Vol. III, No. 6
LIVE from Mongolia and I have been touring the Northeast, and now we're in Cincinnati. But let me back up just a few days to Philadelphia.
Philadelphia is a glorious city. If I didn't live in New Zealand, I'd make a home of Philly. I'd wake up at dawn somewhere near Edgar Allan Poe's house, and write pieces far less scary than Poe penned. Then I'd stroll the block around my tree-lined street and ensconce myself in the history that is so present in this stunning town. I'd breakfast, lunch, and dinner on crepes at L'Etage, and then because I'd have to go to the gym after all those crepes, I'd do just that, walking past Independence Hall, imagining the signing of the Declaration of Independence taking place centuries ago…in my neighborhood.
But alas, it isn't my neighborhood. However, it's my friend Lara Rhame's neighborhood, which makes it almost just as good, because I can visit early and often. Lara and her husband Josh Spivak put me up (and put up with me) last weekend in Philly, and, along with L'Etage, hosted a LIVE from Mongolia signing.
What was interesting about this signing in particular was that it was more a discussion on the why of following a dream. Why do we choose to pursue a particular path? What are the inherent obstacles? And what about the joyful triumphs? Time and again, this time being no different, I've found that what unites us, from North Korea to Mongolia and Cincinnati and Philadelphia, is our combination of dreams and our obstacles. And this time, in the audience, were people anywhere from teenagers to septuagenarians. And once again, we united on the theme of pursuit.
After all this dialogue, I had a moment alone. At first, I pondered the nature of pursuit, but then I wondered, 'How is pursuit necessarily possible?' Almost always, it is possible only with the help of others. And so it was in this case. Without the help of Lara and Josh and L'Etage in Philadelphia, Andrea and Loews in Boston, and Ginger and Jamie along with Busboys & Poets in Arlington, I would not have been able to make this incredible journey throughout the Northeast. And I certainly could not have done this without the support of my husband, my in-laws, and my own family and friends.
Speaking of which, I am desperately missing my little girl. It's been a month since I last saw her, and she's saying and doing things that she hadn't done before, like uttering "monkey" for the first time, running instead of walking, and wearing her hair in pigtails. When your daughter's hair has enough time to grow into pigtail-length, you know you've been gone a long time. It's about time…to go home.
Until then, stay tuned for updates from Cincinnati and Washington, D.C.!
- Patricia Sexton is the author of LIVE from Mongolia, the true story of what can happen when you follow your wildest dream. LIVE from Mongolia is available on Amazon.com and in various bookstores in the U.S. It's been featured in The Daily Beast, on WKRC TV the CW, several radio programs, and is Cornell University Mag's Top 5 book for the quarter.
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