The Adventurous Meliza Women

This post has nothing and everything to do with my move to London. It's just an interesting, random sort of thought rumbling through my brain.

Yesterday Mom emailed me about one of her radio programs. This is one of those radio talk shows where someone with fancy letters after their name (as opposed to plain old LMT) gives advise to people with various personal problems. On this particular show, two women called in complaining about their lot in life.

Mrs. A moved to England 6 years ago with hubby. Originally, they were only supposed to be there 1 year, but 1 turned in to 6, and now Mrs. A is whining and carrying on about how HARD living in England is. I am still trying to figure out how hard it could possibly be (and so is the Dr. on the program). It's not like they live in bamboo huts without refrigeration and running water. And I know they have McDonald's. It's more expensive and people aren't as addicted to it over there, but that's hardly a BAD thing!

Mrs. B's husband has always dreamed of an African safari. Mrs. B is freaking out because Africa is such a horrible place and she does NOT want to go. Mom and I agree with the program Dr. These women have no appreciation for how lucky they are! The Dr.'s advice? Pioneer women followed their husbands to truly HARD places! So, they should get some books on the pioneer women and how hard their lives are, read them, and stop complaining! Here they have the opportunity for some truly Grand Adventures and they are wasting time moping and complaining!

This got me thinking about how Adventurous Meliza women actually are. I guess I never thought I came from an "adventurous" sort of family, but truly, the women in my family are amazing!

First there was Ellen who got to live in Brazil for a few years. Then Bonnie headed off to live the glamourous life of a Connecticut nanny. Yours truly did a brief jaunt in Scotland... ALONE! Then Mom and Shirley went to Africa. Not together. Mom and Dad went to Nigeria and Shirley to Mozambique. Michelle hauled up to some island in the North Pacific while Daniel hauled poor Rita to the Idahoan Outback. Not to be outdone, Mom grabbed Dad and hauled him along to the Idahoan Outback. Or maybe it was the other way around. Admittedly, I am not sure who dragged who more! It may well have been neck and neck! Currently, Lili is living it up in Western Samoa for TWO YEARS! And I, as you all know, am about to embark upon the adventure of a lifetime in ENGLAND! And those are just the current Meliza women. I won't even start on those past. Those women (Meliza and Crosiar) who paved the why and fired our blood for adventure!

To my mind, the Meliza women don't just enjoy adventures, they SEEK them out. They relish in them and long for more. Each day is an opportunity for learning, for growth. For seeking new things and embracing new ideas. Without adventure, we languish in boredom. Whether it's learning about "living off the grid" in Idaho, flying to new states with friends, or packing up and leaving the country to enjoy a new life in a new nation, we continue to seek new adventures. We don't sit and whine and complain about how life is DIFFERENT wherever we are than wherever we were. We embrace it (well, we may not embrace eating pig's ears or haggis), learn from it, expect differences. Because in difference is beauty and learning. So, here's to the Meliza women... by blood and by marriage... Adventure Divas all!

(PS. Lili, I hope you don't mind me stealing your Adventure Diva picture for my blog!)