music equals magic

There is something about hearing a song for the first time, the uncertainty and anticipation about whether or not you will connect with that song.Music is a lot of things for a lot of different people. For some is a way to escape, to forget, to remember and to belong.  For me music is all those things as well as about connecting and getting a sense of camaraderie  and a sense of I am not alone after all. Music is magic in its own way, the way it is strongly attached to memories is extraordinary. Like how every time I hear On the Radio by Regina Spektor I am immediately transported to furiously writing a paper at 5am in the morning that was due in two hours , or how It's A Metaphor fool  by Say Anything reminds me of my roommate and our dorm room and all the memories we made there.

When I have a good playlist going, I feel like I am actually never alone, and I feel like my train ride was actually shorter than I thought it would be because the music made the journey. I guess this is like my ode to music, to the songs that mean so much to me, to the catchy ones that terrorize me, to the ones I love to hate.

To Music.

me three.

3 names I go by:
1. Hither
2. Hithy
3. Hith

3 jobs I have had:
1. Desk Receptionist in the college dorms
2. Office Assistant (speaks for itself)
3. Public Relations Director for Student Media (My fanciest job title to date)

3 places I have lived:
1. Harare, Zimbabwe
2. Wilmington, NC
3. Raleigh, NC

3 fave drinks:
1. Coffee
2. Cherry Coke
3. Lady Gray Tea

3 TV shows I watch:
1. Bones
2. CougarTown
3. Glee

3 places I have been:
1. NYC
2. LA
3. Austin, Texas

3 places I would like to visit:
1. Prague
2. Ireland
3. UK

3 fave retro TV shows:
1. Friends
2. Will and Grace
3. Boy meets World

3 fave dishes:
1. eggs any way, except over easy ( you mean over gross me out)
2.beans on toast
3. popcorn- not a dish but my love for popcorn in strong

3 things I am looking forward to:
1. Living in London
2. Finishing my Masters by the end of the year
3. Getting a job


Three makeup Products I Can't Live Without: 
1. Eyeliner
2. Eyeliner
3. Moisturizer 


Three Superpowers I Wish I Had: 
1. Flying
2.Mind reading/ tell the future
3. Healing


Three Songs Currently on Rotation1. When did your heart your heart go missing by Rooney
2. Precious Love by James Morrison 
3. Carry On by Martha Wash

Join the Fun. Everyone

do blah blah blah in london town.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

I think I made the decision that one day I wanted to live in London when I was about thirteen, this might have been under the influence of teen punch drunk crush on one Jude Law and complete awe of the Spice Girls...I know, I know, it was ten years ago, I was young and ridiculous... get over it. It has taken plenty of years of false starts to finally be able to say I am going to London, yes the reasons have shifted and evolved just as I have but at the moment that thirteen year old is screaming her heart out...oh wait I think she just passed out from uttter excitement...no worries, she will be fine :)

I have always had this sense of London was something I had to do for myself. I am fascinated by the history, the culture and the people. I have always wanted to experience it all myself. Mind you, this is not the only place I want to visit, if I could I would want to live everywhere just for a little while. 

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – Martin Buber

I am excited, terrified, anxious, ecstatic and buried under a mountain of paper work and information I am trying to make sense of. I think it just hit me today that I am really doing this and in came the questions, where will I live?, what's the best place?, the cheapest?, the closest to school?, can I get a job,? do I need a job?, what about my phone?, can I use it there without AT&T? what about my netflix account? Will I meet people? Will my visa get here on time? is the tube easy to learn? and a whole gang of other questions and concerns I haven't even thought about yet. One thing I am not worried about is the English differences. I was raised on the Queens English and hallelujah to that, even now ten years later, I still say till and gawked at like a crazy person, so at least that's one less thing. 

I am just excited about the opportunity and the experiences that are in store for me and how they will change me as a person. 

Been There, Done That.

While it might not look it, based on my lack of new posts. Its been a busy February. I managed to go to the most violent city in the world (Juarez, Mexico) without even a clue that's what I was getting myself into, thank God, I lived to tell the tale. It didn't look dangerous, it had a lot of character and a lot of history as well. It starts like this, I went to L.A to help Rebecca move back east, and that included yet another coast to coast roadtrip, the first one was almost two years ago helping her move to L.A. I hate sitting in a car for a long time, actually I hate actual travel, whether by plane, train, car, boat whatever, I don't like it one bit, but the world traveler in me takes it because the destination is always worth it. So with an obnoxious thousands of miles to drive we hit the road on a Monday. Driving from Los Angeles, California to El Paso, Texas. this is were we decided to go to Mexico , the opportunity was there so we went. It never crossed our minds to check to see exactly were we were going. It was only after we are in Mexico and we see men with guns and such patroling that we thought well, this might be unsafe. So in all my wisdom we got a taxi tour of the city and were out of there in under an hour . So what can be learned from this. Always google your destination.

33. 36.- Let's Start Here

So because of my hiatus, I am a little bit behind, or something like that, but I have managed to get a couple of things checked off.

While in Zimbabwe I got 33. Get second ear piercing. I winced and cried like a little girl...actually the lady said none of the little girls all day had cried and this was all before she even put the piercing gun close to my ear.Once the horrendous experience ( a whole minute of a slight pinch) was over. I felt quite ridiculous for the dramatic and tearful experience I provided the jewelery store employees but its all in a days work.

36. Try 10 new restaurants.

Mom and I went to this place on Monday and I a good time. Its one of those big screens on every wall, playing every imaginable sport known to man. The food was okay, nothing mind blowing as to be expected in a place that specializes in a tower of beer. ha ha.

So it seems I am making slow but steady progress.

Your Past: A Legacy?

Recently, I feel like the past is so very much my present. Whether its that I see a person that at one point was major fixture in my life or song will trigger a memory  and I am struck with a deep feeling of nostalgia so much so, I wish I could return to that moment. It is widely agreed upon that the past helps shape the character and personality of a person, as well as the decisions we make or don't make, the invitations to go out we accepted or declined as small as it might seem, it make up the sum total of experiences that define a part of the present.

Lately, I find myself turning over decisions I made in the past or decisions as current as yesterday and wondering if it was the right choice. I am not into regretting my past, I am all about embracing it, taking whatever lesson to be had and promptly moving on. Earlier today I made a comment about my past not leaving me alone and someone said it was my legacy. Looking back on my life thus far, there is nothing I have done, that I am intensely proud of and there is nothing I have done I regret or am shameful of. I might have regretted somethings in the moment after but in retrospect it is just something that happened. I know that feelings fade with time but there are some things that the feelings are the exact same as they were the moment they happened and no matter how many years I am removed from that moment, I will feel the same amount of  disappointment, joy, glee or whatever feelings. Are these moments the legacy as they never fade?

Catching Up is Hard To Do

I haven't written a blog in a little over two months and that means, I am behind in my 101 in 1001 list among other things. It sucks to be behind but the reason for it was totally well worth it. The time I spent with my family was incredible. Just being back was a truly amazing experience to the point of I did not want to come back. 2009 was a year of plenty of changes and I am sure 2010 will be as well. I spent the last two months of the year in Zimbabwe with my family. It was a time of celebrations and plenty of togetherness. One of my sisters(cousin) got married and I got to reconnect with my family. I had a good time and I have made a decision to go back a lot more often than the previous years. I have a lot to catch up on, and the beginning of 2010 will be dedicated to doing just that, but i also hope it will will be filled with new adventures, opportunities, laughter and all that jazz.