Being that I am a teacher, I have currently reached the end of my Winter Break. Finally for a week, I was able to take a pause from teaching full time and being a grad student.

Partaking in the roles of teacher, grad student and board member of a student led organization on campus at Teachers College, Columbia is exhausting work. Yet, it is definitely worth it. Although, it has not left me with the strength to have energy to do all the things I enjoy. I did find time to continue my runs for the majority of the semester but the weeks before finals has left me without running for some time now. I have to open a new gym membership closer to me this coming week.

So on my break I went to Las Vegas with a close girlfriend of mine for Christmas. First off I must say it was a relaxing trip and I made a couple incredible memories, but I would never go to Vegas in the Winter again. I am not made for the cold on vacation, I would much prefer it in the Spring or Summer. I have been in the Summer and adored it! The most memorable part of the experience was visiting the Hoover Dam. My friend and I also rode front seat of a helicopter to the Hoover Ham and it was an enthralling, unforgettable feeling. Freedom was being in the air looking down on the man made Hoover Dam, watching the beautiful water glisten from the sun’s shine. This was honestly the best part of the trip! In the future, I will definitely go back to see the Grand Canyon for a couple of days or so. Although, this would have to be in the Spring or Summer because the party scene was from a scale of 1-10 a 5 and there were sooo many people double my age or more around. Families filled the hotels and the hotel beds were so comfortable we preferred to stay in one night rather than party.

Once I arrived back to NYC, I decided to purchase the audiobook Becoming by Michelle. Why an audio book, well honestly I was tired of reading so much research and academic literature I wanted to give my eyes a rest. Although, I wanted to also enjoy a good read and not watch another movie on Netflix. Even when I did watch Netflix I mostly watched movies originally made in Spanish to make sure I was stimulating my mind to grow. So in reality, I knew my mind needed inspiration because I was feeling a bit lost. With this being said, I figured Michelle’s new book Becoming would be a great read, her voice and words could inspire me, push me and help me within my journey of wholeness. I am in the 11th chapter and I am so pleased with my purchase!!

Hearing her “Becoming” has been so inspirational and has helped me identify new perspectives in the dating realm, helped me understand the dynamics of her family interactions and how they were such a positive influence in her life. I have appreciated her hard work ethic, her reflective nature and appreciation for accepting everyone’s story is worthy and necessary. She uplifts by reminding us that no one can take our story away and that we must work to better our world rather than just co exist within it. In fact, she has influenced me to write again. She was not a big writer but she would push herself to journal here and there. This journaling is a healthy way to cope with complex notions of feeling lost when it comes to accepting, embracing and encountering our purpose.

I personally grew up journaling with paper and pen. I would write notes to myself and sometimes even pretend I was a spy, carefully describing events I had heard or seen. It was a form of play for me. In addition, I would write to express my feelings as a pre teen and early teenager. Once life became more “busy” in junior and senior year, I focused less on journaling and more on work and being with friends.

I decided to become a teacher rather than a journalist or communication major because it was more practical. I did know I wanted to help underprivileged kids early and knew I could definitely help to some degree as a teacher. So hearing Michelle share her story, reminded me very slightly of my own journey at times. Therefore, I have decided to continue blogging, the modern form of journaling. I looked back at some entries today and could not believe how strong my voice can be. I may not journal every day or week, but I do hope to do so more often. Sometimes it will be poetry and other times it will be simple journal entries to just outpour my thoughts and feelings to be better organized.

Sending you all compassionate vibes this New Year, may our journeys glisten within the dark walls of our society’s current state and bloom new roses to grow from the deep cement abyss. I will find my way through writing more…

¡ amor y paz !