Que¿

After a flurry of activities these past few days -- which included celebrating my fabulous self with an amazing farewell party (thanks to all my loved ones who came), getting very little sleep that night, and then screaming in anguish while lifting my old mattress onto my parent{s SUV roof the next day -- I finally, offically moved out of my apartment. In ridding myself of the apartment, I rid myself of not just the obligation to mail a huge monthly rent check but also of the things that tied me down in N.Y. I removed the stagnation that seeped into my life -- where I forced myself to stay at a job that ruled my life and that was detrimental to my health (both mentally and physically) because of its obscenely large pay, surrounded myself with objects to feel more secure, and left the fear of the unknown control me.

To put a definitive stamp on this momentous occasion in my life, I decided to fly to Costa Rica and learn Spanish there for 5 weeks. (Note, I know no Spanish except hola and como esta -- and do not even know how to answer como esta.) I feel my head spinning quite often trying to communicate with others. I am reminded of when I was training for a marathon and felt so completely out of place in the beginning where I could barely run 5 minutes without feeling like my heart was going to pump out of my chest. But eventually, running became cathartic and I felt a rush of endorphins after each long run; I looked forward to running...

During yoga, my instructor often says that we need to feel, acknowledge, and accept the pain in our body and cherish the fact that our bodies are growing stronger from this pain. I think too often I run away from situations because of this initial pain. But I am starting to realize that this pain is good; it will help me grow. The mind often convinces the body that it cannot do things that it actually can achieve - though not easily. Thus the mind limits what we humans collectively achieve.

I challenge my mind and want to embrace life fully -- with all its accompanying good and bad (e.g., physical pain and endorphins) to help me evolve as much as I can.
Here is to embarking on an adventure of a lifetime! Cheers! Besos from Costa Rica!