Time to start being awesome again-#ThisIs26

After the recent months, I felt down. I was 25 going on 26. I am working full time, working on my thesis for my masters, trying to keep friendships, and worrying about money. Who am I? What am I? What am I doing? How do I go up from here? All thoughts I was thinking. Then a visit to New Orleans happened.

My sister planned this trip a while ago. It was for her fiancé's 30th. I was invited to go with them and a bunch of women to NOLA for a weekend. Normally I would think "I don't have money. I can't take off work. I can't." Then I thought "I am going." We booked our flights and then some personal moments happened. I lost myself again. 

I was wondering who I was becoming. Then I said, "Someone awesome."

The flight was terrifying. I don't do well in heights. I was scared and crawled my fingernails into my seat. When we finally landed in Atlanta, I was tired and hungry. I walked with my sister to a fast food chain. While standing there I said to my sister, "Wasn't he on Ru Paul's Drag Race?" Why do I know this? Because I pay attention to important things. We stopped Ginger Minj and giggled and took a selfie. While giggling we walked back to our terminal and our friend who just moved from Philadelphia to D.C. saw us. My sister planned this with her a long time ago. None of us knew she was flying directly to NOLA with us. We hugged and I got a little bit of peanut butter throat (feeling when you are about to cry) out of joy. I was with a group that I cared about and they cared about me. 

Our AirBnB in NOLA was amazing. The two floor, three decks, kitchen, living room house was what we needed. We chatted with the neighbor who rode motorcycles and came from Brooklyn. She now lives in NOLA.

We went out to bars that night. We laughed and laughed and asked people to show us their butts instead of boobs. No luck and we laughed even more. 

The next day the rest of the group came in. We walked around a graveyard and took spooky pictures. We were tourists and that was completely ok. We need tourist moments. Who says you have to be stylish all the time? After awhile I bought a gold cape, because it was Vacation!

When we finally got to experience the nightlife after a long Uber ride, I had to pee. I had to pee so badly I ran into a burger stand and ran into a women's single stall bathroom. Yes, now I realize I should've waited longer, but when you gotta go, you gotta go. An employee kicked the door open and I yelled, "I AM SORRY!"

I left giggled and relieved. We watched the parade happened and it was the greatest feeling. Giving strangers high fives and saying "Good job" was a game me and a friend made up. I wore a gold cape and laughed. I was with a group that was doing the same thing I was; experiencing. 

We worry about what experience we have on a resume. We worry about being cool on the internet to impress people. Maybe being cool is just about experiencing the most. That is what I am going to do; experience the most. I am going to take pride in my work and every moment of life. The heartbreaks, the highs, the lows, the giggles, the randoms, and everything else in between. I am going to make the most of 26 because #ThisIs26

I am pretty freaking happy.

I see people posting things about making stuff in their one bedroom apartments, and I eat Mac and cheese in my bed. I see people getting hyped up over some internet trend and I see people making out in cars with people they don't know. I see a lot these days, and I don't really care. This seems mean or harsh, but while they are doing those things or living Youtube lives among insta-celebrities; I am just trying to experience. I am not saying that is bad, trust me if I could get paid to travel, I would. Right now it isn't in my life, so I can't wish for something that isn't meant to be yet. Right now, I will experience as much as I can.

Exactly what I do. I want to experience everything, and every moment my life will give me. Last week my friend said "Do you want VIP tickets to Obama's speech at the Hilary rally?" Needless to say I smiled and said "I will call out of work." I agreed to this not knowing anything about the day. Not knowing the hours, not knowing if my boss would say I could go. Not knowing anything. I did know I was standing with Mom's Demand Action and Everytown (who I have volunteered with before). I knew these women were amazing and focused and to share another moment with them (I marched with them in New York City's Pride Parade) I was going to be happy. 

I was too excited to sleep and arrived in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum's steps three hours before they let anyone in. When they finally did, I had to ditch my bagel, and my water. I stood in a crowd of people sweating for hours. They handed out water to people. I danced a little here and there while the production team played music. I waited to this President Obama. I waited and waited. There were a group of women celebrating. I laughed with them and said "Do you want me to take the picture for you?" They said "Yes! Baby please!" I took a few shots of them and they said "Oh my God, you're good at this!" We laughed and I learned that their brother was introducing Obama. We chatted and I learned that there are 12 siblings in their family. We discussed and then tried to move closer to the stage.

I saw the cars pull up. My heart stopped. I could feel so many emotions rushing through my body. He took the stage and I saw him take the stage. I cried. My mom the following day called me a "baby." However, this man was the first man that said "we can." I remember seeing him on the news in high school. I remember raising my hand in a current events class and saying "If I could vote for him, I would." I was seventeen at the time. I was the only student who wanted him to be president. Most of my classmates were republican clones of their parents. This man protected me with health insurance after I graduated college. This man said to me and all Americans that we can do better. I believed. I still believe we  can do better. 

He shortly came down and shook the hands of the crowd. I reached out and he grabbed my hand.  I yelled with my throat being dry from the heat and crying, but i managed a simple "Thank you!" I cried more. 

I got to shake the president's hand and say thank you. That is grabbing life and running with it. I am looking forward to what is to come. I am going to say "yes" and write more. I am going to experience what I can right now. I am going to make my own history.