Wild Geese

The two (poem & photograph) below may seem unrelated all together
but for me they are intertwined.
The photograph is such a simple representation
of how beautiful a setting can be without a lot at all.
Representing imagination, light-heartedness, and creativity- a love of life.
A thousand different story lines, one may come up with when glancing at this....

The poem illustrates some of this, but from a different perspective-
one I'm sure we've all had from time to time.
I can hear the wild geese now.

Wild Geese 

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting--
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

© Mary Oliver

Just Imagine

all the wonderful journeys to be had
isn't this wonderful!?!
I encourage you to sit down and read a book

Leap

Photo by A. Smitten  Link

"When we focus our energy towards constructing a passionate, meaningful life, we are tossing a pebble into the world, creating a beautiful ripple effect of inspiration. When one person follows a dream, tries something new or takes a daring leap, everyone nearby feels that energy, and before too long they are making their own daring leaps and inspiring yet another circle."
~Christine Mason Miller

Roadtrip

Have you ever been on a roadtrip?
I've been on a few.  Probably the longest lasting about a week or a little more.
But each one had some kind of pre-planned destination or itinerary.

The best and most desirable and most fun thing I can think of doing right now is going on a completely random and unplanned roadtrip.

In fact, I think it is my next obsession.  Meaning, my next obsession after CRNA school.

And perhaps the surprising thing is that I want to do it poorly, without conventional luxury, and without any direction.  This is probably due to the fact that my life right now is completely based on planning & time constraints.  It has been this way now for years & years.  Each minute of my day it seems is planned minute to minute, or at least each minute has an assignment already determined for it before the minute ever has a chance to happen.

I've talked to my husband about this.  This roadtrip of sorts.  I just want to get in the car with as little as possible, like a backback. And just drive.

Drive anywhere.  Stop anywhere.  For however long.  With no plan.

Wouldn't this be nice?
To some this may seem unobtainable.  What about work? bills? your responsibilities? How can you drop everything and just go off for a month or two or three?

But I believe you can really make anything quite possible in life.  And afterall this is your life.  And you only have one of those, my friend.

I think the opportunity is presenting itself next early spring and I will take it.

Below are some inspiring photos, all by the lovely Jess Gough.

the land between here and mountains

Some days are better than others

some days are certainly worse than others.....

which is basically the same thing as:

you never reach your happy without sad on the charts

One day I will let the sun hit me
and I will remember what I went through to enjoy it

your view is everything...
it makes all the difference

when you feel like your suffering
really it's nothing compared to how others have it

I hope one day I can really help other people
really make an impact

If all of us gave ourselves in some way to others
things could be so much better

Your greatest failure

might be to not savor every moment
the small moments
the seemingly unimportant
the light flickering off leaves
moving through blades of grass
the breeze
while holding hands
the preparation of consumption
the aftermath of hearts racing
sleepy satisfaction

I'm sorry your body is failing
I'm sorry your wife may lose her leg
and everything she once stood for

A new month