City of Brotherly Love

A couple weeks ago I traveled to Philadelphia for the first time on a business trip. While I was working most of the time, I did get a chance to sneak out and see some of the city, as well as chow down on a yummy Philly cheese steak sandwich (which I failed to get a photo of).

The view from our hotel room.

Across the street from the hotel.

Independence Hall

Reading Terminal Market

It was a hopping week in Philadelphia, with the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Phillies vs. Padres game, and the start of Philadelphia Beer Week. Definitely a city to visit again when I have more time to check it out!

Thoughts on 2010

Unfortunately, 2009 turned out to be rather disappointing, and I have an inkling that much of the world feels the same way. I was heartened, however, to receive the 2009 statement for my mutual fund this week and see that, indeed, things have been slowly getting better in the world of investment and stock. I am really hoping that this is a foreshadowing of better things to come in all other worlds as well!

Last January, I posted a letter to 2009 (which you can read here). In that letter I said that four things would happen: (1) I would get a new computer, (2) I would thus no longer have an excuse for not writing, (3) I would finish the novel that I started in 2006, and (4) I would save $30 a month to purchase a week of advocacy for the International Justice Mission.

Of these four things, I accomplished two, which I guess isn't half bad. I purchased a new MacBook. And I saved $30 a month for the International Justice Mission, which I gave towards investigative equipment, as a "week of advocacy" was not in the 2009 gift catalog. As for the other two items, I still found plenty of excuses for not writing, and I did NOT finish the novel. Not even close.

Dare I commit myself, in the face of failure, to write more and finish the novel in 2010? Yes. I do dare.

This year I started another blog all about writing, words, and books. Check it out: http://stephaniemeissnerraw.blogspot.com/. Happily, I have been very committed to making sure I post at least twice a week. Usually more. I have also been keeping up with my photography blog by posting at least twice a week. This means that I have already been writing more and have proven that I CAN be consistent and committed. Hooray!

O course, 2009 wasn't all bad. The highlight of the year? Without a doubt, the Mediterranean cruise my grandma took all us girls on in June. Seven lovely ladies, and we were blessed to see Barcelona, the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, Rome, Florence, Nice, and Marseille. It was amazing, and definitely gave me the travel bug.

I also had the great pleasure of visiting my best friend, Dom, in Guadalajara, Mexico, in April, where she is an elementary school teacher.

My dear friend and former roommate, Rachel, got married in August, and I flew to Minnesota for a week to take part in all the wedding festivities and support her as a bridesmaid.

I guess, all in all, I can't complain about the past year. It has had its ups and downs--really, a few too many downs, if you ask me. But I know that I'm still beyond blessed. And it should be considered a privilege to get to live life all over again in a brand new year.

Here we go, 2010!

Highlights

Highlights of my trip to New Orleans (aka N'awlins):

1. The awesome brick wall and huge windows in our hotel room.

2. More fried food than I would ever care to eat in a week (highlight or lowlight?)

3. Being asked to take photos with some of my authors.

4. Reconnecting with "conference people" friends.

5. Braving Bourbon Street on a Saturday night.

6. The awesome live music at our bar of choice on Bourbon.

7. The young (sober) man who, just before exiting said bar with his buddies, told me I was extraordinarily beautiful. (Extraordinarily!)

New Orleans, I wish I could have seen more of you. Thank you for not flashing me. Man Who Called Me Beautiful, you made my night, maybe even my year. Thanks for your sincerity.

Way down yonder in New Orleans...

Tomorrow I'm headed to New Orleans for the week for a work conference.

Bourbon Street, here I come...

I <3 Ireland

Nearly seven years ago (yikes!) I went to Northern Ireland with Youth for Christ on a service project. It was an amazing experience, and I fell in love with the country of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Close to my heart, I really hope to go back someday.

In honor of St. Patty's Day and the wonderful country of Ireland, I'm posting one of favorite Irish blessings:

May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

This is my life

So I saw this posted on a friend's blog, and it was intriguing to me. There are 99 items on this list, and you're supposed to highlight in bold those things you have done in life. You can see mine below:

Here are the rules: Bold the things you've done and post on your blog.

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more time than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a Marathon.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagra Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancesters.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo's David.
41. Sung karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone wale watching.
63. Got flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year's Eve.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone's life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Got a tattoo.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.

After doing this, I got to thinking, "What are the things I most want to accomplish off of this list? If I can't accomplish all 99--and let's face it, there are some I don't want to accomplish--what feats would I choose to mark my life? (note: these are not in any particular order)

1) Adopt a child. A couple years ago when my parents were preparing to move, I made several trips back home to purge my old stuff so they wouldn't have to move a bunch of junk! While I was purging, I found a list of goals that I had made for myself when I was probably eight or nine years old. One of the things on that list was to adopt a child. (By the way, what eight-year-old kid thinks of adopting children someday?) I couldn't believe that a dream I had for my life before the age of ten was a dream I still had at 21...and have now.

2) Publish a book. Also on the list of goals from childhood. That one was not so surprising. I've been writing stories since the third or fourth grade. And if you're a regular visitor to this blog, you know that I have a novel in the works at the moment. My plan is to finish that book this year. Whether or not it will publishable is another story!

3) Ride a gondola in Venice. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to travel to many places. But Italy is the one place I've always wanted to have and not yet been to. I love the idea of Venice...even though I know it's mostly a big tourist trap and hot and crowded. I still want to ride a gondola in Venice someday.

4) Which brings me to one of the items on this list that I will get to accomplish this year: Go on a cruise. My generous grandmother is taking me, my mom, my two aunts, my female cousin, and her brother's girlfriend on a Mediterranean cruise this summer! This cruise will also get me to Italy (just not to Venice), which is even better. We will sail from Barcelona and hit nice, Sicily, Rome, and Florence.

5) Go whale watching. I actually live somewhere where I can make this a reality...and it's not even that expensive. So I am pretty confident that I can make this happen. I think it's a matter of just planning for it and executing the plan! There's a kayaking company in San Diego that does whale watching kayak tours, and I love kayaking, so that sounds awesome!

6) Walk in Jerusalem. Someday I want to go to Israel. I want to walk where Jesus walked. I want to walk the streets of Jerusalem, swim in the Dead Sea, and see the birthplace of Christianity.

7) See the Grand Canyon in person. For some reason, I always feel a bit like a bad American for having never been to the Grand Canyon. I've flown over it many times, but I've never actually been to see it. I met some Australians a couple weeks ago who have been on a tour of North America, and they described their experience seeing the Grand Canyon. I'm sure it's totally breathtaking...but I can't speak from experience.

8) Go to a drive-in movie. This is so simple, but I love the simple things in life. Somehow I've never been to a drive-in movie. I would like to remedy that. Especially if I can go to said drive-in movie in a convertible...even better.

9) Kiss in the rain. This reminds me of the scene in SpiderMan when Kirsten Dunst kisses Toby Maguire as he's hanging upside down. Is it even raining in that scene? I think so. Kissing in the rain is probably not as romantic as it sounds (wet...cold...sloppy?), but I'm still gonna go for it.

I know this list would look better if there were ten things on it...but I'm going to leave it at nine. Nine future accomplishments. I think I can make it happen.