The Challenge

Having been inspired by first the book and then the movie Julie and Julia (aka the Julie/Julia Project) I have decided to grab my life by the horns and take control. I am going to Challenge Life!

The Challenge:
To once a month force myself to do something new and different. Something I've always wanted to do or something I'm terrified to do and sometimes something that someone else has challeneged me to do. And to DAILY get on this blog and write about how this Challenge in whole and in it's parts is affecting my life.

The Goal:
To get myself back out in the world. To begin living life once again to its fullest. To find joy and happiness. To take the 'one of these days' out of my vocabulary and live my life for whatever it's length to its fullest.

Where I'm coming from:
I've fallen off the track of life. I got lost in the mundane and everyday. I hate where I am and can't see a way out. I know what I want but can't figure out how to get there from here. I'm in a rut. Somethings I gave up on because it wasn't "appropriate" or "proper" or because I was no good at it. Others I gave up on because I was afraid. Many I gave up on because of $ and time. I'm tired of quitting life. How do I expect to reach my goals of living a good life if I quit at everything? I can't. So now it's time to jump on that horse and ride!

My few intersperced tries at life:
I got married (because that's what you're supposed to do after college) and though he was a friend there was never anything more to it than that and the divorce that followed has caused shattering effects every where I turned.

But it also gave me the kick in the pants to do a few new things...I became an apprentice pyrotechnician. Yup that's right me a jewish girl from long island blows things up...go figure....and I LOVE IT! The artistry and intrigue make me feel alive!

I went to a rodeo and loved it. I also made friends with many Bullriders and maybe part of this is their zest for life flowing into me as well! The lights and noise! The drama and silliness! How could anyone not love watching a RODEO!

I traveled to Arizona to see the place where one of my favorite TV shows was filmed and vacationed with a bunch of strangers who also love the show and walked away with the greatest group of friends and frenemies you'd ever hope to assemble.

I went to Disney World! I made a fool of myself standing in line for autographs with characters and talking toeveryone i met, even complete strangers that were on their own vacations because now they were a part of my vacation. I got up and danced in the middle of my hotels cafeteria during breakfast...why because the usic was fun! I sat in the pilot's seat on the airplane on the trip down because I was so excited about my trip that I told everyone about it and when the pilot's heard they invited me in while we changed planes in Charlotte.

In High School I went to France as part of a Student Exchange! Talk about life changing. Imagine being 16 years old alone in Paris and lost and loving it! I was giddy and excited and nervous and scared.

But through all of these roller coaster emotions....I was ALIVE! I did all of these things and I treasure them and hold onto them like balls of light in the darkest moments. I shut my eyes and can feel those moments again though brief they remind me that life is for the living.