Let the packing commence...

In an effort to avoid a last minute "cram everything from my wardrobe in my suitcase" moment, I decided to pack my suitcases a couple days early. This scenario has been unheard of in my traveling history until now and I must say, it went rather well. Other than my toiletries, I have successfully packed everything I need in two suitcases. Unfortunately, the shoe department is where I packed most lightly. I’m sure going to miss all my fun high heels but we’ll reunite in December. 

 

Chaos

More chaos

Ahh... that's better

 

 

 

Bonne Chance Fellows Travelers,

Lindsay

Party at the Park

Yesterday was full of love and laughter with my family and friends! We celebrated my Masters graduation from UCI at the Irvine Regional Park. It was so nice to visit with everyone before I leave for England on Thursday. I hold my family and friends very dear and was thrilled to spend such a wonderful day with my loved ones. Thank you everyone for coming out to visit me! I will miss you!!!

Bonne Chance Fellow Travelers,

Lindsay

Potentially the End of an Era...

Yesterday was my last shift working at Quinns Old Town Grill. Yes, there's always the chance that I will come back to Quinns and work during the holidays or perhaps when I return from my adventures abroad. But there's also a chance that other routes will arise for me to take and I will not return to Quinns. Only time will tell. This restaurant has been my second home for the last 6 years! I have grown up so much throughout the course of my employment there and have so many wonderful memories associated with Quinns. The friendships I have made are ones I will cherish and hopefully maintain throughout my life's travels. I worked with incredible people and served wonderful customers/ friends for all these years and for this I am grateful.

Thank you Quinns Old Town Grill for 6 fabulous years of employment and fun!  Many people come home from work in a bad mood. If I left my house for work in a bad mood, it was always brightened within an hour at Quinns! Not many people can say that they enjoy going to work everyday. And for 6 years, I really did!!!

Opened in 2006

Early photo in Quinns history (I was 21 here!!!)

John and I (circa 2006)

Bonne Chance Fellow Travelers

Lindsay

Huntington Library & Gardens

In an effort to get in as much family time as possible before I leave in less than 2 weeks, my family and I visited the Huntington Library and Gardens in Pasadena, California yesterday. It was such a lovely day!

The property was expansive, beautiful, and calm. Upon entering the grounds, I felt transported to Europe. Had it not been for the heat of the California sunshine, I would have forgot I was in California completely! The structures were beautiful and the flowers and lawns were carefully manicured. The art collections featured inside were incredible and majestic. When I visit art galleries I love to read the stories behind the faces featured in the art. The Huntington galleries told these stories wonderfully.

Lunch at the Garden Cafe was delicious

Japanese Garden

Beautiful Stained Glass

I'm so thankful to have spent a relaxing, whimsical day with my beautiful family. I love them very much and am going to miss them terribly while I'm abroad.

Bonne Chance Fellow Travelers,

Lindsay

Rockin’ Out with Crimson Crowbar

        Yesterday I was invited to sing with some very talented musicians! Johnny Avila from Oingo Boingo, Dave Shelton, and Steve Distanislaos from Crosby, Stills, and Nash had me sing Fever as an intro to Dead Man’s Party! It was completely impromptu and I only knew the chorus to Fever, so I had to bring my iPhone with me to look at the lyrics for the second verse! I had such a fun time and am elated to have had the opportunity to sing with these guys! This experience is one I will remember for a lifetime. 

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_JIXuBTISo&feature=youtu.be       

  

Bonne Chance Fellow Travelers!

Lindsay

Another Chapter Written in My Life’s Novel

In regards to the last blog post on taking advantage of opportunities and living life to the fullest every day, I am elated to report that I have just finished my Master of Arts in Teaching at University of California, Irvine! I submitted my final exam via email and feel both relieved and accomplished to complete this chapter in my life. There were many times throughout this program, where I was the lost soul in the wilderness. My map had proven useless and I felt uneasy about the choice I had made to go back to school. However, from my current vantage point, it proved to be a worthwhile decision and just one more chapter in becoming who I want to be. 

At the age of 27, many people have their opinions on where they expect someone my age to be. According to them, I should be 4 years into a career and possibly married with a child. I must admit that at some point in my life, I agreed with them on that timeline. However, from where I stand now, I can’t imagine choosing my life to be any different. What I have experienced in my 27 years on this planet, most people have never experienced in a lifetime! I feel so blessed to have an adventurous spirit and the drive to live life to fullest. I am grateful for my eternal optimism and I hope that I am able to use that optimism to inspire others throughout my life.

Many people live for tomorrow and work hard today, hoping they will get the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of their labor in their latter years. I encourage people to work hard in achieving their dreams, but only if they truly enjoy doing so. So many times, people live miserably today in hopes of bettering tomorrow. I want to thoroughly enjoy my career and what I exchange my day for; Hence, my constant quest in achieving my dreams. Someone very close to me once encouraged me to watch the Stanford commencement speech given by Steve Jobs in 2005 and I encourage you to do the same. His speech inspired me and continues to give me guidance with the decisions I make and the path in life I continually choose. Here is his speech if you would like to watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc

 I’ll end this blog post with a quote from Steve Jobs for thought and contemplation:

 “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else's life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” - Steve Jobs

Bonne Chance Fellow Travelers

 Lindsay

“This is your life. Are you who you want to be?”

My answer to this question is ‘yes’ and ‘in the process of.’ Those lyrics are from a Switchfoot song that resonates in my heart. The song explains that yesterday is dead and today is all we have. Today is the day to make decisions and become the person you envisioned when you were young. We all have choices in life in deciding who we want to be and it’s entirely up to us to make sure our dreams and ambitions come true.

In finding ourselves, the road isn’t always paved in cement with neon signs leading you to your next destination. Sometimes the road is a dirt one, with trees and bushes obstructing your view until it eventually disappears and you are left with an irrelevant map, feeling lost in the wilderness. You might curl up in the fetal position and cry for a while. You might feel defeated and confused and pray for someone to just SHOUT your life’s purpose. But in your moment of loneliness and confusion, you will hear the whisper of God in the breeze against your cheek and get the strength you need to stand again. And as you stand, you’ll gently fold up your physical map and begin to listen to the direction in your heart and soul. And move forward.

The choices we make in finding ourselves are not always easy. Many times, we must take a leap of faith and move forward without a map. We all make these choices everyday in becoming the person we want to be. At the time, these decisions might seem trivial and not important, but these small decisions add up throughout a lifetime and become us.

My desire for my life, like the desire of many others, is to be happy. And for me to be happy I want to LIVE, not merely exist. I feel the energy of life and the universe coursing through my veins and it’s the same energy within every one of us on earth. We are all alive and connected to one another and must stop occasionally throughout our day to recognize the choices we’re making and enjoy the little moments we’re given, because as Switchfoot says, “This is your life and today is all you’ve got now.”

“The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them.I shall use my time.” –Jack London (1876- 1916)

Bonne Chance Fellow Travelers

Lindsay