Adding to the List

"Travel Light - prejudice and preconception are unnecessary baggage" - Unknown



I've posted my list before on here and I've found some new places to go. So I'm updating it here. Hopefully the next time I update, it'll be to cross some off as well.

1. Visit the world's only pub inside a tree (South Africa)
2. Eat at Giolitti - one of the oldest, family owned gelateries in Rome (Italy)
3. "Fly" through the rainforest (Costa Rica)
4. Stay in an Ice Hotel (Norway)
5. Stay on a working dude Ranch (USA)
6. Go on an African Safari (Kenya)
7. Visit the Outback (Australia)
8. Hiek Cinque Terre (Italy)
9. Go Dog Sledding (Sweden)
10. See the Northern Lights (Sweden)
11. Ice Skate in Rockefeller Center (USA)
12. Walk the Great Wall (China)
13. Eat Sushi (Japan)
14. Deliver postcards from the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)
15. Ski the Swiss Alps (Switzerland)
16. Christmas at the Biltmore (USA)
17. Camp at the Carvaza Gas Crater (Turkmenistan)
18. Visit the other Georgia (Georgia)
19. Drink wine in Bordeaux (France)
20. Dive off the Great Barrier Reef (Australia)
21. Watch the Changing of the Guards (England)
22. See the Running of the Bulls (Spain)
23. Sail the Strait of Gibraltar (Spain/Morocco)
24. Ride a Camel (Egypt)
25. Ride the Orient Express (Eastern Europe)
26. Celebrate Oktoberfest (Germany)
27. Celebrate Carnival (Brazil)
28. See elephants paint (Thailand)
29. Tour the Sewers (France)
30. Learn Spanish (Spain)
31. Walk Abbey Road (England)
32. Hike Brooks Range (Alaska)
33. Celebrate Easter at St. Peter's (Italy)
34. Ride the Moscow to St. Petersburg wide gauge railroad (Russia)
35. See the Gigantic Carved heads of Easter Island (Polynesia)
36. Play Blackjack in Monte Carlo (Monoaco)
37. Float down the Amazon (South America)
38. Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Dublin (Ireland)
39. Trek through Karakoram (Eastern Europe)
40. Snowmobile (Finland)
41. Sit on the Lawn at Wimbledon (England)
42. Walkt the fabled Bund in Shanghai (China)
43. Take cooking classes in Paris (France)
44. Shop the makret at Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)
45. Watch the sunset over Machu Picchu (Peru)
46. Take Surfing Lesson (Australia)
47. Take the Chunnel from London to Paris or vice versa (England)
48. Eat street food in Bangkok (Thailand)
49. Ride the train down the Malaysian penisnsula from Bangleole to Kuala Lumpur (Asia)
50. Journey along the Silk Road (China)
51. See the Acropolis of Athens in the moonlight (Greece)
52. Tour the ruins of the "rose-red city" (Jordan)
53. Ride the Chihuahua-Pacifico railroad (Mexico)
54. Swim with the dolphines (New Zealand)
55. Spend Bastille Day in Paris (France)
56. See Stonehenge (England)
57. Attend a Venice Biennale Art Exhibit (Italy)
58. Fish for wild trout (Scotland)
59. Shop the yearly sale at Harrod's department store (England)
60. Sail into the harbor of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
61. Stand at the Wailing Wall (Jerusalem)
62. Visit Peace City in Hiroshima (Japan)
63. Visit the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg (Russia)
64. See the Royal Jewels (England)
65. Walk Milford Track (New Zealand)
66. See the Sydney Opera House (Australia)
67. Taste vintage Port (Portugal)
68. See Angel Falls (Venezuala)
69. Snorkel Bora Bora (Polynesia)
70. Walk the Hall of Mirrors (France)
71. Climb the Harbor Bridge (Australia)
72. Tour the Kremlin (Russia)
73. See the Viking ruins & runes (Greenland)
74. Watch the sunset from Capitoline Hill (Italy)
75. Visit the Valley of the Kings (Egypt)
76. Ride through the Panama Cannal (Panama)
77. See the remains of the Berlin Wall (Germany)
78. See the Rosetta Stone (England)
79. Stand amoung the Tulips (Holland)
80. See the fountains of Vill d'Este (Italy)
81. Ride double-decker buses around London (England)
82. Hike the Grand Canyon (USA)
83. Visit Lake Baikal (Russia)
84. Visit the Turtle Sanctuary (Seychelles-Africa)
85. See the David (Italy)
86. Tour Jane Austen's country (England)
87. See the Flamingos at the Lake Ngorongoro Crater (Tanzania)
88. Float the Sepik River (Papus New Guinea)
89. See the hieroglyphoc stairway in Copan (Honduras)
90. Set foor on the Ho Chi Minh Trail (Vietnam)
91. Drive on the Autobahn (Germany)
92. See the Danube (Czech Republic)
93. See the Great Sphinx (Egypt)
94. Visit the Blue Mosque (Turkey)
95. See the Paelolithic art in the Caves of Altamira (Spain)
96. Eat Limburger cheese in Limburg (Belgium)
97. Stand on the grounds of the first Olympics (Greece)
98. Tour the Baja (Mexico)
99. Take a class at Oxford (England)
100. Stand at the beaches of Normandy (France)
101. Drink a Manhattan in Manhattan (USA)
102. Swim with the Whale Sharks on Isla Holbox (Mexico)
103. Experience Vaugan Town (Spain)
104. Protect the Sea Turtles' Nesting Grounds (Greece)
105. Kayak the Galapagos (South America)
106. View Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe)
107. Hike the Incan Trail (South America)
108. Eat my way through the Iowa State Fair (USA)
109. Pet a Hemingway cat in Key West (USA)
110. Cross a glacier on foot (USA)
111. Visit the Spanish Riding School of Vienna (Austria)
112. Watch the races of the Il Palio Festival (Italy)

So the new ones added are in green and the ones (only 2, sigh) are in italics.... one day, one day.

What I'm Reading

"The future depends on what we do in the Present." Mahatma Ghandi


Haven't done this in a while so I thought I'd show other bloggers some love... there's a lot of talented and inspiring people out there. And I enjoy reading their stories. It makes me more confident in sharing mine. So here are my latest loves and discoveries:

Camels & Chocolate - A fellow southern belle who has itchy feet and figured out early how to make it a job. I love her stories, her energy and her pictures. Her site will make you want to jump on the next plane and go to some deserted island for days.

He Loves Me Not - Another lady who inspires me and alwasy has me rooting for her. Her raw emotions and honest reveals touch me and I find myself wondering how she's doing the day. Funny how the internet provides those "connections".

50% Chance of Rain - Amazing Photographer, Amazing Pictures. I turn green with envy when I visit his site. I wish I had an ounce of his talent.

Just What I See - This is a new site for me. The site features the iphone street photography of Greg Schmigel. Very cool perspective and I love it. I haven't done much photography with my iphone but that's my next step.

So Caroline Says Another new find. I love this girl's view of the world. She's got a great sense of humor and more going for her than she thinks. Another one I silently root for through out the day.

Almost Fearless A lady who knows how to kick ass and I'd bet does it with whatever she sets her mind too. Great travel stories, Business tips, and Gorgeous Pics. Plus she just had a cutie kid and who doesn't admire a working mama?

So there you have it. Sites I'm visiting and peeps I'm cheering on and others who inspire & motivate me. They've got something to say so visit them and enjoy their stories, learn from them and realize we're all way more alike than different.

Changing Directions

"If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there" - Lewis Carroll



Sometimes it's hard to know what's right. Sometimes, it's hard to know how one seemingly small decision can drive the direction your life will go in. And then other times, you can know life doesn't feel right, doesn't feel good or motivating but you can see no other options. Or you feel like you have to 'suck it up' for a while before you can make a change.

And that's where I've been for a while now... where I am in my life isn't good and isn't making me happy but I haven't know what to do about it. But I've made the decision to change my job and I've until the end of September to make something... anything... happen. And I'm open to suggestion.

I have several ideas... I can go back to school. I can go back to an earlier passion. Or I can explore some new ideas and/or passions. All would be tough and require a lot of me and be big changes. But I'm so excited to change my life. I've been happier in the last 48 hours than I have been in months just knowing I don't have to do my old job ever again. My neck and shoulders are slowly starting to loosen from the stress I normally carry there and the other aches & pains of my job are also slowly disappearing. And it's so nice to know I won't be feeling those again. It's a good feeling tonight. Very peaceful.

In my mind, I have long walks and yoga classes planned for my week ahead while knowing that's not necessarily what's going to happen. Being able to structure my days again is such a freeing feeling for me and I'm excited to leave for vacation this weekend without being exhausted. For the past couple of years, I've spent the first 24 hours or so of every vacation sleeping off the job. Hopefully, this time, I'll just be spending my time working on my tan.

So things... they are a changing... and it's a good thing. Taking control of my life feels good and moving forward, I won't lose it again.

My Mouth

"Those who know do not talk; those who talk do not know" - Turkish Proverb

If there was one thing I could change about my self, it would be my gift of gab. I would learn to think before I speak... I would realize people aren't always interested in what I think/know/have to say... I would censor myself... I would become an introvert.

Oh, how I wish.

I need to be quiet... and yet, it's a vital part of my personality and a part of my process to purge the thoughts from my head. Clears it out, helps me analyze and realize my true feelings. In so many ways, this is a good thing for me.

But, sometimes, like now, it's not always a good thing for the people who come in contact with me or deal with me on a daily basis - Sometimes my "healthy" venting is hurtful to others. In other words, I talk "BIG".

I'm not a mean person and I wouldn't purposefully hurt someone else's feelings. Yet, I seem to do it all the time. And I regret it every time. Yet, it never seems to stop me from opening my mouth. I never seem to learn my lesson and think about what I'm doing or saying before I speak.

Like now. I'm working with an older lady for an event and she constantly calls me at work, to discuss a non-work related project. And I have to politely tell her I can't talk and to let me call her back and that I can't discuss it over store lines, etc. It's rather awkward for me. And to boot, she's a customer. A good customer. So I can't offend her but I also can't spend work time working on this nor can I tie up a store line for something not related to business. So I vent about it to a mutual acquaintance and I'm 99% positive it gets back to her. And to her husband. Friends, customers, people who I respect and wouldn't want to hurt... ugh. It hurts to write this. It hurts to think my words hurt someone else. And I'm in a bad spot - if I apologize, then I admit to saying it and could possibly make it worse.

So maybe this will be the time, maybe I'll finally learn to keep my mouth shut - my opinions, thoughts and frustrations to myself. Or at least to myself until I talk to the boy (he won't repeat it to anyone else). Well, here's hoping anyways.

SWOOSH!!!

"Time is free, but it is priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it you can never get it back." - Harvey MacKay

And I feel like I have so little of it... the days and weeks are flying by. Already August is almost halfway over and I feel like it's just barely started.

I like being busy... I am a joiner and I like being involved and having something beyond my daily job... however, right now, it's a little out of control. And I feeling fatigued. Which for someone who struggles with sleeping, that's a double wammy. I lay awake at night, thinking about all I have to get done, instead of sleeping to restore my body so I'm able to do those things the next morning.

So, life keeps moving on and it's taking me with it, kicking and screaming.

Over the last few weeks, I've worked alot and played alot, thought alot and planned alot, then dreamed even more. As I'm able to make some of those plans and dreams more concrete and bring them to life, I'll share more of them.

But here's what I have to look forward to in the near future (in chronological order):

1. 2 year old's birthday party in Knoxville, TN
2. Week long trip to St. George Island, Florida with some of my hometown favorites
3. Nephew's 3 year old birthday party in Gulfport, Mississippi (I love spelling that out)
4. Weekend at a cabin in the Mountains with The Boy
5. Family week at the Riverhouse
6. Tickets to Vandy vs. UGA
7. Producing my first play with our local theater

And I'm sure there's more. Excited for it all, challenged by my work, and expecting the best. My life keeps moving, pulling me along and I'm determined to enjoy it all.

And Then...

"A man who dares waste one hour of time has not discovered life." - Charles Darwin

For the past couple of years, I've been searching for something... something to motivate me, something to give me purpose, something to make me feel complete. I couldn't quite put my finger on what I wanted and I couldn't quite define what I needed. I moved states and then moved back home again... I quit jobs, applied to schools and researched multiple options but nothing seemed quite right and everything seemed forced.

But this feeling, this need seemed to constantly grow and feed off of my unhappiness which only seemed to make me more unhappy and angry about everything in my life. I've tried different things - exercise programs, joining community groups, buying a house, adopting a dog, and planning trips. But nothing seemed to be right - nothing seemed to work.

For as long as I can remember, I was basically told what I should I do... My life was very planned out: do well in school, go to good college and get a good job. No one every really offered any other options... No one every really told me how to choose a good job and how to make it fit me. I don't think I'm the only one who has this problem... Most of my friends have changed jobs by now, especially sine we hit the 30 age range.

And I've allowed myself to drown in this confusion. Until recently. Until I determined I had the ability and the control to make myself happy. This seems so obvious but recognizing I have the control and taking control are two totally different things. And it seems that's what I've done. I've taken control of my thoughts, my actions and my emotions. Instead of letting them rule me, I'm deciding how to feel and what to do. Now, I seem to be back to my old self, laughing more, wanting more, dreaming more and making more happen.

Without doing a thing other than realizing I control my future. It's a great thing to know.

Although, I do have to give a little credit to the words Camryn Manheim wrote herself:

The thing is, Camryn, life isn't a dress rehearsal. We don't get any do-overs. You've got to mkae the days count - all of them.
So go kick some ass. Don't take no for an answer. Work hard, play hard, fight hard, and love hard. Break some rules and raise a little hell. And as the end of every day, ask yourself if you have any regrets. I guarantee you, you will rarely regret the things you did do, and mostly regret the things you didn't do. So do it. Do it all. Learn French.* Get a piano. Write your one-person show. Fall in love more often. Love the journey, not just the result.

*Notice the french lessons... It's definitely a reoccuring theme in my life lately.

Slacking

"I like the word 'indolence'. It makes my laziness seem classy" - Bern Williams



I wish it is because I am a slacker that I'm not getting anything done in my life, but mainly it's because I've allowed my job to consume and overwhelm all other areas. Leaving no time for me, my hobbies, or laundry. And yes, I'm whining again. Soon, I will have a new theme.



So today, while I'm at work, I'm doing my stuff. Hiding in my office, not adhearing to dress code (due to the laundry) and doing my stuff at work instead of work during my time. So far, I like it. I may need to do this more often... Acutally, I'm trading off - a little work then a lot of me. It's a nice balance.



I was reminded of a goal this past weekend... Hiking the Appalachian Trail. From Georgia to Maine. 2175 miles of putting one foot in front of the other to accomplish your goal. To reach the end result. The metaphor is SCREAMING at me. Anyone else hear it? I remember standing in a sporting goods store my senior year of college in Nashville, talking with a sale associate about the trail and how I wanted to hike it. He said, 'why not go now?' and I had so many reasons why not... and 10 years later, I can't find validity in any of them. Especially since I don't feel as though I've accomplished anything "fabulous"...

So I spent the rest of the day making goals and steps to make these things happen for me. I'm feeling a little caught in my present situation but optimistic I can make my life into what I want it to be.