18 January 2012

An Open Thank-You Letter

Dear All,


As a part of the proverbial "we" I've noticed that we do not say thank-you often enough or sorry, but I'll see to that on a later date. I'm writing this to so that I know that I have said thank-you thoroughly to as many people as possible. Our society does say thank-you, but it strikes me as a force of habit, rather than something felt. Entirely lacking in resonance. It troubles me that such a important and sincere phrase has become disingenuous and I'm here to make a very heartfelt declaration of my appreciation. I suppose it may strike some as odd that I care so deeply for manners, considering how crass I can be, but I value people and the relationships we share and our interconnectedness.

My memory is particularly odd. I can't remember the names of people I just met, I've gone entire semesters in high-school and my undergrad only to discover that I don't know my professor's name, but I remember the tiniest things that any of you have ever done for me. Chances are you might not, but I do and when I reflect on the kindness and love that I have received from all of you I feel like the luckiest person alive. Somehow I have been fortunate enough to be graced with a set of beautiful family and friends that are supportive, kind, encouraging, generous, tremendously talented in so many ways, funny, brilliant, helpful, passionate and compassionate, great to get into trouble with, have their own lives and problems that I can listen and offer help for and manage to keep me within the range of sanity most of the time. 

I'm flying back to London tomorrow night and after being away and coming back to such an incredible group it's going to be far more difficult to say good-bye this time. Last time I was so enthused to get away from my hometown that I couldn't truly appreciate how wonderful it is, when you have such family and friends. I love you all and will miss you dearly. If you would like a postcard please email me your address or contact me


Stay excellent and be kind to yourselves. ♥monica 

11 January 2012

Inspiration

Happy Wednesday everyone in internet land! I thought I would share this video. I found it particularly inspiring and quite lovely, not to mention I'm a little cycle-obsessed after receiving my beautifully restored bicycle for Christmas. (Thanks a million Steven!)


Oh, you'd like to see my bicycle? I'd be happy to oblige/ I'd love to show off my bike. ;)
Sorry for the recent posts being so short, but I'm currently in the middle of reconsidering the tone/ content of my blog and I don't want to rush into a new style with out really think it out. 
Stay excellent and be kind to yourselves. ♥monica 

Forgive the poor quality, these were taken with an iphone.

04 January 2012

Photo Drop: Paris

Last semester I took a day trip to Paris, so it was a bit of a highlights trip, but I did manage to snag a few photos worth sharing. 
First stop of the day was the Louvre
Viva la France!
I ate my first crepe in front of Notre Dame
Inside Notre Dame
Candles in Notre Dame
Shakespeare and Company 
Inside of Shakespeare and Company, by far my favorite place we visited.
We ended the night at the Eiffel Tower and L'arc de Triomphe,
but I wasn't able to get any really good pictures of the arch. 
Be kind to yourselves and stay excellent.
♥monica 

01 January 2012

Happy New Year


Happy New Year from Downtown Valdosta

First I would like to wish a very Happy and Healthy New Year to everyone. I have been very lax with my blog lately and one of my resolutions is to post twice a week. I unfortunately am finding myself drained of brilliant and encouraging things to share and say for the new year. All I have is that everyday is a moment to change everything, you don't have to wait for a new year. It's just easy to project a clean slate onto a new number and that way we are also placing a bit of responsibility onto something other than ourselves. So remember as always to be kind to yourselves and to stay excellent.
♥monica