Well, I am still on the East Coast.  I returned to my hometown a few weeks ago to give a speech at the Orleans County Top Ten Dinner.  I was quite humbled and honored to have been invited to such an event, and had a great time.  A little weird – I recognized some of the kids from the baseball games I use to umpire or basketball camp I helped run.

I’ve spent the last few weeks catching up with old friends and spending time with my family.  It’s almost like my home town is a time capsule.  Everything stays the same.  I was able to catch a concert in Buffalo with one of my best friends, and then made a long trip down to Lancaster to see another show.  A few friends and I drove to Philly to see The National.  One of the best shows of this year.  First of all, The Electric Factory is an awesome venue, and The National had a mini orchestra with them which made the sound as full as possible.  The lead singer’s voice is such a sexy, soothing, baritone…I could not believe what I was hearing.

So from Buffalo, to Philly, to Lancaster, I also swung by my college and said hello to a few familiar faces.  Good times!  Then I got the flu and there was no way I could get on an airplane.  Now I’m stuck in the middle of nowhere for a few more days.

At any rate, I’m ready to return to Los Angeles.  First order of business is getting my bike fixed and then Venice Beach bike riding time!

**Transcript of my speech**

Good evening.  First of all, I would like thank you for inviting me to speak here tonight.  It is an absolute honor and privilege to share my thoughts and experiences with the very place and community that has helped shape who I am.

A few years ago, I was backpacking around Southeast Asia.  Me, small town American girl, was wandering around Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore like it was no big deal.  This was after the fact that I had been living, speaking, and breathing in Japan for a few months.  I was a little more than halfway through my year long term as an exchange student.  Traveling had become as natural to me as throwing a baseball or driving a car.  Get on a plane, fly to a foreign country, mill around.  Be the minority.   Eat strange foods.  Figure out the transit system.  Sleep on night trains.  Sleep in hostels with strangers.  Talk to strangers.  Ride in taxis.  Walk until you bleed.

After I returned to Japan from my not-so-typical spring break, everything started to hit me.  Everyday, I would open my eyes and not believe what I saw in front of me. Funny to think, that not too long ago, I had never been further west than Buffalo.  I grew up in a town where there is only one traffic light, a couple of sidewalks, and where most of our neighbors happen to be cornstalks.  So, along with taking pictures, and making a documentary about my experiences, I began to reflect on a more personal level in a journal.  And so, I’d like to share a little bit of what I wrote a few years ago.

March 25, 2007.  “Journeys.”

There is this imaginary path in which we all flow along.  The words that exit our mouths, the thoughts that enter our brains, the decision to go for it or to stay behind.  Everything, everything, effects the path we take.  The path is not violent, the path is not kind.  The path merits no feelings or judgment.  It just is.  It is the vein through which our soul flows through.  It is an infinite footprint.  It is not one hundred percent controllable.  It is a mystery.  The path that got you here today is set in stone, forged with steel, and secured with the strongest force possible – time.  However, the future’s path is a little more flexible.  You may need to cross the river, but perhaps you don’t have the materials yet to build the bridge or raft.  Maybe, you’ve lost the map.  (It’s OK!)  Maybe you can’t read it.  Maybe you can’t find North.  But that doesn’t stop you.  And that shouldn’t stop you.  You keep going because you have to.  You keep going because you want to.  You keep going because you are alive.  The path is your life.  Wandering to, or destined for, believe or not, you will always find your way there.  Sometimes you look back; you may made a wrong turn.  As hard as it is, you mustn’t dwell on the mistakes, but rather move forward.  And those good times…oh boy, you just sit back for a second, take a deep breath, and put on a smile on that beautiful face of yours.

Sometimes I sit back and I laugh at myself.  Is this really happening?  It this is a joke?  Is this a dream?  How on earth, did I get here.  And where on earth am I going?

Where am I going?  I’m sure you’ve been asking yourself that question a lot lately.  And oh my gosh, what am I going to be when I grow up.  You’re going to college, or the workforce, or the military.  You’re going to new places and meeting new faces.

You might be a little scared, a little excited, probably both.  And you guys are smart, driven, talented people.  And you’re going to grow up to be doctors, and lawyers, and business executives.  And that’s great.  Having goals is important.  Academics are important.  But, having fun is important too.  Know that, if you find some great people and just live, the rest will come.  If you have an opportunity to explore, take it.  And you can go and you can hate it.  And that’s OK.  This place will still be here.  And it probably won’t change too much.  But, I think it’s important that you at least try.  Step outside of your comfort zone.  All you need is an open heart and an open mind.  You’d be surprised at what you’re going to find.

One of my closest friends is an older man from Egypt.  He has a wife and two wonderful kids.  Oddly enough, we connected instantly.  Our conversations would range from silly things like, how poorly we performed on our last Japanese exam, to very real things.  He would tell me about the traditions involved in a Muslim wedding, his time in the Egyptian army, how his world viewed September 11th and so fourth.  I shared what it was like to grow up in a small town, my thoughts on racial profiling in airports, and what I saw in both my future and the world as a whole.  You can’t learn that in a classroom.  That can’t happen through Facebook, or chatting online, or through watching TV.  You have to go out and experience that for yourself.

Class of 2009, I wish you the very best of luck in your future endeavors.   You’re going to work hard and you’re going to continue to excel above and beyond your wildest dreams.  The world is waiting for you.

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