I am Jennifer Montgomery-Lay and I am a person with a life that is all over the map.
I am kind of an anomaly.
I am a wife and a mother, a homeowner, a nurse, and a doctor (or at least I think I am???) I am an advocator, a realist, a dreamer, and a writer. I am interior designer, a school teacher, a chef and a sommelier. I am a fundraising queen, a public speaker, and a party planning extraordinaire. I am a pharmacist and a travel agent. I can drive a mean taxi and find a bargain almost anywhere.
I like beautiful things, and I like beautiful people. I know that they don’t always come hand in hand.
I am a social butterfly who is scared to death of meeting new people.
I like to be at home as much as I love to travel.
I want everything the world has to offer yet the responsibility of having nothing at all- all at the exact same time.
Some might say I am charismatic, funny, ambitious and bold. Others might lean more towards bossy, opinionated, sarcastic and loud. I am likely a well blended version of both. Similar to that of a good Meritage.
I am a type A personality and like to be in charge. I struggle daily with the fact that almost everything is out of my control.
I swear too much- way too much.
I am working on it, but honestly, sometimes the only thing I know to be entirely true- is that life can be completely F**ed up.
I like the word Fuck. It makes me feel better so I use it, probably just a bit too much.
Some may say that is similar to my wine consumption- but they can F….. off- (see… I can’t help myself)
I am 40 years old, possibly heading towards some sort of a mid life crisis, and looking very forward to the ride.
I know how lucky I am.
12 years ago I was faced with one of the biggest wake up calls I could ever receive. I found out my daughter had brain cancer.
This diagnosis, the experiences, and the realities of this relentless disease have left me questioning everything I thought I knew about life. I have been forced to take inventory, make drastic personal changes, and re evaluate everything and everyone I thought I knew.
Basically, cancer, has screwed me right the hell up.
Do not be mistaken, it did not, however, awaken me to some epiphany or sudden awareness that I need to seize the moment and see the world NOW. It did not inspire me run out and write a bucket list, then, race around frantically crossing each item off. It simply opened the door, and my mind, to the understanding that life is in fact a cliché.
You DO only live ONCE, and sometimes that life is shorter than you or anyone could ever imagine.
Life is NOT fair, and most of the time it makes no sense at all, but every once in a while you do get second chances. Our family has been granted one of those lucky second (or fourth) chances, and as such, I intend to make it count.
I believe that life is filled with many obligations, but the one we overlook the most is the obligation to ourselves. We forget that we have do have the ability to choose what makes us happy. We see the ugly, the obstacles, and frustration of life and far too often we focus on what we can’t change instead of allowing ourselves the freedom to experience what truly feeds our souls.
I am by far no expert, but I am working towards my own personal happiness and fulfillment. I understand that no one else can do it for me. No one else is in charge. I also understand that my time here is limited and I want to have as little regret as possible.
So, on that note, I forgot to mention that I am also a researcher- and basically, this blog, is just me testing a life theory.
It is a controlled trial that shows strong evidence I will be left with less money and more wealth.
My goal is to compare data collected through day to day monotony and wanderlust adventures. I will share promising approaches to anyone struggling to cope in a world of childhood cancer and brain tumors. I will test theories related to maintaining a marriage, a home and all the normal responsibilities of an average Joe while regularly throwing caution to the wind. All facts disclosed will be derived from completely randomized studies. Personal statistics are showing favorable results and analysis so far indicates my children will not be completely messed up.
This clinical trial is still in Phase 1- but so far, the results are reassuring. From what I see, the most encouraging data comes from a therapeutic and consistent dose of adventure and travel.
If you are interested in participating in this study, subscribe to this blog.
Side effects have not yet been determined, and there is no guarantee this research will work for you, or that you won’t get the placebo. Your participation is completely at your own risk.