Scrapbooking : It's Actually Not So Lame

Have you ever wanted to travel? My entire life, 36 years and 5 months, I have always dreamed of traveling. I want to travel the world. I strongly believe that I will someday. Hawaii, Ireland, Germany; the list goes on and on. Daydreaming during class, as a little girl in Croydon, Pennsylvania, of the far away places I would voyage to. My days would be filled with the most eccentric locals. I would spend hours listening to their history. Not just the country's history, but each individual's story; their own, personal graphic novel . I could not wait until I was outside of those decrepit walls of my local Roman Catholic Grade School and able to roam this beautiful land. I wanted to explore and learn about anywhere imaginable, but life doesn't always go the way we dream.

Now, would you believe me if I had told you that I had never before flown in an airplane? 36 years and 1 month of my life I was kept sheltered from this amazing world of air travel. So not that long ago, I had officially boarded my first airplane. You know what?! I absolutely LOVED it!!! The pure beauty that is this Earth, as seen from a bird's eye view. That is hands down one of the most breath-taking experiences you will ever have the pleasure of taking in, in your life. I took a plane across the country for the first flight of my entire existence. Long story short, I ended up traveling back and forth across the country one more time since the first time I flew. This time, we drove. We definitely had a few bumps along the way, but here is my entire point...I'm making an "Adventure" scrapbook with my fiancé about our excursions out West! You may think this is lame, but I am beyond excited!

Yes, if you know me, this may sound quite bland for my current project. But I have to say, it's the furthest thing from anything vanilla. Here is why...normality. I get it. You're completely confused now. See, what I mean is, the simple task of scrapbooking with your favorite pair of scissors is so normal, that it makes it an odd, cool thing for someone as shot out as I am. Okay, let's be serious now. Does anyone really know what "normal" is? Not quite. Nowadays, with the "I'm unique and beautiful for being me and who I am" type-personality to be what society deems as "normal". What we all have always labeled "normal", is now the rarity. Does scrapbooking sound any more hipstereques now? Totally does to me!

Something so societally "boring" now seems like one woman's journey into the world of new possibilities of endless memories to be made with this man,nwhom she couldn't imagine anywhere but right next to her, along for this journey called the rest of their life. Why did it seem to almost frighten me to actually put the book together? Silly, I know, but all of the sudden, I have this prolonged procrastination that has allowed me a few breaths of peace. If you consider breaths, months. Now it's finally time though. Time to get this baby started.

First, supplies. We need to have everything accessible because I do not want to have to constantly keep stopping and restarting...over and over. I will be prepared and do this right. I have the book with the scrapbooking papers inside of it. Our scrapbook's cover has a world drawn in the middle and says "Our Adventure " as the title. It was the coolest scrapbook about an adventure that Amazon had on clearance. I don't like to spend money unjustifiably. It's probably because I know what it's like when you have to announce to a room the fact that you never really did care for pie. See, once you've seen that glimmer in a child's eye as they never look away from that last piece of Banana Cream Pie because there is only one, singular piece left, you have to let them have it. I bet the child's expression is worth more than any piece of pie that you will ever eat in your life. The pie would be forgotten, but that feeling you got from watching someone you care for experience pure bliss simply because of a slice of pie, that will stay with you forever. To take the pie would be selfish and it would ultimately create bad karma. That's a whole other topic though. We are scrapbooking. One more thing besides the cute stickers and little trinkets to decorate with and the glue...the scissors. These may be the most important part of the scrapbooking supplies used for my project; My favorite pair of scissors.

My fiancé and I are actually having a blast while making our very first scrapbook together! I think that people may do this to be able to experience the memories that they've had all over again. They can do this through their laughter while making the "The World's Biggest Sign" Page or from the tears that they shed when reminiscing about how they had to sleep in the bed of their truck at 18° temperatures because they were broken down in the middle of a Bison farm out in East Japip, Missouri. Memories are extremely special to each and every person on this planet. Memories are often remembered due to a feeling that we experience and, in turn, attach to a specific event or occurrence in our lives. Hence, giving us the ability to remember. It's actually quite fascinating stuff. What a better way to keep the memories alive than to make a scrapbook.

Lord knows when I'll be able to hit the road and head across the country again or hop on a plane out of the United States and live my dream of traveling the world. I just know that I have more memories to create around this astonishing world. I also have more scrapbooks to make. Call me a nerd. I don't care. I actually enjoy this project thoroughly. The fact that I get to do it with a cute guy who has a few adventures under his belt as well, makes it that much better for me. Plus, we have to love what the men do to pacify us women. Scrapbooking is probably the furthest thing this man wants to do after working out in the heat all day. That's how I know that I found my lifetime scrapbooking partner. He may not be so thrilled about the scrapbooking part, but he still puts up with my antics, so I must be doing something right.

If you haven't tried your hand at making your own scrapbook yet, what are you waiting for? It's not going to magically appear. They're your memories. Now, go and reminisce about all the special moments in your life. Enjoy them, pass them down generations, and make them timeless. I'll bet you will love it too!!!