What an interesting experience living at home has been! I went from writing about my road trips through Chile to writing about TV shows. Yikes!
To tell you the truth, it's much easier to write about risky things you've done, things you've been thinking and new discoveries when your parents aren't in the next room reading your blog and asking you "what were you thinking?" Best to have some distance from the parental units.
But as a writer, it's hard to postpone writing for three months. So, here's what's been happening:
1. I am a writer, but I really wish I was an engineer because it would be sooooo much easier. I had a conversation with my dad where we analyzed just how tough it would be to be a freelance writer. It's virtually impossible to making a living at it. And yet, there's magazines filled with articles and bookstores filled with books, so someone somewhere is making it. I love writing and am determined to pursue freelance writing, in spite of my dad's really sweet analysis that I'm pretty much going to be broke. He's very likely right, and yet, I will continue on. I guess I just have this idea that I can live an extraordinary life. Some of the best things in life require a leap of faith and risk and adventure. Love, travel, careers in the arts. If I lived a risk-free life, I never would have gone to Chile. But living in Chile has been one of the best experiences of my life, right up there with falling in love. Full of risk. Super fun! Maybe for me, taking risks is part of living a full life.
2. Family and friends are like mirrors. They let you see yourself more clearly. You like yourself with your friends and your family. You accept your quirks. If you don't like yourself with your boyfriend, you're in trouble. So it is no surprise that:
3. I broke up with Pollo. I couldn't make him laugh, and in certain circles, I'm actually funny. Unfortunately I was not funny in the circle with the Chilean-who-only-speaks-Spanish-and-thinks-Family-Guy-is-hilarious. So I'm on a dating hiatus. Not even the cute waiter at Rock Bottom who looked like Slater from Saved by the Bell could convince me otherwise, though, I did consider turning on the charm for a second. I mean he was ripped and looked like Mario Lopez! Hello!
4. I had a moment. It was a very important moment. I swear. At my parents' 40th anniversary party (congrats guys!), I felt for the first time the inkling that I wanted to be home--to hang out with Eric and his new girlfriend, to be there for my little nephew or niece coming in January, to speak English and have an American life. I also still felt the pull of travel, to see Brazil and Australia before I started my American life.
5. I came up with a new rough plan: Australia for a few weeks, Chile, Brazil, any other countries I can afford to visit. Continue to write, offer private personal training to friends in Chile when I'm around. Back by February to begin my American life. Probably back to Davis which has been the city I felt most supported creatively and where I made my biggest strides in living an extraordinary life. (and I know! Davis! Go figure). Plus I can be a writer and afford rent.
6. My friend Mari began this thankful blog I LOVE! I'm considering adopting the format when I return home. Or 365 Good Deeds and each day my goal is to do one good deed. Send ideas my way! Or I might keep the adventure theme and look for the adventure in America.
That's all for now folks! Chao!
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1 comment:
Thanks for the shout-out and thank you for the beautiful email and thanks for this GREAT post--I am so glad you are reflecting and being magificent as always...it's so so good to hear what you're thinking and what you're up to. Love the Mario Lopez look-a-like story.
I'm glad you could discern how important laughter is to you.
I think one of the things that annoyed me most about Chileans At Large is that they wouldn't laugh at my jokes. Not sure if this is a cultural thing--maybe I'm just not funny. But apparently my sense of humor is very American!
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