2014, You Will Be Missed

It's that time of the year again! You know, the part where it has to end... Not end though, nah, we have a whole new year to look forward to, all kinds of good stuff will happen to you, I can guarantee it. Let me warn you though, there will be some downs but you have to do me a favor and not focus your energy on them okay? These are the little tests that can make or break you, let's have them make you! Yeah.

For the time being I'm going to take a moment to reflect on some of the wonderful and maybe not so wonderful things that happened to me here in good 'ole year 2014... Boy oh boy what a ride you were for me... A fun one though!

I hit a gym streak, gettin swoll dude...

Sometimes alone, and sometimes with friends...

I was feeling healthy and looking better than ever! Definitely something I'm going to keep up in 2015.

...And how can I forget our Vegas trip, our very last Spring break as college students... The parts I can remember were and absolute blast. I think.

      

I made some silly little videos...

How not to use a bidet...

                                      



Hmm, now what else did I do? Oh yeah... I freaking graduated from college! It was pretty rad but kinda sad, ending one chapter to start a new one... I tried man, I tried to rap.

                                                 

           

I was too excited to fix my cap... Well that's my excuse anyway. What an awesome experience it was, and I met some truly amazing life long friends along the way.

                                

I can definitely not forget to include some other friends, so I will name just a few of these wonderful people verbally: Laura, Blaire, Christina, Justine, TEFL family, Lindsay, Megan, Kimmy...This list could go on and on, but thank you. These people made my year so amazing, and I really couldn't have done it without you.

I can't forget about my new home, beautiful Barcelona, Spain! I caught the travel bug and absolutely love it.

           

And of course my amazing, supportive family who stuck by me through thick and this this year, next year, and my entire life...

           

I can't forget Larry, he's treated me like one of his own since the very beginning and I couldn't be any more grateful having you in mine and my family's life. Thank you. 

So 2014 you rocked, and although you were a bitch at times I still love you for it. Most importantly I want to thank all of you for playing such important roles in my life this year. You helped me learn and grow as an individual. 

2015 you have some serious shoes to fill, I can tell you that much.

So please have a drink, reflect on your year and dammit have a Happy New Year!

                                                           

Be Free, Be Thankful

It's weird to think that only a few days ago I found myself away from the world, or that's how it felt at least. There wasn't a moment where I found myself subjected to the burdens of everyday life. In the time I was away it was that, I was away. There were no worries about the state of my credit card or clothes in stores that I wanted to buy. I was entitled to paying attention to my inner thoughts and desires. There were no judgments invading my space or negative comments overwhelming my news feed. It was impossible, I pulled the plug from technology and felt free, so incredibly free.

That week was more to me than I can even fathom by attempting to put them into words, but I'll try.

The motorway carefully guided me into my transition to a tranquil lifestyle as buildings became warehouses and warehouses became sheds. Soon enough nature encompassed me in every direction. In my mind I had envisioned the Rocky Mountains, I mean how different can any given clash of tectonic plates in an area be? Well let me tell you something, they are different but they are the same, all in one. I'll try and elaborate on this idea for just a quick second.

As a human being we are all, generally speaking, provided with the same base. Our bones, skin, teeth and nails, we all (again generally speaking) have them. What sets us apart from the rest of the world is the way utilize our bodies and minds. The external influences by our families and friends and the way we participate in society socially, politically, and economically. That's how we are different and what sets us aside from one nationality to the next. It's not a bad thing, not at all, it's what creates diversity and makes our world a lovely place to be in. What makes it bad is when people use those individual characteristics to view themselves as superior to the rest of the world. Some people may find happiness in materialism, while others value experiences they have attained for themselves through adventure. Everyone has something to be grateful for, something to be appreciated and not one thing is more special than the other.

The Pyrenees, to me,  were the same as the Rockies but different. Sure they have rocks, trees and rivers, but the way they grow and the way nature lives out there is so different than what I expected. I still have the image of thriving green fields tucked neatly into the crevices of the rocks, and the surreal placement of trees in my mind. It was something that reminded me of home, but also showed me how different the world can be.

 I took the time to observe my surroundings, and as the road winded around bends, I was immersed into tiny villages, some of the most extraordinary and exquisite structures I have ever seen. There were churches from the 12th century that have seen so much life and culture. I watched as the few people in town maintained their ancestors way of living. I was entranced by the fact that little villages like these still exist. I couldn't find the words to describe it, so I didn't, I allowed my eyes to soak it all up instead.

I got out of the car and walked down the old cobble stoned street and envisioned how it once looked. When it was only a baby to the world and how the Romans would never have expected an American ginger to walk on that same road centuries later. I am enthralled by history and how people once lived, it's strange to think that others will one day be thinking the same of me.

Still in Catalonia, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to meet some of the natives of the area; such humble and prideful people they are. One gentleman in particular, Chavi, is an inspirational individual. He explained to me, all in Spanish of course, about his life in the small village. He works hard for his family and is gifted with an imagination to create and refurbish old buildings into something livable again. He appreciates the nature around him and the simplicity of life; he captures all of this in his work. The natural light in the newer cabins he construct, to the carefully sculpted stones that make up the walls of the village, add to the essence of an all natural lifestyle. The architecture is one with the mountain, allowing humanity and nature to coexist equally, one respecting the other.

I spent a great deal of my adventure exploring the vast terrain by hiking steep hills and sliding across iced paths. It was nice to remove myself from the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy the elements of nature. The natural smells cleansed my lungs and replenished my soul.

I spent my Christmas in the presence of good company, instead of celebrating with gifts, we celebrated with great conversation, fine tasting wine, and an Irish television series. Although I missed my family and our traditions, I could not have pictured a more perfect way to celebrate Christmas here in Spain.

It was a bitter sweet ending packing my few belongings into the car to head back into the city.
I felt humbled and renewed. I left with the image of the stars still fresh in my mind. Every star shone so brightly up there, can you imagine? The universe gleaming a little message to me, reminding me to take it easy, not to be so hard on myself, and to live to the fullest extent every single day of my life. I love life, I love adventure, and most of all, I love everything and everyone I'm graced to come into contact with.

Please, all I ask of you is to love every part of you, where you are now, and the places you will be. My time in the Pyrenees reminded me of this and that there is more for us to explore. So take my hand and trust my words, let's travel this world together, there are more mountains climb.    

I Was Addicted

Text. Gotta send that text. Facebook, I've got to connect. Grindr, Tinder who wants my body? Back to Facebook, would you look at that post? He is always posting selifes of himself, how pathetic. Wow look at that! She has been all over the world, I wish that could be me. Instagram, what should I post today... Should I post? No. Not today, but scroll, oh how I love to scroll. Text, let's check that those texts again. No new messages? How could that be, I just checked it five minutes ago, someone's bound to have to tell me something. Snapchat, I've got to send that Snap. Snap, Snap, Snap. Text, back to the text, let me send a message, look at this empire in my inbox, I have so many messages, I have so many messages, I just- STOP!

Whew, how exhausting. Just the thought of a phone gets my mind racing. Look at it though, it's right next to you isn't it? You should check it.

That was my life. I loved my phone, everything about it. I could capture and image and communicate with the world so easily. It was what I needed, it helped me get through the day. Without it I would have surely died. Yet, I didn't die. In fact, I started living.

It was a blessing and a curse, that day, that fateful day when it was taken from me. My entire life in one little expensive devise was stolen, she robbed me blind. At first I hated her, how could she do this to me? Then something happened. I found myself thanking her. She may not know this now, or ever for that matter. I was just some idiot tourist to her, but she changed my life for the better.

The the days after losing my beloved phone I started looking at the world in a different light, one that wasn't photoshopped or cropped into how I wanted to see it, but for what it actually was, or should I say, is. I was forced to observe the scenery around me with nothing more than my own two eyes. No crutches, no distractions other than the guy falling face first into a pile of sand which was hilarious by the way. I was also subjected to being the only one at the dinner table who watched friends who were attached to their phones, those friends who briefly forgot that I even existed.

I love the fact that I will walk onto the street and watch people staring down at their screens and know that I have escaped from it, a humbling feeling. I feel as though I used my phone as a shield, a shield from having to find other ways of entertaining myself, a way to ignore the thoughts that wanted to be noticed.

The last thing I want is for people to think that having a phone is a bad thing because it's not, it's a wonderful thing, but what we forget is how important it is to put the phone down for awhile. Release yourself into the world that is a little less digital because there are opportunities right beside you that are passing you by. All because that phone has you its clutches.

The months that I have lived without a phone has opened me up to the world and to myself. I have had time to ponder what I truly want from life which is more than I have felt in a very long time. Rather than living vicariously through others, I have to live for myself. I've had to make small talk with a stranger at the bar, and think more realistically about me and who I want to be. I can't say that I've discovered myself one hundred percent, but damn it, I'm getting close.

Take a challenge for me will you? If not for me, do it for yourself and you can thank me later, or hate me. Choose one. Forget your phone for just one day. Put it on silent and leave it at the bottom of your bag or on your bed. Go out and sit down at a cafe with nothing more than a couple of bucks and an open mind. Who knows, you might find something about yourself that can't be discovered by an app on your phone. This is you, this is the real you and you are capable of being everything that you want to be. The first step to making that happen is to be you, appreciate you, and leave behind that message you want people to remember when you're gone. Which I can tell you now is not a phone full of lol's and deleted Snapchats.

Like I've already said, I'm searching for myself and am well on my way of releasing all the negative energies that used to consume my life. Honestly, losing my phone was one of the best ways to help me do that.

So do it, a one day challenge.You might rediscover a world you forgot existed.

A Special Thanks To You

There are people in this world, shocker huh? There are actually LOTS of people, so many that you are bound to encounter some who are sweet and those who are pretty bitter. Unfortunately, it is easy for our minds to forget the sweet tastes because we are so focused on the bitter ones. They just seem to have a more residing impact on our taste buds, and if you think about it, our lives do too.

This is where you come in though, all of your contagious smiling and warm energy can really do a number on someone who is down in the dumps. You are capable of putting those who are in a funk into the grandest position that they would have never thought possible, at least at that time -who knows maybe even longer. I have come across these people and I am eternally grateful for them because they have changed my mindset when I considered just giving up. Their actions, smiles, and warm hugs encouraged me to be one of those people who attempt to make someone else's bad day a good one. No matter how much you feel like your drowning just remember that it is only a half cup of water and all you need to stand up- seriously just stand up.

Now let's take a minute to thank all those positive people in our lives, but let's also take another moment to appreciate the negative ones as well. They have their own struggles and need someone like you to lift them up and remind them to appreciate their life, It can't be that hard to make a difference in other people's lives can it? Now I'm definitely not saying that you have to be Mr. Rogers all day everyday because we are entitled to be upset, it's good for the soul. It's when we allow the negative cloud to consume us too much, it's not fun and it's how we  all end up with crow's feet on our faces. I mean the bad kind though, the good one's are awesome, You know the ones caused from smiles, happy wrinkles are beautiful so wear them loud and proud!

So here's my final message to you, you are beautiful and so is this world that you are living in. The next time you see a stern look on a passerby's face send them a smile, a simple smile can do so many wonderful things. I also want you to take a second right now, just a mere thirty seconds to send a message to someone that says that you love them, or that you appreciate them. Even if it's someone that you haven't talked to in forever, or someone who has been posting negative comments on Facebook. They probably need that acknowledgement more than you know.

Please remember that I appreciate you, who you are, and everything that you will become.

Put WHAT On The Table?

   

Alright ladies and gentleman here we are, the moment we've all been waiting for! Or is it? Have you ever found yourself boasting about an upcoming event, I mean literally losing your ability to sleep, only to be let down by the outcome of that experience? Perhaps it wasn't that what you were expecting wasn't good enough, but because your imagination itself raised the bar too high for actual reality to ever compete with. Yeah. I'm sure we all have, but you know what? It's OKAY! If anything, I think it's better that our imaginations can be little knifing pricks on what sometimes seems like a continuous basis. I'm sure it sounds ludicrous and bizarre that I'm typing this, but just hear me out-

Imagine, you're three weeks away from a vacation of a life time. You can feel the sand on your skin and the one, maybe six, rum and cokes surging through your blood. You prepare yourself aesthetically and are excited to reward yourself with a mental vacation from the fast pace society we were obligated into at birth. Maybe not everyone, so hats off to you lucky people out there escaping the harsh thorns of life. Anyway, the days swindle down and you are more and more excited to finally escape, even if for just a little while.

So here you are. Paradise. Paradise you tell yourself... Paradise? Lines are long to the bathrooms at the club, the men are all douche bags and you can't find a spot on the beach that has enough sun without a screaming child scattering sand onto your towel. So maybe those four days on vacation weren't the best, actually, maybe you find yourself excited to get back to a structured routine at home with alarm clocks and deadlines- okay, maybe that part we can all live without. But those weeks prior, how wonderful were they to have something to look forward to. Work didn't seem nearly as bad at the time because you knew your time was limited. You envisioned yourself having the time of your life- even if it wasn't exactly what you expected.

For those who can relate with the words on this page, I ask you to think and be honest with yourself, did you or did you not love that awesome adrenaline every time you thought about that trip? I'm sure you did, and I'm sure that the others around you noticed a nicer, fresher version of you. One that people really enjoyed- not saying that they don't already love the you that you are.

So why not find a reason to have that positive anxiety in you everyday! We can, we all can. We can look forward to cooking something we have never tried before, or enjoy that warm coffee while watching the sun rise in the morning. It's incredible. This whole world is our vice, the one thing that isn't going to judge us, but rather encourage us to love every second of our time here...

This has been one of my primary struggles here in Barcelona. There are so many times that I feel like this trip isn't what I expected it to be, that some of my students aren't the angels I originally pictured, or that sometimes the street reeks of urine. No matter the problem, big or small, I have to remind myself that I need to set the bar lower and enjoy every little thing that comes my way. I need to open my ears to the different languages that pass me on the street because each of those voices have such interesting stories that need to be told. I am grateful that I envisioned such a grander lifestyle out here because I was able to experience a utopia in my mind, while also getting the opportunity to endure the first hand struggles of establishing a new life in a foreign country. It may sound a little negative, but I'm loving it. Every second of it.

I'm learning to appreciate not what will be, but what is. And that my friends is exactly what this journey is all about. Cradle your overcompensating brain and LOVE the outcome whether it's good or bad. I tell you what, you will never find yourself disappointed ever again. I know I won't. I promise.

Now I urge you to look at what ever is to your left, even if it's just a wall. Imagine how it got there, who took the time to install it, where that material was long before it became drywall. Ask these questions and love yourself for loving a wall because that is exactly what will take your hand into the journey of appreciating anything and everything that this world is trying so desperately to show you.