Oui, Sí, Yes!

The most important thing to remember is this: to be ready at any moment to give up what you are for what you might become. – W. E. B. Du Bois

In my last blog post I mentioned that I’m on a mission to find my chi. And no, I’m not talking about my flat iron! You see it all started a few months ago on my eight-hour car ride home from college…

If it wasn't for Texas....

I had just finished the last round of finals. Sleep deprived and resigned to the fact that I would be stuck in my car for eight hours with nothing but a large order of french fries and some old CDs, I began to think. 

I had just spent a year doing all the things that you’re supposed to do when you’re in college. Class and studying consumed my weeks while my weekends had been full of football games and friends. But somewhere between Duncan, Oklahoma and Dallas, Texas it dawned on me that all of that “fun” didn’t seem very fulfilling anymore.

In fact it was so unfulfilling that I had applied to transfer to another university for the next fall. I had completely lost touch with everything that grounded me and I was desperate to regain my balance.

In the last hour of my long trek home those nagging thoughts about my finals came creeping in. Did I mark A or B on that question? I hope I remembered to number the pages on my essay...That essay! Thank goodness that the essay question on my Comparative Religions final was one that I was prepared for!

The essay had been all about central teachings to eastern religions. The eastern religions had captured my interest throughout the semester and I spent a good deal of time learning about chi. This chi was the innate energy that existed within all humans. This energy was the essence of all things you, it was your life force. The problem was that I had no idea where my chi had gone!

In my driving induced delirium I became convinced that if I relocated my chi that I would feel fulfilled again. Don’t misunderstand me, I was not looking under couch cushions to find a ball of energy. Instead, I was looking into myself.

One night I returned home from my summer job with throbbing feet and an aching back. I retreated to the couch with a Lean Cuisine and the TV remote. Nothing good was on. I scanned through my mom’s recorded movies, most of which consisted of C grade Hallmark films. Man, this woman needs a Netflix subscription, I thought to myself. I finally settled on Eat, Pray, Love. I clicked play.

Well on her way to finding her chi!

I had never seen the movie before, but within twenty minutes I knew exactly what the movie was all about. It was about a woman traveling the world on a mission to find her chi! I was reminded of my own mission. But I couldn’t pack up my life to fly around the world. I didn’t have the money or the time! I was still a broke college girl struggling to keep Special K in her pantry!

I decided last minute to return back to the same university. So, I thought, how’s a twenty something year old on a tight budget and limited schedule supposed to find her chi when she’s stuck in Nowhere, USA? My answer? I was just going to say yes, especially if it was to something that I would have said no to before. I was going to become a Yes Girl.

Ever seen that Jim Carrey movie called Yes Man? Well I was going to be the 21-year-old girl version of Jim Carrey’s character, minus the emotional breakdown. (Hopefully…)

As soon as I started I knew that my experiences were going to be too good not to share. So far I’ve done everything from taking up Turkish to approaching a table of cute law students at a bar. The things a girl will do to track down her chi! Anyways, now that you understand the method to my madness I hope that you’ll stay posted to find out what mess I’ll get myself into next! Get ready for The Yes Girl Monologues!