my own advice

Well, things have changed swiftly around here lately. Both of the girls are now enrolled in public school, and I am working on opening a little gift shop with a new friend.  I don't know (yet) if it is actually something amazing, but it is keeping me very busy, and the girls are loving school, so it seems like a really nice fit for us for now.
(que flashback)
Once, when I was much younger, and ridiculously cuter (wish I had a picture, it would be my profile on facebook for sure) I met a boy. His name was Travis, and he was dreamy. I mean, not of this world good looking. And charming, and funny. We hung out for one day and fell in love. (love might not be quite the right word for it) anyway, he asked me to marry him and made me all kinds of promises for the future. Man, he was cute. (and he could wear some jeans!) We spent the evening laying in the tall grass, holding hands, looking at the stars and whispering things. We had one day. It was 100% innocent and sweet.  I never saw him again. Nothing exciting or tragic happened (too bad, I could have sold the screen play) but it has always left me with a feeling of "what if."  
(back to reality)
I have always wanted to have a shop, and this opportunity was handed to me, so I decided to take the leap.  I am a lucky girl to be sure, and also quite clever some days. I decided that if something unlikely (and beautiful and amazing) is handed to me, it would be foolish to turn it down. I have a fun, sweet memory, and a wonderful husband who I adore (who also happens to blindingly support my silly ideas) and now I will also have a real life shop.  I thought for a minute about calling it Travis, but decided it would require too much explaining, and also probably extra marketing, so it is called Whim.  Much better I think, and still captures the feeling I have about it.
Perfect.

I was right.

I usually am.

There were so many amazing things this time (as always). I swam in the warm cyan waters of the Pacific, with brightly colored tropical fishes, I ate so many wonderful meals, with tastes that don't even exist here, and enjoyed beautiful, soft sand beaches that most people only ever read about. Mexico makes me wish that I could process more, feel more, enjoy more, and remember it all. It is a sad truth that almost immediately, the sharp edge of the moment is dulled by the next experience that follows closely behind it. It is wonderful and tragic all at once. There are so many shades of light that dance across the endless horizon, aromas that gently play around the edge of your consciousness, memories so wonderful yet gentle, that you can't quite be sure they actually happened once they are gone.

So many things in life just can't be adequately expressed with words, and yet, if we don't write them down, we will certainly have already lost them.
I got to hold a tiny sea turtle baby on the day it was hatched. It was about 2 inches long and very, very strong. I held it in sand covered hands, and then set it down on the beach, to try and make it's way to the ocean. The guide told us that 1 out of 1000 baby sea turtles survive, so most likely my little baby would live a very short life. But, just maybe, mine would be the one. Nothing is as powerful as hope. It only takes one. Do something amazing today.

late night

or, in this case, early morning.  It's 4am, and I am waiting for my airport shuttle.  I feel excited and anxious all at the same time.  The thing is, Alan takes such good care of me, it has been a good long bit since I have had to really worry about taking care of myself.  This little trip is going to be a good chance for me to depend on me for a change.
I am all packed in a backpack, I have a bathing suit and my camera. Starbucks put out the salted caramel, mocha frappuccino yesterday (I'm pretty sure, just for me) and something amazing is going to happen soon. I can feel it.
Until then...