The Starter Trip

To whet my appetite for more, I began my travels by spending the last week on the east coast visiting friends in Massachusetts and Washington DC. Let me preface this entry by sharing three things that became very clear on this trip: 1. pack light for Europe, 2. you can live in a gigantic house almost anywhere in this county for the price of a one bedroom condo in San Francisco, 3. friends move on, but always will always stay close if they love you...and I love being around them.

I started my trip in Boston visiting my friend Eileen, who I've known as long as I can remember. Eileen is a trooper. She moved from the Bay Area about 10 years ago and since has lived in Colorado, Connecticut, Las Vegas, Michigan and Massachusetts. She's also got 2 kids - 16 and 12...and yes, she's as young as me ;-). Although her path in life couldn't be more opposite that mine, it's amazing to me that we still want the same things from life. While she was changing diapers and building a family, I've been working on my career and traveling the world. The funny thing is - her kids are almost grown, so I have a feeling, she'll soon be travelling the world and working on her career....and I'll be in diaper changing mode. Life is very interesting. Either way - she lives in a town called Barre, about an hour and a half from Boston. She's got a great house - OK - it's a little remote - but she lives on a huge piece of land and when I went running in the morning, I didn't see a car for miles. Check out the casa in the pic. We don't get to see each other all that often, but when we so it's like not a day's gone by...

My next stop was Washington DC where I visited with my friends Kristine and Wayne. These two have been on the fast track to domestic bliss...got engaged last June, moved to DC in September, got married in October, pregnant in November got a dog in January and will have a baby in July. Kris and Wayne are two of the most spirited people I know - and despite their accelerated domestic journey, they are still as crazy as ever - and I love it! And their dog, Zoe, is the most adorable Golden Retriever I've ever seen (see for yourself!) Thier house is just beautiful...check out their casa in the pic below. Mamma mia - the kids are all grown up. Spending time with these guys inspires me. They've made compromises for the relationship, but neither of them have given up one ounce of who they are. And because of it - they make a great team.

I loved hanging out with my friends. Spending time with them, makes me realize how awesome it is to be around people you love. Seems we all live really solo lives. Before subletting my apartment and moving in with Patrick and Natalie, I lived alone for so many years. I didn't even realize how much I've really missed having people to say good night to, and to share my day with...it's really nice. Just makes me want more of it. Gotta remember that when I move back into my apartment in September.

So the countdown has begun and in a week I'll be in Ireland! I swear, I keep crossing things off my list, but then I also keep adding things....why doesn't the list get shorter? I guess I just keep telling myself that after I go, the list will disappear even if it's not finished..so I should just stop worrying. Anyway, next time I write I'll be sharing stories from my trip, so stay tuned for more!

Leap of Faith

Well, I did it. The job that I once loved became the job that I no longer love...and it was time for a change. So I took a leap of faith. I have chosen to forgo the reliable paycheck in hopes of discovering something more...something meaningful, joyful and fulfilling. We all give so much of ourselves to our employers, and I wonder if we're slowly giving away valuable minutes in our lives. Sure, we all need to work. We need to support ourselves, and we need to feel like we're contributing to this world and enhancing our lives. But work should always bring us satisfaction and be a tool for growth. If it is, and you're happy, you're on the right track. But if not, it might be time to reevaluate...which is what I am doing. I've started to contemplate what type of work will make me ultimately happy. I have my suspicions, but having worked for 17 years without stop, I've decided that I might need to step back a little to get some clarity on the matter.

For now, I've chosen to focus on all the other aspects of my life that make me who I am. My friends, my family, my faith....spending time with my nieces and nephew, asking myself what I need and want in love. Developing my interests and seeing a bit of the wonderful world we live in.

So on June 5th I'll take off to spend 2 months in Europe. I'm lucky enough to have several friends that will be meeting up with me along the way - and I am also looking forward to the few times that I will be on my own. The trip is meant to be insanely fun - but with any luck, I'll also learn about myself and others - and ultimately become ready for what lies ahead.

For those of you who wish to follow my travels, my itinerary is roughly as follows:

June 5-12 Ireland
June 12-16 Rome
June 16-23 Sienna
June 23-July 4 Croatia
July 4-7 Rome
July 7-10 Sorrento
July 10-17 Sicily
July 17-23 Nice
July 23-25 Milan
July 25-30 Geneva
July 30 - Aug 3 Barcelona
Aug 3-5 Paris

So along the way I'm be writing posts, uploading photos and letting you know what's going on in my journey. So stay tuned...and enjoy!