I've got big dreams. Like...crazy, big dreams. But don't we all? I know so many people who have put aside their dreams and their passions in favor of a stable job. That weekly paycheck is awfully tempting, I know. I've been there. Except, I wasn't satisfied. My soul was burning, and crying. It was reaching out, trying to escape the cubicle I forced it into.
It took me two years after graduating college to have the courage to pursue the life I want to live. Now that I have taken the first steps on that path, I am overwhelmed with this sense of possibility. Anything is possible, life is wonderful, and the world is beautiful.
My eighty-something year old neighbor passed away the other night. Yesterday, my brothers friend was found dead in his car. Suicide, they're saying. Two lives, one, teetering on the edge of opportunity. The world was his oyster. The other, a life well lived. A WWII vet, who sixty years ago, was fighting Nazis. Our lives here are a fraction of time. What we do with that fleeting, brief moment is up to us. What we make of our time here, is ours to decide. We have the power within us to do great things. To see, feel and experience the world. Why do so many people cower from lifes magnificence? I cannot answer that question, and I am (more often that I'd like to admit) guilty of the crime. We become overwhelmed, and afraid. We hurt.
But we are stronger than we realize. We are also braver than we realize.
This is why, for 2013, I am starting a personal blog project called: "Bucket List: 365."
365 adventures in 365 days.
Here are the first 30 Bucket List items I've come up with. My list needs to be much, much bigger. Suggestions are welcomed, and encouraged.
1. Watch baby turtles hatch in the wild.
2. Listen to a stranger tell their life story.
3. Learn how to ride a horse.
4. Ride an elephant.
5. Cook something completely new, and challenging!
6. Watch all of the Godfather Movies.
7. Go skydiving.
8. Go rock-climbing outside.
9. Learn to surf.
10. Visit Niagra Falls.
11. Go trapeze-ing.
12. Stay up all night, and watch the sunrise.
13. Be part of a flash mob.
14. Go skinny dipping.
15. Spend a day in silence.
16. Learn to scuba dive.
17. See the Northern Lights.
18. Participate in a 5K.
19. Ride in a hot-air balloon.
20. Swim with dolphins.
21. Sleep under the stars.
22. See a Cirque-de Soliel show.
23. Learn a magic trick.
24. Take a ballroom dance class.
25. Learn to snowboard.
26. Plant a tree.
27. Learn to knit.
28. Give out free hugs.
29. Compliment a stranger.
30. Learn to juggle.
There are some big ticket items in here, and some small. I need a wide variety of each. I'll post my next 30 tomorrow! The adventure begins on New Years Day. January 1, 2013.
I have no idea if this is going to work. But why not try?
My days will now begin at 4:30. I do my best writing before dawn, anyway. I've written out an entire daily schedule for myself, and yet, I still don't think there are enough hours. I have to manage to squeeze into my day: writing time, business/PR time, yoga, bucket-time, blogging, and my part-time waitressing gig. In August, I will have to balance it with a move to Israel and earning my masters. The busier I am, the more I am capable of accomplishing. I've always been like that. The stakes are higher, and the mind is sharper. If I devote my mornings to business and PR, then my afternoons and evenings can be devoted to this project.
Time to live, dammit!
Happy almost New Year, everyone. Make your life the adventure you always wanted.
Love,
Ariela
Sunday, December 30, 2012
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Thursday, December 27, 2012
And a Happy New Year
As 2013 approaches, I find myself reflecting over the last year. It's been twelve months of ups and downs. I've had moments of sheer joy, and moments where I've felt utterly lost. I've accomplished a lot this year, and set my life on a path that I am not only pleased with...but excited for. We must live with excitement. We must seek joy.
Lately, I've been stuck. My book is selling relatively well, and I've done plenty of readings at schools. I even had the remarkable opportunity to share my book with the kids at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital. But my creative mind is itching for more stories. So, I sit down and write. Or rather...try to write. I believe that I am the most indecisive writer to have ever dared to call herself an author. I find myself jumping between different stories, and different plots, because I can't choose which I'd rather write. I am stuck in the mud.
I've decided that as I continue to squeeze stories out of my brain, I need a second project. Something exciting, and fresh. Something that will get me out in the world, experiencing life the way I've always wanted to. So. In honor of an adventurous new year, I am beginning a blogging project called: "365: The Bucket List Challenge." The idea is to create a massive bucket list (complete with your suggestions) and complete one challenge every day, for 365 days. They won't all be big challenges. Some will be simple, like: "To cook a new recipe." or: "Read an entire book in one day." Some will be crazy, like: "Skydive!" or "Have a silent rave in the middle of Times Square." The goal is to live each day with excitement, and joy. The goal, really, is just to live.
I will be keeping a blog and vlog throughout the whole adventure. I will be taking suggestions for my big ol' bucket list until January 31. The adventure begins on February 1st. I'm looking forward to sharing my adventures with you! Leave suggestions in the comments section, or email me at: bucketlist365@gmail.com
Happy Wednesday, everyone! :)
Lately, I've been stuck. My book is selling relatively well, and I've done plenty of readings at schools. I even had the remarkable opportunity to share my book with the kids at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital. But my creative mind is itching for more stories. So, I sit down and write. Or rather...try to write. I believe that I am the most indecisive writer to have ever dared to call herself an author. I find myself jumping between different stories, and different plots, because I can't choose which I'd rather write. I am stuck in the mud.
I've decided that as I continue to squeeze stories out of my brain, I need a second project. Something exciting, and fresh. Something that will get me out in the world, experiencing life the way I've always wanted to. So. In honor of an adventurous new year, I am beginning a blogging project called: "365: The Bucket List Challenge." The idea is to create a massive bucket list (complete with your suggestions) and complete one challenge every day, for 365 days. They won't all be big challenges. Some will be simple, like: "To cook a new recipe." or: "Read an entire book in one day." Some will be crazy, like: "Skydive!" or "Have a silent rave in the middle of Times Square." The goal is to live each day with excitement, and joy. The goal, really, is just to live.
I will be keeping a blog and vlog throughout the whole adventure. I will be taking suggestions for my big ol' bucket list until January 31. The adventure begins on February 1st. I'm looking forward to sharing my adventures with you! Leave suggestions in the comments section, or email me at: bucketlist365@gmail.com
Happy Wednesday, everyone! :)
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Sunrise: December 19, 2012.
Do you ever have those moments where the world is so perfectly beautiful, and everything feels as it should? Where you feel connected to everyone and everything around you, as you harmonize to the song of life. Where for just one fleeting moment, everything is perfect. There is no pain, no sadness. No overwhelming grief.
This morning, I caught a glimpse of the sun as it rose. It was already daybreak, but the sky was still recovering from the beauty of dawn. Pink clouds stretched across the sky, shaded with a deep magenta. The sun added hues of yellow-such a perfect warmth. It quite literally took my breath away. I stood at the foot of my driveway, with two dogs, and gazed at the magnificent beauty of our Earth.
Then, as quickly as that moment came...it was gone. My dogs continued their mad dash for the grass.
In times of suffering, I have always turned to our natural world to heal. When I saw the sky this morning, I felt an incredible reassurance. It told me that despite the evils that exist, there will always be moments of perfect joy. There will always be moments of breathtaking beauty.
No sunrise can change the pain we all feel this week. But perhaps, the very fact that the sun did rise can offer some comfort. For even when we feel as though time has stopped, it plows forward. The sun continues to rise, and as it does, it dazzles us with its beauty. It reminds us that we are alive.
This morning, I caught a glimpse of the sun as it rose. It was already daybreak, but the sky was still recovering from the beauty of dawn. Pink clouds stretched across the sky, shaded with a deep magenta. The sun added hues of yellow-such a perfect warmth. It quite literally took my breath away. I stood at the foot of my driveway, with two dogs, and gazed at the magnificent beauty of our Earth.
Then, as quickly as that moment came...it was gone. My dogs continued their mad dash for the grass.
In times of suffering, I have always turned to our natural world to heal. When I saw the sky this morning, I felt an incredible reassurance. It told me that despite the evils that exist, there will always be moments of perfect joy. There will always be moments of breathtaking beauty.
No sunrise can change the pain we all feel this week. But perhaps, the very fact that the sun did rise can offer some comfort. For even when we feel as though time has stopped, it plows forward. The sun continues to rise, and as it does, it dazzles us with its beauty. It reminds us that we are alive.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Our Children
Friday, December 14, 2012 was my 25th birthday. I decided I needed to spend a day away from the great glowing rectangles. I decided to get out into the world, and have a bit of an adventure. After all, to write about life, we must experience it. But where does one go for an adventure on Long Island? So, I bought a groupon for an indoor rock climbing gym, hopped in the car, and drove 45 minutes to this warehouse-gym. I learned how to tie fancy knots, how to belay, and to my delight, discovered that I am a natural climber. Who'dathunkit??
Right before I began my first climb, my heart was jumping out of my chest. My thoughts flew back and forth between sheer excitement, to utter insanity. Finally, I let the excitement take over. I scaled my first wall in minutes, and upon reaching the top, I looked down. When you're clinging to a wall thirty feet from the ground, all of your noisy thoughts melt away. It's just you. Living, breathing, and marveling at the strength of your own body. In order to get down, you have to let go of the wall and fall back, allowing your climb partner to belay you to the ground. It's a floating sort of fall--as you make your way back to the ground. But in the moments before I let go, I felt ALIVE. I could feel my heart pumping my blood through my veins, and I was hyperaware of my body. I felt every particle of my own existence, and it was amazing. Needless to say, I can't wait to do it again.
When I got home, I logged onto facebook to find a flurry of notifications--all well wishes for my birthday. I felt loved, and happy. Then, I started to scroll through my newsfeed. It was about 5:30 pm. Statuses spoke of a shooting, and of innocent children. They spoke of gun laws, school safety, and tragedy. The hyperawareness of my body returned, only this time, I felt a huge weight within it. My body was alive and strong, but my heart hurt. It felt heavy. I didn't want to believe the things I was reading. It couldn't be real. I slowly walked out of the computer room to find my mother. "Mom--what happened in Connecticut?"
I am so stunned by the sheer horrors of this tragedy. I think of the children I read to, their brilliant smiles, their wonderfully creative minds, and their innocence. I still cannot wrap my mind around this awful thing. I cannot fathom how one person can cause so much pain, and destroy so many lives. I can barely bring myself to open the newspaper, let alone, look at the front page. I remember the Colombine shooting--I was in fourth or fifth grade, and suddenly teachers were remarkably strict about how children treated one another. If anyone said: "I'm gonna get you/kill you/hurt you", you were immediately sent to the principal. It didn't matter if it was a joke, or if it was part of the game you were playing. Threats were taken seriously. But there was no threat in Connecticut. There was no threat in Aurora. Some things we cannot prepare for. This year has seen too many tragedies. Children killed. Lives cut short, and families, shattered.
Our people need to grieve. But something must be done. I'm angry that we live in a world where violence is becoming the answer. Violence is NOT okay. Teasing, and bullying kids because they're "different" is NOT okay. That can lead to violence.
I don't think gun laws are the biggest issue here. We need to look at school safety. Example: I was delivering books the other day to local elementary schools. Do you know that not ONE person asked for my name, or ID? They opened the school doors for me, without question. Unacceptable.
Another major problem, and what think is the root of it all...is our culture. It's too easy to blame faulty laws. We must take responsibility, for we have created the mess that we are living in. Violence is too accessible for our children. It's everywhere--in their TV shows, their video games. It's all over the internet. How do we protect them from it? CAN we protect them from it?
Last night, I clicked through a slideshow of those who were killed. I memorized each face, and whispered "You are loved. You will not be forgotten."
We mustn't allow this to become another "deadly shooting." We must remember this tragedy as the day that twenty children, ages 10 and under, were killed. We must remember the random act of violence that stole their lives, and broke their families. We must remember the heroic teachers who gave their lives to protect their students. We must remember those, who by some miracle, were spared. Their lives are forever changed.
I feel so very grateful to be alive. To be able to feel the strength of my body, as I climb walls. To be able to celebrate another birthday, with my family. To wake each morning, as the sun peaks through my window. To be able to taste the crisp winter air. My heart is broken for those who no longer can. Take a moment, each morning to greet the day. To allow yourself to feel grateful for it.
The world is a scary place. Children won't understand the sad things, or the bad things. But we can help them through it by showing them the good things. I want to inspire children to imagine, and to create. I want to show them how beautiful the world can be. I want to be there for them when it gets too scary. That's why I'm a children's writer. I hope that through my work, I can make a difference in the life of a child.
My heart goes out to the entire Newtown community. Nothing I can say, will ever heal the enormous loss you are all feeling. I cannot comprehend it. All I can say, is that you have my prayers. You have my love. Be strong for your children. Show them that there is good in the world, too. You will be okay.
Look for the good things in the world. We will all be okay.
Right before I began my first climb, my heart was jumping out of my chest. My thoughts flew back and forth between sheer excitement, to utter insanity. Finally, I let the excitement take over. I scaled my first wall in minutes, and upon reaching the top, I looked down. When you're clinging to a wall thirty feet from the ground, all of your noisy thoughts melt away. It's just you. Living, breathing, and marveling at the strength of your own body. In order to get down, you have to let go of the wall and fall back, allowing your climb partner to belay you to the ground. It's a floating sort of fall--as you make your way back to the ground. But in the moments before I let go, I felt ALIVE. I could feel my heart pumping my blood through my veins, and I was hyperaware of my body. I felt every particle of my own existence, and it was amazing. Needless to say, I can't wait to do it again.
When I got home, I logged onto facebook to find a flurry of notifications--all well wishes for my birthday. I felt loved, and happy. Then, I started to scroll through my newsfeed. It was about 5:30 pm. Statuses spoke of a shooting, and of innocent children. They spoke of gun laws, school safety, and tragedy. The hyperawareness of my body returned, only this time, I felt a huge weight within it. My body was alive and strong, but my heart hurt. It felt heavy. I didn't want to believe the things I was reading. It couldn't be real. I slowly walked out of the computer room to find my mother. "Mom--what happened in Connecticut?"
I am so stunned by the sheer horrors of this tragedy. I think of the children I read to, their brilliant smiles, their wonderfully creative minds, and their innocence. I still cannot wrap my mind around this awful thing. I cannot fathom how one person can cause so much pain, and destroy so many lives. I can barely bring myself to open the newspaper, let alone, look at the front page. I remember the Colombine shooting--I was in fourth or fifth grade, and suddenly teachers were remarkably strict about how children treated one another. If anyone said: "I'm gonna get you/kill you/hurt you", you were immediately sent to the principal. It didn't matter if it was a joke, or if it was part of the game you were playing. Threats were taken seriously. But there was no threat in Connecticut. There was no threat in Aurora. Some things we cannot prepare for. This year has seen too many tragedies. Children killed. Lives cut short, and families, shattered.
Our people need to grieve. But something must be done. I'm angry that we live in a world where violence is becoming the answer. Violence is NOT okay. Teasing, and bullying kids because they're "different" is NOT okay. That can lead to violence.
I don't think gun laws are the biggest issue here. We need to look at school safety. Example: I was delivering books the other day to local elementary schools. Do you know that not ONE person asked for my name, or ID? They opened the school doors for me, without question. Unacceptable.
Another major problem, and what think is the root of it all...is our culture. It's too easy to blame faulty laws. We must take responsibility, for we have created the mess that we are living in. Violence is too accessible for our children. It's everywhere--in their TV shows, their video games. It's all over the internet. How do we protect them from it? CAN we protect them from it?
Last night, I clicked through a slideshow of those who were killed. I memorized each face, and whispered "You are loved. You will not be forgotten."
We mustn't allow this to become another "deadly shooting." We must remember this tragedy as the day that twenty children, ages 10 and under, were killed. We must remember the random act of violence that stole their lives, and broke their families. We must remember the heroic teachers who gave their lives to protect their students. We must remember those, who by some miracle, were spared. Their lives are forever changed.
I feel so very grateful to be alive. To be able to feel the strength of my body, as I climb walls. To be able to celebrate another birthday, with my family. To wake each morning, as the sun peaks through my window. To be able to taste the crisp winter air. My heart is broken for those who no longer can. Take a moment, each morning to greet the day. To allow yourself to feel grateful for it.
The world is a scary place. Children won't understand the sad things, or the bad things. But we can help them through it by showing them the good things. I want to inspire children to imagine, and to create. I want to show them how beautiful the world can be. I want to be there for them when it gets too scary. That's why I'm a children's writer. I hope that through my work, I can make a difference in the life of a child.
My heart goes out to the entire Newtown community. Nothing I can say, will ever heal the enormous loss you are all feeling. I cannot comprehend it. All I can say, is that you have my prayers. You have my love. Be strong for your children. Show them that there is good in the world, too. You will be okay.
Look for the good things in the world. We will all be okay.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Holiday Giveaway Challenge!
Hey everyone! The week is off to such an exciting start. First, there was the news that a donor at Hershey Children's Hospital ordered 20 copies of The Gray Days, to give away to some of the patients. If you ever read this, thank you for making it possible to put my book in the hands of Hershey's kids.
Today, it's the launching of my holiday giveaway challenge! I'm really excited for this one! Here's how to enter:
1. Like The Gray Days on facebook.
2. Ask your kids/niece/nephew/brother/sister/neighbor etc... "What is Imagination?"
3. Record their response.
4. Post it on The Gray Days Facebook page!
5. Share it!
The video with the most LIKES will win a signed copy of The Gray Days, and our official bookmark! I am super excited to see your responses, so let's get going!
The contest runs until Monday, December 17, and winners will be announced the 18th!
Good luck!
Today, it's the launching of my holiday giveaway challenge! I'm really excited for this one! Here's how to enter:
1. Like The Gray Days on facebook.
2. Ask your kids/niece/nephew/brother/sister/neighbor etc... "What is Imagination?"
3. Record their response.
4. Post it on The Gray Days Facebook page!
5. Share it!
The video with the most LIKES will win a signed copy of The Gray Days, and our official bookmark! I am super excited to see your responses, so let's get going!
The contest runs until Monday, December 17, and winners will be announced the 18th!
Good luck!
Friday, December 7, 2012
Inspire Tomorrows Miracles
The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, more lovingly referred to as simply: THON, was one of the many reasons I chose Penn State. It's a year long fundraising effort, led by students, which culminates in a 46 (back then, it was 48) hour no sitting, no sleeping dance marathon. All money raised benefits the Four Diamonds Fund, at Hershey Medical Center.
In THON 2010, Love Belongs Here, I fulfilled my dream to dance.
It was early Sunday morning (I think?), and I was with my parents, standing knee deep in a bucket of ice water. I was leaning on my mom, crying because my body was so sore. The cold hurt, which made me cry even harder. But somewhere during the excruciating 10 minute ice bath, I forgot about my pain. Somewhere during those 10 minutes, a child walked into the room and I remembered what I was doing, and why. I realized that no matter how much I was hurting, the kids go through treatments far more painful than a measly ice bath. My pain was nothing compared to what they go through. I had to be strong. Their eyes were filled with life, love, hope and joy. This realization brought on a fresh bout of sobs, and as I stood there, weeping into my moms shoulder, I knew I was ready to finish strong.
Giving up had never been a question. But in those moments of pain and exhaustion...it was too easy to forget why I was there. It was too easy to focus on myself, but all it took was a glance from a child to remember. I would not back down, because those kids were my superheroes.
I remember blurs of color, salty tears, stiff legs, achy feet, and the smell of baby powder. But I also remember smiling, laughing children. I remember water-gun fights, and piggy-back rides. I remember getting a high-five from every member of the blue band, and I remember dancing and jumping with the kids. I remember rolling my feet on a water bottle while I cried through family hour, and the silence that filled the room. I remember the giant dance party that erupted in the final hour, and then, that euphoric moment, when I sat down for the first time, thinking: "I did it." Then, the earth-shattering cheers when the total was announced, as dancers collapsed with joy into each others arms. "We did it!"
Since graduating, I've struggled to figure out who I want to be in this world. I always knew that whatever I wound up doing had to be creative, but it took THON to show me that it had to be for children.
I am so excited to announce that this month I will be sharing my debut book, The Gray Days, at a Milk & Cookies Storytime Event at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital. (Please note: This is a private event, for the kids and their families.) I am so touched to have the opportunity to continue supporting THON, and the Four Diamonds Fund in my professional life.
For The Kids, Forever and Always,
Ariela
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