Experienced Learning

As you can glean from my last post, I have been thinking of experienced learning and how important this is to a path of lifelong learning paramount to overall well-roundedness (maybe that's not a word but I like it!).  I am brainstorming my own experienced learning and have come up with this:

• Lost myself in a book as a child and tended a lifelong reading addiction taking me to places I'll never be able to go in real life. 
• Underwent a major surgery for a debilitating disability which caused me to reevaluate priorities.
• Been yelled at and berated by angry clients forcing me to realize that sometimes you have to let go and understand that some difficulty in their life is making them into that person.
• Gone through a very difficult major life change due to a bad decision I made with blinders on resulting in gained independence, confidence, again - reevaluating priorities, and a hopefully honed radar on what makes a person worthwhile.
• Stood on top of a mountain in the snow and felt like the luckiest person on earth to realize all that nature has to offer.
• Scuba in the ocean that made me feel how small I really am. 
• Dreamed on a daily basis which sparked my creativity and made me into a person who is never totally content without continued learning and travel.
• Suffered through years of grueling schooling to come out of the tunnel with a doctorate that I am especially proud of and a love of science that can never be quenched. 
• Met amazing people from all walks of life who showed me the grace and promise of God, the value of education, the ability I have to make a difference like they did.
• Had the love of a dog and felt the extreme loss of losing an irreplaceable companion.  
• Slept in a hammock with a feather pillow and the ocean breeze lulling me to sleep.  Sometimes the most memorable moments of life are solitary experiences.
• Put complete trust in a person who hasn't let me down.
• Felt the joyful rays of long-term friendship from dear, dear friends.
• Lost loved ones to death and had my heart break in a million pieces.
• Taken a molar tooth out of an aardvark. 
• Grown a backyard garden and experienced the satisfaction of growing your own food.
• Had the loves of others rub off on me...love of the outdoors from my dad and my husband, love of gardening/flowers from my granddaddy and my mom.
• Took off on my own adventure which taught me that even though being alone is hard, the excavation and strength of true self is found. 
• Happiness is self-derived.  You are as happy as you want to be.  I am fortunate to have forced this upon myself with the aid of knowing that God has put me exactly where he wants me to be. 
• Saving money is essential, but so are experiences.  You can't take it with you to the grave.  Save what you can and don't skimp on life experiences.