So this guy crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a rowboat. And then he crossed the Pacific Ocean, also in a rowboat. Decades ago. Just because.

Here are some highlights of John’s life, as detailed in the New York Times:

In 1972, he and his girlfriend, Sylvia Cook, sharing a boat, became the first people to row across the Pacific, a yearlong ordeal during which their craft was thought lost.

On a camping trip when he was 9, John concluded a fight with another boy by filching the scoutmaster’s pistol and shooting up the campsite. No one was injured, but his scouting career was over.

At 13, in thrall to Tarzan, he ran away from home to live in the jungle. He survived there as a trapper with the aid of local peasants, returning to town periodically to sell the jaguar and ocelot skins he had collected.

He later studied literature and philosophy at a university in Buenos Aires and at 20, despondent over a failed love affair, resolved to kill himself by letting a jaguar attack him.

In Panama, he met a pirate, applied for a job as a pirate’s apprentice and was taken on. He spent three years smuggling guns, liquor and cigarettes around the world, becoming captain of one of his boss’s boats, work that gave him superb navigational skills.

[During one sailing venture] Mr. Fairfax was bitten on the arm by a shark, and he and Ms. Cook became trapped in a cyclone, lashing themselves to the boat until it subsided. Unreachable by radio for a time, they were presumed lost.

Mr. Fairfax was often asked why he chose a rowboat to beard two roiling oceans. “Almost anybody with a little bit of know-how can sail, I’m after a battle with nature, primitive and raw.”

Is this the guy in the Dos Equis commercials?

My brother is a music person. My husband is a music person. My colleague Len? A music person. I’ve never been one.

I mean I LOVE music – almost all of it. Who doesn’t. But I’ve never been one to memorize artist facts. I never follow the newest, most popular bands. And I’m hopeless at identifying who sings classic songs…This is The Clash, DUH.

I dig indie bands and I like N’SYNC. I go gangster with Wu-Tang and rock out to Beyonce.

But. If I had to pick my favorite band/singer/song/etc, it all goes to Nate Ruess and his bands.

Beginning in college, The Format became a band I loved. For the first time, I knew every word to every song on an album, and listened to these songs whether I was happy, sad or something in between. Music makes strong associations with memories and stages of life, and if I had to link any melodies to my four years at ASU, The Format wins by a mile. The album I bought in 2003 has never left the CD player in either of the past two cars I’ve owned.

But – like so many good things – the band split a few years ago. Naturally devastated, I donned sweatpants and mourned appropriately. But then I quickly bounced back to euphoria when my step-sister, Sami, told me that Nate had started a new venture, fun. Happydance JOY time.

I’ve followed and come to love this new band, and when I heard their song in a Super Bowl ad this year, it reignited my love for Nate’s music. Time stood still. Angels flew overheard. I got the giddy stomach feeling and completely zoned out. Oh, and this ad? It also featured Rob Drydek – a real life super human and another personal obsession. But that’s for another post.

But I don’t know if it’s even fair to say, “I love this music,” or “I love this band.” It’s not enough and I don’t know what that means. What I do know is that this music ignites something in me. It stirs an energy. It’s comfortable and inspiring.

Tonight things got a little ironic. I went on facebook (we’re not back together, just dating casually) and saw that Heather – a friend and our engagement photographer – had posted a link to one of the band’s videos. Did I mention she’s met him? Sigh. Well I watched, completely enthralled, and got re-lost in the zone described so nauseatingly above. I decided to look at their tour dates, and had a SPASM when I saw they were performing in Chandler TONIGHT.

AHH.

In a mad rush to put my shoes on, I called the venue for directions and found out I MISSED IT.

I missed it, missed it, missed it.

My dogs can attest that there were a few tears and expletives.

But that’s ok. They’re in Tucson next month and in Mesa around my birthday. Going.

In the meantime, enjoy these:

“Fear-based news stories prey on the anxieties we all have and then hold us hostage. Being glued to the television, reading the paper or surfing the Internet increases ratings and market shares - but it also raises the probability of depression relapse. In previous decades, the journalistic mission was to report the news as it actually happened, with fairness, balance, and integrity. However, capitalistic motives associated with journalism have forced much of today’s television news to look to the spectacular, the stirring, and the controversial as news stories. It’s no longer a race to break the story first or get the facts right. Instead, it’s to acquire good ratings in order to get advertisers, so that profits soar.” -Psychology Today, June 2011

So, yeah.

Anyway, I distinctly remember these place mats (that are still available – who knew!). I know we had a ton of them, but right now all I recall is that one was a graphic of the solar system, one showed a map of the U.S. and another listed all the presidents.

Why am I thinking about this now? I guess because as I consider that tomorrow is President’s Day, I’m trying to figure out what the day means.

As a kid, the notion of a president – someone who runs an whole country – is crazy cool. I was intrigued to read about the dates they served and what they looked like, and often wondered if anyone Chinese or Black or Jewish would hold the role – let alone a woman. It didn’t register at the time what a moment it would be when this did occur.

For what it’s worth, if you think you know what we’re celebrating, think again. Or at least, read this, and you can be decidedly more confused.

In a competitive job market, internships are a great way to beef up your resume with real-world experience. As an intern, you land a short-term opportunity to work in your field, and that experience can help define the direction of your career. Plus, an internship is a fast way to expand your knowledge and add new contacts to your professional network.

Put this all together, and internships equal one very important thing: getting a job.

But what they don’t always amount to is a paycheck, at least not right away. Depending on how an internship is structured, you might get paid, you might get college credit, or you might get, well, nada.

And as you review your credit card bill, tuition statements, and other expenses, the idea of not having an income might seem daunting. But before you write those unpaid opportunities off, read on for a few reasons why companies don’t pay—and what you could stand to gain from them anyway.

Supply and Demand

Some businesses don’t pay their interns because (gulp) they don’t have to. If you’re seeking experience with a highly sought-after or prestigious organization (like MTV Networks or Clear Channel Communications), there’s likely a long list of people vying for the opportunity, and for good reason. The unpaid factor can be worth it in exchange for getting your foot in the door for a potential opening, accumulating great work samples, or gaining expertise that’s going to look awesome on your resume.

Non-Profit Means Non-Profit

If you’re seeking to intern with a non-profit organization, some may not pay you because, quite simply, it’s not in the budget. Same goes for start-ups. Organizations with limited funding can be in a tough spot when it comes to adding extra payroll—but that doesn’t mean it won’t be an awesome opportunity to get hands-on experience at places like the American Lung Association or Planned Parenthood.

Work Now, Pay Later

Some businesses use internships as a “trial period,” planning to hire most or all of their interns after a successful semester or summer. For them, it’s good—by the time you finish school and are ready to start working, you’re already trained and familiar with the company. And for you, it’s great—you get a job lined up pre-graduation. One example of where this occurs is Goldman Sachs: In 2011, almost 90% of new hires were former interns. (Also check out this list of top U.S. companies who hired interns in 2011.)

So before you dismiss an opportunity because it’s unpaid, consider what you might gain from it that will last a lot longer than money. Ask yourself:

• Will you get good experience in your desired field?
• Will you make contacts who can hire you or help you get hired elsewhere?
• Will you have opportunities for hands-on experience that will strengthen your resume and portfolio?
• Is there a good track record of interns going on to get jobs—with the company or elsewhere?

If the answer to most of these questions is “no,” then the unpaid gig probably isn’t worth your time—there are definitely companies out there that are just after free labor. But I participated in three unpaid internships in college, and all of them were good experiences that helped me make connections with people who I’m still in touch with—and who’ve helped me secure several jobs.

It’s important to remember that we’re in a tough job market, and when it comes to experience, knowledge, or contacts, every bit helps. As you make your choices, ask mentors, friends, or professors for guidance and support. Most importantly, enter any new role with an open mind and the awareness that it’s just one of many steps leading to your future.

In the ’80s, Ferris Bueller told us, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Mr. Bueller had a valid point here: one that’s become startling more relevant as I’ve gotten older. Life can be really hard, and go by really quickly, particularly during the transition into adulthood.

Full disclosure: when I use the term “adulthood,” I don’t actually know what it means. Not a clue. So I’ve always steered clear from linking adultness to a specific age or milestone, and instead, presumed it was that fateful moment when you realize that you’ve more or less become a functional member of society.

For me, my adult awakening happened while I was getting my tires rotated. All of a sudden, as I sat amid the stench of rubber and strange mechanical sounds, I froze.

What the hell was I doing at a tire store on a Saturday morning?

This wasn’t normal, no–this was something my parents would do. But my parents weren’t there. It was just me, unshowered in yoga pants, voluntarily having my tires rotated, on the weekend. Suddenly this felt eerily responsible, yet completely comfortable.

It was at this precise moment that I realized, despite still feeling like a 14-year-old most of the time, I was somehow a living, breathing adult. Somehow. But where had the time gone? Hadn’t I just moved into my freshman dorm?

Yet the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I had all the typical adult traits checked off my list. Married? Check. House? Check. Fully balanced tires? Check. Yep, I was rocking adulthood with the best of ‘em.

But here’s where it gets tricky. If I was really on the grown-up train, why did I still feel like my life wasn’t figured out? Why did some things feel so uncertain? It scared me to think that maybe my life was less than what it should be, or that I was missing out on things that I needed to be doing, seeing or feeling.

I began spending a LOT of time obsessing about this. I started to wonder if I was doing enough planning ahead while still living in the moment. I worried that I was devoting too much – or not enough – time to different areas of life. (This then became an intense internal debate over how could I travel the world while still contributing to my 401k.)

I was in a funk about this for a while as I overanalyzed my life, my passions, my bucket list and more. I admittedly drove myself a little nuts.

And then, as fast as this mental storm had arrived, it gradually began to fade. And lo and behold, although nothing had really changed, I was just fine.

And that realization was more powerful than my tire store epiphany. Acknowledging that everything was going to be ok was more enlightening than anything I’d spent weeks pondering.

In retrospect, the entire time I spent wondering if I was “grown-up” enough was probably the very essence of being an adult. I was just having a grown up version of growing pains. Contemplating serious things and evaluating my path didn’t mean I wasn’t a suitable adult, it just meant that I’ve still got some work to do. Exciting work.

I may be 28, but I’m still growing up, and I think that’s ok. As long as I remember to embrace the fact that my life is a work in progress. With any luck, this progress will continue for another 40 to 50 years, give or take.

I’ve always marveled at the way dogs develop and act on instincts, regardless of other environmental factors. Mine wear Halloween costumes and eat out of porcelain bowls, but  still manage to exhibit all kinds of traditional doggie instincts.

Somehow this is reassuring, that no matter how badly I’ve screwed up their training, dogs will be dogs.

It makes me wonder why humans, despite landing at the top of the evolutionary chain, can struggle so fiercely with following our own instincts. I’m not talking about biological reactions, but our own personal ones. What we should do in different situations, and what’s right or wrong for us. Often, these decisions are simple when viewed retrospectively, but in the moment they can be paralyzing.

Our world is over-complicated, and we’ve become experts at over-complicating how we operate.

I’ve always been an over-thinker. About everything. A lot of people say that about themselves, but I think I’m among the extra crazy percentile. I think things through, then re-think them, continue to overthink them, and then obsess about the potential consequences.

And that’s the ironic part, I’m never afraid to make a quick decision, but when it comes to bigger choices, the thought of doing something that ultimately could cause regret is scary. I hate what-ifs and I hate the fear of regret.

A few years ago, I was making myself nuts weighing an important decision, when a good friend said something that threw me for a loop:

“You’re a smart girl and you make good choices. What’s the last decision you made that you regret?”

And finally, my mind stood still.

Don’t get me wrong; I’ve made plenty of choices in life that I’d like to go back and rework, handle with greater finesse, or maybe just tone-down a bit (hello, college). But I couldn’t think of a single path I’d chosen that I would completely reverse. Not one.

Not all of our choices lead us to good places, at least not right away, but I think that we have to allow ourselves to be ourselves, in order to really become who we’re supposed to be. Dogs do what feels right without thinking, what they’re supposed to do, and we could learn a lot from them.