July --->Language
*Study either Spanish or Italian each day for at least fifteen minutes
*Incorporate language more in my daily life
Oh Boy! I flopped big time in this department :( I must and absolutely must start studying Italian again. I did travel in July which by virtue of necessary conversation and survival I learned some French and quickly learned I cannot speak Spain Spanish due to the thick lisp. I just was unable to decipher much of anything and we became the tourist who asks for the translated menu. But in France we got along pretty well and I am certain it is because I did not know much of any French thus not assuming I understood when people spoke.
But I love Italian, I love the sound, I love the way words are written and when we go to Italy I want to speak Italian. I want to read the menus and venue information and understand.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
June----> Travel
June --->Travel
*Embrace traveling and see Spain
*Travel with purpose - never forget that it is a journey and an observation
To travel is living. I absolutely love to travel. Even when the trip seems less than pleasant I'd still rather be traveling. I feel the most me when I travel (whatever that actually means) and I feel free. My desire is equivalent to my need for oxygen. My body breaks down during a dormant period and I become antsy and aggravating and unpleasant to be around. I know this happens and thus I try my darndest to travel when I can.
I am an avid travel photographer and spend most of my time in another place behind the camera. But I always take moments to not photograph certain things and just observe with every fiber of my being that I can muster where I am, the smells and sounds, the colors, the shapes, the language. I try at best to embrace the environment and feel the pulse of the area. Every city has a distinct pulse and I want to define my map in such a way. For instance, New York City is a magical city, the awe-inspiring bustle and character seduce you and you fall madly in love; Chicago is a green city, a place of amazing architecture in substance but to me lacking in the love buzz that New York releases; Los Angeles is a city of dreams and all things West, in LA you can enter the fantasyland of Hollywood and Beverly Hills and take a drive down to Huntington Beach all in the course of a day; New Orleans is a city of home, you are welcome whenever and for as long as you please, there is always an extra bowl of gumbo and a cold beer waiting, the trolleys will welcome you to cruise beautifully oak lined streets from multi-million dollar homes to project ridden areas and all the way to the Riverfront, you will always have NOLA in your heart; I want to know what cities are like all around the world.
In June I did not travel to Spain but in July I did and I loved the experience. I also went to Paris. Douglas and I landed in Paris on Bastille Day and stayed for 7 nights at an amazing apartment we rented on HomeAway.com. We relished in the sights of Paris. We walked the streets til we were so tired we nearly collapsed to sleep at night. We would wake early and select a new arrondissement to explore. We took the train to Versailles and for one magical day we were exported to heaven. We laid on the lawn near the canal and succumbed to the ecstasy of the sight before us. The Palace was breathtaking, the gardens immaculate and the weather impeccable.
We continued our amazing trip in Spain. We stayed in Madrid for six nights and explored the city. We took a train further north one morning to El Escorial and toured the monastery. Spain was unexpected. I loved the safety and vibrancy of the city but I missed the fulfillment of life I felt in Paris. We braved the masses and attended a BullFight and though the evident massacre of the animal was more than I wanted to see, it was amazing to be a part of the culture. To see the enthusiastic audience cheer and shout for the town favorite was an enjoyable spectacle. We returned home as different people. People who are more accepting of others and cultural traditions. We returned wanting more.
To view images from our trip visit my 365 project :)
http://365project.org/alinataylor/365/2010-09-05
*Embrace traveling and see Spain
*Travel with purpose - never forget that it is a journey and an observation
To travel is living. I absolutely love to travel. Even when the trip seems less than pleasant I'd still rather be traveling. I feel the most me when I travel (whatever that actually means) and I feel free. My desire is equivalent to my need for oxygen. My body breaks down during a dormant period and I become antsy and aggravating and unpleasant to be around. I know this happens and thus I try my darndest to travel when I can.
I am an avid travel photographer and spend most of my time in another place behind the camera. But I always take moments to not photograph certain things and just observe with every fiber of my being that I can muster where I am, the smells and sounds, the colors, the shapes, the language. I try at best to embrace the environment and feel the pulse of the area. Every city has a distinct pulse and I want to define my map in such a way. For instance, New York City is a magical city, the awe-inspiring bustle and character seduce you and you fall madly in love; Chicago is a green city, a place of amazing architecture in substance but to me lacking in the love buzz that New York releases; Los Angeles is a city of dreams and all things West, in LA you can enter the fantasyland of Hollywood and Beverly Hills and take a drive down to Huntington Beach all in the course of a day; New Orleans is a city of home, you are welcome whenever and for as long as you please, there is always an extra bowl of gumbo and a cold beer waiting, the trolleys will welcome you to cruise beautifully oak lined streets from multi-million dollar homes to project ridden areas and all the way to the Riverfront, you will always have NOLA in your heart; I want to know what cities are like all around the world.
In June I did not travel to Spain but in July I did and I loved the experience. I also went to Paris. Douglas and I landed in Paris on Bastille Day and stayed for 7 nights at an amazing apartment we rented on HomeAway.com. We relished in the sights of Paris. We walked the streets til we were so tired we nearly collapsed to sleep at night. We would wake early and select a new arrondissement to explore. We took the train to Versailles and for one magical day we were exported to heaven. We laid on the lawn near the canal and succumbed to the ecstasy of the sight before us. The Palace was breathtaking, the gardens immaculate and the weather impeccable.
We continued our amazing trip in Spain. We stayed in Madrid for six nights and explored the city. We took a train further north one morning to El Escorial and toured the monastery. Spain was unexpected. I loved the safety and vibrancy of the city but I missed the fulfillment of life I felt in Paris. We braved the masses and attended a BullFight and though the evident massacre of the animal was more than I wanted to see, it was amazing to be a part of the culture. To see the enthusiastic audience cheer and shout for the town favorite was an enjoyable spectacle. We returned home as different people. People who are more accepting of others and cultural traditions. We returned wanting more.
To view images from our trip visit my 365 project :)
http://365project.org/alinataylor/365/2010-09-05
Sunday, September 12, 2010
May----> Organization
May --->Organization
*Clear out physical, emotional and mental clutter
*Create space
*Have one empty shelf
Clearing out physical clutter "can" be easy and is much simpler to deal with than the emotional and mental crap we carry around day after day, year after year. I live in a limited space world. I have less than 800 sq ft of living space and two kids. We always seem to have more crap than we need and there are books and paper all over the place. I will not part with the books! I keep trying to devise a wall to maintain the chaos that ensues with books littering even the tiniest of tables but ultimately I think I will need bookshelves lining all walls and only then where there be a place for all the books. I failed at my attempt to have an empty shelf. Unless of course the tiny miniature shelf that tops of my key hook counts? If so, I have a clear shelf :)
Creating space in my heart and mind and literally my lungs is vital. I am constantly shuffling my cranium files to store the best new book I am reading, or to shift through the strange acts of my teenager [OMG I have a teenager- like full-fledged teen], correcting my little girl without tramping her spirit and imagination, or listening to the internal conversation that is taking place so I don't instantly eat my words once uttered in conversation with loved ones. Seriously, there is lots going on there. And thus necessary to do a clean sweep. I am allowing myself not to brood and to brood when needed and necessary. There are times when it is refreshing to climb in bed with Ben & Jerry and cry my eyes out while watching TLC. But I also need to get up and stretch and raise my heart rate because working out feels great too.
For me, organization is a balancing act. Taken too far and I am seen as controlling and OCD but not taken serious enough and I am out of control and a slob. Thus, the quest for balance continues. I must admit clean counters and the smell of a clean home makes me happy :)
*Clear out physical, emotional and mental clutter
*Create space
*Have one empty shelf
Clearing out physical clutter "can" be easy and is much simpler to deal with than the emotional and mental crap we carry around day after day, year after year. I live in a limited space world. I have less than 800 sq ft of living space and two kids. We always seem to have more crap than we need and there are books and paper all over the place. I will not part with the books! I keep trying to devise a wall to maintain the chaos that ensues with books littering even the tiniest of tables but ultimately I think I will need bookshelves lining all walls and only then where there be a place for all the books. I failed at my attempt to have an empty shelf. Unless of course the tiny miniature shelf that tops of my key hook counts? If so, I have a clear shelf :)
Creating space in my heart and mind and literally my lungs is vital. I am constantly shuffling my cranium files to store the best new book I am reading, or to shift through the strange acts of my teenager [OMG I have a teenager- like full-fledged teen], correcting my little girl without tramping her spirit and imagination, or listening to the internal conversation that is taking place so I don't instantly eat my words once uttered in conversation with loved ones. Seriously, there is lots going on there. And thus necessary to do a clean sweep. I am allowing myself not to brood and to brood when needed and necessary. There are times when it is refreshing to climb in bed with Ben & Jerry and cry my eyes out while watching TLC. But I also need to get up and stretch and raise my heart rate because working out feels great too.
For me, organization is a balancing act. Taken too far and I am seen as controlling and OCD but not taken serious enough and I am out of control and a slob. Thus, the quest for balance continues. I must admit clean counters and the smell of a clean home makes me happy :)
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