tired

so, i'm trying to stick to my commitment to write more frequently...but, i'm just so tired. my head has been hurting for over two days now, and it's really draining me. i had some tests done today, so hopefully we'll be closer to having some answers about my headaches/migraines, but until then, i'm just hoping for a pain-free weekend.

one man's trash is another man's treasure

so, today at lunch, one of my favorite cranky friends told me that my blogs from when i was doing semester at sea were not very exciting. now, i take this feedback with a grain of salt considering - as previously mentioned - he's a bit cranky (in a loving way...i swear...i think). regardless, i decided to take a little trip down memory lane, and guess what i found? i'm damn amusing...and reflective. so even if SOME people find it boring, i find me endearing. and i suppose that's what counts.

smell the sea and feel the sky

as i was walking home from the gym today, i had a moment where the beauty of my surroundings and the gorgeous weather struck me, and as that moment washed over me, "into the mystic" came on my ipod. so i laid down in the middle of the grass, closed my eyes and just enjoyed the moment. these are the things i don't do enough.

lessons learned...

...from television?!

yes, so, i hate to admit it, but there are times when i watch some cheesey, cliched television show, and as the credits are rolling, i find myself pondering some deeper meaning and how it applies to my own life. and tonight, as i immersed myself into some gift of pop culture from my tivo, i couldn't help but think about the search for self. considering the one person in life you should know the best (taking into account the amount of time you spend with them) is yourself, why do we spend so much of our lives trying to figure out who we are? shouldn't that process be a bit easier?

at the age of 30, i can't decide if i've figured out a lot or a little. i know i've made big strides, particularly in the last few years, but there doesn't seem to be a day that goes by that i don't find myself in deep thought about some aspect of me. and is this a sign that i'm only toe deep in my attempts at getting to know myself, or am i just introspective? either way, i'm not sure i'm happy with the answer. because what i want is a bit of contentment rather than always a push to better and improve. because that kind of push is tiring, and in life, there's no commercial break during which i can rest up.

nothing to say

i've been thinking a lot about my blog recently. this has been a place where i've been able to share so many of the exciting adventures that i've experienced abroad over the last few years. but for some reason, when i'm not trotting around the globe, i find it difficult to sit down and contemplate my daily experiences in the written format. now, considering i dread it when people ask me, "so, what's new?" because i feel like i have nothing to say, it may seem strange that i've been feeling this pull to blog about the mundane. but, actually, that's the exact point. i feel like there are so many interesting or humorous or inspiring or sad things that happen every day that i let slide that are worth taking a second to reflect on, such as:

* the first day it actually rained in los angeles since i moved here, and i got to watch the reaction of all of my students who never see nature's showers.
* the day i turned 30.
* the day i was feeling completely empty from work and i walked by this sweet humming bird, and i stopped to take in the natural beauty, and just as i was feeling a little better about the day, the humming bird pooped and i had to laugh at the irony.

so, in an effort to slow down a little, i want to try and do a little writing every day. and i thought that maybe by doing it on the blog, i would feel like i was accountable to the cyber-audience who may or may not even read this. plus, we all know how much i live inside my own head. maybe it will do me some good to empty out some of my brain every once in a while.

the eve of...

it's the eve of my 29th birthday, and i can't help but sit here and think about how lucky i am. because every day is tomorrow's eve, and there isn't any day that goes by that i am not thankful for having the best family and friends in my life. these are the people who make me smile and laugh...the people who let me cry on their shoulders and vent all my frustrations. and as i sit here and think about all of the people - near and far, in frequent and infrequent contact - whom i love, i can't help but think i've done pretty well in my 29 years of life.

it's a sunroof kind of life

75 degrees in february. sunshine and blue skies. it's definitely a sunroof kind of life.

the next chapter

well, well, well...

look who's back on the blog. ME!

i've had a few interesting experiences in the past couple of weeks that have made me think about life and people and how they come in and out of your life and for some reason it made me think of my blog. actually, it made me realize how reflective and introspective i was being, which made me think of my blog, because this is where i've done most of my reflecting for the past year and a half. so i thought, why not pull up the old blog and do some blogging?! especially because since my last post, i've moved across the country and started a new job. and let's be honest, i have PLENTY to say about all of that.

but, i'm not going to rehash the past. what i'm going to do is make a commitment to utilize my resources and reflect here from now on. and though i don't think any of my loyal readers are out there anymore, who's to say i can't round up the old interest again? and if not, the truth is, it makes me feel better to have an outlet for pondering...