June 2019: Diaries from the Middle East
June 8th, 2019
Hi there! Writing from the Air France Lounge in the CDG Paris airport! I’ve spent the past flight and today’s layover dreaming about LA, NYC, London, Paris, etc. I have a secret wish that I would just take a leap of faith and never come back on my return flight from this trip. I am inspired by all the strangers around me with their different stories, talents, lifestyles, etc. I feel like I have so much potential to make the most out of my life! I feel a responsibility to work hard and challenge myself to always reach for more because I know that I can make an impact! Seeing successful people all around me, I know that it is possible. A quote I heard the other day that really stuck out to me the past week or so is, “at the end of my life, I want to know that I used up all the gifts and talents God gave me.” I think this is so important. What we do with our lives is so much bigger than our desires for ourselves. This quote encourages me to never hold myself back and pursue anything and everything I have the ability to pursue. This also pairs well with the saying I heard in Bohemian Rhapsody on my flight, fortune favors the bold. It is SO true. We are our biggest barriers. I am more than ready to grow myself, grow my outreach, and grow my perspective on what I can make out of my life. With that, I can’t wait to fully immerse myself in this completely foreign culture, place and people this week in Jordan! Much love!
<3 Natalie
“at the end of my life, I want to know that I used up all the gifts and talents God gave me.”
June 9th, 2019
Today is my first day in Amman and let me tell you, this place is very different than any other place I have visited. I’ve found myself really questioning everything I do, wear, and how I interact because I am unaware of what is acceptable, normal or customary. For example, I’ve been sitting at this cafe on a rooftop (beautiful) having been done with my salad for over thirty minutes when the woman finally came over and asked me, “was it not delicious?” which I assumed was due to there still being salad left in my bowl. I said, “Oh no it was great! I’m just full!” Yet apparently that wasn’t the correct response since she walked away, its been 15 minutes since then, and the bowl is still sitting in front of me. LOL, Honestly I’m really enjoying people watching and have all the time in the world so I’m just gonna let it play out.
Before this, I got up, went to the complimentary breakfast downstairs (which was lovely), then just started walking the streets letting any path take me where it led. People were probably looking at me wondering, why is this foreign girl just wandering here alone, but really, I was just loving seeing the nice little neighborhoods, mosques (everywhere) and family-owned cafes and shops. The one problem I have, which is a big one haha, is that I have NO familiarity with Arabic and can’t even really use context clues for signs or menus or anything. Kinda increases my level of curiosity and adventure though so I’ll take it. Relying on, well nothing really haha, I somehow made my way to Abdali Mall, which has 5 levels and is an art piece in itself! I headed to Zara (a definite familiar place no matter what country you’re in) and bought an outfit for Paris that makes me feel like I’m living in a future life that I’d like to live.
Now, I’ve been spending an ample amount of time at this outdoor cafe and I can’t complain. The people here are so courteous and polite! They have been very friendly and treat me with so much more respect than I deserve. I couldn’t be more thankful for their acceptance of me- a young, unfamiliar stranger. Well, I should get going on getting my check and maybe finding a dessert on my way back to the hotel! In the meantime, I’ll enjoy the interestingly sweet smell of hookah from the surrounding tables and try to take everything in!
Caio!
<3 Natalie
June 16, 2019
Hello! Or bonjour!
I have just arrived in Paris and it is 7:15 in the morning. I don’t have check-in until 2:00 so I have come to a small cafe where I am charging my phone and getting breakfast/tea. Just driving in past the river Seine, gold historical statues, little streets all labeled “Rúe ___”, and seeing the Eiffel Tower peak out from behind the trees, my heart ached with joy. I am not exaggerating when I say I almost cried in the taxi. When my soul yearns for something more than my day to day life and I dream of bigger things or the unknown, I am transported here. Exactly where I sit right now doing as I’m doing with every stroke of this pen, writing. Oh, how happy my heart is right here, right now! It is so exciting to know that even when I go back home, away from this adventure, I will be starting a new, exciting chapter that I hope will bring me right back to this place. The history of this place and dreamy nature makes me feel like I can be my best self and never be stopped by mindless barriers. I feel free.
Now sitting here, I realize that there is a passion in me for relating to others. I love to connect, to give advice after understanding, reaffirm people of their capabilities, and write in a poetic way. I have continually put off starting the journal I’ve wanted to write for so long and I think there is no better time than now. So here, I will attempt to lay out some chapters and topics of my writing.
trust
forgiveness
positivity
hardship
selflessness
sacrifice
kindness
balance
spirituality
patience
These are just some of the things that stand out to me when I think about the lessons I’ve learned from all the amazing people around me and events that have shaped my life. I’d like to start with positivity because when it comes down to it, none of the other chapters will mean a thing without an outlook that frames life with light and goodness. Here’s me giving this a go!
POSITIVITY: Being positive about the events in your life and the people around you is a complete choice. We all have good and bad things come our way, but what we can control is how that spilled cup of coffee on our way to work while sitting in traffic affects us. In the end, how we choose to view our day to day lives is inadvertently an effort in how we want others to view us. Want to emphasize how extremely busy you are in order to portray yourself as hardworking? You may opt to use this spilled cup of coffee and traffic as a story in the office to exaggerate your flustered entrance into the day, showing just how much you have to do and how setbacks are only another roadblock that you have to stand against and trump. Nowadays, we have gotten to the point where we glorify stress. People feel like others won’t think they’re productive if they don’t talk up all of the things they have to get done that are weighing on their shoulders. It isn’t enough to just have a lot on your plate. Stress = hard work. Hard work without stress = easy work. Now, let’s attempt to flip the situation. Instead of getting mad at this cup of coffee, laugh knowing how quintessentially perfect it is that this occurred while you struggle on a day like this. See the traffic and know that maybe God placed you back 5 minutes to protect you from something or to provide an opportunity to cross paths with someone you wouldn’t have otherwise. Then go into the office and make a joke out of your stain and smile saying, “nothing like a picture-perfect start to the day!” People don’t want to listen to your complaints or be forced to watch your negative energy just to console you. You don’t add a single bit of value to your life or others by complaining.
