Letter to Me

Dear Chelsea,

You are at a very difficult time in your life. You are going through a lot of major changes all at once and some of the most important moments of your life are happening at the same time. You just overcame an incurable illness, you got into journalism school, you got married and your husband went away to boot camp. There are so many things going on that you can't help but feel extremely overwhelmed but I'm here to tell you that it's going to be okay.

Every day you get stronger and every day you get one day closer to your husband coming home and your dreams coming true. Sometimes you forget that the best things in life come to those who wait and nothing worth having isn't worth waiting for. You are extremely lucky and you have so many things that many other people in the world don't ever have like: a wonderful husband, insurance, health, education and a loving family. No matter what, it will all be okay.

There are days when you feel lonely because you have finally come to realize that you are extremely introverted but you're happy that you finally know that. Right now you have a job at a local restaurant which you love sometimes but sometimes drives you crazy. But you have a job, you're gaining worldly experience and you are gaining the ability to be a bit more social with others. You are trying new things and you should applaud yourself for finally getting the courage to expand your skills and get to know new people.

You started two blogs, which are both becoming successful in other countries. You finally took a risk in putting work that you've written on the internet for people to see, judge and comment on. For your entire life,  you have been afraid to share your work with anyone, afraid that they would hate it. Since you've started your blogs, you have been published and shared on 3 other blogs and have over 1500 readers. You even finished a book, started a new one and have been sending queries out to agents. That took a lot of guts that you didn't know you had. Congrats, girl. I knew that you had it in you. You should be proud of yourself. I know that I am.

I am so proud of you and who you are becoming. Continue on this path and nobody can stop you. We both may not know where your life is going to end up or what lies ahead but we can bet that it's an adventure. Good luck.

Love always,

Chelsea

I Am Too Nice

                      Sometimes I forget that it's okay to say this word.

I've always been a "nice" girl. There is nothing wrong with that but I tend to have an obsessive and literal personality. Especially during my younger years, I was prone to only seeing things in black and white. There was no such thing as a "gray area."Therefore, when I realized that I wanted to be a good person, I saw no room for doing anything that could be construed as mean or inconsiderate. So I, always have and still do, get walked over like a doormat way more times than not.

I'll use today as an example. I've been working a lot lately and I was so looking forward to a day off tomorrow, so much so that the thought of being asked to work tomorrow was nerve-wracking. I needed some time to recharge. Yet, when someone quit today and management asked me to work, I filled up with so much dread from being put on the spot. So even though all I could think of was how miserable I would be tomorrow and how much it would put me out, I accepted because I didn't want my manager to be inconvenienced instead.

So even though the thought of finally having some time to myself to get things done, to run errands and to just relax was so appealing and just within reach, I gave it up for someone else. It's not as if it's the first time that I've done this and that's what the problem is. I don't know how to put a stop to this habit. People can tell me to stop but it's always easier said than done. If I could stop so easily, then this wouldn't be a dilemma in the first place. I will personally go out of my way to be miserable, just so someone else isn't miserable instead. It doesn't even matter if I care about the person or if I barley know them at all. The word "no" seems to just not be a part of my vocabulary during situations like this.

I have nobody to blame but myself. I did this but I can't help it that I have an extremely guilty conscience. I love my job but I don't intend to make it a career right now. So it shouldn't take priority over my happiness, yet it did and I guarantee that it will continue to be that way until I grow a little bit of backbone and say, "You know what, I'm going to think about me for a change." I don't think that it's ever a bad thing to take some much needed time for yourself and just enjoy your life without the pressures of work or the outside world.

So even though I love being a "nice" person, sometimes it can be a bit bothersome. It's something that I have a hard time mastering and need to learn control over, or else I'm sure that it will drive me nuts. I just hope that when I go out of my way for other people, that some day down the road, they think of what I did and smile, or that they do the same for me in return. :)

"It's Mail Time!"

Does anyone actually remember that song from "Blue's Clues"? The one where the mail arrived and Steve/Joe absolutely went crazy with excitement and started singing and dancing? Well, that's a lot like what I felt like doing when I got the mail yesterday.

Now, I don't have a talking mailbox, so going to retrieve the mail isn't exactly an exciting activity. However, ever since Kris left for boot camp a month ago, I check the mail a lot more frequently (My mother used to do it.) and my heart skips a beat as I put the key in and twist it, thus opening the box. Up until yesterday, my heart sank with disappointment because there was no letter from Kris. I actually started convincing myself that I was just going to continue to write him every day and he wouldn't have time to write me back. I know that it's stupid and unhealthy but when you're upset, it's hard to be reasonable.

So yesterday when I opened the mailbox and saw his handwriting on a small, white envelope, I literally started shaking! My heart was pounding in my chest and my hands were trembling so fast and hard that it was extremely difficult to get the letter open. I ran into my house, flew up the stairs and called for my little sister, who was so excited that he wrote a small bit about her, too. Something as small as getting a letter in the mail, literally changed my entire attitude towards the situation.

When this process first began, I underestimated how hard it was going to be. For the first few days, I missed him, of course but I thought, "I can do this." Every day, without hearing from him via phone or letter, it started getting much harder and my heart got much heavier. But getting those three letters made everything worth it and gave me the boost that I so desperately needed back. He said that he is okay, that he is doing well, that it's tough and that he's looking forward to seeing me in 6 weeks. Seeing that it was only 6 more weeks definitely put it into perspective and for the first time in a month, I was truly so happy that I couldn't put it into words.

I am so proud of him, that I couldn't describe it if I tried. I can only imagine what he is going through, as he didn't go into detail about it in his letters. But those letters could not have come at a better time and knowing that he is thriving in that tough environment, makes my heart swell up with even more pride and love. Even though this is the toughest thing that we've ever had to do, I'm so happy that we're doing this and I know that it will only make us stronger as a couple. Yep, it makes us army strong.

Daddy's Day!

"Daddy, I wanna play football."
"Okay, sweetheart. Go get a ball. I'll meet you outside."
"No, Daddy. There's a league. I wanna play flag football."

I handed my dad the form that advertised the girls flag football league in my hometown. His eyes bulged out of his head because he was so shocked. This was a new concept, girls playing football. Of course, he agreed to let me do it, or else there would be no story here.

Now, my father was not the office type. He didn't work a regular 9-5 job, come home, put his feet up and go to bed. He worked early hours and got off in the early afternoon. Then, he would go out to the fields and coach me in whatever sport that I played. That is one thing that I will always say about my father, he was always involved in my life. He made my little sister and I, his top priorities, no matter what.

For example, my father doesn't care for soccer. He has nothing against it; it's just not his thing. He's more of a baseball and football type. But when I came to him when I was 7 years old and said that I wanted to play soccer, he coached me until I quit soccer and decided to switch to football. When I switched to football, I never left. I played until I injured my shoulder beyond repair. But, let's get back to my original story.

My father went to a coach's meeting after I signed up for flag football, hoping to meet someone and be their assistant coach. Obviously, he had no idea what the rules were or how flag football worked, so he wanted to learn the ropes from someone else. But there was such a shortage of coaches that he had to take a team. So he learned by doing and fell in love with the game just like I did. I played for ten years and my little sister even joined in when she was old enough.

Those years playing football were the best years of my life and provided some of the best memories that my father and I have with each other. That was our time and he always made sure that there was time for it, no matter what. So even though I have all of these wonderful memories, the best one is the one where I come to him asking him to sign me up for football. I find it a bit comical because he just told me to go get the ball, not realizing what I was asking.

My dad has sacrificed a lot for my sister and I, like sleepless nights when we were sick and hours on the football field when he could be doing something else, like going out with his friends. I'll never be able to repay him for that time, or for just being there for me, when so many other dads don't have the ability, even though they wish that they could. I was blessed with something that a lot of kids aren't and that was endless hours on the football field, playing with my dad. I will never forget those times because they are ingrained in me and they helped shape who I am, just like my father. I love you, Daddy. Happy Daddy's Day!

"Oh, the places you'll go!"

                                 Disney World is "practically perfect in every way."

Unlocking your imagination can be one of the greatest exercises for your brain. Not only does it get your creative juices flowing, but it allows you to utilize your brain in a variety of fun ways. As one small example, you can create a variety of different worlds and scenarios in your head that, not only have you never been to, but neither has anyone else. For me, it is one of the most relaxing and therapeutic remedies that I can give myself, especially when I'm going through a rough time.

I daydream quite a lot, actually and I find myself venturing off to the Caribbean with Captain Jack Sparrow or searching for treasure aboard sunken ships with Princess Ariel. Sometimes I even end up in the settings of the books that I'm writing at the moment. It all depends but each one is just as enjoyable and freeing as the next one.

 A lot of people that I meet tell me that they wish that they could be a writer like me because they would have so much fun with it. They wish that they could tap into their brains and pull out the creativity that they feel is stuck there and just roll with it. It's easier than many people would think. You just have to let go and let your mind work it's magic. I encourage it with people because writing and exploring my imagination has opened my eyes to millions of things that I had never previously considered.

Now, I consider myself the female embodiment of Peter Pan and I legitimately mean that. I live with that same youthful spirit inside of me, refusing to let go of my energetic inner child. I live for silly moments and belly laughter. Life is too short to be serious or pretend that adults don't have a ton of fun left inside of them.

I think that we can all learn a little something from a trip to Neverland, a place where nothing is impossible and strange things are normal, a place where a little of bit of faith, trust and pixie dust can make everyone in the world fly. I think that people get a little too serious about life and they forget the wonderful things that exist in fantasy worlds or even their own imaginations. For me, I make sure that I find time to get my necessary dose of Disney World and things get better. This is not to say that you should never be serious or that serious people are boring. I just want to encourage people to express themselves in a creative outlet and explore unfamiliar territory in their minds.

Let's call your imagination "Neverland" and remember your childhood, when you used to build forts with your siblings and pretend to be pirates in the living room. "Those were the days" you would probably say, whereas I would say, "I think I'll build a fort today," or, "Even when I'm 40 years old, I'll still build forts with my husband." Your adventures never have to stop and once they start over, they don't have to end again.

Spieling Peter Pan, otherwise known as Andrew Ducote, is one of my personal heroes. He played Peter Pan at Disneyland in California for a few years and was (and still is) the true Peter Pan. (Just watch some of his YouTube videos and you'll know what I'm talking about. They're quite comical.) In one of my favorite Spieling videos, he comes up with a new motto where he says, "Keep adventuring and stay not a grown up."

Although it's not grammatically correct, it may be the best advice that has ever been given to anyone. You don't have to grow up just because you age and you should still be in touch with the person inside of you who isn't embarrassed to be silly or even a little bit crazy sometimes. It's what makes life fun, makes it worthwhile.

Growing up is overrated and many people will tell you that. In fact, in my wedding vows I promised my husband that we will grow older together but we'll never grow up and I meant that. I want us to never forget the young, fun, Disney couple that we were when we fell in love. And we won't.

Dr. Seuss has a book entitled, Oh, the Places You'll Go! which was actually the inspiration for this blog. So the next time that you're feeling stressed or are having a bad day, you could listen to Dr. Seuss and spend some time in your imagination and discover new worlds or you could fly with Peter Pan to Neverland and learn to be a kid again. The choice is yours. Just remember: "Keep adventuring and stay not a grown up!"