Adventures & Ordinary Days

I'm a dreamer. I have lots of things that I think and dream about that excite and thrill me. And at the same time, I see that I have done some of those more adventures things. I have hiked tall mountains, basking in great landscapes that lay before me. I have scuba dived down into the depths of the oceans, swimming with sea turtles and sting rays. I have grabbed a hammer and nails, and helped build a house on the plains of the Navajo reservation. I have explored and live on the streets on inner-city Chicago, confronting gangs and seeing the effects of racism. I have been on Championship winning softball teams, catching pop flies and running around bases. I have planned high school pranks, sneaking onto school grounds and into classrooms. I have done a lot of pretty cool and crazy things, and yet, I crave more.

I want to run through the fields in Ireland; walk down the streets of Korea; sit down and eat sushi in Japan; hike through Thailand and India; ride a jeep through the plains of Africa; visit Big Ben in London; dance in the streets of Brazil; and see the Northern Lights up in Alaska. And so much more!

And yet, while I have many dreams and adventurous goals, I've come to realize one very key thing:

While all those adventures are fun and good on their own, they wouldn't be nearly as wonderful without people to experience those moments with. It's my loved ones and friends that make those journeys and key times all that much more worth it.

And you know what? I have some very awesome and amazing friends, and lately, as each week goes on, I feel more blessed and supported by them. It's with these friends that have helped me through some darker and more crazier events than what I have listed above.

They have held my hand as I experienced a panic attack; they have hugged me as my heart broke and I cried; they have forced me to eat when my stomach said 'no'; they have prayed for me as I felt weak; they have talked to me, listening and giving advice, when I was lost and needed encouragement; they texted me daily, checking up on me, to see how I was doing when chaos ensued in my life; they made me laugh and smile when I felt like crap; they affirmed me when I was in deep shame; and they are the ones that have picked me back up and inspired me to keep fighting when life has thrown me down. 

These.... these are the people that make all my adventurous dreams seem... dull. Dull without them. And they make all my accomplishments that much brighter. Brighter because I have someone else to share in the joy with. 

You see, all the tall mountains I hiked was usually with a dear friend where we had great conversations. I scuba dived with friends who shared towels with me as we got back on the boat and were freezing from the cold water. I held a hammer along with 50 other people, making new friends that would open my world. The city of Chicago wasn't as scary with my teammates by my side. Softball wouldn't have been as fun if I didn't have friends to laugh and joke around with. And a high school prank definitely wouldn't have been as fun without my partners in crime to make it all possible and reminisce about the adventure for years to come.

Again, I can't seem to fully explain how much my family and friends have enriched my life. The older I get, the more and more I seem to realize how much they enhance my life and give it meaning. And while I still want to achieve my "dreams" and go on adventures, I also recognize that maybe those adventures aren't all they crack up to be. At least, not without people by my side.

With that said, I have begun to value my "ordinary days". Those days that are filled with my 8-5 job, where I work to love my co-workers, doing silly things with them, baking food on their birthdays, and trying to go deeper in our daily conversations. Those ordinary days that are filled with coffee shop visits in the afternoon, pouring our souls out over a cup of tea, encouraging one another to keep going. Those times where conversations on the couch go on for hours between friends, as we giggle over silly events and laugh over youtube videos. Those nights where my sister and I curl up on her bed with a bowl of ice cream and watch a movie to take a break from the crazy world. Those days where a simple text message, saying "I love you" makes everything seem that much brighter. These are the days that I will value and cherish. These are the moments I have begun living for. I still want adventures and will continue to pursue my dreams. And I encourage all people to do so. But, for me, these "ordinary days" are the things that truly make life extraordinary.