live an extraordinary life

...involves saying yes to as many things as possible. These include lots of festivals for the summer, doing some evening classes in theatre (see http://www.bac.org.uk/participate.php?id=5 for more details, if you’re interested), maybe doing some voluntary work, and generally making more opportunities to meet interesting people.

Of course, it’s a difficult balancing act to do this and not abandon more serious goals, but I figure that I should have a summer of fun and then focus on grown-up responsibilities!

...and it’s not even over yet!

I have been so incredibly spoiled this weekend, and had such a wonderful birthday extravaganza.

First off, a whole fabulous day with my Top Chick, who is the bestest person one could hope to spend time with. Unwrapping of glamourous pink wrapped presents, followed by surprise makeovers, assessment of high-street shopping trends (v good or vv bad!), champagne cocktails, hat purchasing, dinner at my favourite bistro, home to meet our top men, a gorgeous present that I really wasn’t expecting, and then pink sparkles to celebrate two special occasions.

Early to bed, early to rise – yesterday’s glamour was contrasted by a walk in the woods, foraging for fungi. Happily this was under expert guidance, so no poisoning occurred, and we have a whole basket of mushrooms for tomorrow night’s dinner. Eating nature still excites me far more than is really cool, as is proven by the fact that the search for exciting varieties caused us to lose the rest of the group! Fortunately, the damsels in distress were rescued by two charming knights, and we all rode off happily into the sunset, pausing only for a quick lecture on how mushrooms with “Death” or “Avenging” in the name should definitely be avoided!

Tomorrow could hold all kinds of excitement, but definitely includes a visit to Jed Phoenix at LAM and Spaghetti with Honey Fungus and Chilli. See you all on the other side :-)

...which seems to me a pretty extraordinary thing, a chance to see a life that is different to that we normally live, even if it is only for a few days.

A reminder of how wonderful many things are that we usually take for granted – showers, flushing toilets, brick walls that keep out the baking sun. A chance to see people freed a little from society’s and their own restrictions, expressing themselves – fairy wings, suits splattered with paint, blankets not coats, pretending to be Kiss. I heard wonderful music, and ate great food, inspired by cultures from all over the world in a way that has only really become possible within our lifetimes.

How cool is that?!

I think it might be harder to live an extraordinary life when it’s cold, at least in London. I don’t really want to go out, and, when I’m out, I want to scurry back home to the warmth asap. So, rather than focusing on external entertainments, I need to take joy in being at home – old movies, snuggly blankets, good friends, a three-legged cat, mulled wine.

And I should go for a frosty walk sometime soon…

...and it would be easy to cry off a couple of things I have planned for the next few days. But I know that I will enjoy these opportunities a million times more than being at home in front of the TV, and that I’m just being lazy.

I love that I have so many things to do that I can’t fit them all in – somehow, I just have to work it out so I can not fit them all in equally :-)

This is going really well at the moment – the past few weeks have been full of very cool things. Lots of being around people that I like, in places that I like, doing and talking about things that I like. And a feeling of progress – job applications, new contacts and stirrings of creative thoughts all speak of better times ahead.

For me, this goal is split into two parts. The first is learning to say yes to the experiences that are offered to me, so that my life can be as full and varied as possible. The second is changing my mindset, so that I can more fully appreciate how fantastic the things that I am doing are.