I couldn't stop the hot tears from spilling out. I was in the seventh grade and the list for the members of the chamber choir had been posted outside of the choir director's office. I had practiced, I had auditioned, I had been waiting with anticipation for a whole week! As I frantically sought out my name, my heart fell as each inky black scribble on the sheet betrayed me. After reading the names of all my friends several times over it became clear through blurred tears: I was not good...

99% of life happens in the ordinary.

If someone had told me that at 16 (or perhaps they did and it didn't register in my teenage brain), my poor wanderlust heart would have begged to just let the sparrows take me. I had high expectations to move and shake the world, "make a difference", and believed that I would accomplish it all by the ripe old age of 25. I wanted to travel the globe, I wanted every day to be an exciting adventure of finding myself in new places and making my mark in...