What Do You Want?

I started the day by checking out other blogs on the website. I just scrolled from one to the next seeing what they were all about. So many are about Jesus and God and all of the religious side; I guess I am more about spirituality than the religion, but it still was a bit weird to see so many of the blogs focusing on that aspect of life.

Since I am in the kind of reflective mood that I have been accustom to getting in after a hard day or long year, I figured I would share what I am hoping to get out of my travels. As I have noted before (and all of you who know me) I am a worrier. I cannot help it, perhaps it is the teacher in me, but I must plan, plan, plan, execute, and adapt. I am hoping that through my travels I learn to do a little less planning and a bit more living. I know I am not doing any of this now, I mean I am still in America, and have the time, so I shall plan away...

I know I work too much and too hard, I think I get it from my grandmother and father. If something can be done, it will be done now, well and right. I don't mind spending long hours planning things because I know that it will pay off. What it takes away from is time for yourself and your life!

My first year in Georgia was the first time that I was living with Justin. It was a great experience but I worked so hard and barely saw him. It was my first year teaching and I was putting in 12 hour days but we still had time to do things and spend time with each other. The next year, Justin got a job in New Mexico and I was left alone. I sometimes wish that it had been reversed as my second year was so much easier. Perhaps it was the second year of teaching, knowing the school and what was expected, having a lot of the tools/materials, or just the fact that now I was teaching 7th grade (which was easier material than 8th). I had energy (and time) to go out much more often. I am hoping that my next job will be 7th so that I will still have energy to spend time living with Justin. Pulling it back to my trip, I know that Europeans in general have a more relaxed way of life and I hope to bring that back with me. Part of the reason I want to stay in France for the majority of the time is to really soak in their culture. I mean three months will not be enough to brainwash me into this new laissez-faire lifestyle. You know that kind of feeling where you know that you could be doing so much stuff, sight-seeing, exploring, etc. and you decide to find a nice little restaurant, grab a cup of sweet tea and just sit...that is what I hope to really get reinforced in France. I got a little bit of that my second year in Georgia. Perhaps it was my friend who always went out with me, but I think I am not spoiled with good food and time to sit and soak up the sun.

I love meeting new people. To hear their stories, to get their perspectives and opinions, to see things from another point of view...it just amazes me that you can live so close (or so far away) and have so much in common (or not). When I have a problem or situation that occurs I often ask for everyone's opinion (except my mom, she gets offended if I don't take her advice). I just like to hear what others would do and why. Sometimes I know there is no way that I will follow their advice, or that they don't get my situation fully, but when they explain their reasoning, I am sometimes still able to take something away from what they think.

Food. Food is delicious, I am in love with it. It breaks my heart during the school year when I get home and am too tired to cook. In college I would cook everything I needed for the week and freeze it. Each day I would have a fresh, delicious delight. Living with a guy, it is not so easy to do that. Not to mention that I do not want to spend my whole Sunday in the kitchen when I can be out for a stroll with the best company in the world. The books that I have read about Provence always mention food and I cannot wait! Perhaps it will be a bit full bodied and hard to take, but I will work my way up to it. I just feel that the French truly get that deliciousness is worth time, money, effort. This paragraph does not do food justice, but when I am in France, I am sure better words will come to me.

If you could travel any one place in the world for three months or one year, where would it be? Why would you want to go there and what would you want to get out of it?