Wednesday

Dear Blogger -

Today I left the house by myself and went out on my own for the first time since December. Picked up some salsa from Shopper's Corner and rode my bike down to the beach for a nice two hour chunk of reading time. I can't believe I've not done things by myself in so long. It's weird to think of myself as not having being very independent lately, but it's true and I'm glad I went out on my own.
I finished Maria Shriver's book "Ten Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Went Out into the Real World" (see reading list on right) today and she gave me some good advice. Among many other things in her book she says (on marriage), "You must be happy with yourself first. Be happy with your life separate from what the other person brings to the table. [...] He'll be the icing on the cake, but don't expect him to be the whole dessert" (89).

I recently realized that I've pretty much given up friendships, adventure and exploration, Photograhy, and alone time since I moved out. Not to say that I haven't gained so much more in other areas of my life - but those things are pretty darn important too. Today I began to build back up some of those areas of my life and I'm really glad.

Thanks for letting me borrow the book Renee. I recommend it to anyone - not just soon-to-be or recent college graduates. Maria Shriver is a real, down-to-earth smart lady and her book was both rewarding and fun to read.

-Kels