of 117 days now 154 DAYS of Wanderlust! (woops… just changed my flight date home…)

I feel as though I blinked and 2014 came to a close.

Maybe it’s been the unconventional holidays spent abroad, the lack of keeping track of what day of the week it is and the daily adventures that made it seem less “New Years-ish” per say…

Or maybe it was all the change and transitions that defined 2014… changes and transitions that continue and make it seem less like the close or start of a year but rather a continuous and growing journey… Simply the turning of a page in this novel you could say…

2014 brought the bittersweet ends of some very prominent chapters titled: I. Undergrad at the []_[], II. Red Road Commons Apt. E416, and III. The Miami HEAT Dancers… These three chapters defined much of my identity for the past 4 years. It brought my character much growth, challenges and conflicts, as well as victories and resolutions and most importantly lifetime connection with other characters of other stories all written in the collection of the universe, connections that continue to grow and storylines that intertwine beyond the ends of these chapters.

2014 also brought with it the start of what I call, Part X: “The Unknown Path”… much of which is still being written… well actually, all of it is still being written with each minute, even as I write this.

Part X so far has been filled with wonder, confusion, war between heart and head, spontaneity and chance meetings, shared dances from Mad Decent Block Party to under the Full Moon, awareness and learning, change in perception and perspective, and an opening of parts of my heart that I didn’t even know I had closed off.

Part X made the idea of a start-up with my best friend possible as we dreamed up and drafted designs and business plans, filling our hearts with ambition and drive to create something of our own, that if you had told us four years ago, we would have said you’re absolutely crazy.

Part X then gave my character a choice… multiple directions in which my story could unfold, and so I chose.

The setting of my storyline changed drastically, making way for some breathtaking journeys to places that I only dreamed of last year, dreamed of and said I wanted to travel to but wasn’t actually sure that I’d be going to honestly. Heck, I wasn’t sure I’d really be going even as I booked a flight, fairly last minute I might add, staying true to my character’s habits of course. We’ll call it a personality trait or even character flaw, every heroine has one after all. The chapters of Part X have set scenes in arguably some of the world’s most beautiful countries: South Korea, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia so far.

And somehow, in the midst of getting lost in new lands, hours on flights, overnight trains, conversations with strangers who have turned into friends, bowls of green curry and bottles of Chang, writing new chapters and imagining alternate endings, I’ve reached this mark of my travels: Day 100!

And in 100 days the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that truly, truly, truly, HAPPINESS is a CHOICE.

Choosing to remain present and happy no matter what is an active choice that you make.

It is one me and my friend, Medya, made tonight while walking back from yoga and getting caught in the rain. We chose happiness. Chose to dance in the rain, it is wet season in Bali after all. We laughed the entire 40-minute walk back to our hostel, avoiding slipping and occasionally jumping in puddles as we took in the sounds of eager locals asking, “Taxi? Taxi?” and the confused faces when we politely said “No, Talimakasi!”

It is easy to be happy on the islands of Thailand dancing the night away with friends from around the world, vibing to good music while sipping on buckets. It is easy to love life when you are cruising in the middle of Ha Long Bay.

It is harder when things don’t go as planned… which well it often doesn’t in SE Asia, which is really the draw of this part of the world and travel itself in my opinion. The thrill of daily adventures that force you to live in the moment… like simple 2 hour journeys that turn into 5 hour journeys and require you to bring your yoga off the mat. The work is to still enjoy the journey even as you sit in traffic that you can’t do anything about or as you mend your wounds after a motorbike accident or as you vomit profusely into the hostel’s toilet from catching the bug in Pai.

We’re human. Not every day is going to be a perfect day, even while traveling. Yes every day on Instagram looks beautiful but there are days where things don’t work out as planned. There are days when you miss home. Days when it is hard to stay in the present moment as fears of the unknown future that lie beyond the remaining travel days sneak into your thoughts. Days when you are sick to your stomach and are grateful you brought those antibiotics and Imodium. And that’s okay. It is all okay!

Experience it all, the highs and lows for they make the story. What is a story without conflicts, climaxes and resolutions right? (& yes, there is always a resolution so have no fear!) More importantly, experiencing it all with a grateful heart will make for an epically different story than experiencing it without one. Either way the time will pass, the rain will pour, the accident will happen, the sickness will run its course. The way in which you choose to experience it and react to it all is up to you.

And well, choosing to be in love with every minute of your life through it all?
TO LIVE IN BLISS?
To really choose above all else to enjoy the ride no matter what?

There is nothing wrong with that. And again, it is a choice.

I think what happens is that we often cut ourselves short of the happiness, greatness and love available to us because we feel that we aren’t ready or we don’t deserve it. But we do. You do. We are all enough as we are.

If you want it, whether it is happiness, adventure or love, choose it. Because at the end of the day, this is your life, it is your story. There is no one way you’re supposed to live it or one plot frame it should follow. There is no one other than you responsible for writing it. So own it. Make it yours. Write every line the way you want it to be written, every sentence or fragment. Every introduction, middle and end in your beautiful and unique prose.

2015 gifts us with 365 blank pages. What will you do with the next chapter of your life?

Write a great story.

Be bold and choose adventure.

Choose happiness.

Be open to love. Give it. Receive it. Then GIVE SOME MORE.

Believe in your inner hero/heroine for you have a large role to play in your story and in many others.

Cheers to the new year!

And now an early goodnight world, I need to take a nap before I go night trekking to catch sunrise on Mt. Batur! Just the next adventure in my Bali Chapter…

Live & Love Fearlessly,