Oh yeah... 'Adventures'

I don't think that I am the only person who gets bogged down in the everyday. This is one unfortunate part of being a living creature that requires certain things on a regular basis to maintain the "living" part of its existance. I must go to work during my scheduled hours to have money to buy the food that I will eat on a semi-regular basis, along with the food that I must feed to my dog. The same dog that requires regular walks and exercise as well as the trips to somewhere grassy to relieve herself. Throw in the solid 8 hours of sleep adulthood affords me, and it's easy to fall into a routine to fit it all in. And falling into a routine is exactly what I fear I am doing.

Only one problem... I'm a young woman with relativly minimal responsibilities, or at least my responsibilities could be mobile if I wanted them to be, and I'm dying to mix things up. For me, getting into a routine kind of feels like slowly getting stuck. Throw in a general sense of unrest at having remained in Missouri for far too long... I haven't left the state since I visited the 'rents for Thanksgiving, and for all intents and purposes I've been reliably living here since I got back from France two and half years ago... and my inner nomad is screaming louder and louder to pick up and GET OUT!

Only one problem... I just don't know where I would get in after I'm done getting out of here. I kind of like Kansas City. Sure, it could be warmer. Yes, more mountains here would be awesome. It'd be nice if a plethora of quality single guys were trying to knock down my door. And, lastly, it really could use a nice little French bakery that just happened to have an apartment for rent right above it, hell I'll even settle for around the corner from it. So what if I can't find these things here, I'll be damned if I know where I COULD find them! And, here happens to have some friends that I'm fond of, even if I don't see them enough, a job that pays and isn't too much like a routine, and a growing sense of familiarity that I'm not sure I want to give up just because of my stupid, screaming nomad. Thus, I tumble right back to routine... sigh.

Therefore, my recent plight has become one of finding things to do that afford my inner nomad some wandering time and a little of that adventure I'm supposed to be having. Getting a dog has helped. I emensly enjoy having a four-legged friend around. Not only does Dori provide fun and silliness like only a puppy can, she presents a healthy dose of challenge into my life, which is something I'd started to miss since graduation. And, she gives me an excuse to do things like go to a dog park and be outside, even in the middle of winter. I've also been enjoying Geohashing. If you're unfamiliar with the concept this is where it comes from, this will tell you more about it, and this will enable you to find the current, or any previous, geohashing points in your own area. Simply move the map to your region, enter the day you want to Geohash on and then click on the map near to where you live and it'll pop up with a set of coordinates for you to go hunt down. Be warned, this doesn't work more than a day in advance as part of the equation requires the opening stock market value for the day before your exploring day. I've only been twice, and most of the area around Kansas City is farms, so not much to explore, but I've enjoyed having a reason to drive a little distance and the possibility of finding something exciting or interesting on the way. I imagine this endeavor will be exponentially more fun come spring/summer or even next fall, in the least my pictures will look less monochromatic.

Those are the only viable solutions I've come up with on my lonesome, but if any of the three of you that read this blog have a suggestion or two, I'd love to hear them.

Well I'm out of stuff to say, so until next time, Peace.

On Adulthood

It has been pointed out to me on more than one occasion, some recent and some in the slightly distant past, that I have not updated this blog since I started it.

Ooops... is really all I can say in response to that. I'm not an adept blogger and may need a shove to get a new post out every now and again. And for this, I apologize.

Moving on to the topic of the day... adulthood. This is a strange new "hood" that I have been exploring more rigorously in past few months. It's weird for me to think that based upon any previous standards I set for adulthood, such as living on one's own, holding down a job, paying for things like gas, electricity and internet, among others, I have reached the state of being an adult. Little kids look at me and see a grown-up and I can't refute their claims with, "But I'm still in school. I'm no where near the REAL world, like a REAL adult would be!" And now, this "real" world I've stumbled into doesn't feel any more real to me than the world of academia did when I was still there; a mere 6 months ago.

One major thing I've noticed about adulthood is that, at least for now, each little step further in I take is equally exciting as the last. Each step has it's own kind of excitement attached, like the day I finally got my new mattresses delivered and all I could do was lay on top of them in splendor for a solid 10 minutes before gleefully bouncing on it a little bit and eventually making my new bed for the first time. And then, all I could do was lay on top of that for another 10 minutes of joy. This may seem like overkill to some of you, but I challenge you to sleep on an air mattress with funny groves in it for 3 months and NOT be ecstatic when you finally have a lovely pillow-top all your own to replace it. Go ahead... I dare you. But that excitement was a different sort than when I paid the bills for the first time. While parting with my money was not a moment of sheer joy that I'd been anticipating for ages, there was an odd satisfaction in seeing my name on the bill that came in the mail. Also there was, and still kind of is, a twisted pleasure in knowing that this particular money I'm parting with isn't going to some frivolous thing, but rather to ensuring that as winter approaches I will have heat, and a place to cook warm food.

Speaking of food, this is a step into adulthood I have been anticipating most, if not all, of my college years. And, I have LOVED every moment of cooking for myself. I recipe surf online regularly and frequently to find tasty new things to try and make for myself. And *knocks on wood* I have been mostly successful in my endeavors so far. The new exciting recipes coupled with the tried and true ones of my family and friends have been quite fun to experiment with and make my own. I've always been a fairly independent personality, so I think I'm loving this so much because I have complete and total control! Mwaaa ha ha! I choose what I want and then make it happen. Poof... it's like magic, almost... you know, except for the actual work done in the kitchen, but that's just splitting hairs.

Anyway back to actually being an adult. Despite these steps I'm taking and all evidence to the contrary, I do not FEEL like an adult. I know I'm still young by anyone's standards (baring those under the age of 14 because, honestly, what do they know anyway?!?) but I'm beginning to wonder if people ever actually feel like an adult. Oh sure, I have my moments, but 97% if the time, I might as well be 14 again, God forbid that actually happen, it's my worst nightmare come true, because I feel like a kid pretending to be an adult. I saw this comic from xkcd the other day and it pertains nicely to my current attitude on adulthood. (Please click on the link or the next few sentences won't make sense.) When looking at it with that girl's attitude, I get to have it both ways, and I always pick the option which doesn't actually require me to make a finite choice. This way I get to have my child-like impulses and quirks, but since I'm disguising myself as an adult, they turn into paradigm changing choices. I equate this to the fact that my Grandparents never have, and never will, like rock and roll, they keep their selections in the classical and opera/theater categories. Yet, rock and roll is the majority of what my parents listen to. Therefore, my kids Grandparent's will listen to rock and roll, something that completely blows my mind, yet will seem totally passe to my kids. Same thing goes for any other "adult" choices I make for myself. They may seem weird to us now because they aren't the same as what adults chose to do previously, but it'll be normal to the next generation, who can then eventually choose to do the same thing, or shift their own paradigm a different direction. It's the beauty of being a species that is constantly evolving!

To sum this all up in a sentence: It's an awesome power that we've all been given, and I'm enjoying my new powers immensely.

I can't promise my next post will be timely, but I'll try.

Until next time, Peace.

The First One

I recently realized that I have been back in the states from my world-wind adventures in France for nearly a full year. I never finished my old blog, which is sad, but between my broken computer and lack of free time, it was inevitable. However, I also realized that I still have adventures, and am getting ready to have some more as I enter the world of semi-adulthood by graduating from college.

Something that goes along with being an almost graduate is noticing a lot of 'lasts'. I had my last undergraduate class last week. I wrote my last paper for one class, and turned in the last assignment for another. Yesterday was my last dead day before finals week, and tonight was my last late night breakfast in the Jewell cafeteria, where the professors serve the students a late night meal of breakfast-y things, almost as an apology for being the reasons we're up so late and needing nourishment. The rest of this week promises to hold many more lasts, and they fill me with a great sense of accomplishment and at the same time a sort of sad longing. I'm sure that anyone who has gone through a transition in their life can empathize with this strange duality in emotions.

Strangely it was the realization that I've been back from France for a whole year, and neglected my old blog for even longer, that led me realize all of these lasts I'm experiencing right now are headed directly toward even more firsts. Some of them have already happened, such as my first application to live in an apartment (and acceptance!), accepting my first real job, and writing my first new blog post! More will come and I will try my hardest to write up witty narrations of each new adventure that comes my way.

Until next time, Peace.