I opened my email yesterday to find this treasure - a story from Brian Andreas:
carries a lot of suitcases but all of them are empty because she's expecting to completely fill them with life by the end of this trip & then she'll come home & sort everything out & do it all again
It happened to come at a perfect moment. I was stressing over the things still left on my to-do list before I leave.
I leave for Kenya in exactly two weeks.
And I'm torn. Torn between being excited for the adventure and completely flipped out over the bits and pieces that need to be taken care of.
The best advice I've been giving (which is good since it was paid advice) is to lean into the experience. Which is what I am trying to do. When I have those moments where the "stuff" is outweighing the excitement I try to visualize myself letting go and leaning in.
Sometimes it works - and sometimes it doesn't. See inside of me I have two fighting personas. One that needs everything planned out and the other that really, really, really wants to be bohemian. Who wants to throw caution to the wind. Like that scene in Pride and Prejudice where Lizzie is standing on the rocks, high above the world, with the wind blowing. She is fully committed to that experience. Oh how I long to stand on those rocks.
I want to take my empty suitcases and fill them, and then head back out again.
Mostly I'm excited. This is huge.
Showing posts with label Life's Travels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life's Travels. Show all posts
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Perky
Last night we returned from a quick family trip to San Diego. Oh it was magical and stress-free. And casual. For someone like me who moves at a breakneck pace (except when running) it was glorious to have ideas rather than an agenda.
I'm not saying this to appear a braggart. It's just that, given our (granted, self-created) situation it is easy for me to find disappointment in things. Both E and I thought we would be at a different place at this time in our lives. Mostly I feel so secure in where I am and so aware of how I got here, how far we've come, the lessons we've learned and are learning, and what I am doing differently. But there are moments when that all fades away and the disappointment is evident.
So it's wonderful to pack up our bags, on our own shoestring budget, and set off for adventure.
The whole trip reminded me of some of the financial perks that we get through E's job that don't come in cold-hard-cash. No IRS reportable illegal offenses or anything - but things we did not realize at the onset. Company brand shirts which makes his paying for his wardrobe cheap. Trips around the continent that stimulate his mind and serve to remind me of the wonderful presence in our life. Company dinners which give us a reasons to dress and eat well. Seven days of paid "holiday" time which started last week.
The most relevant example, given the post, are the hotel points that he accumulated this year with all his travel. We walked into this gorgeous Marriott hotel and as I opened the door I realized that when my boys think of hotels this is what they know. We stayed as a family, when I was growing up, in Motel 6. Nothing wrong with Motel 6 - in fact we (my family of origin) considered it such a treat to stay in a motel that it didn't matter what it was. Plus we lived on a shoestring budget and for us, having the adventure, was more important than where we stayed in order to have it. My parents provided us with a ton of adventure for minor cost.
The most relevant example, given the post, are the hotel points that he accumulated this year with all his travel. We walked into this gorgeous Marriott hotel and as I opened the door I realized that when my boys think of hotels this is what they know. We stayed as a family, when I was growing up, in Motel 6. Nothing wrong with Motel 6 - in fact we (my family of origin) considered it such a treat to stay in a motel that it didn't matter what it was. Plus we lived on a shoestring budget and for us, having the adventure, was more important than where we stayed in order to have it. My parents provided us with a ton of adventure for minor cost.
I'm not saying this to appear a braggart. It's just that, given our (granted, self-created) situation it is easy for me to find disappointment in things. Both E and I thought we would be at a different place at this time in our lives. Mostly I feel so secure in where I am and so aware of how I got here, how far we've come, the lessons we've learned and are learning, and what I am doing differently. But there are moments when that all fades away and the disappointment is evident.
So it's wonderful to pack up our bags, on our own shoestring budget, and set off for adventure.
What a perk.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Overhead in Chicago
I'm on a trip to Chicago. E is here for work and since I had a free plane ticket I figured I'd take advantage of a free trip. And you all know I love Chicago.
There have been serious things on my mind - but in a full and complete effort to block them out I'm choosing to blog about things I've heard in Chicago and NOT the other things.
I'm writing things down in my journal while out walking and will transfer them here. Here are some juicy nuggets thus far:
Wednesday:
(at dinner at Pizzeria Uno)
Grandma: "You stink. What are they feeding you at that daycare?"
Little boy: "Food."
Grandma: "What kind of food? Dog food? They giving you Alpo? You smell like dog food."
The best part of Wednesday night dinner, besides being with just E, was sitting next to a table with three women (I'd say mid-fifties). They had quite the verbal agenda and I had a hard time carrying on a conversation with E instead of eavesdropping.
Episode One:
Woman #1: My Mom died, two weeks later my husband filed for divorce, and the next week was Christmas.
Woman #2: That's horrible. During the Christmas season?
Woman #1: Yes. I treated myself to lots of pedicures. Figured it was worth it.
Episode Two:
Woman #3: Have your read anything of Sandra Lee's?
Woman #1: From the song?
Woman #3: No. She's a cook. She does semi-homemade food.
(She then goes on for a good twenty minutes about Sandra Lee's history which not only sounds like a mix between a sales-pitch for Sandra Lee and a religious testimony AND it works this woman up to tears. Tears. At some point they change the subject but woman #3 is determined to share everything she wants about Sandra Lee)
Woman #3: But back to Sandra Lee. She's a semi-homemade food maker. You get that right?
Woman #2: Yes, you told us. She makes homemade food but with shortcuts.
Woman #1: I think we all agreed that she's got a good concept.
Woman #3: You should see some of her recipes! I mean, she has you just take a cake mix and then you can do all these things with it. It's all semi-homemade.
Thursday:
Walking around downtown.
Man on cell: No, I did not say you could use my bathtub. You just don't use other people's bathtubs.
Man & Woman on corner. He's looking at a map and she's trying to explain her directions.
Man: You don't know your way around this town like I do.
Woman: Well I did live here for ten years.
more to come...
There have been serious things on my mind - but in a full and complete effort to block them out I'm choosing to blog about things I've heard in Chicago and NOT the other things.
I'm writing things down in my journal while out walking and will transfer them here. Here are some juicy nuggets thus far:
Wednesday:
(at dinner at Pizzeria Uno)
Grandma: "You stink. What are they feeding you at that daycare?"
Little boy: "Food."
Grandma: "What kind of food? Dog food? They giving you Alpo? You smell like dog food."
The best part of Wednesday night dinner, besides being with just E, was sitting next to a table with three women (I'd say mid-fifties). They had quite the verbal agenda and I had a hard time carrying on a conversation with E instead of eavesdropping.
Episode One:
Woman #1: My Mom died, two weeks later my husband filed for divorce, and the next week was Christmas.
Woman #2: That's horrible. During the Christmas season?
Woman #1: Yes. I treated myself to lots of pedicures. Figured it was worth it.
Episode Two:
Woman #3: Have your read anything of Sandra Lee's?
Woman #1: From the song?
Woman #3: No. She's a cook. She does semi-homemade food.
(She then goes on for a good twenty minutes about Sandra Lee's history which not only sounds like a mix between a sales-pitch for Sandra Lee and a religious testimony AND it works this woman up to tears. Tears. At some point they change the subject but woman #3 is determined to share everything she wants about Sandra Lee)
Woman #3: But back to Sandra Lee. She's a semi-homemade food maker. You get that right?
Woman #2: Yes, you told us. She makes homemade food but with shortcuts.
Woman #1: I think we all agreed that she's got a good concept.
Woman #3: You should see some of her recipes! I mean, she has you just take a cake mix and then you can do all these things with it. It's all semi-homemade.
Thursday:
Walking around downtown.
Man on cell: No, I did not say you could use my bathtub. You just don't use other people's bathtubs.
Man & Woman on corner. He's looking at a map and she's trying to explain her directions.
Man: You don't know your way around this town like I do.
Woman: Well I did live here for ten years.
more to come...
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Sinful
The boys and I are headed to Vegas to have a sinful time! Ok, no boozing, gambling or any of the other myriad of sins you can gleefully encounter in Vegas - we're just going to have a sinfully good time meeting baby Addie.
In related news - my posts have been slow and rather blah lately. Hopefully after the upcoming wedding I'll have more time, increased energy, and writing skills.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Rice-A-Roni
They are lying.
From here I can see a park in Chinatown where a group of about 15 women did some sort of playground exercising before starting their Tai Chi. A man in his office across the way from him has waved several times - maybe he's worried I am going to jump. Not likely. The fact that I am sitting, perched on the desk which is shoved up against the window, staring out at the city from 24 floors up is amazing.
The real San Francisco treat has nothing to do with Rice-A-Roni! It's having my breakfast while sitting at the computer over looking Chinatown and the Financial District from my window.
I rose at 7:00am (which was a feat in itself given the night of "business bar hopping" that occurred last night) and watched as the city greeted it's day. For a while the streets were flooded with men and women in business wear trudging from the subway, buses, and near-by sweet condos to work.
From here I can see a park in Chinatown where a group of about 15 women did some sort of playground exercising before starting their Tai Chi. A man in his office across the way from him has waved several times - maybe he's worried I am going to jump. Not likely. The fact that I am sitting, perched on the desk which is shoved up against the window, staring out at the city from 24 floors up is amazing.
What a way to start my 30th year. I have done so many things in just one night of being here that I haven't done in my whole previous 29. Not all of them are sinful either! Like getting up this morning and walking down to the Chinese market to get milk for my breakfast. Then having a ten minute conversation with the adorable old man behind the counter who wanted to explain why their fresh oranges and mangoes were so much better than the banana I was looking for.
Eric is here for a conference - which holds absolutely no appeal. Still I am going to whip out my former marketing skills and head down there later to keep him company. Let's see how many pumps I can sell!! He is done tomorrow afternoon and we'll have a great time wandering the city together.
What a treat to be here.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Capone, Monet, and me...
Oh all things holy and good, I am tired!
My sister and I arrived back into LA at 9:00am from our adventures in Chicago. My cousin lives in the Edgewater/Andersonville district of Chicago (see the picture below) and she was the hostess for the trip.
This is Edgewater, and yes I have walked down this street and know my way around...sort of...
There is so much to tell and so many hilarious stories to share. Still, given that my sister and I decided to try and sleep at the airport rather than at my cousin's, you can imagine that I am a little pooped. Plus the boys both have colds and I think mine is right around the corner.
However, I know you are all dying to hear some news so I'll share with you a few highlights:
- Being propositioned (yes, that kind of proposition) by a crazy sixty-year-old crackhead on the way to the airport.
- Standing in the amazing spaces that Frank Lloyd Wright imagined and created.
- Watching the fireworks and decorated boats during the Venetian Night celebration.
- Trying to sleep in the airport with a towel as a blanket because it was freezing!
- Taking the time to just sit and experience the energy of the city.
- Having enough time to stare intently at each version of Haystacks by Claude Monet and being able to finally decide which was my favorite.
- Realizing the simple truth that people raise their children everywhere, finding adventures for their family, the same way I do, in wherever they may be.
- Riding down the Chicago River, wind in my hair, sun in my face, and the spirit and brilliance of great minds who built the city around me.
- Drinks and jazz at the Green Mill (Al Capone's joint) with Patricia Barber & Quartet.
- Time with my sister that was never boring, bothersome, or stressful. It was time that we gave each other to continue strengthening our relationship.
I could easily put Chicago, cold weather and all, on my list of places to call home at some point. If you have not been there, I highly suggest it as a place you spend some time in.
And now it's time for a nap...
My sister and I arrived back into LA at 9:00am from our adventures in Chicago. My cousin lives in the Edgewater/Andersonville district of Chicago (see the picture below) and she was the hostess for the trip.
This is Edgewater, and yes I have walked down this street and know my way around...sort of...
There is so much to tell and so many hilarious stories to share. Still, given that my sister and I decided to try and sleep at the airport rather than at my cousin's, you can imagine that I am a little pooped. Plus the boys both have colds and I think mine is right around the corner.
However, I know you are all dying to hear some news so I'll share with you a few highlights:
- Being propositioned (yes, that kind of proposition) by a crazy sixty-year-old crackhead on the way to the airport.
- Standing in the amazing spaces that Frank Lloyd Wright imagined and created.
- Watching the fireworks and decorated boats during the Venetian Night celebration.
- Trying to sleep in the airport with a towel as a blanket because it was freezing!
- Taking the time to just sit and experience the energy of the city.
- Having enough time to stare intently at each version of Haystacks by Claude Monet and being able to finally decide which was my favorite.
- Realizing the simple truth that people raise their children everywhere, finding adventures for their family, the same way I do, in wherever they may be.
- Riding down the Chicago River, wind in my hair, sun in my face, and the spirit and brilliance of great minds who built the city around me.
- Drinks and jazz at the Green Mill (Al Capone's joint) with Patricia Barber & Quartet.
- Time with my sister that was never boring, bothersome, or stressful. It was time that we gave each other to continue strengthening our relationship.
I could easily put Chicago, cold weather and all, on my list of places to call home at some point. If you have not been there, I highly suggest it as a place you spend some time in.
And now it's time for a nap...
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
I'm looking for Abe Froman!
In about three hours my sister and I leave for our trip to Chicago! I have not been all that excited - probably because I've had company all this week and haven't been able to organize :)
Now that I am packed and my sister is here, the countdown has begun!
While this trip will be tons of fun, especially since Noonie has never been there before, I am glad for the time I will get to spend being quiet. Noonie is an introvert and by nature will need some solitude which will afford me with my own.
And in typical me form, I have created some goals for myself for my quiet time:
1) Just sit. No iPod. No book. No phone. No conversation.
2) Think about bio vs. adoption for baby #3. Why do I feel such a need to have another bio baby....
3) What's next for me? School? Work? And why...
Phew - now that I've done my goals I think I can actually get on the plane!
Chicago - here we come!
Now that I am packed and my sister is here, the countdown has begun!
While this trip will be tons of fun, especially since Noonie has never been there before, I am glad for the time I will get to spend being quiet. Noonie is an introvert and by nature will need some solitude which will afford me with my own.
And in typical me form, I have created some goals for myself for my quiet time:
1) Just sit. No iPod. No book. No phone. No conversation.
2) Think about bio vs. adoption for baby #3. Why do I feel such a need to have another bio baby....
3) What's next for me? School? Work? And why...
Phew - now that I've done my goals I think I can actually get on the plane!
Chicago - here we come!
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