A Charmed Life

It's so easy to forget how blessed I am.  I've been overseas to several "third world" nations, I've seen extremely poor people, and I know I'm blessed and have been given so much.  It's just a bit out of the ordinary that I was reminded of that today, right here at home after talking with a friend.  I grew up in a nice house, had loving parents, food on the table, was given a good education, and plenty of opportunities in life.  I've been places other people only dream of going to, and I certainly don't deserve it.  I've had a good job and made money so that I'm able to take myself off to Australia.  Sometimes it's just a little crazy when you think about all you have.  Not just in relation to homeless people who are starving in war-torn countries around the world, but sometimes just in relation to people you've known for years.  I'm not really even sure where I'm going with this, but I guess I'm just grateful.  Grateful for the charmed life I've lead.  For the opportunities I've been given, for the sacrifices others have made on my behalf.  For the love I've been shown, not just by family and friends but from a loving Savior, who not only gave me more material blessings than I deserve, but also gave me eternal life.

grat·i·tude (noun)

the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful: He expressed his gratitude to everyone on the staff.

When Everyone Tells You You're Brave

"You're so brave!"
"When I was your age I'd have never done that!"
"You're the bravest person I know."

No, I'm not.  And while they all might mean well, it's really not what I want to hear from you.  Telling me I'm brave makes me feel like I'm doing something really difficult, or dangerous.  While it's not without its risks, seeing as I'm a single woman traveling alone, it's not even a third world country and they speak English!!  Is my impending move unorthodox, undeard of, or perhaps unusual?  Maybe, but I'm pretty certain it's not brave.  I'll be the first to admit that hearing a bunch of people tell me it's brave starts to make me worry and ask myself things like: "Am I missing something?"  "Is this really more daring then I think it is?"  "Is the job market really terrible in Australia and no one told me?"  Hopefully I'm not being naïve about this move.  All that just to say, those of you who simply tell me it's great and that this is the perfect time in my life to try something like this, you're my favorites.  You make me feel like I made the right decision, like this is something I can do.  That I'm not crazy...  Then again, maybe my definition of bravery just isn't the same as everyone else's definition.

brave (adjective)

1.  possessing or exhibiting courage or courageous endurance.

cour·age (noun)

1.  the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.

Playa El Palmar

Throwback Thursday (on Tuesday, what can I say, I'm an overachiever).  A quick look into my 24th birthday trip to Panama...

Surfing. That was the whole point of our trip. I had never tried it, but my sister had. Unbeknownst to me, she actually had a horrible first experience and didn’t really want to try again! She knew it was my dream though, so she came along anyway (what a great sister). At this point I can’t even remember how exactly I stumbled upon Panama Surf School – probably Google.  I’d researched so many places and there are tons of options in the Caribbean and South America.  I think what got me hooked on Panama Surf School was that it was founded/owned by a women named Flor.  Girl power!!  Plus, airfare to Panama was relatively cheap and…well, I made our reservations in October and started working out.  No really, I did.  I was determined to succeed at surfing if at all possible, so I upped my workouts and added lots more “upper-body strength” focused work.  Who knows if it helped with the surfing, but it knowing we were going surfing in December certainly helped me stay motivated in my workouts…. 

So, on December 7th we headed to a small town in Panama called San Carlos that is located along El Palmar beach. The landscape is beautiful -tropical vegetation, rocky cliffs and beaches with a mixture of white and black sand. Our surf instructor said the black sand (from a volcanic eruption) is actually magnetic. If we ever go back we’re taking a magnet to test that out… We stood out like sore thumbs – which we’re actually getting used to at this point in our travelling careers. They’ were all so tan, and there we were: pale flesh that hadn’t seen sunshine in months and doesn’t even tan when it does. Needless to say, we slathered on our sunscreen before heading out for our first lesson. We had so much fun and both stood up on the board on our first or second try! We had expected it to be much hard than it was – but I think Ricardo made it easy for us (well as easy as one can without being able to control the waves). Catching a wave by yourself and having the locals cheer you on is such a great feeling. We still have lots to learn, but we definitely got a great foundation. We had our share of board rash and drank our share of saltwater - but it was all worth it. For me, there’s just nothing quite like being on the ocean, whether it’s on a surf board or a boogie board. Sitting on my board just staring out into the seemingly endless ocean waiting for a wave – words just don’t describe it.   Here’s a favorite travel quote with a shot of the San Carlos coastline…

Quick Tip:  If you've got short arms, don't even try
to carry the learner board any other way.
On your head is the way to go :)

Surf (noun)

1.  the swell of the sea that breaks upon a shore or upon shoals.

2.  the mass or line of foamy water caused by the breaking of the sea upon a shore,  
     especially a shallow or sloping shore.

verb (used without object)

3.  to ride a surfboard.

4. to float on the crest of a wave toward shore.

5. to swim, play, or bathe in the surf.

6. to search haphazardly, as for information on a computer network or an interesting
    program on television.

Fresco Appreciation

Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling by Ross King

 

I can't remember who had the post on facebook, but a friend had recommend this book to someone else and I thought it sounded sort of interesting.  Wow - such a fascinating book!  Here's a quick overview from the Barnes & Noble site so you don't have to go searching:

"In 1508, despite strong advice to the contrary, the powerful Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the newly restored Sistine Chapel. With little experience as a painter (though famed for his sculpture David), Michelangelo was reluctant to begin the massive project. Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling recounts the four extraordinary years Michelangelo spent laboring over the vast ceiling while the power politics and personal rivalries that abounded in Rome swirled around him. Battling against ill health, financial difficulties, domestic problems, the pope's impatience, and a bitter rivalry with the brilliant young painter Raphael, Michelangelo created scenes so beautiful that they are considered to be among the greatest masterpieces of all time. A panorama of illustrious figures converged around the creation of this magnificent work -- from the great Dutch scholar Erasmus to the young Martin Luther -- and Ross King skillfully weaves them through his compelling historical narrative, offering uncommon insight into the intersection of art and history."

As I was reading the book I couldn't help but think of my field trips to Rome & Florence with Saints Bible Institute.  I remember seeing the Sistine Chapel, but I definitely didn't have a deep appreciation for it.  I never truly even understood what a fresco was, let alone how extremely difficult they are to create.  What I love best is how informative it is without feeling like you're reading a textbook.  I took art history the semester after I came home from Italy, but didn't find it nearly as fascinating as this book.  King does an excellent job of weaving lots of relevant history into the story of Michelangelo's project, while also explaining how impressive and talented so many of the artists of that time period truly were. I knew they were talented because they're famous (*duh*) - but didn't really understand what about their artwork make them famous.

For anyone with plans to travel to Italy I would strongly recommend this book. I'm definitely longing to return now just to take some time to appreciate the artwork a bit more.  Has anyone read any of King's other books?  I'm contemplating reading the one about Bruneschelli's Dome....

Fresco (noun)

1.  Also called buon fresco, true fresco. the art or technique of painting on a moist, plaster surface with colors ground up in water or a limewater mixture. Compare fresco secco.

2.  a picture or design so painted.

Oh really? Wow!

With the major holidays over, the majority of my family now knows of my impending departure to the Land Down Under.  What are the most common comments I’ve heard?  “Oh wow, what made you decide to move there?”  “I’ve always wanted to go there!”  And then something along the lines of, “you’re going to meet an Australian man and we’ll never see you again.”  Of all the places I’ve gone this destination is definitely the one that seems to be on everyone’s bucket list.  Oddly enough, it’s actually NOT on my bucket list of countries to visit.  I figured it was (because I mean, it’s Australia – where else can you visit a continent that’s a country as well??), but when I looked through my list it wasn’t….  Oh well, I can still cross it off as a continent and a country.  My favorite is when my aunt asked why I was moving there and I told her I had a visa and she replied, “well so do I, but I usually use mine at Walmart.” At the end of the day, I just can't believe how blessed I am to have such a supportive family - do they want me gone?  Definitely not, but  they're willing to send me off with their blessing...

What's your favorite remark when you've told someone of your travel plans?

question (noun)

1.  a sentence in an interrogative form, addressed to someone inorder to get information in reply.
2.  a problem for discussion or under discussion; a matter for investigation.

question (verb - used with object)

1.  to ask (someone) a question; ask questions of; interrogate.
2.  to ask or inquire.
3.  to make a question of; doubt: He questioned her sincerity.

Intangible Gifts (a.k.a. Charitable Donations)

You've got office coworkers to buy for and you don't know what to get them.  Or maybe you're just tired of buying people stuff you know they don't need, but you've got to get them something.  There are tons of things on the interwebs about giving donations to charities in lieu of tangible Christmas gifts.  So how do you tactfully tell someone that's what you did?  I searched the internet, and couldn't come up with anything.  *If you've found a site/blog let me know!  I thought it was weird - everyone telling you to make a charitable donation instead of giving a gift, but no one would tell me how to tell my recipient they weren't actually getting a gift.  So I had to take matters into my own hands. 

With a little creativity, and some time, I was able to come up with some little "poems" to include in a Christmas card for the recipient.  I wanted the somewhat impersonal aspect of a charitable donation to feel like it was actually meant for them.  With the hundreds upon hundreds of charities out there, it's easy to find one to represent everyone!  One of my coworkers is a huge dog lover, so a local animal shelter was a no-brainer for her.  My boss coaches baseball for all his kids (and basketball), so I knew something sports themed would work perfectly for him.   My other coworker was a bit more difficult, but as you can tell from her poem, just a little outside-the-box thinking made hers personalized as well.

I added a little strip of paper with an explanation of the
work the charity does....



It doesn't have to be fancy, you can just write it on the
top of a Christmas card....



"It's Christmas time once again, we all struggle with what to send.
So with some premeditation, I've made a charitable donation.
Since you long to visit Machu Picchu, I thought an alpaca in Peru
would make a great gift for you."



As I'm sure you've gathered I'm not going to win any awards with this, but I think it got the idea across.  I hope this helps get your creative juices flowing when it comes time to write your own cards.  I'll let you know how my coworkers react :)

intangible (adjective)

1. not tangible; incapable of being perceived by the sense of touch, as incorporeal or immaterial things; impalpable.

2. not definite or clear to the mind: intangible arguments.
3. (of an asset) existing only in connection with something else, as the goodwill of a business.

(noun)

4. something intangible, especially an intangible asset: Intangibles are hard to value.

One Giant Leap

Well, I did it.  I'm moving to Australia.  After contemplating and researching for so long it all happened a bit fast in the end.  I decided to do a booking with First Abroad for their Absolute Oz Jobs program.  They'd help me with a bank account, place to stay for my first week, job search database, figure out my phone/SIM card situation - all those things that I could do myself but could probably do faster with them.  So I booked that and realized that ticket prices weren't going to get any cheaper.  Every time I checked they had gone up and if I'd booked my Oz Jobs program I'd better buy a ticket because March was coming up fast!  So, on my 25th birthday I bought a ticket to Sydney.

I'll be honest, I'm a bit terrified sometimes at the prospect.  And yes, sometimes I just try not to think about it at all...  Everyone asks me why I'm going and I don't really have one good, solid reason why.  I have tons of reasons, lots of little things and thoughts that added together made me take this leap.  But one good reason?  Nope.  So I just tell people I'm going because I can.  And that's partly true, so I just leave it at that. 

Move (verb)

1. to pass from one place or position to another.

2. to go from one place of residence to another.
3. to advance or progress
4. to have a regular motion, as an implement or a machine; turn; revolve.
5. to sell or be sold