| April 11, 2017 |
Happy Full Moon! Today I’m reflecting on what brought me here, to the state of Washington again: all the support and love of my family and friends on the East coast, the endless development of my connection to my heart’s calling, and the power of manifestation.
My brain that was overloaded and confused (therefore “stuck,” and “attached”) finally let it go. Through some intense dark-room meditation with Alan Watts, I got real with myself. I allowed myself to proceed into the next natural step in my life, and started exploring some options. With a ton of meditation and self-reflection, I reached a state progress and clarity. It all seemed to come together so fast, yet I wasn’t overwhelmed. It all felt so natural. I was free within the confines of my mind to control my destiny.
I decided I would head back out to the Western United States to get back in touch with the mountains that had inspired me so grandly in 2016. I came to terms with my areas of weakness, and sources of attachment (to people, places, and ideas) that were detrimental to my psyche. I realized my undying enthusiasm for EVERYTHING sometimes disconnects me from my goals. And so, on January 24th, I made the well-thought-out decision to return to the state of Washington to work with children and I still had so much I wanted to learn, and knew I’d be ready for all that would open up to me back in Washington.
But first? Some more quality family time, sunshine in Florida, and big purchases.
The whole “I can see” thing was really working out well for me. Waking up every morning being able to see the world around me (without thinking “oh shit, I forgot to take my contacts out”) was dream-like. Once the protective lens came out, my eyes felt a lot better, and that sandpaper feeling went away (amen). I was still not super social, and was slammed with a bit of a stomach bug for a few days, but I just kept thinking…
Every day, in every way, I am getting better, better, and better.
I realized where a lot of my end-of-2016-frustration was coming from. I wasn’t too happy with the Travel PT company I had been working with. I was missing working in pediatrics. I wasn’t the biggest fan of rainy weather in Olympia. I had also made the over-expensive decision to rent a car for the entire duration of my 6 months in Washington. I didn’t really know how long I was going to be in Washington, and at the time it seemed like a logical decision. In retrospect, I definitely could have done things a wee bit differently, but it’s all a learning process, isn’t it?
So, I took action and made some changes! I switched Travel Physical Therapy companies, and got on board with an AMAZING recruiter at Advanced Medical that I just click with. I had communicated with her previously, but signed on with a different company for my Olympia assignment. I also decided to switch back to working in pediatrics (one of my biggest passions <3), and was offered a job in Yakima, Washington! It seems super simple, and it really was once I came to terms with what I wanted.
I also decided it was time to say “Adios” to my 2009 Toyota Corolla, Angela, and instead start looking at getting a car that’d allow me to (1) Fearlessly drive in snow, (2) Drive on rough terrain to trail heads, and (3) Allow enough space for gear and to sleep in. When I started car shopping, I went through periods of anxiety and joy. I am not a materialistic individual, so thinking about BUYING A CAR was insane to me. Yet, I decided it was time to make the investment. My parents were heavily supportive in this area, which helped ease my mental turmoil quite a bit. I fiddled with the options of Toyota RAV-4’s, used Subarus, and all kinds of 4wD/AWD vehicles before finally falling in love with and deciding on a Subaru Forester. Welcome to my adventure life, Jazzy! Here she is:
As these plans began settling in, I embraced a ton of family and friend time in the month of January.
My cousin/sister/best friend/soulmate and I spent quality time in her hometown outside of Boston. We rock climbed, bouldered, and I finally walked across an entire Slackline for the first time. We went on a tour at Harpoon Brewery, laughed way too much (typical), and went for a hike with Penny. I couldn’t be more lucky to have a cousin who shares the same enthusiasm for life, and I easily could have stayed with her in Boston for months.
My brother and I played one hour of pinball in NYC and had an “aggressively average” sushi lunch.
I celebrated the engagements of my two best friends, and said “yes” to be a Maid of Honor and Bridesmaid in September 2018! (And NOT just because I have the most creative friends)
I then spent a solid week with my soul sister, Talia (the independent visionary at the forever-expanding Tallymark Productions), in her new home (and my old stomping grounds) of South Florida. Being reunited with the sunshine, Gus the Goldendoodle, and Talia was invaluable. I was greeted with a VERY excited Gus and colorful flowers.
Living a colorful life in Florida ain’t hard, especially when Mora Surf Boutique has pants like THESE. I literally saw these pants as soon as I walked in the store, and kept coming back to them, tried them on (not once, but thrice), and eventually caved in to purchase them. Holy hippie glory.
Since Talia moved to South Florida, she’s truly done some amazing things. She’s grown her own videography business in glorious ways, becoming the go-to videographer for outdoor adventurers in South Florida. Seeing her in action for her passion project shooting AcroYoga in Davie was one of the highlights of this trip. We were enveloped in a forest of palm trees, admiring the multidirectional sun rays through the palms, and doing something we both grew to love in our time in Florida.
With the beach being a walk away from Talia’s apartment, we made our way to the Boca Raton coast to soak in the sun at any given opportunity…
We made the drive to Jacksonville where Talia’s boyfriend resides, and were greeted upon arrival with a POD OF DOLPHINS swimming through Mike’s apartment complex’s inlet! It was a divine, magical sight to see the spinner dolphins playing, jumping, and feeling their way through the water’s depths.
We walked through the towns of Neptune Beach and Jacksonville Beach to embrace the coastal homes and ocean breeze that brushed our hair and warmed our souls.
And right there, on the beach in Jacksonville, was a glorious sand dollar! I felt instantaneously richer, being surrounded by the people and places I love.
The magic continued, as we saw a whale splash its fin in the distance…
And Gus? He was just a happy pup trottin’ around in the sea foam and sun…
I truly knew I was in the right place when Talia burst into Mike’s apartment, instructing me to bring my camera outside, and all I had to do was ask “70-300?!” and we rushed outside to capture the Snow Moon and prenumbral lunar eclipse where the Earth cast its shadow on the moon.
The magic just wouldn’t quit.
On my last day, en route to the airport, we even made a quick stop in GEORGIA! As we drove on 95, we saw a sign saying “Florida thanks you for visiting”… and just kind-of looked at each other with the “OHSHIT” face, to find out we had driven a little too far from Jacksonville Airport. Oops!
Honestly, I couldn’t be more grateful for the people in my life. When I decided to head back out west, I wasn’t sure I was ready to leave all these people on the east coast again. Yet, my heart and soul was ready to venture again into the unknown and prepare to grow in the mountains…
Thank you, to my East Coast family, for all you are, and your endless love and support.
Lucky me.
