...and I quote...

Traveling:

For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

Traveling is a brutality.  It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends.  You are constantly off balance.  Nothing is yours except the essential things-- air, sleep, dream, the sea, the sky -- all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it. --Cesare Pavese

All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware. – Martin Buber

Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by. – Robert Frost (Shout out to Kid President’s Pep Talk)

Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith. –Margaret Shepard

You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way. – E.L. Doctorow

Explore. Dream. Discover. – Mark Twain

...show your dreams some respect.

Experiencing:

Cease simply existing... Experience life!

Wherever you are, be all there.

Beware the barrenness of a busy life. –Socrates

You will make all kinds of mistakes: but as long as you are generous and true and also fierce you cannot hurt the world or even seriously distress her. -Winston Churchill

Cecil Taylor interview… Q: Are you satisfied with the choices you’ve made for yourself? A: I accept the responsibility of having made them.

Life is what happens when you’re making plans. –Betty Talmadge

No sacrifice, no victory. -Transformers

Life Without Limits  Nick Vujicic (1 of the books that I've read recently to help "break the monotony" of my life)

“You can’t possibly have an enjoyable and fulfilling life if you are paralyzed by fear of what might happen someday, somewhere, maybe, somehow.”  

“I decided I wasn’t going to wait until I felt brave- I just acted brave, and in the end I was brave!”

“There are many handicaps... fear can be especially debilitating.  You cannot live a fulfilling life that fully expresses your blessings if fear controls your every decision."

... a long time coming...

...fitting poem from childhood...

Woulda Coulda Shoulda by Shel Sliverstein

All the Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
Layin' in the sun,
Talkin' 'bout the things
They woulda-coulda-shoulda done...
But those Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
All ran away and hid
From one little did

...fitting quote from life...
"Break the monotony, do something strange and extravagant."  Ralph Waldo Emerson

...favorite quote growing up...

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.

—Marianne Williamson


So you see, it was inevitable that I say, inspire, go!!! :-)

Last day of work...

My last day of work was 5/17 and it was pretty emotional for me.  Of course I wore my rainbow tutu because that is business casual for a last day of work as far as I’m concerned.  And of course there was some spontaneous dancing throughout the restaurant that all the staff went to eat at (shout out to West Chester Uno’s).  I actually got $5 along with 4 other work peers for the act; I didn’t know I was going to get paid to do something that I did just cause! J  By the end of the day I received a lot of great hugs and kind departing words from everyone.  Beyond the professional and personal bond that I have with the staff, foster families and youth, I have an immense empathic bond with everyone as well.  What an emotional roller coaster these last 3 years have been!

© David LaChapelle

I was so glad that I waited until I got home to read the journal that everyone had written in.  I was wailing; as in body shaking out loud sobbing!  I couldn’t tell you the last time that happened to me and that actually had to do with me.  It was overwhelming to read the kind words spoken about me and the well wishes for my trip from so many people.  In combination with this being a significant life altering change along my lifeline, it was an intense emotional rush.

I’ve been packing and painting my apartment the last few days to prepare for my move back to my parent’s house on 5/29.  I have not been home for longer than a week since 2006 so this should be interesting.  I plan on studying hard for my exam and my mom told me there is a really nice park close to a library that sounds perfect for studying!  I still need to register to take the test; the $260 fee has everything to do with my hesitation since I am not prepared to take it.

Hopefully I’ll have better stories to share once I get to the actual adventure part of the blog… 7/6/13 :-)

How sweet...?

One of my most favorite, sweet, skilled, considerate, talented teenagers made this amazing cake for me!  Needless to say tears were shed and pounds were gained.  This whole situation is increasingly bittersweet as you can see!  How can you happily stop working with an adolescent that is so considerate and puts time into such a masterpiece?  She is one of the most resilient people that you will ever meet in your life.  If you heard her story you would be ready to fight for her.  If you saw her in a bad mood you might want to run from her.  If you knew her heart you would absolutely cheer for her.  How can you not love teenagers!?! Of course a shout out also goes to the foster parent that bought all of the ingredients used to make this cake, not to mention a whole Mr. Potato head just for the arm :-)  YOU ROCK TOO!