getaway

ocean. wine. lighthouse. quaint inn. pure bliss. can i go please?

Adventure Account

This past week I think I made one of the best decisions of my life! Well, this may be a slight exaggeration, but still. I have been talking about this for quite some time and in going with one of my goals for this year, which is actually doing and not just talking, I finally opened a bank account specifically for the purpose of saving money to go on adventures. And it's about time. There is so much in this world that I want to see and do and I don't want money, or really the lack thereof, to stop me anymore. Hence my new "adventure savings account." I don't have an abundance of money to save but I figure every little bit counts. And as I have a dear friend moving to Nicaragua in 2 short days, I want to begin finding a way to visit her when it becomes too grey and gloomy here to bear. This is just one of the many adventures I hope to have. Maybe a visit to Hilde in Norway or a celebration of my fabulous roommate's graduation will be funded as well :)

women for women

women for women international gives me hope. it is something good in the world. it is passionate women empowering other women to be passionate. it is an organization born from the pain of one woman that has grown to change the lives of women in 8 countries. this is something i can get behind. women everywhere deserve a chance. we deserve empowerment and a hope-filled future. what a beautiful story to hear and long to be a part of.

travel

groupon getaways may very well be my new favorite website. i could get lost looking at all the adventures that our world has to offer: kenyan safaris, trips to sydney and the great barrier reef, weekend getaways to quaint lodges in new england. i want to see and experience it all. thanks, groupon, for making that possible (i can dream, can't i?).

henry

There is a man who signs his name simply "henry." He has been somewhat of a mystery to me ever since I journeyed to Seattle and began to call this place home. He colors the city with whimsical creatures and childlike imagination. What used to be blank walls, garage doors, even cars and buses are now brilliant pieces of art that brighten any gray Seattle day. Until today, all I have known of henry is what I have just shared with you. But as my wonder has grown, I did a little research and am even more inspired by "henry" who I now know has a full name: Ryan Henry Ward. A man who has a dream to paint 50 murals throughout Seattle, brightening up ordinary spaces. And yet, he has even bigger dreams. Dreams of traveling to the developing world and helping people through art and even more murals. Dreams like this inspire me to dream. So thank you, henry, for dreaming and painting and sharing your gift with the world.

For an article all about henry see:

http://monkeygoggles.com/?p=1824

And here is henry's webpage:

http://www.ryanhenryward.com

Magical Watch

So, being a consistent blogger maybe isn't my forte. Not yet at least. As it is, blogging is an intentional choice to reflect openly on the life I am living and what I see in that life. Oftentimes, reflecting is exhausting and at the end of the day, it is the last thing I want to do. And yet, here I am at 10:30 pm after a long day at work, choosing to stop for a moment and write.

On the bus home, a little boy got on with his grandmother. He was about four years old and was wearing a hat with Mario on it. He was your classic talkative child. Just a little bit before they got off the bus, he turns to his grandmother and tells her about this great idea he has had about a watch that would "disappear them home" by the touch of a button. Right around bedtime, he could press this button and it would "disappear them home" and then they wouldn't have to ride the bus. Brilliant.

I love the dreams and ideas of children. Kids are unstoppable because they have not lived long enough to have been told that they can't do something or that something is impossible. I think this is the quality I love most in children. And I wish adults allowed ourselves to live this way: as if nothing could stop us, as if anything is possible. I can only imagine what our world could be if our childhood dreams had never been shot down. If we had never seen hurt and failure. If we had never learned the words "I can't".

I want to live my life like the boy on the bus who wants to invent this magical watch. I mean, what could it hurt? Children are the most carefree, joyful beings I have encountered. They truly believe anything is possible. We could all stand to be a little (or a lot) more like them.