the next adventure will be big.
and the one after that even bigger.
i would say prepare yourselves, but i'm not even prepared.
scared, excited, anxious, happy. but mostly happy :)
details to come as i get them...
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Sunday, October 13, 2013
not all those who wander are lost
this applies to life, literally and figuratively.
literally - when i am traveling and have more than a day or two in the same city, i like to spend my first day walking. doesn't matter where, i just step out the front door of wherever it is i'm staying and start walking. i'll spend the whole day walking around the city just to take it in and observe and stumble across hidden jewels. i don't use a map, i don't have a plan, i just walk. and some of my most interesting finds have been on these walks, off the beaten path, unintentionally discovering something beautiful.
figuratively - i have no idea what i'm doing with my life, but does anybody really? i love my job, but i know that i need to go learn more in order to contribute an amount that is going to be meaningful to not only my industry, but to mankind. am i sure of what i'm going to do? not exactly. do i have thoughts and ideas of what i'm going to do? yes. but i'm only in control of those to a certain point and then it's up to others to decide whether or not i continue on those paths. at one point, i would have been content sitting where i am. people would kill to be where i am now. but i can't help but let my mind wander all the what-ifs. what if i became a greater scientist and engineer? what could i do then? what if i became a greater researcher? what if i became a dual threat? what if i looked ahead and planned for further down the line than anyone else? what if, when it came time, i was the only one prepared to be the lead of a mission to mars? is that what i'm going for? yes. do i also have a completely different life goal that i'm trying to accomplish at the same time? yes. am i going to fail? i don't know. but what matters is that i'm going to try, whether it's now or later, because my heart is in two places at once. and i cannot abandon either. i'm wandering, because i don't know which direction to go at which moment, but i know that both are right.
why am i not lost? because i'll make the most of wherever i end up. whichever path i end up riding is the one on which i'm meant to be at that time. most importantly because i know i have the best people at my side living life with me. and in the end, those people are what you should hold most dear no matter your life goals or your location, because those people are what make life amazing. when we wander with them, we can't be lost.
not all those who wander are lost
literally - when i am traveling and have more than a day or two in the same city, i like to spend my first day walking. doesn't matter where, i just step out the front door of wherever it is i'm staying and start walking. i'll spend the whole day walking around the city just to take it in and observe and stumble across hidden jewels. i don't use a map, i don't have a plan, i just walk. and some of my most interesting finds have been on these walks, off the beaten path, unintentionally discovering something beautiful.
figuratively - i have no idea what i'm doing with my life, but does anybody really? i love my job, but i know that i need to go learn more in order to contribute an amount that is going to be meaningful to not only my industry, but to mankind. am i sure of what i'm going to do? not exactly. do i have thoughts and ideas of what i'm going to do? yes. but i'm only in control of those to a certain point and then it's up to others to decide whether or not i continue on those paths. at one point, i would have been content sitting where i am. people would kill to be where i am now. but i can't help but let my mind wander all the what-ifs. what if i became a greater scientist and engineer? what could i do then? what if i became a greater researcher? what if i became a dual threat? what if i looked ahead and planned for further down the line than anyone else? what if, when it came time, i was the only one prepared to be the lead of a mission to mars? is that what i'm going for? yes. do i also have a completely different life goal that i'm trying to accomplish at the same time? yes. am i going to fail? i don't know. but what matters is that i'm going to try, whether it's now or later, because my heart is in two places at once. and i cannot abandon either. i'm wandering, because i don't know which direction to go at which moment, but i know that both are right.
why am i not lost? because i'll make the most of wherever i end up. whichever path i end up riding is the one on which i'm meant to be at that time. most importantly because i know i have the best people at my side living life with me. and in the end, those people are what you should hold most dear no matter your life goals or your location, because those people are what make life amazing. when we wander with them, we can't be lost.
not all those who wander are lost
Sunday, October 6, 2013
austria and germany, take 2
we're back! it rained on us more than we were expecting on the trip but we were decently prepared for it.
landing in munich - took a while to get to munich hbf (the main train station), and then had to struggle with the DB Bahn representative to get the proper train tickets for the trip. figured it out eventually, but he was not happy to be at work on a friday morning.
vienna - mostly just walked around the city looking at the buildings; for those that haven't been, they're usually huge with lots of windows, uniformity with an abundance of details. vienna is a "light" city, where most of the buildings are a very light shade, almost always a variant of a cream color, and when the sun is shining it illuminates the city. we got to meet up with my dear friend johanna for dinner and gelato, and she took us around at night in the city center. we even saw an engagement happening!
salzburg - highlights were going to hellbrunn palace's trick fountain garden, seeing the sound of music gazebo, and taking the cable car up to the top of a mountain. the trick fountains were made centuries ago and secretly shoot water at unsuspecting guests; royals and people from all over traveled to the palace just to experience them. and then while walking around the garden, mom says "that looks like the sound of music gazebo"....and sure enough it was! we also took a guided tour and saw the mansion where the von trapp family lived in the movie. it's beautiful and the lake was so quiet. we also met up with my friend arnold who took us out to a smaller town where red bull headquarters are (they have lawn mowers that are like roombas that are adorable); the view from there was so great and we got to see the sunset from there.
munich - i love germany. everything was still there (obviously) from the last time i was there. rathaus was as big as last time, oktoberfest was as lively as last time, the food was still great. we did the BMW factory tour our second day, which was amazing!! if you are ever questioning whether or not you should do it, then listen to me and do it. the robots that do most of the building are incredible, and from someone who is working on updating efficiency techniques in their work it was a mesmerizing thing to watch. not much else to say about munich, it's still the same and i still like it.
füssen - this place was beautiful. we actually stayed in the nearby city of pflach in austria. anyone who has heard of füssen has been to the main attraction - neuschwanstein, the disney castle. it was so cool to be there in person. the second day there, our last day of the trip, we just walked around the small city looking at little gems like the church covered in seashell shapes, the river flowing through town, the place that sold rothenburg sweets, and just enjoying the low clouds creeping over the mountains in the morning.
our last hotel we ended up having to skip because it lied and the 0.2 km it said it was from the airport was actually 40 minutes away with no way to get back to the airport in time for our flight home - we ended up just sitting in the airport overnight (outside of security because check-in was closed by the time we got there). then our flight was delayed by about 4 hours at the end, which only sucked because i had already finished the two books we brought and my phone was pretty much dead. all in all, i enjoyed the trip. mom - i hope you did too.
shout out to the lady from burleson - you were hilarious, and i hope you found that mcdonald's you were so desperately seeking.
landing in munich - took a while to get to munich hbf (the main train station), and then had to struggle with the DB Bahn representative to get the proper train tickets for the trip. figured it out eventually, but he was not happy to be at work on a friday morning.
vienna - mostly just walked around the city looking at the buildings; for those that haven't been, they're usually huge with lots of windows, uniformity with an abundance of details. vienna is a "light" city, where most of the buildings are a very light shade, almost always a variant of a cream color, and when the sun is shining it illuminates the city. we got to meet up with my dear friend johanna for dinner and gelato, and she took us around at night in the city center. we even saw an engagement happening!
salzburg - highlights were going to hellbrunn palace's trick fountain garden, seeing the sound of music gazebo, and taking the cable car up to the top of a mountain. the trick fountains were made centuries ago and secretly shoot water at unsuspecting guests; royals and people from all over traveled to the palace just to experience them. and then while walking around the garden, mom says "that looks like the sound of music gazebo"....and sure enough it was! we also took a guided tour and saw the mansion where the von trapp family lived in the movie. it's beautiful and the lake was so quiet. we also met up with my friend arnold who took us out to a smaller town where red bull headquarters are (they have lawn mowers that are like roombas that are adorable); the view from there was so great and we got to see the sunset from there.
munich - i love germany. everything was still there (obviously) from the last time i was there. rathaus was as big as last time, oktoberfest was as lively as last time, the food was still great. we did the BMW factory tour our second day, which was amazing!! if you are ever questioning whether or not you should do it, then listen to me and do it. the robots that do most of the building are incredible, and from someone who is working on updating efficiency techniques in their work it was a mesmerizing thing to watch. not much else to say about munich, it's still the same and i still like it.
füssen - this place was beautiful. we actually stayed in the nearby city of pflach in austria. anyone who has heard of füssen has been to the main attraction - neuschwanstein, the disney castle. it was so cool to be there in person. the second day there, our last day of the trip, we just walked around the small city looking at little gems like the church covered in seashell shapes, the river flowing through town, the place that sold rothenburg sweets, and just enjoying the low clouds creeping over the mountains in the morning.
our last hotel we ended up having to skip because it lied and the 0.2 km it said it was from the airport was actually 40 minutes away with no way to get back to the airport in time for our flight home - we ended up just sitting in the airport overnight (outside of security because check-in was closed by the time we got there). then our flight was delayed by about 4 hours at the end, which only sucked because i had already finished the two books we brought and my phone was pretty much dead. all in all, i enjoyed the trip. mom - i hope you did too.
shout out to the lady from burleson - you were hilarious, and i hope you found that mcdonald's you were so desperately seeking.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)