Thank you, Eleanor

Eleanor Roosevelt is probably one of my favorite female historical figures. She was such a courageous advocate for peace and human rights. Ever since I wrote a report on her life in fifth grade, I have found her powerful story consistently inspiring my own. So a few days before I left the states I flipped my daily calendar and I found a quotation from dear old Eleanor. It said,

You must do the thing you think you cannot do.

That quotation could not have been more perfect for the pre-flight jitters and packing anxiety that I was facing. I taped the calendar card into my journal.

This morning I have been arranging flights and trains to visit one of my dear friends in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This is the first independent trip I have really tried to plan, and goodness it is difficult. Me, the girl who gets anxious in Kansas City traffic, will be hopping a train to Birmingham, catching a plane to Belfast and back again all in the span of four days. I only feel a little bit nervous as I book my flights. (Here I am practicing the very classic British use of understatement.)

In this small state of panic, I remembered Eleanor. You must do the thing you think you cannot do. While booking a flight to Northern Ireland is nowhere near as difficult or taxing as promoting peace amidst in environment shaken by a world war, it is still difficult. Traveling is still frightening. But I vowed not to be anxious; I promised only to learn. If I get lost or stumble along the way, I will only be given a more interesting story to tell when I return to the states.

So thanks, Eleanor. I was needing a reminder.