Being a Part of It All

The audience clapped at the end of the Indiana Jones movie. Over the weekend, Barrett and I dared to see the new Indie movie. We were sure there would be long lines and crowded theaters, but we went anyway. The movie was decent, not an Oscar winner, except possibly for special effects. But when the credits began to roll, the audience clapped. I don't know if I've ever been in a movie theater in America when the audience broke out into applause at the end of a film. It reminded me of the Cayman Airways flight we took last summer. The passengers in the plane gave a round of applause when we touched down at our destination. This struck me as humorous and odd because I always thought of applause as an optional gesture when one is impressed by or proud of something or someone. But definitely optional. That means there must be an alternative, such as not being impressed or not feeling pride. When it comes to air flight, I don't see an alternative to landing the airplane. What, not landing the airplane? yikes. So, we clap if we land on the runway...we don't clap if we crash? It's just funny to me. Like it's an option for the pilot to land on the runway. But, I digress. Back to Harrison Ford and his famous fedora. I didn't particularly want to see the movie, but I saw it for two reasons. First, because my husband was counting down the days until the opening and I wanted to spend time with him. Second, because I truly enjoy being a part of big cultural events that bring strangers together for a common reason. I enjoy that feeling of buzz and excitement. There are not many things in this world that bring people together anymore. We live on our Palm Pilots, iPods, and computers. Most transactions these days are electronic. I think there's something to be said for a room full, stadium full, or auditorium full of real live people all brought together to enjoy an experience together. It's the same reason I watched the Indianapolis 500 this weekend as well. Granted, I wasn't there. But it still feels good to watch the race and to feel like I was a little involved. It's the reason I enjoy sports so much - bringing strangers together to cheer for the same team. We may not know the couple sitting next to us at the football game, but we all show up in the same colors, cheering for the same team, celebrating the same victory. I may never see these people again, but for a moment in time we were connected. I crave that connection. I love to be out in the world making those connections. I think there's something to be said for being a part of it all.

Directions

After only one week in this crazy city of North Cuba/Miami that I now call home, I can navigate my way back to my apartment without any u-turns!! After dropping Barrett off at his first lecture this morning, which thank goodness was just down the road from our building, I knew exactly how to get home! It was a comforting feeling. I turned right, I turned left, then left again, then one more left, and I was at our apartment. It feels like a sense of accomplishment because just one week ago, I couldn't even find a grocery store. Now I can shop at two different Publix without getting lost. Well, I might get a little lost going to the one downtown! But at least I know its general direction.
This first week in Miami has brought me to reflections on our first few days in Cayman. Back to my tearful breakdown while we bought a televsion from a sketchy place by the airport. Back to buying a car that was way overpriced in a move of desperation. Back to my first day of work at Lone Star when I wore khaki pants and a nice shirt! haha Just back to the feeling of learning a new place and balancing my emotions of loneliness and sense of adventure.
I must admit that moving a lot has helped me become a confident woman. I left home at 18 for college and had to learn Ft. Worth, Texas on my own. Barrett and I moved, sight unseen to Cayman in 2006. Now, in 2008, we moved (again, sight unseen) to Miami. In all of these places I have to find everything new. Grocery stores, movie theaters, salons, jobs, restaurants. It's a little sad to not be grounded in one town with my own house, my own friends, and my own hang-outs. But I have a feeling that Barrett and I will settle down soon enough and get into that everyday routine. We are still young, child-less, pet-less, and mortgage-less. I will enjoy this while it lasts.
I am off to job hunt. Wish me luck.

New Beginnings

After many months of prayer and positive thinking, Barrett embarks on a new adventure tomorrow - his first day at Ross University. This new school brings about lots of new opportunities for him. He knew that from the moment he mailed the envelope with his transfer application. He knew he had to get into this school. And he didn't take no for an answer. He had to knock down brick walls to get people to even hear his story. He persisted, pursued, and prevailed. He had more faith over this situation than I've even seen from him. He just knew this was meant to happen.
This new city, new apartment, new school, new everything only means one thing - that we are blessed beyond my comprehension. This did not happen on its own.
Barrett starts a new school.....and I start a job search. I am a little worried, but I will have faith just like Barrett did. Because in the end, after all my stressing, everything always turns out better than I ever could have imagined. Isn't it amazing how that seems to work when you just have faith?

Peaceful Beauty

I want to share these beautiful pictures of Biscayne Bay at night. This is just down the street from our apartment. Enjoy.

The Patio

My inspiration for this blog is the desire to catalogue my experiences, share them with others, and use them as a reminder to myself of how to live my life. I think it is too easy in this world to float through life, a day at a time, an hour at a time, and never leave the surface of the each moment. There is so much life beyond the surface, if you just take the dive below the whitecaps and waves.

For example, Barrett and I just moved to Miami. We have a fantastic high-rise apartment on the 17th floor in the heart of downtown. We have discovered the joy of eating meals on the patio overlooking the hustle and bustle of a big city. We sit there with the cars, homeless, and metro rail speeding by below while we eat our spaghetti or sandwiches. I take a break in between bites and soak up the sounds, the energy, and the love on that patio. There will be many times during my life when I look back on these patio moments and my heart will beam. Stressful times, scary times, lonely times, all when I feel as though life is too hard. But those patio moments remind me that I have a partner in life. He is in love with me and he truly enjoys just sitting on the patio, looking at the ocean, with me by his side. No distractions. Just us. These moments form the foundation of a marriage. It's not wedding vows, white dresses, signing paperwork, or moving in together. It's little moments like these that will get us through the inevitable hard times to come.

That, for me, is living the depth of the moment. It could have just been a turkey sandwich on the patio in between unpacking suitcases. But it wasn't. It was so much more than that. So much deeper than that.