My long departure from the world of blogging has been caused by many things over the course of the past year. Many which will be cleverly, or not so cleverly, discussed in this blog posting. Most likely, this post will be poorly written as it has been a while since I last exercised my blog writing muscles.

1. Love – We all search for it. We date, we break up, we date again, we break up again. We repeat this pattern until we find the one person who drives us the least crazy in our lives; someone we can call our best friend. I once heard a lovely speech from a new groom at a wedding.  He remembered the moment when he knew he had to marry the girl he was with. It was when he realized that he missed her when she was gone. That is where I’ve come to in my life. I miss my fiance and worry about him when he is gone. He is a part of my family now; and I want him to be safe, happy and healthy at all times. Sure…he drives me crazy. But I know that we have a friendship and love that will grow stronger over time.

2. Marriage – On to the wedding…because no great love story is complete without a wedding. Yes, I am at that point in my life where planning a wedding is necessary. I could take the same path that my hippy parents took and plan my wedding in a week, complete with a wedding cake that has a ‘Happy Birthday Ralph’ message written on top of it. Or, I could elope and spare everyone the expense of flying, driving, taking time off from work, etc. And then I remembered that maybe this once, this celebration was about more than just me. As I start my new life with my future husband…my parents, brother, sister-in-law, friends and extended family will be a part of it as well. So, I would like for them to all be together to witness our union and be happy with the fact that we started our lives together with them present.

3. Finances  – Planning a wedding is not cheap. Planning a wedding, buying a house and getting furniture all at the same time is INSANE!!!!  So, my fiance and I thought…perfect…let’s take it all on in 2009!  Bring it on!  So, since January, my fiance and I have been planning our wedding and searching for a home.  Now that we’ve moved into our home, we’ve started to get furniture and slowly put our lives together again. Furniture moves into the house…dollars are drained from our bank accounts. Makes sense.

The wedding planning continues, and I check my budget daily. Now, I never considered myself to be one of those girls who wanted an ‘out of this world’ wedding with extravagant flowers and decorations, but everything adds up so quickly. So, I missed my chance to save money and elope to have an Elvis wedding in Vegas about 7 months ago! Now, I will have to go forward with printing invitations and figuring out the playlist for the reception (rest assured that Celine Dion will not be on that playlist). All I can hope is that everyone has fun. I will have a chance to build back up my fiances after it is all said and done.

There…that’s been my year in a nutshell. Now that I am back on the blog writing bandwagon, maybe my next post will be better!!!

It wasn’t until I was 10 years old that I met my godmother/cousin, Sherrie. When she first met me, she gave me a stuffed animal as a gift. It was a lion. I named him ‘Leo’. 

For years I kept ‘Leo’ in a pile with all my other stuffed animals. Slowly, I got rid of  all the other stuffed animals; but I kept ‘Leo’. He held a special place in my heart,  just as Sherrie held a special place in my heart.

Sherrie spent a good portion of her life with Hodgkins. She went through 2 bone marrow transplants, various other medical treatments and somehow managed to be one of the most positive people on the planet.

As I got older, Sherrie invited me to her house in Central Florida for vacations. We always had fun visiting theme parks, swimming, cooking or watching movies together. When I got old enough, I would bring my friends along for a visit with her as well.  She would graciously allow 6 screaming, giggling 20 year olds into her house for New Years Eve and would casually turn on the Ohio State fight song at 7 am the morning after we’d all been out until 3 or 4 am. 

Sherrie always sent birthday cards or letters, always called, always remembered, always cared. She had a way of making you feel like the most important person on earth. 

My godmother/cousin managed to stay healthy for several years. Then, while I was away in Honduras, everything started to go downhill.  Sherrie had moved back to Ohio to live with her mother to ensure that she was in good care.  While home for a holiday visit, I called Sherrie to wish her a Merry Christmas; and I remember her saying, “It is time to let go Erika. I am tired. I am ready to move on.” She passed away about 5 months later.

When you form a special bond with someone, it’s hard to let go. And at her funeral, I cried as though I was crying for everyone else in the world all at the same time. I didn’t think that I would ever be able to stop.

A year after Sherrie’s funeral, I was driving down the road at 85 (more like 90) mph. I was speeding home from an event that I had been to that evening because I still had some school work to do, and I also had to prepare for a test that I was administering the following morning. Rush rush rush… 

I had my whole evening planned in my mind…then a dog jumped in front of my car. I swerved to miss the dog, pulling my steering wheel all the way to the left. Against all laws of physics, my car did not flip and roll off the road into the man-made lake. I ended up on 2 wheels. That is when I jerked my wheel all the way to the right, and my car landed on all 4 wheels. I swerved again to avoid a road sign. Eventually, a cement culvert stopped my car from slamming into a tree.  I got out of my car with bumps, bruises and a really bad headache; but I survived (can’t say the same for the poor dog who jumped in front of my car though).

I still have ‘Leo’. I still think of my godmother / cousin daily. I still have all of the cards and letters she sent me. And I wish she could be here this year for my wedding.

So, why do I believe in angels?

Do you really have to ask?

What do you like to drink for breakfast?

I am sure some of the first thoughts that rush into your mind are milk or orange juice or coffee or … maybe even tea.

On the 19th I flew home for the holidays. I decided to take a morning flight (knowing that winter travel can sometimes be dicey). After listening to a college student cry on her mobile phone with her mother for 30 minutes because she was 35th on the standby list, I was able to board the plane at about 10 am (just in time to make it out of the city before the biggest snow storm of the season).

I ended up sitting next to ‘Mr. Omaha.’  He was one of those individuals who just felt like chatting, when all I wanted to do was read. Sorry…10 am is just too early to have a conversation with a stranger. At least it was on this day.

After some idle chit chat, the drink cart passed. I wasn’t ready for a beverage, but Mr. Omaha certainly was. He requested a cup of ice and a BEER! But, he didn’t ask for just any beer, he asked for a ‘Miller Lite.’ What was even more horrifying was that he paid $7 for that can of Miller Lite and the tiny cup of ice. Now, I know this much…If I am going to spend $7 on a beer, it certainly will not be on a can of Miller Lite.

So, to Mr. Omaha, I say… Happy New Year… Hats off to you. I hope you enjoyed your can of Miller Lite at 10 am!

What every child needs in life is one good piñata party. What constitutes a good piñata party? First, you have to have one fabulous piñata! Second, you must invite at least 20 screaming, young children. Third, you must have a really solid stick to bat the piñata. Finally, you must fill the piñata with as many sweet goodies as possible so that when you break the piñata, the candies fall to the ground for the children to wrestle away from one another. Essentially, mad chaos breaks out and sugar headaches follow.

I once attended the world’s sadest piñata party deep in the Honduran countryside. 

It started off like any regular piñata party.  Fabulous piñata…check. More than 20 zillion screaming young children…check. A solid stick…check. All was going along splendidly. It must have been the largest piñata party I had ever been to. Both children and parents filled the yard outside of the home where the grand piñata was hung. Parents cheered on their children as they batted at the piñata, and some took pictures. Since many of the children were quite small, we knew it would take a while for the piñata to be broken.

The piñata took a beating. Each small child has his or her turn swinging at the dangling burro. Each attempt left yet another gash in the burro’s side. Yet, we noticed that the burro was more than determined to hold on to the sweet treats. The poor little paper burro was pummeled for over half an hour, yet no candies had fallen. Children became wrestless, parents became agitated, the hosts of the piñata party became suspicious.

Then came the big hit. One child finally took a swing that would certainly knock the candy out…or would it? Everyone stood staring at the broken piñata in amazement. The burro was shredded, yet no candy had fallen. The parents lowered the sad piñata in disbelief. It was then that the hosts of the party realized that in their rush to raise the piñata before the party started, they forgot to fill it with candy.

My grandparents were the first of their families to be born in the United States. As my grandparents assimilated into the U.S. culture, my family’s Finnish heritage was lost. Unfortunately, my grandfather and grandmother never passed the Finnish language on to my mother because they were embarrassed that they didn’t speak English very well when they were younger. Now, all that is left of our Finnish heritage is a few words that my grandmother taught me before passing on.

The old metaphor about the U.S. being a ‘melting pot’ has given way to a new metaphor about the U.S. being a ’salad bowl’ where ingredients mix together but keep their individual characteristics. The U.S. has truly become a mosaic of distinct cultures where children can maintain their cultural uniqueness while embracing the U.S. culture as appropriate.

I witnessed exactly what this ’salad bowl’ metaphor is all about this weekend just while going to a couple of parties with friends. One party was both a farewell and a celebration of time spent here in the United States. While we were saying our goodbyes to a friend who was headed back to Italy, we were also commemorating another friend’s 10th year here in the U.S. The friend who had been in the states for 10 years spoke about how she managed to stay so long in one place after moving from country to country for most of her life. Essentially, she stayed so long because she could be as close to her culture or as far apart from her culture as she wanted at any given time. She could find others who shared her cultural heritage, or she could share her cultures with others who had diverse backgrounds.

At another dinner party, I heard both the Italian and English language spoken freely. Of the couple hosting the party, one was American while the other was Italian. So, the mixture of friends consisted of individuals from both cultures. It was funny to witness how everyone embraced their own cultural uniqueness while enjoying the other culture’s distinction.

Although I’ve come to realize that I am rather awkward in most social circumstances, I’ve come to enjoy being in social situations where everything is awkward anyways…situations where half a sentence is spoken in one language and half in another. Situations where guests at a dinner party might represent countries on every continent. Situations where people embrace the fact that their differences are exactly what make them feel like they’re at home.

My car radio dial is permanently set to NPR. So, quite often on the weekends as I am running errands, or during the weekday as I sit in traffic to and from work, I hear completely random stories about musicians on NPR. As it so happens, a few weeks ago, while driving to meet up with some friends, I heard a story about a young Mexican musician named Ximena Sariñana.

I absolutely love it when I find music that is fabulous. My old Spanish TA buddies know quite well how much I love music. They relied on my steady supply of new music for all Spanish TA parties! (Ha ha…I still have all those CDs ladies)!!!  Although Ximena’s music isn’t the type to which you’d bust out your best salsa or meregue moves, it is very easy to listen to. Think of Norah Jones, only more upbeat. I have to say my favorite song so far is ‘Vidas Parelelas’.  O.k. so, go and discover the music of Ximena already! Listen to the NPR report online.

This year I learned about Blog Action Day. On October 15th, bloggers from around the world unite to discuss a single issue in their own unique way. This year’s topic is poverty; an issue that couldn’t be more timely. While millions are worried about how the global economic crisis might affect them, there are countless others who live their daily lives in challenging circumstances.

Poverty is the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions. The state of one with insufficient resources.

Source: Merriam-Webster  Online Dictionary 

This definition of poverty seems simple enough. However, it is a much more complex issue. There is a difference in what we are experiencing in the current economic crisis and what millions around the globe experience daily. Our resources are greatly reduced, but we wake up with a shred of hope.

Many years ago, I lived in Honduras. I think it was there that I first experienced what true poverty is really like. It doesn’t mean that you have to clip coupons to be able to purchase groceries, it means that you have to beg to get scraps of food.  It doesn’t mean that you can’t afford health insurance, it means health insurance and health care, in general, is not even an option or consideration. It doesn’t mean that you have to cut back on fuel costs by taking public transportation, it means that your only possibility for transportation is your own two feet.  It doesn’t mean having to share a bedroom with your sibling because your parents couldn’t afford a larger house, it means worrying about where you’ll sleep every evening. Sadly, these circumstances exist in various degrees of severity all over the globe.

Luckily, I can say I have lived a charmed life. I had stable, loving parents who were able to provide me with more love, support and resources than any child could ever hope for. So, how can someone like me help those who are in much greater need? At this point in my life, I feel as though educating those about poverty is the greatest way to make an impact. Realize that small actions can make a big impact. By educating yourself, you can begin to understand how your small actions can affect others.

Someone recently said to me, “taking the moral high road is the most direct route to poverty.” This may possibly be the most disgusting thing that anyone has ever said to be before in my life, but it did make me think. Are there others in the world who feel this way? Have we become a society that values wealth so much that we will stop at nothing to achieve it, no matter who is hurts? I would like to think that this is not true. I believe that by taking the moral high road, we can help those in poverty to escape their circumstances.

So, today I ask you to educate yourself. Pick an issue that is close to your heart whether it is education, health care or otherwise and find a way to use your passion to help others in need. Your small actions may make a world of difference.

http://www.erikawatters.com/

What a scary thought. I am now an Aunt to a small living being.  This past week I got to meet my new baby niece for the very first time. I was proud, amazed, overwhelmed and completely head-over-heels happy all at the same time.

It’s strange to think that a little living being might one day look up to you. Right now, her most important moments include feeding, bathing and diaper changes. But those needs will change over time. Eventually, she will start to talk. And then all hell will break loose!! For right now, I’ll just pray that I don’t put her diaper on backwards.

O.k. so I am not biased at all, but I happen to think my baby niece may possibly be the cutest baby on the face of the planet. Just take a look at the photo I’ve posted here if you don’t believe me. She is super cute. The most adorable of adorable children.  So, I will continue to take as many pictures of her as possible. You just never know when you might need those photos!

http://www.erikawatters.com/

When I was young, I distinctly remember my mother trying to teach me not to say things like ‘ain’t’ and ‘ya’ll’. The New Yorker in her didn’t want a child who spoke using parts of words. Although I’ve managed to escape an obvious southern drawl, it has been known to come out when I am speaking quickly or when I am around other friends from ‘the south’. Now, some of you may be thinking…you’re from Florida…that’s not ‘the south’. Well, my friends…northern Florida is more like southern Georgia than you may think.

So, maybe every day isn’t like a scene from ‘Gone with the Wind’, but life sure is a lot different in northern Florida than in other parts of the state. Where some may think of palm trees, Disney World and beaches when they think of Florida; I think of pine trees, rolling hills, azaleas and old oaks with Spanish moss. I appreciated the spring more than the fall because of the color it brought to the landscape. I grew up thinking that your next door neighbors were people that you invited over for dinner and with whom you became life-long friends. All of my friends lived down a dusty dirt road, and we could all walk into each others homes without knocking. I miss all of these things about home.

But…if you know me…you know that every day is a new adventure.  And I am loving every second in my new environment.

http://www.erikawatters.com/

‘Dirty Dancing’, ‘Flashdance’, ‘Footloose’, ‘Take the Lead,’ ‘Dance With Me’, ‘Save the Last Dance’…the list goes on and on. Pick a movie, any movie about dancing; and I’ve probably seen it. And to be absolutely honest, I’ve probably watched all of these movies more than 3 times each.

When I was younger, I took every single type of dance class that you could possibly take: tap, jazz, ballet, etc. My mother always tells me that I used to jump around the house to the ‘Nutcracker’ ballet when it would play on TV at Christmas. She always feared that I would accidentally leap into the fireplace. Fortunately, there were no catastrophes!

My friends still call me the ‘Dancing Queen’ as they know that when I hit the dance floor, I will not stop unless I need water. So, I believe that I had a secret passion to become a dancer. Obviously, it was a passion that went unserved; but at least I can live out my dreams through movies.

http://www.erikawatters.com/