Somewhere in the Middle

Mondo Beyondo

One of my favorite blogs is Superhero Journal. Many of the entries I read encourage me to really think about life and how I can make my life more fulfilling. Going through the archives I found an interesting post about creating a Mondo Beyondo List. 

According to the author, a Mondo Beyondo list is.. " the list of things that are outrageous, wild, and may not even happen for 5 or 10 years from now. This is the list of things that are SO JUICY and unlikely to happen that you are afraid to even write them down. This might be the most important list of all! "

So here's my Mondo Beyondo List:

1. Become a successful photographer
2. Experience the Polynesian Islands; stay in a little hut surrounded by the crystal blue ocean, tropical fishes, and be overwhelmed by the beauty of it all.
3. Bake a delicious Chocolate Souffle
4. Travel to Cuba
5. Run a marathon
6. Create unique ceramic art pieces
7. See the Egyptian pyramids
8. Learn to knit & make scarves for all my close friends & family members
9. Cruise to Alaska
10. Get published in a scrapbooking magazine
11. Become a certified diver

Travel Bug

Traveling... something I love to do!  When I was younger I didn't have much interest in seeing the world. I was quite happy in my little world. But all that changed once I got married & moved to Germany. That my friends, is where I got bit by the traveling bug.

My husband & I made a decision to travel as much as we possibly could. We thought it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Unfortunately, this meant we had to keep using the ugly military furniture the Army let us borrow but hey it was just for 3 yrs. Why buy furniture when we could use the money to explore Italy or Spain?!

When my sister came to visit we decided to go on a Euro-Rail adventure & see as much of Europe as we possible could. My husband laughed when I told him Giselle & I were going to backpack through Europe. If you know me, you know I'm just not the backpacking, hostel type of girl. My first attempt at packing was hysterical. My backpack actually weighed more than I did because of all the clothes, shoes, and hair products I wanted to bring!! LOL!!

To date, my Euro-Rail adventure was one of the most enriching travel experiences I've ever had. My sister & I had so many memorable experiences... exploring Pompeii, bathing in Budapest's thermal baths, staying at a convent in Rome, nightlife in Spain, commissioning self portraits in Paris, lounging on a cliff in Almalfi, lemon drinks in Capri, sunbathing in Nice, and our "Twlight Zone" Barcelona train experince. Lots of wonderful memories.

In a few months, I'll be moving to Belgium and I hope to continue feeding my travel bug as well as pass it on to my son.

I'm sure if someone would have stopped me years ago and told me that I'd be seeing the world I never would have believed it in my wildest dreams.

I'm so glad dreams really can come true. :)

Presente....

This week the Self Portrait Challenge is to introduce yourself.  A great challenge since not only am I a new blogger but new to the Self Portrait community as well. Since we're just getting to know each other I'll try to keep this light. Don't want to scare you off just yet. :)

My name is Tylene. My mom named me after a young actress in an Elvis Presley movie. I've never met anyone else with my name so I like to think I'm the only Tylene.  ;P I'm married to a great guy that keeps me moving. Literally! Soon we'll be expats in Belgium. In ways I love the gypsy lifestyle. Experiencing different places and meeting new people is exciting but it can be a bit lonely as well. Living like a gypsy makes you appreciate your family & friends so much more.

Music is a big part of my life. It has a way of completely lifting my spirits and bringing me back to my childhood. Memories like my Mom blasting Gladys Knight & the Pips and Barry White while she did housework or family parties where everyone danced to El Gran Combo come flooding into my mind. For me a house without music is like a house that isn't lived in. Needless to say not a day goes by that I don't listen to my favorite tunes.

A few more tidbits about me...

When I lived in NYC, my crazy friends & I would make believe we were priests and we'd give each other communion using Wacky Wafers on the front steps of our church during recess. Not sure what possessed us to do this but you've got to admit it was a creative way to share our candy.

I completely love to scrapbook, eat Trader Joes Chocolate Covered Sunflower seeds, and smell black coffee even though I'm not a coffee drinker. A cup of decaf tea can keep me up till 3:00am.