It’s been a bit uneventful these past few days. I have moved to a new apartment, which is situated literally right next to Doug and Chris’s house (we share a porch!). The view from the back porch is absolutely stunning. Here, we’re at a much higher elevation, which allows for a constant tropical breeze and the most amazing views of St. John, Tortola, St. Croix (on a really clear day) and a few other scattered islands. There’s nothing that compares to this view in New Jersey.
As I type, I am sitting in a lounge chair with the sun shining in the sky to my right and a grey cloud looming overhead – the perfect opportunity for a rainbow. I’ve only actually seen a handful in my life. I actually only clearly remember seeing one rainbow back at home. The vast majority I have seen have been here in the last two months.
There are certain circumstances required in order for the phenomenon to take full effect. The sun must be behind the viewer at a low angle and water drops must be present in the air.
Depending on your point of view, the rainbow is either a very short arch, an entire refracted circle, or a series of small rainbows nesting inside one another. Some viewers may only see the five colors, as originally calculated and as most kindergarteners draw with their Crayolas*, or the full Newton-quantified seven gradating to create millions of colors, as more accomplished painters portray in their works of art.
If you happen to view a rainbow from an airplane (in the sky, presumably), you will find that a rainbow is not only just that stereotypical arch that accompanies leprechauns and the fantastical pot o’ gold in Irish folklore; it generally is a full circle, barring the interruption of the refraction of light. It goes without saying that there is more than what meets the eye.
Whether you can take in the full beauty of the way certain circumstances meet and fall into place is dependent upon your point of view. Some folks are so perfectly content with seeing the first arch that they don’t even realize they are missing that second or even third supernumerary refraction of light.
Several individuals aren’t so impressed with the vision until they find an exact scientific explanation. Some see rainbows everyday, and are not so fazed by the occurrence.
Then there are those who are too busy rushing to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow to take in the exquisiteness of the rainbow. Inevitably, they blink on their journey to the end of the rainbow, robbing themselves of both the gold and the beauty of the rainbow.
But few can just marvel at the phenomenon that every circumstance fell into place for this reason.
*I’ve been trying to slow it down. I’ve been trying to take it in. In this here today, gone tomorrow world we’re living in, don’t blink.*
You know you love me,
XOXO
-Island Girl
*I could totally use a box of Crayolas right now.
12 November, 2008
09 November, 2008
I Don't Know When, I Don't Know How, But I Know Something's Starting Right Now...
The other day, I noticed that my longstanding friend Brian had posted on Facebook that he was hashing out his five-year plan. Two or three years ago, even a year ago, I would have said that I, too, was hashing out a five-year plan. However, I commented to him that I couldn’t believe he had a five-year plan, as I didn’t even have a five-minute plan at this point in my life. I had no idea what I was going to be making for dinner that night, let alone know exactly what I wanted to do in the subsequent five years.
A Five Year Plan. Wow. I cannot even fathom that now. I’m not saying that I’ve let all of my life goals get swept away by the tropical breezes here, but I have come to realize that making a plan doesn’t necessarily mean it is going to work. Hell, I planned on staying at my previous job for a few years with the attempted notion to get promoted, moving on to other companies and climbing up the ladder before feeling confident enough to own my own business someday. That, clearly, was proof that no matter how much you plan, forces beyond our own (whether God(s), other people, or destiny) laugh in our face and say, “Plan? You expect to detail exactly what you want to happen to you in your life?”
I believe it was John Lennon who once said, “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” That could not be truer. We are taught at an early age to answer questions like, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” When you are four, answers like “a princess,” “a superhero” or even “a mermaid” generally suffice. That is, until you are taught that you cannot be a princess unless your mother and father ruled the land, you cannot be a superhero unless you possess some sort of super-human power, and you cannot be a mermaid with the ownership of legs.
When we round that age of about nine or ten, our fantastical ambitions have most likely morphed into something like “a CEO,” “a fireman,” or “a fashion designer.” Still, our ambitions have a bit of the same raison d’être. The future CEO (once dreaming of becoming a princess) has longed for a position of authority (most undoubtedly with the least work and the most benefits involved). The future fireman (once aspiring to be a superhero) has anticipated the adrenaline rush of saving others’ lives. The future fashion designer (once desiring to be a mermaid) has anticipated the opportunity to problem solve and transform one entity into another.
And although we spend our adolescence and early adult years trying to shape our dreams and follow the plan we have created for ourselves, forces beyond our control shape, change and mold our potential plans into the paths we have taken. The little Jersey girl who once dreamed of being a mermaid became a fashion designer, and now remarkably finds herself at sea (luckily, with legs - and detachable fins for snorkeling).
So I have been thinking about my so-called plan. I have decided I will not give it a time frame, or any exact specifications. But instead of sitting beachside and waiting to rescue my prince in the middle of a storm like Ariel herself, I don’t want fate to be the only thing guiding my life.
I came up with two general scenarios as to how the next portion of my life could go:
Scenario One:
On or about December 10, 2008, I make the trek home to New Jersey. I set up interviews in Philadelphia and New York, and end up finding a wonderful job in the fashion industry that allows me to grow professionally. I come back to the island for a vacation New Year’s vacation (which has been planned since May) with my best friend, and bid farewell to the island.
Scenario Two:
On or about December 10, 2008, I make the trek home to New Jersey. I set up interviews in Philadelphia and New York, but due to the economic standing of our country, worthwhile positions are few and far between. I decide to come back to island, finish out the high season soaking up the sun and laughing at the bar with my friends (with a job to pay the bills, of course). I decide to take the GRE’s in February, and apply to graduate school to receive my Master’s degree in fashion apparel studies in the fall. I come back to New Jersey in time for the summer, and prepare to further my education (thereby effectively avoiding a “real” job for the next year or so.)
I am not quite sure which scenario would benefit me more, both personally and professionally. Granted, this whole getting-my-Master’s-degree-idea has been short-lived in its seriousness, but I feel it may end up benefiting me more in the long run. But do I necessarily feel I can make a decision so “long-term”? I find that I keep pushing decisions off to “see how things go.” Will my newfound inability to make a decision eventually decide my fate? And who is to say that either of these plans will actually pan out as written?
Either way, I do feel as though I have a good idea of where I want to be. I know that I am regaining my professional clarity that I once felt was jumbled inside my head. I know that there is no other field I want to be a part of as much as fashion. But I also know I want to be here on island for a while (a while meaning anywhere from the next month to the next five-six months).
If only St. Thomas was a fashion Mecca…
*Don't let your dreams be dreams.*
You know you love me,
XOXO
-Island Girl
A Five Year Plan. Wow. I cannot even fathom that now. I’m not saying that I’ve let all of my life goals get swept away by the tropical breezes here, but I have come to realize that making a plan doesn’t necessarily mean it is going to work. Hell, I planned on staying at my previous job for a few years with the attempted notion to get promoted, moving on to other companies and climbing up the ladder before feeling confident enough to own my own business someday. That, clearly, was proof that no matter how much you plan, forces beyond our own (whether God(s), other people, or destiny) laugh in our face and say, “Plan? You expect to detail exactly what you want to happen to you in your life?”
I believe it was John Lennon who once said, “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” That could not be truer. We are taught at an early age to answer questions like, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” When you are four, answers like “a princess,” “a superhero” or even “a mermaid” generally suffice. That is, until you are taught that you cannot be a princess unless your mother and father ruled the land, you cannot be a superhero unless you possess some sort of super-human power, and you cannot be a mermaid with the ownership of legs.
When we round that age of about nine or ten, our fantastical ambitions have most likely morphed into something like “a CEO,” “a fireman,” or “a fashion designer.” Still, our ambitions have a bit of the same raison d’être. The future CEO (once dreaming of becoming a princess) has longed for a position of authority (most undoubtedly with the least work and the most benefits involved). The future fireman (once aspiring to be a superhero) has anticipated the adrenaline rush of saving others’ lives. The future fashion designer (once desiring to be a mermaid) has anticipated the opportunity to problem solve and transform one entity into another.
And although we spend our adolescence and early adult years trying to shape our dreams and follow the plan we have created for ourselves, forces beyond our control shape, change and mold our potential plans into the paths we have taken. The little Jersey girl who once dreamed of being a mermaid became a fashion designer, and now remarkably finds herself at sea (luckily, with legs - and detachable fins for snorkeling).
So I have been thinking about my so-called plan. I have decided I will not give it a time frame, or any exact specifications. But instead of sitting beachside and waiting to rescue my prince in the middle of a storm like Ariel herself, I don’t want fate to be the only thing guiding my life.
I came up with two general scenarios as to how the next portion of my life could go:
Scenario One:
On or about December 10, 2008, I make the trek home to New Jersey. I set up interviews in Philadelphia and New York, and end up finding a wonderful job in the fashion industry that allows me to grow professionally. I come back to the island for a vacation New Year’s vacation (which has been planned since May) with my best friend, and bid farewell to the island.
Scenario Two:
On or about December 10, 2008, I make the trek home to New Jersey. I set up interviews in Philadelphia and New York, but due to the economic standing of our country, worthwhile positions are few and far between. I decide to come back to island, finish out the high season soaking up the sun and laughing at the bar with my friends (with a job to pay the bills, of course). I decide to take the GRE’s in February, and apply to graduate school to receive my Master’s degree in fashion apparel studies in the fall. I come back to New Jersey in time for the summer, and prepare to further my education (thereby effectively avoiding a “real” job for the next year or so.)
I am not quite sure which scenario would benefit me more, both personally and professionally. Granted, this whole getting-my-Master’s-degree-idea has been short-lived in its seriousness, but I feel it may end up benefiting me more in the long run. But do I necessarily feel I can make a decision so “long-term”? I find that I keep pushing decisions off to “see how things go.” Will my newfound inability to make a decision eventually decide my fate? And who is to say that either of these plans will actually pan out as written?
Either way, I do feel as though I have a good idea of where I want to be. I know that I am regaining my professional clarity that I once felt was jumbled inside my head. I know that there is no other field I want to be a part of as much as fashion. But I also know I want to be here on island for a while (a while meaning anywhere from the next month to the next five-six months).
If only St. Thomas was a fashion Mecca…
*Don't let your dreams be dreams.*
You know you love me,
XOXO
-Island Girl
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