Written On July 23rd...
I thought to myself today what an amazing trip it was traveling across the country. Not only with him, but with myself. Everything we saw and everything we did made us stronger, smarter and so much more aware of who we are, who we were and who we hope to become. I reminisced today about the many hours in the car on the road with the music, the stories, the games and the silence. It was a beautiful thing. I reminisced today about the museums, the sights and the many people we met along the way. It was a beautiful thing.
It has almost been a year since we left that drive way, it is so hard to believe how fast it has all gone by. So much has changed, so much has developed, so much has happened and so many good choices have been made.
Since August 7th of 2010 I have traveled to NYC, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and California.
I have seen and traveled across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, I have finally been to my nation's Capitol, I have been in a "boat crash," I have put my feet in the Mississippi river, I have traveled across the Mississippi River, I have been to the National Civil Rights Museum, I have been to the top of the big arc in St. Louis, I have driven stick through Kansas City, I have been to Colorado Springs to see the Seven Falls, I have been to Denver, Colorado, I have seem some of the most amazing natural beauty in this country and I have been to Tahoe which remains a place that I need to see again.
Since August 7th 2010 I have completed 9 courses that I needed to apply to nursing school. Since August 7th 2010 I have been accepted into nursing school. I have run 2 marathons, soon to be 3. I have traveled to San Diego, home twice and will go to North Carolina before the year mark. I have moved into an apartment, acquired a job, quit a job and acquired another job. I have learned how to maneuver my way through San Francisco. I have been to the theatre, I have been ice skating, I have been to the ocean, I have been sailing, I have seen dolphins, I have seen whales, I have gone spelunking and I have met so many amazing people. I have accomplished two of my new years resolutions with one still remaining....
As I lay in the living room this afternoon and thought about all of the things I have seen and experienced I thought back to the day we left and thought back to the person I used to be. I was scared that day. I was so uncertain about so many things, but I went for it because .... well.... why not. I had already quit all my jobs in Vermont, I really had nothing keeping me there and the road basically opened up to me.
These things that I have accomplished and seen would have never happened if we hadn't pulled out onto the road. The thing about it is, it is the little things that always make the big difference. There were so many mornings when I would be studying and would just think what the hell am I doing? I am exhausted, I have no time to do anything and I am burying myself deeper and deeper. But today I recognized that those small assignments, those mornings of waking up and those moments of despair allowed me to get to where I am right now.
I am happy and satisfied right now because of all the small things that I do everyday.
Dream big...but don't forget it is the small things that make those dreams reality.
God Bless.
