So here we go bluebird

"The doors we open and close each day decide the life we live."

I'm making my new home in Seattle, more so every day. It's not exactly what I envisioned or even what I anticipated when I planned my move, but it's a happy life. I've started to craft my new routine.

It may not be so glamorous. Sure, I've been on business trips, which contrary to popular belief, are not really all that fun. You're working, you're just in a different setting. And there's the whole tiring aspect of travel. And there's my girl date nights each week, and my house's Mad Men watching parties every Sunday night, and the grocery store, and the laundry. It's certainly different to get up and go to a 9 to 5 job every day, or in my case, 7 to 3:30. But it's quickly become a routine.

But a lot of that routine is about the unexpected - I'll think work will be slow and then someone shows up at my desk and I'm running around the whole day, or a random friend will be passing through town and think, Mary's here, we should get together. And I love that. I love not knowing exactly what's coming - having some cosmic universe decide that for some reason my world should collide with someone else's for a minute at Starbucks, for a day here and there...or for a lifetime. Sure, people come into your life and they go. Jobs change, heck, careers change, and if you ever think for one second your life has fallen into some dull routine, think again. Every day there is a whole bunch of things left to chance. Sure there's always the possibility you'll be miserable - but there's also a chance that you could be incredibly happy...if you just look at what's around you.

PS - If you haven't checked out the new Sarah Barieles CD, this is my shameless plug for it. It's really great!

Photo credit: http://abeautifulinheritance.tumblr.com

Fall Into the Gap

Don't you remember those old Gap commericals? With all the cutest girls, with the hippest new clothes, and the shiny new backpacks? The days of school shopping and sharp new pencils?

This year is the first year since I can remember that I'm not going back to school. Many of my friends are back to college, some of the "little" kids I used to know are going through their first days of high school and college, and everything is happening just as it does every year.

Which leads me down that fickle little road called memory lane. Back to my first day of kindergarten, when I stained my brand new shirt with strawberry juice, and seventh grade, when I was devestated I didn't make the intramural volleyball team, and senior year, when I could finally drive to school...

School is great at compartmentalizing life. Until you are eighteen, mostly everyone is on the same path. You pass the landmarks of first grade, second grade, third grade, all together. And for the most part, college is like that too. Most people these days go to college - maybe you're on the five year plan, or you study abroad, or go to a two year school, but everyone is still passing through the familiar landmarks of growing up. Expiermenting with alcohol, getting into more serious relationships, discovering who you might want to be for the rest of your life.

But after college, those neat little compartments - they go away. There's no one to tell you when to hit the next landmark, and even scarier, there's no one telling you what that landmark is. Marriage? Career advancement? Kids? It can happen at 22 or 34, or quite possibly never at all. And that can be a little daunting.

But there is a silver lining! It means that you can write the rules. Don't like the conventional landmarks? Then change them. Ready for bigger and better things? Then get on your way.

I'm right there with you...but not before back to school shopping. Who says you can't look fabulous for the first day of school, even if you're not going to a classroom?