some great advice

i read this on twitter today and found it to be such great advice that I had to retweet, post on facebook, post on my g-chat and now post on my blog! ready?

"Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?""

I thought I had lost my one chance at love, marriage and happiness a few months ago when the guy I thought I was going to marry decided he wasn't ready to commit.

I really sincerely thought that - and although it still hurts even now when I think about the attachment and the closeness that is simply nonexistant now, I read this quote and have to smile.

Because in 5 years it really won't matter. It will be something I laugh about with my friends, with a new truer better love, and hopefully/maybe even smile about as I kiss my kids good night. It won't matter -but it will have helped me get to where I want/need and was supposed to get to.

So do I regret the heartache, the post after post depicting my pain, the long talks with friends agonizing and obsessing over this male? No. I don't. Because I needed it - I needed to have this experience to learn more about myself so that 5 years from now I can read this blog post and laugh at how silly it all seems, as I go to pick up my child from daycare and then come home to my wonderful husband that I never would have met had it not been for what I learned from this relationship that 5 years before seemed all-consuming.

so thank you. for the lessons, the pain, the fun and the love. I needed it, I need it - all to help me move along on the path towards the right one!

dr. livingstone, i presume

today i am blogging from livingston, zambia - a country in east africa bordering zimbabwe. Zambia is best known for the Victorian Falls - which are the largest water falls in the country and one of the 7 natural wonders on Earth. I visited the falls today and even hiked around in the forest where the falls are. Walking around you need a raincoat b/c the falls are huge and the mist and water will completely soak you.

While going down (and then later, up) some rocks - I realized how risk-averse I am. Every step I took was cautious and fearful of falling, slipping or running into an animal or gigantic bug.

I can't change who I am - but I can attempt to try some things that are out of my comfort zone, and so perhaps coming to Africa is one of these events.

The trip is lovely so far - and as always, my blog will go back to my 1st love - food. Africa has food that is primarily influenced by England, along with a bit of Indian cuisine as well..which makes sense since the English had control over India for a while. Today I tried Zambian cuisine - which tasted like Ethiopian food - various portions of stewed vegetables along with a sort of solid cornmeal type thing that looked more like cream of wheat and reminded me of injera bread.

The meal was good - and I always appreciate trying local cuisine.

Tomorrow - I go for a day long safari. I'll be honest - seeing a ton of animals doesn't excite me as much as it does my travel-mates...however I think if you come to Africa and don't at least try to see a lion, then its somewhat of a wasted trip.

And on that note, I am off to search for dessert..something I haven't found yet and that I am certainly currently craving!

ciao ciao