Currently listening to: These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)
Artist: Stan Getz, The Complete Roost Recordings (1997)
I'm on the cusp of something life-changing.
Early Thursday morning, I will arrive in the country I've dreamed about for ten years: la République de France :)
Although I feel a twinge of nervousness, I know that I often worry needlessly. One year ago, I made the decision to transfer to w&m. It turned out to be the most difficult, most adult decision I've ever had to make. The summer prior to my first semester was spent wondering if I'd pass my new classes and make any friends. Once arriving on campus, it didn't take very long for me to realize how misguided and groundless my worries had been! This has been by far the best year of my life, and I feel incredibly fortunate and grateful.
I'll try to remember that now as I make my final preparations...
My time in France is sure to be incredible. It won't be easy. I'll likely encounter a few snags in my plans. I can pretty much say for sure that it will be uncomfortable and challenging at times, but I'm ready to take this risk and grow from it.
... So, bring on the 8-hour plane ride to Charles de Gaulle airport, the challenges of buying a SIM card and exchanging money in a country whose official language is not English, and the joys of living out of a suitcase at a French family's home. I'm ready to prove these worries wrong :)
bisous.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
We've got 24: Choose your favorite.
What particular hour of the day do you relish the most?
...For me, I think it’s a toss-up between early morning and early evening.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been what you could call a “morning person.” Confession time: flannel sheets and a soft pillow have become increasingly more difficult to part with now that I am more prone to crawl into bed past midnight, but I'm still convinced that waking early can be very, very pleasant. Really.
I’ll set the scene; you are free to agree or conversely, to label my deliberations senseless.
The oven clock reads 7:00 am. Everything is silent, apart from the faintest hum of the refrigerator and the soft chatter of birds outside. They’ve been up for hours. From the kitchen table and seated near a large window granting a view of the back garden, I notice that the sky is milky gray and the trees are still.
Cradled in my right hand is a cup of hot tea. It’s my favorite teacup: the beige and olive-green one with a delicate sprig of rosemary hand-painted on the front. The fingers of my left hand leaf through the freshly printed newspaper or (more often than not) lay across the soft, white pages of my journal.
Mm. Still not convinced? Fair enough. Early mornings do not enchant everyone. If they did, I’m pretty sure that a few nightclubs would be cash-strapped.
I also like the hour when shadows stretch out on the grass and everything else is tinged with gold. Somehow, the honeysuckle blossoms seem most fragrant when my mother and I take our walk after dinner. The air, once humid and stuffy, now hints at evening’s coolness.
The day is just beginning at 7 am. Twelve hours later, evening is beckoning and the retreating sun gives way to nightfall. I guess it’s these tranquil moments before change that I savor the most. They offer a chance to ponder what just happened and what might be to come.
bisous.
...For me, I think it’s a toss-up between early morning and early evening.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been what you could call a “morning person.” Confession time: flannel sheets and a soft pillow have become increasingly more difficult to part with now that I am more prone to crawl into bed past midnight, but I'm still convinced that waking early can be very, very pleasant. Really.
I’ll set the scene; you are free to agree or conversely, to label my deliberations senseless.
The oven clock reads 7:00 am. Everything is silent, apart from the faintest hum of the refrigerator and the soft chatter of birds outside. They’ve been up for hours. From the kitchen table and seated near a large window granting a view of the back garden, I notice that the sky is milky gray and the trees are still.
Cradled in my right hand is a cup of hot tea. It’s my favorite teacup: the beige and olive-green one with a delicate sprig of rosemary hand-painted on the front. The fingers of my left hand leaf through the freshly printed newspaper or (more often than not) lay across the soft, white pages of my journal.
Mm. Still not convinced? Fair enough. Early mornings do not enchant everyone. If they did, I’m pretty sure that a few nightclubs would be cash-strapped.
I also like the hour when shadows stretch out on the grass and everything else is tinged with gold. Somehow, the honeysuckle blossoms seem most fragrant when my mother and I take our walk after dinner. The air, once humid and stuffy, now hints at evening’s coolness.
The day is just beginning at 7 am. Twelve hours later, evening is beckoning and the retreating sun gives way to nightfall. I guess it’s these tranquil moments before change that I savor the most. They offer a chance to ponder what just happened and what might be to come.
bisous.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Quelques pensées. (Some thoughts)
I do not possess any dazzling intellectual abilities, but I make an effort to put my heart into whatever task lies before me. Learning about anything and everything is my passion, and I never wish to stop.
I don’t pretend to know all the answers to the questions of life, but I believe that each day is a miracle in and of itself. To me, there has to be something bigger that makes people choose to love and feel and create...
I’m not one of arresting beauty, but I’ve come to realize that one’s character and attitude are what matters most.
Comparison is the thief of joy. Every moment is yours and yours alone to experience and embrace.
I’m not the most gifted musician to walk the planet. Making music, though, is both a source of joy in my life and a significant part of my identity. Watching others perform always leaves me inspired.
I enjoy finding beauty in others; I discover it in every encounter.
I've never understood the reason for the pain and hardship in the world, and I don't think I ever will. I cannot comprehend why innocent people suffer harm, live in destitution, and experience bitter oppression, while I live a life of health, opportunity, and freedom. I am trying to find my place in a world laced with hatred and division. I hope to have the chance to minimize the suffering around me.
I am making an effort to do at least one thing each day that intimidates me. When we penetrate “the unfamiliar” and explore beyond our limits, we grow.
Sometimes I can be selfish. I become bogged down with my own petty concerns and desires. With each day, I learn that life is much more than pleasing myself and securing my happiness – instead, it is about learning to love others more fully and helping them to see how incredible and full of potential they are. We really are all in this together - none of us is meant to live a life of isolation.
We'll see if I can keep up with this! bisous.
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