Changing The World

Dear Reader,

It's been a while. My mom pointed out that I really only update the blog when I travel, and while it is mostly a travel blog, I am currently traveling. I am in Las Vegas for Christmas and decided to write a post to ring in the new year. As we approach the end of the year 2016 and the beginning of 2017, I want to share with all of you some of my plans. First, I will be going on another Study Abroad next summer (yes, it is my third summer in a row). I will be going back to England and Scotland to study Harry Potter. Then I plan to visit a bunch of other fun places with a dear friend of mine, including Dublin, Prague, and several places in Bulgaria. But beyond my travels, I hope that 2017 will be a year of self improvement, positivity, and confidence for all of us.

I recently had a conversation with my mother about making changes. She told me that she just wants everything to be lovely all the time. I told her that if she really wants everything to be lovely all the time, then she needs to be lovely all the time. 
I used to believe that in order to see progress you had to make some grand gesture. Mahatma Gandhi said, “You must be the change you want to see in the world." I thought that meant that all responsibility for positive progress had to fall on my shoulders. If I wanted to see improvement in any aspect of my like or the world around me, then I had to make it happen. While that is partially true, 2016 taught me that we cannot change others. We can only change ourselves. 

Think of the loveliest person you know. The kindest, most gentle, person you have ever met. That person is loved by you because they are loving to you. They make everything lovely, not by forcing everything around them to go perfectly, but by simply being as lovely as they can be. 
Think of the ugliest person you know. The meanest, most bitter, person you have ever met. That person is hated by you because they are hateful to you. They make everything hideous, by forcing everything around them to go exactly as they plan, and by simply being ugly they make everyone around them feel ugly too.

I am type of person who wants to fix everything all the time. Sometimes I am a perfectionist to the extreme, but that doesn't make things perfect. Only being perfect could make things perfect. Only being brave will make others less afraid. Only being kind will make the world a nicer place. If I want to fix others, fix their problems, fix their insecurities, fix their stresses, I first must fix my own. 

I am not usually one to set New Years Resolutions, but this year I am making 5 goals to improve myself in ways that reflect the changes that I want to see in the world.

1. This year I will try to replace my “I’m sorry”s with “Thank you”s to promote positivity toward myself and in other people’s lives. Instead of saying "I'm sorry that I'm late" I will try to remember to say "Thank you for waiting for me." Without letting myself off the hook entirely when I mess up, this is a productive way to change the inner dialogue about myself and a way to be grateful to the people who deserve it most at the same time. This idea was inspired by my friend who posted about it on Facebook. Thank you for the uplifting post that actually motivated me so much.

2. This year I will list 2,017 good qualities about myself by the end of the year, without repeating any. Having love and kindness towards ourselves can be really difficult. It's so easy sometimes to just see our flaws. I will learn to see the things in myself that others love about me to promote stronger relationships and greater respect for the the people who show me kindness. This idea was inspired by my mentor and friend who early this year told me that he was trying to think of three good things about himself everyday. Thank you for understanding what it is to be that dangerous mix of arrogant and insecure.

3. This year I will read 15 books that I have always wanted to read. Education is important to me. I am constantly wishing that the world we live in was a better educated and more well read world. I want to surround myself with intellectual thinkers, who read to gain knowledge and experience to gain wisdom. This idea was inspired by my Godmother, who reads so much that I could hardly catch up if I tried. Thank you for being a perfect example to me of how intelligence can give women incredible strength.

4. This year I will try 5 new things that I never thought I would try before. I believe that it takes courage to try new things. I also think that the world needs a little more courage in order to be a safer and more noble place. It takes courage to stand up for what's right. It takes courage to love people who are unpopular to love. It takes courage to be the best versions of ourselves. Trying new things is just one way to develop courage. This idea is inspired by my boyfriend who is constantly helping me be brave in the face of adversities that I used to fear I would never overcome. Thank you for .

5. This year I will send more Thank You notes. Gratitude is so important to lifting ourselves and others. My dad used to tell me that practicing gratitude was the only way to be truly happy and I believe that with all my heart. Not only does gratitude lift us, but it's also impressive to others. This idea was inspired by my mentors in the Honors Program at my school told me a story about a position that was once open at the University. Lots of applicants and interviewees came and went, but only one person sent a Thank You note, and she was the one that they hired. Thank you for teaching me that showing gratitude will make me a stronger leader.

May we make the world a better place, by continuously working toward self improvement. I am grateful for my family for never giving up. I am grateful to my friends for being the family that isn't limited to blood. Thank you to all of the people who inspire me to be better everyday, especially those mentioned in this post. I sincerely wish you all a happy Christmas and a successful new year. Keep an eye out for more travel posts coming to you in the Summer of 2017.
Love Always,
The Wanderess

Frankenstein Trip

Dear Reader,

The Frankenstein Study Abroad was a success! I will probably talk about it a bit more on this blog once I get a chance, but I'm pretty busy with school as always. HOWEVER...
To check out my blog that was created specifically for the Frankenstein Study Abroad trip follow the Link
To follow me in all of my future adventures, in closer to real time, click Here for my Instagram
There is more to come, my beloved readers! I promise.

Love Always,

The Wanderess

The Wanderess is Wandering Again!

Dear Reader,

I am so excited to announce that I have been accepted to Study Abroad this summer in Germany, Switzerland, and France, in honor of the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I'll be studying writing and literature, as well as the art, culture, and science behind this classic gothic novel. This is also my EDGE project, (a project that is required for me to graduate and will give me an edge on my grad school applications). Because of the professional nature of this study abroad opportunity, I will be keeping a professional blog ( http://studyabroadalexis.blogspot.com/ ) as well as continuing this personal blog during my travels.

Thank you so much for all of the support you have all shown me over the past year. I feel so loved and so blessed.
I hope that you'll continue that support by reading my blogs and by sharing my GoFundMe page on social media ( https://www.gofundme.com/7nsnxhkk ).Thank you all SO much!

     Love Always,
          The Wanderess

There is a Witch in my Family

Dear Reader,
         You did read that title correctly. There is in fact a witch in my family. After lots of rumors surrounding who the witch might be I think it's time I finally acknowledge the truth. My mother is a witch. Some women would take being called a witch as a great insult, but in my home it is the highest of compliments that I could pay. My mother is not only a witch, she is the most powerful and most magical witch. She is The Witch. Don't believe me that my mother is a witch? Well I have proof.

The Queen of Clean, The Witch, and The Wanderess

          First is her natural ability to magically make things more beautiful. She can transform any room in any home into a more comfortable and beautiful space. For as long as I could remember I would watch my mom rearrange the furniture, change the decorations, and match colors in a way that most other people never could. She was born with an eye trained to find the potential of a space. She can take a dingy and messy room and with a little magic can transfigure it into a remarkable space.

Baby Wanderess, The Witch, and Baby Queen of Clean

      Long before she went to school to become an interior designer, I new that my mom was an artist. She built a bed for my brother. She painted the wall in the kitchen. She transformed every room in our home multiple times to make something greater every time. Home was always a place of progress and movement. There was always a flow to everything that made it magical. None of our rooms came out of a magazine page. They were lived in and lively and decorated to show the world who we are. When you walk into the front room of our house you are greeted with personality and warmth. It's a place that is as equally functional as it is lovely. You don't have to worry about sitting on the edge of your seat from fear of damaging the art like furniture. Walking into the any room you might be greeted with a wall of bookshelves covered in multicolored vintage books and knick-knacks, or a stone covered hearth with beneath a mantel who's contents are ever changing with the seasons. You might go into one bedroom and find that the bed is literally a barn and in the next room there are gem stones on the wall. I have never seen any one else manage to so perfectly capture the personalities of the family and display them so enchantingly.

My Coven (minus Angela who hadn't arrived yet)

           Next is her love of Halloween which is a staple holiday in the home of all magically inclined households. I have been told quite often in my life that I look like my mom, but that is not the only way that we are alike. I am lucky to have inherited a few of her witch-like attributes. One is our mutual love of Halloween. Every Halloween the things that witches have to hide behind closed doors the rest of the year are allowed to be put on display. Last year I was pretty lonely the last few days of October and my excitement for the grand holiday of Halloween was somewhat dead. To help me get my spirits up, my mother organized a witches tea and invited all of my favorite magical guests to attend. My whole coven was there: my aunt and cousin, my fairy godmother and her daughters, the Queen of Clean, and best friend Angela. Not only was I able to get excited about Halloween again, but being surrounded by all of those people that I love reminded me that I wasn't really alone. The food was amazing, the tea was perfect and the company was everything that I needed. She gave me a reason to get up and get dressed. She didn't let me wallow in my loneliness or abandon me in my time of need. She used what she does best to make my life a little better. She didn't only save Halloween, she set an example to me of what real magic and love look like. This Halloween there is no one I will be missing more than my mom, but I will take from what she taught me and make my own Halloween abroad. No one should be sad on Halloween, because this is the holiday of real magic (with a dash of mischief and mayhem).

The Witch with her sisters and mother

          Then there's the fact that she's come from two long lines of witches and wizards. She is the eldest daughter in her family (just like me), which makes her the head of her family's coven. Ask her siblings, she is bossy and sometimes quick to anger, but she is also the best person to turn to for sage wisdom and protection. She is always willing to advise her siblings when they need help with anything, and she has good advise because she has done it all first. She was a grown up first, a wife first, and a mom first. She paved the way in her family and taught me how to do the same. With her advise her siblings have a wealth of knowledge at their disposal and they've used it to become more powerful witches and wizards themselves. I'd be lucky to become half the person that one of my aunts and uncles are.

The Witch with her Nephew

        She teaches by example and by a willingness to share and advise as the many generations before her did and how I hope to be able to as well. She also protects her family (her younger siblings and her children) and she always has. Nothing angers her more than someone treating her family poorly. In fact I doubt anyone who has would dare lay a finger on her family would find themselves unable to tell the tale after she decided to let them live. I know with my mom that I can always turn to her when I need advise or protection, because there's no one more capable than The Witch.

The Witch with her witchy sisters

          If you still don't believe that my mother is The Witch than you only have to examine this last fact. Yesterday was my mother's 30th birthday. My mother had me when she was in her early 20s and I am now 21. I am not fantastic at math, but I'm pretty sure the only way that my mother is still 30 has to be by magic.


     Love Always,
          The Wanderess

I'm Still Alive If Only Just

Dear Reader,

          I'm sorry it's taken me a while to get back to you. I admit that I realize it's been a while since my last blog post. I hope you weren't too worried about me. I'm still alive, if only just. My laptop is comatose and ever since it fell into disrepair I have been struggling to get motivated to do any writing, let alone blogging.Also I got terribly, deathly ill, but more on that later. Given that it's been almost a month since my last blog post I figured it's about time I got back to all of you. I wrote a post yesterday but I am currently in a hostel in the Ukraine and the internet was down so I didn't get to post it. Now that the wifi is up an running again, I will be able to share the post that I wrote yesterday in honor of my mother's birthday. But first I just want to catch you all up on the things I've been doing for the past 3 weeks since you last heard from me.

The Sunset over Benhausen

         The reason I say that I am only just alive is a long story. It all started when Tate and I went to a little town called Borchentreich where her ancestors are from. We decided to go to help her make connections in her genealogy work. Borchentreich is a small town kind of in the middle of the countryside and it is hauntingly quiet. When we arrived there were no people anywhere to be seen. The only sounds were the birds and a rooster from a farm at the far side of town. There was no sound from inside the shops or houses. The sun was up, the day was bright, the weather was beautiful, and yet we seemed to be the only people in town other than the nice ladies who ran the bakery.
         It felt like a ghost town, except that the the whole place was perfectly maintained. Being the amateur monster hunters that we are, we decided it must be a vampire town. There was no information center, record library, or archive. And the only chapel in town was closed, so we decided to go grave hunting. Tate gave me a list of names and we went into the cemetery to search for her family members graves. By this point we'd seen more dead people than alive that day.
         Out of no where a young man and old woman came into the cemetery carrying a bucket full of something. We watched from a safe distance as they, somewhat nervously spread salt around a grave like a barrier. And any good amateur monster hunter knows that salt is used to ward off demons. We realized that there are humans in Borchentreich, but they don't emerge from their homes until the early afternoon to be sure that they are truly safe from vampires. 
          As we were getting ready to leave Borchentreich we noticed a large hill in the distance that had a huge tower on top of it. We decided it's where Count Bartholomew (the Alpha vampire) must live. Naturally we had to investigate. But we needed to protect ourselves from the Count, so we stopped at a church near the bottom of the hill in another town near Borchentreich and filled up our water bottles with holy water.
         While we were climbing the steep hill I got really thirsty and Tate had already drank some of the holy water herself so she said it was probably safe to drink. I drank almost the entire bottle before we reached the top of the hill were the ruins of a watch tower were. The view was amazing and I was feeling on top of the world from up there, leaning over the edge of a tower like I'm invincible from vampires because of the holy water. Some how this made me think that it would be a good idea to taunt the vampire Count. I called into the ruins of the tower that he could try and get me, but that I would be gone before the sun was. I teased him that he could try and fight me even then but I would beat him. We stayed up there for a little while and then when the sun started to go down we left. We got back to Benhausen just as night was falling and I was feeling just fine. A little thirsty from not enough water, and a little achy from the climb but over all fine. 

            However, the next day I woke up feeling very ill and dehydrated. Every muscle and joint in my body ached. I had no energy and felt depleted. Come to find that there was not one but two identical puncture marks on my spine. Over the past three weeks I have felt sick on and off again, sometimes too weak to get out of bed and sometimes just a bit achy and tired. And the wounds (aka vampire bites) on my back have not fully healed. Lesson for you, Reader, do not taunt a vampire. He will follow you home and drink your blood.

Tate and the Wanderess waiting for the Reunification Day parade to start. We went to a festival with our Bulgarian friend. 

The Mall that has become a famous Battle Ground in Kiev

          On a happier and slightly less melodramatic note, Tate and I are, as I mentioned before, now in Ukraine. We spent a day in Frankfurt which was beautiful and looked like a Christmas village. That night we flew out of Frankfurt into Kiev where we slept in the airport for a few hours. Then we woke up and went to the hotel that we stayed in for a few days. There's a lot of dust in the air there and it's really cold so it's been difficult learning to breathe in the climate, but the people are so nice and we were right by the temple which was beautiful. After a few days in Kiev, we took a train overnight to Ivano-Frankivsk, where Tate spent a lot of her mission. I met a wonderful family that she taught here and we also met with the sister missionaries for a spiritual thought at the home of another of Tate's friends. One of the sisters is going to be added to my list of missionaries I email as well (Woot for new pen pals). The people here are so kindhearted. They don't have much here but they are always wanting to share and give and serve. It's really inspiring. And everyone here loves tea so I'm a little in heaven.  
          All in all I am doing well despite being tragically ill and even more tragically losing my laptop to the brink of death. I am seeing the world and I am taking in so many new stories that I can't wait to one day tell. I hope you are doing well back home!
     Love Always,
         The Wanderess

The Trickster and The Hero

Dear Reader,

         As a writer and literature enthusiast, I get to take a pretty in depth look at archetypal characters. Unlike people in real life, these characters are each very extremely one thing. Take for example the Trickster. The Trickster is a character who crosses all of the boundaries that other characters are unwilling to cross, often causing trouble along the way. He is funny and mischievous. He breaks societal rules and redefines life on his own terms. Then there is the Hero. The Hero is always brave and self-sacrificing. He believes in the greater good and is willing to put every selfish inclination on the line for the betterment of others. He is good and kind and has the ability to make things better. But people in real life are not all one way, no matter how much they may seem to be.

          Today is a special day because it is the anniversary of the day I became a big sister for the first time. My brother is on the surface a pretty a funny guy.  He is the Trickster. He gets himself into trouble by pushing the boundaries. He says things that are over the top. He does things that are over the line. And he is constantly living his life by the definitions that work best for him. Sometimes being the Trickster makes my brother gain enemies, but it much more often brings him great friends. People like to be around him. Maybe they love the chaos. Maybe they just like to laugh. But I think they can sense that here is more to him than just that one archetype.

           My brother is also the Hero. This is a part of him that sometimes he forgets he has. When he was little he was always the first to come to my defense. I was bullied in school. Even thought the kids who teased me were much bigger and older than him, he didn’t let fear stop him from coming to my rescue. He is a strong believer in justice. Seeing injustice gives him a righteous fury that can be frightening if you’re on the wrong side of it. No one would deny that my brother is brave and bold like a hero, but sometimes it takes getting through the layer of Trickster to see his love a goodness and justice. I think he may sometimes believe that the Hero is something just from his past but it is still very much a part of him.

                                        

          Shortly before I left Vegas for Germany I had a conversation with him that I haven’t been able to get out of my head. We were driving home from the place that we used to work together in his truck and he expressed to me that he admired my ability to travel. He loves home. He’s comfortable at home and he’s sometimes afraid to go other places because he has to leave that comfort. I am not comfortable when I am at home too much. I need to travel. I need adventure to feel comfortable and sure it can be a bit scary to travel but the idea of staying in Vegas forever is way more terrifying to me. I am a bird aching to fly and never turn back and he is a bird who is afraid to ever leave the nest.

I think one of the reasons that this conversation meant so much to me wasn’t because of the differences between my brother and me. It was because I realized in that moment how much we need each other and how much we have to learn from each other. How perfect is it that I am his older sister who can set the example of leaving the nest and can show him how to fly safely. And how perfect is it that he wants to stay so that I always have a reason to return to the nest and won’t forget where I came from.

Essentially my brother and I make a great team. In the ways that I am weak he always makes up. He is so smart and learning comes easy to him. He excelled in school and hardly had to try. I love to learn but struggled with school. I was smart too but academics didn’t always come easily to me like they did to him.

Sometimes I have a hard time remembering to be happy and enjoy life. He makes me laugh and reminds me that even when things suck that won’t last. When I’m feeling down about my own trials and wanting to give up I look to him. He is above me, still climbing on the side of a steep mountain and he doesn’t have to tell me that I can do it, he doesn't even have to know that I'm climbing too, because I can see through his strength that any mountain can be climbed and that example of strength and courage is all that I need.

The Queen of Clean, The Hero, and The Wanderess
at The Hero's Graduation

The Trickster and The Wanderess laughing

          I love the Trickster, who makes me laugh, who pushes the boundaries and is capable of creating a bubble of peace even in the most chaotic of environments. I love the Hero who teaches me to be better, who defends me, and fights for justice. I love my brother and though I'm missing him while I'm here, I hope he can look to my flight as an example that he can do it too. I have the best brother in the world.

         Austin, when I see you fight towards the top of the mountain you inspire me to do the same and you are my salvation. I hope that in some way, though comparably insignificant, I can do the same for you by continuing to pave a safe path around the world that you can follow as soon as you are ready to fly. I love you Austin. Happy birthday bro!

     Love Always,

          The Wanderess

Loving the Little Things

Dear Reader,

         I know its been a little while since I've written a blog post. I've been hard at work on my novel (the goal is to be done with chapter 20 by the end of next week but we'll see how that goes). Tate and I are all settled in the new village though. Grandmother Willow left for the Czech Republic today and we are watching her rabbits while she'd gone. But we are planning a few fun trips.

         Today we went in town to find out how much train tickets to Ukraine would cost. Flying was cheaper so we bought our tickets online today and I am very excited to be going to Ukraine with someone who has lived there for a year and a half. I'm really excited to see the culture and Tate had been talking up the food so I'm looking forward to that as well. I'm sure if it tastes anything like Russian food I'll love it.

         While we were in town we decided to do some exploring on some of the back roads in Paderborn. Tate found this beautiful area that looks like Neverland earlier this week. I'm so glad she showed it to me so we could climb some trees, play discover shiny objects in the water, and take some fun pictures.

Neverland Tree

I thought she was going to fall in but she did well

The treasures we found included a rusted battery and a rusted bottle cap.
Disposed of the battery. Kept the bottle cap.

         We also found the mascot for the totally awesome club we are starting. We're called the Sozial Unbeholfen Pinguine Club, because only socially awkward penguins are allowed to join it. 

His name is Phil and we just named him
in less time then it took me to write this sentence

         After we finished our exploring and had eaten some yummy waffles that we've been dying to try, we walked back down the walking street to get on the bus. There's a new store coming to Paderborn, Germany and we really enjoyed their advertisement. 

Yep, the name of the store is CHRIST. 

         Right after we took this picture we bumped into the Elders at the bus stop. They were super friendly and they are both from the US so I got to talk to them which was nice. Though I'll probably never get sick of talking to Tate and our Bulgarian friend from church, being able to have a full conversation with someone else in English was surprisingly nice. The Elders and I rode the same bus out of town and I got to have a nice conversation with them both. And I continue to be grateful for all they have done for us since we've been here (they are the big brothers in Hansella and Gretel by the way). I do have to say though that my German is improving ever so slightly (and very slowly), but I can now have these partially German and part English conversations with people. And when I can't, Tate continues to be an excellent translator. I am growing to become very grateful of all the little beautiful things that make this place so great. I love you all and hope you are doing well. Watch out for the little things. They will always find a way to make you smile.

     Love Always,

          The Wanderess

P.S. Someone please update me on how my primary kids are because I've been missing them.