Pure Luck?

Recently I’ve been talking a lot to people about how lucky I am. Little things keep happening in my life to make me realize all the wonderful people I have been lucky enough to meet along the way.

I received packages from home for my birthday showing everyone’s immense love and care for me. Yesterday I got to have a brief conversation with my friends from Albaina on Skype. Today I got a letter in the mail from my friend who is teaching in Washington. It was another reminder of all the amazing people I have crossed paths with. My mother just messaged me (literally as I’m writing this) to remind me to feel the hugs from Wisconsin and the love from all over the world. I’m the luckiest girl in the world!

How lucky am I that I was born into a family that taught me responsibilities and morals, and above all supported all the decisions I have made thus far….

How lucky am I that my high school boyfriend chose to go to the University of Minnesota and that by visiting there I fell in love and couldn’t imagine myself staying in Wisconsin.

How lucky was I to meet Becky randomly through some people from my welcome week group? And how lucky were we that her roommate happened to be moving out just as I needed a new one. If it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t be friends with the majority of the hen house crew.

first night I met becky!

How lucky am I that Daryn’s roommate decided to move out the year I was so frustrated with looking for a place to live and he just happened to mention I could live there if I wanted to?

How lucky am I that in that house I spent my most difficult years? I had my best friend constantly there as a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, and a smile to laugh with. Nothing could ever compare.

go gophers!

How lucky am I that just when I thought I had made a decision about where I wanted my life to go, I got in a car crash and realized that I wanted none of it.

poor civic....

How lucky am I that my professor suggested Dave’s ESL café for teaching abroad jobs and that just a few months later I had acquired a job in Albania? There I met great friends who convinced me that my journey would not soon be over, and who shared in multitudes of unforgettable adventures.

last day in tirana

Angie and I talk constantly about how lucky we are to have been made roomies, and that we are so happy we didn’t end up with complete psycho-paths. You really never know who you are going to meet in these teaching abroad experiences.

island adventures

Matt and I keep mentioning how crazy it is that we just both happen to be living in Indonesia, and that he just happened to have no plans for one random weekend in November and decided to say yes to coming to an island he had never heard of, with a random friend. Not to mention how lucky we were everyone was exhausted and went to bed so we could hang out, talk about dreams, drink beer, and look at stars together.

:D 

I’m about to shatter into pieces everything I just wrote, because truth be told, I don’t believe in luck. I’m lucky to be where I am today, but it did not happen by pure luck. Life is composed of choices. Your choices and other’s choices. Every morning we wake up and we make a decision about how we are going to live that day. We decide what kind of mood to be in, what to eat, what tasks to complete, who to talk to. It is crazy that our decisions can affect ours and others “luck” so much.

Thanks for all the awesome decisions to all I’ve met along this path of life. Lets keep up the awesome work!

Feels like Lightning

I’m sitting in a garden in the middle of a small Island off of Bali and my brain cannot get out of itself. I feel like I’m half missing, and not fully enjoying this vacation as I should be. So it’s time to get all of these mumble jumbled feelings out on a page.

I met a boy. We are complete opposites in almost every way. He is salty hair, rum drinking, trance listening, beach loving Aussie, and I’m a forest loving, cold weather, whiskey drinking, bluegrass listening American girl.

The only thing we can seem to agree on is that life is not meant to be wasted, and we both want to live it the best we can. And that breakfast is the best meal of the day. He is fantastic and makes me feel out of this world happy. I feel like I cannot stop smiling. 

So when I first started thinking I was ready to date I disclosed 5 fears to my small blog followers of the world. I’m now going to tell you why they no longer bother me.

1. I felt like any guy I met wouldn’t know the real me. However, any guy who is interested in me in any capacity is going to know the real me. He will know I drink whiskey, love beer, am a huge bluegrass music fan, and that I would wake up in the middle of the night to check the packer score. It’s simply not possible to know me and not know these things. Sure he won’t get to see me dance my ass off at a bluegrass concert, but you have to take what you can get and make the most of it.
2. Oh yes, The fear of the future. When you are living abroad it is highly unlikely you will meet someone who already has their future figured out. As long as you are both open to discussion, changes, and maybe some sacrifices along the way you can figure it out. Dreams are mergeable, in most cases, and best of all you get to create new ones together. Isn’t that what relationships are all about?
3. I don’t remember how to make a relationship work. What does it matter? Any relationship I have certainly isn’t going to be the same as any of the ones of the past. Honesty and communication is all you need. Honestly communicate with me about what you want and we will work it out. Be real about who you are and I’ll be real back.
4. Cultural differences. Ah, yes. This one is still a bit scary and tough for me, but ultimately it is currently what I’m loving the most. I’m learning so much! Australian words, foods, politics. This is part of why I’m living abroad, so that I can learn new things and explore these differences. I might get to explore a whole different side of the world with a guide who knows all about it.
5. Someone is bound to get hurt. This is a risk. My heart just got whole about a year ago. Do I want to risk breaking it again? You bet. What fun would life be without risks, and if the risks make you happier along the way, then all the more reason to do it!

So I’m diving in, head first. There brain. Now please, go enjoy your vacation.