Amulets for my Adventure

My bags are packed...

I forgot what it's like to head out on an evening flight. I didn't want to wear my travel clothes all day long so I had to scrounge through what was left in my closet to keep me warm...Now I'm kind of regretting not having packed the cowboy boots to properly represent Texas while in Brazil....

I had a last lunch at the incomparable Veggie Heaven with my boyfriend, and my friends Chutney, Abder and Samini...mmm, bubble tea, Protein 2000, tangerine mushrooms, some dish with pineapple in it. What more could a girl want for a farewell meal shared with friends?

"Are you prepared?" asked Chutney, "Have you packed an umbrella?"

"Yes," I said, "I have an umbrella."

"Well," then she said with a nod of her head, "You're set."

Later, Abder came in with a second travel umbrella for me in UT orange. Now I'm doubly prepared...

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I head to the airport in a little over an hour. Heating up more water for tea on the stove. Wearing the beautiful bracelet given to me by my friend Chutney to help me remain grounded while setting off to places unknown.

I'm feeling that mixture of emotions, unsurprising really. Excitement. Nervousness...some sadness as I say goodbye to wonderful people...the hardest will be my boyfriend when we finally hug goodbye at the airport.

Adventures await. I'm hoping for the grace to balance openness to the unknown with caution about the unknown...kind of like the saying, "Trust in God, but lock your car."

Stay tuned for updates as soon as I get access to internet in Brazil...

Chutney, Samosa & New Year's Resolutions

Late in the afternoon my boyfriend and I biked to Mozart's.

 My friend was meeting us there because I guilt-tripped her into it. "I don't know, it's chilly outside," she said. "But it's New Year's day! So you gotta do it," I said until she relented.

The lights all over the deck made me happy and I whipped out my camera and wandered amongst people drinking coffee to grab a few shots.

I was happier still when I snagged a table inside while my boyfriend waited in the insanely long line. And unfortunately dealt with slightly snooty staff, likely overwhelmed by the steady stream of customers.

When my friend showed up, I was making a list of New Year's Resolutions. "You know, I've never done this before," I said, "For some reason, I'm usually not into this sort of thing."

"Perhaps," she said, "It's because you're about to embark on an adventure."

And so, because I felt the need to mention this meeting, I asked her what she wanted her alias to be on this blog. "What's your alter ego name?"

The three of us ran through lists of animal names and checking out their translations in Hindi and Portuguese..."Well, you've got an alias already," I said to my boyfriend, "My boyfriend."

"I want something better than that," he grumbled.

And so, after much deliberation, they chose their aliases...

Meet Chutney and Samosa!

And then Chutney and Samosa reviewed my New Year's Resolutions.

Here's the list:

* Go from proficient to fluent in Portuguese
* Eat more veggies and less wheat, dairy & sugar; Drink more water; Eat smaller portions of food
* Continue to develop my personal yoga practice
* Write & update my Brazil blog on a regular (if not daily) basis
* Take lots of photos & carry my camera(s) with me whenever possible
* Get 8 hours of sleep every night
* Spend less time on the internet
* Become more disciplined in my daily activities (i.e. get things done efficiently as opposed to procrastinating and having less time to play later)
* Be (more) financially savvy
* Get out of my head (spend more time getting comfortable in the right-brain)
* Be open to all the wonderful people I'm about to meet and all the wonderful people I'm lucky to already know
* Learn, learn, learn
* Listen (more)
* Dress up more often and wear pretty shoes
* Come up with a good exercise routine and stick to it
* Find a fantabulous job that plays to my strengths and passions AND compensates me damn well when I graduate
* Be 95% packed and ready to go a few days before my flight leaves for Brazil
* Let myself be happy and creative and open to new experiences & personal growth
* Continue to cultivate mindfulness
* Have fun!
* Practice loving kindness with others and myself
* Find (at least) one thing every day to be grateful for [I'm grateful to Chutney for adding this one]

I'll have to check back in on my resolve in a few months and see how these resolutions are going...

And so, what are y'all's resolutions for 2010? What's on your list?