My view #16

Book signing, NYC |
Alexandra Elle, "Words from A Wanderer."

Pouring Peace:

I had to learn to embrace the rain.
I needed to realize that cloudy days were sometimes more than alright.
Crying in the shower is where I felt most sane, most safe.
The scorching hot water left welts on my brown skin but at least the dirty tears were given a place to be washed away.
I was ashamed and hurting for so long.
Hiding was my only option when the sunshine had taken heed to the horizon.
I am OK now.
The sunlight isn't the only thing that makes me happy anymore now that I can endure my storms.

(p.48)

College dazedreaming

Is it weird I still can't believe I finished college? 8 months later and it still feels like a vacation, a hiatus, a temporary #summerforever. It's as if at the end of January I'll be back in those bland classrooms excitedly picking up a syllabus I will soon dread.

In the real world, -well you have to search and really go after the things you want if you want them bad enough. It's Charles Darwin out here; I enjoyed coming out of a semester knowing a little more. I know I can do that on my own time now but there's the professor and class discussions, the never ending readings and exams that I secretly like acing. My secret to success? Make yourself your own competition and stop getting distracted by looking at the person next to you. Chances are they won't be there at the top with you, not because they are no good but they have their own individualized mountain to climb with entirely different obstacles, paths and peaks from yours.

I have had this conversations with friends who are still in school and the convenience of opportunities in college compared to now: I'm talking fixing your resume 3 more times for that one job, reading a book for leisure out of inspiration, honing your skills through workshops, Googling events for the weekend because there are no more dive bar flyers with those girls that are never at the bar, networking at social events that's not about all about twerking contests and kegstands, finding and making the right relationships work etc.

Where was I going with this post? I don't really remember, that happens often.

Here's a summary visual; find yourself if you can.

Freshman Yr

Sophmore Yr

Junior Yr.

Senior Yr

Wanderlust Adventures

Happy treks to Analakely with my cousins

So, what's it like to have a dream come true, literally?

Well, the journey to was a breeze and that's coming from this girl here who used to dread airplanes. I considered it one of my worst fears; fear is all in your mind, I concur from this experience. Remember: wine, cheese and some good music soothes the soul. You couldn't even tell when we landed in Antananarivo, there were no NYC bright lights scattered to mark illuminated households. I don't think I was able to bask in the moment but it was emotional feeling the wheels of the plane land and vibrate under our feet. I was welcomed by a grasshopper flying into my hair -oh, joyful Madagascar, I knew you missed me too!

I kept a passport journal, some pictures from my phone are posted below... don't judge my drawings. My daily schedule resembled this (times vary by half an hour more or less, blame jet lag) :

6:00 AM - wake up in bed, watch my father run around and get ready, fall back asleep
7:45 AM - helper knocks with fresh bread and juice (I live for breakfast whether it's bacon and eggs, rice or bread and butter with thé au lait), dad leaves for work
8:30 AM - family comes over to visit, cousins bring over more food before work (yum!)
9:00 AM - propaganda bus roams around town, sleep is no longer in the building
10 to 11 AM - brush teeth, eat, take pictures on the balcony, eat, get dressed
12:00 PM - LEAVE HOUSE, otherwise jet lag with heat combination (no A/C) and you'll be back in bed

The rest of the day varied from going to supermarkets and trying out different foods, visiting family, visiting churches, visiting town and, of course, lots of sleeping.

Enjoy ! 

Music by StephaneSounds (SoundCloud, Youtube)

I got it from...

My very early inspirations from those 3-4 Tumblrs I had back in the day. The combination of these four individuals shaped me so much, my re-blog history is the proof. Mixed media to accommodate the pro-words and those pro-images.

Kyoko has a blog:

One of the very first people I followed on Tumblr whose post was always on point with lots of comic and anime references. It's the ordinary life happenings with the occasional sprinkles of heartaches but her I-will-tell-it-like-it-is style naturally captivated my attention. Besides Kyoko's sense of humor, her down to earth personality, her words all so raw and personal yet still comprehensive to any reader definitely inspired the writer in me; she read the thoughts from my head and took the words out of my mouth.

i.e.: Let's Be Honest

The Sky in Front:

Calling philosophers and dreamers, this blog had the answers to all the questions concerning life-etiquette. From her recent posts all the way to the most ancient, Marenna's writings mirror her free-spirited and debonair-self. Each post is but a portion of her unapologetic journey through life which made me keep up with her blog. Strongly recommended for lovers of deeper meanings and wanderlust anecdotes.

i.e.: A Test, or Sign?

Mynamesdiana, dirty diana:

Diana started out on Tumblr (like most of us) and it seems to me got famous for her natural and bold features. Not your average content-heavy blog however, great visuals for those into urban street fashion  and photography (yes, you should know by know I support my fellow big-haired ladies from everywhere and anywhere). Recommended for music aficionados as well!

stellablu, By Stella Blu:

Besides her exotic looks and luscious curls that I envy so much, Stella's personal artwork and travel pictures are definitely worth a look. Check out her little sister as well, @kookiecakes_ .