"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined." - Henry David Thoreau

SURPRISE! After my short hiatus following the photo malfunction, the time has come to reveal my favorite quote of all time. I first heard this quote in high school when we studied Transcendentalism and read works by Emerson, Thoreau, Emily Dickinson, and other greats, and it has stuck with me ever since.

Its overt optimism is part of my connection to the quote, even in the simple, yet transformative use of an exclamation point rather than a period, comma, or semi-colon. The message is clear, yet profound: if you can dream it, you can do it, and don't just think about it, get it done. This quote is a reminder of the power of the mind, and all of its creativity, intuition, and determination.

Before I left for college, my mom gave me the journal pictured above. Ironically, I've never actually written in it. Instead, the pages are stuffed with special letters, drawings, ticket stubs, and other mementos from over the years. Also, my best friend from high school surprised me a few years later with a pretty necklace inscribed with Thoreau's thoughts. Whenever I begin to feel bogged down in the day-today, I pull out the journal or the necklace and hold its message close, determined to continue living the life I imagined!