Sweet Southern Tea

I have a saying...

"I like my tea sweet, my music country, my hair blonde, and my men gentle."

Living in Minneapolis has given me a really good perspective on who I really am. Sometimes it takes you being out of your habitat to find out what and who you really are. One thing I've learned since moving here is just how Southern I am. There's just something about sitting on the front porch of my sorority house in a rocking chair sipping sweet tea. There's just something about having a guy open my door for me and curling my hair before going out. There's just something about entertaining friends and bringing homemade cupcakes to a meeting. I love the South. Don't get me wrong, I love America more, but there is just something magical, special, and a little extra sweet about the South. And, when you think of a Southern woman she is warm, welcoming, and ultra feminine.

Part of the charm of a Southern woman is her resourcefulness. Part of the charm of ANY woman is her resourcefulness. We can do a million things at once, be running late, and still look damn good. Call me old-fashioned, but I believe in a higher standard for women these days. I feel like we have diminished a lot respect we should have for women and the many roles they play. We get uncomfortable mentioning a woman staying at home, knowing how to cook, how to keep her home presentable, and all the things that were labeled, in the past, as a "woman's job". I'm not saying I'm going to quit my job tomorrow, stay home, and be solely devoted to raising a bunch of kids while catering to my husband's every need. However, I believe that at 23 years old, I should know how to cook, entertain, keep my home clean and organized, look my best when I leave my home, and be a responsible human being. Women used to be judged on other kinds of skills like their cooking, cleaning, managing of a household, and other "accomplishments" like music, literature, and languages. However, I want to know why did we lessen our expectations? I still believe that women should be well read, be intellectually stimulated by learning about new cultures and languages, be knowledgable about the world and its goings on, and be cultured enough to know about art and music.

Women used to be polished, refined, and classy. We're living in a time of convenience and going so fast we forget to just stop and smell the roses, or just stop and cook a damn homemade dinner. We are forgetting the simple things in life and forgetting how to take our time, slow down, and pay attention to the details. Instead, we rather have quantity over quality, which I think pretty much sums up the issue with women today. It's not about how cultivated she is or how accomplished she is, it's about how closely she can resemble a celebrity and how much attention she can get (or give) to guys. Are these the standards we really want our generation to be remembered for? As a young woman, I'm worried we're losing sight of what being a woman really means.

Part of my plan to live a more vibrant life is to refine myself, cultivate my talents, and become a woman of quality, not quantity. Quantity comes over time. As I gain new talents and experiences, I will have a large quantity of quality. Convenience is easy, but actually learning a new skill and putting it to good use is hard, but so rewarding. Expect more from yourself. Expect more from others.

Think of the women who are iconic role models throughout history. How many of them come from our generation? How many women can we look up to and say now that, that is a real woman? Can't think of many? Then be that person. Someone has to.

Around the World...and Back

Some of you may be wondering where I am, what I've been doing, if I'm even alive. I've always been pretty awful at keeping a journal. I'm a talker and somehow writing down my feelings never is as easy as just saying them. My mother once said I started talking early and never shut up. I'm sure those of you who know me can agree.

I started this blog as a travel blog - to share my adventures and stories with friends, family, and the occasional random visitor. However, I don't get to travel every day of my life, but my life is still an adventure, still vibrant. Over the past few months, I've really learned what vibrant means and what my vibrant world actually is.

Since my last blog post, I have been literally around the world...and back. I have traveled to 9 new countries, moved 2,000 miles away from home, graduated with my masters, broke up with the guy I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with, started a full time job, moved in with an almost total stranger, learned how to make homemade butter, and discovered how strong I really am on my own. It has been an exhausting, exciting, emotional, and enlightening adventure. There's a saying that goes, "You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have."

I would be lying if I said this transition to my new life has been easy. How can I just keep the good and get rid of the bad? How can I become the person I know I'm meant to be? How can I pick up the pieces, and make sense of them again? I never realized what a fairytale life I had in college (because honestly, college is a fairytale) until I was thrown into this world of bills, grown up decisions, working late nights, maybe not even liking work, having to start all over in this big city, and feeling alone. Really, really, really alone. In college, I had best friends who would literally drive 2 hours to surprise me at my door on my birthday, friends who were always up for a late night movie or college pizza session, family that wasn't quite so far away, a million activities and "fun" responsibilities, and a future I thought was set in stone. It's amazing how quickly things can change.

I moved from the only home I've ever known - Florida - to the frozen tundra of the Midwest - Minneapolis, MN, said goodbye to everyone I've ever loved, lost the person I thought I'd love forever, had to begin waking up before the sun comes up on a consistent basis, and had to completely start my life from scratch. I had no friends, no connections, nothing. Talk about being outside of your comfort zone. I realized through this more about myself in a few weeks than I probably discovered in all of college. When you lose everything, you find out what you truly had all along. I found that I was surrounded by love. Deep, powerful, unconditional love of my friends and family. Not once did a friend complain when I wanted to talk for 5 hours and not once did my parents get upset when I asked for my space. I found that being blatantly honest with people instead of hiding my fear and discomfort made them like me even more. I won't lie, on many an occasion I have gone up to people and asked them to be my friend.

In college, I made sure I had it all together. I always thought not knowing what I wanted to do or not knowing what I'm even doing at that moment would make me look weak. Right now, I don't have it all together. There are areas of my life I have let slip through the cracks and it's ok to admit that. To yourself, to your loved ones, and even to the world.

Over the past few weeks as I've acclimated to this new city (and the horribly cold weather) and healed from all of my life changes, I've started defining how I can be more vibrant. How can I clean the dust off of my life and make myself shine? I'm learning how to create, live, experience, and nurture a vibrant life through my mind, body, spirit, home, heart, and world. From exercising more to enjoying the little things, from learning how to cook at home to connecting with my loved ones more, I'm striving to make every day a vibrant day.

They say life is a journey, not a destination. I believe life is an adventure, not a journey (sounds strenuous). I'm on this crazy, wonderful adventure and hope to share humor, lessons, tips, tricks, and lots of love through it all. I hope you'll join me. =)

Until next time, stay vibrant!

M

PS:
My summer before ending up in MN:

View Full Size Travel Map at Travellerspoint