Note: This post was written before May 1, 2012 but posted later due to the X-Factor audition and traveling.

April always make me feel like colors are springing out of my pores. April has been a feel good month for me. I got to experience things that I’ve wanted to for years. I let my feelings go where they needed to. I absorbed a lot of really good design, and even felt my design muscles get even stronger. I returned to places where I experienced triumph and promise of a great future to have the same experience renewed and retold yet the same promise: better comes. I tried old things again, I tried new things, I followed my heart and remained dedicated to keeping it open.

Life
Life couldn’t be greater in April. Enough said.

Love
It was a formative month for love in April. The time that I had dreaded when my ex told me he was moving on had come. Tough news but I made peace with it gracefully. I drove to Austin to clear my head and climbed a mountain in Little Rock to find my peace and understanding with the whole situation. I realized that everything will be okay and what I need and want will fall into place.

I’m sitting in Houston Hobby, safe from a flight out of Dallas. And of course, seeing couples flying together gets me a little wistful. However, I noticed an elderly couple being disrespectful to each other — a woman grumpy and condescending, probably tired, and a man exasperated and lost on how to appease her, probably tired. It reminded me of what I don’t want.

My ex and I saw the Garland Symphony Orchestra courtesy of some timely discounted tickets I scored through Livingsocial. It was something I’ve been wanting to do for him. Our first date was to an Imogen Heap concert in 2006, and he was thoroughly inspired. So I wanted to give him that experience again. It was my first time seeing an orchestra live. We both enjoyed it.

Design
It was a good month for design but I never completed a project, except for updating my resume. I was thoroughly inspired by other designers and entrepreneurs that I chilled out on my own work. I did, however, by an iPad and immediately began designing a blog reading app for it.

I’ve also been greeting a lot of interest from recruiters, so I’m hoping to land a steady job soon.

Travel
Venturing to Austin to settle my heart storms wasn’t the only trip I had in April. I managed to make it to Little Rock to celebrate Earth Day by climbing the Pinnacle again with the magnificent Linda. It was a great bonding experience. We checked out a really cozy coffee shop and people watched while blogging. Like most places, Little Rock has some quirky and interesting people. It was a great trip that ended with a phone call from a recruiter mentioning a job in Little Rock. I don’t see myself living there though. We came back to Dallas and enjoyed my new favorite this year, Velvet Taco.

Despite getting anxious before the drive to Little Rock, I’m surprised I didn’t go crazy with the lack of travel in April. DFW events like attending the symphony in Garland with my ex, bike-riding at Ciclovia de Dallas and chilling out at the Denton Arts and Jazz Festival with Stacy helped distract me.

Towards the end of April I traveled to North Carolina for my X-Factor audition.

Food
At the start of April I did a 3-day cleanse and it was hard. I was a near cannibal by day 3. And at 11:59 I was in the drive thru at Whataburger. It was a good thing to do, though. Maybe I’ll do it again next year.

I reflected on how my palette has changed as I’ve gotten older. What helps is that I have friends that have adventurous tummies. Linda and I have an inadvertent tradition of me trying something new every time I see her. But I think I just like trying new things. I tried sauerkraut and a purple ice cream pie for the first time at Purple Cow Cafe in Little Rock. Both were weird but good. I also tried pulled pork at a BBQ joint in Little Rock, too. Delicious!

Music
It was a particularly strange event boarding the plane bound for an experience that I had wanted for years. My mother, who discouraged me from auditioning for American Idol at 16, walked me to the check-in line at the airport. It was incredibly strange. The experience of journeying to North Carolina for a vocal audition had a completed circle in many ways.

All month I’ve been preparing for a potential audition for the X Factor in North Carolina. I never found a coach, but I feel I’m ready to do well and have a lot of fun. I’m really excited to being doing this. I’m attempting to make my dream come true, and as soon as I get in line for a wristband to audition, I will have already won in my mind. I’ve been plagued by doubt for so long that I’ve let that doubt inhibit what could happen. So I’m trying and that’s all that matters. Anything else is a cherry on top.

Update: I scored a wristband and a seat ticket, so I’m definitely auditioning for X-Factor.

Books
I finished The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot and it was amazing. The experience of not being able to put a book down led me to start reading the Hunger Games trilogy. I really enjoyed the movie, but I’m having a little trouble getting into the first book, The Hunger Games. I’m hoping it will pick up a little bit more.

Cleansing
Cleansing! Per my goals for cleansing:

Online: Tumblr likes cleared. Less Facebook consumption. As a result, I’ve used Dribbble more so I can connect with other designers. I’ve cleared out a lot of my email accounts. I’m hoping to close at least one account in April.

Health: Super healthy this month. I did the cleanse and felt renewed. I went to the dentist after what seems like forever and was told that I was wasting the dentist’s time. *

Debt: My debt is still rising. But formulating a plan to reduce that.

House Clutter Reduction: I’ve mostly been working on my personal clutter, which is preparing for the big haul to Portland.

Abstinence: Lawd! It’s rough but I’m hanging in there. Spring is the height of my libido, but I’ve done a great job at resisting making babies. In not having sex I feel cleansed, though. So it’s a weird great feeling.

What to expect for May 2012: May is a completion month; I’ll be finishing a lot of projects I’ve been sitting on for a while, including finishing my portfolio and shop for companies to work with in the Northwest. As always, a lot of excitement and fun!