I am in Vermont right now, a place that I have never been but have always wanted to go. I think it’s amazing that in this month alone, I have been to two different places that I have never ever been to before. Earlier, this same month, I swam where the Atlantic is warm and was swallowed by the under currents of the strong water. Today, today I was amazed by the frosted pines all around me, the mountain was wet — full of life — the dampness on my windshield let me know the mountains were acknowledging my existence. In the back of my mind I thought of Eliot’s “The Wasteland” where he portrays the image of a dry mountain where no water exists, no life… just waste. I am not a professor of english; however, as a human being I don’t understand people who can look at the world and see a waste. As someone who has shook hands with the somber breezes of Vermont and the warm light breezes of the Carribean within weeks of each other, I have to say, the one constant is the beauty that surrounds us. Life is beautiful, the natural world is beautiful. People are beautiful. Even if people choose to live their lives not in touch with beauty or what is considered “the right way to live” the beauty lies in the fact that we have the option to live our life the way we want to live it. The only mistake I see people make is not taking the chance to do anything, because with out a little do, I guess it becomes difficult to see the beauty. Let’s appreciate the beauty all together now. 
 
I shook hands with the mountain this evening, I was weaving in and out on the “scenic” route 125. Scenic it certainly is, I was really afraid for my own life actually. I was by myself, no cell phone serivce and I had twenty miles until the next town . Meanwhile, I was reading signs that warned me of Mooses & Bears (Oh my!), trecking up the snowy/icy mountain in my little Hyundai. I just kept thinking, if I do die, at least I died hugging so much life, I would have died happily (if there is such thing as a happy death at a young age).Right now I am sitting in Middlebury College while Ariela catches up on her rest for her exam in the morning. It smells like burning wood and a liberal arts school. It reminds me of my days at Oberlin (why does this name keep coming up these days). The small town, the liberal minds, the diverse student body, the stars that seem to burn brighter, the smell of burning wood… burning candles… burning… burn.   
 
 
 
 
Quotes: 
 
Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams 

I consider myself a pretty gutsy person, but still there are things I am too afraid to do. I would list what those things are, but I think one of the most vulnerable things you can do is tell someone what you are afraid of. Not little things, not, “I’m afraid of rats” type things, but more serious, heavy things. I am afraid of rats, and it actually has made me vulnerable to people telling me there are rats places there aren’t and so on. Demonstrating your fears shows your areas of vulnerability, and, then again, seeing people’s areas of vulnerability makes them more human. More human simply because, when you attack a person’s vulnerability in a sense we are attacking their “death spot.” The fact that we have death spots reveals our mortality, which makes us very human. People are vulnerable, everybody is. Some of us would laugh at other people’s areas of weakness, because where they see weakness all we see is strength. Sometimes things look like they are going down the tubes, but if you look around there could be someone who you don’t expect trying to extend a hand to help. But then again, if you reveal you need help, you reveal that you are vulnerable – and no one wants to show that.
 
 
Quote:
 
He liked to observe emotions; they were like red lanterns strung along the dark unknown of another’s personality, marking vulnerable points. – Ayn Rand

I have discovered a new hobby, a new possible occupation. I had thought about doing screen writing in the past, but I actually think I am going to pursue it as a career.