Thursday, January 31, 2013

Why do I live in Pennsylvania again?



Exactly one month ago today, I was Jet Skiing around Key West going about 47 mph, soaking up the sun and taking in the magnificence of the Island. I had one of the best times of my life! There is nothing quite like being out on the open water reaching top speeds and witnessing sheer beauty all at the same time. We even got lucky because not once, but twice we encountered dolphins on our tour and they swam right up to us, well right up to Neil, they almost got close enough for him to touch!  In that moment I felt so blessed to be in this beautiful place with the man I love soaking up God's gifts to earth. If our first day wasn't good enough, we made it around the Island just in time to watch the beautiful sunset, and it couldn't have been a better way to end our day in paradise. The rest of the week was just as amazing, we traveled up The Keys in our cherry red corvette convertible, (would you expect anything else?) seeking out our next adventure while enjoying the stunning views of the islands and taking in the cool breeze. We Snorkeled in Key Largo, and the water was as clear as glass, I never saw anything quite like it! There were thousands of fish right at our fingertips, I felt like Ariel from the Little Mermaid, except not as graceful in the water as she was. I'm pretty sure when I first got jumped into the water I thought I was going to drown, but I quickly got it together! 
The next day we went out on an Eco tour of the Everglades and it was so amazing to travel through the Mangrove trees out in the middle of the ocean. Our boat was barely big enough to fit through the canals. It was like these trees had a mind of their own, the way they grow and intertwine with one another is amazing. It was so peaceful in there, and we actually came across "Manny" the manatee.  He came right up to the boat, and Neil touched him! I was beginning to think he was some kind of animal whisperer after both the dolphin and manatee encounter. On our fourth night we hopped in the vette and traveled up to Miami. I felt so glamorous pulling up to dinner in our rented convertible :). We went to a small sushi spot called Maiko,  where we popped a bottle of Moet and ordered the most sushi two people could ever eat in one sitting! It was delicious; although I must note that The Fish Market in Pittsburgh has the best sushi ever!! Anyways, Miami was everything I expected it to be, it was flashy and there were tons of tourists! Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I was really rich. That night after we drove back to Key Largo, we sat in the hammock outside of our hotel room and just enjoyed the sounds of nature. At that moment I felt so at peace, nothing could bring me down. Unfortunately the week had to come to an end, just as we left the temperature dropped and the wind picked up, it was like it knew we were leaving. We left Key West it was 70 degrees and when we landed in Pennsylvania it was 20 degrees. I can't help but ask myself why I live in PA when it's summer all year round in The Keys.

Monday, January 14, 2013

I'ts almost over, it's almost over.......Wait, HOLD UP!!

As I enter the final semester of my college career, I cannot be any more thrilled to say that I'll be done soon! You can say I'm suffering from a severe case of Senoritis; yet, as happy as I am that it'll soon be over, I fear for the next chapter of my life! I suppose this is a normal emotion that almost everyone feels upon graduation, right? The real world is a scary place! 
Now days a bachelor's degree isn't even good enough, more and more college graduates are going back to school to get their masters degree simply because they can't find jobs. 
Perfect, let me throw myself into more debt so I can "maybe" secure a job. It's hard to say if it's all worth it or not. It's sad that I have to revolve my life around work , what's that old saying, " Live to work, or work to live."  I suppose that is the whole point, we're supposed to find something that we love to do and pursue it, therefore it's not work. 
I guess I haven't experienced enough things in life, because I still struggle to find that one thing to pursue.Sure, I can just settle for an entry level position at some corporate giant and watch my life slowly melt away but that sounds awful! 
I know one thing for sure, I've been having the traveling itch, and I really need to scratch it..(Not sure if that makes sense)..Anyways, In my mind and on paper I've planned hundreds of trips all around the world. Everything from hiking in the Red Wood Forrest in northern California, to tanning topless in the south of France! Oops, I said it! My point is, there is way more to life then sitting behind a desk five days out of the week for eternity. People need to start living more and worrying less about the burdens of a deadbeat job! I know what you're thinking, easier said then done, which is usually what I tend to think, until I remember something that a wise man once said, "Don't worry about a thing, cause every little thing is gonna be alright."