Here i am

And so the format of this site is changing yet again. This year has been a whirlwind adventure. I've spent the fall in DC learning about all things ICE, gallivanted through Europe and gained 10 pounds by eating a diet of strictly gelato and chocolate (and italian pasta, white bread, brie...the list goes on) and now I am back in the District for another summer. At this juncture, it seems like "travel writing" as i attempted before is a trite area--a little overplayed. My life is an adventure, certainly, but the daily happenings-- that is, the routine that accompanies the ins and outs of the working world-- is, let's face it--not that exciting.

SO, now this will become a more scattered collection of thoughts that pass through my mind and a collection of inspirations, things that are interesting to me, news articles and things i come across. Not that i expect for them to be interesting to you, but certainly if they entertain you briefly, then I've done something.

My first entry includes an excerpt from John Grisham's commencement speech to the graduates of the University of Virgina. Difficult as it may seem, I will be sitting in my own cap and gown a year from now provided everything goes as planned. But that's just it. Everything doesn't always go as planned as Grisham noted in his speech. I, above all people, should take something away from this.

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John Grisham

Novelist

University of Virginia

Thirty years ago this week, I graduated from college, class of 1977. I don’t recall much about my commencement. I do remember that the speaker was dull and long-winded, and he did inform us that the future was ours and the world was at our feet. I do remember sitting through my commencement being pretty smug: I was graduating from college, I had been accepted to law school and I knew exactly what I was going to do. I was going to study tax law. I wanted to be a tax lawyer because I was convinced I could make a lot of money representing wealthy people who did not want to pay all their taxes. That was my dream, and I had it all planned. I knew the day I was going to start law school, the day I was going to finish. I had a pretty good idea where my office was going to be. It was all planned.

I don’t know where this idea came from. I did not like tax law. I sure didn’t know any wealthy people. Looking back, I cannot begin to remember where this idea was planted, but that was my dream. I had everything planned. The idea of writing a book had never crossed my mind. I had never written anything that had not been required by school. I had never dreamed of it.

Lesson No. 1: You cannot plan the rest of your life.

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That should suffice for now. Stay tuned.

Love,

aim