29 September 2009

The clock strikes one...and I'm nearly gone.

It's nearly 1 a.m. right now in NY. In about 12 hours, Star and I will be heading out to JFK to catch our flight.

I've been saying my buh-byes to family and friends all weekend, including a fab sauerbraten dinner (thanks, Mom!) on Sunday with the too-fun-for-words tante, cousins, brother and family and, of course, my dear, sweet parents, without whom this would not be possible. The kindness and generosity of my family absolutely overwhelmed me. (Yeah, the cake from Craig and Schmoopie says "Good luck, Andi. London or bust" and was made of the most sinful of chocolates. Yum-mee.)
Tonight was my last Mexican fiesta in the States for awhile. One of the things that will utterly kill me is the lack of Mexican food in England. Aww. C'mon, guys. No chile rellenos? No chimichangas? And no, the fake stuff just doesn't cut it...In preparation for the food drought, Craig and Lauren had us over for wine and (really awesome) burritos this evening. Again, yum...Should I really be wondering why my pants are fitting so tightly?! Argh.
The 'rents and I returned home following the quick monsoon and began packing the two huge suitcases. What fun: upon learning yesterday that Virgin allows me two checked bags and a nice-sized carry-on, Mom and I ran out to pick up another large suitcase. How we get these (plus me, plus Star) into Julian's Mini is beyond me. Pics will be taken and uploaded, I assure you, as it's sure to be a sight. Besides, visibility in a vehicle is overrated anyway...Best tweet response ever to my shopping purchase? Julian's "Worried by proliferating suitcase situation." (Giggle.)
Ah, and Daddy has now received instructions (albeit speedy/blabbering ones) on how to transfer cassette to CD, using this adapter thing. One of his intended transfers to digital? A few tracks in which he's singing four parts of harmony. My fave uncle had recorded it many moons ago, laying down each track on top of the other to create a four-part Daddy chorus. Cool stuff.

Anywho, things are packed. Star's docs are ready. I'm, I guess, ready, too. The thing is, I don't feel like I'm going anywhere. That is, after nearly two decades of living in the Queen City, it's as though Star and I are just returning there tomorrow...not moving across an ocean to begin a life in a completely different country. I'm not quite sure when it will all hit me, but surely it should sometime, no?






11 September 2009

Family makes dreams achievable

Amidst reflecting on the last post, and, admittedly, continuing to watch the History Channel on September 11 events, I received a notification that Beth is following me on Twitter. Who knew she was on Twitter? And who knew that not only is she on Twitter, but she's tweeted more than I? Aww...Mental note: look/read/examine before one writes a tweet...sigh.

I tweeted back my surprise and noted that she must now link her blog with her tweets so that we'd all know when she posted a new entry. Of course, with my ADD, I again had to look up her blog once more to see if there were anything else I'd missed. I went through an ex-pat site to find her blog link (yeah, I know, I should be able to manipulate Google better than that). Perhaps it was something I needed to see...akin to the guy who bought my car who said perhaps he had a message I needed to hear. ("You can do this!" he exclaimed.)

The quote under her username?
"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it."

I sent it to my parents, as my mother has been collecting inspiring dream quotes for me of late, lest I worry that I'm truly making a mistake of gigantic proportions...which sometimes I admit I wonder. ("Please don't let me kill my dog with the flight.") That led me to -- again, keep up with my ADD world -- the conversation I had last weekend with Mom and Dad...

(Wayne's World thing where we go back in time...do-do-do-do music, please)

Mom: Well, it's important to follow your dreams, and if you need help, we're here to help.
Daddy: (almost sternly) Yes, your mother and I feel very strongly about this. You need to do this, if this is what you want. We completely support you in your decision.

How am I so lucky to have such a phenomenal family? It makes me smile -- Mom wants me to do this move for its adventurousness (um...that's not really a word, is it? Wait -- it is!), which is exactly her spirit and influence. Daddy wants me to do it because he's always gone after what he wants toward success, both professionally and personally; that's his spirit and influence. And me? I think I inherited both sides from them and am absolutely astounded that I am as lucky as I am to be born into the family I was. When one has so much support and love, how could one ever not chase one's dreams..?

In a dozen days (or daze?) I'm leaving the Queen City world I've known forever (okay, for a decade and a half) to travel the world in search of happiness...or, at least, some successful adventure. This trying effort that has nearly driven me mad in the past few months will be worth it, whether I stay for six weeks or six years...or else.

Besides...Who ever really knows on which path one finds oneself?

Eight years later, it's still a difficult day

Today is September 11. Throughout the entire world, everyone remembers the tragedies of the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and the doomed PA flight. Just like everyone else, I can never forget this day.

Yes, I was here in Charlotte. Yes, my parents were traveling then. Yes, my sister and brother were nowhere near the city. Thus, I didn't have to worry about my immediate family (though my cousin was right near the Pentagon that day). Nonetheless, it still hits me hard...every year...without fail.

I find it always the case that on September 11 I remain at home, watching the inevitable shows on the History Channel which replay the timeline and footage from the horrific event. I don't know if it's some sort of patriotism I feel, whether it's astonishment at the courage shown by so many that day in their heroic efforts, or the sorrow for the victims and, probably more so, the families of the victims who think of their loved ones daily. I suspect it's all of that and more I've yet to identify.

Earlier this evening, I was linked to a YouTube clip from David Letterman's show, the first following the tragedy (Sept. 17). He appears on the verge of breaking down and gives huge kudos to Rudy Giuliani for being such a good leader. He explains how he felt it so imperative to return to work, as Giuliani had said. For if we didn't try to return to our lives, he knew -- we all knew -- they would have won.

Fark, too, recognized the historic importance of today and linked to the original postings during the event. The last post listed, from Corporate Mofo, notes, "This is Ken's roommate. He is currently stuck downtown in the midst of a bomb threat on the Empire State Building. A suspicious packaged believed to be a bomb has been found. He will update you when he makes it back to the apartment." One wonders if Ken made it back all right. We can only hope.

Yes, this day affects me greatly every year. It's not just because I'm a NYer (still, and always, at heart). It's not just because of the victims that I knew. I think it's because it reminds us that we're all in this together. I remember a few things incredibly vividly from that day: awaiting responses from my friends up there, the rose that my then-boyfriend sorrowfully brought over to me, praying in a church here in Charlotte with a friend that evening. But really, I remember the sense of togetherness, patriotism, and determination that we all felt following the attacks, and how truly strong and united our States felt.

Now, eight years later, I sit here and begin to wonder, have we lost that all..? Or have we forgotten, though we promised we never would?