on my mary way mondays
week four "Time flies. It is up to you to be the navigator." -Robert Orben where in the world is she now Filling my tummy with tasty food and my head with live music at Green Room Cafe in Playa Jaco, Costa Rica. the power of travel After finishing up nearly half a month of shimmying and shaking around new places in Central America, I have a renewed belief in the power of exploring the unfamiliar. Sometimes, and in my case most times, we don't realize how much we have learned and grown from a particular trip (or moment) until it is brought to our attention by others. This week I am thankful for the friends, new and old, who have shared in this growth spurt with me! no habla español Learning a new language is ruff work. In fact I think it may be one of the most humbling experiences on this planet. Words that flow so naturally out of the mouth of one person, get tongue tied, twisted, and thrown hopefully out of lips another. In my attempt to learn the Spanish language, I have experienced my fair share of peaks and valleys. Yesterday I had the joy of experiencing both of those extremes in a matter of minutes. I peaked early, when I successfully bought my bus ticket and ordered a burrito just the way I like it. Small victories, am I right? But shortly after, as I sat cross legged, fanning my face out the window of the bus, an abuelita (sweet little grandma) asked me a question in Spanish. I carefully began to speak the sentence I had created on the whiteboard in my head, but was bluntly interrupted by the abuelita with the phrase I know too well, "No habla Español," meaning "You don't speak Spanish." And you know what, she is perfectly right. I don't speak Spanish, at least not skillfully. But wow, how lucky am I to be living in and accepted by a country, where I can't speak the language. mantra of the week* I am curious. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but lack there of can kill a creative soul. This week remind yourself, let yourself, be curious. Ask your barista what his middle name is, google search the ingredients listed on the back of your afternoon snack, and heck, grab that new brand of cereal you have been wondering about. As you move through the next few days recall the mantra "I am curious" and allow it to find its place in your weekly routine. *Mantra of the week is a new thingy I am running with. If you hate it, ignore it. I will keep it at the bottom of the post so it'll be easy for you. If you love it, YAY. I like you. My hope is that in sharing in this weekly mantra, we can connect our worlds with a bit more ease! Feel free to share your practice of the weekly mantra on instagram with #onmymarywaymantras |
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