Worked

Today I started my high-powered job as power barista on L.B.I., lol. It was a chill day, because I have made coffee drinks before in my many jobs. I love the owner, I love the location (1/2 block from beach), and I love the fact that some days I can start work early enough to make it to the beach. I am finally making some dollas again, JEEZ, it took long enough.

This morning my sis and I went to our fav. strength class and our tri's got worked pretty hard. I am noticing that I am getting stronger with each week I do the strength classes. We also did a TKO (kickboxing style) class last night. Fun, Fun.

Flashback to this weekend: I had a great time in Philly celebrating my college roomate's 24th. It's always nice to reconnect with friends. It reminds me a lot of why they became my friends in the first place. It's always like we never left college when we are all together. Good Times.


Meditation of the Day
I've been thinking a lot lately about "chapters" in your life you used to believe would occur at certain times. For example, when I was 12 I thought I would be married with children by 23 because, obviously you meet your husband when you're 20 (because 20 is soooo old to 12 yearolds), take 2 years to travel then pop them kids out by 23 . I never factored in that I would be in college, had gotten over a catastrophic break-up right before leaving, or had enjoyed the perks of college life so very much. Instead, my chapters have been written accordingly:

Chapter 1: Beginning of College. Contents: Boys. Beer. Best Friends. Beer. Battered chicken fingers, Blackhaus. Bars. Boys. Transition to becoming a better person...

Chapter 2: End of College. Minor mid-life crisis, discovering who I was, Best Friends (dwindled down to a couple), interning, boys, better beer, becoming smarter (and by smarter I mean realizing I could've saved a ton of money by pregaming with Franzia boxed wine before going out), fizzy drinks, spring break, crying at graduation, Transition to "get me the hell out of my hometown" epiphany.
Footnote: Went backpacking, fell in love with the mountains.dharma bums........something pulled me West.....
Chapter 3: Colorado, baby. Moving across the country, starting from scratch, confident, feeling invincible, mountains, mountain men, micro-brewed beer, real job, real money, real spending!!!, real independence, real town I want to live in forever, more friends, crazy-ass OCD roommate, living alone for the rest of my life, cultured, exposed, alone, homesick, lived in a tent for work, 8,000 feet, meditation, mountain sunsets, yoga, no connection to outside, raw, new, amazing, great friends, real, dharma, karma, materialism, money, no money, feeling pulling me east, homesick, sacrifice, transition to crossroads.....
Chapter 4: Hometown glory. High-school acquaintances ,weird, small town, back to solid friends, solid family, sister, backpacking, beach, ex-boyfriend (short appearance), regret, tears, humbled, lost, unemployed, freelance, feet on the ground, head in the clouds, where do I go?, who should I become?, questions, regret, failure, Colorado, New Jersey, Colorado, New Jersey, friends, love, yearning for answers, talks, recession, frustration, suck it up, strong, pride, barista it'll be for now, save money, okay, happy, content, still yearning, still craving more, surrounded by love.
Chaprter 5: Unwritten.....

Sure, someday I'd like to have a butterflies in the stomach relationship, a family of my own, a house, clearly a puppy, even a car newer than 1995, but I have never set a goal to acquire any of these. I'm okay with embracing these ups and downs. It excites me that I still have so many feelings, experiences and loves to conquer. Setting a timeline will leave me with nothing to strive for now, in the present. I strive to be loved, happy, excited, hopeful, open-minded and never satisfied; always keeping my eye on the horizon.

What chapters in your life have you experienced?