Making a doughnut

 "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." ~Lao-tzu

Sometimes I think that all the good quotes are already taken. I mean seriously, thats really good stuff right there if you can actually wrap your head around it. But the most beautiful part to me, at least right now, is not the journey, the thousand miles, or even the quote itself. Nope, for me, its the single step. Thats the hard part. Right now Im starting a revolution. Im turning my life as I know it completely upside down. How did I get here? Let me try to explain.

In January of 2008 I did something a little bit different. I drove to a beach that I had never been to before. I took a pad and pen out to the highest pile of sand I could find overlooking the ocean. I climbed it and sat alone for a bit. And gazing out on the setting sun I closed my eyes and made a wish to change my life. I could go into all the things that I am and all of the things that I wanted to change. I may share that later. But for now it doesn't matter. I sat up there and asked for change, from the ocean, from myself- from anyone listening. I didn't want just another list of New Years Resolutions- you know the ones you have every intention of pursuing until somewhere along the way they become a new list of spoiled wishes to pile on your regrets? I wanted real change.

I had been searching myself for months (maybe years) trying to figure out why I was so unhappy. I had been trying to figure out what was wrong with me- why I couldn't just "be OK" for any sustained period of time. And sitting there in the breeze something inside of me finally started to let go. The wheels in motion what I wrote down changed my life forever...

Exercise 3x per week

Visit a new continent

Only kiss people I would kiss sober

Find new ways to say thank you

Only drink good booze (whenever possible)

Commit to something outside myself

Practice Art often

Do something that scares me at least 1x per month

The year that followed was a wonderful adventure. My eyes opened. My perspective changed. But thats not what this story is about. This story is about a girl, a world and a doughnut. In less than a month I am going to attempt to move to another country. A country where I don't speak the language. With no job and no "prospects" to speak of this may seem like an ill conceived plan. Perhaps it is. But all I know for sure is that Berlin is calling me and I have bought my ticket. I hope you will join me for the ride.

~S