Au Revoir to Facebook

It was more of a privacy issue than anything else, but I must admit...my first week without Facebook has actually been grand. Amongst other things, it has reminded me to simply be present. This is not such a grand revelation, but is has served to slow me down, relax my mind, and give me more time to ponder.

It had become more of a mindless habit, really. While sitting on the bus or the sub (when connection was available) I would scroll through my newsfeed and take a huge gulp out of the hydrant of information readily available. I had, at my disposal, a wide, wide range of topics with which to occupy my mind. Some would make me smile and laugh, such as my friends' adorable babies; some would make me sad, such as the many news-nerd updates on ISIL, genocides, climate change, or poverty-stricken countries that flooded my page, and some would make my blood completely boil over, such as people in this country, whom I cannot bring myself to even name on this blog! I had to laugh just now; even while writing that last sentence and thinking of these divisive, bully-ish few who refuse to play nice, I found myself typing harder and faster on my keyboard, riled up by the mere thought! 

With all that being said, I am not beginning a Facebook is Bad for Your Health Campaign. As you can tell, I have also not heaved my laptop out of the window and replaced it with a vintage Royal

typewriter. (Although I must confess I have dreamed of sitting in a small French cottage with the fresh Mediterranean breeze blowing through an open window across my fingers as I type away on a vintage Royal typewriter--with French keys, nonetheless, and the air filled with the steady contact of key to paper...ahhh, dreams.) Where was I? Ah, yes. I'll actually miss keeping in touch more frequently with some of my international friends. I will also miss the fact that several of my readers accessed my blogs through Facebook, but for me, it's a good thing for the moment. My soul feels refreshed.

With or without Facebook or the next best in social media, take time to still your mind and be present in your life. There is a peace that can only be found inside, but at times, it takes great courage to travel within ourselves and discover this peace. The journey is unique to each one of us, but it is a journey worthwhile. Namaste. 

*also please take the time to sign up for email updates to eight million plus two & leaving god finding me, if you wish to continue reading my blogs. If not, no worries. I'll still let you buy me a drink if we ever bump into each other in one country or another!

A snow day by any other name...

A snow day! I hadn’t imagined, when I took this new job, that I’d get a snow day. I’m thrilled. Yesterday, with blizzard-terror instilled in us all, I packed my backpack in a manner of which Brown Pop would be proud. We’d been told to come prepared to stay overnight, in case conditions got worse more quickly than predicted, and in case we needed to babysit hundreds of stranded passengers until flights were moving again. Thanks to the logic of the company, and the fact that they really do seem to put our safety as a top priority, the decision came from France: cancel all except the first flight out on Monday and all flights on Tuesday. Get the bulk of the employees home safely before public transportation shuts down.

And shut down it did. Most of us started our trek home around 5pm. I usually take a bus and then air train to work; I heard that the air train shut down about 7pm last night and the buses started shutting down around 9pm. By 11pm, the subway and trains shut down, and a curfew was put in place for all except emergency vehicles and snowplows. The mayor made sure to emphasize that food delivery bikes were not considered emergency vehicles in case some were unsure. (Although there’s now a conspiracy theory flying around about the Governor secretly keeping the subways running even though he told the city they were shutting down…pretty tricky of him, eh? For what reason? Who can figure...) The city is pretty creative when it comes to plows, by the way; with eight million people, you can imagine just how many garbage trucks this city uses. Many of those same garbage trucks become snowplows when the white stuff starts to fall. I'm impressed.

So now here we are cozied up in our tiny space, while the snow continues to fall, all warm and toasty; grateful for this life I now live. The blizzard fizzled out in our area leaving only 11-20 inches; that’s barely enough to cancel school up here! I’m sure they’ll joke about the little blizzard that wasn’t for weeks, but for now, I’ll soak up every second of my snow day and have another cup of coffee. 

A Year of Marriage

One year ago today, we were married. With the uncles as witnesses, and a beautiful snow falling, we made our way to the courthouse that Friday morning. I was as excited as I've ever been in my entire life.

First, I never thought I'd actually say that phrase in any context. Actually, both of us were pretty much set on not saying that phrase, and we were both mutually content with that decision until us came into existence.  No offense to my married friends, but the concept never seemed all that appealing to me to be frank. I was happy being an independent gypsy soul and so was M-. Now we are all the more happy being independent gypsy souls exploring this great big world...together.

Second, we now live in a state--and slowly a country--where we can actually say that phrase. There's been great progress towards equality this year. We weren't any more committed, happy, or in love on January 11, then we were on January 9, but I had never realized the impact of actually denying someone their right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, until I came out. Shame on me, for I had fallen into the trap of if it doesn't affect me it's not that important. Our marriage does not cause hurricanes or natural disasters, but it does gives me great peace of mind, legally, concerning our future pursuit of happiness. 

Third, It seems like yesterday and it seems like lifetimes. I've not known someone who gets me like M-. Period. We are connected in such a manner that is actually quite comical at times. We've had to start asking the other before we do certain things. For example, I've lost track of how many times we've both gone to the store on the same day and picked up the same thing....or done odd things around the house--on the same day--such as turning the mattress or cleaning the fridge. (we've done this more than a couple of times, which is hilarious when you think of it...) Our little lucky bamboo has been watered twice on the same day so many times that we've lost count. Luckily it is resilient and forgiving. 

Life has thrown me some unexpecteds along the way, as life normally does, but none compare to the joy of this unexpected force of nature that exploded into my life like fireworks in the dark of night. The glimmer in my eye? Yeah, that's her.

As we continue towards equality, I will strive to be more aware of the needs of others. Just because something doesn't affect me, does not mean it is not important and worthy of contemplation and change. We all deserve the right to pursue a happy and peaceful life; we all deserve to love and be loved in a healthy fashion ultimately adding to the collective peace and love in our world. I think we can all agree we need more of that in these days of unrest and violence. As I'll continue to say, we are all in this thing called life together. Happy Anniversary, M-, I love you more each day. Yeah, you're stuck with me.

Day after Christmas...

Here I sit, day after Christmas, wife's at work. Still trying to adjust to my new schedule and find time for writing, admittedly, I'm not doing so well finding the time to write yet. Surprisingly, given my position on the work totem pole, I didn't work yesterday and enjoyed a beautiful day with the wifey. We went to the movies. It has been unseasonably warm this year -- let that sink in -- and I found myself peeling off my coat as we walked through quiet neighborhoods towards the little independently-owned theatre. Once again, dispelling the idea that New York has only massive stores and shops. I was quite surprised to see the line already forming outside as we rounded the corner. Then realizing, and remembering, that we live in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood, I had my duh moment of the day. Our first time to this theatre, I was instantly spiraled back in time a few decades. It was, itself, a little theatre out of a 1950s movie. We saw Into the Woods, by the way, and it was marvelous. It was a day to be cherished.

Today is another beauty of a day. The sun has filled our entire tiny place, which I guess isn't that hard to do, and I'm slowly waking up with the help of some strong, patient espresso. I'll head into the city in a bit and soak in some much needed magic--the city never fails to provide. Sunny, rainy, snowy, the city turns on its magic and I am once again captivated and inspired. I'll carry with me the first Harry Potter book for my reading time while on the sub. I decided to get an early jump on my reading list for 2015. Harry Potter series first, then Les Miserables and Don Quixote. After that...we shall see.....

Enjoy the last few days of 2014; we'll catch up in the New Year. Peace.

Brunch on Madison Avenue

Crepes at Keko's. If you are ever in our lovely little city, please do yourself a favor and have crepes at this quaint little beauty of a cafe. I was grateful to spend a wintry morning this week in the city with my wife. As we walked along Madison Avenue, the smallest dusting of snow added just a touch more magic to an already magical day. I was reminded once again that we live in New York. We live in New York.

It's been a year. Can you believe it? I can't sometimes. One year ago today, we rolled up in a full Volkswagen Golf after a night of driving, after my last final was taken at University of Louisville. In the spring of 2014, over a nice bottle of Merlot (did you really expect anything less?), we decided to pack up everything and make this move after I graduated. At times, over those next few months, I wondered are we crazy? but I knew--we knew in our gut this was the time for such a move. As pop always says, "do something, even if it's wrong." It was time to do something. Even after we made that leap, and we spent the next fifty days searching nonstop for an apartment, I'd ask myself again, are we crazy?? I also knew that others were asking themselves the same question, are they crazy? Perhaps we are a bit, but if it brings me this much joy--I'd like to sign up for more.

Today, as we sit in our cozy tiny space, I am...happy, content, peaceful. I'm also proud of us. We worked hard this last year to make this thing work--it wasn't always easy, but we faced each day with determination. After a billion resumes (it seemed that many) I even have a job I am thoroughly enjoying. It also brings me such happiness to see M- thriving in the (many) opportunities she's discovered. I am so grateful to be living this journey, this beautiful adventure, with someone who brings countless smiles to my heart.

All this to say, do what is in your heart to do; be happy. Before moving, we discussed the fact that we might actually fall flat on our face--what then? We decided we'd just have to get back up, dust ourselves off, and go for it again. This was a new journey--and the nature of such is that we could not be certain of the outcome. We committed to keep moving forward, no matter how slow our steps. So I'll say it again: do what is in you heart to do; be happy--find peace.

Twenty years from now you will be 
more disappointed by the things you didn't do 

than by the ones you did.

So throw off the bowlines.

Sail away from the safe harbor.

Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore. Dream. Discover.

~Mark Twain~

And So The Tradition Continues...

There is always an excitement at the Wimberley abode when the signs of autumn make their hinted appearance. There's speculation of when the first frost will arrive, there's an excitement at the first sighting of autumn color, and the evenings spent around a campfire in the backyard grow in number. Another long held Wimberley tradition, is the watching of Those Calloways--one of Pop's all time favorite movies. As the temperatures cool, anyone can bet that there will be a call from Pop or myself, that states You know what it's time for! 

I am not sure when we started watching this movie, but I absolutely love it. It is such a Pop  movie too. It is about respect for nature seen through the lives of a family that lives in the woods of Vermont. Cam, the father, was raised by Indians, and holds the tribe's totem, the Canadian goose, with high regard. If you've ever been around the Wimberleys for any length of time, you've not only heard of this movie, you've also heard us quote something from this movie. Last year, Pop introduced M- to our family tradition and I have to laugh each time she throws a quote into one of our conversations. This family tradition means a great deal to me, and as we curled up in our little tiny space this year for our own viewing of Those Calloways, I couldn't help but think how grateful I am to share such traditions with my wife and soul-mate. Such happy times. I never imagined that I would have someone like her with which to share these traditions. Although distance, jobs, and other hindrances kept us from watching this movie with Pop this year, the tradition continues in a new corner of our world.

Travel advice and happy holidays

It's the holiday season. It seems unreal to be approaching our one year anniversary of New Yorkers and as a married couple. This year has proven challenging, rewarding, peaceful, and exciting. I am still settling into the new job and will now  pass on some helpful travel tips I have learned.

1. Make sure your passport is valid.  Many countries require a passport to be valid 3 months past the dates of intended stay. (Some require 6 months)

1a. Also, although this is a shock to many Americans, there are countries in this world that actually do require you, dear American,  to have a visa before entering. Please refrain from crying when I inform you of this.

2. Make sure you bring your own passport and not your spouse's. I've been surprised at the number of times this has happened.

3. If your bag bulges in odd places and threatens to bust your gut as you place it on the scales, it is more than likely over the weight limit. Take some of that crap out. You won't wear it anyway. At the very least, don't act completely surprised when we say there will be an extra charge.

4. On many flights, even international, you can check in online several hours before the flight. Do so. you'll get a better choice of seats. If you procrastinate and run up to the counter four and a half minutes before the boarding begins, do not complain about the middle seat by the bathroom you'll now occupy.

5. Just as every barista hears "nonfat milk cancels out the whipped cream," every day of their existence as a barista,  airline employees hear, "I won't mind if you want to upgrade me to business class for free." We will try to muster up a smile as if it is an original joke, I promise we will.

So there you have it. Travel tips from my new experience. Enjoy your holidays, throw kindness around with carefree abandonment,  and live a life you'll not regret. Know that we wish you peace from our little corner of this magnificent universe. Whether you like it or not, we are all in this thing together. Namaste.