Time and Place

So, I have this list of places and things I want to see in my life. Moments I want to capture with my internal lens and treasure them as I do so many other experiences from my life.

For as long as I can remember, my family has watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from the time we get up until Santa shows up on the screen a few hours later. We sit in our pajamas and watch from the comfort of our couch, cereal or toast in our hands, ooing and ahhing at the floats and bands. But you know, one day, I want to be standing on the street, shivering in the New York cold, tasting the beauty of that Thanksgiving moment.

I've been to Washington, D.C., yes. But in my dreams, I see myself walking through an immense crowd, everyone in Red, White and Blue, celebrating the Birth of our Nation. What a beautiful moment that would be, too see fireworks bursting across the National Mall, engulfing the world in celebration! Standing on the steps of the Capitol Building breathing in the moment of joy as our great Nation celebrates the moment when over two-hundred years ago, fifty-six men pledged their Lives, their Fortunes, and their Sacred Honor that we might live free.

Whether or not I am influenced because my Dad served his mission in Italy or not, I do not know. What I do know, is that I long to catch a glimpse of Carnivale in Venice. Not only would I be breathing in the air of a city so ancient and full of life that I would probably clog my lungs, but I would get to see the gay costumes of the age, detailed and spectacular masks, and soak in the moments of a life that is... Venice.

There's no way Fall could be prettier anywhere but New England. There's a magic about the way the leaves coat the ground in musical confetti and the town seems to jump into a cozy sweater of golds, reds, and chocolate browns. I'd love to spend a fall in Massachusetts or Maine, soaking in the moment as leaves topple gently to the ground, just begging to be gathered into a pile.

There isn't really a time of year that I wouldn't LOVE to be in London, but who wouldn't want to mosey through Hyde Park at Christmas? Not too many places decorate the city like London does. From Christmas trees in Trafalgar Square, to Snowflakes hanging from wires on Oxford Street, to ice skating by the Natural History Museum, this city comes alive with lights and gaiety during the Holiday Season. A million moments of breathtaking beauty can be found in London, especially during the celebration of our Savior's birth.

I know I could go on for hours, spouting off brief sketches of the moments I long to tack onto my life. But I suppose the real beauty of life, is that there are so many moments to be lived and so many to treasure. Life brings the opportunity to cherish, love, and learn from those moments, photographs of life that we hold inside us and occasionally share with those we love. I can't wait to spend even more moments in this world and add to my album of memories.