RESTART

No - not my laptop this time. Though I had to do that last night too, it’s restarting my life. I suppose I have been restarting so many things in the past year to year and a half. I haven’t been active on my posts because I’ve been through hell and back a couple of times in the past 20 months or so. My father passed away, I got divorced, changed my job, moved to a new city, brand new place, a whole new life style. I am very content about all the changes that I’ve been able to make to date, and will need to trust time to get used to some changes that are not entirely in my control. But I am trying to enjoy the ride as much as possible. 

So here are a few things that I DO want to talk about in the coming few weeks because they are the “highlights” and have the biggest impact on what I am doing currently, and see where they take me. 
My father passing away - the experience of losing a parent and how you tend to grow up immediately as it happens, then continue to grow with the absence of your father as you did with his presence in your earlier years. Experience of a divorce through nursing the wounds of a lost parent - how they interacted for me, the sequence of events have been key to realizing some things, living through others and accepting yet others. 
Changing my life style! Now THIS is the best part. :) Grateful to the first two not-so-positive events I have been able to take control of my life style and create a life that is more “me” than I have ever lived in the previous 36 years of my life - or the first half as I refer to it now. Everything, and I mean everything is different. My philosophy in life has turned into seeing that life is long enough to live an entirely different existence in one go! How lucky some of us are to have this chance! 
Travel. Travel. Travel. Aside from the day job that I keep to enable the traveling I love to do, I spend the majority of my waking hours researching places to go, things to do. Especially volunteer travel and just using a few days to assimilate myself in a completely foreign culture - as if I was moving there. No travel guides, aside from the locals, no hotels - just B&Bs, and absolutely no “all inclusive” resorts of any kind. My activities tend to include many volunteer activities that the local community supports or needs. 
Photography - Everywhere. All the time. In and out of NYC. On my travels, my daily life - everywhere. iPhone or DSLR - whichever is more handy. Yes iPhone - no droids here. 
Dancing. Ohhh my dancing. I cannot stop. I’ve unleashed a monster that has been asleep inside of me. I’ve signed up for some Dance Classes and weeeeeeeeee as I would have said 30 years ago! Some things are just innate. 
Diving. I did my first two dives in Belize in 2007. Always dreamt of doing it again, but never did for this or that reason. When I went back to Belize again this year - wow! Now cannot stop. Underwater photography, the life the feeling, how meditative it feels is now just a part of my life. I am PADI baby!
Working out - yes. I mean serious Spartan type working out, bootcamps, running ten miles, cycling the century rides. Yes Freudian psycho-analytic-smarties I do have to take the anger I have built inside of me somehow and THIS is how I release the tension while I build a lean mean crazy healthy machine with my body. I will continue to improve on keeping my workout regimen consistent no matter what life or days throw at me, so long as I am healthy!
I think that’s it. Did I forget anything. Oh. People? Oh yes. They come and they go. I’ve learned that from the get go, my life was never intended for long lasting relationships - but rather to “collect” amazing people, interactions and friendships wherever I go. From the very early years my family has been moving around a lot, from city to city, country to country, continent to continent. Especially at early ages, it’s a delicate time to form the ability to maintain long distance relationships - though I must say I have 2 that I would absolutely die for and I am lucky for them! I must also mention that I am realizing how much even the “negative” influencers have added to my life and my experience and my growth. Part of my journey is to keep from attaching or clinging on to people that I feel the connection to. It is me, myself and Dali. Dali is my schnoodle. You know - my best friend - my dog. Love him to bitses. Yes bitses. :)

And THIS is what I dedicate myself to now. To be completely cliche - in the next Book of my life and a brand new chapter - I live for me. err - slow down now, I will learn to live for me as I do not yet know exactly how.