winding down…

The semester is winding down and I am slowly but surely finding time to catch my breath. Spring 2010 is now in the rear view mirror (with the exception of three finals). At the beginning of the year, I vowed to myself to become more involved at school and to focus my energy on helping people instead of thinking of myself first. I’m proud to say I accomplished both. Granted, several days I found myself overwhelmed and exhausted mentally and physically, I am still grateful for all the opportunities I seized over the past four months.

Now, here I sit, less than a week away from packing up Black Beauty for another summer roadtrip, calm and thankful. Other than succeeding at my internship, I have one main goal for this summer: to surround myself with everything I love and enjoy the little things. Easier said than done, but moving to Chicago has been a goal since I can remember. Each summer growing up, the family and the dogs piled in the van and headed North to Illinois to my aunt’s home. From the cool summer breezes to the vast skyscrapers, Chicago’s brilliant features capture my heart with each visit. I remember sitting in a computer class in high school at age fifteen, pricing apartments for my future career with the Chicago Tribune.

This summer, I aim to make my blog posts less sporadic. During the summer, I will not be spread so thin, and I plan to provide you with pictures and tales of all the little things that I am soaking in during my journey to the Windy City practically every day. So stay tuned people, the best is yet to come.

Who Says I Can’t?

During Young Adult Cancer Week last week, several stories about young survivors were featured on the LIVESTRONG Blog. When I read the story of Jothy Rosenburg, I was absolutely blown away. At age 16, Jothy was told that he had a zero chance of a survival. Thirty-five years later, Jothy is still defying the odds with one leg and one lung. Since he overcame cancer, he has earned his Ph.D., become a double black diamond skier, biked from Boston to NYC three times, biked 192 miles across Massachusetts 7 times, raised over $100,000 for charity, swam across the San Francisco Bay, started 6 high tech companies, had 3 kids and one grandchild–all before turning fifty.

Jothy is living proof that through perservance, hard work, faith, and the determination to succeed, you can accomplish anything you put your mind too…no matter the odds. He wrote a book “Who Says I Can’t” to share his story and motivate others to overcome adversity and live to their full potential. I encourage you to watch this video and share it to those who might need a little inspiration.

It just goes to show that life is what you make it. Everything is a matter of perspective. It would have been easy for Jothy to pity himself and give up, but he made the decision to prove everyone wrong and turn his death sentence into an opportunity to empower others.

The road to success is never easy. Achieving your dreams requires a lot of work, resilience, and determination, but you have the power to make them real. Give those who say you can’t a big smile, never give up and keep on keepin’ on. It is SO worth it.

Have a great weekend and live strong.