Change!

It's official, call the blogger protective services - I have neglected this blog! I originally started the blog as a way for my friends and family to keep track of me during the course of my studies at Thunderbird. But then it evolved into so much more... something more like an intimate rambling of my experiences both on- and off-campus. A detailed account of my comical, yet always amazing adventures around the world. But now, that chapter has come to a close, and a new one opened. One where I had to leave behind the often care-free student world to embrace one with financial and REAL responsibilities. I will never forget my time at Thunderbird, the memories will always be a part of who I am, and who I will be. The campus, the life, the people I met, the experiences I had - they shaped me. I think differently than most of my colleagues and non-Tbird friends. I guess the inner Thunderbird in me will never fade. It’s like a flame that still burns bright and lights new experiences in a way that most people don’t see. This flame also burns bright a desire to travel, learn and understand new cultures and places that other folks wouldn’t care to fathom. It's amazing to look back at my life three years ago when I sat in an empty apartment, having donated every single piece of furniture I owned, quit my job, and was so eager to embark upon this grad school adventure that so many alumni and professors told me would change my life. And you know what... it did.

Change is a funny thing. Now, three years later, I am "settled." Well, as much settled as a true Thunderbird spirit can be. I am definitely yearning for the next adventure, but I'm just not sure what that will be yet. I have a great job to which I am very grateful for, an apartment, and living in the beautiful northwest. Well, beautiful for three months out of the year that is. You see I come from a place where the sun shines 360 days out the year, I am a sun-worshipper. These 9-month winters of constant rain sure do wear on a southern California girl! But that’s a topic for a different entry! haha. So, back on track, so much has changed since I graduated. People have come and gone out of my life - but some friendships have, and always will withstand the test of time. Some, sadly, will not. Adventures around the globe have come to a screeching halt - in favor of business trips, limited vacation time and family visits. Instead of going to class and learning the latest theories, dissecting international case studies and engaging in spirited debates, I go to work, to the office - ready to make my mark in a large global corporation. Instead of planning the next study abroad, I am planning business trips back east. Instead of running the streets of Glendale for a stress-reliever, tanning-session, workout trifecta, I am planning the next mountain to climb in the great northwest ;)

And yet again, I digressed. Back to change. Sometimes it is welcomed, sometimes it is not. Sometimes it is understood, sometimes it is not. It is often feared by some, and embraced by others. But one thing is for certain... change is essential. Vital to the process of moving on and experiencing new things. You always learn something in the process, and armed with that knowledge and experience you forge ahead into the next adventure - whatever that may be. Where I am today is a result of decisions, small or large I made yesterday. And where I’ll be tomorrow will result in the change I espouse today. So, I'll end this, my first blog post in almost a year, with a fabulous quote. Im not even sure who said it, but here it is: "Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become."