Blessings

Life goes by too quickly.

We tend to get lost in the hustle and bussle of scheduling and checking things off our to do lists. We often forget to take a break to enjoy and be thankful for the little things in life, which are really the most important things.

I've been reconnected with a high school friend who unfortunately is battling cancer at twenty five years old. Despite everything he's dealing with, he has a more positive attitude about life than the majority of people I know. He actually said to me the other day, "Lo, you walk too fast. Take the time to enjoy what God has given us." Wow, he has a very valid point. Enjoy life and everything it has to offer!

It's funny how people come and go in our lives and we sometimes reconnect with them just when we need them the most. I feel so blessed to have the family and friends that are in my life. Since my return to "Sweet Home Chicago" my relationships with my mom, brother, cousin and long lost friends have become increasing stronger and definitely more mature. Sometimes we take for granted the people in our lives. We assume they will always be there for us. Don't. Spend time with them, stand by their side when times get rough and most importantly, tell them what they mean to you.

With that being said, to those of you who are my family and friends: "Thank you for your unconditional love and support. I love you all very much and am so grateful to have each and everyone one of you in my life."

Baby, Let's Cruise...

After I got over the initial shock of how much my life was about to change I decided to combine two of my passions in life, traveling and having fun! I took a job as a youth counselor on Princess cruise lines. This

experience was literally life changing and couldn't have come at a better time for me. The people that I worked with were from all over the world. I kid you not that out of over 1,000 staff and crew, only twelve of us were Americans. It was truly amazing to see people from over forty different countries and cultures work, live and socialize together in a respectful manner. It's really strange but now I can say that I have friends that live all over the world (Australia, India, Brazil, Philippines, South Africa, U.K. Etc) and I am very much looking forward to visit them!

The other, probably more obvious advantage to working on a cruise ship is traveling. This particular ship

began in NYC, which has been on my places to see list for some time now. WOW. Ya know, being from Chicago, I didn't think that New York could be that much more impressive than the city of big shoulders, boy was I

wrong. It was absolutely incredible to see all of the sights. Central Park, Times Square, Empire, Rok Center, St. Pats, 9/11 memorial, Bryant Park, Grand Central, Statue of Liberty. You see it over and over in movies but until experience it in person, it's not the same. I didn't get a t-shirt but "I LOVE NY".

From the Big Apple our ship sailed all the way to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Canada. The towns we stopped in were Halifax, Charlottetown and Sydney. I'm not going to lie, I don't care for Canada, it's cold, kinda boring and most Canadians I know are weird. There, I said it...

Now onto the good stuff, USA! Next on our itinerary was Bar Harbor, Maine. Which consisted of

massive amounts of lobster, blueberry pie and football. Then down to Newport, Rhode Island where you have never seen so many sail boats and yachts in your life. Here i took a boat tour of the area, passing some outrageous mansions and touring a lighthouse. Did you know people live in those things? Some friends and I grabbed lunch at the oldest tavern in the US, the White Horse Tavern. Then onto Beantown, or Boston, whatever your fancy. Upper deck trolley tour is the way to go here to be able to see the entire city. I was amazed at the history and actually at how small the city actually is. Finally, I'm able to say that I've visited New England area and I fell in love with it!

Lucky for me, my ship didn't just stop there. We also made a run to the Caribbean. This included Bermuda, St. Thomas, San Juan and Grand Turk. It was a lot of sand, sun and snorkeling, including encounters with stingray and reef shark! The waters were so blue I wouldn't be surprised to hear that they dump food coloring into the area.

Oh yeah, I guess I should explain a little about my job and why I was on a cruise ship in the first place. As a part of the youth staff I literally got to play all day long. It depended on which age group I was with but my daily activities consisted of fooseball tournaments , wii dance, pajama parties, ice cream socials, karaoke, disco parties, dodgeball, boardgames, movie nights, arts and crafts. Tough life, huh?

Silent Warriors

Saturday was a tragic and devastating day for the United States. We lost over twenty of our military's best. Unfortunately for me it hits even closer to home. Even though I know the fears associated with having a loved one in that position, I can not start to understand the pain and suffering that those families are feeling right now. My heart breaks for every single one of them, more than I can even express. We should all be thankful to those silent warriors for the sacrifices that they and their families have continuously made to keep us safe. These Navy SEALS have done things that we can't even fathom to protect us, the people of America. We can sleep soundly at night because of their commitment, bravery and selflessness. I am thankful everyday for them, they are truly amazing people. May God bless every single one of them and may the fallen heroes rest in peace.

Changes

Life is full of unexpected twists and turns. That's what I have learned over the last few years. Even though sometimes these surprises in life are unwelcomed and we fight nail and tooth to not accept them, they still happen and in the end we can understand why more clearly.

My marriage to a Special Forces military man was a dream come true until one day it came to a screeching halt. Yep, the D word. I of all people do not believe you give up on that sacred promise, but unfortunately if both people aren't in it until the end, it just can't last. I'm not going to sit here and badmouth love and marriage because I enjoyed every minute of it. We created wonderful memories that I will forever carry with me for the rest of my life. It was time to go our separate ways... which I have come to accept because no longer am I told where to go, what to do, who to talk to and how to act by the government. I can actually plan for my future instead of waiting on orders from his command.

My life is much more my own now and for that I am thankful. I'm starting to spend more time with family and friends that I've lived away from for the last few years and I plan on traveling to different parts of the world. I'm very excited for what unknowns lie ahead in my future!