Welcome to The Blogging A-Z Challenge April 2012! Some of the most popular posts here at The Shellshank Redemption are the Motivational Mondays. So, after consulting the tortoises, we decided to make April our Motivational Month! Please join us for this (almost!) daily dose of alphabetical inspiration. We hope you enjoy it!
* WE MUST BE WILLING TO GET RID OF THE LIFE WE’VE PLANNED, SO AS TO HAVE THE LIFE THAT IS WAITING FOR US. (Joseph Campbell) *
If you’d told me I would live in Florida one day, I would’ve laughed. I grew up in New York. Most of my family and friends lived in the tri-state area (and still do.) Yet, one day, when I was about fifteen, I was taking the bus to my friend’s house and I looked out the window and thought, I am going to live somewhere else. That’s it. I had no idea where or when but I just knew it deep down.
Then my family moved to New Jersey (see, tri-state area.) But that wasn’t what my gut meant. It meant for me to go somewhere else, somewhere different, because I was meant to be different.
When I visited my then-boyfriend/now-husband in Florida where he was going to school, he picked me up at the airport and then we drove over this huge expanse of blue-green water - the sun blasting a warm welcome, the sky shimmering, the breeze whipping through the open windows and I felt…alive.
Now, I don’t know whether it was the place, or my best friend in the seat next to me, or a combination of the two, but that same voice that spoke to me back when I was teenager spoke up once again and said, Yes.
Know what you mean. I live in the Caribbean. Nice to meet you.
ReplyDeleteFarawayeyes - nice to meet you, too! :)
ReplyDeleteLoved your description of first seeing Florida, I could feel your excitement while reading it. I love the Campbell quote as well, I'd never read that one before but I'm going to add it to my ever-growing list. :)
ReplyDeleteHope you have a great weekend, Madeline!
Julie - thanks. It's one of those moments that's burned in my brain. Enjoy your weekend, too! :)
ReplyDeleteChange is the great adventure of life. Not much sadder than to be stuck in a rut because we are afraid to try something different.
ReplyDeleteYou're one of my featured blogs for M day tomorrow.
Lee
An A to Z Co-Host
Tossing It Out
This is wonderful. What a simple yet elegant post about the desire for something different.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to be in Fl right now.
Lee - thanks for stopping by and for featuring me/us tomorrow. :)
ReplyDeleteSusan - thanks so much!
Look forward to the rest of your challenge run…can’t believe we’ve had 14 days already!
ReplyDelete--Damyanti, Co-host A to Z Challenge April 2012
Twitter: @AprilA2Z
#atozchallenge
I love this - what a wonderful story and quote. Growing up, I never would have believed that I'd end up living on the west coast...and after riding a bicycle across the US, no less. It's exciting to let life surprise you.
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome! It's so good to be different. I love how life just works things out. :)
ReplyDeleteWow. I think you are the only person I know who lives in Florida. That's one thing I love about the internet, it brings people together from around the globe! Great post.
ReplyDeleteDamyanti - Happy A-Z to you! Thanks for stopping by. :)
ReplyDeleteJillian - it's nice to know I'm not alone. And I love the idea of riding a bike across the US. (Not that I'm close to doing that anytime soon but still...you never know! Maybe some day!)
Leigh - thanks! Me, too. :)
Julie D - it amazes me, too, how I read posts/thoughts from people all over the world and they read mine.