August's Almost Over....and it's almost the tenth anniversary of 9/11

Below is one email I found between college roommate and ROTC buddy, Kate, and I while we were both deployed in Iraq (but at different bases).  Re-reading our exchange, six years later to the day, gave me chills.  If you’d like to provide feedback on the impact the wars have made on our generation, please do so; I'm curious to hear what people think about some of the comments Kate and I made.  I ask, though, that you take into account where Kate and I were coming from at that point in our lives, as well as respect the fallen, those who have served who’ve been injured, and those who came back home “healthy” but forever hold something different in their hearts that only other Veterans can understand.  Thank you.

30 August 2005: via email

"Hendricks 1stLt Katherine M (CE MPBN LNO)" <HendricksKM@cemnf-wiraq.usmc.mil> wrote:

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED

Hi babe. Hope all is well. I have been talking to my pals a lot lately about whether they are getting out or staying in. I am interested to hear everyone’s decisions about staying in/getting out/going reserves. I think no matter what all are going to be quite well educated when done with respective grad schools. I think I may try for a masters while at PI so I do not feel all left out and uneducated! No matter what paths our lives take, I think we can be proud of the first four years here, of the hurdles we jumped to get here. I know I am better for it, and I think we are all irrevocably changed for the better because we joined at this particular juncture. My brother is nervous about coming to Ramadi (one of his IOC pals just died last week) and I wrote him a note to try and make him feel better. The things I said to him apply to you, too. You are one of the people worth knowing because of what you asked of yourself when it mattered. Forgive my cheesiness, but I really respect you J.

Matt, Al Anbar is dangerous. Lots of snipers and IEDs and otherwise bad people. But you cannot walk around here and worry or fear the enemy and their capabilities. You have to walk around like nothing bothers you. IDF goes off near me now and I do not even jump. Trust me when I tell you we have better people, better gear, better drive, bigger guns. I have kind of a fatalist attitude, too. Everytime I leave the wire I think, "well, I am likely not coming back, but that is ok and I will do my best." You kind of have to rationalize the idea of dying out here. If it is meant to happen, you will have done everything as well as you could have done it. That is just how I mitigate fear, everyone has their own way of doing things. You will find your way. I am confident you will stay safe and kill lots of bad guys. I believe in your strength and in your capabilities and those of your marines. Other stuff is just luck, you know?

Keep in touch with family, with Lynn , and just be prepared to put it all in some one else's hands for a time.

Matt there are a lot of people who do not believe in this mission or this war. A lot of the time I am one of them. But the right thing to do is not sit on your tail and be a non-contributor while the country goes to war on the backs of the same kids over and over again. You are not here because any of us care about this desert country, you are here for the Marines next to you, and because you have not forgotten that you owe your country something, that we have a duty to contribute somehow. I am sickened by our peers who are ok living a life of self-actualization and comfort, watch the news with mild interest, then go about their selfish civilian lives. People who live without giving anything of substance back. Matt, I am so proud to be among the people that we are. They are the people worth standing beside and being among. There is risk to being one of them, but the greater risk is living a life where you never offer sacrifice and live as a soul-less "taker". Those people are not worth knowing. I am so proud that you are a person worth knowing, in a lot of ways more than most. Nothing in you has a natural draw to infantry or the Marines, but you did both to contribute and to prove that you could. I respect the hell out of you, and know you are doing the right thing at the right time. You will stay safe, and you will come home knowing that when the time came for our generation to stand up and give something back to the nation that has given us such privilege, you stood. I am proud of you.

 My response: 31Aug2005

Hey kate.  sorry for a bit of a delay getting back to you.  yesterday turned into another legit day at work, and today will be too.  too bad it's only going to get busier, esp. starting in a day or two when we finally, officially RIP with VMU-2.  anyway, thanks for the thoughtful email.  i'm so sorry to hear that one of your brother's friends died.  there've definitely been a lot of young kids from our generation dying premature deaths in this war.  it is hard to explain even to my own family sometimes what we are doing here and that it is important and that we're not perfect but the overall mission is a good one.  anyway...you're right, this war has changed us as individuals and changed us as a generation.  my fear is that it hasnt changed our whole generation as much as we think it has, though.  we see all the effects and know how it's changed people b/c all of our closest friends are in the military....yet my civilian friends just dont have a clue sometimes when it comes to this, though, ya know?  although, some are very interested and like to talk about the issues, so maybe they are being shaped...just differently. 

how's your bro doing?  i bet he's gotta be nervous as hell.  that's gotta be tough to walk into a situation like that.  know that he's got good people looking over him, though...my unit does A LOT of work in Ramadi and I've got some sh*t hot Marines working for me. 

  

alright, keep me posted on when you'll be coming through and keep your head up as you finish up here. you're almost outta here!!! :-)

September 2005, Al Taqaddam Chow Hall
Kate on her way out of Iraq, Me a few weeks into Iraq
(the difference in the color of our cammies gives that away ;) )

A Tuesday Poem

Vino Tinto

Vino tinto on a Tuesday night

Granada beckons

                holds me tight

Alhambra embrace

                foreign lace
Muslim markets, tasty tapas

               pero, que is “grapas”

Me encanta Spain

                I drink it all in

I feel warm here

                I’ll be back again

Footballers handsome,
               olives strong

Night owls walk the streets, 
              and feel I belong

Contentment…ahh…it fills up my soul

                it’s past midnight, time for a stroll

Walk it off, ‘cause I feel the drink

                lovin’ it here: things to see, time to think

Written in Sept '09 while I traveled solo through Spain, as I sat barside, sipping on a glass of red wine on my second night alone in the city of Granada
http://sasapluplu.hubpages.com/hub/Vino-Tinto-A-Poem-About-Granada-Spain?done

Serendipity Strikes Again - Part 2 of Semper Stretch

I just so happened to have already been reading the book Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul by Deepak Chopra before my visit to Virginia, and finished it while I was there.  Reading that book while practicing yoga each day at Flow Yoga was pure providence.  The basic tenets of both the book and the classes reinforced one another beautifully.  As there are basically three sections in a yoga class (the beginning still time, the active practice, and shavasana at the end), there are also three main sections in the book (the first of which emphasizes the body, the second the soul, and the third about how to harmonize the two).  What I read in the final pages of Chopra’s book sounded a lot like what I heard on the mat at Flow; of the ten detailed “Steps to Wholeness” he provides, three were especially similar to yogic principles.

Step One – Nourish Your Light Body.  Chopra wrote, “As you approach each day, consciously channel energy into your vision” which, to me, bespeaks the concept “intention” that is encouraged at the beginning of each yoga session.  Furthermore, his pointers, too, sound like terms I heard during yoga wherein he heartens the reader to be dynamic, loving, creative, spontaneous, playful, knowing, and ever expanding.  Instead of putting these concepts in the box of “only for my individual personal growth,” or thinking this is “only for yoga class,” why don’t we strive to apply these characteristics to all areas of our lives – physically, mentally, and spiritually?

the real Thinker and the wannabe Thinker
Venice Italy, July 2009

Step Three – Commit Yourself to Deeper Awareness.  “In practical terms, when you commit yourself every day to deeper awareness, you are asking for new vision, new beliefs, and a new sense of self.---New vision is creative vision, and you can cultivate it every day.  There is unlimited inspiration hidden inside everyday things, waiting for you to pull it out.”  I read this as – Be inspired by the ordinary! Something is only ordinary (in the boring connotation of that word) if you see it as such.  Open yourself up or else you won’t ever “get” the inspiration you may just be listlessly waiting around for.  A quote from Chopra earlier in the book succinctly summaries what I’m getting at: “Life is perpetually fresh, so your path can be just as fresh.  Otherwise, if you postpone your life waiting for a great and glorious gift to be bestowed, the gift may never come, and your life will be postponed forever.” All of this reminds me, too, of the Biblical passage (Revelation 3:20) where we are told that God does knock at the door of our hearts, but it’s our choice to let Him in or not.  Either way, it’s up to you to decide how you want to open yourself up or not; you cannot blame other people or circumstances for everything because, heck!, even science shows that people who are resilient and successful aren’t people who just lucked out and got everything easy, but are people who seek self-awareness and have an optimistic frame of mind. http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/24/thrive.in.hard.times.enayati/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

Step Six – Relate To Your Body Consciously.  “Relating to your body calls for the same basic attitudes that go into any intimate relationship.  Tending to them every day keeps the relationship healthy.  They are: trust, consideration, honesty, mutual cooperation, and loving appreciation.” Moreover, “the key to the body’s reliability lies in cooperation: only ask for as much as you have given.” Don’t be unreasonable with your body, asking it to do something it is not capable of, and then get mad at it when it can’t perform.  This reminds me of when yoga instructors tell us to be patient with our bodies, listen to them, and don’t push them because there is no right or wrong, good or bad, pose in yoga; it’s more about what you can do that day, there, in that moment, on the mat, and what is good for you that particular session.  Even beyond that, there’s the overarching lifelong respect you should cultivate for your body.  Even someone like me (with half a dozen herniated discs, scoliosis, arthritis, tendonitis, and fibromyalgia by 30) respects and cherishes my body! J  Our body is our temple; let’s treat it as such. Trust and believe that you’ll be living in it for a very long time; don’t assume that it will break down and leave you stranded, or else that will likely become a self-fulfilling prophecy with how closely  mind and body are clearly connected.  Now, I am hardly perfect at this all time, but I’m encouraging myself to do so as much as I am to those of you who are reading this. ;)  Anyway, I wanted to insert one last quote from Chopra on this topic –  “The highest aim in life is the marriage of mind and soul, and since the body links the two, it deserves to be a part of a more perfect union as the years unfold.  If you aim to be more aware, wiser, and more fulfilled in the future, invite your body to join that future as an equal partner.” Your body is the vessel for your mind and soul, so take care of it as deeply as you can.

By the end of my seven straight days of yoga and after completing the book, I felt a question pressing on me: What does "focus" really mean?  And it seems that what it means to me is a balanced combo of the yogic principles emphasized at Flow Yoga and the steps Chopra describes.... basically, by connecting to the awareness of self, soul, relationship, and God, and living according to the fullness and genuineness of those relationships you find "true" focus.  It’s really not about checking accomplishments off a to-do list, doing a yoga pose the best, running the fastest, making the most money, or one upping someone else.  Type A’s, don’t fret! You can incorporate these principles and still be successful; you don’t have to sacrifice one for the other, but find the harmony of their combination.  Even as I spent just one week working on my physical balance, I was surprised to see my mental balance (and therefore, focus) increase, as well, because of how all of these principles were seamlessly woven into each class I attended…how reading and yoga’ing beautifully complimented one another during the “Semper Stretch” week of Semper Sarah adventures.  Thank you once more, Flow Yoga J

 

“We weave ourselves into a tapestry of experience that grows more exalted as time passes, yet each thread is nothing but a wisp of thought, desire, or feeling.  Every moment lived adds another stitch, and even if you cannot envision what the final pattern will look like, it helps to know that the thread is golden.”

http://www.chopra.com/reinventingthebody

Creating Space... Continued

The Thinker "stumped"
Bariloche, Patagonia, Argentina
November 2009

It’s funny how seemingly unconnected things in our life can actually be intertwined. Yesterday I wrote a piece about the importance of space, speaking about it in relation to our bodies and minds; but writing spaceis essential, too.  The fact that I finally arranged a cozy nook in my apartment in which to write, dedicated solely to writing, with my journals stacked above me, my writing books stacked beside me, and Bailey Cinnabon-curled-up below me, has resuscitated my zestfor writing. I now have the physical writing space that gives me space to think! I'm so glad that I cleaned out the drawers, reshuffled the shelves, and organized a wanna-be-author friendly environment for myself earlier thisweek.  It was a small yet crucial step...and these days, I’m all about baby steps J

 

“It starts with this: put your desk in the corner, and every time you sit down there to write, remind yourself why it isn’t in the middle of the room.  Life isn’t a support-system for art.  It’s the other way around.” 

-Stephen King

Semper Stretch: Space for perspective, transition for growth – Part 1

Before I dive into this entry, I have to make a disclaimer – last week, I fell prey to the classic self-employed author’s mistake.  Instead of writing immediately after I felt inspired by a particular moment or subject, I allowed myself to get pulled away from the page by life’s distractions.  Lesson learned: write while the inspiration has you! Now, please accept my delayed attempt to adequately articulate that sensation of inspiration. J

Two weeks ago, Living Social serendipity occurred: days before departing to Leesburg, VA to visit my sister, I received an email notification for a deal on classes at Flow Yoga, a yoga studio just up the street from her house.  Bam! I clicked “buy” without hesitation.  As much as I cherish visits with my sister, I often fall into a work-out rut while I’m there, so I knew that signing up for these classes would be the perfect way to fend off any exercise doldrums.  Additionally, I’ve been dipping my toes back into the yogic waters recently after years on dry land.  I frequently proclaim the benefits of yoga to friends and family (especially since yoga was one of the things that undoubtedly saved my life the second time I deployed to Iraq), but I haven’t gotten back into daily practice in years.  Only in the last couple of months have I begun to dabble in it again since 1. I have the time to, 2. I am aware of its endless benefits, and 3. Since I moved to Ohio, there are free yoga classes at my apartment complex gym.  By the way, no offense intended to you gym-bunny-oriented personal trainers, but most of you who lead yoga classes are not “serious” yogis (I want to feel like a grasshopper, not a flexible elephant, after all); the girl who leads yoga classes here is no exception.  Still, I’ve been happy to go because some yoga is better than no yoga at all. Furthermore, I’m no yoga expert myself, so I do really appreciate anyone who’s willing to lead me through the poses and the company they provide.  I admit, though, my motivation to go to the classes at the gym was on the decline; I knew I needed something…more.  For that reason, I was ecstatic when I saw the LS coupon for a real yoga studio within jogging distance of my sister’s house.   

After a seven hour drive from Ohio, I arrived in Virginia on a Friday night.  It was still just light enough outside to squeeze in a quick run, but I had a Gaelic Football match scheduled for the next day, so I held off.  Unfortunately, the game was rained out, and by the time I returned from my needless round-trip drive from Leesburg to Baltimore, the yoga classes for the day had passed.  Therefore, I planned to go to yoga on Sunday, no matter what.  So, the next day I arrived for a Restorative Yoga class that was full, drove back home to my sister’s, waited till the start time for the next class, and returned.  I was determined to go get me some yoga that day! J

Flow Yoga exceeded my expectations.  I have been to classes all over the States, from studios to gyms, as well as partaking in an array of do-it-yourself-yoga DVDs at home. (My favorites are Shiva Rea and Rodney Yee).  I even dabble in Kundalini yoga (that “different yoga” ;-) ) from time to time.  What I experienced at Flow Yoga was a smorgasbord combo of all the styles I’ve ever seen before.  Moreover, the genuinely positive philosophy of the instructors shined through as they infused the classes with the stuff I think yoga really should be made of: renewal, motivation, strengthening, appreciation for my body (even though it hurt!), meditation, intention, a slowing down, and gratitude for the teachers, the space, and the lessons.  The Flow 2 classes, in particular, were a$s kickers, rejuvenators, and peace makers all rolled into one! Both instructors I had for the Flow 2 sessions, Billy and Tori, were entirely unique yet equally remarkable.  These were teachers that brought soulful lessons to the floor, a peaceful aura to the room, and direction in awareness to the participants; we weren’t there for just another kind of work-out.  Yet, the physical rewards weren’t shelved just because the mental ones were encouraged. Wow, real balance was struck! J  For every class I entered feeling frazzled or frail, I left feeling clear and strong.  Really. 

After a few days in a row of Flow 2, although I’d had different instructors, I wanted to try the other classes. On my fourth day, I was present for Deep Stretch lead by Billy.  His tranquil voice passed over us as we paused before movement in a comfortable seated position.  As we sat, he explained that in this class we would seek to create space in our bodies.  As he explained the principles of generating extra room within ourselves, he illustrated it this way: You cannot read a newspaper pressed up close against your face; you must have some distance in order to see it properly.  Instantly, the word “perspective” zapped my brain!  This is a concept I’ve understood for years (the value of proper perspective), yet in one moment, this metaphor made it hit home for me in a whole new way.  Just as physically we need to create space in our body so that it can flow properly, we need space emotionally to gain mental perspective. I thought: Movement is impossible without space, growth is impossible without movement.  This was a timely metaphor for me since Pete and I have been doing exactly that for the past month: giving one another space in order to hopefully gain perspective on some different issues.  I gotta give Pete credit where credit is due – he is the first guy to grant me the honor of space when I’ve asked for it, and I see it renewing the relationship already.  But enough about that for now ;)

After Deep Stretch, I tried Slow Flow.  For this course, the pre-movement instruction was about the value of transitions.  Since in Slow Flow you are supposed to literally flow slowly, transitioning from one pose to the next in a more deliberate fashion is kinda the point.  The instructor emphasized that transitions were not to be rushed; we should be especially mindful in execution of movement from one position to the next because transitions are where people tend to get hurt.  In the immediate term, she meant physically, but the mental aspect was implied, as well.  Therefore, be easy on yourselves, she guided.  Because beyond the potential pain, transitions are also where growth occurs, so strive to understand them for what they are instead of being scared of them….listen to your body and respect what it’s telling you.  

It comes as no surprise that this message, too, resonated with me.  In fact, for those of you who know me, you know that I am in yet another transition period right now; not a painful one, but an in-between area nonetheless.  Transitions can be complicated or painful; but I’m not worried, because in the past I have always grown so much during those tricky transition times. I get the impression, though, that most people are scared of space (giving it to others or having it alone) and transitions (they want to just go straight to the next thing).  Not that I always do it perfectly myself, but I’m working to embrace the space and transition I’m experiencing now. I see this open-endedness as a blessing that allows me the freedom to work on whatever it is that needs working on, to find peace in my intentions, and to be inspired by the unexpected.  For these lessons and more, Flow Yoga instructors, I thank you for being a part of the Semper Sarah journey.  I wish for peaceful practice and positive energy for all of you. Namaste. 

not quite proper poses, but the closest thing I could find to pictures of me doing yoga! ;-p

Atop Waynu Piccu, Peru, February 2009

above Barcelona harbor, Spain, August 2009

Inspiration from Flow Yoga (http://www.gowithityoga.com/) in Leesburg, VA coupled with literary inspiration from Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul by Deepak Chopra (musings on the book to be covered in the next post)

Semper Sestina

One More For the Record

(A sestina, written for UVA poetry class, spring 2001)

The rain-wet sidewalks hiss and fume when you leave

Because they ponder your non-return

Down the road you drive back home

Just so you’re weeks and worlds away from here

Where I remain nowhere in particular, but by myself

Taking the bronzing evening squarely on the chin.

One small tear starts its path down my chin

Trying to make a case for you not to leave

Me here by myself

Only begging for your return

About a million times a day, where here

The thing that’s always on my mind is you and home.

Unfamiliar feelings have several times born a home

Deep in my chest, knocking me on the chin

Every now and then just to remind me that I am here

And on Sundays it’s always you or me who has to leave

While there’s almost a guaranteed return

My thoughts are left only to myself.

How often I hide my fears deep within myself

Where my gut has become their very own unhealthy home

Hoping one day to be able to return

To where they really belong, which is somewhere closer to my chin

And possibly leave

Out of my mouth and find you here.

Whatever this here

Has become I’m not really sure myself

But it always manages to leave

Something missing since I met you, even though I’m at home

Sitting here with hand under chin

Thoughts once again to you make their quiet return.

I start to lose the meaning of return

Because it makes a circle always ending here

Which somehow manages to by my chin

Or somewhere deeper within myself

Searching for the bright light and home

Continuously behind the pain of leave.

Now I’ve managed to lose something here, thoughts escaping not through my chin

But rather through my self, the very home of my insides

Who try to return, and only always leave.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sestina 

Moron writing? I hope not! More "On Writing"

Ironically, I’ve never read one of Stephen King’s novels and I loathe horror movies.  Yet, I’ve come to cherish his voice, advice, and accessibility in On Writing.  King’s forthright expression is refreshing:  “Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends.  In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well.”  Hooray, because enriching the lives of others is my ultimate goal! J  As me-focused as writing a memoir seems, it actually isn’t if you approach it with the “right” attitude.  I desire to tell the stories of others who have inspired, lead, and mentored me; equally, I aspire to inspire others. I visualize myself with hands open and upward, with my heart likewise.  I see this whole adventure as an opportunity to give credit where credit is due, give the glory to God, and set my intention in a soul-pleasing place.  This is a deeply spiritual journey not just because of the “Christian-themed” content of the manuscript, but because it is an incredibly scary journey requiring courage to complete.  Telling my stories to friends and family is quite different than standing naked (metaphorically speaking (-; ) on the page before an audience of strangers.  However, as King says, “Stopping a piece of work just because it’s hard, either emotionally or imaginatively, is a bad idea.  Sometimes you have to go on when you don’t feel like it, and sometimes you’re doing good work when it feels like all you’re managing to do is shovel $hit from a sitting position.”

Therefore, even on days like today, where I’m at the Leesburg Panera for the fourth time this week, attempting to get some “real writing” done, but mostly only finding myself distracted by the cacophony of women’s voices bombarding me from all directions, I can still feel satisfied with my artistic endeavors because of something my sister, Becci, said to me this morning.  She told me that my pursuit of writing has reenergized her to chase down her creative ideas.  Awesome!  For, I believe, the soul thrives through embracing its imaginative needs.  So, as I encouraged Becci to pursue the “invention” we discussed, I was reminded of yet another gem from King and read it to Becci, “Life isn’t a support system for art.  It’s the other way around.”  Exactly! Becci, you are so gifted, so unique, and perfectly positioned to achieve the goals and feel your soul soar the way in which you’ve yearned for years.  Everyone, your mind, body, soul needs art for life.  Maybe your art is music, perhaps it’s sport; whatever it is, embrace it fully because your life depends on it!  I, too, will keep dreaming to feed my soul.

me&Becci, July2011



“You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.  Writing is magic, as much as the water of life as any other creative art.  The water is free.  So drink.  Drink and be filled up.”

–Stephen King



Reading is to Writing as Watching is to Playing (Soccer)

USA vs Germany, 2009 Military World Cup

Last month it crossed my mind (as I watched the Women’s World Cup) that while observing these professional matches, I concurrently learned about my own style of play.  I found myself making mental notes throughout the games about the formations in which the teams played, how that affected the game, what worked well for individual players, and what failed to work.  Soon thereafter, I went to Florida and Brazil to engage in a little competition myself (in a semi-pro soccer level of sorts) wherein I tried to apply those lessons I learned from watching others play.  And it clicked: watching other teams play and then applying that to my own game is just like reading other authors and incorporating what I’ve learned from them into my own writing.  To top it off, right about this same time, I came across a section in Stephen King’s book, On Writing, where he says as much: “You learn best by reading a lot and writing a lot, and the most valuable lessons are the ones which you teach yourself;” furthermore, aspiring authors who say they don’t really enjoy reading are absolutely fooling themselves if they think they’ll somehow be successful writers.  You must be a reader to be a (good) writer!

It is a happy coincidence for me then that from nine years old onward I was the quintessential juxtaposition of dork-jock (or what’s more commonly referred to as “student-athlete”).  On bus rides to school, car rides to track meets, or waiting at doctors’ offices, I was the little girl with my nose in a book.  I especially enjoyed all of Gary Paulson and John Kierkegaard's books, as well as all of the Black Beauty Series books, and even the more “girly” Babysitters Club and Thoroughbred series.  I would soak up any story about sports, animals, or nature.  I lived in these books, feeling as though I knew the characters. (Don't you love those books where you feel like the characters really do come to life?? :)  ) My grades, although not always my behavior, were a tangible reflection of the bookworm side of my personality: I got straight A’s in school and always did my homework.  On the other hand, if I had an opportunity to play outside or try out for a new sports team, I was game! Somehow I managed to consume both books and sport full force early on in my life, an ability which I would continue to develop through adulthood. However, most of my professional positions post-college required so much reading on the job that I fell away from recreational reading for several years.  Often feeling mentally exhausted at the end of my work day, picking up a book was the last thing I wanted to do in order to unwind. I missed personal reading, though; I missed getting to know the characters of my favorite books the way people feel like they get to “know” characters on sit-coms and reality TV shows; I missed seeing how they developed; I missed learning from them.  I didn’t stop reading completely, but I wasn’t reading on nearly the level at which I had in my youth. Thus, when I got out of the Marine Corps in 2009 to begin my world travels, reading on my own terms again was one of my great pleasures.  As I bounced around the globe, with ease I averaged finishing a book every week or two.   But, alas, to work I returned in 2010 and my pleasure reading dropped off yet again.  And wait, here I am, August 2011, “self-employed/unemployed” (by choice) once more with the time to read what I wish.  So, as I’ve struggled a bit to really get into a reading and writing groove the last couple of months, I remind myself of my roots: a deep love of reading that my mother (an English and Creative Writing teacher), my father (history buff), my sister (creative genius), and my best friend in NC, Megan Crowson (book-lover extraordinaire), fostered in me back in 1991.  I am confident that love will now serve me well as I attempt to write my own story.  J

On that note, here is a writing “status update:” I gained focus this week.  I completed a rough outline of the main book I plan to write first.  (I have many book ideas that keep popping into my head, but I keep a file of notes on those miscellaneous ideas, to which I can return later).  It still needs a lot of work before I can add it to my formal book proposal, but it is definitely a step in the right direction.  Many thanks to Lainie and Daniel Allen whose Focused Life Retreat I did in October 2009 provided the material for the outline I drafted yesterday.  It’s such a relief to have something tangible done that I feel like is guiding me toward my larger goals.  God is definitely at work in me right now! ;)  After re-reading my mission statement I wrote at that retreat, I must remind myself to have the courage to write what I feel called to write.  Not everyone will want to read it, like it, or understand it, but that’s alright; I am not writing for all audiences. As long as I am genuine, as long as I am Semper Sarah ;-)  , it will be ok.

My current reading list: On Writing Well by William Zinsser, Reinventing the Body Resurrecting The Soul by Deepak Chopra, and On the Road by Jack Kerouac.  I recently finished Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz and On Writing by Stephen King.  On my list to read soon are Angela’s Ashes, The Lemon Tree, Mere Christianity, What The Dog Saw, The English Patient, and The Illusionist.

Some of my favorites: The Language of God, Watership Down, Seabiscuit, Marley and Me, The Poisonwood Bible, Into Thin Air, Under the Banner of Heaven, A River Runs Through It, Neither Here Nor There, In a Sunburned Country, The Source, The Thornbirds, The Tender Bar, The Glass Castle, Sarah’s Key, Born To Run, Blink, The Tipping Point, My Sister's Keeper, The Celestine Prophecy, The Alchemist, Searching For God Knows What, The Will To Power, The Sacred Romance, Captivating, The Kite Runner, The Grapes of Wrath, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Blue Like Jazz, and Case For Faith.

* Goal: To read more, and to understand that the time I spend reading is time invested in my writing.  Oh, and I need to watch more soccer so I can become a better player, too! ;)

Always International/Travel Tips part 2

After yet another weekend "out of town" (aka: out of country) last weekend, I was inspired to post a second list of miscellaneous travel tips:

1.      In the same vein as the “make friends” tip blog I posted earlier, “real” travel tips 1.a and b are to be open minded and to be flexible. Don’t get so married to the ideas you have about what you’ll do and where you go; be open to impromptu opportunities and/or suggestions from locals or fellow travelers.

2.      Bring baby powder; it’s great for so many things!  Particularly if you try to pack light and only bring one pair of running/walking/hiking shoes, those bad boys are gonna get stinky.  Knocking some baby powder into them at the end of the day will help them dry out, thus not getting as stinky as they would otherwise.  It also works wonders to sprinkle some powder along your hair line to reduce greasiness in your roots without having to wash your hair.  Or, go for the old fashion, time proven use – to prevent moisture (anywhere) on your body.  Interpret that as you may ;)

3.      Keep important documents in baggies. I know I mentioned the packing-in-bags thing earlier, but specifically, get the strong zip lock kind to individually protect important things like passports and cameras.

4.      Bring your own water bottle – Nalgene, Sigg, or whatever. Not having to buy bottled water every day can add up to a major money saver over a long trip.  If you’ve got your own bottle, though, you can often fill up with drinkable water almost anywhere in modern cities for free.

5.      Keep a small container of hand sanitizer in your purse/fanny pack/back pack.

6.      Leave a copy of your passport, ID, and credit card(s) with a loved one back home.

7.      Accumulate frequent flyer miles, bonus points, and coupons as much as possible!  I can’t believe my ears when I hear people say they didn’t earn miles for a flight, especially international ones.  Why not?!  It’s FREE to register for mileage accounts on any airline.  If you want to bump it up a notch, though, get the credit card for the airline you fly the most.  Nowadays, all major carriers offer like 20,000 or 25,000 miles just for joining.  25,000 miles gets you a free domestic ticket!  Delta, USAirways, American, and United all fly over seas as well as partner with international carriers.  There’s NO reason NOT to earn miles.  Additionally, the hostel network is super friendly toward earning discounts.  Join the youth hostel network (if you’re going the backpacker route) for whichever continent you’ll travel.  For instance, www.yha.com for hostels in Australia gets you at least a few bucks off any hostel within their network, as well as discounts on excursions and other fun stuff you might be interested in.  

8.      Personally, I always bring a rain coat even if I'm going somewhere that supposedly never gets rain.  Weather is one of the most predictable unpredictables!  If you're traveling as a backpacker or just trying to pack light, it's still worth your time to stuff even a light rain coat somewhere in your bag.

push UP!

9.   Don't use travel as an excuse to not exercise.  Ok, so you don't want to spend your time being a gym bunny while you're off seeing the world, I get that.  But there's a LOT you can still do to maintain fitness in order to not completely let yourself go.  Early in my travels, I fell victim to the travel excuse for scrimping on fitness as well as eating, drinking, and doing whatever I wanted; if you're traveling for more than a week, this type of behavior gets old fast.  About the time I hit Spain in the summer of 2009, I decided that running through the cities was a great way to get a quick glance of my new surroundings. If possible, the first thing I'd do when I arrived in a fresh city was to dump my bags in my room, throw on my running shoes, and go for a jog around town.  Running is so easy to do anywhere because all you need is a pair of shoes.  As for keeping toned, that, too, requires minimal effort.  You can do push ups, squats, dips, and stretching in as small of a space as your own body (read: tiny room) - no gym required!  Heck, throw a resistance band in your bag and give yourself even more options for muscle toning regimens.  I recommend making it more fun, though, by doing all this stuff outside (ie: Use a park bench to do dips, find a playground with some monkey bars to do pull ups, etc).  Especially when traveling through places like big European cities, it's easy to get caught up in going from museum to museum, or restaurant to restaurant, and neglect to take care of yourself in the process.  Folks, all it takes is 20 minutes first thing in the morning  (yes, even if you're hung over! LOL) to get outside for a quick jog; that tiny 20 minutes is enough to keep your blood moving, get your heart going, and provide you with a healthy dose of fitness endorphins.  A lot of times, that's how I got myself out the door for a run - I'd tell myself "Sarah, just a slow 20 minutes, that's it, it's better than nothing" and I usually ended up doing much more than that and ALWAYS feeling better for it afterwards.  So, I encourage you to do the same on your next extended trip - Get movin! :)  Jog in the morning before you start your sight-seeing for the day, walk instead of taking buses, and don't forget to get out of the museums or pubs and get some fresh air!

Theresa&I post outdoor-impromptu work out, somewhere south of Punakaiki New Zealand, February 2010

*Theresa, my best friend from our USMC days together, was an awesome healthy-travel buddy!!! :)  Most of what we did in New Zealand and Australia involved an active endeavor.  We jogged through the hilly city streets of Auckland, hiked Rongitoto Island, tramped the Tongariro Crossing, explored the glaciers on the South Island, ran along the River Yarra in Melbourne, and traversed all the trails along the way.  

Therefore, I guess you could say that travel tip 10 is to pick your travel partners wisely.  After the previous months I spent mostly in European cities (Jul-Dec '09), and all the fun Margie (an also awesome travel buddy) and I had running around the cities and the 'scapes of South America (Nov '09), I knew for sure by that point in my journey (Jan-Mar '10) that I wanted an entirely outdoor activity-focused adventure for my travels in NZ and Oz, so partnering up with fitness buff bff, Theresa, for a few weeks was a no-brainer. :)

Semper Several Irons in the Fire: Project Help a Brotha Out

So, some of you know more about this than others, but I've been working with my brother with his business, Breaux Company, off and on for about a year now.  I am, in fact, a partner in the company via my investment and involvement in various projects.  With fall rapidly approaching, and with the ridiculous retail cycle that mandates people buy season appropriate clothes three months in advance of said season, I'd like to promote my bro's biz a bit.  Hope you enjoy my somewhat silly take on promotion :)  Please click on the link below to read my article.

http://sasapluplu.hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Afforably-Add-Creative-Classy-Pieces-to-your-Fall-Wardrobe 

cheesey self photo in long "perfects" fingerless gloves in jersey knit and "boina" hat in cableknit

Semper South America On the Brain

The Real #1 Travel Tip: MAKE FRIENDS! :)

Since I believe that in all areas of life, relationship is of primo import, it’s no surprise that the real number one travel tip in my mind is to make your travels all about relationships: visiting friends who live in travel-worthy locales, traveling with friends from home to countries abroad, and being open to making new friends wherever you may end up. You can do this whether you're traveling alone or with friends. Some of my all-time favorite travel memories involve adventures with friends I made “on the road.”  To name only a few examples of many: I went to Morocco in September of 2009 with Karsten, a German guy, and Felicia, an American girl, I met in Spain; I visited Denmark in December of 2009 because I met Jess the Dane and his friends in Tarifa, Spain in October; I was blessed enough to be invited to stay in a posh apartment in downtown Wellington, New Zealand in February of 2010 because I’d kept in touch with Amber and Paul, a Kiwi couple I met in Vienna Austria in July of 2009; and in November of 2009, one of my best friends and travel mates, Margie, and I were invited to an authentic, local Argentinian BBQ/dance party/bonfire near Mendoza.

It was the tail end of Margie’s and my month-long South American adventure.  We both agreed that Mendoza was one of our favorites from the get-go.  Our first day there we partook in an awesome paragliding excursion, and when as signed up for that, we concurrently committed to doing a whitewater rafting, rappelling, hiking expedition the following day.  So, off we went, west, into the Mendoza area countryside. 

Disembarking from a small bus full of young tourists, we gathered near a picturesque cabin from whence all the adventures were to begin.  There were many early 20’s, blond, cute, petite girls in the group, but I guess Margie’s and my silliness caught the eye of some of the guides.  (We have personalities! Haha.)  After going through the usual pre-brief with the wide-eyed gaggle, a couple of the guides joked with us individually and on our bus ride to the drop off point.  The usually class 4 rapids were a calm 2 or 3 due to low water levels, but it was still a lot of fun.  After dropping of all white-water-rafting-associated gear, Margie and I set off with another guide for the rappelling and hiking portion of tour during which we engaged in some broken Spanish conversation with the guide they call Flaco.  He seemed quite entertained by Margie’s and my usual antics: crass comments, sarcasm, and inappropriate poses for pictures.     

Upon returning to the cabin where snacks, drinks, and a pool were available to all excursion participants, Margie and I grabbed a couple of beers and went out to the deck to relax.  A few of the white water rafting guides invited us over, into their specially roped off "guides only" area, so we kindly obliged.  They chatted us up a bit and seemed to get our sarcastic sense of humor, so it made for easy conversation. Then they asked us if we’d been to an Argentinian barbecue yet.  Well, no, we hadn’t.  “Would you like to go to one?” they asked.  “Yes, we would,” we answered.  And they invited us to their house where all the guides lived to attend the BBQ party they were hosting later that night.  Margie and I asked for a moment to discuss the matter.  We hunched over and put our heads together.  “What do you think?” we both asked one another.  “I think it sounds like fun. But is it safe?” We glanced over our shoulders at the guys. “We could take ‘em if we had to,” we decide.  We tell them we’ll go, we appreciate the invite, etc, but plainly inform them that if any of them tries to lay a hand on us, we’ll kill them.  Ok, so this isn’t our normal protocol, but we figured in this case better to be safe than sorry and to give them fair warning that we weren’t to be messed with.  Then, c’est la vie! We got a good vibe from them and felt it was a unique event worth experiencing. 



Cooking

 

Dancing



Music'ing



Great success!  Our gut instincts did not lead us astray.  No one was creepy with us at any point throughout the night; moreover, we learned a lot about the culture (ie: differences between Patagonians and regular Argentinians), new jokes (“bonnie rabbits”), and how to cook Argentine-style (we actually helped them prepare the food).  We had an absolutely wonderful night full of talking, laughing, cooking, dancing, and some impromptu music playing.  That night was, by far, one of my favorite nights of all my travels abroad, and it would not have been possible without Margie and I both having the open mind and courage to go for it. 



Laughing