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Published: March 11th 2011
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The Gang
Paul, Tracy, Joy & Anna are all displaying their humor which is one of the things I love best about them! We joked after the picture was taken that it looks as though Paul is that fellow who jumped into someone else's photo... "The secret is finding the balance between going out to get what you want and being open to the thing that actually winds up coming your way. What now is not just a panic-stricken question tossed out into a dark unknown. What now can also be our joy. It is a declaration of possibility, of promise of chance. It acknowledges that our future is open, that we may well do more than anyone expected of us, that at every point in our development we are still striving to grow... Maybe this is the moment you shift from seeing What now as one more thing to check off the list and start to see it as two words worth living by."- Ann Patchett, "What now?"
Hitting the two month mark of living abroad for the first time I have had many thoughts. During my favorite hours that stretch from late at night to the early morning, whilst the world is slumbering and elusive stillness can still be found, I have deeply contemplated the two words: 'What now?'
We study, we work, we move to new places, we travel, we make friends, we fall in and out of love. We search
Oh What A Wall
A glimpse of one of the giant medieval walls from a distance high and low for the missing puzzle pieces that we desperately hope will one day connect to create a clear picture of who we are.
We look for answers everywhere: in the faces of the people we meet, in the lyrics of songs, in the movement of clouds. We are constantly searching and so frequently come up empty when we don't have that earth shattering 'Aha!' moment accompanied by blaring trumpets and giant illuminated arrows that point us clearly in one direction.
We are impatient. When you are single, it seems as if the world is full of only couples, when you are at a crossroad, it seems as if everyone else has a clear goal and is marching purposefully past you towards it.
Suddenly, the age old adage "the grass is always greener" makes painfully perfect sense.
But the question is: is the grass REALLY greener on the other side of the fence?
I believe that the answer is no. The grass is exactly as green as you choose to see it on either side of the fence.
We all struggle, all hurt, all feel lost. We all have moments of insecurity. We
"Seasonal Fruit"
Paul mock cutting his orange/"seasonal fruit" (the dessert that he ordered with his lunch menu) it came on a plate, unpeeled, with a fork & a knife & Anna is laughing in the background (as is the rest of our group...) are all searching to love and be loved, to find our place, to feel a sense of purpose. It doesn't matter how big your house is, how expensive your car, how glamorous your job, if you look like a supermodel, or how much money you have in the bank.
The importance rests in priorities, perspective and appreciation. It is not about focusing on 'how much' you have (or don't have), but rather about focusing on the value of what you do have.
I took a trip to Avila in Spain with friends a few weeks ago. Some things went right, some things went wrong. The place was pretty but fairly uneventful. It had giant medieval walls, the ancient almost 500-year-old finger of St. Theresa on display (which was disconcertingly furry), and food that the guidebook promised would not disappoint. So: the wall, the finger, and the food.
Well, the wall closed earlier than we thought and because we had a hard time finding the finger (although it felt as if we were getting flipped the metaphorical finger most of the trip) we didn't see much of the wall.
The place from the guidebook where we wanted
Can't Beat The View
This is a shot of me sitting atop the wall with beautiful Avila as my backdrop to eat was closed and the place we ended up eating fell far short of the overall standard for the area. Then we had a hard time finding a bar that was open, the bar that we finally found had a cranky bartender, and at the end of the day we paid more for our train tickets then we should have.
A failed expedition?
I think not! We laughed until we cried, made the best of the situation at hand, and had what I consider to be one of the best times that I can remember having in quite some time. A day that could have ranked a 5 out of 10, by anyone else's standards, ranked a clear and successful 9 in my book. All because of the friends I was with.
I have my health, a sound mind (which some may debate), a sense of humor that I am eternally grateful for, a roof over my head, food in my fridge (when I remember to go shopping...). I have amazing friends and family and so many people that I love who love me. I have had the opportunity to study and learn and to acquire
Mid-flight
This was another of my favorite pics from the wall because of the bird mid-flight. It's the little things! an education (both in the classroom and beyond). I have had the chance to travel to, and now live in, places that were once only a distant dream.
The lawn outside of my window, on MY side of the fence, looks lush and dense and green.
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I couldn't agree more, very well said. This entry certainly hits home and of course is also timely as I tried to take on a new perspective this week. Instead of my usually worried..oh no..what if.... I am restating the same words with different emotion, so what...what if? The green grass is literally and metaphorically popping up back in the good old states and right outside my window.