"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.."~JFK
As August roles around (yes, I said AUGUST?! Where did the summer go??), I have had moments to reflect upon my summer and wonder how well it went. Overall, lately, I have been feeling exhausted, burnt out, angry, frusterated, the list goes on and on.....which isn't normal for me. At times I have even felt and expressed (yes, shocking) a negative attitude! The other day I literally had to STOP myself out loud and wonder what the heck is going on with me? Partially, I am too busy this summer. Because I spent five glorious months in the US Virgin Islands (an experience I will eternally be grateful for), I have spent my summer playing 'catch up' between working 3 different jobs & taking two summer school classes. This leaves little time for socializing and play, which is detrimental to my well-being ( and who's wouldn't it be?). So, instead of continuing these feelings I asked myself what can I do? How can I become more in control? A tool I use daily ( and found myself not using it as frequently) is gratitude. Being thankful from the little pleasures in life to being thankful for the bigger things in life, such as purpose or those meaningful relationships we all have. So, I decided to make a list of the top things in life that I am entirely grateful in my life ( I can feel my positive attitude coming back!! Woo hoo!!)...
1. Relationships. As an extrovert and one who seeks to find the meaning & purpose of my life, I have found that one thing I am incredibly grateful for is the amazing people in my life. From family to friends to the people I have met traveling the world to my co-workers to ....the list goes on and on.....I love relationships. I have a natural ability to let people into my life ( and hope they allow me to enter theirs) to provide support, comfort, share laughs with, cry with, love, and together make meaning and purpose. I truly believe I have some of the best people in the world in my life- and will continue to because it energizes me!
2. Travel. I have been truly blessed with a thirst for adventure, to see the world, to explore other cultures, to learn from others....and because of this travel, I have become more open. I have become less judgemental, more accepting, have been able to appreciate the things I have seen and done but also what others have as well.....at at the age of 21, I have seen a lot. I will continue to love my spirit for adventure and appreciate travel of any sort- whether it is a road trip with great friends ( which I will be doing to end my summer....off with girlfriends I grew up with to Chicago for a long weekend!), studying abroad, living abroad, etc. etc.
3. Laughter. I am sooo grateful for laughter. Sometimes I take life to seriously ( I have a tendency to want to grow up faster than I really should), and there is nothing better than sitting around laughing with friends, at yourself ( which I tend to do a lot), wherever and whenever. Laughter is good for the soul- it can ease tension, make people feel better, allows us to be children again, etc.
4. I am grateful for a roof over my head, food on my table, insurance, and clean drinking water. I will never forget the day when I was studying abroad in Capetown, South Africa and we were in Guguletu ( taking a tour of the township) and I for the first time witnessed people standing in line waiting for electricity. It was explained to our group that people wait hours, sometimes their entire day, to scrap up what money they could find in exchange for enough electricity to cook their evening dinner. This was a TRUE wake up call that I have been priviledged enough to grow up in an area of the world and surrounded by family who has been able to provide for me- I not once had to think about where I would be sleeping, if there would be food on my plate, or if the water I was drinking would make me sick. I am and continue to be thankful for this.
5. Work. Yes, I said it....I am grateful I have a job! (and not just one, but three!). Sometimes it is easy to forget, for me, that hundreds of thousands of people in the United States ( let alone aroune the world) are out of jobs...unable to pay their bills, feed their families, pay for education, etc. I am grateful for jobs I generally genuinly enjoy, to work with talented people, to find meaning in the work I do, and to get paid for it so I can pay my bills and provide for myself.
6. Education. This one really hits home, on a personal and professional level. Upon reflecting and making meaning to my study abroad experience in South Africa ( as well as the Virgin Islands), I have found I have a deeper passion for education. Not only for my own education ( and that I have always had an opportunity and that no one ever told me I could not), but for helping people who do not have easy access to education. Education, in my eyes, is one of the world's most powerful tools, transformationally. I remind myself that college is expensive, but there is no price tag for learning. The opportunities, experiences, and things I have learned, have made me into who I am and provide me we with a life full of meaning and purpose, as well as will one day allow me to people other's who don't.
7. Fans/ Air Conditioning. Ha Ha. Yes! I said it. After spending 5 months in a tropical climate ( without air conditioning) there is nothing better than being able to go home, turn on the air conditioning on a hot & humid day, and feel comfortable. This one is very simple, yet well stated.
And there you have it. I'm sure I could keep going, but I feel those all encompass my general gratitude in life. And to end this post with a question ( because we all know I LOVE questions)....
What are YOU grateful for?
Emily
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
Emptiness & Patience.
"Empty spaces show up when activities stop. They show up when a relationship ends, and when a big, important project is on the horizon. Empty spaces can be scary, lonely, and sad at first. They can feel paralyzing. But when the empty spaces show up – if we let them – that is exactly when our lives get quiet enough to make room for what is next."- Jenny Blake ( www.lifeaftercollege.org)
This quote sums up what I've been feeling and experiencing this past month after both of my study abroad experiences. To this date, it has been just over a year from when I returned from South Africa, and just over a month from when I returned from the US Virgin Islands. And how do I feel? Exhilierated? Thrilled? Happy? More experienced? Yes. I feel all of those things. But do you want to know what I feel most? I feel empty and lonely.
As I continue to re-acclimate into my life post-Virgin Islands, I find myself continually having a hard time with my transition ( which I talked about in a previous blogpost titled 'Bridges') and re-entering back into life in the US. Why you ask? I continue to find myself having less and less patience with myself, friends, work ( instead of progressing, I'm regressing) and to be honest, life in general. I have good days. And I have bad days. But I'll throw a shoutout and say this past week was one of the most mentally taxing & exhausting weeks I've had in my entire life. And I ask myself, why? Was it because I was busier than I've ever been before? No. Was it because it was physically exhausting? No. Was it because I'm truly unhappy? No. Was it because I was homesick? No. What I did realize after a night of alone time to decompress my thoughts and feelings ( SOOO needed), is that I am experiencing this exhaustion because I've felt the most impatient I've ever felt in my ENTIRE life. And I've felt empty and lonely for my experiences in life off the mainland.
As cliche as this sounds, patience really is a virtue. Patience is a virtue when it comes to surrounding yourself with children, with a new job ( and you experience learning curves), when you don't fully comprehend material for a test, whatever it be......patience does not come naturally to most. I continue to struggle with find "inner patience", which translates into me becoming easily upset with "outer patience" ( EX: having patience for friends or work or the world, in general).....and this week, I snapped. I could see my lack of patience affected me mentally ( at work, with friends) and physically- I was incredibly tired.
As as the leadership minor has taught me ( what? So What? Now What)......how do I move forward and overcome this impatience barrier? I'll be genuinly honest and tell you I don't have the answer for that fantastic question. I do know that I have some awesome resources (such as friends who've struggled with re-entry and can lend an earn or a words of advice on how to deal with this) and need to be spending more alone time with myself to process these feelings and thoughts so they don't eat me alive! From now on, I have decided, that I will dedicate one day or activity to myself each week so that I can have my alone time and *hopefully* learn to develop more patience with myself and what I am experiencing.
And to leave on a positive note ( because I am a true believer in optimism), I hope everyone has a wonderful fourth of July!! And not only to celebrate the birth of our country (and all we stand for), but to celebrate YOUR independence and all of the things that make you uniquely you!
Warm Wishes,
Emily
This quote sums up what I've been feeling and experiencing this past month after both of my study abroad experiences. To this date, it has been just over a year from when I returned from South Africa, and just over a month from when I returned from the US Virgin Islands. And how do I feel? Exhilierated? Thrilled? Happy? More experienced? Yes. I feel all of those things. But do you want to know what I feel most? I feel empty and lonely.
As I continue to re-acclimate into my life post-Virgin Islands, I find myself continually having a hard time with my transition ( which I talked about in a previous blogpost titled 'Bridges') and re-entering back into life in the US. Why you ask? I continue to find myself having less and less patience with myself, friends, work ( instead of progressing, I'm regressing) and to be honest, life in general. I have good days. And I have bad days. But I'll throw a shoutout and say this past week was one of the most mentally taxing & exhausting weeks I've had in my entire life. And I ask myself, why? Was it because I was busier than I've ever been before? No. Was it because it was physically exhausting? No. Was it because I'm truly unhappy? No. Was it because I was homesick? No. What I did realize after a night of alone time to decompress my thoughts and feelings ( SOOO needed), is that I am experiencing this exhaustion because I've felt the most impatient I've ever felt in my ENTIRE life. And I've felt empty and lonely for my experiences in life off the mainland.
As cliche as this sounds, patience really is a virtue. Patience is a virtue when it comes to surrounding yourself with children, with a new job ( and you experience learning curves), when you don't fully comprehend material for a test, whatever it be......patience does not come naturally to most. I continue to struggle with find "inner patience", which translates into me becoming easily upset with "outer patience" ( EX: having patience for friends or work or the world, in general).....and this week, I snapped. I could see my lack of patience affected me mentally ( at work, with friends) and physically- I was incredibly tired.
As as the leadership minor has taught me ( what? So What? Now What)......how do I move forward and overcome this impatience barrier? I'll be genuinly honest and tell you I don't have the answer for that fantastic question. I do know that I have some awesome resources (such as friends who've struggled with re-entry and can lend an earn or a words of advice on how to deal with this) and need to be spending more alone time with myself to process these feelings and thoughts so they don't eat me alive! From now on, I have decided, that I will dedicate one day or activity to myself each week so that I can have my alone time and *hopefully* learn to develop more patience with myself and what I am experiencing.
And to leave on a positive note ( because I am a true believer in optimism), I hope everyone has a wonderful fourth of July!! And not only to celebrate the birth of our country (and all we stand for), but to celebrate YOUR independence and all of the things that make you uniquely you!
Warm Wishes,
Emily
Saturday, June 19, 2010
My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.
"Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away."- Dinah Craik
To hundreds of thousands of people out there, this weekend (specifically Sunday) marks a very important day: Father's Day! Words will NEVER do justice to one of the most important people I am incredibly grateful to have in my life-my dad.
If you feel like reading a VERY short story of who my dad is and how our relationship has blossomed into one that has allowed me to grow and expand in ways I could have never dreamed nor imagined, sit tight and start reading :)
Growing up, my mom was the breadwinner of our family and I believe that together they agreed that when they had children, one of them would stay home. Naturally, it worked out better for my dad to raise their family, and deep down, I think he had a desire too :) Before he knew it, he had five awesome (and wild or as some people call it, an organized chaos) children. I think in my dad's earlier years he was somewhat bitter that he had to put his life on hold to raise children, but because the nature of his character is incredibly resilient, he began to see a light (somewhere, NOT SURE WHERE!!) how rewarding raising a family could be. I will never forget the time he told me "Emily, when I saw you go off to school as a little girl, in kindergarten, and made friends and enjoyed school…that was the first time I felt genuinely happy after putting my life on hold.".... It makes me think and wonder (and I'm sure any of you parents out there reading this) how powerful having children is and the amount of sacrifice you do to raise your babies, kids, teenagers is. So instead of babbling on about how truly wonderful/awesome/amazing/SUPER my dad is, I have decided to make a very short list of the just a few of the stories/experiences/characteristics that make me proud to call my dad, my dad.
1. Here I go again with the quotes, but these are fabulously great ways to sum up and express how I feel...."My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: he believed in me"~ Jim Valvano. From the time I was a young child to the present moment (as I sit here in a coffee shop studying as a college student), I have realized my dad has an incredible ability to believe. Now, I'm not going to get into personal details about the issues he has dealt with (because everyone goes through struggle, on whatever level or issue that may be), but my dad has been able to consistently believe in himself, his kids, his community, and the greater world. I will never forget the process of searching for my 'dream college' in high school and going through the competitive process of applying, being waitlisted, and finally getting accept into the University of Minnesota. There were people (and sometimes myself) who doubted I may have to rearrange my plans of attending school at the U, but my dad was with me the entire time and shared my enthusiasm and joy when I found out I was accepted. He believed. My family has been through our trial and struggle (what family hasn't??) and I believe this is because of my dad's strength and ability in believes in "us". His attitude is that deep down, somewhere or somehow, we are a family for a reason, no matter how dysfunctional, chaotic, or crazy we are. My dad believes.
2. My dad is an incredibly talented person and I never fully realized the scale of how talented he really is until I got older and more mature (and I'm sure I'll have these 'mini life revelations' about his resourcefulness and talents as I continue to grow older). My dad has not only survived, but also thrived in a community with very little room for opportunity to grow. Now, I'm not saying Ladysmith, Wisconsin is not a charming community and that there are great things about it, because there definitely are. What I am saying, is that my dad has the ability to tailor his life and just 'make it work' no matter where he is. Like I said, my dad's profession is being a stay-at home dad. Now that we are all in school and after raising all of us (and he still continues to do so), my dad has become what I like to call "A Master at Life". Here are just a few of the cool things my dad does:
-He serves and does work with a non-profit community foundation in our hometown, serving primarily as the treasurer. This foundation was newly started a few years back and its mission involves improving our community through endowments in hopes of creating an everlasting impact on Rusk County. I have had the pleasure in the past few years of watching my dad grow, professionally, as he uses all of his talents and skills volunteering his time and knowledge on being able to help this foundation grow. This is just ONE example of how he has become involved in our community.
-One of his newest hobbies is real estate. My dad has bought a couple of 'fixer uppers' in this down economy and has been able to make these his mini projects and sources of income. I think these are his pride and joy (next to his family, of course). My dad has a keen eye for being able to see the sparkle in a seemingly 'worthless' piece of property and the financial smarts to purchase and develop these little charmers. Actually, I think he saw the same ‘sparkle’ in his kids when we were young being little brats and knew one day, we would develop into grown ups who rocked at life ☺. One of his favorite projects he did this past year was planting a huge garden and orchard on one of his properties. I had the pleasure of being home the whole month of May (after studying abroad) and he got to show his baby off..... and I must say, that in about three years, that garden is going to be one of the COOLEST and literally, most fruitful, projects my dad has ever done. My dad used to garden when I was a little kid and eventually had to stop when we moved into a larger house to accommodate our growing family, and he finally gets to garden again and I think deep down, it is where he 'unplugs' from life and enjoys the simplicity of the world (the fruits of his labor).
-One of my dad's personal and professional hobbies is financial planning. My dad's education was in the accounting field and he also got his financial planning certificate pre-family, with the intention of raising a family and one day being able to professionally practice financial planning. My dad has been the money manager of our family for as long as I can remember and despite some major challenges, has allowed for our family to thrive and have countless opportunities (which will remained unnamed because there are so many). Words will never express how much I appreciate my dad for this. I may never have had the newest car or best cell phone, but I have an undergraduate education that was payed for, thanks to my dad's wise ability to start investing early in his family. When I came home this past May from studying abroad, I was driving my dad's car one day, and found a fortune saved from a dinner at Chinese that said "Don't worry about the stock market, invest in family.” My dad's abilities to invest are beyond amazing. His thoughtful choice in investment into his children and our education has payed off- he has allowed me to have the best college experience I could ask for (attending leadership conferences in Washington D.C. and Florida, studying abroad twice, the list literally goes on and on).
3.My dad has yet another incredible ability to be one of the best parents, if not BEST DAD, in the world (of course I’m sure a lot of daughters feel this way about their dad’s too!). I think until people are parents, they don't realize how mentally taxing and difficult being a parent can be, let alone be a full time dad. Although stay at home dads are becoming increasingly more common these days, I think it's biologically harder for a man to be a stay at home parent than a woman (for things such as multi tasking, having an innate ability to be more empathetic, etc.). No one gives you a manual, training, or 'this is how it works' tutorial on being a parent. It is simply trial by error. Yes, you can take workshops or read books on how to become a better parent, but that will NEVER prepare you for what you take on in raising kids. I remember I used to get really frustrated and upset with my dad when he would forget things. In retrospect, I look back, and I honestly have no clue how my dad has done it all. He has successfully taught, managed, empathized, whatever you want to call it five children- and amazingly, we are all turning out (in the words of my dad) to be "pretty damn great." Growing up, I always remember how our house was the place to be- my dad never said no to a friend coming over (in fact, he encouraged it all the time) and allowed for us to be kids- we got dirty in the mud, made mistakes and broke things, were sassy to each other and beat each other up, cried for hours on end when one of my brothers decided to ruin my barbie collection, and somehow.....my dad (and five of us plus my mom) survived. This alone, proves mentally and physically, the strength my dad has and how nurturing he really is. The memories of my childhood are awesome because of my dad.
4. Last but definitely not least, the best thing about my dad is that he is MY dad. I respect and admire my dad for being honest, genuine/authentic/sincere, compassionate towards all aspects of life, resourceful, optimistic honorable, intelligent, his sense of humor, his humble confidence, and most importantly- his ability to celebrate and honor our similarities, yet respect our differences. Many of the qualities I admire my dad for are things I am proud and honor in myself.
As I sit here and have made the difficult decision (because I know I could go on forever and ever) to wrap up probably one of the longest blog posts I’ve ever written, I find myself tearing up. How did I get so lucky to have this man, my dad, in my life? I will forever cherish what we have, past-present-and future, because without my dad, I can honestly and sincerely say I wouldn’t be the person I am today.
Happy Father’s Day to my best friend, holder of one of my most meaningful relationships, the leader I most respect, for guidance and steering me in the RIGHT direction, my own personal (and affordable) life coach, my rock and strength, someone who means more than the world to me- my dad.
And to end on a good note that thoroughly expresses what my dad has done for me, here it is:
"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."…. Thanks Dad for doing just that ☺
Happy Father’s Day, Dad! I love you.
Emily
To hundreds of thousands of people out there, this weekend (specifically Sunday) marks a very important day: Father's Day! Words will NEVER do justice to one of the most important people I am incredibly grateful to have in my life-my dad.
If you feel like reading a VERY short story of who my dad is and how our relationship has blossomed into one that has allowed me to grow and expand in ways I could have never dreamed nor imagined, sit tight and start reading :)
Growing up, my mom was the breadwinner of our family and I believe that together they agreed that when they had children, one of them would stay home. Naturally, it worked out better for my dad to raise their family, and deep down, I think he had a desire too :) Before he knew it, he had five awesome (and wild or as some people call it, an organized chaos) children. I think in my dad's earlier years he was somewhat bitter that he had to put his life on hold to raise children, but because the nature of his character is incredibly resilient, he began to see a light (somewhere, NOT SURE WHERE!!) how rewarding raising a family could be. I will never forget the time he told me "Emily, when I saw you go off to school as a little girl, in kindergarten, and made friends and enjoyed school…that was the first time I felt genuinely happy after putting my life on hold.".... It makes me think and wonder (and I'm sure any of you parents out there reading this) how powerful having children is and the amount of sacrifice you do to raise your babies, kids, teenagers is. So instead of babbling on about how truly wonderful/awesome/amazing/SUPER my dad is, I have decided to make a very short list of the just a few of the stories/experiences/characteristics that make me proud to call my dad, my dad.
1. Here I go again with the quotes, but these are fabulously great ways to sum up and express how I feel...."My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: he believed in me"~ Jim Valvano. From the time I was a young child to the present moment (as I sit here in a coffee shop studying as a college student), I have realized my dad has an incredible ability to believe. Now, I'm not going to get into personal details about the issues he has dealt with (because everyone goes through struggle, on whatever level or issue that may be), but my dad has been able to consistently believe in himself, his kids, his community, and the greater world. I will never forget the process of searching for my 'dream college' in high school and going through the competitive process of applying, being waitlisted, and finally getting accept into the University of Minnesota. There were people (and sometimes myself) who doubted I may have to rearrange my plans of attending school at the U, but my dad was with me the entire time and shared my enthusiasm and joy when I found out I was accepted. He believed. My family has been through our trial and struggle (what family hasn't??) and I believe this is because of my dad's strength and ability in believes in "us". His attitude is that deep down, somewhere or somehow, we are a family for a reason, no matter how dysfunctional, chaotic, or crazy we are. My dad believes.
2. My dad is an incredibly talented person and I never fully realized the scale of how talented he really is until I got older and more mature (and I'm sure I'll have these 'mini life revelations' about his resourcefulness and talents as I continue to grow older). My dad has not only survived, but also thrived in a community with very little room for opportunity to grow. Now, I'm not saying Ladysmith, Wisconsin is not a charming community and that there are great things about it, because there definitely are. What I am saying, is that my dad has the ability to tailor his life and just 'make it work' no matter where he is. Like I said, my dad's profession is being a stay-at home dad. Now that we are all in school and after raising all of us (and he still continues to do so), my dad has become what I like to call "A Master at Life". Here are just a few of the cool things my dad does:
-He serves and does work with a non-profit community foundation in our hometown, serving primarily as the treasurer. This foundation was newly started a few years back and its mission involves improving our community through endowments in hopes of creating an everlasting impact on Rusk County. I have had the pleasure in the past few years of watching my dad grow, professionally, as he uses all of his talents and skills volunteering his time and knowledge on being able to help this foundation grow. This is just ONE example of how he has become involved in our community.
-One of his newest hobbies is real estate. My dad has bought a couple of 'fixer uppers' in this down economy and has been able to make these his mini projects and sources of income. I think these are his pride and joy (next to his family, of course). My dad has a keen eye for being able to see the sparkle in a seemingly 'worthless' piece of property and the financial smarts to purchase and develop these little charmers. Actually, I think he saw the same ‘sparkle’ in his kids when we were young being little brats and knew one day, we would develop into grown ups who rocked at life ☺. One of his favorite projects he did this past year was planting a huge garden and orchard on one of his properties. I had the pleasure of being home the whole month of May (after studying abroad) and he got to show his baby off..... and I must say, that in about three years, that garden is going to be one of the COOLEST and literally, most fruitful, projects my dad has ever done. My dad used to garden when I was a little kid and eventually had to stop when we moved into a larger house to accommodate our growing family, and he finally gets to garden again and I think deep down, it is where he 'unplugs' from life and enjoys the simplicity of the world (the fruits of his labor).
-One of my dad's personal and professional hobbies is financial planning. My dad's education was in the accounting field and he also got his financial planning certificate pre-family, with the intention of raising a family and one day being able to professionally practice financial planning. My dad has been the money manager of our family for as long as I can remember and despite some major challenges, has allowed for our family to thrive and have countless opportunities (which will remained unnamed because there are so many). Words will never express how much I appreciate my dad for this. I may never have had the newest car or best cell phone, but I have an undergraduate education that was payed for, thanks to my dad's wise ability to start investing early in his family. When I came home this past May from studying abroad, I was driving my dad's car one day, and found a fortune saved from a dinner at Chinese that said "Don't worry about the stock market, invest in family.” My dad's abilities to invest are beyond amazing. His thoughtful choice in investment into his children and our education has payed off- he has allowed me to have the best college experience I could ask for (attending leadership conferences in Washington D.C. and Florida, studying abroad twice, the list literally goes on and on).
3.My dad has yet another incredible ability to be one of the best parents, if not BEST DAD, in the world (of course I’m sure a lot of daughters feel this way about their dad’s too!). I think until people are parents, they don't realize how mentally taxing and difficult being a parent can be, let alone be a full time dad. Although stay at home dads are becoming increasingly more common these days, I think it's biologically harder for a man to be a stay at home parent than a woman (for things such as multi tasking, having an innate ability to be more empathetic, etc.). No one gives you a manual, training, or 'this is how it works' tutorial on being a parent. It is simply trial by error. Yes, you can take workshops or read books on how to become a better parent, but that will NEVER prepare you for what you take on in raising kids. I remember I used to get really frustrated and upset with my dad when he would forget things. In retrospect, I look back, and I honestly have no clue how my dad has done it all. He has successfully taught, managed, empathized, whatever you want to call it five children- and amazingly, we are all turning out (in the words of my dad) to be "pretty damn great." Growing up, I always remember how our house was the place to be- my dad never said no to a friend coming over (in fact, he encouraged it all the time) and allowed for us to be kids- we got dirty in the mud, made mistakes and broke things, were sassy to each other and beat each other up, cried for hours on end when one of my brothers decided to ruin my barbie collection, and somehow.....my dad (and five of us plus my mom) survived. This alone, proves mentally and physically, the strength my dad has and how nurturing he really is. The memories of my childhood are awesome because of my dad.
4. Last but definitely not least, the best thing about my dad is that he is MY dad. I respect and admire my dad for being honest, genuine/authentic/sincere, compassionate towards all aspects of life, resourceful, optimistic honorable, intelligent, his sense of humor, his humble confidence, and most importantly- his ability to celebrate and honor our similarities, yet respect our differences. Many of the qualities I admire my dad for are things I am proud and honor in myself.
As I sit here and have made the difficult decision (because I know I could go on forever and ever) to wrap up probably one of the longest blog posts I’ve ever written, I find myself tearing up. How did I get so lucky to have this man, my dad, in my life? I will forever cherish what we have, past-present-and future, because without my dad, I can honestly and sincerely say I wouldn’t be the person I am today.
Happy Father’s Day to my best friend, holder of one of my most meaningful relationships, the leader I most respect, for guidance and steering me in the RIGHT direction, my own personal (and affordable) life coach, my rock and strength, someone who means more than the world to me- my dad.
And to end on a good note that thoroughly expresses what my dad has done for me, here it is:
"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."…. Thanks Dad for doing just that ☺
Happy Father’s Day, Dad! I love you.
Emily
Thursday, June 17, 2010
OPPORTUNITIES.
“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.”...
This past week I had an interview with a fabulously talented women for an internship through the Office of Student Engagement at the University of Minnesota. The internship is a requirement for my HRD ( human resource development) degree and can be thought as a 'capstone' experience to help me take what I've learned in class and apply it to a 'real life' experience before I'm off into the real world. And to my pleasure and ABSOLUTE excitement, I am pleased to announce I scored the internship!!! WOOOOO HOOOO! Time to celebrate me and how hard I've worked for all of the opportunities that come my way. Now here are the juicy details ( what exactly will I be doing??)....
Starting the fall of 2010, I will be working in the Office of Student Engagement as an HRD intern helping plan, coordinate, and implement a series of training programs/workshops through a program for student employees on campus. This program is called SELP (Student Employee Leadership Programs). This past year was the first time they piloted this program on campus and they are reevaluating it to improve and tailor it to make it even better ( SO hrd....). This is where my position comes in. I will be doing various activities such as meeting with stankeholders ( people in the office of human resources, in the U of M community, etc.) to continue the development of these programs for student employees. The coolest part about this is the amount of networking I get to do with incredibly talented people- yay! I also get to continue to grow- personally and professionally. And the icing on the cake with this internship? I get to plan and coordinate a SELP awards banquet in the spring ( the purpose of this banquet is to celebrate and honor the students employees who have successfully completed this program)....ohhhh, I am squeeling with delight and excitement! I finally get to be a REAL event planner! I am beyond floored that I was chosen for this internship and cannot wait to work with in an office on campus that has an awesome mission, purpose, and of course- wonderfully talented employees! This IS the icing on my cake for my senior year.
And the best part about all of this? It makes me even more excited for 'life after college.' I have had an incredibly rewarding college experience- I have met some wonderful friends, developed relatiosnhips with people who will forever impact my life, had a multitude of diverse experiences and opportunities, studied abroad TWICE, and have experience more challenge and growth in my life than I have EVER experience.....but it has all been worth it.
So where does this leave me? Obviously, I can't wait to start this internship; but firstly, I will 'live in the present' and enjoy my summer- work, school, friends, beautiful weather, family vacations, and exploring the 'new me'.
Cheers,
Emily
This past week I had an interview with a fabulously talented women for an internship through the Office of Student Engagement at the University of Minnesota. The internship is a requirement for my HRD ( human resource development) degree and can be thought as a 'capstone' experience to help me take what I've learned in class and apply it to a 'real life' experience before I'm off into the real world. And to my pleasure and ABSOLUTE excitement, I am pleased to announce I scored the internship!!! WOOOOO HOOOO! Time to celebrate me and how hard I've worked for all of the opportunities that come my way. Now here are the juicy details ( what exactly will I be doing??)....
Starting the fall of 2010, I will be working in the Office of Student Engagement as an HRD intern helping plan, coordinate, and implement a series of training programs/workshops through a program for student employees on campus. This program is called SELP (Student Employee Leadership Programs). This past year was the first time they piloted this program on campus and they are reevaluating it to improve and tailor it to make it even better ( SO hrd....). This is where my position comes in. I will be doing various activities such as meeting with stankeholders ( people in the office of human resources, in the U of M community, etc.) to continue the development of these programs for student employees. The coolest part about this is the amount of networking I get to do with incredibly talented people- yay! I also get to continue to grow- personally and professionally. And the icing on the cake with this internship? I get to plan and coordinate a SELP awards banquet in the spring ( the purpose of this banquet is to celebrate and honor the students employees who have successfully completed this program)....ohhhh, I am squeeling with delight and excitement! I finally get to be a REAL event planner! I am beyond floored that I was chosen for this internship and cannot wait to work with in an office on campus that has an awesome mission, purpose, and of course- wonderfully talented employees! This IS the icing on my cake for my senior year.
And the best part about all of this? It makes me even more excited for 'life after college.' I have had an incredibly rewarding college experience- I have met some wonderful friends, developed relatiosnhips with people who will forever impact my life, had a multitude of diverse experiences and opportunities, studied abroad TWICE, and have experience more challenge and growth in my life than I have EVER experience.....but it has all been worth it.
So where does this leave me? Obviously, I can't wait to start this internship; but firstly, I will 'live in the present' and enjoy my summer- work, school, friends, beautiful weather, family vacations, and exploring the 'new me'.
Cheers,
Emily
Friday, June 11, 2010
Past, Present, Future
"Wherever you go, there you are."
Raise your hand if you struggle with the delicate balance between past, present, future? I sure know, I do and in fact, I'm actually a certified expert at it ( okay, just kidding). When is it appropriate to think about the past? When is it appropriate to deal with the future? And most importantly is it even okay to 'just be' in the present? I've always been fascinated and mindful of this particular subject matter, but haven't (until recently) fully realized the importance of finding the balance between all three.
If you've known me long enough, you will know one of my strengths is my ability to see things in my future ( HELLLOOO strengthsquest assessment, one of my top five strengths is futuristic). Now when I say future, I don't mean I will go all 'fortune teller' on you and explain to you how the rest of your entire life will pan out; however, I do have to say I have a pretty amazing ability to plan anything from my daily activities to planning any and every event to almost fitting EVERY genre of activity any college student would ever explore and pursue to, ultimatley, planning my entire life (my children's names, career(s), travel destinations)- to a tee. And not only am I really good at this, but I surely take pride in it and even would consider it a personal hobby- yikes!!! When did I realize this wasn't entirely normal? Let's fast forward ( ha ha, ironic huh) to fall 2010- my 1st semester of my junior year. As usual, I was doing a million things, and the topic of prescence came up in one of my leadership classes ( thank you once again, leadership minor). Well, we touched on presence, but not entirely enough- I desperately needed more. I found myself futher exploring presence- in books, in magazines, and in blogs ( life coach advice). So then, as usual, who did I turn to? I turn to my mentors and saught advice- what does PRESENCE mean to them? This is where the life lesson comes in- one of my most admired and treasured mentors, Jody, inspired me with the concept/quote of "Wherever you go, there you are." Since this encounter and discussion, I feel as if the universe is talking to me again ( HELLLLOO, because it is!!) and reminding me to 'be present'- as I sit and write this blog, right here, right NOW.
Fast forward after this particular discussion with my mentor and five months of studying through an exchange program in the Virgin Islands ( the island of presence- another story for another time), I am searching for my way to 'be present'. I know I can ask people for advice on how to be present, but truley, I will be able to practice it when I find my own way and start to explore and experience this concept.
So, I'm sure you're all asking, how are you goign to be present? Well, for starters, I'm in the process of exploring yoga. I won't even go into detail here, beacause we all konw about the power of being able to practice mindfulness and exercise at the same time. Secondly, I have used the "wherever you go, there you are" phrase as a mantra when things are chaotic/i'm trying to over-multitask/ or I'm not balancing past, present, future. Any more advice or suggestions? Ideas? ANNYYONNNE?!
SO, my question for you (readers out there!!!)- how do you "live in the now"/ "just be"/practice presence?
HAPPY WEEKEND :)
Raise your hand if you struggle with the delicate balance between past, present, future? I sure know, I do and in fact, I'm actually a certified expert at it ( okay, just kidding). When is it appropriate to think about the past? When is it appropriate to deal with the future? And most importantly is it even okay to 'just be' in the present? I've always been fascinated and mindful of this particular subject matter, but haven't (until recently) fully realized the importance of finding the balance between all three.
If you've known me long enough, you will know one of my strengths is my ability to see things in my future ( HELLLOOO strengthsquest assessment, one of my top five strengths is futuristic). Now when I say future, I don't mean I will go all 'fortune teller' on you and explain to you how the rest of your entire life will pan out; however, I do have to say I have a pretty amazing ability to plan anything from my daily activities to planning any and every event to almost fitting EVERY genre of activity any college student would ever explore and pursue to, ultimatley, planning my entire life (my children's names, career(s), travel destinations)- to a tee. And not only am I really good at this, but I surely take pride in it and even would consider it a personal hobby- yikes!!! When did I realize this wasn't entirely normal? Let's fast forward ( ha ha, ironic huh) to fall 2010- my 1st semester of my junior year. As usual, I was doing a million things, and the topic of prescence came up in one of my leadership classes ( thank you once again, leadership minor). Well, we touched on presence, but not entirely enough- I desperately needed more. I found myself futher exploring presence- in books, in magazines, and in blogs ( life coach advice). So then, as usual, who did I turn to? I turn to my mentors and saught advice- what does PRESENCE mean to them? This is where the life lesson comes in- one of my most admired and treasured mentors, Jody, inspired me with the concept/quote of "Wherever you go, there you are." Since this encounter and discussion, I feel as if the universe is talking to me again ( HELLLLOO, because it is!!) and reminding me to 'be present'- as I sit and write this blog, right here, right NOW.
Fast forward after this particular discussion with my mentor and five months of studying through an exchange program in the Virgin Islands ( the island of presence- another story for another time), I am searching for my way to 'be present'. I know I can ask people for advice on how to be present, but truley, I will be able to practice it when I find my own way and start to explore and experience this concept.
So, I'm sure you're all asking, how are you goign to be present? Well, for starters, I'm in the process of exploring yoga. I won't even go into detail here, beacause we all konw about the power of being able to practice mindfulness and exercise at the same time. Secondly, I have used the "wherever you go, there you are" phrase as a mantra when things are chaotic/i'm trying to over-multitask/ or I'm not balancing past, present, future. Any more advice or suggestions? Ideas? ANNYYONNNE?!
SO, my question for you (readers out there!!!)- how do you "live in the now"/ "just be"/practice presence?
HAPPY WEEKEND :)
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Bridges.
"Find life experiences and swallow them whole. Travel. Meet many people. Go down some dead ends and explore dark alleys. Try everything. Exhaust yourself in the glorious pursuit of life."
I have been meaning to continue my blogging efforts, but life sure got in the way of it the past week or so. Where do I begin? Start? If you're ready this, you're in for a real LONG treat. But, if you have a lot of free time, I feel like it'll be worth it :)
The experience of processing a study abroad/exchange program is an entirely different concept to explain, so I'll try my best to describe what it is like. In fact, I probably won't finish describing or interpreting it in one post, so this blog might just be a continuation of it all, who knows. Anyhow, I left St. Croix, in the Virgin Islands, at the end of April FULL ON READY to be back home in the United States, Minneapolis and Ladysmith. The week before I was about to leave my life as an island girl, it hit me. I WAS LEAVING. At that very moment, I feel like I started to authentically live in the present. I appreciated every conversation with friends. I watched every sunset I could sneak in. I stopped complaing about the hassles of the Virgin Islands- the potholes, the crappy cars, the fact that there is no concept of time, some of the rude people.....and began to really enjoy the island. How convinient- right when I was about to leave. I will never forget the day I left St. Croix. I woke up at the crack of dawn and headed to breakfast with two of my amazing friends- Nikki and Casey. Our last breakfast ( the last supper) on the beach, biscuits and gravy, coffee.....and tears. As we headed for the airport, I got an entirely huge knot in my stomach- a knot of excitement, anxiousness, sadness, loneliness, you name it- I felt it. As my bags were transferred from Nikki's car to the ticket confirmation booth, tears began to roll down our faces. And then.....I became hysterical. And I didn't stop for a good hour, or more. Another chapter of my life was being closed.....and it felt like the world was coming down on me. Like they say, when it rains, it POURS. My life was a pouring hot mess. I finally got myself together in the tiny St. Croix airport ( and masked some of my emotions) and actually met a really cool couple. They were older, and were leaving their vacation on the island of St. Croix, headed back home. The woman/wife started talking to me and through our conversation, I found out that she was of course, a world traveler/enthusiast, had a daughter who taught YOGA all over the world, and was taking a trip in the next year to Kenya with her husband and a group of friends with their significant others. Now ask me this.....why did I FAIL to not take her name or number? I will never know. But this it the beauty of travel.......the people you meet ( and their stories), hands down. I believe this woman provided me with a distraction as I began to board my small 8 person plane and my feelings of sadness were replaced with anxiousness/excitedness for my flight (on the crazy plane) over the ocean to bring me back to my life on the 'mainland'.
So.....to continue on, I arrived in Minneapolis and spent a day there doing a little shopping, meeting up with friends, etc. And then- the month of May hit. And I was back in Ladysmith, Wisconsin for a WHOLE month. I will not lie- I was incredibly nervous to be living back at home for a month. Let's now fast forward a month ( June) and in retrospect, I can genuinly/ say that my month in Ladysmith was one of the best months of my ENTIRE college career, maybe even my life. I became obsessed ( ask my buddies at CEHD, they can attest to this) with being domestic- running errands for my dad, drinking coffee in the morning with my dad, picking up my siblings from school, going to Jon and Joe's baseball games, hanging out with my two best childhood buddies, Brenna and Katie......and what was the best part of this entire month? Well, one re-getting to know my family. And appreciating "our" chaos, or as my mom say's "Organized Chaos." And two, I appreciated simplicity and solitude. I for the first time in my life, felt at complete peace at home in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin. Yes, I had a fuller email inbox as I prepared to go back to my life in Minneapolis, but I had peace around me.......the woods, the river in my backyard, simple to-do lists.......life in a small town in simple ( like my dad tells me ALL THE TIME) and I finally got that. And enjoyed it. There is a reason simplicty and solitude exist. I can most definitely say they allowed me to 'unplug' from life and just be. Two things I find myself struggle with on a daily basis, continually day in and day out. My mind was clear and my heart was warmed.....family, simplicity, and solitude are awesome.
So, what happened next? Well, that's where I'm at as I write this blog post. I just finished my first week back as a resident of Minneapolis, MN. And how do I feel? Miserable. I'm actually so miserable, that I drove home to Wisconsin for the weekend (which gave me inspiration tonight to write this blog!!!) where I always go when I need a fix of comfort. What did I do this week? I worked part time in CEHD student services, took a class on administering medications for a new gig (side job) I have, caught up with a few friends, moved into my apartment, ran a HUGE amount of errands around the city, and attempted ( and failed miserably) to switch into full power/wonderwoman/normalcy in Minneapolis. But, like I have learned from experience- I used my brain and began to think about why I failed miserably. And here's what I came up with ( thanks for wonderful advice/help from one of my dearest friends, Kari as well as reading a post on one of my FAVORITE website's fro a lifecoach, lifeaftercollege.org and of course, my own experience).....transitions are NEVER easy ( even though I always assume they will be). I'll try and explain a transition using something we can all relate to- a bridge. A bridge's purpose is to connect two places- whether they be islands, pieces of land, highways, you get the jist. If there is no bridge to connect these two places- you can't get anywhere. Which, randomly, reminds me of a chapter in a book I read this fall for my leadership minor field experience class, on building bridges ( will explain later)....And you know what I FAILED to do this week? I totally skipped my bridge. I assumed that my life would go back to where it picked up/left in December of 2009. And now it's June 2010, 5 months later, and I have had yet another incredibly profound experience I failed to incorporate/process into this whole 'bridge equation'. WOOPS. I also realized that this 'bridge' process isn't going to be a short one. Sometimes, going over a bridge can be only a few minutes, sometimes it can take FOREVER ( when there is traffic, car accidents, or it's just generally a long bridge).....my bridge, if I had to guess, will probably take about a month. Or longer. Maybe even a lifetime? Additionally, I'll have to be patient. Not only patient with others, but patient with myself. I think this week, in fact, I hit a lot of traffic.....meetings, catching up with old friends ( which I am incredibly thankful/appreciate of because they were the ones who are and will be helping me cross my bridge), work, moving....etc. My rush hour lasted WAY LONGER than any rush hour I've ever experienced in Minneapolis. And the ironic/but not ironic fact about all of this bridge-ness.......is that I experiened the same thing last summer coming back from South Africa. I was miserable, sad, lonely, lost for about a month.....and slowly it got better. On a side note, when I'm lonely I don't mean this because I don't have friends or things to do......a loneliness that leave you feeling/aching in your heart for your previous experience that you just had ( such as studying abroad--the friends, the experience, the places, the food, etc.). This time around, since I'm a little bit wiser, I'm going to give myself permission to feel all of these 'un fun feelings'.......because they are a part of transitions- whether we like them or not. I''m working on being patient with myself and know that not all of my days in the next few weeks will be the normal " I LOVE LIFE/HAPPINESS DAYS" I usually have....there might be some cloudy and rainy days, too. But that is all a part of life. Most importantly, I'm going to allow myself to be OKAY with all of this. And JUST BE.
A few loose ends to tie up my post.........
A shoutout to some of my most treasured and fabulous friends that made my week 'sunny'- Kate and Laura ( for empathizing and understanding what it is like to come back from being abroad as well as good company with great sushi/seeing sex and the city 2), Michelle ( for making me dinner, making me LAUGH, and making me proud), Christen ( one of my leadership guru/mentors who always offers REAL and inspiring advice & wisdom and continually challenges me to grow in multiple capacities and facets), Casey Daddy ( my other half who got to experience life as an island girl w/ me for 5 glorious months and is my "reason, season, LIFETIME' daddy), Kari ( for moving me into my apartment, awesome hospitality skills, and never says no to 'half price apps and life chats' AND for explaining and allowing me to understand transitions), Whitney ( for always being there for me.....whether it is crying, laughing, eating weird things, fantasizing about our lives, offering advice, will be in my wedding friend)......To look on the brightside ( SOOOOO typical of me), as hard as it is being back in Minneapolis, at least I have these wonderful people to help me through my bridging =)........and one more shout out......TO ME! I saved a dove chocolate wrapper this week that said " Be your own best friend."........I think I'm going to go to a movie by myself this week ( Just Wright--the movie about a physical therapist who falls in love with an NBA star she is rehabbing after a big injury).
ONE LAST THING....I PROMISE!!!!
Tell me how IRONIC/CRAZY/WEIRD it is ( no, this was not planned) that the two movies I watched tonight at home were INVICTUS (South Africa) and am now going to cuddle up in bed with the movie UP.........
Love to all,
Emily
I have been meaning to continue my blogging efforts, but life sure got in the way of it the past week or so. Where do I begin? Start? If you're ready this, you're in for a real LONG treat. But, if you have a lot of free time, I feel like it'll be worth it :)
The experience of processing a study abroad/exchange program is an entirely different concept to explain, so I'll try my best to describe what it is like. In fact, I probably won't finish describing or interpreting it in one post, so this blog might just be a continuation of it all, who knows. Anyhow, I left St. Croix, in the Virgin Islands, at the end of April FULL ON READY to be back home in the United States, Minneapolis and Ladysmith. The week before I was about to leave my life as an island girl, it hit me. I WAS LEAVING. At that very moment, I feel like I started to authentically live in the present. I appreciated every conversation with friends. I watched every sunset I could sneak in. I stopped complaing about the hassles of the Virgin Islands- the potholes, the crappy cars, the fact that there is no concept of time, some of the rude people.....and began to really enjoy the island. How convinient- right when I was about to leave. I will never forget the day I left St. Croix. I woke up at the crack of dawn and headed to breakfast with two of my amazing friends- Nikki and Casey. Our last breakfast ( the last supper) on the beach, biscuits and gravy, coffee.....and tears. As we headed for the airport, I got an entirely huge knot in my stomach- a knot of excitement, anxiousness, sadness, loneliness, you name it- I felt it. As my bags were transferred from Nikki's car to the ticket confirmation booth, tears began to roll down our faces. And then.....I became hysterical. And I didn't stop for a good hour, or more. Another chapter of my life was being closed.....and it felt like the world was coming down on me. Like they say, when it rains, it POURS. My life was a pouring hot mess. I finally got myself together in the tiny St. Croix airport ( and masked some of my emotions) and actually met a really cool couple. They were older, and were leaving their vacation on the island of St. Croix, headed back home. The woman/wife started talking to me and through our conversation, I found out that she was of course, a world traveler/enthusiast, had a daughter who taught YOGA all over the world, and was taking a trip in the next year to Kenya with her husband and a group of friends with their significant others. Now ask me this.....why did I FAIL to not take her name or number? I will never know. But this it the beauty of travel.......the people you meet ( and their stories), hands down. I believe this woman provided me with a distraction as I began to board my small 8 person plane and my feelings of sadness were replaced with anxiousness/excitedness for my flight (on the crazy plane) over the ocean to bring me back to my life on the 'mainland'.
So.....to continue on, I arrived in Minneapolis and spent a day there doing a little shopping, meeting up with friends, etc. And then- the month of May hit. And I was back in Ladysmith, Wisconsin for a WHOLE month. I will not lie- I was incredibly nervous to be living back at home for a month. Let's now fast forward a month ( June) and in retrospect, I can genuinly/ say that my month in Ladysmith was one of the best months of my ENTIRE college career, maybe even my life. I became obsessed ( ask my buddies at CEHD, they can attest to this) with being domestic- running errands for my dad, drinking coffee in the morning with my dad, picking up my siblings from school, going to Jon and Joe's baseball games, hanging out with my two best childhood buddies, Brenna and Katie......and what was the best part of this entire month? Well, one re-getting to know my family. And appreciating "our" chaos, or as my mom say's "Organized Chaos." And two, I appreciated simplicity and solitude. I for the first time in my life, felt at complete peace at home in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin. Yes, I had a fuller email inbox as I prepared to go back to my life in Minneapolis, but I had peace around me.......the woods, the river in my backyard, simple to-do lists.......life in a small town in simple ( like my dad tells me ALL THE TIME) and I finally got that. And enjoyed it. There is a reason simplicty and solitude exist. I can most definitely say they allowed me to 'unplug' from life and just be. Two things I find myself struggle with on a daily basis, continually day in and day out. My mind was clear and my heart was warmed.....family, simplicity, and solitude are awesome.
So, what happened next? Well, that's where I'm at as I write this blog post. I just finished my first week back as a resident of Minneapolis, MN. And how do I feel? Miserable. I'm actually so miserable, that I drove home to Wisconsin for the weekend (which gave me inspiration tonight to write this blog!!!) where I always go when I need a fix of comfort. What did I do this week? I worked part time in CEHD student services, took a class on administering medications for a new gig (side job) I have, caught up with a few friends, moved into my apartment, ran a HUGE amount of errands around the city, and attempted ( and failed miserably) to switch into full power/wonderwoman/normalcy in Minneapolis. But, like I have learned from experience- I used my brain and began to think about why I failed miserably. And here's what I came up with ( thanks for wonderful advice/help from one of my dearest friends, Kari as well as reading a post on one of my FAVORITE website's fro a lifecoach, lifeaftercollege.org and of course, my own experience).....transitions are NEVER easy ( even though I always assume they will be). I'll try and explain a transition using something we can all relate to- a bridge. A bridge's purpose is to connect two places- whether they be islands, pieces of land, highways, you get the jist. If there is no bridge to connect these two places- you can't get anywhere. Which, randomly, reminds me of a chapter in a book I read this fall for my leadership minor field experience class, on building bridges ( will explain later)....And you know what I FAILED to do this week? I totally skipped my bridge. I assumed that my life would go back to where it picked up/left in December of 2009. And now it's June 2010, 5 months later, and I have had yet another incredibly profound experience I failed to incorporate/process into this whole 'bridge equation'. WOOPS. I also realized that this 'bridge' process isn't going to be a short one. Sometimes, going over a bridge can be only a few minutes, sometimes it can take FOREVER ( when there is traffic, car accidents, or it's just generally a long bridge).....my bridge, if I had to guess, will probably take about a month. Or longer. Maybe even a lifetime? Additionally, I'll have to be patient. Not only patient with others, but patient with myself. I think this week, in fact, I hit a lot of traffic.....meetings, catching up with old friends ( which I am incredibly thankful/appreciate of because they were the ones who are and will be helping me cross my bridge), work, moving....etc. My rush hour lasted WAY LONGER than any rush hour I've ever experienced in Minneapolis. And the ironic/but not ironic fact about all of this bridge-ness.......is that I experiened the same thing last summer coming back from South Africa. I was miserable, sad, lonely, lost for about a month.....and slowly it got better. On a side note, when I'm lonely I don't mean this because I don't have friends or things to do......a loneliness that leave you feeling/aching in your heart for your previous experience that you just had ( such as studying abroad--the friends, the experience, the places, the food, etc.). This time around, since I'm a little bit wiser, I'm going to give myself permission to feel all of these 'un fun feelings'.......because they are a part of transitions- whether we like them or not. I''m working on being patient with myself and know that not all of my days in the next few weeks will be the normal " I LOVE LIFE/HAPPINESS DAYS" I usually have....there might be some cloudy and rainy days, too. But that is all a part of life. Most importantly, I'm going to allow myself to be OKAY with all of this. And JUST BE.
A few loose ends to tie up my post.........
A shoutout to some of my most treasured and fabulous friends that made my week 'sunny'- Kate and Laura ( for empathizing and understanding what it is like to come back from being abroad as well as good company with great sushi/seeing sex and the city 2), Michelle ( for making me dinner, making me LAUGH, and making me proud), Christen ( one of my leadership guru/mentors who always offers REAL and inspiring advice & wisdom and continually challenges me to grow in multiple capacities and facets), Casey Daddy ( my other half who got to experience life as an island girl w/ me for 5 glorious months and is my "reason, season, LIFETIME' daddy), Kari ( for moving me into my apartment, awesome hospitality skills, and never says no to 'half price apps and life chats' AND for explaining and allowing me to understand transitions), Whitney ( for always being there for me.....whether it is crying, laughing, eating weird things, fantasizing about our lives, offering advice, will be in my wedding friend)......To look on the brightside ( SOOOOO typical of me), as hard as it is being back in Minneapolis, at least I have these wonderful people to help me through my bridging =)........and one more shout out......TO ME! I saved a dove chocolate wrapper this week that said " Be your own best friend."........I think I'm going to go to a movie by myself this week ( Just Wright--the movie about a physical therapist who falls in love with an NBA star she is rehabbing after a big injury).
ONE LAST THING....I PROMISE!!!!
Tell me how IRONIC/CRAZY/WEIRD it is ( no, this was not planned) that the two movies I watched tonight at home were INVICTUS (South Africa) and am now going to cuddle up in bed with the movie UP.........
Love to all,
Emily
Sunday, May 9, 2010
My 'Life To Do Continued..'
5.Visit asia- Begjing & Hongkong, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos.......and volunteer in an orphanage while there.
6.Get dressed up in the appropriate attire (yes, a HUGE expensive hat and sundress) and drink gin and tonics while watching the kentucky derby
7. Visit New Zealand with all of my brothers-we have all wanted to go here......and bungee jump, surf, do the outdoorsy stuff!
8. become affluent--make sure to be able to pay for all of my children's college education & more
9. Become a speaker/writer/author life coach extrodinare!! Of course, after I am a leadership consultant, professor, event planner, etc......my dream is to write an advice/self-help blog/website, do consulting work for organizations on generation Y & leadership, coach some people, and write a book. Yep, some day I will do it....
10. Become the proud owner of a little pup- shitzu ( spelling) or miniature yorkie.....and name her Anabella OR Lucy
11. See beyonce, usher, rihanna, and chris brown in concert.....enough said!
12. Do a roadtrip all around the US--to do's: vineyards in California, hiking in New Mexico, beaching in LA, whale watching in Boston, and the list goes on...
13. Live in Washington D.C .--not forever, but for a year or so....I want to spend my weekends exploring the history of the United States :)
14. join a book club ( geeky, I know.....) so I can chat with other people and read books for a purpose....
15. Plan an RV roadtrip through Alaska and Canada for my dad.....and be his personal tour guide.
16. Adopt a child from abroad- either Africa or Asia
17. Own a yellow car...I know, I know this is weird but I love the color yellow because it's bright and happy.....maybe a VW BUG?!?!
18. Become healthier- loose 30 lbs and make healthy eating a lifestyle- not just a phase.
19. Do a 'what happens in vegas, stays in vegas' vacation with girlfriends- Next winter break with friends I've met in the Virgin Islands!!!
20. graduate college- next spring!
21. become a mentor- I've done big brothers big sisters but have had trouble with consistency with my littles moving all of the time.....I am going to apply to be a mentor for a program the U this fall....
22. go white water rafting!
23. visit costa rica and explore the jungle
I feel like there is still more to come.......stay tuned!
5.Visit asia- Begjing & Hongkong, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos.......and volunteer in an orphanage while there.
6.Get dressed up in the appropriate attire (yes, a HUGE expensive hat and sundress) and drink gin and tonics while watching the kentucky derby
7. Visit New Zealand with all of my brothers-we have all wanted to go here......and bungee jump, surf, do the outdoorsy stuff!
8. become affluent--make sure to be able to pay for all of my children's college education & more
9. Become a speaker/writer/author life coach extrodinare!! Of course, after I am a leadership consultant, professor, event planner, etc......my dream is to write an advice/self-help blog/website, do consulting work for organizations on generation Y & leadership, coach some people, and write a book. Yep, some day I will do it....
10. Become the proud owner of a little pup- shitzu ( spelling) or miniature yorkie.....and name her Anabella OR Lucy
11. See beyonce, usher, rihanna, and chris brown in concert.....enough said!
12. Do a roadtrip all around the US--to do's: vineyards in California, hiking in New Mexico, beaching in LA, whale watching in Boston, and the list goes on...
13. Live in Washington D.C .--not forever, but for a year or so....I want to spend my weekends exploring the history of the United States :)
14. join a book club ( geeky, I know.....) so I can chat with other people and read books for a purpose....
15. Plan an RV roadtrip through Alaska and Canada for my dad.....and be his personal tour guide.
16. Adopt a child from abroad- either Africa or Asia
17. Own a yellow car...I know, I know this is weird but I love the color yellow because it's bright and happy.....maybe a VW BUG?!?!
18. Become healthier- loose 30 lbs and make healthy eating a lifestyle- not just a phase.
19. Do a 'what happens in vegas, stays in vegas' vacation with girlfriends- Next winter break with friends I've met in the Virgin Islands!!!
20. graduate college- next spring!
21. become a mentor- I've done big brothers big sisters but have had trouble with consistency with my littles moving all of the time.....I am going to apply to be a mentor for a program the U this fall....
22. go white water rafting!
23. visit costa rica and explore the jungle
I feel like there is still more to come.......stay tuned!
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