Hey You

I found this online and couldn't wait to share it.

I've been in such a happy place lately.  Really, I've been ridiculously happy.

I've started a volunteer position at a veterinary clinic and have been loving every second of it.
Dental cleaning?  Love it.
Routine exams?  Love it.
Elderly pet problem visits?  Love it.
Cyst biopsy?  Love it.

The vets and vet techs where I'm volunteering are so incredibly knowledgeable and compassionate.  They are such an inspiration to me.  I now know the important application of all the science and math courses that I'm about to start.  I'm also realizing how important my moral compass is - and thankful to have realized that legal work was making me lose my moral compass.  I'm happy to have found it again.

I'm also about to move in two weeks.  And start classes at a new school at the same time.  Stressful?  Yes... but absolutely worth it.

When I made the decision to leave law school, I knew that there would be some stressful situations that came along with that choice.  But, I have to say, so far I've been loving life.  I'm thriving on the chaos and uncertainty.  Even though I'm back at home in America, living with such ambiguity and new circumstances has made me feel like I'm still traveling.  I want to keep that feeling going for as long as possible.

Confession:  I blow-dried my hair for the second time since being back.  Admittedly, I feel more confident with my frizzy, naturally dried hair than I do after taking half an hour to straighten and fix it just so.  

Big Moves: Taking a Leave of Absence from Law School

Here’s the bombshell:  I’m leaving law school. 

Let me say this upfront - this is the biggest decision I’ve ever made.  I did not take it lightly, nor did I do it on a whim.  It’s been something on my mind for quite some time (whether it was conscious or not is up for debate) and my experiences this summer shed some much needed light on the issue. 

My time at Animal Aid participating in hands-on work with street dogs, cats, cows, and donkeys was beautiful.  Despite the soaring temperatures and my travel sickness, I was SO happy.  I got so much satisfaction from interacting with animals and directly aiding in their treatment and recovery.  I saw some remarkable recoveries and shared some tough moments.   Nothing was glamorous about what I was doing – I got dirty, sweaty, and smelly.  My clothes were covered in dirt, poo, and blood and my face was sunburned and stained with sweat and sometimes tears.  But I loved it and went home exhausted and happy at the end of the day. 

I spent the second half of my summer interning in New Delhi with India’s foremost animal law attorney.  I had the remarkable opportunity to work directly for the person responsible for most of the animal legal victories in India in the last 30 years.  I did research in an office, went to court, and attended the occasional press release or workshop.  I wore a suit and experienced an unexpected level of respect from advocates in the field just because of who I was interning with. 

These two experiences back to back made me realize how much I thrive on doing hands-on work.  I don’t want to sit in a desk or in a courtroom all day fighting for the abstract.  I want to be down on the ground making the changes - even if those changes seem smaller.  I want to see and feel the results of my work directly. 

My two major career goals are still the same: international disaster relief and international population control efforts.  Just my path has changed.  Instead of opening the doors through legal work for others to go in and do work on the ground, I want to be the one handling animals, working with people, and traveling.  I want to be the one getting dirty, not the one in a suit.  I want to be as mobile as possible and work all over the world.  

So what I am I doing now?

I’m staying in Portland and taking some prerequisite science and math classes in preparation for application to veterinary technology programs and maybe even vet school.  I’m looking for jobs at vet offices and humane societies.  I’m staying true to those resolutions I made for my return home (I’ve only blow dried my hair once and only put up with a tiny bit of bullshit so far).  And, of course, I’m looking for a way to go back to India for a while.  

On a ranty note: To my fellow law students, I love you all and I know you mean well, but if one more person says “oh you’re so lucky that you didn’t start classes this week” or “I’m so jealous of you,” I’m going to get upset.  I’m not that lucky and it’s a little offensive when you say that.   

This was one of the biggest decisions I’ve ever made and it threw my life into total chaos.  Everything I know in Portland has changed.  There have been many times this week when I wished I was sitting in class listening to a lecture instead figuring out how I’m going to pay my rent next month or looking for a job or worrying about student loans.    

So don’t be jealous.  I’m not having much fun right now.  There are a lot of speed bumps that are slowing me down.  But everything will get worked out eventually and I’ll get to where I’m trying to go. 

Though there have been lots of tears, I know I’ve made the right decision.  I want to come home from my job every day exhausted and happy.  I'm trusting my gut that being a lawyer won’t do that for me.  I’m taking a huge gamble but everything will always be okay in the end.  And if everything isn’t okay, then it’s not the end. 

He wanted all to lie in an ecstasy of peace; I wanted all to sparkle and dance in a glorious jubilee. I said his heaven would be only half alive; and he said mine would be drunk: I said I should fall asleep in his; and he said he could not breathe in mine ... At last, we agreed to try both.    

Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights 

Taking Charge

This summer has been good for me in so many ways.  I feel more in touch with myself than I have in a long time.  Traveling by myself forced me to be independent and, at times, bold.  I learned to trust others quickly, and to judge who could not be trusted.  I've made some incredible friends that I hope to keep for a long time.  

As silly as it may sound, I’m recognizing that I have a lot to bring to the table.  I’m not sure I’ve ever felt that way before; at least, not in a long time.  And I'm going to take charge of my life.    

This flood of positive feelings has led to some resolutions for my return back to real life in the States:

I'm not going to put up with much bullshit (some is always inevitable); and I’m not going to hang around people that don't make me happy or feel good about myself. 

I’m going to speak my mind more, and be more tolerant of others who do the same. 

I’m going to appreciate being able to drink water out of the tap – for real, I tend to forget what a luxury this is.  

I’m going to play more. 

I’m not going to spend time or energy on things that don’t feel right. 

I’m going to walk my dogs more.

I’m going to do more things by myself. 

I'm going to spend less money.  

I’m going to stress less about what I eat. 

I’m going to stop blow drying my hair as much. 

I’m going to smile more. 

Is this a clichéd Eat, Pray, Love kind of post?  Maybe.  But I’m okay with that.  

Finding My Destination

I recently read this in an article that I found while browsing the internet:

"Not all who wander are lost. When we were children we were told what to do. In our jobs, we are assigned tasks and projects. Our culture even has expectations of what we should do. It’s OK to step outside of the lines in order to follow what your inner wisdom is suggesting you do with your life. It’s not that you are lost when you wander, it’s just the opposite: You know what you want and you are only attempting to find the best path to your destination."

My 25th birthday was a few weeks ago and I found myself faced with a lot of feelings of being "behind in the game."  I haven't done anything for longer than a year since leaving college- I've had several different jobs, moved several times, and am still searching for what's going to make me happy in life.

Several people that I grew up with and went to college with have thriving careers, are engaged, married, buying houses, having kids,  etc.  I'm not doing any of those things.  But that doesn't mean that I'm lagging behind everyone else, or that I'm wandering aimlessly though life.  Quite the opposite.  I'm exploring life and waiting to settle until I've found what really makes me happy.  Maybe those people got lucky and have already found what makes them truly happy early in life.  Really, it's no one's business besides their own.

But I do know this for sure: I'm not on a schedule.  Not anyone else's, not even my own.

I have no doubt that I'll settle down, buy a house, get married, and do all the other "grown up" things.  Eventually.  When the time is right, those things will happen for me too.  But, for now, I'm too busy exploring the world around me and learning about myself... and maybe being a little reckless while I still can.  

My Happy Place

Every once in a while, I find a place that makes me really happy.  I call such places, appropriately, my "happy places."  My most favorite of these places is a veterinary hospital and animal sanctuary in Udaipur, India called Animal Aid Unlimited.

So, of course, I love this place because of the animals.  But I also love it because of the people.  The founders, Jim, Erika, and Claire, are freaking awesome.  It's rare that I meet people so admirable, brave, bold, selfless, and true to themselves as this family.  They have been and will continue to be one of my biggest inspirations in life.  The staff and volunteers at the hospital are absolutely fantastic, as well.

My days at Animal Aid  (mostly half days due to the summer heat and my general travel sickness while in Udaipur) were spent hanging with my favorite puppies, dogs, cows, donkeys, and the occasional kitten.  Sometimes I helped the staff cleaning wounds and administering IV fluids, but mostly I just lounged around with the dogs.  And I couldn't have been happier.  

Animal Aid cares for animals in some of the worst conditions you can imagine.  Here, the victims of starvation, traffic accidents, mange, neglect, and abuse are given another chance at life.  It's remarkable how many of the animals that receive treatment at Animal Aid make a full recovery - animals that, in the United States or other parts of the world, might be deemed "hopeless."

Animal Aid is so much more than just a veterinary hospital, it's a place of hope.

Please consider donating to this wonderful organization.  To learn more about Animal Aid Unlimited, visit http://www.animalaidunlimited.com.

In addition to running the hospital and sanctuary, Jim, Erika, and Claire are involved in the animal law world of India working for stronger animal protection laws and teaching others how to utilize the existing laws to the fullest.  

They will be attending a workshop hosted by a federation of animal protection groups in September focusing on Animal Legislation.  A variety of panels will be held with the goal of teaching these groups how to best use the existing Indian laws to help animals.  

Funds are needed for this workshop.  If you'd like to donate, please visit the Animal Aid donation page and specify that you'd like your donation to be used for the workshop.  Your donation will help ensure that animals have a voice in the Indian legal system.  

A Foreigner's Guide to Driving in India

As you may know, driving any type of vehicle in a foreign country, particularly India, involves a lot of horn honking.  A foreigner who is not used to using the horn while behind the wheel may be unsure of the appropriate times to honk.  Use this little guide and you'll be on the road and driving like a local in no time!

Get in your car: honk

Start the car: honk

Shift from park to drive: honk

Pull away from the curb:  honk 
*Note:  It does not matter if other cars are coming.  Pull out anyway.  They'll honk and miraculously miss hitting you by mere inches. 

See vehicle approaching from the other direction: honk

See pedestrian: honk

Approach curve in road: honk

Approach intersection: honk

Green light: honk

Red light: honk continuously
*Note: This helps the light turn green faster and pleases your fellow drivers.

Shift gears: honk

See animal in or near road: honk

Roundabout/traffic circle: honk the entire way around

Arrive in general vicinity of destination: honk

Visual confirmation of destination: honk

Arrive at destination: honk

Before turning car off: honk

After turning car off: honk

Remember, the lane markings are mere suggestions- no one actually follows them.  Buses will always yield to rickshaws.  And speed limits are for losers.  Time for a road trip!

I Like Dogs

Maybe I'm crazy, but I really freaking like dogs.  Spending time with dogs always makes me happy.  Always.  How is that possible?  I don't even know any people that I always  feel happy to spend time with. 

There are so many other things in my life with the potential to make me as ridiculously happy as I feel when I'm around dogs.  But they don't. 
Spending time with kids?  Nah. 
Spending time with a boyfriend?  Occasionally. 
Cats?  Sometimes.*
French Fries? Frequently.
Dogs?  Always. 

Whether it's my own dogs, shelter dogs, street dogs (good gracious, do I love the street dogs in India), sick dogs, healthy dogs, young, old, clean, smelly, etc. dogs will always make me happy. 
 

And I'd like to think that I've made a few dogs pretty happy, too.

*Relax.  I'm half kidding about cats.  They generally make me pretty damn happy, too.

India - The Moment

The first post on my experiences in India. 

I’ve thought long and hard about this.  I don’t want The Bumpy Road to be a travel blog (although, I’m in the middle of a three month trip abroad so it's going to inevitably have a travel blog tone at times) nor do I want this to be a bitch-about-the-stupid-thing-that-happened-to-me-today blog.   

So I’m just going to post my favorite pictures and tell the story behind each picture. 

There it is, "the moment."

After a week of bouncing around chaos in Hong Kong and New Delhi and questioning why on earth I thought it was a good idea to leave the peacefulness (and glorious summer weather) of Portland for three months, I finally arrived in Udaipur. 

As I sat on a rooftop watching the sun set over this familiar city, I was flooded with warm, fuzzy feelings and remembered why I came back to India. 

Travel forces me to leave my comfort zone.  Upon arrival in a new place, abroad or in the US, I'm bombarded with the unfamiliar- everything looks, sounds, smells, feels, is  different.  I am made to feel on edge, uptight, confused, angry, delirious.  If the weather is hot, all those feelings are magnified (I am not graceful in hot weather, never have been, never will be). 

But then something magical happens.  I hate to use the word "magical" but it's really the only way to describe it.  All of a sudden, I feel relaxed.  And content.  And settled.  Sometimes it happens within a few minutes or hours of getting to a new place, sometimes it takes weeks, or even months.  But when that moment comes, there's nothing else like it.  I live for that moment.  And spinning through the chaos to get to that moment is so worth it.  

The Most Fabulous Travel Quotes

Let me just throw this out there:  I'm a sucker for quotes.  Yeah, I know all the usual gripes about quotes that they're usually taken out of context or attributed to the wrong people.  But there is something about a good quote that makes me feel like I'm bursting with contentment. 

Here are a few of my favorite travel quotes.  Enjoy. 

 “The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.” – Samuel Johnson

 “Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” – Cesare Pavese

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – Martin Buber 

“Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.” – Paul Theroux

 “Once you have 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

“The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.” – Rudyard Kipling 

“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” – Lin Yutang

So I Guess I'm Blogging Now...

Yup.  Life has officially come to this.  I'm a blogger.  Yikes! 

So why did I start this blog?  I feel as though I'm headed to a crossroads in my life.  In past year, I've moved to the other side of the country, struggled through my first year of law school, and spent a summer living and interning in India.  I've made some wonderful new friends, lost some old ones, and failed miserably in the dating world. 

But I'm not happy.  I know I'm not happy.  The thought of trudging through another year of law school sends me into a panicky tailspin... as do the thoughts of living through a second Portland winter and another failed attempt at a relationship.  So what's my deal?  How do I move past this? 

Join me on my search for happiness.  I can guarantee it'll be a bumpy road filled with highs and lows, laughter and tears, seemingly impossible decisions, and some unforgettably wonderful experiences.