Reason, Season, or Lifetime

I was once told that people come into our lives for either a reason, a season, or a lifetime. I thought about the people that have come into my life and chose one that I believe has for these three reasons.

FOR A REASON-- While I was selling books during my first summer of college, I told a woman I was selling educational materials and she told me a story. She was into her mid-forties and had been deprived of having an education all throughout her younger years. She never had the chance to go to high school or college because her parents did not see her as worthy of learning. She teared up as she told me how badly she wanted to be educated, and wanted to give the absolute best to her high school daughter. I was grateful that I could help her achieve this dream of being educated, but even more so, I was thankful that she came into my life for a reason. I learned about a life so different than my own and it gave me a new perspective on what seems to be mandatory and that is easy to take for granted.

FOR A SEASON--My senora, Tere, didn't care to learn a word of English while I lived in her home in Spain. At first, I saw this as close-minded, but after three months of having no choice but to speak in Spanish, I was grateful. That semester, I not only ate, breathed, and dreampt (literally) in Spanish, but I gained a greater appreciation for living in a different country. I realized that scrubbing the kitchen floor is a daily activity, that fruit is considered a dessert, and that people deserve a three-hour "siesta" every day. I learned a lot from this great lady, and although we only had a season together, she has influenced my perspectives forever.

FOR A LIFETIME--From inspiring me to challenge myself, to being open-minded to new adventures, to thinking bigger in all aspects of my life, my brother Justin is in my life for a lifetime. We've drummed on kitchen pots together, supported each other's high school sports, and have together traveled the world. He motivates me to discover my adventurous-spirit, use my potential in all aspects, and always treat people with ongoing kindness. I feel fortunate to have someone that is positively empowering, entertaining, and truly sincere that will be in my life forever. My sister, Rachel, (although much younger) is equally inspiring with her happy, funny, and always entertaining-spirit. I'm excited to stay close with her as she grows through the years, and know we will have a special relationship for a lifetime.

Writing a Bucket List

My roommate for the summer, Rochelle, saw the movie "The Bucket List" and started her own Bucket List. Her list involves places to travel, things to do, and accomplishments to be made during her lifetime. I see the importance in writing dreams and goals down because without conscious thought, it seems very unlikely that those things would suddenly just happen.

THE START OF MY BUCKET LIST:
*Live in a place that excites me.
*Watch a sunset daily.
*Spend many days boating
*Snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef
*Learn Spanish fluently & use it often
*Learn to surf.
*Perform in a couples dance competition
*Travel to S. America
*Island hop in the Carribean
*Work with a charity while traveling
*Girls trip to Las Vegas
*Mom/sister trip
*Etc Etc....

While selling books to families this summer, a mom said a quote that stuck with me: "Every day you wake up, you've got it made". Well, isn't that the truth. Makes me smile and feel thankful when I hear that. Every day the entire world is presented to us. We can literally go wherever, talk to whomever, and do whatever we please. Now of course there's work, family, appointments, payments, etc. but we're only subject to those as they are our choice (granted, living in the U.S. makes us extremely fortunate to be able to experiences other places). I like to remind myself that people across the globe spend their time in a variety of ways--the simple life, the busy life, the crazy life, the heat, the cold--and we can experience whatever we chose if we really want to.

A Bag & A Mission!

Yesterday I made an exciting purchase. I've been searching travel magazines for that lite-weight, comfy, jumbo-size-yet-able-to-walk-in traveler's pack, and... Alah, I found it! Since it's soon to be my shiny, red closet I now just need to start my packing list and fill it up! I'll make sure to walk around the block a few times--I'm thinking for a 3 month backpacking trip, comfort will be key!

Bag: [Check]
Mission: Asian Experience

Yesterday I also made an inspiring job decision. Using the fear of the unknown and confidence of what's possible as motivation, I've decided to take on selling books (educational books) door-to-door for the summertime. Texas and California have prepared me well for a third summer. I now know it's not possible to know what to expect, but it is possible to control how I react to my circumstances! Sums up life pretty well, right?

Bag: I'll get it at sales school.
Mission: Spread education, make homework easier for kids & parents, while building Iowa as a Top 10 campus.

Asia Trip: Fall 2008

This September, Justin (the bro) and I will be backpacking the globe! Our plan is to plan as we go (hah) when it comes to places to stay and when to head to the next place. We have outlined some must-see destinations and cool things to do along the way.

September 4 to November 19
Tokyo, Japan
Seoul, S Korea
Beijing, China
Shanghai
Maccau
Vietnam
Laos
Cambodia
Thailand
Malaysia
Singapore
Indonesia

City of Lights!

A family trip to Las Vegas for Christmas. This may seem like more of a contradiction than an ideal vacation (unless of course you are....well, the Griswalds), however I must say when my parents took us there for the holidays it was some quality time spent. Thanks to my dad's "move with a purpose" mindset, I saw more lights, casinos, hotels, and different countries (or what sure seemed to be) than I could've imagined.

Not-your-average-day-highlights:

**The whole family dressed in Mardi Gras cloaks and beads. We rode the float that circled the hotel ceiling to drop beads below.
**On Christmas Day my brother comments, "It's not everyday you come out of church and see the MGM and Wynn." My little sister chimes in with, "Yeah, and Hooters."
**At the show, Mystique, a performer put a popcorn bucket on my head during the opening act. He then kicked it off into the audience around me!
**Man sitting on sidewalk holding a sign "Why lie? I need a beer." (I thought he deserved a dollar for his honesty.)

Hello "Real World"

It's funny how now that I've graduated college and have complete independence, I almost wish I had someone telling me exactly what the next step should be! I hear the question "What do you want to do?" more than I hear my dad's reminders to "dress warm" and "be safe" (just friendly guidance from a caring father, at his defense). So what do I want to do? Great question! My jaw drops and I feel the wheels in my head spin for an answer. Well, an expected answer, that is. The one that relates to work and could be rephrased more like, “How do you plan to make money so you can do what you want to do?”. What I'd like to do right now is a pretty easy question. I think it'd be awesome to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef. I want to learn how to surf. I want to speak Spanish fluently and use it often. I'd like to help people and make a difference. These things sound great, but is it possible to make them happen? I guess I'll find out once I try!

Now that my days of late-night study crams are over (or at least for now), I have decided to delay a “real world” job in order to pursue some of the things I'd like to do. The only barrier between accomplishing these things is having money and having time. Well, time is surely on my side! I've decided to take full advantage of it by getting a "full-time-yet-temporary" job now to make and save money, then come September I'll jump on a plane and head to... Tokyo! I'm excited to try out backpacking the world. After studying abroad in Seville, Spain and traveling throughout Europe I have an unexplainable energy and passion to see new places and try new things. Justin (my older brother) has been an excellent motivator-- his passion for travel is unlike any I've come across and it keeps me excited to do the same.


Let the money-saving and trip planning begin!