Some Gypsy Love from Syeira & Pal

You may now call me “Syeira” and Mason will go by “Pal”.  

We have our official gypsy names!  (Or so says the “gypsy name generator” that I found on that www…) This is so exciting, as I was one of those kids that always wanted, but never had, a nickname – but now I have finally found one!  No. I have no idea how mine is pronounced…but still :) 

Having now been gainfully employed and living in the nation’s capital for 98 days, I still often find myself feeling a bit gypsy-like in spirit (and now in name) compared to others. 

“You walk to work?! In the rain?!”… “You still don’t have a TV? What in the world do you do?”…”Your phone doesn’t get internet?  How do you get around?”  

Side note: I’m the company “Tweeter” (however, don’t ask me what a # or @ means - ugh) BUT I do find many random facts per day; this one is just crazy slash dumb slash unbelievable: 1/3 of all high school students have an iPhone.  What?!  Insanity.  I know I didn’t have my own phone (or even own line) in high school, let alone anything that cost more $200 for that matter (I have no clue how much an iPhone is actually…)!  

Anyway. Yes!  I STILL get it.  I realize I don’t have a lot of material things.  But I also don’t need a lot.  And guess what, even after now being back in the States for five months I’ve found myself able to stick to such principles (even if sometimes I’m just clinging…) and still be happy.

 

Miriam Beard was so right in saying: Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.

After moving back I think what I first thought of as “culture shock” is now just my new deep and permanent idea of living.  I find myself barely ever “needing” anything (and if I do, it best be on sale)!  Pal, however, needs to get with the program; he always seems to need a new bag of dog food (his coat is however REAL shiny from all the eggs he eats until I realize this is really a “need”). 

Of course there are the moments I catch myself online shopping for nothing of necessity (but end up dumping the entire cart before hitting the checkout button), and yes there are moments when I’m so lazy that walking four blocks to work seems insurmountable and all I want in my life is a taxi, and yesss there are definitely moments that I find myself complaining, thinking negatively, or judging someone or something all for no good reason at all, but to just do it and jump on the bandwagon.  But I can say that at least I am now aware of when I am being silly or wasteful or negative or whatever. 

Another truth: Once you’ve traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers.  The mind can never break off from the journey. – Pat Conroy

Love. 

Everyday I’m grateful for my experiences.  Excited for the future.  But most of all content in my present.

I’ll leave you with a few other of my random facts found on Twitter:

• Typing two spaces after a period (.) is incorrect.

• Americans are expected to buy 14 million cars this year (up 35% from 2009)

• April 25^th was National Malaria Day – in fact there is a crazy holiday for EVERY DAY!

• Today actually has five: International Tuba Day (who cares), National Bird Day (ugh. gross), National Candied Orange Peel Day (what is this even?), Renewal Day (huh?), and Space Day (ok I’ll give you that one) 

• If the number of Facebook users was a country, they’d be the third largest in the world.

• 88% of American adults own a cell phone.

• Americans generate 7 lbs. of garbage a day.

This last one is not off of Twitter, but I have to share.  So one day at work I ate an entire tub of cottage cheese at my desk (gross. I know.), but it WAS small curd and low fat…anyway, after eating the tub I began to feel really sick.  So I Googled “What happens when you eat too much cottage cheese?”  Here’s the answer I got: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_you_eat_too_much_cottage_cheese 

Holy crap...my stomach will explode?!  Please also check the “relevant answers” section...I love the one about how it will make you "overweight and DIE".  Who writes this stuff!  Well I guess they do let me "publish" this piece of junk on the internet... ;)