a moment as you need, cut those ropes, release those anchors and walk away light as a feather ready for the awesomeness in front of you.
Off to enjoy the blasting African sun, ex-pat life and every adventure in between.
-A
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Why do you do it? Why do you get up every morning and follow that same morning routine? You know the ARGHHH just 10 more minutes PLEASE, the let me drag my feet across the floor to the bathroom to stare at my tired eyes and bags in the mirror, the eeek!!! I am getting into the coldest shower ever so that I can freeze myself into believing that being up this early is NORMAL and the constant go, go, go til I manage to get myself into that office, no matter what it may look like or be. Why? What is that reason that gets you up? Why even bother?
It should be because you LOVE what you do. But do you? I mean how many of us are actually doing what we LOVE? And have any of us ever really taken the time, to think about what that even is? Or what that even looks like?
I know in our world it all comes down to the monetary stuff, the things we like, the lifestyles we have all gotten accustomed to living and all that stuff in between. I am just as guilty as the next in believing that sometimes it's okay to not LOVE the day to day, because the "STUFF" is worth it in the end.
But sometimes it is so refreshing to sit across from someone and have them tell you how much they love every second of the job that they have. In fact to them it doesn't feel like a job, it feels like fun, like every day is worth something absolutely phenomenal. It actually becomes infectious and contagious and makes you turn around and LOVE what you do, even if you are reading the same document over and over and over again, it somehow makes the most mundane tasks feel absolutely amazing.
That's what I love about this AMAZING CONTINENT. No matter what people do for a living, they absolutely love every second of it. A job doesn't just pay the bills and put money on the table and buy them stuff. It stands for the hard work they have endured to get where they are, it stands for the family they are able to support, it stands for the fact that they are spreading some sort of happiness, it stands for the fact that they have the chance to meet so many different people, it stands for their self-worth, their pride, their belief in themselves and everything that comes in between it. A job is how you spend your life and every moment that people are alive here, they are enjoying it, they are happy and all of that emotion and good energy, is incredibly addicting.
Today I looked in the mirror after having one of the best conversations, with one of the sweetest ladies ever and smiled literally from ear to ear and out loud I said "Thank you big D. Thank you for letting me see that these skills and things that I know sometimes seem so incredibly boring, have brought me here, allowed me to fix something that already seems so amazing and in the end allow me to be touched by such an awesome, awesome group of people."
I know what you all are thinking, I have seriously drank the African kool-aid. But in all seriousness when was the last time you said thank you for the fortune that you have had? You know those mundane jobs that we usually complain about? When was the last time you thought, "actually, you know what? I'm pretty damn lucky"?
I used to envy people who were living out those childhood dreams they had - you know the pilots, the singers, the movie stars, the teachers, the doctors, the everyone's who were doing exactly what they said they were going to do when they were in first grade. But today, that envy stopped because secretly I realized that I am doing exactly what i want to do and have wanted to do for years and soon enough those bigger dreams are going to come to fruition.
So what about your dreams? Do you even know what they look like? And if you don't, maybe it's time you thought about it? So that you too can feel infectiously happy the next time your morning alarm goes off.
Back to working on my Setswana (i.e. obsessing over my new love for suits) :)
- A
It should be because you LOVE what you do. But do you? I mean how many of us are actually doing what we LOVE? And have any of us ever really taken the time, to think about what that even is? Or what that even looks like?
I know in our world it all comes down to the monetary stuff, the things we like, the lifestyles we have all gotten accustomed to living and all that stuff in between. I am just as guilty as the next in believing that sometimes it's okay to not LOVE the day to day, because the "STUFF" is worth it in the end.
But sometimes it is so refreshing to sit across from someone and have them tell you how much they love every second of the job that they have. In fact to them it doesn't feel like a job, it feels like fun, like every day is worth something absolutely phenomenal. It actually becomes infectious and contagious and makes you turn around and LOVE what you do, even if you are reading the same document over and over and over again, it somehow makes the most mundane tasks feel absolutely amazing.
That's what I love about this AMAZING CONTINENT. No matter what people do for a living, they absolutely love every second of it. A job doesn't just pay the bills and put money on the table and buy them stuff. It stands for the hard work they have endured to get where they are, it stands for the family they are able to support, it stands for the fact that they are spreading some sort of happiness, it stands for the fact that they have the chance to meet so many different people, it stands for their self-worth, their pride, their belief in themselves and everything that comes in between it. A job is how you spend your life and every moment that people are alive here, they are enjoying it, they are happy and all of that emotion and good energy, is incredibly addicting.
Today I looked in the mirror after having one of the best conversations, with one of the sweetest ladies ever and smiled literally from ear to ear and out loud I said "Thank you big D. Thank you for letting me see that these skills and things that I know sometimes seem so incredibly boring, have brought me here, allowed me to fix something that already seems so amazing and in the end allow me to be touched by such an awesome, awesome group of people."
I know what you all are thinking, I have seriously drank the African kool-aid. But in all seriousness when was the last time you said thank you for the fortune that you have had? You know those mundane jobs that we usually complain about? When was the last time you thought, "actually, you know what? I'm pretty damn lucky"?
I used to envy people who were living out those childhood dreams they had - you know the pilots, the singers, the movie stars, the teachers, the doctors, the everyone's who were doing exactly what they said they were going to do when they were in first grade. But today, that envy stopped because secretly I realized that I am doing exactly what i want to do and have wanted to do for years and soon enough those bigger dreams are going to come to fruition.
So what about your dreams? Do you even know what they look like? And if you don't, maybe it's time you thought about it? So that you too can feel infectiously happy the next time your morning alarm goes off.
Back to working on my Setswana (i.e. obsessing over my new love for suits) :)
- A
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
What has your Fortune Cookie told you lately?
"You will soon be crossing great waters" Now how fitting was that fortune cookie as I waved goodbye to #JFK and embarked on what seemed to be the longest flight of life. At the time, I placed that fortune in the pocket of my jean shirt, but as I unpacked in my new apartment, I took that fortune out of my shirt and sat back thinking, that #signs really do exist.
I know as we get older we tend to become cynics. I mean why believe in signs or the universe guiding you along a path when logic and reason exist? We forget too easily about how open minded and full of hope and faith and belief we were when we were kids and / or even young adults and instead just become these older robots that do things because our parents said it made sense, or because it is rational and logical and everything that the norm would say makes sense. But why? What causes the change? Is it because when we think freely and believe in things like fate and signs we get burned? Or is it because following such a way of thinking leaves us so completely vulnerable to the world as we let go of the control we have over our lives and literally leave it all in the world's hands?
If you asked me these questions a year ago I likely would have gone with the cynic answer. But the truth is after being faced with a reality that I just never imagined, I am going with the later of the two. My nerves the night before my flight or even at the airport as I had a tearful goodbye with my parents, wasn't because I was freaked out about my soon to be unknown surroundings and way of living. It was because for the first time in my life I was embarking on a journey that had no structured plan in place. That flight, this adventure, this journey for me, represents that first step into a phase of my life that is not bounded by a 2, 5 or 10 year plan. Instead its guided by all the things I know I want and the trust that I have in the universe to just lead me down that road.
A few months ago, I read a book that changed my life. Dramatic, I know, but again would you expect anything less? And the reason it changed my life was because it forced me to understand that this idea of signs and fate really do exist, you know that idea that everything does happen for a reason. And while I never wanted to believe it as I read the book, I decided to put the lectures that it was presenting to me to the test. And the truth is, I haven't looked back to that cynic ever since. The way things have fallen into place so easily and so effortlessly make me really believe that this whole weird thing we call life actually has a purpose, as long as we are willing to believe :)
So are you willing to believe? To trust in your real gut instincts and not the fear that masks them? What's the worst thing that could happen if you tried? Go on, I dare you all in cyberspace.
A very #jet-leg and delirious dreamer signing off for now
- A
I know as we get older we tend to become cynics. I mean why believe in signs or the universe guiding you along a path when logic and reason exist? We forget too easily about how open minded and full of hope and faith and belief we were when we were kids and / or even young adults and instead just become these older robots that do things because our parents said it made sense, or because it is rational and logical and everything that the norm would say makes sense. But why? What causes the change? Is it because when we think freely and believe in things like fate and signs we get burned? Or is it because following such a way of thinking leaves us so completely vulnerable to the world as we let go of the control we have over our lives and literally leave it all in the world's hands?
If you asked me these questions a year ago I likely would have gone with the cynic answer. But the truth is after being faced with a reality that I just never imagined, I am going with the later of the two. My nerves the night before my flight or even at the airport as I had a tearful goodbye with my parents, wasn't because I was freaked out about my soon to be unknown surroundings and way of living. It was because for the first time in my life I was embarking on a journey that had no structured plan in place. That flight, this adventure, this journey for me, represents that first step into a phase of my life that is not bounded by a 2, 5 or 10 year plan. Instead its guided by all the things I know I want and the trust that I have in the universe to just lead me down that road.
A few months ago, I read a book that changed my life. Dramatic, I know, but again would you expect anything less? And the reason it changed my life was because it forced me to understand that this idea of signs and fate really do exist, you know that idea that everything does happen for a reason. And while I never wanted to believe it as I read the book, I decided to put the lectures that it was presenting to me to the test. And the truth is, I haven't looked back to that cynic ever since. The way things have fallen into place so easily and so effortlessly make me really believe that this whole weird thing we call life actually has a purpose, as long as we are willing to believe :)
So are you willing to believe? To trust in your real gut instincts and not the fear that masks them? What's the worst thing that could happen if you tried? Go on, I dare you all in cyberspace.
A very #jet-leg and delirious dreamer signing off for now
- A
Saturday, August 3, 2013
So long Part 1, Part 2 is enroute to begin :)
As I sit here, staring at the packed bags in the corner of my room, while listening to Ellie Goulding's - Anything Can Happen on repeat, I am beginning to wonder WHAT THE HELL I AM DOING WITH MYSELF!!!!!!!!!! T-Minus 8 hours til my flight departs and I begin part 2 of the African Adventure I began about 3 short years ago....EEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!
Who would have really thought that I would be venturing back to this amazing continent? I mean even if the parting words I got when i was leaving were "You are not done with Africa, you will be back, this I know" - I just never believed. Or maybe I believed, but I had no idea how, what, where or why I would return. It's not like taking a weekend trip to NyC or LA, ITS FREAKIN AFRICA!!!!! And besides that, the path my life took when I returned, never really left space for me to think that it was possible. I guess in the teachings of the Secret, the Power and all other books and schools of thought alike, I just put the idea out there and let it go and let the Universe lead me to it.
And now here I am, breathing into a paper bag every so often, rubbing my sweaty palms on my pj's, while attempting to calm my mind down enough to write this post and perhaps get some sleep in before I depart.
The funny thing is, it's not the new and different surroundings, people and atmosphere that are causing me to hyperventilate and have mini-panic attacks. It's the everything else in between - the idea of knowing that for me this adventure is my full-circle moment. The chance to finish what I started and begin the next chapter of my life. Dramatic? Of course, but would you expect anything less? LOL.
I really do believe that as you get older, your sense of intuition and just knowing grows so strong that while you may never be able to predict what will happen next, you always know when things are about to change. And so as I begin the writings of the last chapter of Part 1 of my awesome life story, I am holding on tight to my seat because Part 2 is about to start, in full swing - Anything could happen, thanks Ellie Goulding for writing a song that is so fitting for this exact moment in my life.
Here is to sharing Part 2 of my African Adventure with you all in cyberspace. After all my love for blogging, writing and putting it all out there began during part 1, so it's only fitting it continue this way.
- A
Who would have really thought that I would be venturing back to this amazing continent? I mean even if the parting words I got when i was leaving were "You are not done with Africa, you will be back, this I know" - I just never believed. Or maybe I believed, but I had no idea how, what, where or why I would return. It's not like taking a weekend trip to NyC or LA, ITS FREAKIN AFRICA!!!!! And besides that, the path my life took when I returned, never really left space for me to think that it was possible. I guess in the teachings of the Secret, the Power and all other books and schools of thought alike, I just put the idea out there and let it go and let the Universe lead me to it.
And now here I am, breathing into a paper bag every so often, rubbing my sweaty palms on my pj's, while attempting to calm my mind down enough to write this post and perhaps get some sleep in before I depart.
The funny thing is, it's not the new and different surroundings, people and atmosphere that are causing me to hyperventilate and have mini-panic attacks. It's the everything else in between - the idea of knowing that for me this adventure is my full-circle moment. The chance to finish what I started and begin the next chapter of my life. Dramatic? Of course, but would you expect anything less? LOL.
I really do believe that as you get older, your sense of intuition and just knowing grows so strong that while you may never be able to predict what will happen next, you always know when things are about to change. And so as I begin the writings of the last chapter of Part 1 of my awesome life story, I am holding on tight to my seat because Part 2 is about to start, in full swing - Anything could happen, thanks Ellie Goulding for writing a song that is so fitting for this exact moment in my life.
Here is to sharing Part 2 of my African Adventure with you all in cyberspace. After all my love for blogging, writing and putting it all out there began during part 1, so it's only fitting it continue this way.
- A
Sunday, June 16, 2013
The RETURN after a long HIATUS - The Travelling Diaries AKA. The Running Shoe Diaries
While it has definitely been longer than expected, I can't help but have this mild feeling of a deja vu as I sit in front of my lap top and let my fingers begin to do all the talking. My hiatus, while longer than expected, has mainly been in part to the serious and in depth writing relationship I have been having with the pages of my journal. The journal, oh yes the journal...The journal that has taken me to a multitude of foreign cities and onto new life adventures that have only been beyond my wildest dreams. Life has been nothing short of exciting as of late, and while I can delve into all the details right this minute, I feel as though these adventures have the ability to feed blogs to come :) I will say that the amount of pinch me " IS THIS REALLY MY LIFE " moments have been numerous and at times have made me wonder if people looking at me as I walk through the streets, the airport terminals, the hallways of my office and anywhere in between think I am absolutely crazy, on drugs or about to go on a creepy shooting rage. Not saying my smile is creepy, because I believe it is quite the opposite, lol, but you get my drift :)
Anyways, what I have toyed with for quite some time is where exactly to start. Its tough sometimes to start over, or get back into things when you have been away so long and yet while things slowly begin to seem like second nature, its the ramp up that takes a lot of work and effort. So as I ease my way into things I thought it was best to start with a bit of comedy mixed with some life lessons from my travels. I call this MY FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT TRAVELLING, not listed in any particular order and for your reading pleasure. So here we go:
1. EATINGGGGGGGGGGGG - Can I just say how I love that the minute you get on a plane and document your trip as vacation, you immediately allow yourself the ability to indulge in EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING. Jesus!!!!!!! The amount of cheese, crepe's, bread, pastries and everything in between I ate is endless. I'm pretty sure there were moments where I thought to myself, JESUS This is why I was obese in my younger days...LOL.
2. Taking Random and Weird pictures of yourself - So I like to think I am creative with picture placement, although i will say that some of these ideas can come off as weird and absolutely crazy. But I will share, that i was in the middle of a square, where people were taking pictures with statues and lamp posts, NOT ME. I found a whole in the gate that lined this square and tapped a random Korean tourist on the shoulder and was like can you take my photo please. He said yes, and turned to a lamp post, he thought I would pose with and I was like no over here. And went and shoved myself in the whole in the gate and was like now please :) While his reaction was like WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU. The minute he was done, he was like actually can you take my photo in the same way, THANKS! WOOOOT!!!! SO my wacky ideas are rubbing off one picture at a time :)
3. Taking random pictures of other people - Yes I will say it, give me a camera and I can become a bit of a creeper..LOL. But in all honesty, its my attempt at being "creative" I wish I could post some of the pictures I took, but while I sat in many parks and cafe's, squares and gardens. I took so many pictures of other people, just to capture some of the most beautiful moments I was lucky enough to witness.
4. Getting lost - Yes anal, every moment needs to be planned me, LOVES getting lost at the heart of it. The amount of weird streets, cute little shops, parks, bridges and spots you are able to find make it all that much better. And on top of it there is something about find your way again all on your own, with just a map that makes you feel like you could really survive and get through even the hardest of times. It sort of makes you believe that even when you feel the most lost in your life, you will find your way.
5. Meeting random people - It's crazy how many random people you can meet along on your travels. Whether its local's or people from other cities visiting, its actually quite refreshing. The conversations you get to have and experiences you get to share make your travels that much more interesting, special and exciting. Plus making friends from all over the world, give you reasons to travel back or to new places you have never been before.
6. Faking accents - I'm pretty sure I have put together a pretty good British accent, thanks to my 2 year old coach little P :) But seriously, picking up the lingo, the terms and the mannerisms make you feel like a local while you are away and absolutely extraordinary when you return home.
7. Being Adventurous - Traveling isn't just about seeing new things, its about testing your limits. So whether you climb all the steps of the Eiffel tower, or ride a bike all through a city almost getting killed or learn how to surf or stand up paddle board in the middle of the ocean, its all about BEING ABSOLUTELY CRAZY SPONTANEOUS AND ADVENTUROUS. It makes your travels so much more exciting and definitely gives you stories to share with everyone when you return.
8. FRESH AIR - Not saying the air isn't fresh where you live. But there is something about leaving the confinements of your every day life and really just breathing on your own. You know with no one to tell you how to think, feel or act. Its just you, your ability to sit back and really just think, get clarity and come to these revelations you never thought possible. This trip for me was by far one of the best and most life changing, its made me see, realize and believe in things I didn't even think would ever be possible and now here I am living my dream, which is pretty freakin unreal :)
9. Coming Home - No matter how good a vacation or a long trip away is. It is always nice to come home to the people you love. Someone shared this quote with me while I was away and I thought that it was something that could totally be extrapolated to include everyone in our lives that mater "You can separate two people by distance but you can never break the bridge that connects their hearts, no matter where they are in the world." And its so true. Even for me the nomad that loves the idea of traveling and living out of a suit case and going between cities, experiencing new and crazy adventures, loves at the heart of it all, the awesome hello's at the airport and the exciting conversations you get to have with friends when you return. It makes you realize just how lucky and loved you are.
Annnnnnnnnnnd I believe the list continues, but for now this is all my jet leg brain can come up with :) Do you have a favorite? One you care to share? Drop a comment if you doo!
Til next time interweb :) In the mean time, keep smiling, traveling and living your dreams.
- A
Anyways, what I have toyed with for quite some time is where exactly to start. Its tough sometimes to start over, or get back into things when you have been away so long and yet while things slowly begin to seem like second nature, its the ramp up that takes a lot of work and effort. So as I ease my way into things I thought it was best to start with a bit of comedy mixed with some life lessons from my travels. I call this MY FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT TRAVELLING, not listed in any particular order and for your reading pleasure. So here we go:
1. EATINGGGGGGGGGGGG - Can I just say how I love that the minute you get on a plane and document your trip as vacation, you immediately allow yourself the ability to indulge in EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING. Jesus!!!!!!! The amount of cheese, crepe's, bread, pastries and everything in between I ate is endless. I'm pretty sure there were moments where I thought to myself, JESUS This is why I was obese in my younger days...LOL.
2. Taking Random and Weird pictures of yourself - So I like to think I am creative with picture placement, although i will say that some of these ideas can come off as weird and absolutely crazy. But I will share, that i was in the middle of a square, where people were taking pictures with statues and lamp posts, NOT ME. I found a whole in the gate that lined this square and tapped a random Korean tourist on the shoulder and was like can you take my photo please. He said yes, and turned to a lamp post, he thought I would pose with and I was like no over here. And went and shoved myself in the whole in the gate and was like now please :) While his reaction was like WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU. The minute he was done, he was like actually can you take my photo in the same way, THANKS! WOOOOT!!!! SO my wacky ideas are rubbing off one picture at a time :)
3. Taking random pictures of other people - Yes I will say it, give me a camera and I can become a bit of a creeper..LOL. But in all honesty, its my attempt at being "creative" I wish I could post some of the pictures I took, but while I sat in many parks and cafe's, squares and gardens. I took so many pictures of other people, just to capture some of the most beautiful moments I was lucky enough to witness.
4. Getting lost - Yes anal, every moment needs to be planned me, LOVES getting lost at the heart of it. The amount of weird streets, cute little shops, parks, bridges and spots you are able to find make it all that much better. And on top of it there is something about find your way again all on your own, with just a map that makes you feel like you could really survive and get through even the hardest of times. It sort of makes you believe that even when you feel the most lost in your life, you will find your way.
5. Meeting random people - It's crazy how many random people you can meet along on your travels. Whether its local's or people from other cities visiting, its actually quite refreshing. The conversations you get to have and experiences you get to share make your travels that much more interesting, special and exciting. Plus making friends from all over the world, give you reasons to travel back or to new places you have never been before.
6. Faking accents - I'm pretty sure I have put together a pretty good British accent, thanks to my 2 year old coach little P :) But seriously, picking up the lingo, the terms and the mannerisms make you feel like a local while you are away and absolutely extraordinary when you return home.
7. Being Adventurous - Traveling isn't just about seeing new things, its about testing your limits. So whether you climb all the steps of the Eiffel tower, or ride a bike all through a city almost getting killed or learn how to surf or stand up paddle board in the middle of the ocean, its all about BEING ABSOLUTELY CRAZY SPONTANEOUS AND ADVENTUROUS. It makes your travels so much more exciting and definitely gives you stories to share with everyone when you return.
8. FRESH AIR - Not saying the air isn't fresh where you live. But there is something about leaving the confinements of your every day life and really just breathing on your own. You know with no one to tell you how to think, feel or act. Its just you, your ability to sit back and really just think, get clarity and come to these revelations you never thought possible. This trip for me was by far one of the best and most life changing, its made me see, realize and believe in things I didn't even think would ever be possible and now here I am living my dream, which is pretty freakin unreal :)
9. Coming Home - No matter how good a vacation or a long trip away is. It is always nice to come home to the people you love. Someone shared this quote with me while I was away and I thought that it was something that could totally be extrapolated to include everyone in our lives that mater "You can separate two people by distance but you can never break the bridge that connects their hearts, no matter where they are in the world." And its so true. Even for me the nomad that loves the idea of traveling and living out of a suit case and going between cities, experiencing new and crazy adventures, loves at the heart of it all, the awesome hello's at the airport and the exciting conversations you get to have with friends when you return. It makes you realize just how lucky and loved you are.
Annnnnnnnnnnd I believe the list continues, but for now this is all my jet leg brain can come up with :) Do you have a favorite? One you care to share? Drop a comment if you doo!
Til next time interweb :) In the mean time, keep smiling, traveling and living your dreams.
- A
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
A TrIp dOWn An aFrIcAN MeMoRY LaNe
It's funny how things just seem to pop up in your mind when you least expect it. Three almost four years ago I lifted myself from an almost perfect life and threw myself into an African Adventure that was on my bucket list of things to do. I came back to more chaos then I can imagine, but tonight as I came across my old blog from my african school days I realized just how parallel my life is to that exact moment.
Reading through the entries, made me see that a lot of the lessons I had learnt then, I lost in the chaos of getting trapped in the life of a running shoe era child once I returned. Its funny how your moments of clarity can get lost in the chaos of life, and then hit you one day like a tonne of bricks when you realize WHAT THE HELL I ALREADY LEARNT THAT!!!! WHY THE HELL DIDN'T I LISTEN TO MYSELF THEN!! Regardless, just like I said in my last post - life is like a circle and I'm making mine an African one, since clearly the Lion King sound tracks is one of my favs :)
As the seconds, minutes and hours get closer to my next adventure, I am clutching my new favorite journal in hand getting ready to return to the old school way of writing - with a pen and paper :) As I sign off I promise to come back with lots of funny stories, tales and of course life lessons. But in the interim I leave you all with the link to the blog that started it all off - Arti's African Adventure (yes I know the title lacks serious creativity!!).
http://artisafricanadventure.blogspot.ca/2009_09_01_archive.html
Happy Reading, Laughing and Living
Reading through the entries, made me see that a lot of the lessons I had learnt then, I lost in the chaos of getting trapped in the life of a running shoe era child once I returned. Its funny how your moments of clarity can get lost in the chaos of life, and then hit you one day like a tonne of bricks when you realize WHAT THE HELL I ALREADY LEARNT THAT!!!! WHY THE HELL DIDN'T I LISTEN TO MYSELF THEN!! Regardless, just like I said in my last post - life is like a circle and I'm making mine an African one, since clearly the Lion King sound tracks is one of my favs :)
As the seconds, minutes and hours get closer to my next adventure, I am clutching my new favorite journal in hand getting ready to return to the old school way of writing - with a pen and paper :) As I sign off I promise to come back with lots of funny stories, tales and of course life lessons. But in the interim I leave you all with the link to the blog that started it all off - Arti's African Adventure (yes I know the title lacks serious creativity!!).
http://artisafricanadventure.blogspot.ca/2009_09_01_archive.html
Happy Reading, Laughing and Living
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