Change

There are times in life when change is very exciting, refreshing, welcomed and enjoyed. I think that these times come and go, no matter what age you are, and vary depending on where you are in your life. There are also times in life where you feel like everything is out of control, changing in ways that you do not want (or NOT changing in ways that you do want!), and you just want to be able to influence SOMETHING.... ANYTHING... that is going on. But no matter what you try.... say... do... the situation remains beyond your influence. These periods of time are very difficult, and at best tolerated by the person experiencing them. Luckily, most of us have people that love us, that we are close to, who help us get through the tough times. These individuals are priceless during these uncertain times. It is also very helpful when there is a goal in sight, to help you get through the rougher times and help keep that positive outlook and a place to focus your energy. Step back and see the forest through the trees.... which can be hard to do when every direction you turn seems to be an endless sea of trees. It won't be like this forever.

Thank you to the people who are there and support me. You know who you are, and I love you for it. :)

The list

I have a list of places that are very special to me. The more time that passes from the time that they became a special part of my life, the more I worry that I will forget about some of the locations. What better way to remember them than to write them down. In no particular order they are:
Oregon, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Massachussetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisana, Florida, Texas, California, Nevada, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Dominica, Barbados, Antigua and last but not least, Paris, France. 18 states (counting peurto rico) and 6 countries. I really hope that this list doesn't end here... but who knows what the future holds. I wish my crystal ball would come off the back-ordered list ;)

While I'm at it, might as well get down one of my favorite quotes:
"To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage." ~ Lao-Tzu