A Different Beat To Every Drum

Isn't it such a wonderful thing when the world comes together during events such as the World Cup, and the Olympics? There is a common ethic of sportsmanship between countries.  People who normally take no interest in the sport get together to support and stand by their country with a large sense of pride.  The amount of pride displayed is a beautiful thing, but at these times while we pride ourselves in our home country, we still commend other countries for their great athleticism.  What happens though when these games are not apparent.  I do not want to say this next thing is everywhere in the world, but after my traveling thus far, hell even in my home country, people defend and pride themselves in their home country as the "Right" way of living.  While I have spent the last couple of months out of the country I was scoffed at sometimes and even told by the people I was close with about all of the wrong things done by Americans.  They criticized the mannerisms, and the way/things we eat.  Don't get me wrong, America has its faults, as does every other place.  There is no "Perfect" or "Right" way of living.  What I did find however, there is a COMFORTABLE way of living.  A way in which we were raised that we find a sense of peace in, a sense of home.  Throughout the short time I have taught in a classroom I have always come across the lesson of the differences between people.  For some reason it is much easier to teach children, different people are like the ingredients to a good home cooked meal, or the different colors that make up a picture, without just one of them it would alter the entire outcome.  Children seam to understand much better than adults who have been hardened by the experiences of life, experiences in which we carry the negative much longer than the positive ones.

I have always been someone who has felt different myself, resulting in the embrace of many different types of people.  While traveling alone, I like to think I have opened my comfort zone even further over the last year.  Although I may not love some things in which I am not accustomed to, I do not think to close my mind to these ways of life, but to see them as a way in which others choose, and love.  The keys I'm finding in all of this is "Acceptance".  I am not saying we need to accept every way of life, I find that to be unrealistic at the time being, but what I am saying is we need to become accepting of people who live other ways without passing judgment.  We are all quick to judge others for their differences, yet to these other people, we are also different to them, it's just a matter of who is willing to accept and embrace those differences and who is quick to pass judgement for them.  We all have a different beat to our own drum, but the music we make is beautiful.

Safety Zone

Isn't it amazing how overly cautious we have become in protecting our most valued and precious items? I say this in amazement at how much crime has escalated over the years resulting in bigger and stronger locks on our cars and homes, walking down the street holding our purses and bags strategically to ensure the utmost safest position we can bare.  We have resorted to only carrying credit cards which can be quickly traced and cancelled if theft occurs, and most of all we even need to endure the safety of our personal identity as this theft has come along over the years as well.  HOWEVER, there is something I find more amazing at how much we attempt to protect ourselves and our belongings is the one place in which the rules are called off, and our guard is let down.  As someone who has lived along the shore for the entirety of my short life, I have seen many people along the beaches of the east coast.  Here seems to be a safety zone, a place in which we leave our belongings as well as our worries in the sand as we surf the waves of the sea, and walk along the shoreline.  It is as if the moment we place our feet on the sand of the beach there is a mutual respect and agreement to our belongings being untouched and left alone.  You may come to think, well there are many people around no one would do that at such a high capacity place, but then what is any major city where crime and theft seem to be at its highest? Are they not just as crowded as these sandy beaches? You may say well no one has anything of importance with them on the beach, however is it not just the opposite, people seem to carry more cash than on any typical day with plans to play games, enjoy rides, and bite into a big slice of pizza on the famous boardwalks.  It is something that is unexplained, and in my personal opinion I believe it adds to the beauty of the nature we find at the ocean.

Out of my Nutshell

Many people say there are things they want to do (Once they find the time later on in life)... Lose those extra few pounds, travel the world, learn an instrument, start a new hobby, the list is endless, but, who's to say we will ever have the time, the money, or the resources!  People are constantly finding reasons why they cannot do something or why it isn't the right time! What people don't seem to realize is that there is NEVER really a RIGHT time for anything.  When I realized this luckily I was still young and optimistic, I decided why not make any time ALWAYS the RIGHT time. 

People sometimes come across events that become shattering and life-changing.  Mine was in 2012 just before Christmas time.  Back in the beginning of 2010 I underwent a gastric surgery placing a band on my stomach.  Almost three years later I found myself in a hospital seriously ill.  The surgical band had slipped causing me the inability to swallow anything for weeks, and the band had begun to press on my heart effecting my heart rate.  Sparing from the details, this was the event which altered my life 180 degrees.  Before this time although I was not completely unconfident, I often played my cards safe.  Now I decided to make the best of every situation, and not wait for a good time to do anything I wish! This is my reasons for starting this blog! 

Since I've broken out of my little nutshell, I have jumped out of planes, swam with sharks, held an alligator, and began traveling, beyond the here and there spontaneous trip I took a family cruise, which led me to a new job upon Carnival Cruise Lines Entertainment staff, a trip to Dominican Republic with my Best Friend, and have now been spending the past few months of my summer in Italy.  I am writing this blog to share my experiences with others, hopefully inspire at least one person to take hold of one of their dreams, and to remind myself of all the experiences and memories I am making!