Figments of my Imagination

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room: When Life Gives You Lemonade, Don't Make Sour Lemons

Yes, strange lesson, I know. It seems we usually hear the reverse - when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. However, I find myself needing the reverse advice. I find myself getting into very depressed moods when it comes time to travel. And today, as I prepare to embark on a 2-week work trip, I am trying my best to keep upbeat and positive about the experience and not turn it into sour lemons. The thoughts of leaving home, leaving my family, leaving the garden and craft room behind all seem to pull at my heart strings. And yet, I need to remember, that what I am about to experience is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and for this I need to be grateful and excited! Where am I headed? I leave tonight for Amsterdam and will take a train to a smaller town in the Netherlands to work for a few days. Then, I will leave Amsterdam and travel to Beijing to work for another few day (although I will have the entire weekend to do some exploring) and then I will head to Osaka and Kobe, Japan - also to work and then end the trip in Osaka with a family that my family knows there. They have invited me to stay with them for the weekend and the notebooks above are the gifts I will be bringing with me to give to them.

So, I will focus on the lemonade that life has given me and will do my best to not let my feelings of sadness cloud the amazing opportunity that this trip represents. An opportunity to discover new places, meet new people and literally travel around the world. I will do my best to keep my blog running during this time - most likely with photos of art, craft and sites from where I find myself. And I will look forward to my return to the craft room! Happy Memorial Day Weekend! May we all recognize how blessed we truly are.