Month: May 2011

Making a Commitment to My Life List

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One of my dreams is to live in Germany. I adored taking German at school, and loved taking it at university. But it’s been a decade since any formal linguistic training, and I’m itching to get back to it. [Source: me] So I’ve made a commitment to improving my German because I enjoy learning, but also because I want to start making some of these Life List dreams happen! I have started learning through the Rosetta Stone program for German, and so far, we’re just covering stuff I already know. I’m interested in seeing if this Rosetta Stone is really as good as they say… Who knows if I’ll ever achieve #20 and #21 on my Life List, but what’s the harm in trying? [Source: me] What is something you have always wanted? What are you doing to make that happen? [Source: me]

Everything will be okay.

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Back in Sydney, I once worked closely with a lovely woman who was in her mid 50s. Even as most women her age were looking forward to retiring and slowing down, she was vivacious, charismatic and had energy for days. And, rather importantly, she was an amazing campaign manager. As things would have it, she turned out to be a friend of my parents’ (Mum’s right when she says “you never want to talk about anyone…”) and over the course of the campaign, we became quite close. Her quirky habits started to make sense as I learnt more about her. She had recently lost the love of her life and her son within months of each other. Tragic story, and one I will always remember. But yet each day she seemed so… together. I really enjoyed being around her, learning a lot about Aussie political wheeling and dealing. It was great to watch her in action. When the votes had been counted, we celebrated the following day an amazing home right on Cronulla Beach. During …

The Seattle Wrap Up

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One of the loveliest parts of my long weekend to Seattle was taking some time out for myself and wandering around the city early on Sunday before the wedding. Very few places were open so early — a far cry from the way I used to travel, starting out at around 2pm. I wandered down to ‘Pike’ (Pike’s Place Market) and watched all the vendors set up as the rain fell. I feel a real affinity with people who don’t bother about the rain and umbrellas, and these were my people. It was Mothers’ Day, and slowly, middle-aged men with little tykes perched on their shoulders or holding the miniature hands of their offspring (sometimes both), descended upon the market to pick their favourite tulips for their mums/wives. Much discussion was had about colour and taste (“What color do you think Mom would like, Maddison?”), with few tantrums. There were some amazing tulip hybrids, and am loving the tulip/daffodil and the tulip/peony combinations. I couldn’t get enough of their colour, their perkiness, their beauty: I …

Greetings from Seattle!

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Dear Seattle, Ah, Seattle. There’s so much of you I remember from when I was first here a lifetime ago. Parts of you are beautiful. A stroll down 1st Street reminded me last night. You are a  marvellous mishmash of styles and getting around is pretty easy. Though I usually avoid the tourist traps like the plague, I love your Space Needle. It says so much about that brief period of time when we aimed for the stars, and that resonates with me. I love that you call it a needle. Rock on. Only a city comfortable in its own skin can do that. Makes me want to stick around a join a band. You’re unpretentious and easy-going. I like you. But I’ve gotta ask: what is WITH this rain? Yours, Rebecca