The Irreplaceable Spark

“Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swamps of the not-quite, the not-yet, and the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists... it is real... it is possible... it's yours.” 

― Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

There are a few books I re-read each year without fail. Here are my three:

• Atlas Shrugged
• Pride and Prejudice
• Harry Potter

(well I suppose the last one is more like 7 ones, but how can one really stop HP once they start?)

These books represent three different parts of my soul and these characters are the ones I miss the most when I reach the end. Pride and Prejudice gave me heart, Harry Potter nourished my dreams, and Atlas Shrugged saved my life. My heartfelt thanks to the wonderful women that wrote these books! I owe you everything.

In pursuit of the written word,
MK

Digital Road Trips...

Ireland

Sometimes, late at night when I can't sleep, I'll travel around the world. I'll wander the streets of Paris, get lost in the English countryside, and twist my way through the roads of less-touristy Mexican cities.  I'll bike around NYC, drive around Finland or fly above in a satellite, going round and round the earth... stopping only when my eyes are too tired to take in anymore.

Norway

I of course cannot actually afford to go galavanting across the globe for spontaneous midnight adventures, but I can go on Google Maps. It's incredible- the ability to traverse a planet from the warmth of our beds. Someday, when I am no longer burdened by my student debt, I'll get to see it all in the flesh, but for now- I am thankful to live in the 21st century of digital travel. It soothes my restless spirit. 

Mexico

Ireland

Norway

Italy (can't remember for sure)

Norway

And sometimes, I go back to where I was born- Lakeside, Chicago.

Your digital backpacker,
MK

P.S. Fun quirks I've stumbled upon: biking behind the same girl on Governor's Island (NYC) and while going along one road in Canada, the season suddenly changed. Let me know what you find!

P.P.S. All images are snapshots from Google Maps ©

Snow Bright

 January 2010 

...but while the honest ones 

shrank back from

the touch of snow

the liars

were where the truth was

—Rg Gregory—

For all you fellow winter lovers out there, as you will mournfully recall, last year was quite a disappointment for us in the Midwest. We only had two major snowfalls, lots of warmth and sunshine. It was hideous. A real downer.

This year, we're not going to repeat last year's mistakes. I've done my research and with proper application, I suspect this may be the best year of all. But I'm going to need your help. The following have been extensively studied and are scientifically proven methods for increasing the volume of granular material this year:

• Sleep with your pajamas inside out
• Leave ice cubes on the porch
• Place a spoon under the pillow [*note: some studies suggest freezing the spoon first]
• Place a white crayon in the freezer
• Run around a table 4 times
• Flush an ice cube down your toilet

Needless to say, I will be doing my own research including repeating any snow dances I might discover on YouTube. Stay strong, keep your spirits up and if you have any other suggestions LET ME KNOW!!

Love and snow flurries,

MK

Moments of Profound Beauty

"Sometimes, you are lucky enough to stumble onto something that feels so precisely like a dream, the line between reality and that perfect place where anything is possible blurs. Sometimes, you try your best to capture it. Sometimes you come close. Sometimes." 
—Tyler Knott Gregson—

Quite often this world confuses me. The people confuse me. More often than not, I feel like I don't fit into it. And it can make me sad at times. But whenever I go outside, really outside- not a front yard or down a sidewalk- but a forest, a seaside, an infinite spread of untouched land- everything settles in me and I feel completely at home. 

I'm touched by these moments of profound beauty. 

They remind me of how much life is meant to be enjoyed,

how much the world desires to be savored. 

I can at least do that much. 

Truly yours,

MK

You Are Alive

For years, I've been scared of walking alone in dark forests, especially the November nights with their overcast skies and screaming winds. I have a very over active imagination and it often ends with supernatural killers and my death. But lately, I've been going out every night into the wild, concealed world and have felt utterly at peace. 

The stars have a special diamond quality to them- sparkling more than ever through the murky atmosphere.And though the screeching winds make me wary, their touch is soft. Never do the air feel so tangible as when they are thick with cold.
The winds are a playful thing and now I imagine they howl not in fear, but in delight. 

Fall exposes the trees, and you can trace the veins as they reach up into the night sky. They remind me of a neuron cell, sending and receiving messages. In summer, the trees soak up the secrets of the earth and reveals them to the universe on little slips of leaves.  But when the cold sets in, the universe whispers back of other worlds and soft colors and swirling bursts of light. The trees take note and send it along to the ground below, so as to inspire the flowers to bloom and the grasses to grow when the warmth returns. The trees are the guardians of the ages; they are the messengers, the chain between the earth and her heavens.

 The crisp, cold nights are no longer a source of fear- they are a source of joy- boundless, infinite and perfect. This is the time for the self to give way to the world. These are the moments one should go out just to remind themselves that they are alive. 

MK

A Million Pieces

I am an inconsistent woman. My life is composed of whims and impulses. My heart burns through its passions like a comet blazes through the earth's atmosphere, bright and joyous, but burning, burning, burning until when it finally lands, it's in a million pieces, scattered all over. I am without patience and my attention is a wild animal that shrugs any attempt to tame it. When I love, I love passionately- with everything I have and everything I am and when I lose that, I am utterly broken. I never rebound quite the same and I never love anything twice. 

I prefer the imaginary to reality, the visual word to the spoken word, and being solitary to the company of others. 

I love the cold though it's barren. I love my dreams though they give me no comfort. 

And I'm in love with the stars though they do not love me back.

MK

(I also adore sweeping generalizations☺)

Brighter is a State of Being

 In drawing class, you learn about perspective and the way something farther away looks smaller than something close. But with stars, you can never gauge just how far they are. Your mind reads the sky as those that are brightest are closest. 

But brighter doesn't mean closer. Brighter doesn't mean bigger. Brighter is just a state of being. 

Like the stars, people tend to use certain things, like academic and professional success, as a filter by which to view a person's status. But people are just people are just people.

If you want to see them clearly, look for the happiest— they are the ones that burn brightest.

MK 

The Cute Cure

Cute animals can make any day better. 

Plump pigs are great snugglers, goats are great listeners, donkeys are more awkward than you, and fuzzy cows love big hugs.  

❈ Baby zebras dry all tears and little kangaroos fix all broken hearts ❈

↓ And if this guy doesn't make you feel better, ↓

then maybe your vision's the problem. 

See? All better!

MK

America. The Brave.

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

-- Abraham Lincoln --

"Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country"
-- JFK --

Love you 'merica, 

MK

The Smallest Crevices of My Soul

I followed the forest path,

as far as it would go. 

And when it went no more, 

I pushed my way through.

The trees huddled around as the sun twinkled down; 

the leaves rustled with the soft wind,

and crunched beneath my feet. 

I breathed deep,

inhaling the fresh, crisp air 

into the smallest crevices

of my soul.

 Love always, 

MK

Like sleeping and like walking...

-- Roses --

-------------------------------------------------------------

You love the roses - so do I. I wish

The sky would rain down roses, as they rain

From off the shaken bush. Why will it not?

Then all the valley would be pink and white

And soft to tread on. They would fall as light

As feathers, smelling sweet; and it would be

Like sleeping and like waking, all at once!

-------------------------------------------------------------

 -- George Eliot --

Hope you all had a wonderful Saturday!
MK

Hello November

Hello

Novemeber 

Dearest!

Love, MK

Happy NaNoWriMo 2012!!

M'gentleman would like to say Happy NaNoWriMo! It all starts today and I have absolutely no idea where my story is going despite my preparation. I'm just going to wing it and hopefully have something tangible to show at the end.

Prior to last year's NaNoWriMo, I probably hadn't written any stories since elementary school and certainly nothing near novel length. So to be honest, I was quite surprised when it came so easy. It was hard the first few days to make that 1,667 word goal for the day but by the second week, I could bust out 3k, no sweat. I also remember being terrified of dialogue- I was seriously having some anxiety as I neared the point where my character would finally have to interact with another person. And then she did and I never thought about it again.

Writing was a joy and I'm looking forward to this month more than I can say.

I wish all you other NaNoWriMo'ers out there all the best!

Cheers to a wonderful month full of crazy adventures and new characters!

MK