What’s in a name?
Most of you know me as Amy.
Some know me as mother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend.
There is one who knows me as .
Not one of those names unique, belonging only to me.
And yet, I am unique.
It ain’t what they call you, it’s what you answer to. ― W.C. Fields
There is not one duplicate out there who is exactly like me.
There is no one out there who is exactly like you.
It is in that fact that our world becomes even more amazing.
Many of our deepest motives come, not from an adult logic of how things work in the world, but out of something that is frozen in our childhood – Kazuo Ishiguro
I mentioned in another post that my blogiversary was coming up.
Today is that day.
1 year ago I set out on a blogging journey to discover me.
To find what made me unique.
To see if there was more to me than just the names assigned to me.
And while I didn’t arrive at an epiphany, I did make steady forward progress.
I’ve learned that I do enjoy taking photos and that this year I should actually learn the technical aspects of photography so I can achieve some of the types of shots that I haven’t mastered yet.
I’ve learned that it’s okay to need to step back and process what I’m doing to be sure that it’s the direction in which I want to continue.
One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple – Jack Kerouac
I’ve learned that there is peace in simplicity.
I’m still purging unnecessary items from my life.
It is a continual process, but I am learning to not become discouraged along the way.
I’ve learned that there is beauty to be found everywhere…if we just look for it.
I’ve learned that pushing my boundaries helps me to find myself.
And helps me learn more about those around me.
I’ve learned that my needs are just as important as those I care about.
And that being kind to myself, in turn, makes me more kind to them.
Kindness is like snow – it beautifies everything it covers. -Kahlil Gibran
We have had our first snow, which I have learned to embrace by finding its beauty.
We received our passports and now I can press my boundaries and comfort zones even further.
Upcoming Travels.
Our first trip out of the country has been planned for spring break! My first overseas adventure will be flying to Amsterdam for three nights and then taking the train to Paris to spend four nights before flying home from there.
I’m excited and terrified at the same time. My kids haven’t flown since the 13-year-old was under 2. We did opt to pay the extra to pick our seats so I could be sure that she wouldn’t end up sitting alone. We also paid extra for the oldest to have an “extra legroom” seat. With him being over 6’5″, we thought that was the only option for an 8-hour flight. The trip won’t be until mid-April (hooray for tulips in Amsterdam!).
I was a little disappointed to learn that my passport will only have one stamp even though I will have layovers in Germany and will be staying in both the Netherlands and France.
I guess that means I will just have to take more trips!
If you have any tips on how to pack, must-see sights, places to eat (especially if you know of any gluten-free options for a picky eater), or anything else I’m forgetting… please let me know in the comments!
Travel far enough, you meet yourself. -David Mitchell
Let your light shine!
Amy
