Miracles and Mishaps

Time decides who you meet in life, your heart decides who you want in your life, and your behavior decides who stays in your life.

(via ateapartyaffair)

tylerknott:

We make the world, it does not make us. Believe there will be color in the sky and it will be so.

Finally able to type a post after such a long break.

The past 9 months or so has been an amazing journey, life-changing I would say. I find it so hard to believe that it seemed that such a short time has flown by yet I find it long enough to make such a huge difference. I do admit that when I go back to reality, maybe only 20-30% or less will still ring strongly in my heart. Nonetheless, I am coming back with new perspectives, new hopes and new dreams.

If anyone were to ask me where I see myself in a years time, I would have replied “I don’t know” and truly not have an inkling of where I might be or where I would want to be. But ask me that question again, be it in a year’s time, in 3 years time or in 5 years time and I would probably say ” I don’t know, maybe I will try (blank) or I will consider (blank)…” and I would know what I want to fill those blanks with. I would consider, working with kids, working in Global Health, working in the community, not working in a hospital. 

I’m starting to question a lot of why we do what we do. I can understand the need for protocols and processes, I can understand standardization but for whose benefit? 

I’m having mixed feelings of returning to work, to be honest I’m excited! “bring it on!” says the part of me that is ready to take on the world, like a young explorer, but the other part of me is still trying to figure out what I can accept and where I draw my lines, a part of me doesn’t feel quite prepared.

I didn’t miss home when I was in Ireland, and I think it’s thanks to my second family. The guys who were like our dads, our brothers, our bodyguards, our chefs. They are true gentlemen and have raised the standard for guys in the entire world. The gals have been great company, especially my roomie who has very similar sleeping and bathing hours and  being particular about dry floors. But now being on the road, as much as I am enchanted by the sights and experiences, my heart is yearning for home, in a good way. I’m glad that a part of me is looking forward to be back with my family and a part of me misses my new-found family. 

Nothing gold can stay, he said. But anyhows, here’s to the places we will go (:

(via ateapartyaffair)

ateapartyaffair:

pedrotojal:

This will make you think about life. 

1)  The day my sister got back from the hospital after a suicide attempt. I didnt let go for about an hour.

2) Kid just found out his brother was shot and killed.

3) A Russian war veteran kneels beside the tank he spent the war in, now a monument.

4) Man sobbing at animal shelter. After being jailed briefly and his dog Buzz Lightyear impounded he couldn’t afford the $400 to get his pet back.

5) A firefighter gives water to a koala during the devastating Black Saturday bushfires that burned across Victoria, Australia, in 2009.

6) Alcoholic father with his son

7) Robert Peraza pauses at his son’s name on the 9/11 Memorial during the tenth anniversary ceremonies at the site of the World Trade Center.

8) Greg Cook hugs his dog Coco after finding her inside his destroyed home in Alabama following the Tornado in March, 2012

9) After two double lung transplants and years of battling cystic fibrosis, my good friend passed away last Saturday. This was one of the last pics taken with his mother.

)’:

allthingseurope:

Innsbruck. Austria (by djbalbas)

carlosbaila:

Marina Abramovic meets Ulay

“Marina Abramovic and Ulay started an intense love story in the 70s, performing art out of the van they lived in. When they felt the relationship had run its course, they decided to walk the Great Wall of China, each from one end, meeting for one last big hug in the middle and never seeing each other again. at her 2010 MoMa retrospective Marina performed ‘The Artist Is Present’ as part of the show, a minute of silence with each stranger who sat in front of her. Ulay arrived without her knowing it and this is what happened.”

(via littlemiss)

allthingseurope:

Tatra Mountains, Poland (by halina-anna)

Going back to school has been enlightening to say the least. I never expected to learn so much about things like Global health or advocating for my profession and I never thought these issues would interest me.

As I was studying for my global health exam, I came across this in my textbook:

” When we consider the cost of finding solutions to global health crises, a good question to ask is how much it would cost to do nothing.”

I don’t think that ever crossed my mind, that doing nothing would cost anything. So often, when we are caught in situation of whether to take action or not, what comes to mind would be the cost of acting; drawing attention, being singled out, swallowing your pride even. Hence it seems easier to do nothing - because it wouldn’t cause any harm, or does it? No one would really think that doing nothing has a price or consequence because more often than not - it doesn’t cost us anything, directly at least.

If we give it some thought, there is a price to doing nothing. We may not see it (immediately or not) but it could help or harm. It is so easy to turn a blind eye or a deaf ear, especially if we lead comfortable lives, have secure jobs, good families, opportunities to go to school… all the little things that we take for granted.

There are so many things to be grateful for, so many things that empower us and so many opportunities for us to make a difference. I truly hope that I never lose this sense of purpose wherever life takes me.