Happy Friday!

I found this posted at one of my favorite spots in Georgetown—an adorable little coffee shop/bakery called Baked and Wired.  (They may also have the best cupcakes you've ever had in your life.)  

Reading this random note put a huge smile on my face.  And I completely agree.  I don't know what I would do without my friends and family.  Not merely because of the support they offer, but because I look at each of them and feel so lucky to have them in my life, to know them and laugh with them and share everyday moments with the people I love.

My goal for the weekend?  To thank at least one of those people, even in the smallest of ways.  I think I already know who it will be...  

November 11th

One year ago today...

I spent the most gorgeous afternoon in the history of afternoons walking though the vineyards in Lavaux.  It. Was. Magical.

One year ago today...

I would have never guessed that I would trade my tiny hotel room with a view for my very own home (aka itty bitty apartment) in Washington, DC.  With one of my best friends. 

One year ago today...

I promised myself to never let a single day go to waste.  Looking through the golden-hued photos, all I could think was, "How can life be so indescribably beautiful?"  

And today...

Amidst all the noise, sirens, stress, and worry that often seem to haunt me, I remembered that there is still so much magic to be discovered, especially when the sun comes out to make everything sparkle.

And today was a sparkling kind of day.  I have a good feeling that tomorrow will be too.

"If we never did anything, we wouldn't be anybody." 

—from An Education

I'm pocketing this jewel for those days when I feel particularly lazy or trapped or just plain confused with where I am in my life.  Get out and do something.  Be somebody.  Even the smallest effort can change your life and the lives of those around you.  If that's not motivation, I don't know what is.

Can I say that I'm already excited to start again tomorrow?   Yes, indeed, I am.  And I will.

P.S.  If you haven't seen An Education, do yourself a favor and watch it.  I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E.

"I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes..."

Running in a new city is by far my favorite way to get my bearings.  Okay, so sometimes my runs turn out to be slightly longer than anticipated when a wrong turn or dead end comes into play, but that only means that I can eat more ice cream afterwards.

After spending the day applying to jobs, running errands, and researching anything and everything that I can do to fill my free time, I needed to get out.  Out of my apartment and out of my own over-thinking brain.  I tie my running shoes extra tight and head out the door to go exploring.

One of the many things about this city that inspires me is the number of people that are out running at any given time, especially at night when the city seems to calm down and take a big sigh of relief.  In finding my stride and my steady breath, I feel as if I'm being initiated into a really cool, not-so-secret society of people who love exploring the city streets as much as I do.  We smile as we pass each other and marvel at the statuesque embassies stapled by flags and old homes littered with pumpkins and crunchy yellow leaves.  Every street holds its own hidden (and some not so hidden) pockets of antique American beauty.

But as I'm running through Georgetown, all of a sudden the nervousness I felt in my first couple days of being here throws me off balance and I'm tripping over my own feet.  The questions start flooding my mind and won't stop... "When will I get a job?"  "What should I do tomorrow?"  "Did I waste precious time today?"  "Should I have applied to that job instead..?"  And they continue until I finally stop.  I have to stop.  Not even the music pumping through my earphones drowns out the angst.  

I stand there for a moment, looking at the old brick sidewalk cracked and overgrown with moss, manipulated by tree roots and interrupted by metal street signs.  But it's still there, standing beneath me and offering a path forward, even if it is slightly torn up and uneven.  I take a deep breath, pick up my foot and take a step forward.   Repeat and repeat and repeat.  The stride comes back, this time with honest purpose.  Each step leaves behind a brief puddle of anxiety.  Faster and faster I feel lighter and happier and more me that I have in a week and a half.  Huh.  Now I remember why I love this so much.  

Walking up the stairs to my apartment, my legs are tired and cold from the night air.  My heart slows to a steady rhythm and my breath quickly follows.   Some lingering feelings of anxiety attempt to sneak in through the cracks, but I let them fall away.  There's no room for them here.  Maybe they'll be back tomorrow for a brief stint of stress, but my running shoes will be at the door.  Waiting patiently for another night out.

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