Life does not go as planned...

Dear fellow readers,

Many of you know what traveling means to me. In fact wrote a trilogy on following dreams not that long ago. Sadly, many people do have broken dreams from time to time. I only know too well of that feeling.

A broken dream is worse than a broken heart for many reasons. It strips you of hope. It leaves you feeling without purpose, without a sense of self. Broken hearts are easily mended with the help of friends, work, and everyday life. Oftentimes those things make dealing with a broken dream much worse.

People don't understand what a personal dream can mean to that individual. Going through everyday life loses significance because the dream behind it all is gone. Work, well, work becomes harder and more stressful as time goes on.

I was unable to go to Costa Rica. I was turned away at the gate. There isn't much worse than that.

Sure, it could have been avoided with some additional documentation had I been aware of it. I might have gotten through with more money if I had it. But the fact is it did not work out that way and now I have to cope with the loss.

People who don't understand the importance of a dream brush off those who have suffered with a broken dream. Even worse than that are the people who suffer from a broken dream and give up.

I am here today telling all of you that I am DOWN but I am NOT OUT.

I'm sick of limitations. I'm furious at those who limit themselves. Suffering heartbreak and loss is part of life. How we handle it determines our happiness and satisfaction. I don't care if you're 23 or 53. You can dust yourself off and begin anew. Learn from what has been given to you good or bad.

This doesn't mean I'm not terribly upset over this. I am. And there is a time for grieving. But I will travel again. I will make the most out of this situation. I could give up, very easily in fact. But I refuse to let it happen to me.

I will not let the world suck me up and spit me out like it has to so many other people. People dwell on loss and negativity too much today. I will prevail!

And so, I'm going to give everyone a top 10 list of things to do (or at least I like to do) when you're feeling broken in some way. None of these items will include eating a pint of ice cream. That may make you feel good at first but it'll make you feel bad later. These are good things.

Holly's Top Ten List of Healthy Mood Boosters

1a) Children's Movie Marathon! (I recommend: Enchanted, any Disney/Pixar movie, Aladdin, Tangled, The Lion King, etc.)

1b) Musical Marathon! Whether it's just music from movies or watching the movies themselves, it's always fun to sing along. (I recommend: The Sound of Music, Les Mis, Mamma Mia!, Chicago (awesome movie), Hairspray, etc.)

1c) Go to the movies by yourself. Yup, by yourself. Look at the movie listing and just pick something out. Sit in a theater and forget the world. Watch the credits too!

2) Go for a walk/hike. Make sure it'll be at least an hour.

3) Visit an animal shelter. What could be more spirit lifting than spending time with animals who have it worse than you? (Maybe you'll adopt one!)

4) Cook something. Not bake, cook. Go pull out an old recipe from your past, look up a new one, or just make something up. Cooking is stress relieving.

5) Pick up a book. Read a novel you've loved in the past, pick up a new one or even listen to an audiobook. You know what's a great place? THE LIBRARY!

6) Print out a coloring page. Yes, even if you're in your 40's and say you're too old for this. Go to Google images and type in "___ coloring page". Fill in the blank with whatever topic you'd like. Then FRAME IT.

7) Craft something. Crochet a teddy bear. Knit a hat. Make your own book. Go to your local craft or hobby store and do something new (or old) and fun!

8) Go for a drive. Doesn't even have to be a planned drive. Just get in your car and go. Anywhere. If you can afford it, pick up a cheap hotel room somewhere for a night.

9) Plant something. Even if it's a small indoor garden. Even if it's just seeds from an apple you ate and pulled dirt from your backyard. You'll be surprised at how uplifting it is to watch something come to life.

10) Plan for something new. Look forward to a new experience. In my case, I want to try to travel again someday. I also plan on being with my fiance more. Move on. It really does help.

For tonight my plan is a healthy does of a children's movie, plus choosing a new book for me and my grandma to read (I recommend any Kate Morton book, but I just finished The Secret Keeper and I loved it! Slow to start but still great). I'm currently reading The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory, which I know has been out for a while but I never got around to reading it. It's a big book!

Anyhow, I'm going to start on my personal therapy. I'll be upset for a few days but I will overcome. I always do.

Look for a Squishables post coming soon!

The Day Before - Costa Rica 2013

Before I get into anything, I want to welcome a new member to the family: Mr. Tuxedo the penguin! Some of you might think to yourselves "ha, what a typical name to give a penguin." Well I'll have all of you know that he was actually named after a cat that I didn't know the name of so I just called him "Mr. Tuxedo." After being corrected a number of times and then receiving a Squishable penguin as a gift from my babysitting family, I determined I could finally use the name. Anyway, Mr. Tuxedo, along with all of the mini Squishables, will be accompanying me to Costa Rica. Aloalo, as previously mentioned, is too large for the trip even though the climate is ideal for him!

Now on to the fun stuff! Frequently asked questions!

Where are you going? Costa Rica! More specifically the town is called El Castillo. (For those of you who don't feel like looking at a map, Costa Rica is between Nicaragua and Panama.) I will be working on a butterfly conservatory and the organization also functions as a rainforest reforestation project. They have frogs, plants, butterflies... and hopefully I'll have a lot of fun! They are located just outside of an active volcano, which as I understand actually does erupt quite regularly. They also have fairly regular earthquakes (which I've never experienced) and hot springs and waterfalls in the area.

What will you do? Actually, I'm not totally sure. I understand that the conservatory acts as a location where tourists and others visit so I am sure I'll be acting as a bit of a tour guide but also working on the upkeep of the project.

Okay, so we all remember Munich and the fact that there was a ridiculous time difference. What is it this time? Originally I thought it would be a two hour difference from where I am but it turns out it's only an hour! It works out perfectly!

What's the weather like? Actually, despite that it's a rainforest, should get to no hotter than 90 degrees F or so and in the evening no cooler than around 50. Their winter is a rainy season (which has passed already) and the forecast for the next 10 days is about 80 degrees and sunny. (Happy about that!)

They speak Spanish there right? Yes. Easy answer.

How long will you be gone? I will be returning in mid-May.

Alright, what are you doing after this? I will be spending a few days at home but then returning to Maine to be with my fiance.

We all know you have thoughts of traveling somewhere else at some point. Where are you thinking? First of all, this will be my last trip for a while. I want to spend time with my fiance and get settled in an actual living home of some kind and get some financial things straightened out before I go anywhere else. At some point I will probably travel again but it may be some time. But for those of you who are curious where I will be considering for a future trip, that would be Japan. I'm not sure what I'll do there but when I do get myself situated, I would like to go to Japan.

There is another piece of good news and that is when my fiance came to visit me I got him to adopt a kitty from the shelter I volunteered at! So we are now parents and spoil our furry children rotten. What will happen to Colette (my kitty)? She will stay with my grandma who will take excellent care of her in the meantime.

My plane leaves a bit after 6:30am so I'll be exhausted tomorrow. I have most of my stuff packed. When I get to the airport I actually have to take a taxi across the street and then take a shuttle to a town named La Fortuna where I will then be picked up.

I will post again after I've recovered from traveling.

Take care everyone!

Adios!

Picture Day #7 - A Year in Review

A year ago on the 8th I arrived in Munich, Germany for the first time. A year ago on the 4th I had my very first blog entry. Now I know my blog isn't the most updated or read but I have had quite a lot of fun keeping everyone updated on my travels and opinions. And I have a lot of both!
But I'm going to save long talks today and do something a little different. I want to remember the year I had through picture format, with a few new pictures at the end. This past year I have been to Germany, Austria, France, Greece, Canada, and obviously the U.S. (Maine, Missouri [plus all the states from New York to Missouri!], New York, and New Hampshire). I have a new kitty, learned to speak more German, crocheted teddy bears for the first time, spent time growing plants and raising a frog, found out I will be going to Costa Rica, worked at a cat shelter, discovered I love working with older kids, and so much more.

I will be doing a blog post all about what I will be doing in Costa Rica and such but not today. I want to remember this past year and its best memories. I hope you all will enjoy the pictures and I will be writing again soon.

The pond where I adopted Fred der Frosch.

Sledding for the first time with the kids.

May Day celebration down the street from me.

Elephant and Piggie coming to live with me!

The house where I lived.

Heidelberg Castle.

Rathaus in Marienplatz, Munich.

My first crocheted teddy bear.

When I went to the butterfly exhibit at the botanical gardens in Munich.

The Alps near Garmish-Partenkirchen.

All my crazy recipes... I loved my vegetarian reuben!

The English Gardens in Munich.

Athens, Greece... what a wonderful experience.

The Mediterranean Sea... amazing.

Olympiapark, Munich.

When I climbed an Alp. The view is astonishing.

Fred der Frosch shortly before death. I miss you Fred!

Salzburg, Austria was amazing for many things but nothing really compared to me seeing the Sound of Music pavilion. It's a piece of history!

Who could ever forget Paris, France? The Eiffel Tower is so iconic.

So iconic in fact, that hugging it was a must!

My favorite Marlboro sign. It's too bad that I'll never know if they took me up on any of my suggestions...

My very first raw coconut and the Tollwood festival in Munich.

The Japanisches Teehaus was an experience I'll never forget. I love matcha! *twitch*

Although I don't endorse the ownership of dogs, I do miss the children a lot.

The Munich Treasury. So many priceless pieces of history.

Upon coming to Maine, I remembered the chipmunks... and this one had a love of blueberries!

Lake Kezar sunset in Maine. Absolutely breathtaking.

A hike up Mount Sabbatus in Maine in the fall season and you can see amazing colors and mountains.

Indoor rock climbing. I will definitely have to do this again!

The adoption of my kitty Colette was a life changer, not just for me but for my grandparents too!

The arch in St. Louis, MO. Not great quality but a memory still.

My traditional gingerbread house! Although I did add some extra decorations after this picture was taken, this was the best quality picture.

A new friend and I went to the Festival of Lights in Hamburg, NY!

My final picture is one of the Eternal Flame at the end of the Shale Creek hike in Orchard Park, NY. It's my favorite hike in the world. The flame is a natural gas source that is behind the waterfall. It does go out from time to time but can be re-lit!

New information soon!