A brief intro

Did anyone tell you?  I've changed cities again.  Packed up my two bags, bought a one-way ticket, and took off for, hmm... What shall I call it?  The life I dream of living!  Sounds appropriate enough.  I considered writing about it while I was basking in the grand anticipatory period, but the reality of it just wouldn't sink in, and I'm not yet the trained fiction writer I plan to be someday.  It even took a fews days of walking around the city to feel the actuality of the fact that I live here.  Wait, I do?

Yes in fact, I do.  "Where?" you ask?  Run to your nearest map and place your index finger on the the 51st state.  Washington, DC, baby.  Sounds crazy, right?  I suppose it is slightly ironic since for the longest time I was convinced that I would become the happiest of ex-pats in some far away country working in another language for some foreign government.  And now not only am I a resident of the nation's capitol, but I may even be working for the U.S. government in a matter of weeks (still TBA).  I'll admit, it's even downright funny.  But sitting here in my newly renovated and decorated home (that I share with a lovely lady by the name of Carleigh), I really feel like I'm in my home.  The smell, the colors, the lighting, the sounds.  Everything.  A week and a half and that sense of ownership I usually reserve for only the dearest of places has definitely grown some roots.  Shocked?  Me Too!

So from Switzerland to Portland to Idaho to Los Angeles and finally (for now) to DC.  It has been a whirlwind to say the least, but the energy and possibility that has taken me from one place to another is what I thrive off of.  (I guess there is a reason why my family calls me the gypsy--though I shower and change my clothes fairly often, I swear.)  But that part of me that keep me thinking about where I can go next and what I can do when I get there while still maintaining that element of flexibility and surprise... It's what makes me, ME.  Maybe DC will be the place where I let my roots grow a little deeper, especially if they already seem to be getting comfortable.  How could I know if I don't try?

Right now, I'm trying my best to enjoy this new beginning, watching it grow into a life that I would have never anticipated.  And isn't that what we should live for?  The greatness and beauty that lies in the unexpected...

Looking out our living room window, 18th street is buzzing with activity and strangers.  The cool air gently whirls its way through the curtains and reminds me again that this is real.  Hell yes it is!  And you know what I say?  Bring.  It.   On.

And because I'm not big on words today...

I'll let someone else do the talking.

Wishing you an inspiring start to the week!

x.o.x

(Image via Positively Green)

Happy Wednesday!

And here's a healthy dose of corny for the day:

"Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground.  Let their spirit ignite a fire within you to leave this world better than when you found it..."

-WILFRED PETERSON

9 things I realized today

That...

(1)

I'm going to be an aunt.  Like really.  An aunt.  I can't believe it and am overwhelmed with joy for my brother and Nat.

(2)

Fall is here!  Okay, well the fall equinox isn't until tomorrow night at approximately 11:09pm, but hey,  that's pretty damn close.

(3)

This blog has been in existence for over one year (even if there have been unexpected hiatuses).  One year!  Wowzers!

(4)

Knowing that someone truly believes in you can be one of the best feelings in the world.

(5)

Smiling with your whole being really makes you feel happier too.

(6)
Even though I don't like to admit it, somedays, I really miss Switzerland.

(7)
Yelling at traffic violators inside your car doesn't do much good.  Unless your window is open and you're stuck in traffic next to the person.  Awkward...

(8)

I cannot go to sleep before 10pm.  I don't even know why I try.

(9)

World Peace Cookies really could bring peace and love and harmony to the world if everyone had one.  Or maybe it's just the chocolate.  Who cares, they're delicious!  I wonder if Maile could introduce a new strategy in Afghanistan... Hmm.  I'll do some research.

Dear Reader,

Yes, it's me.  I'm back.  I bet you thought I was gone for good, huh?  Well, considering my lack of posting in, oh, let's see... the past five months (oops!), I can understand if maybe you wrote me off a bit —or completely.  I actually did myself, if that even makes sense.

I guess my life of job searching and interning didn't leave me with the kind of positive material that I wanted to write about.  That's no excuse, and I don't plan on digging for one because that would require me to discuss in detail the hours I spent hole punching.  Or staring at my computer screen willing it to give way to some magical, transformative experience that would take me to some land far, far away from the walls of my cubicle.  Instead, I spent most of my free computer time diving into other people's blogs, letting their inspirations build inside of me until it was finally time to jump back into my own little world.

And thanks to Ellen, one of my favorite people whom I do not speak with enough, I thought to myself, "Hmm... Today seems like a good day to write."  Alas, here I am.  Back in the groove and leaving any last trace of writer's block behind in the dust.  Oh the feeling of my fingers gliding sans-hesitation across the keys.  What a thrill!  I missed it.  I missed you, my fair--though few--readers.

I promise more.   And I have a good feeling that life is about to get spicy(ier).  Interested?  Yeah, me too!

With love,

Mel

Post-it

I'll be honest.  I have an addiction to post-its.  Whether it was keeping them in every room (and in my purse) during college to keep tabs of funny moments and ridiculous quotes or decorating my walls and planner with colorful to-do lists that I get more joy out of creating than actually using, post-its have become a staple of my daily semi-organized life as well as my personal favorite office accessory—or necessity in my book. 

Flipping through my planner this morning, I came across several neon green post-its with random notes and quotes that I collected in Switzerland and didn't have the heart to part with at the time.  Removing them from my planner, I add them to the growing quilt of colorful squares I already have started on the wall of my cubicle.  Healthy reminders that keep me smiling all day long.  Here are a few of my favorites that I hope you'll enjoy as well:

"Because even when you're not sure where you're headed, it helps to know that you're not going there alone.  No one has all the answers, and sometimes the best we can do is just apologize and let the past be the past.  Other times we need to look to the future and know that even when we think we've seen it all, life can still surprise us...And we can still surprise ourselves."

"May your mind learn to love with compassion."

"Do what you love."

"Keep up."

I have no idea where I'll be two months from now, but I do know that these sticky collectables will be right there with me, perhaps a little faded or crinkled or worn.  Ah, transportability... one of my favorite qualities, especially considering my tendancy to avoid committments that keep me in any certain place for too long.  Or is it a relentless committment to change and evolve?  Eh, I'll save that for another time. 

Happy Friday!
xox

Back in action

That's right friends.  After being MIA for, hmm, way too long, I'm back.  And ready for more.  I could go on and on updating you on my latest adventures, but now that I work a normal eight to five job like most ordinary people, well, there isn't that much to tell you unless you want to hear about the watered down coffee or my latest paper cut (it was pretty gnarly if I do say so myself).  I'll admit, however—in my own defense—that my lack of posting for the past few months is only a reflection of love/hate (okay, there wasn't much love there at all) relationship I built with my computer during the dreaded job search.  But now that I'm not spending hours writing cover letters every day or impatiently waiting for rejection emails (or those "Thank you but no thank you" emails that never come at all), I can actually sit down with my computer and enjoy her company again.  Granted, I sit at a computer all day at work, but it's a Dell so coming home to my Mac makes me feel pretty damn special (and spoiled).

I have to admit, I've thought about this blog every day since I stopped writing (except those few days during Coachella that merely exist as a hazy memory of fun, sun, skip and go naked's, and dancing... oh yeah, and some life changing live music).  I've been wanting to write, willing myself to write, but my voice stayed trapped behind a cement wall that just wasn't budging.  I even thought that maybe this blog would turn into some sort of forgotten shrine of my time in Switzerland and the few months following my return.

But then today came along.  Without anything to do at work and my patience for webinars dwindled at best, I went to one of my favorite websites: yogajournal.com.  I perused the newer articles and let my mind wander to asanas and how great my tight hips would feel to bust into half moon right there in my cubicle.

That's when I came across an article that had me so mesmerized and enthralled that all I could thinking about was how much I wanted to write again. Somehow over the last couple months, I lost touch with that voice that keeps everything alive and interesting around me.  In my world, writing gets me to the heart of things, the meat of meaning, but not just of what topic I may be writing or thinking about.  It gets me to the heart of myself and allows me to access this world of thought and curiosity and strength that brings an entirely new perspective to everything else that I consider and observe.  It makes me feel like myself again—finally.

At the risk of getting too mushy, I won't dwell on the day's epiphany or my love affair with words—at least not right now.  Instead I will leave you with a piece of advice from Sally Kempton, a contributing writer to Yoga Journal and author of her own book The Heart of Meditation.  She says,

"There is nothing more radical than the moment you realize that it's possible to reinvent your life."

Today, I reinvent myself through writing, and through rediscovering that mindful process that brings me back to one of the deepest commitments I make to myself.  Maybe it doesn't sound like much, but if you have the chance to reinvent even the most minute aspect of your life (and yourself), it has to mean something. To me it does.  In fact, it may just mean the world.

With love (and more to come),

Mel

Hello My Dearest Pacific Coast!

Two weeks and the blog posts that I still need to write keep adding themselves to my mental to-write list.  But don't worry, they'll eventually make it into print—that is when I have a free moment to sit down and spend some quality time with my camera and computer.

For now though, I'm happy to have a break from job searching and stressing, to finally let loose in this sunny state of California that a huge part of me still calls home.  Tomorrow, another adventure begins: road tripping the coast with Papa Ormos.  A few days of quality time with PCH—my personal favorite stretch of pavement—and my dad in one adorable red Prius.  Sounds like heaven to me!  Let's just hope the brakes don't fail us around Big Sur.  I prefer hiking by foot and not in the car.

Oh, and did I mention that this Prius is seriously set up in the stereo department?  Um, yeah.  It rocks, literally.  Three whole days to blast my favorite Coachella tunes with a stunning view of the sparkling Pacific to my left?  Ah, life is good.  Even if I am still unemployed.  Got to enjoy it while you can, right?!

Happy feet belonging to Carleigh.  From our road trip up the coast after graduation.

Temporarily out of service

There is this little musical event down south in the desert of California called Coachella.  And me, along with a fantastically random group of people, will be attending in all our glory covered in body paint, beads and California sun.

So instead of yogaing my life away like usual, I've chosen a new path.  Detox to retox, right?!  Here's to Coachella 2010!  And for those of you that can't be there, trust me.  You'll be there in spirit (and I'm sure we can dedicate some dances to you in the epic dance tent as well).

Until next week!

Sand in my shoes (and I love it)

The stars must have aligned for us this past Friday.  Sabrina AND Sam had the day off, and I worked it out so I could take a break from my incredibly hectic schedule of yoga, job searching, and wandering—but trust me, it wasn't easy.

So Sam and I hopped into the car and headed west to Lincoln City for a glorious day of beach strolling, chatting, and laughing harder than I have in weeks. . .  It was just one of those days that makes you feel light and happy and warm from the inside out.  And spending some quality time with the ocean wasn't so bad either.  Especially since it stands as my favorite place on earth.  Give me some sandy toes and a little laughter and I might just be the happiest person in the whole wide world.

Companions.  Isn't it wonderful to look at your friends and see just how beautiful they (and their minds) are?

Treasures!