20s…

  
  
  
 Ever ponder why when you’re younger you can’t wait to hit your 18th and 21st birthdays, but as soon is you turn 30 you wouldn’t go back even if someone paid you to. My theory is because your 20s are your crucial learning years. I am a firm believer that you never stop learning if you have that desire; but at age 13, I couldn’t possibly imagine a world so big. I recently read an article of an interview with Melissa McCarthy and she described her 20s as “a decade of tears.” This quote struck me, not because I’m currently living through my 20s and it gave me no hope. Instead it helped me relate and not seem so distant from my peers and role models. I can be clueless and it’s okay. 
I am in the age group where I can remember not having a cell phone as a third arm. In order to call a parent in school, I would have to go down to the office during my study hall to use the land line. Now a days though, if I don’t respond to a text within an hour I’m pronounced dead. We live in the age where everyone needs to ‘one-up’ each other. This includes vacations, weddings, and life in general. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy seeing pictures and reading about life’s adventures of my fellow generation. I am guilty of this as well. But when the grandma in the booth next to mine exclaims how I am a ‘typical product of the 21st century because I am scrolling through my iPhone’ it gets me thinking. She’s not offended because I checked my phone during a meal or the fact that I’m dressed in blue jeans and Nike’s for the third day in a row. She is referring to my age. Instead of being curious about my story, she clumped me into an entire 10 year block of millions of people. Damn! I guess that just gives me another reason to keep doing what I do. 
I’m reaching the middle of this decade in my life, and amongst the floods of tears I haven’t even pushed the brakes a little down the learning path (as if I had a choice :)). Keep the endless questions, concerns and uncertainty coming!

Seattle was not sleepless. I actually slept quite well with the pitter patter of the rain hitting the glass window. Heading back toward central U.S., first stop Idaho.

Much love!