Xmas Letter

It seems as though another joyous holiday season is upon us my friends.  Twinkle lights are up, Christmas music is playing and, most importantly, Lifetime has put “A Boyfriend for Christmas” back into its holiday rotation.  What more can you ask for?

For those of you new to my take on the Christmas letter, I invite you to sit back, relax, enjoy and forget all about the fact that it’s barely December and you’ve already blown your Christmas budget.  Now, for the year in review…

Two very profound words summed up early 2011: Green and Yellow.  “Uh huh.  You know what it is, I’m a Cheesehead, y’all are Cheese Wiz.  Aaron Rodgers, MVP Award.  Green and Yellow, Green and Yellow.”  If you were wondering, yes, I did just quote Lil’ Wayne and no, my Grandmother has no idea who that is. 

For Super Bowl Sunday, with the help of my pint size Packer fan friend Nicholas, I was able to infiltrate the Storer Super Bowl Bash and spread Cheesehead cheer.  The game was incredibly nerve-wracking but with a bottle of cider in one hand and a bottle of TUMS in the other, I made it through and victorious celebration commenced!

Spring was spent preparing for two very important events, my 25^th birthday and my trip to Europe.  In May, my friend Lauren and I celebrated our birthdays together.  In honor of our favorite long haired Packer, we named it Clay Day because we celebrated on Clay Matthews’ birthday.  Day one was spent out on the town.  Day two was spent at Kings Dominion.  Note: Riding every roller coaster twice in a four hour period is not the greatest idea following a night on the town.  Nonetheless, Clay-a-Palooza was a massive success.

After taking the week to recover from the birthday festivities, I packed my bags and headed to Spain!  My friend Whitney was teaching English in Almerìa and it took no convincing for me to hop on a plane.  The country was beautiful and the food was amazing.  To my chagrin, I discovered that all my pre trip exercising was in vain as there were no size regulations on who can wear a speedo.  You’re welcome for that visual presentJ

Getting from Spain to England proved to be slightly more difficult than anticipated.  But, I managed to make new travel friends and my ride was still waiting at the airport even though I was a few minutes late…ok, many hours late (Thanks Jack).  My family was in England for THE biggest event of the year; Laura and Adie’s wedding!  I cannot begin to tell you how much fun I had.  There was a trampoline, a dress-up tent, a live band and two proposals of marriage (only one of which I remember).   Note:  A bladder full of hard cider does not mix well with a trampoline and you should ensure a restroom is close by if you choose to engage in such activity.

Upon returning stateside, I enjoyed a fun filled summer with family and friends, and naturally, a few rednecks.  If you don’t recall from previous Christmas letters, I am somewhat of a redneck magnet.  This year I not only met the redneck Gary Busey at the Beef Festival, but I also enjoyed my first (and last) redneck boat trip.  A body guard and a therapy session was all I needed to get back to normal after that fun filled experience!

  The best thing about this summer was that I made it home not once but twice!  I had tons of fun with family, old friends, cheeky English teenagers and Justin Beiber look-a-likes.  Good thing I can hold my own with that motley crew!

The fall has been quite mellow but I was in need of a rest after all the events of 2011.  Although I don’t know what is in store for me in 2012, I am learning that sometimes you have to sit back and let the cards fall where they may.  I’m doing really well with this lack of control thing…kind of…a little bit…ok, not so much.

 Here’s hoping that 2011 was good to you and 2012 gets even better! 

Until next time,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Love,

Futurama...

“The future is much like the present, only longer”-Dan Quisenberry.

Not one person on this planet can say that they don't struggle with the future.  Day in and day out we worry and wonder what’s in store for us and how events will unfold.  We constantly attempt to see seconds, minutes, hours and even years into our own futures.  We convince ourselves that the only comfort in life is to know what lies ahead.

However, what we sometimes fail to recognize is that the future is just the present with some slight modifications.

There was a time in my life when all I thought about was getting the heck out of where I was.   I convinced myself that there was nothing fantastic about the now and that the future was going to be so much more spectacular.  I waited and waited for the time to come when I could, metaphorically speaking, say ‘hasta la vista’ and ride off into the sunset towards new horizons

Man those horizons were spectacular!  The future was all I wanted it to be…for about three short weeks.  Then it hit me, I was still in the present!  'How on God's green earth did I end up here?'  Like many young people, I was under some naive assumption that changing where you lived automatically changed everything you didn’t like about yourself and your life. 

Sometimes, to get through places or situations that we don’t want to be in, instead of living in the present we set up a make believe world in our heads that someday we hope to get to.  This world is always very dewy and mystical, some might even say enchanting.  The sun is always shining and we are always happy.  In my imaginary future, I am standing on the porch of my gorgeous house on a lake, watching my husband and kids play.  That scene was what I always wanted to get to.  Where I would be happy.

Maybe you have a scene like mine or perhaps you have created a story about a new job changing your life, or a new house or a new car.   You think that just maybe all of this will make life perfect.  If only we could get there sooner!

As an eternal optimist and self-proclaimed dreamer, I would never give up on my story, nor would I encourage any of you to give up on yours.   But I had to realize that just because I wasn’t living my dream didn’t mean that I couldn’t be happy where I was, in the present.

As we’re spending all this time creating our future, life is happening.  We are doing the same mundane, everyday things, like going to work, the gym and the grocery store.  Those same mundane everyday things happen in the present, in the future, halfway around the world and right on your front porch.  Every day isn’t sunny, everyone isn’t always happy and you will always view life through the very same eyes that you view them now.  You’re future inevitably becomes the present.  The more you learn to love each day for its certain je ne sais quoi, the brighter and happier your future is sure to be.

The other day I found the following quote by Steve Rivkin, “The more unpredictable the world becomes, the more we rely on predictions.”  When I read that, a montage of all the times I turned to horoscopes and the occasional psychic flashed before me.  I was looking for something that could assure me my future would be alright.  But the comfort only lasted so long.  It was just a temporary band aid.

Real peace of mind came when I decided to stop worrying about my future.  It took a while, and a lot of practice to get out of my own way but I learned to enjoy more of the little things life had to offer.  If you list all of the things in your life that you love in life and are thankful for, I’d imagine things will get a lot better fast.

My new goal in life became being able to honestly say yes whenever anyone asked, “Are you happy?”  I achieved my goal.  I have found that this is a rare and special thing.  It was SO worth the effort!

Until next time…

Wild Horses...

Have you ever tried to ride a wild horse?  Once I watched as Bear Grilles, from Man v Wild, tried to tame a wild horse.  His plan was lasso the horse with a piece of twine, mount him and ride off into civilization.  However, the horse had other plans.  After wiping the dirt and horse dung off his clothes, Bear had no choice but to continue on foot; eventually finding civilization.

I am reminded of this situation whenever I try to plan my future.  More often than not I usually end up knee deep in a pile of shit realizing that I didn’t know everything after all.  You would think after a while I would learn but the pattern seems to be cyclical. 

This morning I turned on the television and Joel Osteen face was there.  Not being much into televised religion, I began to look for the remote to no avail.  So, I thought, “Why not see what she has to say?”  Did you know that sometimes God uses a period and other times he uses a question mark?  I was intrigued so I continued listening. 

The gist went like this; sometimes no matter how much we want something or pray about it, god has put a period.  Whether we understand it or not, life follows a certain path.  When someone close to you is sick and you pray with all your might but in the end they pass on, they were meant to go…period.  If you were planning a major life change but your life went another direction, it was mean to…period.

A problem often arises, though, in where God has put a period, we want a question mark.  I think it’s a pretty human thing to want life to go your way.  When you aren’t holding the map, it is only natural to be confused by any wrench in the path. 

Joel Osteen says that we have to stop the questions and accept the period.  There is a plan out there for every one of us and every period is a part of the plan.  There are good things coming to you but you have to accept that you cannot change the past.  I have learned from experience that this is true. 

I was once a past dweller.  I would base who I was and how I felt about myself on decisions or events from my past.  People base self-worth on a lot of things; health, beauty, money, career, friendships, romantic relationships, etc.  The problem is that people consider themselves a failure if things don’t go as planned in these areas.  Marriages fall apart.  Friendships end. Business’s fails.  Money is fleeting.

When you are stuck in the past then you can’t move forward.  Sometimes in our lives we have question marks, not periods.  Those are times when we have to step up and take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to us and move forward.  If you are dwelling on the past, it is next to impossible to move forward. 

One of the most liberating feelings in life is to realize that you are no longer a past dweller.  The past drags you down and the sad part is that you don’t even know it until you get to the other side.  You gain a whole new level of confidence in yourself and most of those insecurities you were afraid of no longer seem so scary.  If you accept yourself, and are happy with yourself how you are today, it improves every aspect of your life and makes you able to make those steps forward. 

Part of the reason that we try to create our future is that we are scared or unsatisfied with the status quo.  It’s usually midway through our plans that God (or whomever you believe in) likes to re-route the prospective path.  Although I doubt that I will never try to plan out my future again, I know that the universe always has something bigger and better planned and it’s waiting just around the corner.  Faith is something I need to work on. 

~E

P.S. Also remember, God has a sense of humor when you try to think you are smarter than he is…trust me!

Check out my new blog http://churchtryouts.blogspot.com/.  Don’t worry, I’m not getting all “churchie” on you.  I just figured I needed a little extra help with in the faith department so every Sunday I will be trying a new church and writing about my findings.  Tune in!

Change of Season...

I’m going to be blunt…changing seasons is complete crap.  This just seems like a rough time of year for everyone, not to mention the weather goes completely bi-polar and simply cannot decide what it wants to be.  Hot? Sure.  Cold? Yes.  Humid? For a bit. Hurricane? Okey Dokey! 

What the Heck!?!  Just pick something.  Two weeks ago, during a rather long cold spell, I decided it was time to take my fall clothes out of storage and pack my summer clothes away.  Well the joke is on me because it took me the better part of an hour to find a tank top and shorts this morning because someone decided it should be 80 degrees today!

Aside from the weather there are also new and exciting allergies!  This has resulted in about half of the people I know getting sinus infections.  The other half of the people wake up with massive headaches and chronic fatigue due the fact that it’s dark until about 7:30am!  On top of that, people seem to be just a little bit bored and a little bit restless.  It’s as if we're stuck in this awkward, annoying in-between stage and have no idea what to do with ourselves.  There is a lot of “hurry up and wait” going on and it is unpleasant. 

“Oh hey life, you have the potential of being super fun again in a month or so.  I can see it and it looks great.  For now I guess I’m going to paint my toes again because I can’t think of anything better to do in the meantime!”

Out of all the season changes, I find summer to fall to be the hardest.  I remember being out on a boat this summer thinking “Man I don’t want it to be September because I have no idea what I am going to do with myself.” 

During the summer you are go, go, go all the time.  There are fun activities to do, trips to take, pools to swim in and friends to see.  While you’re in the throes of summer, you are having too much fun to even think about slowing down.  Even the summer blockbusters are more exciting!?!  (If you haven’t seen Thor, it’s now on redbox and I would rent it right away!)

But then September hits and life spits you out like an old tomato!   During the summer you couldn’t even remember the last time you stayed in for a movie night and now you’ve gone through every movie in your repertoire and still aren’t satisfied.  Maybe that’s why retailers start the holiday season earlier every year; they need something to get excited about.

I know that this restlessness shall pass and I am thankful for all the fun and exciting things I got to do this year.  It was amazing.  Things will once again be a rip roaring good time and the case of the blahs will be a distant memory.  I will work on enjoying the little things, like pumpkins and pumpkin flavored delectables that are eaten in moderation!

Perhaps when the weather gets over its identity crisis we will all feel a little bit better.  Good times will triumph once again…I just know it!

~E

PS Thanks to all the amazing Wisconsin sports teams.  I will be having a fun night of cheering loudly!   

Feeling Pretty...

As I was sitting on the floor, knee deep in post Packer game laundry piles, inspiration struck! Sadly inspiration and I have not been on the best of terms these past few weeks, hence the lack of writing progress.  Ideas would flutter by, on occasion, but none of them would actually motivate me enough to start striking some keys.

Today’s inspiration came from an unlikely source; a make-up commercial.  The beginning of the commercial said something along the lines of ‘sure you’re pretty but its what you do that makes you beautiful.’ I think the girl was a volunteer firefighter with effortless make-up but that is beside the point.  Coincidentally, earlier in the week I had been mulling over this very idea.

While preparing to go out with some friends, I took a second to anticipate the night ahead.  Any given Saturday night out on the town is the same.  You start by perfecting your hair, make-up, outfit and shoes.  If you are a female, you spend hours trying to perfect your look and deep down hope that you look better than any girl there.  (Don’t hate me for saying that, you know its true).  If you are a guy, my guess is that you try to do the same...albeit in a little less time. 

Next you strut down the street toward your local watering hole.  You do a light hair patdown with your fingers, make sure that your outfit has survived the journey and nothing has shifted inappropriately, check for make-up smudges and end with some lip gloss.  All clear, you are good to go!  Let the mindless chatter with the opposite sex begin!

Sometimes, when I need a break from all this bantering (because lets face it, there are only so many times a girl can say, "Oh wow, thats awesome!" before she starts contemplating smashing her vodka tonic on the ground with the hopes that she can slit her wrists with a shard of glass in an attempt to get as far away from said dude as possible without seeming rude), I start observing.

A few years ago I read a study about attractiveness.  Scientists used a facial spacing formula that determines beauty in art and apply it to human beings.  After all the measurements and calculations are done, people are ranked on an attractiveness scale of 1 to 10, with ten being the highest ranking and unattainable to date.  As I recall Angelina Jolie was extremely high ranking and had a very symmetrical face, aside from her lips which dragged her down to around a 9.  How sad for her...

Using a focus group, as well as general observations, the study claimed people typically stayed within one to two deviations of their attractiveness numbers when choosing a mate.  So if you are a 5 then most likely you will end up with someone in the 4-6 range.

During my Saturday night observations, I have found this to be true.  Upon sharing my findings with female friends, I often get this question, "Why do I attract creepy guys who are way below my level and the guys that I think are cute dont even talk to me?"  Honestly, I have no idea why that happens and I was always a little curious myself.

So on one Saturday night adventure, my friend asked a random stranger his take on this issue…to my surprised he was very insightful.  The man's theory was this; when there is a very pretty and confident girl, good looking guys get intimidated and figure they dont have a shot so they move on.  However, your uglier guys will go for it because they have nothing to lose.  Why not start with the best looking one! 

Everyone knows that the bar scene is superficial.  It is all a bunch of smoke and mirrors and I think sometimes we forget that.  You are judged instantaneously and harshly.  When I'm having an insecure moment, this is what I like to keep in mind...most of the extremely pretty, perfectly put together people that I've met are seriously screwed up! 

I remember meeting a man once and thinking to myself, “You are quite possibly the best looking person I’ve ever met and yet I have no interest in talking to you because people this pretty have issues.”  In the course of about an hour he had managed to drink himself into oblivion and make out with a sloppy, sloppy girl of about 19 years old who I’m pretty sure threw up only a few short moments prior to their makeout session.  Eww.

Some people are pretty in a club where it’s dark and you can only really hear half of the conversation.  Heck, they are even pretty in daylight.  But usually, after spending five mintues with these people, you realise that their beauty is ONLY skin deep and suddenly they're not so appealing anymore.  Pretty isn’t everything, it’s all in what you do with it. 

Someone told me a few weeks back, “One of the best things about you is that you have no idea how beautiful you are.”  That was lovely and I thanked them.  But, the whole notion that there is somehow an expectation on your personality or actions based on how pretty you are is still very confusing to me.  But maybe if people paid less attention to how pretty they are on the outside and more to how beautiful they are on the inside, their world would be a little bit better.

As always, let me know what you think.

Till Next Time

~E 

Imaginary Friends...

How many of you had imaginary friends when you were younger?  I never had an imaginary friend and I’m still upset about it!  Perhaps it was my short attention span or lack of dedication but a potential imaginary friend never made it more than two minutes before they were forgotten.  When my parents got tired of listening to Chatty Kathy over here, I just talked to myself.  Me, myself and I had amazing conversations and everyone was quite opinionated. 

After researching how the Imaginary Friend thing works, its seems the basic concept is that a child creates an imaginary friend in order to fill a void.  The imaginary friend acts as a confident and allows the child to work through whatever issues they face.  When the child grows and learns to master its issues then the Imaginary Friend disappears,  theoretically because the child doesn’t need them anymore.

During a visit with old friends, we dug into the concept of friendship.  Having been friends for the better part of a decade (scary how time flies) we have seen each other through good times and bad and I have no doubt that we will be there for each other for the decades to come.  With some friends,  you know you are just in it for the long haul.  Sure you go through ups and downs but there is always that unspoken connection that keeps you together.

Sadly, or not, depending on how you look at it, there are friendships are meant to last.  Sometimes when people grow, they grow apart instead of together.  Think about how many friends you have had throughout the years and how many of those people you still keep in contact with.  I’d venture to guess that the percentage is pretty small; and that’s okay.  In fact, that’s normal.

But the concept of Imaginary Friends got me thinking, what if we, as adults, have real-life imaginary friends?  Interpret that however you will but I offer up my interpretation anyway.  Whether you are 17 or 71, you constantly try to figure out who you are.  Identities get lost and redefined.  Wants change, needs change and situations change.  This is the time in life when you find out what you are made of.  Along your journey there are people who were put there to help you and you to help them. 

It is my honest opinion that we are meant to learn something from every relationship in life.  Some people are put in your life for a short time and some for longer.  Like the Imaginary Friend, often when you have learned what you needed to and taken from the relationship all that there was to take, the friendship disappears.  When the relationship no longer works for who you have become, then it is best to part ways.

It is important to remember that not everyone can be a life- long friend.  Endings are often sad and at times frustrating but look at it this way, you are simply opening yourself up for something better to come along. 

Till next time

~E

PS  Football is BACK!!

Creativity and Dance Fever...

Since the beginning of time the world has been divided into left brain thinkers and right brain thinkers.  Left brain thinkers are generally much more logical and analytical whereas right brain thinkers are considered to be more creative and intuitive.  I have to admit that growing up I always considered myself a left brain thinker.  Sure I liked to color and I doodled the heck out of a binder cover, but I always focused much more on my left brain assets in school. 

After graduating from college and realizing that I wanted nothing to do with sitting in an office, I encountered somewhat of an identity crisis.  As I do with all major decisions in life, I waited for a sign.  One day, I filled out a questionnaire about "Creating Your Future."  The idea was to read the question out loud, close your eyes, breathe deeply, and write the first thing that came to mind.  When I got around to the Career section, here's what came up, "If you write it, they will come."

That was it.  Pretty vague, universe!!  I kept trying to ask more questions.  Who will come?  When are they coming?  What am I supposed to write?  I got NOTHIN!  All I kept hearing in my head was, "If you write it, they will come."  So, the next week I started this blog.  At first I was scared that I would run out of things to write after the first week but when I sit down to the computer every Sunday, it all comes together almost magically.

And the best part is people are coming!  All of you are reading this and I hope you enjoy.  Last week, my friend of mine told me the other day that she talks about it with her friends and that is pretty awesome so thank you for being my audience. 

Today I no longer think of myself as a left brain thinker, or a right brain thinker.  I guess I fall somewhere in the middle.  This week my writing group assignment was to create a new disease and describe its effect on people.  As much as I tried to think of a serious epidemic, I decided my disease would be Dance Fever.  

Even though you may, at times, be afraid of  a challenge or trying something new, when you are true to yourself amazing things can happen.  All you have to do is give it a shot! 

~E

The Dance Fever Epidemic Resurfaces: Fear Runs Rampant

At a rate not seen since the disco epidemic of 1970, people around the world are contracting what Scientists call Feeltherhythmitis or Dance Fever.  Thought to be a dead disease, Feeltherhythmitis has once again propelled itself onto the world scene.

Dr. Boogie, Associate Professor of History at NYU, contracted Feeltherhythmitis during an outbreak in the 1960’s.  His condition has been in remission ever since. 

“During the Summer of ’69,” recalled Dr. Boogie, “I contracted a crippling condition known as Dance Fever (Feeltherhythmitis).  The first stage of Feeltherhythmitis is borderline euphoric.  The infected feel as though they can dance all night. However, during the second phase of contamination things turn serious.  Victims find that they are no longer in control of their limbs and their dancing becomes erratic; jerking, tapping, swaying, kicking, jumping etc.  People start sweating profusely and many claim that they couldn’t stop dancing if they tried.  I have seen the negative effects of Feeltherythmitis on innocent people.  The world scientific community needs to take this outbreak very seriously before any more lives are affected.”

Olivia Newton was at an LA dance club when her boyfriend John began to show signs of second degree Feeltherhythmitis.  “John never dances, “claimed Ms. Newton, “So when he started taking it to the floor like a maniac I knew something was wrong.  I tried to stop him but he kept high kicking and I couldn’t get near him.” 

Club employees were able to subdue John T. (last name not disclosed due to a pending police investigation), and he was treated at a local hospital.  Unfortunately, over $100,000 in damage was done to sound equipment, furniture and a Swarovski chandelier.  The dance club is also facing a class action law suit from patrons who are claiming emotional distress and bodily injury incurred from the erratic dancing.

Due to public outcry, countries around the world are banning certain types of music until a new cure for Feeltherhythmitis can be found.  In a message to the country, President Obama stated,

“We are working hard to find a cure for this disease.  This is not just an American issue, this is a global issue and I urge other countries to cease and desist of all dance related music until we can put an end to Dance Fever, once and for all.”

There are many people who feel that the DanceBan, as it has been called, is unfair and unconstitutional.  The activist group, AllIWannaDoIsDance, held an anti-ban rally in Daytona Beach, Florida over the weekend, drawing a crowd of over 10,000 people.

“America is about freedom of expression,” argued Francis Baby Houseman, organizer of AllIWannaDoIsDance.  “Shutting down music is not the answer!  You cannot ignore all the positive affects music has on society and its people.  Long Live Dancing!”

We asked Dr. Boogie his thoughts on the ban.

"In the 1960’s, the Dance Fever epidemic ended with the advent of a form of music called Hard Rock.  Disco went out of style in the 70’s and that helped end the epidemic.  The problem with this particular disease, however, is that every time you think it’s gone, it finds a way to mutate and regenerate.  Until a new cure can be developed, I urge people to remain inside, away from music and dancing of any kind.  People simply don’t understand the severity of Dance Fever.  It is both catastrophic and highly contagious.  The rhythm is going to get you!”

As of now, governments around the world continue to strictly enforce the DanceBan.  An intergovernmental group of scientists, known as The Cure, continue to work day and night toward a solution.  Until then, civilians are urged to stay calm and remain at home as much as possible.  Large green bins have been placed at supermarkets and schools for the disposal of any music media devices.

The President urges that “the more cooperation from the American people, the sooner this will all come to an end.”

If you know of anyone who is displaying symptoms of Feeltherhythmitis, please visit www.stopthedancing.org for treatment facilities and tips on preventing contamination.

(Disclaimer: This is a fake article.  Nothing actually exists.)

Cleaning Out Your Closet...

Today, I am cleaning out my closet.  Basically, I went through piles and piles of old stuff and decided what I needed to keep, throw away, or donate.  When you first decide that the time has come to clean house, you anticipate the task to be relatively easy and pain free.  After all, how much shit can there possibly be?

The thing about cleaning closets is that once you get down to the nitty gritty, you realize that there is always way more junk than anticipated.  Before you know it you are knee deep in a mountain of rubble with little hope that you can make it out alive.  You take a long, cleansing breath and try to hold off the mini meltdown that is looming.  Next you decide to take it one box at a time.

There are always surprises when cleaning out your closet.  You find pictures of days gone by and wonder, “What ever happened to my friend?  I think I’m gonna call them.”  Deep down you know that this is highly unlikely but at least it brought the memory of happy times gone by.

Sometimes you find undesirables like that Tupperware you forgot about from Junior year which can now be passed off as your science experiment.  In my experience it is better to lose a container than risk contamination.

Lost items become found.  Old items become new again.   And things that were once of great sentimental value, you now find of no value at all.

After a considerable amount of blood, sweat and tears, you begin to see the progress.  The piles almost magically come together.  You have decided what things you want to keep in your life and what you want to clear out.  Some go to the dumpster, some go to charity and some remain in the closet awhile longer. 

The urban dictionary defines the act of ‘cleaning out one’s closet’ as “putting an end to the old way of living and starting a new life void of all the secrets and lies from the old life and filled with mental strength.”

Throughout life there are times when we need to take inventory of our selves, our thoughts, our emotions and our stuff.  My coach once told me that when your home is organized, your life is organized.  Although I am not always the neatest of people, i wholeheartedly agree.  

I have always believed that everything has its place.  I also believe that place is constantly changing.  Things that you once thought were irreplaceable now have no room in your new life.  It’s sad to see them go but you do it because you know that something better is coming.  Something that is going to fill that space better than you ever imagined it could. 

If you are feeling like it’s time for a change I suggest that you start by cleaning out your closet.  You should start new beginnings with a clean slate…or at least a neatly packed one!

Happy Cleaning!

~E

Loving the highly organized closet space...omg I can see the floor!!!

Hall Closet

Bedroom Closet

Act Your Age...

"Act your age"

Many of us have heard this phrase.  Many of us have used this phrase.  Even Prince, or the artist formerly known as, sang this phrase, “Act your age, not your shoe size…”

But what does it really mean?  Is there some rulebook somewhere that contains a detailed set of rules and regulations regarding each specific age?  Where is this rulebook?  I would first like to read it and then promptly throw it out a second story window.

I’m sure at one point or another in our lives, everyone has been told to act their age.  Most likely it was said to you by your mother referring to some deviant act occurring between the ages of 8 -12.  Another likely possibility is that it was said by a girlfriend/boyfriend, sibling or friend to a person of a certain age, holding onto their Peter Pan complex.

This past weekend I spent all of Saturday playing in a pool with family and friends.  During my game of ‘airplane’ with a very giggly three year old friend, I looked around the pool and realized that I was the oldest one by about ten years, give or take.  This made me wonder; at 25 how am I supposed to act?  How do people expect me to act?  Should I be sitting on the sidelines watching the kids play?  Am I now too ‘old’ to be horsing around in a pool?  Before I could give this anymore thought I was promptly tackled underwater by the 'boy’s team.'  Silly I forgot about the game of ‘keep away’ I started 20 minutes prior…water up your nose still hurts at any age!

Thoroughly exhausted and showing my age, I crawled out of the pool and into the car where my mommy and daddy were waiting to take me home to bed.  On the way I started mulling over the whole notion of “acting your age.”  At some point everyone grows up.  You mature, gain wisdom and accept more responsibility in life.  These are all necessary and wonderful things.

But, what about fun?  I consider myself lucky to have family and friends who don’t take themselves too seriously.  Mainly because, we have a lot of fun.   Sometimes when people ‘grow up’ they forget all about being a kid and that’s a shame.  When you’re a kid ‘fun’ isn’t proper or neat.  Kids don’t do things for show or to impress people.  Kids don’t care what you think!  They seek fun out!

As we approached the end of my block, I decided that I don’t give a flying leap what people think.  If I want join a neighborhood game of dodge ball or slide headfirst down the slide or yell really loud in an appropriate venue or let a three year old push me in the pool twenty times in a row, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.  If anyone has a problem with that, I hope they have a rulebook handy.  

Everyone has an inner child.  Mine is slightly theatrical and loves the water.  I let her play as much as I can.  What does your inner child want to do?  Maybe you should let them out to play sometime!

 

~E

How 'bout I think inside the box...

Everyone is always telling you to ‘think outside the box.’ Go outside your comfort zone.  Challenge yourself.  Do something new and exciting.  Take a risk.  Take a chance.  Take a leap of faith.  But has anyone ever thought that maybe once in a while you just want to stay in?  Sometimes the box is perfectly nice, warm and inviting.

Going beyond the pale is great.  If you never challenge yourself then you can never reach your full potential.  Taking risks and having new adventures is essential in life.  You learn about yourself, you meet and interact with new and interesting people.  Going outside the box is an important and necessary part of life.  

But let’s face it, always thinking outside the box can be quite exhausting. Take 'Blind Dates' for example.  Now Blind dates tend to get a bad reputation and here's why.  Essentially, blind dates are a leap of faith.  You are agreeing to meet said person, typically knowing no more than their name, rank and serial number.  Throw in a few hobbies and general commonalities and you have got yourself a date.  You have absolutely no idea whether or not you will like this person or what the future could possibly hold but for girls, at least, a blind date holds the possibility of happily ever after. 

Generally speaking most girls can determine in about four seconds whether or not this person is worth an hour of their time.  If I am sitting there engaging in the first date chatter while thinking that painting my nails would be a more effective use of my time, this isn’t going to end well.

If you have a wonderful blind date experience and life happily ever after, fantastic.  For those of us in the real world, blind dates leave you exhausted.  Following the date you not only have to deal with the words ‘giant letdown’ hanging over your head, you also have to deal with the emotional exhaustion brought on by the pre-date worrying and preparation.  “What should I say?  Should I talk about this?  What if he doesn’t like me? Even worse, what if I don’t like him?  That’s awkward” 

Then after a series of not so fabulous rendezvous, or even just one, you start to question whether it's all worth it, the whole dating thing in general.  A few days later you realize that in fact you ARE an eternal optimist and faith in love is once again restored.  

At times, constantly going outside the box, in dating or any other aspect of life,  can be exhausting.  Yes, you have to challenge yourself and have new adventures but the old comfortable adventures are pretty cool too.

Yesterday I went into my closet to grab a sweatshirt and instead of pulling out my pretty new Adidas one; I pulled out my thoroughly worn/five sizes too big college sweatshirt.  Just for old times sake I threw it on and instantly a wave of comfort came over me. 

Sometimes you need to take a break from the wonderful/fabulous things you are doing and do what you've always done.  For me that was grabbing my EC sweatshirt and spending the Sunday afternoon on the couch watching an endless string of B movies.  In my opinion, it’s just as good for the soul as taking a leap of faith. 

And who knows…I hear good things come when you least expect it.  Yesterday I won a water spritzer bottle! Now that doesn’t happen every day, I never win anything!

Till next time

~E

The Tide is Coming...

When are you most at peace?  Since birth my answer to this question has remained the same; Water.  I am most at peace on those bright sunny days, not a cloud in the sky, when your biggest concern is that you are floating too far from the shore.  Smart people tie themselves to the end of the dock but sometimes there is nothing better than feeling like you are drifting away.  The water seems to just rock you back and forth as you drift in and out of conscious bliss.  The struggles of everyday life are standing on the dock and you wave at them with a smile and a nod as you float on down the river.  It is my favorite day.    

As everybody knows, however, sooner or later the tide will bring you back to shore.  Back to reality.  Your only comfort is that someday soon you will once again have a bright and sunny day when all your troubles drift away, if only for a few hours. 

Last night, after a day of floating on the river, I stood on the shore with my feet in the sand, and watched the sun set over the horizon.  It was beautiful.  The tide was coming in and boats were heading for home.  It’s an interesting thing, tides.  One minute you are standing in nothing and the next you are up to your knees in river water.

In a lot of ways life is like the tides.  Good times come and go.  Bad times too.  Relationships, friends, jobs, money, things, experiences; they all ebb and flow.  Sometimes you are knee deep in happiness and other times you barely have your feet wet.  It’s usually during those times that you learn the most about yourself.  It is during low tide that you must reflect.  Reflect on all of the different aspects of your life.  Figure out what works, what doesn’t, what needs to change and how to change it.  Happiness isn’t instantaneous and it isn’t a given, but it is always achievable. 

Throughout the year the tides change and you may never know for sure when high tide will be rolling in.  But just remember that the tide always comes.  Always.  If you don’t believe me, ask mother nature.

Happy Floating!

~E

The Vortex...

So about a month ago the CRAZIEST thing happened! I got SUCKED into a WHIRLWIND.  The Saturday before my birthday I went out to celebrate, (see The Waiting Game, May 8^th)  and I got sucked into a very powerful and tricky vortex known as the Celebratory Vortex.  The Celebratory Vortex is crafty.  It lures you with the promise of never-ending fun, family time, excitement and adventure.  Everything is fantastic!!  Until, of course, the vortex decides to spit you out like old gum and coldheartedly discard you on the side of the road, leaving you to eat its dust. 

Truth: Ok, maybe I wasn’t actually sucked into a Celebratory Vortex…but it sure felt like it.  First and foremost I want to apologize for being M.I.A.  It touches my heart that people have been checking on me and I am sad to have let anyone down.

This past month has been incredibly amazing.  There were wonderful weddings, trips to Europe, and special visits from family and friends that I don’t often get to see.  Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, the Sunday time typically dedicated to my readers had to be dedicated to my guests.  To be perfectly honest, my weekdays were so action packed that sometimes I could barely think of my name let alone an idea for my weekly topic.

What I learned was that as fun and exciting as it all was, I needed to make time for myself and I didn’t.  My ‘down’ time was spent planning my next move and preparing for it.  Without realizing, you begin running on adrenaline and although a lot gets accomplished, a lot gets lost.  Me Time, for some reason, didn’t seem as necessary.     

Have you ever heard of celebrities going into the hospital for exhaustion?  A friend pointed that out to me this week and I think there is a lesson to be learned.  Celebrities have their own vortex and it is filled with excitement, adoring fans, success, paparazzi, untrustworthy people, excessive pressure, and if you are famous for a reason (not like Paris Hilton) you might also have to sing, dance, act etc.  When life gets that crazy, it is so easy to lose yourself.  Sooner or later your body gives up even if your mind keeps going.

On Wednesday morning my body gave up on me.  My last guests left the previous Sunday and due to some poor planning and an extremely overtired brain, Tuesday became a whirlwind in itself.  When my boss walked into work on Wednesday morning the first thing out of her mouth was, “You look horrible.  Do you need to go home?”  I did.  I was Done.  Done with excitement and fun and Done with thinking in general.  I went home and crashed.  Although I am still not completely recovered and the sniffles remain, I now realize the importance taking some time out to just BE.  

Slowing down is not always easy but it is always necessary.  Whether you just sit by yourself for five whole minutes, watch some trashy/mindless television, or float in a pool all weekend with some Miller Light and SPF 30, you must do whatever is necessary to slow your roll.  Trust me.  That vortex is a rough landing.  Seriously, I think I have a bruise…

Have a fun/calm week.  I will see you all next Sunday!  I promiseJ
~E

Bad Reputation...

We’ve all hear about it.  Some of us have even witnessed it.  Worst of all, some of us have been guilty of it.  What is it?  It is that loud obnoxious American tourist.  In my opinion, it is a bad reputation.  If you have travelled outside the US have surly noticed them.  They are clearly out of their element and stick out like a sore thumb.  You’re first instinct is to deny these excessively loud/uncouth people and attempt to disassociate yourself from the embarrassing display of arrogance.

On this trip I was determined to battle the American reputation and immerse myself into a different culture.   My most useful tool in completing this mission was my friend Whitney who, for the past year, had been conducting extremely useful reconnaissance.  She had not only adapted to the culture, habits and pastimes, she had also improved her language fluency and accent.  This would prove most useful considering my very limited Spanish speaking abilities.

My first cultural lesson was on time tables and communication.   Timetables seemed to be negotiable.  As Whitney explained “Open at 9” was more of a suggestion than a definite time.  As I sat in the Madrid airport prior to the last leg of the trip, I watched my departure time go from 20:15 to 21:25 to 21:30 to 21:40 to 21:45.  There was no announcement or change on the main board.  The gate time just kept ticking away.  Having an obsessive need to be on time, I figured my battle was an uphill one.  I decided I better just relax and not stress.  (This proved to be a useful mantra for future endeavors).

As dinner is usually very late and much lighter, compared to US standards, my 10:30pm dinner was not unusual.  The next morning we woke up to my first Spanish breakfast.  Obviously not all Spaniards eat the same breakfast, but this was a fairly common breakfast consumed by Whitney’s roommate and new Spanish boyfriend.  So as a cultural connoisseur I was ready to dive in.  Here's the breakdown.  First you have a mug of heated or cold milk.  Then you select the number of muffins you want.  The muffins of choice were very small and simply called ‘Round Muffins.’  They came in a huge bag and out of curiosity I grabbed it to check the ingredients.  After remembering that I didn't speak Spanish, I handed the bag to Whitney.  To my elation and shock the first ingredient was flour.  In another surprising twist the remaining ingredients were things I understood like water, eggs, salt, and sugar.  The fact that the ingredients in pre-packaged, grocery store food was real food and not processed was amazing to me. 

You take the round muffins; break them up and place the pieces in the milk.  Many of you, like myself, made an “ew soggy muffins?” face.  However it ended up being quite tasty and much better in milk than on their own.  After the muffins, you choose your favorite cookie and dunk it in the milk.  Being that I love chocolate, I chose a cookie with chocolate in the middle and ate up.  When you have sufficiently had your cookies, you put a small spoonful of local honey in your milk and drink the rest.  Are you full yet?

An alternative to this Spanish breakfast is some delicious Café con Leche with your favorite pastry with chocolate inside.  They also have cups of chocolate available...yes you read correctly!  I have tried and loved them all.

After breakfast, people go off to work or in our case go shopping/ to the beach (what a hard life!).  Where we were in Spain almost every place closed from 2-5:30pm.  The very first day, my response to stores closing was, “Are you serious?  Why would places close in the middle of the afternoon?  This is prime shopping time! Hello!?!"  But then it hit me…I was thinking like the obnoxious American traveller.  Americans are used to everything being open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  When you become accustomed to that type of convenience it is quite a shock to go somewhere else where things are closed during seemingly ‘peak’ hours.  I immediately took a step back.

For many Spaniards the time between 2 and 5:30, is a time to slow down and eat with their family.  Lunch is the biggest meal of the day.  Many people go home for lunch.  Almost all of the restaurants displayed their large lunch menus.  One day we had the traditional Spanish dish Paella, which is rice dish with meat, seafood or both in that particular region.  After lunch, you rested.  I certainly had no objections to that.

At around 5:30 the city came alive again.  Children and family filled the parks and streets.  People were shopping and protesters were shouting. 

You walk everywhere!  I don’t think I have ever walked that much in my life and I have done quite a bit of travelling.  America is not a nation of walkers.  In my opinion it is partly because we were never programmed to walk, we were programmed to drive.  Most of the country developed after the automobile was invented, whereas European was developed many centuries ago.  Distance wise, I could walk to Olde Town where I live.  It is only about 3 miles away.  However, I would only do that if I had a death wish, being required to traverse 2 major highways and a freeway interchange. 

After our day of walking and shopping it was time for dinner.  Dinner was between 9 and 11pm.  Spanish dinner was very light and extremely tasty.  In the southern region I was in, when you ordered a drink you got free Tapas.  Tapas is a very small dish of seafood, meat, rice, vegetable etc.  It is not uncommon to bounce between several different establishments for dinner.  Whitney ate two Tapas and was satisfied for dinner.  The first night, at least, I remember saying, “Umm…yeah…I’m gonna need more food!”

As you can see, food dominated my cultural experience but food is a major part of Spanish culture.  My experience in Spain was not full of historical sites or tourist traps; it was a glimpse into the day to day lives of people halfway around the world.  I couldn’t have asked for a better vacation (minus a few travel mishaps and air traffic control strikes).  It was unique and special and I am incredibly thankful I was able to go.

Whether or not you are a seasoned traveller, or a rookie one, my advice would be to take some time out to experience new culture and food.  Fight that American stereotype and adapt to another place.  As my High School French teacher always said, “Remember it’s not weird, it’s different.”