Living with Passion

Missy over at The Marketing Mama wrote a very moving post on her passions and I thought I should do the same exercise! According to Merriam-Webster passion refers to an emotion that is deeply stirring or ungovernable. I think that perfectly describes how I feel about my passions.  Over the past year I have gone through an enormous amount of change, 10 major life events to be exact:

1. Finishing my MBA
2. Getting married
3. Moving in with my husband
4. Selling my old house
5. Adopting a dog
6. Changing jobs
7. Selling my husbands house in less than 3 weeks
8. My husband changing jobs
9. Finding and buying our house in a weekend
10. Moving 2 houses into one

Going through that much change in a short amount of time is incredibly stressful, both in good ways and bad. The one thing that kept me sane and grounded during all this turmoil was the things that I am most passionate about.

Fitness: I have worked out 3-5 times a week for the past 10 years, this year I made a goal to try new types of workouts. Yoga became one of the best stress relievers I have ever found. It is truly they only time I can not think, you fall over if you are not concentrating on your body! I have tried Zumba, Latin Dance, Hip Hop, a weightlifting class, working out with a trainer and making a concentrated effort to make strength gains.

Food/Wine: I love food and I truly enjoy cooking and eating but there needs to be a balance between healthy foods that the body needs daily and the occasional treats. Over the past year I have made a much stronger effort to make sure that I am cooking healthy foods that are flavorful and full of nutrients. To balance that all out, I am fascinated by wine and the complex flavors. Finding a wine the pairs just right with any dish can take that dinner up a notch.

Travel: Wanderlust is something I was born with, I would dream about seeing exotic places as a child and have met the person I want to see the world with. Our goal is to take 2 trips every year and to truly enjoy the cultural experience. To eat, do and see what the locals participate in. An amazing trip to Italy in 2009, a Thanksgiving trip to Rio in November and a trip planned to Spain, Portugal and Morocco in November of 2010. I have that feeling to constantly travel, my dreams include traveling the world. Seeing every country I can possibly see. I am at about 20 and have so many more to visit.

Choice: Missy talked a lot about Equal Rights and Diversity and the tie into feminism. Like her, I have long considered myself a feminist. Even if that issue has negative connotations I feel that there are so many areas that have a long way to equality. And that goes both ways, there are things that woman may have a better opportunity for that men should have that same option. The hot button issue for me is choice. I very strongly believe that everyone should have the ability to make the choices that are best for them. Choices about contraception, schooling, religious beliefs, careers, day care, the list could go on and on. But the one thing that truly angers me is when someone belittles another person for what they believe in. Who decided that their choices are better than another person’s choices? I truly don’t care if you want to marry a goat, adopt 40 children and home school them. Why should I? Their life in no way impacts mine! It does not impact my ability to make a choice of moving to the moon and dying my hair blue (not really interested in doing that but so what if I was).

Education: A journey of lifetime education should be accessible to everyone, I didn’t grow up with much money and had to pay my own way through college but I did. I worked hard! I worked at least 30 hours a week during undergrad and about 45 during grad school on top of a full time load. Putting myself under that much stress was worth it. I feel very fortunate that I can continue to learn! Everyone should have the ability to make a better life for themselves, whether that is tech school or going on to get a PhD. Why does education need to be so tied to social class?

Reading: In any given year I read close to 100 books, why? Because of my life long need to learn. I read everything from historical fiction to autobiographies to chick lit. My list of favorite books: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Pillars of the Earth, The Help, Sarah’s Key, and The Harry Potter Series.

This list is very comprehensive but at the end of the day it is all about living the best life I can live. Having a great husband, an amazing group of friends and amazing experiences keeps all of my passions strong.