Happy Birthday to Me

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Today I turn 27!

This is one of those ages that seems absolutely perfect.  I like being an odd number, because 27 feels more significant and mature than 26 or even 28.  And being 27 puts me in the exact middle of my late-20s, and which is the time of life where everything (supposedly) starts falling into place.

Has everything in my life fallen into place?  Yes and no.

I started my 26th year with no clue where I would wind up after graduating from DTS.  I start my 27th year knowing I’ll be in Greece.  For how long?  I don’t know that part, but the uncertainty no longer feels so scary.  Before, it felt like there were twenty paths laid out before me, but I didn’t know which one to take.  Now, I’m walking on a path, and although it grows dark a few steps away from where I am, I have the safety of knowing I’m going somewhere.

So much of my 27th year is a mystery.  But an exciting one!  I can’t wait to settle into a new home, make new friends, and create new memories.  I’m excited to stretch myself, to learn new skills and grow deeper in my faith in God.  I’ve grown into a person who accepts challenges and says yes to adventures.  I’m so glad to be alive, and I’m so grateful that God continues to keep my life interesting.  I love who I am, and today, on my 27th birthday, I’m ready to love who I will become.

The Story of a Friendship: Tricia and Her Mom

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Today is my mom’s 57th birthday!  She was born thirty years, twelve hours, and one minute before me, and I am so grateful that of all the moms in the world, she is mine.

Families are weird.  DNA and experiences tie you together in a messy ball of weaknesses and strengths.  Although I have inherited my mom’s insecurity and self-doubt, I have also inherited her gentleness and kindness.  I admit that at times I have resented my mother for being human, but I am learning to be grateful for the ways she has shown grace and courage in being my parent.  Continue reading →

Yes Please by Amy Poehler

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Let the autobiographies of funny famous people keep rolling in!  I continue to be entertained and enlightened by these memoirs (including those by Neil Patrick Harris, Tina Fey, Mindy Kaling, and Rob Delaney).  Amy Poehler’s memoir is a combination of autobiography and essay compilation, a choice that frustrated me until I accepted the decision and found myself really enjoying her book.

The chapters are not chronological, nor is this anywhere close to an attempt to share her whole life.  Sometimes she digresses from her main point to share a particularly funny or juicy anecdote.  Although this is not the best from a writing standpoint, it makes the book feel more like a conversation.  Reading Yes Please is like talking to an excited Amy Poehler who wants you to know about this, and oh yeah, this thing happened too!  Continue reading →

Blog Silence

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I have been in meetings all day yesterday and today.  Tomorrow is even longer, and Saturday we have exit interviews.  I know myself better than I ever have before, and I think my teammates are the coolest women on the planet. However, it’s hard to talk much about what exactly I’m experiencing.  So much of it is deeply emotional, and I don’t like to talk about those sorts of experiences without first processing everything.  And since we’re in the middle of our evaluations, there is no way for me to process things!  Continue reading →

Flying First Class for the First Time

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When I printed my boarding pass after checking in online, I was surprised to see the my seat number labeled “Check at Gate.” I didn’t think much of it, and the next day I worked my way through DFW to Gate E30. As boarding began and I realized everyone else knew their seat assignment, I went to the gate desk to ask for help. The man behind the counter looked at my boarding pass, said, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you,” and told me to sit down for the next few minutes. The minutes passed, and everyone had boarded the plane but me.

The desk guy butchered my name as he called me to the desk, handed me a new boarding pass, and said, “Enjoy first class.” I checked the slip of paper. Seat 2D. FIRST CLASS?? Hyperventilating with the sort of excitement that fears a cruel joke is just around the corner, I walked onto the plane. Sure enough, two seats from the very front of the aircraft was an empty seat. My seat.  Continue reading →

How to Cope with Anxiety in an Airport

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Sometime around 36 hours before my trip began, anxiety hit.  Before then, when people asked if I was nervous about going to Athens, I could genuinely chuckle and say, “Nah.  I’ve been there before.  I know what I’m doing.  It’s going to be intense but fun!”  I don’t know what changed, but 36 hours ago, all my unacknowledged anxiety came rushing into consciousness.

This is it.  This is the beginning of the next step in my life.  I’m going to visit the city that will soon be my home.  I’m going to hang out with the people who will soon be my coworkers and (hopefully) friends.  What if I hate the city?  What if everyone I meet hates me?  What if I’ve made a terrible decision, but I can’t take it back because then I’d look ridiculous?  What if I do back out but it’s a choice made out of fear and I miss out on an amazing opportunity?  What if everything goes wrong and I trip on my face five times and no one speaks English and I sit alone in a corner the whole time?

Clearly action needed to be taken.  Here are some tips (I may or may not have done) to cope with anxiety while in an airport:  Continue reading →

Flying to Greece in Comfort

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Today I begin my 20-hour journey to Athens!

Until today, I have posted daily content on this blog, but for the next week, updates might be hit or miss.  I will not be uploading any new book reviews or travel stories.  I hope to write Real Time updates of what I am doing and learning as often as possible.  However, I don’t know what my Internet situation will be like, so there may be some days when nothing new is posted.

Until then, here’s a video I made teaching you how to dress for flying.

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

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My mom loves these books, so when I saw the first of the series at a book sale for fifty cents, I thought, “Why not?”  My mom and I don’t often agree on books, but Mma Ramotswe’s no-nonsense clever detective work would be enough to win anyone over.  I really enjoyed her bite-sized cases in Botswana and the way they brought out stories of Precious’s past relationships with her father and husband.

I am really impressed by Smith’s ability to write from a woman of color’s point of view.  Mma Ramotswe is dignified in the wake of grief and trauma, and it is no surprise that she is so successful at her job.  She wins people over when necessary and intimidates them into giving up information at other times.  Continue reading →

My Top 5 Dream Vacations

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Everyone has a list of places they would go if money and opportunity were no obstacle, right?  I mean, my end goal is to visit every country in the whole world, so I’m not too picky.  But there are definitely some places that, if given the chance, I would drop everything to visit.

New-Zealand1.  New Zealand.  I’ve got to be honest.  What I really mean by New Zealand is Middle-earth.  I think I’ve adequately described how much I love Lord of the Rings in previous posts, but in case you didn’t know:  I’m obsessed.  My love for this fictional world is what makes New Zealand a distant dream; I need this trip to be specifically tailored to my desire.  For starters, I absolutely have to have a fellow LotR fanatic as a traveling companion.  95% of our conversations are going to be about Gandalf, Edoras, etc, and if you can’t keep up, you can’t come.  I’m also going to need a lot of money, because I want to stay in Hobbiton, and I want to go on a LotR tour, and I want to helicopter to every filming site.  It’s going to break bank, and it’s going to be awesome.  Continue reading →

I’m All About Girl Pop

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Growing up, I had a lot of internalized misogyny.  I was convinced that boy things would always be better than girl things, and this definitely included musicians.  I loved Ben Folds Five and *NSYNC, but female singers?  Ew, they sang so high.  They couldn’t carry the weight of an emotional song like a man could.

Lies!

So many lies that kept me from loving some really wonderful female singers.  Thankfully, I’ve grown out of that internalized misogyny, and now I’m free to love both male and female musicians.  Which is fantastic, because there are some truly phenomenal girl pop creators making my kind of music right now.

1.  Taylor Swift.  Four months after 1989 came out, I still listen to the full album at least three times a week.  I cannot stop!  I was never much into TSwift as a country singer, but when she made the switch to pop, she stole my heart forever.  I love every song on her album (with the occasional exception of This Love, which is sometimes too slow for my preferred car jams).  I mean, seriously, the amount of times I say, “This one is my favorite!  No…this one is my favorite!” is ridiculous, considering I’ve had four months to decide.  Taylor is queen of pop, and I’m a happily devoted subject.  Continue reading →