Am I just that lucky?

As I look forward to upcoming events in my life, I have to wonder... Am I the luckiest girl in the whole world? Or do I just know how to create opportunities for myself?

Lets talk about this. Today I woke up to the recollection that two of my best friends had already begun the 10 hour drive to come visit me. One of whom is making her 2nd trip to come see me since I've moved, and the other that is on her 3RD visit, and is planning to move here in a few months! Tonight, we will celebrate Andi's engagement at my favorite Philly restaurant, Shinju (a BYOB sushi place) with a bottle of Asti. Tomorrow, I am getting my hair done by the best cosmetologist in the world (for a reduced price since we are basically in a relationship). Sunday, I get to attend a Phillies game with the same lovely ladies and watch the Phillie Phanatic run around like a maniac (something I've been anticipating for a while now, but especially since I looked through all of the videos of him on youtube, see a few examples below). Then, in just over a month, I am going to the Netherlands for two weeks of laid back yachting, cycling, hiking to random islands, and chillin' with Dutch folk.

So I must be the luckiest person alive, right? How else could all of these great things happen to one person? Well... while I do consider myself extremely lucky, I don't think thats the whole story. Not to toot my own horn, but these didn't just happen purely by chance. The money for the plane ticket to the Netherlands didn't grow on a tree in my front lawn, and the bottle of Asti didn't walk itself to my fridge where it is anxiously awaiting my return. Instead, I think the following quote sums up what may be occurring:

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." - Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Numerous opportunities have presented themselves in my life, but I've also done a lot of preparation to get where I am today. Where is that? It seems like a place where I am truly able to take advantage of all that life has to offer, which feels pretty good.

So whats the take home message here? Shawn's life is sweet? Not quite what I was going for... Instead I wanted to convey the idea that preparation or opportunity alone may not be enough. Life isn't going to do all of the work for you and it probably wont randomly hand you everything you ever wanted. But with the right combination of prep and opportunity, and the right amount of time, the two will probably come together to create something pretty cool (the infamous 'luck' we speak of).

On that note, here is to being grateful for what I have: a great weekend with my best friends, a great upcoming trip, and of course, all those other awesome opportunities that may crop up in between!

Now, you have the opportunity to watch these videos and laugh, so please do!