Adventure #52: The Adventures Don't Stop Here, Y'all

 The LAST one.  Really truly.  And dude--I'm sad.

 

It's been fun sharing who I am from week to week.  Think about it--the one thing that every post has in common is ME.  Others influence posts.  Others give suggestions for posts.  Others take pictures for my posts.  But I have written every single post for one whole year.

 

52 posts.

 

It really does seem like a lot. 

 

In one week, it will have been a full year since I graduated from WMU.  I've been a post-grad for a year.  And next weekend, I'm heading back to celebrate some other graduations...I wonder how that will feel.

 

But yes, yesterday was the final Adventure Day for the blog.  Yes, technically I could write more posts.  Nobody is holding me to the 'one-year' committment, and nobody else has probably kept track of the weeks except for myself.  But despite the enjoyment and satisfaction that I get after I publish each post, it can be a hassle at times when life gets crazy and one just doens't feel the drive to pursue a blog post during the seven consecutive days ahead.  (One might interpret that as laziness, too.  Take it as  you will.)

 

 

I've been silly.  I've been myself.  I've posed.  I've taken pictures of food and things and people.  But more than anything, I've documented my thoughts, my feelings, and my everyday happenings.  It  has often felt like a solo journey through this more-than-ever 'real' world that I've been skipping and tripping through these past 52 weeks.  Some of you have been along for the ride right from day one.  Others have hopped on and off the train of posts to check in with my latest ventures.  And I'm sure there's even a few out there who just recently discovered this gem of a blog all about the quirky Ali P.

 

It really doesn't matter though.  Check out past posts if you choose.  Or just skip over all that and share with me your own blog so that I might be inspired to start a new project in the coming months (grad school IS ahead of me, ya know...).

See the awesome posters to the left?  It was a little project that I contributed to at the CoFo office yesterday.  I get to volunteer at a basketball tournament at the Boys and Girls Club, and I hear the players are in need of some encouragement during the games.  I certainly want to be apart of that.  Not just for that solitary day on Monday, cheering on some basketball novices, but day to day as a mentor, a role model, a friend.  My career pursuits will probably help guide me along that path, but all of my ambitions aside, there are people in my life who will be sticking around for quite some time, and I hope to attempt some less obvious efforts to keep them going and to help them continue to be successful.  Success is all in an individual's head anyway, so maybe what I really mean, is to just continue being the amazing people who I have known and loved.

 

It's not too specific of a 'future goal' to set for myself, but I have no need for specifics.  The near future seems pretty well laid out in front of my, so for the time being, I think I'll just keep in mind the little things that reall are the big things in life.  I always appreciate having my own personal cheerleaders, too, so feel free to contribute to my cause in a role-reversal of sorts, too.

 

So the Adventure Shoes...what now?  Honestly, I haven't quite decided.  I first got the now-colorful skate shoes back in my early years of high school.  About eight years later, and those shoes are still kicking (haha, a pun!), so I can't see myself getting rid of them any time soon.  I'll wear them on occasion.  Maybe they will strike up a conversation from a stranger from time to time.  When wearing the shoes, I always feel obligated to share their story and how much they have helped me cope from week to week during what has been a year of growth for me.  The shoes have been as much of a coping mechanism as anything else I've had--but I've got to say that certain people have helped me cope with this giant step away from my college years, too.  Coping...yes.  There have been rough weeks when my key motivation has been to have a good, 'adventurous' day, solely for the purpose of being able to share it with others via my blog.  I have a lot to thank those shoes for.  They've helped me 'step' out of my comfort zone (these puns are getting really fun!), they've introduced me to people, and they have made me reflect on my day time and time again.  How often do we just go through a day and then move on to the next?  Adventure Days have consisted of me conciously pausing throughout my day to take pictures and note what it is that is happening and how I'm reacting to it.  I then have to recount all of that in a post that is often being typed up the following day.  Appreciation surfaces.  Reinterpretations formulate.  And often I'm left feeling more satisfied with the past 24 hours than I was initially.

 

 

There they are.  My Adventure Shoes.  If you're ever around, feel free to ask for an introduction.  They are some pretty trusty shoes that have done more for me than I thought was possible when I began this blog one year ago.

 

I would love it if you would share any thoughts you have about this post, past posts, or the blog as a whole.  In fact, feel free to share anything.  I always wonder who my readers have been through all these months, and while I have a vague idea of a few, it's always fun to hear about others who have stopped in for a read from time to time.

 

Thanks for everything.  And now--time for Ali P. to start up on her newest Adventure...