Tuesday to Tuesday

Today is Tuesday, July 26, 2011. In exactly one week I will be aboard a plane flying to the city of Accra, just off the Ivory Coast in Ghana, population four million. Bittersweet feelings fill my heart but I am very thrilled nonetheless. I will try and update on this blog as much as possible while abroad, so those of you strangely interested in my life could follow it I suppose.  

“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” – Jack Kerouac

The road is life and no matter where we are, the road winds constantly... Peace & Love dearest friends & family... I will miss each and every one of you...brace yourself for some crazy times come January :)

I am a loner sometimes...and love the simple things in life...

Chelsea, Faraji (Kaka aka Brother), and myself on our last day together. 

That title has been the depiction of my mood the past week. Although I haven't updated this in a while, I do not think I could with all the emotions and thoughts that have graced my hectic brain lately. Holy shit, so...Tanzania. WOW. One word to describe it- I don't think one word could even describe Bagamoyo and it's people. Where do I begin?

Children of AMAP

Once upon a time, a little Russian girl traveled to Eastern Africa and never wanted to leave, the end. No, but in all seriousness, the three weeks I spent in Bagamoyo, Tanzania have brought an extreme positive light to my life. I have definitely caught the travel bug...and have realized that the passion I have for helping others is raw, real, and the path that life has given me. The beautiful people of Bagamoyo---all of you including the boys of Uhuru and all of those associated with it, African Modern Arts Park (Saidi and all of his beautiful students), Imuma & its children, and every single citizen of this wonderland on the coast of the Indian Ocean--- I miss and love all of you so much, it aches my heart every single day.

I cannot begin to describe how much all of you have given me in return, much more than I could ever give to you. Along with the beautiful place, culture, and people of Bagamoyo, the people I spent the trip with are just as equally important. I love you all for sharing such an experience with me and it will always be something we can share, laugh, and love about together. Although I cannot sulk and simmer in sadness over the fact I am not there, I take all that I have learned of others and myself into my life here. We don't need what we want, we need what we need. I have less than a month until I am back in Africa and I cannot wait to embark on future journeys that will never end. I will not settle & that's that.

Sunset in Bagamoyo 

After Tanzania, I went straight to California after a trip back to Vermont from Mass. My best friend Phoebe and I traveled together. I was able to meet so many of her Filipino relatives, who are amazing people. Santa Barbara, Oxnard, and San Diego were all wonderful places with AMAZING food! I loved being in diverse atmospheres getting a feel for new cultures while being with my sista from another mista. I miss her lots and lots and lots <3

Jumping rope on Father's Day with Pho, her cousin Alfredo, and the rest of her family.

          It is amazing how everything seems to come together, or seems like it does. Does it ever come together? I feel as though we are always on this journey and we think we've achieved that pure happiness at some points or another. On the other hand, life is a journey in itself that IS a pursuit of happiness. Change, turmoil, stress, love, and fear are all in the mix and without those elements we could never reach our own sense of peace. Stop worrying about what's coming tomorrow and live your life today for what it is and its beauty. I love my life and it's fucking extraordinary...cheers to the world and it's beautiful people.

"If we are not fully ourselves, truly in the present moment, we miss everything."

     Good ol' Thich Nhat Hanh stated the above saying. It has been very persistent with my mood lately. This year has been one of extreme learning experiences and I can soundly say I am very happy and with peace in many aspects of my life. I suppose my new years resolution was to really take everything as it came to me and not to keep persisting on the future to make myself happy. In the final meeting for Tanzania, we discussed our "colors" that correspond to our personality in regards to characteristics, how others perceive us, and our stressors. This really put things into perspective to me. It helped me realize, yeah I come off as rude sometimes, and maybe say some things out loud I should not say, but hey we all have flaws. What is important, is that we realize them and understand why we do certain things we do.

     In regards to summer vacation, it has certain had a solid start, to say the least ha. I have met and bonded with some incredible people, even just this past semester. Those people you look back and think...is this real? WHY have we not been friends our whole lives? Goes to show, there are amazing people everywhere we look, walk, talk, and eat. We are just lucky when they stumble into our lives unexpectedly.
Speaking of amazing people, going home in about eight days. . . fantastic. Some of the most beautiful, inspirational, and interesting people live within a ten minute walk of my house in MA. These real friendships have been going strong for almost my entire life and I love these people so much. Considering I do not have much family in this country, I can safely say they are my family and I have no idea how my life would be without them.

     A good friend once told me "You are the reason I wake up every morning" (she will remain nameless because of her blackout status). Jesus christ, it is true though. Reflecting about our relationships with others and why and how we connect is very important in just understanding ourselves. . . and if it were not for all of the connections I have made with these other human beings, then I could of never understood why I am the way I am, why I do what I do, and why I think the way I think. Thank you, and happy summer :)

Roma!

Although it is the end of March, I felt before my memory is filled with old age and dementia, I would write about my trip to Rome this Spring. Ah, just magical (as Alyssa would put it). No big deal, "monumentally pre gamed"....Trevi Foundtain, the Pantheon, you know the usual? That was a typical night...just roaming Rome (no pun intended) with boxed wine costing close to one euro that was NOT like Franzia..no bag slapping necessary. Well, the minute I was off the plane, Alyssa (the greatest host /friend ever) met me and greeted me with the greatest sense of warmth and compassion to let me enter her exciting new life in Italy. Wow...the sights, the smells, the food, the people, the drinks, the LOVE- just indescribable. Typical sunday morning started with some crack coffee...I'm almost out...too addicted ...so sad :(...anyways, yes then...went to the Vatican, saw the Pope, listened to him speak his insightful words in many languages (including English). Feeling empowered, we go off to galavant and explore the city ( which had begun the moment I stepped off the plane and did not end until I was back in Vermont). So much self-exploring and exploring with Alyssa and some of her friends including Lo (shout out :)!) . .. espeically to our last night at the authentic restaurant, that was just PERFECT. Gelato I miss you so, towards the end of the trip it was a twice a day occurrence to have some gelato. It was perfection in a cone.

In conclusion: Italy- a place of beautiful people who may seem rugged on the outside and so loud and full of life, are the sweetest people. . . I think one night I compared them to Fererro Rocher chocolates. Roma- a city of smiles and celebration (not to mention Carnival was going on all week - which was full of amazing spectacles and parades!), a city of history and ancestry, a city that brought me back to Vermont with the clearest mind ever. One place, so much beauty and culture- makes me want to explore all the cultures our world has to offer. Great people are everywhere, we just need to find them, some of them are right under our noses and we may not even know it.

Procrastination is Key!

Snowy Saturday in Burlington (Two weeks ago)

Ah yes procrastination, the college student's guide to life . I should be doing a research proposal, BUT I am too into the hype machine right now...Diamond Message's "Liquid Summer." The track and title just make me want summer tremendously....

Either way it is nights like this that really make me evaluate my life, which I do all too often. My issue is I love spontaneity and doing things in the moment, but I think too much of the future in doing so. Is the future something that should not be planned at all? Should I just be rolling with the punches (which happened earlier in kickboxing which totally kicked my ass) or go with the flow? I do not consider myself neurotic, but sometimes I just look forward to so much and believe I will accomplish it all eventually, I don't think there's anything wrong with that!

Current status : Nine days until Rome :) I am so ridiculously excited to see Alyssa and galavant the stone cobbled, ancient streets of one of the world's most epic cities.

Tomorrow: Thursday, get shit done day.

Friday: I get to see Keller (long lost Amiga livin' in the boonies)..and it's the beginning of the weekend ! Wooooop.

Also, this past weekend, went home to MA, saw Steve Aoki, shit was EPIC. Danced my pants off with Pho & visited dear old Becca afterwards. I love being home. I always feel like such a kid, rewound back into time with friends from Preschool/Kindergarden. Strange how our bonds have stayed so strong over the years, and it is people like them that will never leave my side...and I know that for a fact.

Nice n' sweaty after dancing and being pushed and shoved for a couple hours.

Happy Hump Day !

Sunday Funday

Flannel & 40sFiesta -Last weekend

Hello hello!

Sundays, the worst and best day of the week! I love being relaxed on Sunday nights, but waking up this morning with the worst anxiety about the day's/ upcoming week's chores does not solve anything. No reason to fret I suppose, because stuff will get done if one wants to get stuff done, and guess what? The stuff did get done! Laundromats-- one of the most interesting places you could go to. The vast array of people you run into and meet. One week I met this carpenter from Florida. He was probably around 70. He opened up my eyes to the things I am complaining of now just are of nuisance. He really put into perspective that once you put your mind on something, you can totally do it! I have 100% belief in that saying. What stops us? Life's hardships? Yes of course, we run into obstacles almost everyday. Whether these obstacles are small or big....they are there that is for sure. Are we going to live in these obstacles and sulk? Heck no. We cannot do such a thing; time is precious and too short to waste. We need to act now. This brings me to my recent infatuation with Couchsurfing and WorkAway websites. Ahhhhh...the joys  of traveling, adventuring, and experiencing what the rest of the world holds for a human from New England. Speaking of traveling...Italy is now on the list for places to travel that is actually happening! I am visiting a friend in Rome over Spring Break...very excited :) ...especially after just watching "Eat, Pray, Love."

Goodnight World .

Music

What is it about music, dance, and moving your body that makes one SO happy? ENDORPHINS ALRIGHT that's definitely it. AH I LOVE IT. John Lennon & the Beatles, Bobby Blue Bland, Amy Whinehouse, ahhh musica i love you and never leave because you make me so happy. African dancing, first timer here- do it ! It is amazing. Four months left....

Peace and Love .