A group of 8 of us heads off today to Ireland. For 10 days of reading, conversing, chilling, drinking and sleeping. It will be amazing.
We are going to two new places that I have not yet seen, so it definitely makes the trip worth it. I enjoy not knowing what to expect, definitely the most fun part. My good friends have also had two children since I’ve been back, so it will be so good to spend some time with them! My extended family keeps getting larger and happier!
Anyway, check back to see pictures of this go around.
The lack of funds have made my feet stay firmly planted on the ground. Bummer. But in a little over a month I will be heading back to Ireland for a 9-day holiday. Part of me is happy, part of me is nervous.
Ok, you know when you have a dream and all you remember is the intensity and the beauty of it, but the details of it fall from your mind the moment your brain knows it is awake? And then at some point during the day something happens that makes you recall those dreamy memories with the same significance as remembering your childhood vacations?
That is what it is like to go back to Ireland. Everything has changed, while nothing is different. It’s a country that is shrouded in tragedy, sadness, longing. Yet when I am there it is full of laughter and love. It makes my heart hurt for those who are no longer there and I find myself avoiding the places drenched with our mutual dreamy memories. This time, I know I should face them, but no matter who is with me, I will seek out those places alone, both physically and mentally.
Most of these ramblings are a result of the cold and damp days we are having here in Chicago. I miss the sun.
I’ve been on a non stop knitting rampage lately. After the holidays (when everyone has recieved their super awesome hand made knit wear) I will post pictures of my creations.
Anyway, as with any hobby I pick up, I get tired of the restrictions set upon me with what is available at the local craft stores. And the prices at the local specialty stores. So I’ve decided that the only solution is the make my own yarn. So this is what I want for Christmas:
Only $700!!! What a bargain….
Actually the whole plan involves a yurt, some land in Montana, a bunch of alpacas and making a boat load of money selling yurt yarn. A girl can dream. And technically if I’m putting no limitations on my dreaming the locale would be an island in the South Pacific. Alas choosers can not be beggars….
(let me know if you are interesting in investing in my business
It’s true that my favorite book inspired me to back my stuff into a backpack and try living in a “foreign” country for a while. Can we call Ireland foreign? It seems so much like home. So anyway, it may be an unlikely source but Hunter S Thompson’s The Rum Diary convinced me that the comfort we surround ourselves with is man made and the excitement of leaving it all behind can not be ignored.
What kept me moving was On The Road by Jack Kerouac. I know…how typical. But it helped at a certain point of my life, when I was still young and naive and full of foolish ideals (wait…that last part is still true). And it convinced me for many years that love is a duel.
And finally the book that broke my history loving dam. Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell. It is now impossible to go anywhere and see anything without wanting to know every detail about everything that ever happened there. It inspired a new way to travel, to look beyond what is in front of you and outwards to the past.
There are so much more, these are just a few of the shining beacons of my favorite books. Does anyone have any literature that inspired them to change the way they look at things?
I saw this movie when it first came out and loved it. But it was the last Arrondissement that really hit home. I have never been in Paris and I would really like to go. But I have felt this way in foreign lands before. I left the theater, went into the bathrooms and cried. I wasn’t expecting it, but it seemed to fit.
I’ve been notoriously fickle when it comes to choosing a “life path”. So here are all the things I have seriously considered doing ever since I was a young’un. In chrono order:
1) Ballerina: The typical 3 to 8 year old girl’s dream. Until they get chubby.
2) Teacher: I probably rocked this idea all the way through middle school
3) Mathematician: I freaking loved math in high school.
4) Photographer: But this was my passion.
5) Marketing/Advertising Agent: Ill-fated short term college path
After that time my mind shut off. And stayed off. Until I realized that whatever it was that I wanted to do, certainly was not what I was doing.
These are all things I still am seriously considering. What the heck happened? I feel like these two lists should be swapped. I feel like I was born a 50 year old and been slowly decreasing in age.
I’m finding a really hard time accepting the potential reality that my future profession is not on that list. There are times that I wish I could just focus my energy. But I’ve tried. And it’s darn near impossible. I’m constantly thinking “what thing can I do next?”
Good news everyone. I have found the evasive key to happiness. This will potentially blow your mind, just so you are prepared.
Ready?
The key to happiness is sitting on the patio/deck/porch on a delightfully crisp evening (having just relinquished the day’s sunshine warmth), with your lovely extended family, drinking your favorite beer/wine/soda, while enthusiastically debating who would win in space cage match between a shark and mountain lion.
Pure, side-splitting, genuine happiness.
Also, I have a new favorite saying: Very active verb, pronoun.
As I walk through this house, gathering up my belongings to be packed, I can’t help but feel like I’m leaving home to go home. It’s a surreal feeling, I honestly feel like a year or two worth of experiences have been placed in the past two months.
Last night we were enjoying an all-American baseball game when this slight cool breeze came by. It hit me with a feeling of nostalgic longing. It felt like fall was stopping by to say hello and to warn us of her upcoming arrival. It made my mind mentally click over. While it will still be over a month before fall is here, it is time to prepare. School is starting, books need buying, studying and hard work must be accomplished. Right there in those stands, that breeze blew away mental clouds and suddenly made life crisp and clear. I saw the months laid out ahead and I relished in the thought of being among them.
So with a somewhat heavy heart I return to Illinois. Leaving is bittersweet, but we all must move on at some point. Plus, I can’t wait to laugh with friends and pack in one last month of summer memories.
Those of you who know me, know the flops. They started falling apart in Utah, due to lots of walking in coarse sand. So in part to destiny, in part to on-line research, I found a brand new pair here in Colorado. Can’t wait to see where this pair takes me.
