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| a dear colleague gifted me this Martin Wilke numbered print and I waited until I could use it as life imitating art... and it did, the day I gave my notice of resignation. |
December 1995, I took a temporary-turned-career, position at my first big girl job – a 9-5, working at a governmental relations office in Sacramento. Those three months turned into twenty two years in an office.
May 18, 2017, is my last day at work – bringing to a close a fabulous career as an Executive Assistant, mostly serving the public with the California
State Legislature and the University of California at Davis.
On May 23, 2017, I hop on an airplane to Huatulco, Mexico, to board a small sailboat with a near stranger (a la 1994 MTV’s Real World) to sail south and west headed toward French Polynesia and maybe more. Then I’m going to roadtrip the US to visit family and friends and places. Then I’ll fly to Paris and see where things take me from there. I’m finishing my degree and plan for my future “work” to incorporate travel, mentorship, and young people – opening minds and broadening perspectives.
What???? So much. Here’s some snippets of what led me to
this exciting moment…
Um, most practically, having two amazing young adult offspring that are confidently on their own journeys and selling my house and getting rid of 99% of my "stuff." But, most importantly, the sense of adventure and
possibility and exploration and courage that I got from:
Reading… my grandparents’
subscription to National Geographic. A
Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. The
Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. Reading
Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi. On
Gold Mountain by Lisa See. Americanah
by Chimamanda Ngozi. Eat Pray Love by
Elizabeth Gilbert. And definitely WILD
by Cheryl Strayed.
Watching… The Jewel of the Nile, The Josephine Baker Story, Wild Orchid, MTV’s
Real World (early years), White Squall, The Coconut Revolution, Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown, and most
recently Sea Gypsies at this adorable little film festival in Davis (originally from the Banff Film Festival - Google it).
Life… the many people that had a hand in parenting me (at least twelve immediately come to mind, for anyone that wonders, parenting is a team sport for sure). The outdoor adventures my
family took me on as a kid, from camping at Salt Point to the Sierras. Learning
how to scuba dive. The BVI sailing trip as a young adult. Joining the Sea
Scouts with my kids to learn about boating and fixing and navigating, seeing
different cultures and towns and cities on our countless road trips across the
US. Listening to people’s stories from my desk in my office, all the visitors
to the Capitol from everywhere, the incredible well-traveled academics I’ve
encountered at UC Davis. The unconditional love from my BTG/BFFs. The broken hearts I've endured. The industriousness and creativity and grit required
to single-parent two offspring and mentor many others, knowing that they were
learning from my example and I wanted it to be one of strength and fun and
outside-of-the-box-iveness. Push-the-envelope-iveness.
Wanting… to see in-person what I’ve
mostly seen in the pages of a book or on a screen. To stretch my huge wings to
their fullest, knowing that my roots run deep and it’s possible and preferable
to have both. To learn at least another language. To be a stranger in another town in another culture. To have time to dance. To show my kids and family
and friends and strangers that there’s more to this life. This 9-5, commuting
to an office, sitting at a computer, slowly experiencing the deterioration of
our bodies. LOL.
We design the world in which we
live. And, courtesy of Cheryl Strayed introducing me to her… as Mary Oliver
said, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” I'll tell you what I plan to do... to make the world a better place by
designing something beautiful for myself and others. What else?
For anyone interested in knowing more, subscribe to my blog. I'll be posting musings, observations, memories, videos, and photos all along this journey in Life #2.
