Work Adventures

I had my first job at the age of 16 and since then, I have spent countless hours doing the most random of things. The other day I felt compelled to list every single job I've had in the past eight years. As I jotted down the title, the good, the bad, the amazing and the unbelievable experiences filled my mind. I count them all as life experiences. Experiences that have impacted me and molded me to be the person I am today. Experiences that are my life stories.

I'm a hard worker. Always have been. Always will be. I'm trusting (sometimes too much), responsible and reliable. I've got my amazing parents to thank for that. My myriad of jobs is not a reflection of a poor work ethic, instead, it's an expression of my dedication as well as my love for adventure. Below is a look into my work history and the memories that are forever-instilled in my mind. I've been known to juggle three jobs at one time; hence the length of my list. They are in no particular order.

I have:
*had my arms bicep deep in pizza sauce as a pizza maker.
*measured hips and necks of potential models as a talent scout.
*packed boxes of food for backpacking trips as a pack-out cook.
*dealt with 40 rowdy hormone-crazed high school boys as a substitute teacher for a weight training class.
*asked customers if they'd like to add a loaf of bread to their purchase as a counter person at a bread company.
*cleaned work-out equipment and folded pink towels while watching muscular college guys lift weights as a fitness lab supervisor.
*ran around wearing a blue wrap-around skirt and a red polo shirt taking orders from Orange County's fashionistas and getting mistaken for my twin sister at a boat-themed restaurant in South Coast Plaza.
*watched city kids taking pictures of a machine bailing hay in a field as a counselor at a summer camp.
*taken orders from celebrities from ER and Will and Grace as a server at a Studio City restaurant.
*taught Greek children the alphabet as an English teacher on a lonely Greek island.
*used a fire extinguisher to put out a fire in an oven full of chicken for 100 people as a chef for a student organization in college.
*ridden a bike and spouted encouraging words through the microphone attached to my ear as a cycling instructor.
*chopped tomatoes for hours while daydreaming as a salad cook on a kibbutz in Israel.
*hung the coats of New York's culturally conscious while working coat check for a temp assignment at a NY museum for a few hours.
*written an article about my experiences teaching English as a foreign language as a writer for an educational publication.
*painfully ironed creases down the sleeves of my white collard shirt as a server at a chain restaurant.
*stood on a Palm Springs golf course taking pictures of celebrities standing by a motorcycle as an intern for a Hollywood product placement company.
*cut pumpkins from the ground and thrown them onto a truck as a field worker on a kibbutz in Israel.
*yelled the days specials in the ears of old women while a man stood on a stage singing in Hebrew as a server at an Israeli restaurant.
*written an article about having the time of my life on a kibbutz in Israel as a freelance writer for a travel magazine.
*transferred callers to the appropriate editorial staff members at a New York newspaper as a temp.
*sprayed dishes at lightening speed as a prep-cook at a summer camp in Yosemite.
*attempted to read a poorly translated sentence in Turkish while speaking on the phone to a business owner in Turkey as an editorial intern at a travel company.
*wore a corset, skirt and scarf while selling gyros and falafel at a Renaissance festival.
*stood in front of a door waiting for people to stop at a large menu outside so I could run out and convince them to come inside as a server at an unsuccessful New York restaurant.
*chopped the ends off onions while tears uncontrollably ran down my face as an assembly line worker on a kibbutz onion factory.

The list ended up being slightly longer than I thought it'd be. Some of those jobs were merely short stints, others lasted much longer. Regardless of the length, they impacted me. Cheers to the things I've done and the randomness that lies ahead!

Absorbing the Moment

Not only do I live IN the moment, but I absorb it. The sights, the smells, the feelings, they all penetrate my skin and enter my soul. I've done a lot in my lifetime and continue to do things but I never do anything just because it's what others are doing or what you're supposed to do. This goes for my daily life as well as when I'm traveling. My most treasured moments abroad weren't recommended in any guidebook. I guarantee you won't see:

• Spend an afternoon in a random park in Modena, Italy.
• Chop tomatoes for hours on end in a kibbutz kitchen in Israel.
• Sit with friends and eat gyros in a hole in the wall gyro stand in Vrahati, Greece.
• Fly around in a whirlpool in your bra and underwear in Budapest, Hungary.
• Watch the mountains of Jordan change color as the sun sets.
• Travel to Istanbul, Turkey by train with only the clothes on your back, a wallet and a disposable camera.
• Take a spinning class led by a teacher speaking Hebrew in a disco on a kibbutz in Israel.
• Cook lunch with friends in an Italian apartment.
• Do physical labor in a pumpkin field in Israel.
• Ride four wheelers on the island of Corfu with two random guy travelers leading the way down steep terrain.

The list goes on and on...

The point is, none of these moments were a waste. To some, spending an afternoon in a park in Italy would be ridiculous, considering there are so many places to see. To me, experiencing life is never a waste.

My twin sister flew from Los Angeles to visit me in New York this weekend. We were sitting around Friday afternoon trying to figure out how to spend our weekend and my roommate began giving suggestions. To her, my sister was a tourist and HAD to go shopping on 5th Ave., visit the high end restaurants, look at the high class boutiques and check out a few of the museums. We listened to her suggestions, nodded our heads and headed out the door to a poetry slam in the village.

"She doesn't get it." Said my sister. "I'm here to hang out."

• We read at cafes
• Ate cheap and amazingly delicious shwarma (twice)
• Ate lox and bagels (three times)
• Had a pot-luck brunch at my apartment
• Caught up with old friends
• Walked the streets of NYC
• Drank pure dark chocolate cocoa
• Talked and absorbed the time we spent with each other.

Although we didn't step into one high end restaurant or boutique or even visit a single museum, my sister's visit was far from boring and can, in no way, be considered a waste.

I'm not telling you how you should live your life. If high-end shops are your thing or if you've copied down every historical place to see from a guidebook and plan on going to each and every one, go for it. All I ask is that you stop, be aware, be in the moment and absorb it. Do you like what your soul is absorbing?

The Wealth in Friends

Cheers to living life fully and to having genuine friends to share it with. I love having deep conversations with my friends. We discuss life, the uncertainty of our futures, we share what inspires us, what touches us and what we experience, observe, and learn. Each person contributes something different and my life is more interesting because of it. They challenge me to think, introduce new ideas and inspire me. I can only hope that I do the same for them.

I had a conversation with my friend Hannah as we were walking to the movie theater to see Into the Wild (which, by the way, is an AMAZING MOVIE). Hannah brought up a good point - some people just don't "go there" with their friends. They don't engage in deep conversations in which true feelings are shared, insecurities are brought forth and life is challenged. Some people don't attempt to scratch the surface of certain friendships. I say "some people," but even I, a self proclaimed deep conversation enthusiast, have friendships in which I don't delve deep.

Is there an unspoken agreement with some people that says you'll only discuss what's on the surface? Do some engage in deep conversations more often than others? Why? Are some people naturally deep while others aren't? Do some become deep as a result of a life stage or combination of experiences? Do some never experience an intimate moment in which they expose themselves in conversation or question life? This, I doubt. I think it's human nature to share, to question, and to wonder.

What isn't human nature is sharing the depth of one's life and life in general with everyone. I believe that everything in life has a purpose. Each relationship/friendship has a purpose. Some friendships serve to make you laugh. Others help you pass the time or simply keep you company. Whether you only socialize with the person while at work or they're your chick flick buddy, they have a purpose. I struggle with this idea each time I move. I always know that I'll be in contact with my close friends, but it's the other people, the ones I talked to while at work, ones I saw once in a while that I know I won't keep in touch with. Instead of trying to remain friends I've come to realize that they served a purpose.

I wish I always shared what I think. I don't always tell people how much they mean to me or how great a particular moment truly is. I realized recently that simply telling a person that you care, means a lot. It really does.

Cheers to quality friendships. It's interesting how a friendship becomes quality. Some people, you just click with; instant friends, instant openness, instant truth. Others, it's a process, a journey. You slowly let them in and build a relationship in which you can expose your true self. If you surround yourself with activities you love, you're bound to meet like-minded people. One of the reasons why I love traveling is because I meet people that are similar to me; people who have similar outlooks on life.

Life is amazing. People are fascinating. I challenge you to dive deep. Explore. Learn from yourself and others. Live. Speak. Discuss.

This IS My Life

I'm writing this as a I sit in a tea shop surrounded by comfortable couches, green walls and bamboo on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. With the weight of my computer on my lap, I share with you my New York life and all that I've been experiencing.

It's been 2.5 weeks since I landed at JFK airport jobless, yet full of hope and excitement. Since that day, I've:

• Participated in the casting call NY apt. hunt - searched for a furnished room to rent in a good apt. building with normal roommates - still searching.
• Watched the sunset (almost daily) over the Hudson river from the windowseat in my family's Upper West Side apt.
• Sat next to amazing friends - reminiscing about experiences shared abroad and now in the city.
• Experienced my first poetry slam in a NY bar on the lower east side - Black, White, Arab, Jewish, the variety and impact of the poets, words and their delivery were inspiring.
• Gone grocery shopping in the insanely-crowded Fairway market.
• Witnessed the Upper West Side Jews crowding the fish counter at Zabars the day before Yom Kippur - they kept announcing over the loud speaker to make sure to take a number and to sit in the cafe and wait for the number to be called.
• Witnessed a bicyclist yelling at a car for nearly wiping him out on the street.
• Stood in silent subway cars full of people - it still amazes me how so many people in such close quarters seem to be in their own world.
• Seen people in business suits with running shoes on their feet, ready for the day's commute.
• Ran in Central Park
• Got interviewed and then hired at Sherman's Travel as an editorial assistant/intern - I spend 2 days in the office and 2 days from home editing/fact checking and occasionally writing destination guides for the website - actually doing what I came to NY to do - things DO work out!
• Experienced packed 6 pm elevators from the 21st floor of my 34th St. NYC office.
• Tackled the NY subways at rush hour - with a coffee in one hand and squashed between people, unable to move.
• Traveled to Baltimore, Maryland to celebrate Yom Kippur with my friends and their families - MUCH love and THANKS to such amazing people!
• Worn a Renaissance costume while selling falafels and gyros at the NY Renaissance Festival in Tuexdo, NY- thanks to my friend whose dad owns the booth!
• Chuckled to myself numerous times while people watching.
• Looked at old family pictures while sitting at a table in the kitchen of my cousin-once removed (my Mom's first cousin).
• Seen a man playing the buckets in the subway station - it reminded me of STOMP.
• Heard a handful of languages being spoken within a small span of hours.
• Stumbled upon a Trader Joes (YAY, but I didn't have time to go in).
• Today, I saw a real-life scene from my FAVORITE movie - "Before Sunrise" - In front of Trader Joes on 14th St. sat a young man at a small table. On top of the table was an old school typewriter and attached to the table was a sign that said "POEMS." I witnessed him type up a poem about/for a young couple standing in front of him. How AWESOME is that?! Sadly, today was the first day I didn't take my camera with me! Intrigued, I went up to the guy...he offered to write me a poem but I didn't have time. I told him I'd come back...he said he's there 5 days a week from 2-6pm!!!! I walked away smiling.

NYC is amazing. I feel more alive here and more aware. My interactions were much more limited in Los Angeles. I'm SO aware of EVERYTHING and I LOVE IT! Cheers to new experiences, new sights and new interactions. I think I'm going to start making a list of things I see each day. I won't always post them because it'll probably get boring, but I'll still write them down for myself. I'm addicted to being aware! I suggest you give it a try. It makes life SO much more interesting! Much love from the city that never sleeps (that's NY, right?)!

Being Aware in NY

I moved from Los Angeles to New York for a number of reasons. One being that there are more journalism/writing/editing opportunities in NYC, but more importantly to me, I moved to NY because I was getting sick of LA and needed to dive into a new atmosphere. I needed to experience life as a foreigner once again. I'm not a foreigner in a strange land, but I am in a new place and I'm suddenly aware of EVERYTHING around me. I'm constantly observing people and their interactions with each other. I feel that this city is conducive to people watching. I suppose it's because of the sheer magnitude of people in such a geographically small area.

The subway is a great place to people watch. I told myself I'd start bringing a book on the train, but truthfully, I enjoy looking at the people. Today, I watched two very good looking guys walk through the doors of the train. In a matter of moments I noticed that the men were gay and had an amazing relationship. I couldn't hear what they were talking about, but the way they looked at each other and their subtle pinkie finger hand holding made me smile.

It seems to me that the subway would be a great place to meet people. I guess New Yorkers think differently. Everyone is packed into the subway and in the week I've been here, I've only witnessed one random conversation and it didn't even involve me. Yesterday, I got on the train holding a coffee in one hand and my purse in the other. As the train began to move, I lost my balance and literally fell into a man's lap. I told the guy I was sorry and situated myself on the empty seat next to him. It seemed like a perfect ice breaker but instead of carrying on a conversation with the man or the hot guy across from me who witnessed my fall, no one said a word.

I've become really aware of children in New York. I think it started with my fascination with the nanny culture. I'm addicted to look in every stroller I pass and then comparing what the child looks like to the person pushing them. It's amazing how many children get escorted around the city by their nanny. My fascination spread from strollers to children in general.

The other day, while on the train out of the city to Tuxedo, New York (where I worked at the NY Renaissance Festival selling falafel for the weekend), I observed an amazing family dynamic. The family consisted of a girl who was about 9 and a boy around 3 or 4, a father and a very tired mother. The boy and girl got along great and were entertaining themselves quite nicely. The children's laughter is what first caught my attention. At one point, the girl grabbed the boy's nose and pretended as though she had taken it (you know the trick where you stick your thumb through your second and third fingers). Instead of laughing, the boy got really upset, "Give me my nose back!" he yelled. The girl laughed but the boy was convinced that his sister had just taken his nose. He kept yelling at his sister to give his nose back. On the verge of tears, he began hitting his sister. Meanwhile, the girl and the parents (and I) were laughing hysterically at the boy. Finally the girl touched his nose. "Thank you," he replied. Still laughing at her brother, the girl touched his nose again and the boy began yelling at her to return it. After returning the nose again, she touched his eyes and told him she now had his eyes. The boy stood up, opened his mouth and spread his eyes open and moved his head slightly from side to side, like a blind man who had just gotten his eyesight back. It was hilarious! Although he could obviously see, with much conviction, he yelled at his sister to give him his eyes back. SO incredibly funny/adorable!

I witnessed another adorable moment today as I was sitting on the steps inside the fountain at Washington Square Park on the Lower East Side. I sat enjoying the gorgeous weather, reading a magazine, talking to my friend who was sitting next to me, and of course, people watching! Out of the corner of my eye I saw a little boy who was about 2 years old, wearing bright green pants that had been rolled up, running around the inside steps of the fountain. As he approached I kindly moved my feet up one step to let him pass. I then watched him move his little legs and run with his arms outstretched for balance. It was early afternoon and the fountain was full of people sitting just as I was. People's reactions were priceless. Those that weren't completely absorbed in their books kindly moved their feet up one step and watched in wonder as the boy in the bright green shorts passed. When he reached a person that was oblivious to his presence, he timidly stepped down and then back up and continued on his way around the circle. The girl next to me saw the boy from the beginning of his adventure and the two of us talked and laughed hysterically as we watched the boy. When he got to where his mother was standing, he quickly climbed the steps and she lifted him out.

I LOVE being immersed in every moment and observing everything and everyone around me.

The NY Apartment Hunting Saga

I'm convinced that nothing can be more comical/frustrating than searching for a room to rent in New York. Ask any apt/room seeker what website they use and they'll undoubtedly tell you Craigslist. For those of you who haven't been introduced to the wonderful world of Craigslist, you're missing out! People post rooms and apts. to rent, jobs, furniture, and anything else imaginable; this includes requests for a bed buddy in the "rooms/shared" section. I've even seen ads where the person (usually a middle/upper aged male) is asking for a female to move into the apt. and for her to walk around in her underwear, cook dinner, and who knows what else. I think Craigslist needs to hire someone to do some monitoring! Some people try to lure you in as a roommate with their humor. I read an ad today that put "*No nerds" at the bottom of the ad for the room available in his apt. The disturbing posts make me laugh and wonder who in their right mind would answer such ad. Do people in NYC really do anything to get a cheap room to live in? I refuse! Anywho, I continue to look because new rooms pop up every minute and it's free.

I answered a posting last week for a room to rent in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The price was cheap for the area (slightly under $700) and the room came furnished! I called the woman and when I told her I was responding to her ad, she sighed and informed me that I was the 54th person to call! I told her why I was looking for a room and she asked me tons of questions. She seemed like a real character. After our short talk, she told me she liked me, "I'll move you up on the list, how about Friday at 12:30?"

I arrived on the street in front of the apt. on Friday at 12:25. While I was trying to figure out what floor it was on, a young man came down and asked me if I was coming to look at the room. I said yes and followed him up the stairs. I had no idea who he was and when I turned the corner, I was greeted by a second young guy sitting on the steps. For a split second my heart jumped a beat and I thought I had been scammed. Luckily, my imagination stopped in its tracks when the guy on the steps said, "You must be 12:30? I'm 12:00, he's 12:15."

I was surprised to find out that the woman had made separate appointments and I now had to stand in a line that was already 30 minutes behind schedule! Apparently the 11:45 appointment was still inside talking to the woman. I attempted to make small talk but only the 12:15 responded. It felt like the 12:00 viewed us as the competition - after all, we were all vying for the same room!

Twenty minutes after my arrival, the door opened and a guy walked out. The woman saw us and told the 12:15 and I to go wait at Starbucks and then the uptight 12:00 guy walked in. I decided that if I was going to look at this room, there was no way I was going to hang out at Starbucks. The 12:15 agreed and we both sat on the steps and tried our best to eavesdrop. About 15 minutes pass and we hear, "Do you want me to pay you now, or later?" Was the room taken before I even had a chance to look at it? I decided to hang around in case I had heard wrong.

Eventually, the door opened and the 12:00 ran down the stairs, without making eye contact. The 12:15 asked if the room was still available and the woman told him that the other guy had taken a room that she hadn't even posted on Craigslist yet. Relieved, I ignored her second request for me to head to Starbucks and sat down on the steps.

About a minute later, I hear, "Aw, thank you! I love skittles!" My mouth dropped. I had seen a package of skittles sticking out of the guy's pants and I remember thinking, why isn't he eating them? There's nothing else to do while standing in line. He didn't eat them because he was going to use them to win over the woman! If I wasn't convinced already that this was like waiting in line for a casting call, I certainly was after the skittles incident! Does this guy give skittles every time he looks at a room or does he save his skittles move for special apartments? Ah, so bizarre!

I wasn't surprised when ten minutes later I hear, "I can pay you know if you'd like." By that time I had been there 1.5 hrs, I still hadn't seen the room and it sounded like the second available room had just been taken. I figured I had waited so long, that I might as well make sure that the room really was off the market. I waited for the woman to open the door, but no door opened. I ended up calling the woman while standing outside the door. She informed me that the room was taken.

After all that, I didn't even get to see the room! It wasn't a total loss though, I did get an introduction to the NY apt./room hunt. There's no "let me think about it, I'll get back to you" in New York. If I find a place I like, I have to pay at that moment, otherwise the person in line behind me is going to take it. And the skittles...well, to each his own. I'd like to think I can get an apt. in the city without involving a bag of candy!

The NYC Life

As the Jewish new year begins, so does my life as a New Yorker.

I arrived in NYC on Monday. Not only did I arrive exhausted from what felt like a tour of various U.S. airports (Sacramento - Los Angeles - Boston - New York) but I arrived bag less. I had managed to fit everything I owned and deemed important in a 50 pound suitcase and a 45 pound backpack which I had confidently given to the Delta Airlines employee at the check-in counter in Sacramento. I figured it was highly possible that my bags wouldn't be able to keep up with my insanely stupid flight schedule, so I didn't freak out when they didn't appear on the conveyor belt. Luckily, they got delivered later that afternoon at my mom's cousin's place on the upper west side.

I've only been here a few days but I feel as though I've quickly jumped into my life here. I'm extremely fortunate to have amazing family who has opened up their apt. to me. I've got a room with a bed and wireless internet, bathroom, food...amazing! Although I wouldn't mind living here eternally, I am looking for a room of my own to rent. Know anyone in NY that needs a roommate?? Anywho, I spent my first night eating home-cooked lasagna, watching football and socializing with two of my amazing friends here in the city. It was almost as though we do it every Monday night. It was SO unbelievably normal! I spent the next night eating Indian food with another amazing friend and her roommate. I honestly feel as though I've been here a while and have to keep reminding myself that I just arrived and can't expect to have a job and an apartment all at once. Ok, this stuff is boring....what you REALLY want to hear about is what NYC is really like. Don't you? Here goes...

Here are a list of interactions and experiences that I've had these past few days. Instances that made me laugh to myself and reminded me that I am in New York.

*A car making a right turn stops shortly before hitting a man crossing the street. The man slams both hands on the hood and says "You're supposed to STOP!" Of course, he does this once the car is already stopped.

*Almost no child riding in a stroller even remotely resembles the person pushing them. (I'm living on the Upper West Side...the place is teaming with nannys)

*No one talks to anyone on the subway. I must remember to bring a book with me because I don't want to be caught staring.

*5:45 pm on the 1 train downtown I see a man enter the subway with a package of sushi from Whole Foods in one hand and a pair of wooden chopsticks in the other. He attempts to eat while standing and then finds a seat and finishes his meal in silence.

*Wearing cute shoes that have not been broken in will rub your heels raw. After experiencing this for myself, I began looking at people's feet. Sure enough, many women in the city have red circles on their heels. Guess they chose fashion over comfort.

*It's okay to use one of those Granny carts when transporting groceries.

*While at Fairway (an AMAZING food market) waiting at the deli counter for some sliced chicken, I witnessed numerous senior citizens stalking up on meat and pre-cooked food items. "We're talking potatoes," says an elderly man with a NY accent. "Give me 1/2 pound of this one, 1/2 pound of those," this goes on until he's gotten a half of pound of the 4 varieties of cooked potatoes. I nearly missed my number being called because I was so enthralled in the scene.

*Everything can be delivered. Including groceries.

*Most stores are usually 3 or 4 stories. I went into a 4 story Staples and a 4 story Barnes and Noble today.

*A railroad apartment means the rooms are one after another. If you have a bedroom in the middle, people must walk through yours to get to theirs. No thanks!

*I miss Target.

*Just because it's raining outside doesn't mean it's cold!

*Went to a Rosh Hashana dinner tonight with my family. While the company was nice and the food was great, I felt out of my league. I was the most inarticulate person there and the only one who didn't attend an Ivy League school. Oh well.

*My family's weekly housekeeper came Thursday to clean. I open a door and am surprised to find the woman vacuuming the edges of the framed photos on the wall in the hallway! Apparently she's a bit obsessive with the cleaning. Later, my mom's cousin makes lunch and feeds the housekeeper. When the woman was done cleaning the entire place, my mom's cousin thanked her profusely. So nice!

**I'll add to this list as the days go on. I know there are MANY things I probably left out! Hope you enjoyed it.

Wrapping it all up

In 1.5 weeks I will be saying goodbye to all that I know in Southern California and I'll be beginning my journey of moving to New York. As the time quickly approaches, I find myself saying goodbye and explaining to others and trying to justify (to others and to myself) what I'm doing.

The wrapping up of my life in California has begun. My calendar is quickly filling up with coffee dates, dinner dates and many other fun-filled goodbyes with good friends and my family. As my calendar fills, so does my heart. I hate goodbyes. It's really starting to sink in that I'm moving to NY, not just venturing off an another one of my trips. In the past, I've said goodbye but knew that I'd be returning. This time, who knows. I'm moving to NY, I'm not just taking a trip there. After living abroad for a year and returning to the same friends I left behind (and with a large number of new, amazing friends around the world), I realized that true friends last and that I'm blessed with the ability to make good, quality friends. This is good but it makes saying goodbye harder.

I know that life will continue in California without me. My friends will continue to be themselves and have new experiences that I will not be a part of. My twin sister will be molding her own life without me by her side. But I also know that this isn't the end. Often times I get caught up in the goodbye and forget that goodbye isn't forever. I will keep in touch and I will come back and visit and I do expect visitors. I want to continue to be a part of people's lives.

I live a crazy life, I know. I'm determined to live my life to the fullest and at this point in time, that means moving to New York to pursue a career in journalism. Yes, I'm adventurous and yes, I'm taking a huge leap. But if I don't leap, I'll never know what lies beyond. While I'm sad to leave my loved ones and friends, I'm excited for my future, whatever it may be. I'm also excited for everyone else's futures. Life is unpredictable. Even if you're one of those people who thinks you've got your entire life planned out, life is unpredictable. It's that uncertainty that keeps me going and fuels my pursuit.

Thanks for the memories and cheers to the many memories that lie ahead!

The joy of excitement

On October 9th, 2005 I sat on my bed in my lonely room on the Greek island of Evia where tears were always on the verge of gushing down my face, writing in my journal about excitement. I had spent months prior to my arrival in Greece imagining what life would be like and how amazing it would be. I had no idea that I'd end up lonely and sad in a little fishing village. I know what it feels like to be disappointed and to have to deal with it, yet, to this day, I still get excited.

I'm a firm believer in excitement.

Wonderful fantasies cloud the brain. It's that feeling in your chest and the floating pictures in your mind of what might happen. Excitement consists of bottomless expectations. Expectations of unknown experiences that are soon to come. The experience of new places or certain events that will leave impressions on your life leave you giddy and hopeful.

While excitement is amazing, the moment it begins also marks the moment of its decline. The closer the actual journey or event becomes, the closer the excitement ends. The moment the experience begins, excitement is thrown out the window only to be replaced by the harshness of reality. While the experience might manifest to be even more amazing than what was fathomed (if you're lucky), the moment it begins, the countdown to its end does as well.

No one has the ability of knowing exactly what will happen in the future so we are all left with an imagination and the feeling of excitement. Reality is, nothing lasts forever. While it sounds pessimistic, it is merely fact. If reality turns out to be in line with one's fantasies and excitement, one must hold on to the experience. Cherish it and let it play out for as long as humanly possible.
If one is faced with an experience that is not pleasant, it is important to remember that, "it too shall pass" (my mother's wise words).

In the end, we must hold on dearly to excitement and cherish everything that it embodies because it fades quickly and is replaced by greatness or disappointment. Remember that no one can take your excitement away from you. It's an amazing feeling within yourself that makes you look forward to the future. It keeps you going. It's important.

So, get excited. Be aware of your excitement. Cherish it.

Hugs

What's in a hug?

To hug or not to hug? You know what I'm talking about. Those often-times awkward moments in which you aren't sure if you should just wave or if you should reach your arms out and embrace the person. If you do decide to go in for the hug...which position do you choose? The "side hug" the "above the shoulder" the "belly embrace" the "cheek kiss/European approach" the "one arm above and one arm below" the "hug and rub" or the "hug and pat?" Once you figure out where to place the arms, how close do you get? How long do you stay there for? So many combinations and so much to think about in a split second!

I've always found the degree to which a person chooses to commit to the hug very interesting. As judgmental as it is, I admit that I evaluate a relationship based on the hug. The next time you embrace a loved one or a dear friend, throw out everything on your mind and just be in that moment. Feel the hug. Feel the other person's energy. Feel your face. Are you smiling? Most likely, you are. Seconds before the embrace, you are not thinking about where to place your hands or how hard you should grab the other person. It comes naturally. All hugs are not like that. You do not have the same relationship with every person you come in contact with or know. Have you ever hugged someone and felt as though you were embracing them slightly tighter than they were embracing you? You can say that they just don't "give good hugs." Or, perhaps it's because you differ in your evaluation of the relationship.

In spite of this, I think there are three kinds of people: "huggers," "in-betweens" and "non-huggers." The "huggers" usually hug after the first meeting. Sometimes even when they first meet a person. The "in-betweens" judge the situation and will hug the "huggers" back but don't initiate a hug with "non-huggers." The "non-huggers" aren't huge fan of hugs. They don't initiate a hug and react stiffly when a hug is sprung on them. These labels come into effect more often in new encounters or in relationships that aren't necessarily intimate. What kind of "hugger" are you? Why?

"Free Hugs"

I came across a YouTube video tonight titled "Free Hugs." A man stands on a busy pedestrian walkway with a sign that says "free hugs" and the video shows people's reactions. Some react favorably and some don't. It dawned on me while watching it that if I saw a guy on the street with a sign like that, I'd probably think he was weird and continue on my way. I wouldn't give the situation a second thought. However, if I were to sit and watch the guy and observe his varied responses, I'm sure I'd go up to him and give him a hug. This saddens me. It's another example of being caught up in my own world. Of course, who knows how I'd truly react if I were one of the pedestrians. I really hope I'm wrong about myself in this situation. I want to be wrong. Check out the link. Watch the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4

An Intro. To My Blog

I got a little ahead of myself the other day and posted my first entry without an introduction! Sooo, here it is:

This blog is about my life and about life in general. Life here and now (Southern California for the time being) and about life in the past and abroad. It's about what I see and experience and about my current thoughts.

Often times I read other people's writing and am inspired, touched, propelled to think, and at times, discouraged. Discouraged in the sense that my writing isn't as powerful or thought provoking as theirs. I call myself a writer, a journalist, yet I don't write as much as I "should." I've decided to change this thought. I want to write about what I see, what I experience. I also want to intermittently share what I experienced while living and traveling abroad. I am the only one who sees it through my eyes, but if I am able to express it in words, then in a sense, you are able to experience/see it as well. My goal in writing these blogs is to bring you (the reader) along on my journey through life. I'll post pictures when I can and do my best to truly describe what I'm thinking or feeling or seeing. I feel that expressing life in words will push me to think more about life around me. In turn, I hope that it will propel you to do the same.

A Traveling Memory

Cheers to amazing moments that only happen abroad! Below is my most memorable moment from my travels.

The Whirling Bath of Budapest

I hadn’t brought a swim suit with me to Budapest, Hungary but somehow my friend had convinced me that we had to visit the Szecheyi thermal baths and that going in my bra and underwear wouldn’t kill me. Of course, she had her bikini. We walked through the double doors of what appeared to be a castle, completely blind as to what we were about to see and experience. The place was full of pools: warm, cold, thermal, indoor and outdoor. It was the dead of winter but somehow we gathered enough courage to explore the outdoor pools.

The first pool had bubbles/jets coming out of the ground that were strong enough to sit on. We then noticed a circular pool in the middle of the big pool and saw what seemed to be people’s heads going around in a circle. It appeared as though this round pool had jets or a very strong current that was pushing people in a circle.

We decided to enter but in order to do so, we had to wait for a big enough opening. We stood at the space in the wall and held on so as not to get swept away as we waited for the right time to go in; just as you do when you’re about to start jumping rope. Suddenly, I lost all control of my body and was swept away in the never-ending circle. The only way it could end was if you accidentally got pushed to the side at the point where the small opening was. You’d get shot out to the calm water. For a few moments, my friend and I were in our own world talking and laughing hysterically. At one point we glanced around and realized that only one guy was reacting the same way we were. We looked at him and we knew he was a fellow American. We were instantly friends in the whirlpool of locals.

People of all walks of life were mixed up in that whirlpool; old hairy men as well as kids with bright orange floaters. There were even kids attempting to dive below the surface. The issue of modesty and touching other people flew out the window the moment we entered the whirlpool. Who knows what or who I grabbed. I even forgot that I was in my bra and underwear. The jets were so strong that I had absolutely no control of where my body went. Every twenty minutes the whirlpool turned off. I had just enough time to stop laughing and to gather my bearings before the next whirling adventure began. Out of all my adventures abroad, that whirlpool was the highlight. I’d give anything to be back there and to laugh so deeply again!