Day Twenty-Nine: Let's Take a Moment to Value the Wonder of Bubble Wrap

As I'm writing this, today is Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, meaning to all of you, it was actually yesterday. But regardless of when the day actually is (or was), it's a day of stopping and appreciating the little things in life, like popping plastic bubbles. Honestly, who hasn't had fun with bubble wrap at some time or another? You can pop it, stomp on it, jump on it, and if you're really ambitious (and have a lot of bubble wrap and a sense of adventure) you can wrap yourself in it and roll down a hill or stairs that would otherwise be dangerous without padding. It's great stress relief, and the simple pleasure of popping it has gained such popularity that there are computerized versions all over the internet and apps for Ipods and Iphones. But to me, it seems like a little more than that.

It's a day of stopping and appreciating the little things in life that bring us joy. So, like bubble wrap, it's a day to appreciate giving your dog a paper towel tube, or fuzzy sweaters, heating pads, misting fans, umbrella hats, and silicone ice cube trays that make little ice stars or letters. So I hope on Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, I hope you popped some bubbles, and thought about all the uses for the wonders of plastic and air.

Personally, my favorite use of bubble wrap is using it as a form of protection against the elements. People use it to protect themselves from the frigid cold as a sleeping bag when they play homeless and go camping. Similarly, some people use bubble wrap as insulation in place of glass. Break a car window? Don't waste money on expensive auto glass repair, just use bubble wrap! Duct tape some of that shit to your car, and you've got a rainproof, snowproof, and shatterproof barrier between your precious upholstered car interior and the wrath of mother nature. Better yet, when I got a new car, I considered wrapping parts of my car in bubble wrap, so when the assholes and idiots of the world opened their car doors into my black paint, there would be no damage to speak of. Okay, so maybe I didn't seriously consider it (because that would be crazy), but it was a nice idea, and a good use of bubble wrap potential. Happy Popping, Bubble Wrap Enthusiast! May you find more uses for the noisy, obnoxious plastic that we may gawk at in wonder.

Day Twenty-Seven: Everybody Could Use a Little Peace...

My oldest and dearest friend, who is like a sister to me, lives in California. She's always excelled amazingly and easily at everything she's set her mind to: athletics, artwork, friendships, and academics being just some of the few. So when she enrolled in college, I knew she was destined for great things. But she never actually declared a major until it was absolutely necessary, and did so based on the number of classes she had taken that fit into that course of study. She took classes she truly and honestly could learn from, arts classes, cultural classes, and history classes. She took an internship at the Philadelphia Horticultural Society because it fascinated her. And when it came time for her to graduate, she didn't attend her commencement ceremony, and opted rather to take an immediate job creating topigraphical maps of a national park up near University Park, Pennsylvania. Not long after, she took a job teaching 6th graders in California about the ecosystems in their environment at a camp about an hour outside of Napa Valley. She has always had an incredibly free spirit, and I envy that about her almost as much as I miss her.

But when I do see her (which is usually once or twice a year), she's always happy. She never seems to let anything weigh her down. She never worries about money (which she never really spends on anything but true experiences -- wine tastings, festivals, and camping), and she will happily travel on a whim. I would give anything to feel that free about life, and I often think about how I could do it, but I can't wrap my brain around the possibility without giving up everything in my life that's important to me: my job, my love, and leaving my family. So I've decided to try to embrace the chance to feel free in my everyday life. I need to move more slowly, think more slowly, and breathe more slowly. I need to enjoy the little things in life. Maybe, then, it will get me a little bit closer to California and living a free life, even if I can't be with my sister.