AndyLand: Change

     I think the reason we so desperately hold on to the past and the memories it contains is because it's the only thing that doesn't change when everyone else does. People change without them even noticing. Sometimes for the good. Sometimes for the bad. We can't control anyone, even ourselves. At this very moment, all of us are changing. No matter how strongly we cling to the past, it's an irreversible process. All we can do is adapt. The fear I have of adapting is conformity. I don't want to be like anyone else. Existentialism proves that I'm constantly searching for my own identity. However, at the very core, all of humanity is alike by way of nature and by way of grace. To me, meaning and purpose are two vastly different ideas. On both a world and individual level, everyone is searching endlessly for their meaning and purpose. For me, the challenge is distinguishing the two obviously.

AndyLand: 100 Most Beautiful Words of the English Language

Ailurophile A cat-lover.Assemblage A gathering.
Becoming Attractive.
Beleaguer To exhaust with attacks.
Brood To think alone.
Bucolic In a lovely rural setting.
Bungalow A small, cozy cottage.
Candor Frank and sincere in speech or expression. *
Chatoyant Like a cat’s eye.
Comely Attractive.
Conflate To blend together.
Cynosure A focal point of admiration.
Dalliance A brief love affair.
Demesne Dominion, territory.
Demure Shy and reserved.
Denouement The resolution of a mystery.
Desuetude Disuse.
Desultory Slow, sluggish.
Diaphanous Filmy.
Dulcet Sweet, sugary.
Ebullience Bubbling enthusiasm.
Effervescent Bubbly.
Efflorescence Flowering, blooming.
Elision Dropping a sound or syllable in a word.
Elixir A good potion.
Eloquence Beauty and persuasion in speech.
Embrocation Rubbing on a lotion.
Emollient A softener.
Ephemeral Short-lived.
Epiphany A sudden revelation.
Erstwhile At one time, for a time.
Ethereal Gaseous, invisible but detectable.
Evanescent Vanishing quickly, lasting a very short time.
Evocative Suggestive.
Fetching Pretty.
Felicity Pleasantness.
Forbearance Withholding response to provocation.
Fugacious Fleeting.
Furtive Shifty, sneaky.
Gambol To skip or leap about joyfully.
Glamour Beauty.
Gossamer The finest piece of thread, a spider’s silk.
Halcyon Happy, sunny, care-free.
Harbinger Messenger with news of the future.
Imbrication Overlapping and forming a regular pattern.
Imbroglio An altercation or complicated situation.
Imbue To infuse, instill.
Incipient Beginning, in an early stage.
Ineffable Unutterable, inexpressible.
Ingénue A naïve young woman.
Inglenook A cozy nook by the hearth.
Insouciance Blithe nonchalance.
Inure To become jaded.
Labyrinthine Twisting and turning.
Lagniappe A special kind of gift, giving a little extra.
Lagoon A small gulf or inlet.
Languor Listlessness, inactivity.
Lassitude Weariness, listlessness.
Leisure Free time.
Lilt To move musically or lively.
Lissome Slender and graceful.
Lithe Slender and flexible.
Love Deep affection.
Mellifluous Sweet sounding.
Moiety One of two equal parts.
Mondegreen A slip of the ear.
Murmurous Murmuring.
Nemesis An unconquerable archenemy.
Offing The sea between the horizon and the offshore.
Onomatopoeia A word that sounds like its meaning.
Opulent Lush, luxuriant.
Palimpsest A manuscript written over earlier ones.
Panacea A solution for all problems
Panoply A complete set.
Pastiche An art work combining materials from various sources.
Penumbra A half-shadow.
Petrichor The smell of earth after rain.
Plethora A large quantity.
Propinquity Proximity; Nearness
Pyrrhic Successful with heavy losses.
Quintessential Most essential.
Ratatouille A spicy French stew.
Ravel To knit or unknit.
Redolent Fragrant.
Riparian By the bank of a stream.
Ripple A very small wave.
Scintilla A spark or very small thing.
Sempiternal Eternal.
Seraglio Rich, luxurious oriental palace or harem.
Serendipity Finding something nice while looking for something else.
Summery Light, delicate or warm and sunny.
Sumptuous Lush, luxurious.
Surreptitious Secretive, sneaky.
Susquehanna A river in Pennsylvania.
Susurrous Whispering, hissing.
Talisman A good luck charm.
Tintinnabulation Tinkling.
Umbrella Protection from sun or rain.
Untoward Unseemly, inappropriate.
Vestigial In trace amounts.
Wafture Waving.
Wherewithal The means.
Woebegone Sorrowful, downcast.

*bolded words are my top ten favorites.

AndyLand: Chance

I believe in chance. I think chance doesn't happen by chance at all, but I believe in it. Because, chances are that half the things that happen to us aren't what we plan, or expect, or hope for. Chances are, the road to success is going to be full of detours, constantly under construction, and possibly even made up of some dead ends.
Chances are that if you miss the train, the white horse will come instead. I believe in the almighty 'Plan B' because Plan A is always the most desired choice. Chances are, we won't ever get what we want, but instead, what we need. Chances are that when we know we've done right, it's because we've previously done wrong.
Chances are that if a door shuts, there's a window cracked open. No triumph is ever present without a little hard work and stress. Chances are that if at first you don't succeed, you may not succeed several more times. Chances are, the greatest successes are born from the ashes of the worst fiascos.
Chances are that when all is said and done, there will still be things left unsaid; and there will still be things left undone. Chances are that as soon as you are finished, you will have to start again. Chances are that every road has a dead end and a road on the other side.
Chances are that people are strong because they've known weakness. Chances are that people are wise because they've made mistakes. Chances are that the learner himself, has the most to learn. Chances are that everyone is made perfect by their abundant imperfections. Chances are that everything has a reason; it's whether we are granted the chance to embrace it that matters.