Choice

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.
- Innocents Abroad, Mark Twain


I love this quote, because traveling seems to kill the little silly things that don't matter much but become such a big part of your everyday life, while at the same time, it seems to exaggerate and solidify the things that are most important to you.  And once you've disposed of the unessential items you'll have much more time for the things you love.

For me, the most important thing a person has is: CHOICE.  The ability to choose what you do, what you believe, the way you react, the way you think, and the way to change your situation if you've chosen not to be complacent with it.  So often we choose to take the entitlement mentality that is based around the mindset that we are victims to our situations. 

I've been doing it quite a bit lately, but then I remember even though something may happen that's out of my control, I still have the choice to complain about it, deal with it, change it, or remove myself from the situation altogether. Maybe it's inconvenient and takes a little time and work, but nothing comes easy in life for anyone.

There are some people in this world who have not been taught that they have the power to choose the way they live their lives.  Some think it's all given to them and they are therefore entitled to it as well as anything else they desire while others think there's nothing they can do to better their situation and everyone else is to blame for it.  Both are false.  Anyone can do anything if they have at least 2 of 3 things:

1. an education (and I'm not just talking about the schooling kind)
2. a desire
3. a strong work ethic

Don't let anybody tell you any different, even yourself.

Argentina is the place for doppelgangers

If you want to find yours then head on down to Buenos Aires!  They say that there is at least one other person in this world that looks like you and apparently they all live here. 

Seriously not a week goes by that I don’t see someone and think “what are you doing here?” and realize it’s not who I think it is but instead is a complete stranger.  Or I meet someone and can’t stop staring at them because I feel like I’ve met them before.  Only to soon realize that they just remind me of someone because they look and act scarily similar. 

I’ve compiled a list of my friends who have “been in Argentina” in the past year:

Ben Kessler (you have a salsa-dancing, flannel wearing clone down here)

Peter Hall (Equipped with a North Face vest, fratastic shirt, and the same hairstyle, I’m still pretty sure it’s actually you)

Willie Dale (your long lost, brown haired, brown-eyed brother with extremely flat feet)

Blake or Andy?

Alex Nicholson (in this case, your doppelganger is an expat as well.  Same hair, same nose, same humor, and same manner of walking – only British)

David Guetta

Blake Rustmann (a brown haired, big-headed version – only smarter ;) )

Katherine Lagow (wait, that actually was you)

Sarah Casey (American-born, Spanish speaking, freckle faced, Argentine living version)

Harry Potter (real-life version)

Aaron Nicholson (same ginger beard and all)

There’s definitely more, I just can’t think of them off the top of my head, but I’ll update as I remember.  Also, I really need to start taking pictures because it’s ridiculous how similar these people are.