>> A Little Tour of the Good Ole "US of A" <<

A lesson in flexibility, maybe a little sooner than we'd anticipated.

So after a day of cancelled flights, hours on hold with American Airlines, and finally rebooking a set of flights to take us on a wild goose chase around the US, we are finally sitting in the Raleigh, North Carolina airport awaiting our final flight, to London, England.

I guess you can either look at it as a delay to the beginning of a fabulous adventure, or you can just embrace it and decide that ever since you stepped through the security checkpoint, that the adventure begun.  I chose the latter.  Because Alexa receiving a full-blown security pat-down for the level of suspiciousness her "sparkly sweater", consuming excessive amounts of queso in Dallas, suffering through a flight behind a couple who just couldn't remain in their individual seats (cringe-worthy), and hearing the pilot casually announce that "well the left engine doesn't seem to feel like starting this morning, so we're just gonna manually open it and go from there!" (NOT comforting), I think it's safe to say that the adventure has most definitely begun!

And as hard as it is for us to see our already-arrived Londoners posting pictures of our gorgeous new home, I know that Anna, Alexa, David, Ben, and I still have quite the adventure ahead of us.  We will arrive in London at 6am and immediately proceed to our orientation (that lasts all day mind you) and our formal dinner tomorrow night (still on no sleep).

So here's to adventuring.  Here's to getting lost and figuring it out and being late and most of all…..LIVING IN LONDON! Soooo needless to say I'm not complaining too much ;)

>> Messy Hair and Thirsty Hearts <<

And as I prepare to embark on this crazy adventure my motto is thus "for those with messy hair and thirsty hearts".  Perfectly and simply put it embraces that which I most firmly believe; to let things go that aren't important and to never be satisfied knowing enough things that are seemingly important.  And I guess I also fill the embodiment in the fact that my hair is literally always messy…

I find that as everyone around me continues to cycle nostalgically in preparation for hated goodbyes, I find my mind so completely absent from everything going on around here.  As that mindset is not exactly ideal when it comes to finals week, I can't help but stray constantly to my travel boards on Pinterest, making infinite lists of all the places I want to visit in London and Europe, all the neighborhoods I want to go to market in, and all of the coffee shops I plan on finding a cozy corner in to do some homework….or more likely blogging :) or art or poetry…but anyways…

Other than classes I'm taking in London, which I happen to be so ecstatic about, I will be living in my dream city for four and a half months with no responsibilities other than to pursue culture, art, and self-discovery.  Sounds like a pretty sweet gig from where I stand.  And as the supposedly stressful tasks such as packing and finishing Visa applications should seem daunting and tedious, every item I set aside to be packed only makes me that much more excited to be leaving everything I've ever know to jump into nothing I've ever known.

And honestly, as I run into fellow future Londoners on campus the excitement is palpable.  More than any other trip that I've noticed, my travel-mates seem as settled into Cloud Nine as I am.  Such an indicator that these almost strangers are soon to be my kindred souls is one of the few things getting me through these last papers I'm typing with my three bandaged fingers (also not ideal) but also not hindering my excitement in the least, on top of the fact that I'll be arriving in Bond's homeland with quite the badass scars.

>> Musings from Margaret <<

It is absolutely the reason that I believe that certain people are just meant to be in each other's lives.

From halfway across the world I have connected with such an amazing woman, one I know is going to be such an amazing support for me as I get closer and closer to my adventure of a lifetime in London.  Ms. Margaret Paul has brought the concept of study abroad to the fullest and most amazing experience for growth I have yet seen.  I aspire with every piece of myself to have even half of the experience she is currently having.  She has opened herself up to the world, wishing and hoping for it to sweep her off her feet, which it truly seems that it has.

Advice I get from her is truly wonderful and I intend to take every bit of it as I run off into the foggy adventure that is London.

>>

Just some nuggets of magic from the woman herself...

>  "My favorite memories are the things that weren't part of the plan. Plan B is the best thing to ever happen to me. I'm not much of a planner anyway, it's too stressful, but part of the whole experience is the unexpected. Go out one day with the sole purpose of getting lost. Once you think you're absolutely helpless at finding your way home, stop at the nearest coffee shop and spend the afternoon writing in a journal or catching up with friends." 

>  "Be stupid. Make mistakes, put yourself out there. You have the perfect opportunity to be whatever you want to be....so be you. Push it, be a little crazy, play music on the street with someone you just met to pay for drinks later;) go dancing and be goofy. There's literally nothing to lose so just grab that bull by the horns."

Ahhh Marge, can't wait to hear in person about all of these amazing adventures and friendships you're creating!!  Love ya to pieces girl, you're truly an inspiration.

>> Honesty <<

I believe that honesty is the highest form of respect we can show one another.

I've come to realize in these past few weeks that true peace does not only come when you are truly honest with yourself, but also with everyone around you....everyone.  When you are honest not only with yourself, but with your surroundings as well, you ultimately allow yourself to slowly take down certain walls you've built up.  Whether those walls are there to protect your heart, your mind, your vulnerability, or your soul, it's an amazing relief to discover that these walls are not permanent.  And in these past few weeks I've discovered that the easiest ways to remove them is so much simpler than I'd ever thought.  Honesty.  Pure and simple honesty.

Tell people how you feel.  Whether it's out of frustration, anger, or even love.  Tell them how you feel. Whether or not you get the response you had hoped for, it is an amazing feeling to just let your emotions out into the universe.  Once you've said them, they're out of your hands.  It is fully up to the universe to decide what to do with them, and you, you can just let go.

As cheesy as it may seem I will forever and always quote the infamous John Mayer in saying "say what you need to say" because truly and simply, "it's better to say too much, then never to say what you need to say".

There.  Now go.  Say it, whatever it is, because if it's meant to be, it's meant to be and the universe will figure it's shit out on its own time.  Not your time.  DEFINITELY not your time, but have patience young grasshopper, always have patience.

>> OT <<

Space and time are brilliant functions.

The last two weeks being as hectic as they've been I've experienced the absence of my other half...

This woman understands me like no other.  I truly believe that soul mates come in the form of best friends, and these kind of soul mates are far and above the best kind.  Someone who understands how you view the world and yet challenges you and your beliefs to keep you strong and honest.  That's what Regina does.  Whatever we do, it's an adventure.

And as my crazy life has consumed me with constant stress these past few weeks, the space away from her makes me appreciate the amazing woman and friend that she is.  She grounds me and continues to lift me higher simultaneously.

She yells at me when I'm not reaching my full potential, she cries with me when my soul is aching, and she is happier than me when amazing things happen in my life.  True love and true friendship; irreplaceable things in a world that slips into a chilly, black and white picture at these tough times of our lives.  The journey of self-discovery made simple by a partner in crime who continues to encourage me to open doors, ESPECIALLY those doors I am most frightened to open.

So cheers to my rock beneath my feet and the wind pushing me from that rock when I get too comfortable.

>> Liquid Lines <<

Inspiration is a funny thing.

Sometimes the things you expect to inspire you the most don't stir even enough of an emotional response registrable by a pacemaker, yet, other times you're left to try and contain all of the newly flourishing poetry that's setting off fireworks in your brain until you can write it all down because it hit you when you'd least expected it.

Lately I've been thoroughly stumped as to my lack of inspiration.  Sure I've been busy and haven't exactly had the time to camp out in a practice room and write Beethoven quality material, but even as my focus drifts in class and my pen wanders to the outer margins of my notes...nothing.

And as I rushed around this week, spending every moment possible bathed in the harsh fluorescent lights of that dungeon some call the library, I'd expected my obligations tonight to be nothing more than a fifteenth line that I could cross off in my daily planner.  A friend had asked if I would help add some female vocals to a track that he was producing for his upcoming mix-tape.  Loving every opportunity to surround myself with music, I agreed.  But as I trudged through the persistent drizzle of rain that hung in the courtyard, the task of taking time out of studying for even a few hours seemed a daunting perspective.

But that mindset changed before I could even comprehend the fact that the awning of their apartment was dripping water onto the newly shattered screen of the cell phone I held in my hand.

The moment I entered the house I was greeted by the most exquisite creatures I have seen in a very long time.  Two perfectly marked, grey and black, baby kittens came skirting around the corner, and as the door shut, all of my stress and worries vanished into the chilly rain.  After participating in a much needed animal therapy session, consisting of the kittens taking turns hiding in my sweater, we retreated to probably one of the most fabulously "college" recording studios I have ever had the pleasure of working in.  This ingenious setup consisted of a vocal microphone placed deep inside a full closet, absolutely perfect at absorbing the sound.  And I'm not being sarcastic, I promise, it truly was a studio built on passion and performance instead of prestige.  And I wouldn't have had it any other way.

As I sat down on the bed to play with the kitten and listen to the other tracks on the tape, my mind was set on fire.  The depth of the passion in the lyrics, not to mention the lyrics themselves, was so concrete and seamless that I was transported.  Not only into the world these brilliant artists had created but into my own world.  It was as if my soul had been locking me out of my own pool of creativity for the past few months until that moment.  You should know that when I say the past few months, I should ballpark that figure at around eleven.  It has been approximately eleven months since the last time I was truly, rawly inspired.  So yeah, I can guarantee that my screaming soul was finally sated with the invitation to return to its hallowed halls.

The words flowed from these artists into liquid lines which eventually became a seamless verse and before I knew it I was too wrapped up in the buildup to the chorus that I forgot I was supposed to be singing it.  As I began to sing and record on track they had set up, a never-ending stream of ideas flew from me without thought, a feeling more welcomed than I could ever express in words.  The ease with which these men and their words inspired me, and vis versa, had hit me like a ton of kittens.  Not bricks, kittens.  Because unlike a crude and abrupt awakening, this inspiration came soft and welcomed yet at the same time intoxicatingly sneaky.  The moment I'd felt that my soul had simmered on the surface for too long it reminded me of ideas I'd suppressed and words I'd left dusty with disuse.  I haven't been this inspired in almost a year people, the ideas hadn't been growing rusty or forgotten, they were multiplying and expanding and just waiting for me to remember they were there.  

Well needless to say, the atmosphere was conducive to producing an amazing hook for an amazing track and all parties were sad that we hadn't planned more of a collaboration.  To work in an amazingly inspired space like that with men that are talented on more levels than even they know, fostering a collective of ideas that included everyone as equals was, well, honoring.  The return of your creative juices can oftentimes be accompanied by doubt and insecurity in your new ideas, but tonight mine were immediately validated and valued, not to mention molded into a product in less than a few hours.

The immediate connection we had, most people would say is based on the obvious fact that we all appreciate and love to create the same kinds of art through music, but that's just a resultant coincidence.  When you meet people who empathize with part of your soul, that connection is more than a common interest.  You can't describe what exactly it is but you can communicate with these people on a level more fluidly simple than with anyone else.  And the product of that connection means more to you than any listener will ever come close to grasping.

You know those times when you walk outside and just stop?  You just stand there and breathe and appreciate that there is a smile on your face that isn't going anywhere any time soon?  Well tonight as I stood on the steps of the courtyard the rain had turned from a hazing nuisance to a cleansing soak just as I had turned my pent-up emotion, frustration, passion, and anxiety, finally into art.  And as I lay in bed ready to wake up in a few hours for class, I laugh as I find a pencil that had been stuck into the bun on top of my head.  When ideas move that quickly you really do need to have a writing utensil closer than you may think.  And I think I'll leave it.  Who knows what ideas are bound to be scribbled on the pad of paper next to my bed in the morning.

Oh wait, yep, definitely don't have a pad of paper next to my bed.  Whelp, if they didn't want me to write on the walls they would have painted them black instead of white....