Another year older

So I recently celebrated my 34th birthday with going to a corn maze in Virginia with friends. I don't feel 34. I feel like I'm still 21. Where do the years go? Don't get me wrong, I'm proud to be my age. I believe in celebrating every year. I don't want to be 21 anymore. I was anxious about where I was going to get my next paycheck. I was in college wondering what sort of job a Pyschology major can get after she graduates. I had thoughts of going into the Peace Corps and travelling the world.

Even though I didn't join the peace corps, I don't regret anything since I graduated. I usually make a list on my birthday of all the things that I accomplished in the year so I can see where I've been.

1. I started a certification program for coaching through http://www.newfieldnetwork.com/.
2. I learned how to fall out of love with someone and mended my heart
3. I travelled north of New York City for the first time
4. My dad and I are having impactful conversations
5. I went on an interview for another job
6. I met my new nephew, Ford, and spent time with Jim and Melanie
7. I watched my brother, Warren, fall in love and get married
8. I saw Brad Pitt in the airport!
9. I went to Las Vegas twice
10. I am purchasing a custom made chest of drawers from my friend, Mike Mendelow. Check out: http://www.washingtonwoodworks.com/

North Woods Travel

I just returned from a week long vacation and road trip to the north Maine woods. I had not been north of New York before this trip and was glad to do it with my friends Jeni, Eric, and Tracy.

Jeni was definitely the organized one of the crew with her folder of activities for each day of the journey and her Nice-n-Clean wet wipes. Not to mention her culinary skills of apple pie, potato hash, and cheesy eggs. Jeni played multiple roles during the week including comic relief, "Riding on a motorcycle without a helmet. He's just asking to kiss the sidewalk." Any word that ends in "ass" is bound to come out of Jeni's mouth, "Jackass, dumb ass, smart ass."

Eric's role on the trip was that of the DJ. Every morning we woke up to a mix of music from his iPod. Some of those songs brought back memories of elementary school days. Where do you find some of those songs?

Tracy brought her vacuuming skills and a slight obsession to the spray Clorox in the shower every day. Her skills of being a tour guide in Boston were the best. We actually accomplished everything on Jeni's list. Hooray!

I make an excellent cup of java. I also took Jeni on detours to get ice cream and to take pictures of all the state signs. I also started the whole trip when I won a week in Maine in a cabin on a lake from a charity event auction.

It was a great time of relaxation, seeing sites, eating LOTS of junk food, and singing in the car. The view from the cabin was fantastic! We had beautiful weather all week long. Here are just a few highlights:

View of Lake Ambejejus and Mt. Katahdin from the cabin

Hiking in Baxter State Park

Nicky and Big Girl

Whale Watching from Boston

It was so nice to disconnect from the world for a few days. In North Maine, we didn't have cable or Internet or cell phone coverage. All we had were games, a hammock, a TV/VCR for movies, and great landscape.

I'm now getting ready for my brother, Warren's wedding in California. I leave in 2 days. Why can't I be independently wealthy and travel all over whenever I feel like it and work whenever I feel like it. :)

Celebrity Citing

My last trip was to Chicago for a little work and play. I love going to there in the summer time. It's such a vibrant city with a buzz. I enjoyed my 'play' time with my friend, Phoebe. We always have such a great time. It's nice to have close friends who just "get" you. We spent time shopping on Michigan Ave. and I had the best shopping experience I've ever had.

We walked into Anne Fontaine, which is a boutique that specializes in the ultimate white shirt for women. The sales women were helpful and seemed to really enjoy their job and selling their product. I actually walked away with a black blouse at the end of the day. I would highly recommend that if you have some extra money (the blouses are not cheap) and want to treat yourself to to Anne Fontaine.

To top off a fabulous weekend of shopping and schmoozing with Phoebe, I had a celebrity citing. I was sitting in O'Hare waiting for my flight and watching people pass by. Next thing I see is a goodlooking guy standing in my line of site. I'm thinking, "Wow, he's nice looking." and went on looking around to only realize that it wasn't just any good looking guy, but BRAD PITT.

He was wearing this hat and walking non chalantly through the airport. Of course I realized after he passed that I didn't have my camera, so here is the closest picture I could find.

My next travel adventure will be a roadtrip to Maine. Maybe I'll run into some other celebs.

Mini-Traveller

My nephew, Ford Patterson, was born on May 7th in Columbia, SC and I think he's the cutest thing ever! He is my first nephew and my parents first grandchild, so it's ultra special. I can't believe I'm an aunt. I can't wait to meet him and begin to corrupt him. :) Isn't that my role as an aunt? Especially because I want to be the coolest aunt. Honestly, how much influence can I really have on this little one? Maybe I will be able to take him along on some of my travels or help contribute to his spirit for travel and the arts.

I wonder what technology will be around when he is 30 years old? I wonder if he will be an earth conscious hippie or a wall street mogul?

How much of growing up is the environment around him and how much is coming from heredity? Only time will tell.

Isolated Traveling

I am pursuing a Coaching certification, which includes life, somatic, and executive coaching. I am gaining many insights. More importantly, I am beginning to see things with new eyes. I recently read an article about the Crisis of the Western Mind that talks about capitalism as pushing for more growth and profit, causing us to be more disconnected with the world around us. Only pursuing the things that will be good for an individual versus a community. Not looking at the long term effects of this "progress" but the short-term gain of profit.

I see this happening in how we choose to live and where we choose to live. The bigger the house, the bigger the security system is to keep intruders out and the bigger the fence and shrubs to keep the neighbors out of our business. We are living in isolation or islands every day. We drive cars that have more room to buffer us from the world and spend hours on computers in isolation before we drive home in isolation to eat dinner in our big houses watching TV. I now have some context to put to my wanderings of emptiness that I feel and see in others.

Communities are where the true happiness lies. When I spontaneously knock on my neighbor's door and he on mine, we share a common understanding that community is better than isolation. We help each other when the other is out of town, and share drinks out on our back decks. I feel lucky to have a community of people who want to be around people. Who are not afraid of the neighbors, but who embrace them for all of their quirkiness.
My question is, "Did the uni-bomber have a community?"

Lucky Traveler

It's been awhile since my last entry. I've been booking my next travel adventures to San Francisco and Las Vegas in April and May. So much is happening. My brother just got engaged, my other brother and sister-in-law are about to have their first baby boy, and I'm beginning a coaching certification at the end of this month.

I feel like all of the planets are aligned and I should buy a Mega Millions lottery ticket. It's up to $370 Million dollars. Can you imagine? Even if I just won a quarter of it, that would be about 60 million dollars after taxes.

I think I would first hire a financial advisor and lawyer. Then, I would divide the money among my family members and set aside some money to pay off all of my bills. Then I would set up a profitable savings plan to earn the most interest so I can live off of that instead of the actual money. I wouldn't quit my job immediately like a lot of people, but allow it to sink in and figure out my long term strategy.

I could set up a foundation, buy real estate, take my friends and family to Europe for the month or even buy a villa there so we can all visit, open a business with my friend, Phoebe, and share in the wealth with others.

It's amazing to think about, and I can picture myself in a brand new convertible driving across country now. What would you do?

Valentine's Day?

It's a day to celebrate couple hood. A day where if you are single and asked, "What are you doing for valentines day" it's important not to sound like you don't have plans. Or else you are given the, "Aw, I'm sorry you don't have plans. Maybe you will have someone next year" look.
Do I sound a little bitter about the day? Maybe. I am normally a very happy person who's life is anything but boring. In fact, I'm known as being very social and always having fun plans.

Well, once a year I am reminded that if I don't have a boyfriend or a valentine that I must be a loser. So, this year the most blessed thing happened. (No, I don't have a boyfriend.) We had an ice storm with some snow, so it gave me a good excuse to stay home and avoid all of the rose deliveries, candy, people announcing engagements at work.

I am not a person to take revenge or wish ill on anyone, but there was a small part of me that chuckled when the news announced that flower deliveries were delayed, restaurants were having cancellations, and Valentine's day wasn't the most important thing on the news today.

Is that wrong of me?

Sushi nights

I grew up hating to try anything different in terms of food. It was all about plain cheese burgers from McDonald's and cheese pizza. I was the kid who only stuck with what she knew. My brother, Jim, on the other hand was the opposite. He was the "Mikey" of our family. He was and is willing to try any new exotic food. So, when I mentioned to him on the phone the other night that I was going out for sushi he almost fainted.

It wasn't until I moved to the Washington, DC area that I started to branch out and try new foods. After all, this area has every kind of food imaginable. Now, I LOVE Sushi, Thai, Mexican, Ethiopian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian, and the list goes on. I think I am now addicted to food and am even willing to have mushrooms, onions, pepperoni, sausage, gyro meat, chicken, green peppers, ham, Canadian bacon, and pineapple on my pizzas (maybe not all together). :)

What I have found is that by eating new foods I am traveling without leaving town. I sat at a sushi bar this week and started chatting with the person next to me. She recommended some selections and we talked about owning animals. As it turns out, we found out that we were only 2 degrees separation from each other! She knows my neighbors.

As adventurous as I've become, I always seem to be reminded that this is a small world after all!

Old memories

My family found out this week that our old home on N. 30th Ave., Yakima, WA is up for sale. One of our family friends is moving back to Yakima, looking for a house and the realtor showed him this one.

What a small world? This, of course, brought back memories. We had a garage that was set away from the house on the back of the lot. Behind the garage was a tree house and LOTS of dirt. My brothers would spend summers digging a big hole back there just because it would make a good trench or to see how big they could make it. My mom says that it was her job every year before the first snow to fill in the hole so we wouldn't fall into it during winter.

There is a secret hiding place in this house on the second floor. Only small children can crawl into it. There was a crawl through space between the eves between my brothers bedroom and my bedroom. They always found ways to terrorize me when I had sleepovers.

We haven't lived in this house since 1982, and have lived in many other houses throughout our childhood. However, when people ask me what my childhood was like, my memory always goes back here and it hasn't changed at all from the outside.

Inclement Weather

Until I was 9 yrs old, I lived in Yakima, WA. We got tons of snow every year sometimes before Halloween. I remember bundling up in my bibs and moon boots to play in the snow for hours. We never actually had "snow days" off from school, but would race home in the afternoon before dark to have snow fights, play in our snow forts, and make snow angels.

As an adult, I love taking the day off work when it snows. Okay, maybe it's just a good excuse to play hookie. It satisfies my childish side. Even if I never actually get outside to make snow angels, I enjoy myself immensely. I either stay under my bed covers and sleep and watch Oprah while drinking some hot cocoa. It is blissful to take a break from my busy life.

Characters along the way

One of the outcomes of traveling for me is meeting the interesting characters along the way. I remember when I was in Australia in 1994, I was traveling by train from Perth to Melbourne and had a 6 hour stop over in Adelaide. Well, I hunkered down with my deck of cards and my headphones and played a ton of solitaire. As I was between games, a woman sitting next to me struck up a conversation. Well, before I knew how we got there, she says that she's traveling to Melbourne to crash her ex-husband's wedding. Here's where it gets tricky; her ex-husband was engaged to her mother.

I find people fascinating. I always seem to hear confessions from people's lives; "I feel guilty for not spending much time with my son," said one frequent traveler. Other's tell me of their engagements, philosophies on life, working with the Bush administration to prove that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, heading to Chicago to play in a professional soccer game for the first time, visiting with family, etc. One guy gave me 3 novels and his card.

You may be wondering if I am one of those annoying people on flights who talks incessantly, but I'm not. I promise. Most times I'm trying to mind my own business, bury my head in a book, or listen to music, and these folks just find a way to strike up the conversation. And because I'm fascinated, it's like a moth to a flame.

I noticed an increase of these conversations especially after 9/11. I think there are more nervous people flying, and figure if they are going down, they better know their seat-mates, just in case. So, who are your "seat-mates?"

What would your sitcom be?

I was asked on my Date Lab profile, "If we created a TV show about your love life, what would it be?" This got me thinking...

My first reaction is "Comedy." Maybe even a new show all together that hasn't been done before. "Tall, 5'11" woman seeks a 6' man, but only finds the 5'8" men interesting." What is it with height? All of my life I have been called the jolly green giant or amazon woman, and when I have dated men shorter than I am, other women say, "I don't know how you do it. Dating someone who only comes up to your chin?" Men have been doing it for centuries. In fact, I see more men who are above 6' dating small woman (4'11" or 5'). I have been conditioned to think that a tall man is better for me. That we would look more evenly matched. But when it comes down to it, does it measure how wonderful a person is? No.

I think back to the a story in my family that takes on unconventional stereotypes. It's about 'Big Sug," (Lola Warren Walker) who was married to Jay Walker. They were opposites in terms of body type. She was overweight and diabetic. He was stick skinny. He used to say that Big Sug was big, but it was just more of her to love. They were very quirky and maybe a little crazy, but very much in love.

When I was in my 20's, I was looking for someone who looked good on paper; 6'5" with brown hair, blue eyes, great smile, and fantastic forearms. Clearly, those men were out there, but their personalities were not a match with mine.

Now that I'm in my 30's, I'm changing my tune. Looks are going to wane as we get older. Heck, even my eyesight is going to go at somepoint. So, why not be with someone who is your best friend. Who has seen me through my worst and best. Someone who may not be Matt Damon or Brad Pitt, but who makes me laugh. I think my TV show looks more like "Ed" instead of "Beverly Hills 90210" now, and that's just fine with me.

The winds are changing

A good friend told me this morning that age 33 is supposed to be the year of enlightenment. I wonder what sort of enlightenment I should pay attention to? Is it that I have started remembering my dreams again, eventhough my last dream was of me in a tatoo shop picking out designs. Does it include doing things that I have never done before? Like going out with the guy that I wouldn't normally find attractive, taking a trip, or just not doing the same thing on a Friday night like dinner and a movie with a select few friends.

2007 started off with figuring out how to shake up my life, in a good way. I went to a New Year's gala for the first time and drank myself silly on cranberry vodkas and kissed some twenty-something guy on the dance floor. I flew to Houston, TX, which I've never done before, and found that on the surface Houston is one giant, sprawling strip mall. I still don't know what there is to see in Houston. I signed up for the Washington Post Date Lab, which seems risky, so it's worth it. And I am making travel plans to go to Vegas with friends so I can say, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

Many times I start off the new year with a goal like losing more weight, spending more time with family, exercise more, but this year I decided that it's time to shake it up. I need to make some change in my life, and it all starts with choosing a slightly different path doing the opposite.