Wedding Pin Boards

I created my Pinterest account some time ago, but never really went on it. I have been spending some time on it lately though, as I have realized it is pretty much the most amazing index ever of ideas, recipes, thoughts, and inspiration. I have my board for things I want to cook, places I want to go, words that inspire, exercise routines I need to do, craft ideas, helpful hints, outfit inspiration, and a couple others. It is the best thing since peanut butter because it allows me to keep an online picture book of inspiring things organized and ready to access at any time. But, unlike probably 90% of females out there, I do not have a board that is for wedding things.

Now, this could be because I generally am the notorious single girl, and have pretty much guffawed at the words "wedding" and "children" my whole life, but I also think it's because I tend to live in the moment, and definitely don't really plan ahead. You can call me crazy, but I think that unless you have some immediate plan to get married (I'm talking, you're about to get engaged, are engaged, or are on the brink of engagement), you do not need this board. Especially when you consider how many more things are going to be put out there about weddings from now and the time you actually have that day of "glory." (Can you say, information over-load?) And I know I am likely to offend or insult about 90% of my female friends with this one because they all have them, and I'm fairly certain that most of my close friends I have spoken with about this to some extend, so here we go... 

My page of pins from people I follow is constantly being over-run by stuff about freaking weddings. I get it, most girls grow up just dreaming about their wedding and the day they enter unholy matrimony, but come on! And especially for all those single gals out there pinning their wedding dreams away, do you really think that is going to help the case of depression you most-likely have about being single in the first place? Because I. sure. don't.

A screen shot of my Pinterest page, in which almost half of the visible pins are wedding related, and I think only one friend is married, a couple are engaged, and a handful in relationships. OHEMGEE -- see what I mean?

I'm just saying... All these young, hot, 20-somethings (or even younger) do not need to be thinking about weddings. Instead, women of our age should be thinking about things like travel, exploration, learning about who we are and really establishing ourselves and getting a little too comfortable in our own skin, not being tied down by some guy who is going to seriously diminish your chance of getting out there and experiencing life and other countries (Yes, my main concern is that once you get married, children are likely to follow, and well, unless you're rich and/or famous, you're probably not going to get to see the world. I apologize for being pessimistic, but not for what I am saying.). (I should clarify: I love my man, but that doesn't mean I'm going to start pinning about an event I don't even know if I want to have.)

I respect "to each their own" and the right to Pin-freely, but I choose not to partake in the white wonderland mental mess that many of my fellow lady-folk do. And naturally, now that I am done with this post, I am thinking of all the reasons why I am against my own words (I like to pin shoes I'll probably never own just because I love them, it's like my wedding). Too late.

I guess the bottom line is: Do what makes you happy, but don't pin about a wedding if you're sad about being single.

Love Too Much

I am so unmotivated right now.

I cannot think of what to write about, because the topics that I have on my "to-write about" slate are lacking all appeal in the current moment, and honestly, I think everything is.

The only things that I really want to do right now are (1) go home, (2) cuddle, and (3) sleep. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I have been waking up at 5:15am each morning this week to go to Runyon and walk/jog/run, and my body hasn't yet adjusted to start letting me fall asleep before 10:45, which translates to not enough sleep, and a semi-grouchy, tired, unmotivated, and careless Allison (in the sense that I literally don't care about much right now other than getting and giving love). 

It's times like these that I think to myself how much I "need" my A.D.D. medicine back in my life, and then that thought makes me mad because I do not ever want to think to myself that a pharmaceutical is what I need to feel better, when in fact, all I need is a good hug. 

I am becoming increasingly aware of how needy I am when it comes to affection, and how much love I have in my heart. I have a constant need to be in loving contact with people, whether it be touching, smiling, laughing, or having some sort of uplifting conversation, I need that all. the. time. It becomes quite a hassle when I live alone, having all these needs for affection and love, and an even bigger hassle considering that my man lives an hour away, on a good traffic day. 

Because I am constantly over-flowing with love for people, I often find myself looking at people I don't even know, but am drawn to, wanting to walk up to them and just wrap my arms around them. I think that's what I like so much about festivals: that's completely acceptable behavior. I tried it at the club I went to in Hollywood on Friday night to see Pleasurekraft (a GREAT show I might add), and it was received with a bit of shock. Although they handled my random passing-of-energy better than I would have expected in that setting. At a festival, anytime you bend down to stretch, you are suddenly feeling hands on you rubbing you out. And usually, when you stand up and look to your friend to say "thanks," there's some random person walking away from you -- it's amazing. 

Yep, I think I shall become a gypsy soon. Living with very little life-plan other than to love and be loved. I honestly don't need much else other than produce, water, and protein in my life, so why not? ;) 

Today's Thought/Question: Consider becoming a traveler and a gypsy -- what are the four things in life you feel you could not live without? 

Birth Control

Today I am diving into a topic that is very sensitive: birth control.

There are many kinds out there that people use, and generally take advantage of, but there is one that has not yet been put to the test. Now, I realize that this is giving myself a little too much credit, but I think that a pretty solid form of birth control would be: to let me decide.

Yup, that's right, let me choose who is allowed to have babies, and who needs to take a double dose of that BC to avoid populating the world with their nutty little balls of baby.

I would implement this style of controlling birth in a few ways, such as spending some quality time with the people to determine if they would (a) make a reasonable baby (not one that's going to become an abuser, rapist, murderer, or overall bad person to the environment and others), (b) make good parents, and (c) be able to actually take care of the thing. Too many people are running around having kids that they can't afford. I realize that that negates the importance of a child by referring to it as a "thing," but since I am not being gender specific, you'll have to get over it. Back to what I was saying... So many people are popping babies out of their uh-huhs that they really have no business having in the first place. It seems like there are a number of cases of people having children just because they want something to love and to love them back. As a HUGE supporter of love, I can generally see where they are coming from, but as an even bigger supporter of not taking on more than you can handle, I cannot agree with their decision to reproduce just for the sake of having a love ball. (Note: "Ball," "ball of," or "nugget" are referring to the fact that babies are so tiny, and essentially, balls, especially of something [mucous, pee, poop, cries, cuteness].)

Of course I would enlist some help in this, because I am not in the mood to sit behind a desk and talk to the ~7 billion people of the world. Nor can I communicate in any other language than English, Spanglish, some Spanish, and love, sooo that pretty much just leaves me with the U.S. Great.

Ok, so I don't actually think that I should become the latest trend in birth control (even though if I did the world would be populated with the most loving, caring, giving, peace-making people ever... wait, why am I not everyone's BC again??), I just really think that either some people need to learn how to properly use it and stop overpopulating the world with slime balls that grow up to be total jack-offs, or they need to have a child for a better reason, or not on accident (I realize that if it's an accident it wasn't intended, but there are plenty of "accidents" that could have been avoided. Yes, I'm talking to you, girl who stopped taking your pills so you would get PG.). We are in a complete state of crisis (please note slight over-dramatization and exaggeration), the world is about to implode, or explode, or do something and barf us all off of it, and it is time that we start raising people to be a little more conscious of the bigger picture. (Starvation, thirst, AIDS/HIV, other diseases, people living in squalor, people [*cough*President Dilma*cough*] deciding to ruin the home of thousands of other people, and other more pressing issues than, "OH EM GEE! Like, which overly-priced hand bag should I, like, use today... and will my unnecessary baby fit in it?")

More stuff to think about. And even more stuff to think about: Are you really ready to have that baby that you want so badly? Think about it, and if the answer to any of the following questions is "yes," dose up, baby (on that BC / no pun intended)!

1. Have you let a bill go unpaid for more than two months, in the last year?
2. Have you skipped eating a healthy meal and instead eaten some garbage like McDonald's because it was more cost-effective, in the last month?
3. Is your relationship falling apart, been apart, or not in a very good place, nor has it been for the last year?
4. Did you think of yourself at any point in this post because you don't know if you are really ready?

Happy Tuesday! ;)

Stress, Peace, & Brazil's Big Mistake

Yesterday I returned to Mosaic Hollywood for the Sunday morning service and the pastor was talking about stress. He asked us to look to the person next to us and tell them three things that really stress us out. Mine were (1) the crossroads I am at in my life, and knowing what decision I should make or what path I am supposed to go down next, (2) money, and the third was a bit harder for me to come up with, and I can't even remember what I said now. After we were done, I sat there thinking about things that really stress me out. The first I listed is a huge source of stress and provokes a lot of thought in my life, and money, yes, it can be stressful, but I've figured out my budget and am prepared not to let money be a stresser in my life, so that one really didn't need to be said. As for the third, I was quite pleased, and shocked that I was having such a hard time thinking of a third thing that reeeeally stresses me out, but when we were finished I realized the biggest thing I stress about is a world and people without peace and love.

I know that sounds like some load of complete hippie crock, but it is absolutely true. I am a surprisingly empathetic person, and when others are in a bad situation and feeling pain, I take it on as my own and it makes me incredibly sad. I get tears in my eyes almost daily when I exit the freeway and see someone standing there with a sign, asking for help. When I see an elderly person who is alone and struggling, I cry because I fear they have no loved one to take care of them, and when I see a family that is in a bad situation, it makes me feel broken inside.

Our world has so many wonderful, beautiful people in it still, but the overall things that people care about and do with their time are not reflective of a positive and loving life. I read an article today about Brazil. Their President, Dilma, has given the okay for the beginning of a construction build to help produce electricity. Now, I'm into electricity, I love to be able to charge things and use things like lights and stoves, but when the cost of all of that is spending money that isn't really there, that's a problem. But what's an even bigger problem, and pretty much the only one when we consider that money doesn't matter and people do, is that this construction is going to displace over 40,000 indigenous and local people. The hydroelectric plant is going to ruin at least 400,000 hectares of forest land. (If you would like to sign a petition against this heinous behavior, click here.)

How is it possible that we've come to the point where people are willing to destroy the lives of tens of thousands of people just to make more money and provide more comfort for those who already have it? We have got to stop putting all the focus on stuff, things, material goods, and money, and start putting it on the only things that will really ensure our survival and happiness...peace, love, respect, coexisting, and taking care of one another. We are all going to end up killing one another at the rate we're going. We've got to unite and learn to care for each other, understand each other, and learn from one another. If we don't life is sure to get boring because everyone will be the same, and there will be even more mindless drones walking around.

Just some stuff to think about.

Showing Some Love

So I have been discovering more and more lately blogs that I absolutely love and draw serious inspiration from in life, love, style, and thinking. I thought that I would pay respect to these blogging geniuses by linking their blogs onto a post of my own so that my friends might also discover their greatness, and hopefully be drawn and inspired in their own lives. As follows:

• A Shress A Day - This blog I recently found and quite instantly fell in love with. Food, beauty, fashion, inspiration, and creativity are all found in this blog. It's a good place to come if you are looking for ideas.
• Adventures of Devin and other short stories - I don't know how many of you have seen or follow DevinSuperTramp on YouTube, but if you haven't or aren't, you should. He makes the most amazing videos that are insane, fun, artistic, beautiful, and everything else good in the world. Such inspiring work, and I'll admit I'm just a liiiiittle bit jealous that he is making a living by traveling around, making amazing videos, and taking wonderful photos. Not fair? Yeah, I don't think so either.
• BangerzOnly - The name says it all...bangerz only. My friend introduced me to this blog, and I am eternally grateful. This music blog is sure to keep those feet happy and your ears filled with joy. It hasn't been properly loading for some time now, but the cached version still allows you access to that goodness we call music.
• Christine In Spain - She is essentially living the life I am meant to live, and I adore the way she talks about Spain. I thought I would be doing something similar to what she is this next year, so I started to follow her blog to read her adventure stories. I will not be going abroad as an expatriate, but I still get great joy (and sadness) when I read her posts.
• Eat.Live.Wear - Ok, I literally just discovered this blog today, and already have read the entire thing. The pictures are depicting my ideal world, and her words are just so, so lovely. I am obsessed (to say the least), and cannot wait to look over this blog time and time again. She is a soulsister of mine, and I will probably never meet her (manifesting this otherwise), but I am now in love for eternity. Take time to look, read, absorb, and apply all she has to offer.
• Honestly WTF - This blog is AWESOME. So many good DIY projects, pictures, and other thing to inspire you to be creative! If it's cool, it's on here, and you will actually find yourself saying, "wtf" while taking in what they're putting out. 
• Cupcakes and Cashmere - Clothes, food, DIY, you want it, you got it, right here. She is one of the most popular/most-followed bloggers around, and one look at her page explains why. Beauty everywhere, including herself.
• Live Music Blog - Music = happiness. Find some live sets, find some new artists. Enjoy!
• Macarons and Pearls - Style, DIY, beauty, and living with a little bit of a French flair. This blog has some great beauty and style ideas and is sure to inspire!
• LaurenConrad.com - She is fabulous, so of course her website is a total gem. So many good things to see, learn, and explore on here.
• Pancakes and Beer - One of the best music blogs I've seen. My friend introduced me to this one as well, and I've never looked back. Lots of good mixes, lists, and information!
• Smitten Kitchen - Everything I see on here makes my mouth water. You are such to find some recipes on here that you want to try. And, the page is so beautifully done. 
• Songs for Tonight - I have found some really cool new tracks on here and discovered some artists I didn't already know about. 
• Stripes and Sequins - Do I even need to explain? The title alone sums up why I am so in love with this DIY and style blog!
• This Song Is Sick - Again, I feel an explanation is unnecessary. 

I hope you can find inspiration in these gems of wonder to do something new in your life. DIY, recreate, reinvent, whatever you choose, please make it for the benefit of others and the world. 

Today's Thought: Creativity surrounds us, and while we might not always think so, it is embedded in our being as well. Tap into it and explore the endless possibilities that lay ahead. 

Recipe: The Perfect First Snack

I'm not sure if any of you are aware of the fact that I love to cook and can do so fairly well, but now you are. There are so many days where I cannot think of what to write about and am lacking a little inspiration, so I realized last night while making my first ever edition of fish tacos (which I photographed and will turn into a post soon), that I should write some posts that are DIY's, recipes, health and fitness, or other crafty things I might embark on and do. So this will be the first of many posts that are my little treats!

I have always loved yogurt. Frozen, Greek, Yoplait, icy from the fridge being too cold, whatever, I just love yogurt. I even made my Facebook status "I wish I lived in a froyo shoppee" last week because I was craving some so badly and generally wish I was always surrounded by it. But it wasn't until I spent a fewwwwwww... months living with my uncles that it became a part of my daily life during the week. I now take with me to work each and every day a little container of yogurt to have as my second meal of the day, aka first snack (between breakfast and lunch). *Remember: The healthiest way to eat is small portions, multiple times a day! Ideally, have five meals every day.* With it I will put in any combination of things, as follows:

Raspberries/Blueberries/Strawberries
Fruit Salad (banana, yellow nectarine, peach, plumcout, plums, etc)
Granola
Shaved Almonds
Cinnamon
Cocoa Almond Butter
Agave Sweetener
Dark Choco Covered Almond Bits
Dried Cranberries
Peanuts
Trail Mix Items

(Note: I usually mix vanilla and plain yogurt together, but the possibilities are endless!)

Fresh Fruit & Berry Salad

See? The possibilities are endless! It really is the perfect snack too. It's flavorful, if you use berries you are getting antioxidants, and it's really filling. It keeps me from hitting the snack cart and grabbing a snack size bag of Hot Cheetos, Chips A'Hoy, or as someone so kindly brought in today, Krispy Kreme donuts. It gives you lots of the healthful and beneficial things you need, while also providing you with a nice sweet snack. (Also a really good one to eat between lunch and dinner to make you feel like you're having ice cream dessert.)

Today's Thought: No matter what you think you are capable of doing, you can always do and give more!

Money Sucks

I am so tired of money running the world, and of Pinterest for making me increasingly aware of all the goodies that are out there, but that I can in no way afford now, or likely anytime in the next 20 years. I realize that I should be a bit more optimistic about it, but when the price tag for a pair of heels is pushing $1,500, I must be a realist.

Balenciaga<3 

Money really does suck. It deprives people of the things they really need in life, such as food, water, and a coat in the winter and education, and the things a lot of people really want in life, such as to travel the world, look fashionable and chic, and be able to ditch the day job and hit the road to helping other people. (Not that this is in essence a description of me or anything, never!) Why can't we go back to the good ol' days when people traded and bartered in order to get what they needed and wanted? You know, I want your daughter, so here is my fattest pig, I would like some fresh water to drink, so here is a corn on the cob, and the best (I think) something like, I would like a bit of loin cloth to cover my genitals, so here is a beautiful flower headdress. I am well aware of the face that different materials and products possess different value so trading a Ferrari for a sandwich won't exactly be a fair trade, but the basic things that we all generally use and need on a daily basis should absolutely have some sort of trade value.

I am going to start a commune. It will be clothing optional, located near hot springs for swimming, mountains for climbing, and require no money. We will grow our own crops, fish from the nearby lake, and have a natural fresh water source that we can access. Cows, pigs, and chickens will be welcome, but as pets, not food, or means of trade for like a Boston Cream Pie that the city next door might have, since we certainly won't have ovens. Yes, it seems a bit far-fetched, but I am certain that my future holds a period of time in which I will live in this way. You can either join me, or stay away with your filthy pollution and greedy ways! ;)

Today's Thought: Not a thought, just mere curiosity... I sit here pouring my soul out to all of you (there are all of you, right? hmm..), but rarely have anyone that comments back. But now that I have described to you my future commune (remember, you're welcome to join as long as your are a peaceful, loving, and positive creature), I would like to know a little about your perfect world. What would it involve?

The Fahzha & The Mahzha

I realize that Father's Day was yesterday, but since I don't have wifi at my apartment I will be putting up a little post about dads today.

My dad, Patrick John Fedor, is insane. He is so smart, knows so much about so many different things, can talk to anyone, and has given me some of the most valuable advice that I've ever received in my entire life. He has always been there to put me in my place and get me in check, but he's also always been someone to build me up and make me feel better about myself and whatever situation I might be struggling with. He can make anyone laugh, and will blow people's minds with some of the things he says.

My father is one of the most generous people I've ever met, and takes care of other people's families and children as if they were his own. He doesn't let our finances stop him from doing the work of God and giving back to people who need help. He knows that no matter what the struggle, God is there and will continue to take care of us. When I think about how my dad takes care of other people, it is an inspiration. I think it is because of him that I know that I don't need to worry about taking care of myself, because God will do that. I've been a witness to this almost my entire life. It's up to us to help take care of others and tend to the needs of others.

We don't always see eye-to-eye, but that doesn't stop us from loving one another. I am very blessed to have such a man in my life, Happy Father's Day, dad! I'm so proud of all you have done and continue to do for our family, and God's. I can't wait to see what happens in your life next!

I've always been his mini-me <3 

Cheers, Mate

Well, it's Friday! The long-awaited day that just about every person and their mother looks forward to from the time that Sunday night hits. It signifies that the week is over, and we have a couple days to take care of business, or do nothing at all. Friday means we can pat ourselves on the back for making it through the week alive, throw on our comfs and ditch the work clothes, and sleep in till our internal clocks go off (which, thanks to work, is about 8:30 for me).

This weekend I will be taking it quite easy, with the exception of going to The Temper Trap concert tonight at the Hollywood Palladium. Tomorrow I need to go to Costco, DSW (hello, it was pay-day, means a new pair of shoes is in order), send in my rent check, go on a hike, and walk around the neighborhood (all things subjective pending my mood and desires;). But the most-anticipated activity of the weekend for me is, dun-du-duuh...going to the Farmer's Market on Sunday that is about 25 steps from my apartment! :D I cannot wait to mingle with some local growers and buy some fresh produce!

I should probably also look into getting some cable/internet set-up at my place too, it's a bit difficult not to have wifi.

Another thing I want to look into this weekend is ways I can begin to take my life in the direction I believe it is meant to go -- one in which I am constantly helping other people, giving back, and doing what I can to improve the quality of life of those around me, and in this world. I refuse to leave this earth without having done something drastic or major to have a positive impact on it, and I cannot continue to let the days pass without making a proactive motion towards said change. I see a long afternoon at a wifi-enabled coffee shop in my near future, so that I may begin to research and plan my future.

Today's Thought: Get out there and do something for someone else this weekend. Seek someone out if you have to, but make sure that you don't spend the weekend fulfilling your own hopes, desires, and wants, but make sure that you bring a smile to someone else's face as well. Don't be negative if things seem to start spiraling out of control, and never be condescending to your fellow man. It's up to us to take care of one another and make the world a better place. After all, don't you want to have children? Don't you want to bring them into a world where we love one another instead of try to top one another? Just a thought. . .

Get It Together

Some people really need to take a step back, look at themselves and their lives, and get it the eff together. I'm not saying that I am the most together person ever, I am fairly far from it, but I absolutely have it more together than a lot of other people out there.

Prime example: People experimenting with Bath Salts. I still think that these people are just crushing up bath salts that you use for the tub and snorting them, but am pretty sure that's not what's going on, and considering my current mental state (dead and empty), am far too lazy to look further into it. But to get on with my point, people that have heard about what is happening to other people that use this drug, and still decide to try it out are out of their dang minds! I am all about zombies and truly do believe that a zombie apocalypse will be taking place sometime in the future, but I have no real interest in eating another person's face off. To know the affects of trying such a drug, but choosing to do it anyways is a sign that that person is completely off their rocker in the first place. I would be terrified to turn into someone that breaks out of restraints, needs five cops to hold me down, and noms on another human being, but hey, to each their own...I guess.

Another example: People who build up thousands upon thousands of dollars of credit card debt. I have one credit card that pretty much has a nonexistent limit (in the sense that it's so small that the card might as well not exist), and am fully aware that that's all I can handle. Some people think that they should have 10 credit cards, and max them out 24/7. I don't understand people who don't live within their means. If you don't have the money, don't buy stuff, duh. Don't run around planning on paying it off in the future if your past has never given you any indication that that will end up happening. Face the facts and skip buying a $350 purse when you can't even afford to pay your phone bill. Maybe it's just because food is one of my main concerns and focuses in life, but I would rather know I have money for a next meal v. a new wallet to carry around my debt in.

Currently, I would categorize myself as someone who "needs to get it together." I am actually a zombie right now due to sleep deprivation. My brain is revolting against anything that requires thought, processing, moving, or speaking, which means this post is over.

Today's Thought: Analyze your life. Find where you need improvement, and make it your goal to work on it and see improvement by the end of the summer. I will be working on fitness over the summer, and have made it my goal to be able to run/jog the full circle of Runyon Canyon twice by the time August ends. That is my physical goal. Personality goal: Don't be afraid to speak my mind and say what I feel. I had made it my new year's resolution not to hold back, and have started to back-slide a bit. Time to take back control!

Facebook -- Money Hungry

I am so tired of companies and people putting all their energy into making money. When did people stop caring about other people and start caring only about making a pretty penny? It's a total load of crap, I think, when most companies say they are doing things "for the people," or "in the best interest of our customers." I bet my bottom dollar (which after this move, is more like 52 cents) that somewhere in there they are getting a HUGE payday for whatever "good-for-the-people" decision they're making.

Facebook is my prime example. Do you REALLY NEED TO MAKE MORE MONEY!?! Do you really need to provide kids under 13-years old the capability to access all the crap, creeps, and freaks out there more than they already have at their typing little tips!? What happened to the good 'ol Facebook days when it was just for college students, or even when it was for college students and above? Granted, I made my account when I was a senior in high school, but it was because I was going to be going to college in the coming months. Now, my grandmother, pastor, cousins, people's pets, and little kids are running around in this cyber world for adults -- it's insanity!

There is so much crap out there on the Net for people to access, and kids these days have it hard enough growing up with all these societal pressures they're under, does Facebook really need to add to it? An online personality is generally a fake personality. It's a space where you have total control of the content that you put out and that others see about you. You can create yourself however you want to be -- touch up your photos so you look perfect, figure out just what you want to say, and how, so it can be perceived by your readers, and for crying out loud, in the "About Me" section, how often do you read things like, "lazy," "rude," "inconsiderate," or any other negative attribute? We only highlight our benefits, completely ignoring all the shitty things about ourselves.

If Facebook opens up its cyber-doors to under 13's, not only will they have the pressure to conform to all the images that society wants it to, but they will have to worry about their online image as well. That is way too much pressure for someone to deal with, especially someone who has puberty right around the corner -- my goodness, that's pressure enough!

The bottom-line is this: Facebook, you already monopolize the social media world as it is, and just because going public[ly traded] turned out to be a total backfire, doesn't mean that you should try and compensate by opening your distracting service to everyone and their mother (literally, and grandmother, and pets, and dead relatives). Let's take things back to what they're really about, loving one another and taking care of one another, not polluting one another's lives with more garbage than necessary.

Okay? Thanks.

Today's Thought: Is unnecessary considering this whole post was one.

Moving

What a weekend! This weekend was "the big move" and my mind and body sure feel it! 

My mom got into LA about 1:15pm on Saturday with the Budget truck holding "all the contents of my life," and we spent almost two hours unloading it. I must have taken trips up and down the flight of stairs at least 25 times, always with something in my hands. We were up until about 2am working on the place -- going to Bed, Bath & Beyond, Ikea (the first time either of us had ever been), unpacking boxes, building furniture, and getting as much done as we could before our bodies gave out. It was the longest day I've had in a while (#firstworldproblems), but we got a good amount done.

Sunday called for another trip to Bed Bath and Ikea, taking mom to the airport, and putting in another 11 hours of work unpacking, organizing, building, and more! It was so exhausting, but all worth it to look around before going to bed last night and see that I only need to put in another few hours tonight! I still have a lot of things I need to purchase to complete the place, but that will come little by little each month as my checks come in. 

Moving is such a process, it takes a lot of time and money, but when I can look around and know I've built (quite literally) a place for myself to call home, it feels so great. I look forward to the memories I will make in this place, and praise God for the blessings he lays upon me regularly. 

From this. . .

To this. . .

 Turning a studio into a 1br is doable! 

Built this myself, thank you, Ikea!

And now I conclude, because my brain is so tired and doesn't feel like being artistic in a written sort of way, and my lunch period is coming to a close. :) 

Today's Thought: You can do whatever you put your mind to! Don't give up, work hard, and when things seem too tough and overwhelming, take a step back, a deep breath, and tell yourself, "I can do it." Take things step by step, and eventually you'll meet the end of the path!

The Next Chapter Begins Now

As I sit here in my room at my uncles' house surrounded by the rest of my things all packed up, I am struck by such a cocktail of feelings. I have been living here now for *cough cough* three months *cough cough,* and while it is probably at least a month and a half longer than any of us anticipated, it went by faster than a speeding bullet.

I have never lived alone before, and while I am excited about reclaiming my independence and getting back into the world as a strong woman, I am also frightened. I can say without a reasonable doubt that I have taken advantage of my time living here in this paradise, and I am going to miss very much coming home to family and Sunshine (the cutest dog ever). I take comfort in knowing I am a mere five minutes away from them, but I still can't help but wonder if I'm really ready for this next chapter.

Adventures aren't something I run from, so I am prepared to take on this journey full-force, but it's going to be quite a change of pace from being mothered and fathered, to returning to a way of life that requires me to be almost solely dependent on myself. My eyes are starting to glisten as I look around the room I have called mine for so many weeks now, but I also know that I am leaving and heading in the direction I am supposed to.

A moment of clarity came to me yesterday, and a voice inside let me know that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. The path I am on will take me to where I want to be in life and what I should be doing, even if I am unaware of where and what that might be at the current time. Since graduating college I've always said, "life's a ride, and I'm along for it." Let the next adventure begin, and let you grow with me as I grow in it.

Today's Thought comes from something that Kate said over the weekend at LiB. She said, "wherever you are, is perfect." Embrace every moment, take what comes, and seize all opportunities, because they don't go away, they just move onto the next person. P&L