Dare to Dream

Here I am. It's Thursday. And I'm by myself. I do have two roommates (Emma and Michelle, see below. Oh how I love them so) and they are not here. So it with my best intentions that I turn to writing...and maybe some wine... and my two favorite guilty pleasures (cue horny vampires and lustful doctors).

On my way home today, I had the bittersweet pleasure of walking home in snow flurries. Yes, it is the second day of spring, and I am sick of the thought of snow. But the way the flakes were softly falling, coating the cold pavement that is still trying to thaw from the last 10 inches we got just days ago makes the world seem perfectly at peace. And my mind couldn't help but wander. Dreaming. What young adult girls do best.

I love New England. I love the seasons (or lack there of in the recent years) and the foliage. I love the sense of community in Boston. But this is not where my dreams were taking place. They were in an unknown city. A place I have never seen before. I saw myself living there. In my own apartment, a cute studio with a small fire escape that I could climb onto and watch the people in the streets below. Maybe this will happen in Boston. Maybe it will be in San Diego or Atlanta. Or possibly even Chicago. But, it was somewhere. And I strive and long to be on my own.

As exciting as this dream is, this is a scary thought. I have lived with people, friends and family, my entire life. But if my day dreams involve me, on my own, for at least a couple of years, months, days it means that it is ultimately something I want... Something I need to grow and become the best person, friend, sister, daughter, girlfriend, niece, future wife, Christian, that I can be.


It is at this moment that a quote from one of the greatest modern musicians (not just because he was a fellow clarinetist) popped into my head:

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars."

~Lester Raymond "Les" Brown, Sr.

In honor of Mr. Brown's words, here are some of my inspirations... I'm drooling just looking at them... dreaming of the day they will be mine (cue Crosby Stills Nash and Young...)

 

Couldn't help but include this awesome picture from Kate Spade NY's tumblr page. Oh to be that care free woman on that fire escape, just dreaming

It's Been a While...

Here it is. Almost spring. How ironic is it that the last time I wrote was when Nemo dumped three feet of snow on New England... No matter. I am here ready to share my thoughts once more. 

Do you ever feel like the majority of your time is spent waiting? Waiting for the bus. Waiting in line at the grocery store. Waiting for a special package or letter in the mail. Waiting for a cherished moment with a special someone. Waiting for Earth's signs that spring really is going to perk up once more... Just waiting. 

I have been feeling like this recently. Not so much in my career path or even my social life. More so in my personal life, as in my relationship with me. I feel like I am waiting for a better me. A smarter, more caring, more relaxed person. Within twenty-four hours this past weekend, I was told that I am too organized. I like planning outings, but that I can be too thorough and too up tight if something goes awry. I like to do fun things, but I can't appreciate the little things in life. And this made me think.

I do appreciate the little things...at least in nature. I love the sounds of birds chirping or the wind blowing through my hair. I love riding horses through the natural beauty that surrounds us on a normal basis. I love the  warmth of precious rays of sun during the cold, frigid days of winter. But what about the sound of a friend's laugh, the hug of a family member, or even the quickest look from a loved one that says everything you need to hear without without him having to actually open his mouth. 

When it comes to other people, live human beings, I fall short. We all do. Instead of meeting up with someone over lunch, we Facebook message them or send them a #ShoutOut on Twitter. When we want to catch up with a long lost friend, we will send an email instead of picking up the phone and letting them hear our voice. We're impersonal. 

Now I may not be able to change the world and the culture that we live in. I am just one person. But I can control my actions. And that is what I vow to do, appreciate human contact while also valuing the beautiful world we live in. Maybe this will make all this waiting, anticipating, disappear. 

(www.wonderfullymadebelliesandbabies.blogspot.com)