2017 Goals

Well, its been a long time since I've posted on this little blog of mine but I thought it was high-time. Actually I've been thinking a lot about goals and New Years Resolutions since imagine that, it's January 3rd! I'm not a huge fan of resolutions but I think it's important to set a few goals every now and then. I learned this practice while at Camp Greystone and have tried to instill it ever since. Now it can be very difficult to keep track of your goals but what better way to do so then record them on the internet? (lolz, it's definitely 2017.) I started a 101 in 1001 list (a la Mackenzie Horan) and while it was fun to do, I felt my goals were too specific and didn't translate well as my life changed dramatically since I originally wrote the list. With that said, I've compiled my 2017 goals below. Some are new, some are taken from my 101 in 1001 list, but they're new goals to me nonetheless!

• Exercise 3 times a week
• Read 3 books a month (for a minimum total of 36 total books this year) and keep a record.
• Make 10 p.m. my regular bedtime and wake up consistently between 6-7 a.m. everyday.
• Find and secure a full-time job in my desired field.
• Travel to 1 new place. My top 2 choices include Washington D.C. and Chicago.
• Establish my calligraphy business.
• Go camping with friends or my dad.

be where your feet are

"How lovely it is to be all here, to be where your feet are. How sweet it is."

A friend of mine shared this piece of wisdom with be about a year ago and I've been ruminating on it since. In a world constantly moving, changing, going, doing - just being where you are is basically impossible. 

I recently moved to a new city (Nashville, TN to be exact) and everyday is constant battle to be where I am and enjoy life. Everyone warns you about post-grad life but until you actually experience it, you never truly understand it. 

These past couple of months have been whirlwind. Days filled with loneliness, heartache, joy, excitement, discovery, adventure, and clumsiness. After safely working at a camp all summer, I was thrust into the scary unknown in late August and have been attempting to deal with the repercussions. Those first couple of weeks insisted of moving into an apartment for the first time, starting a brand new job, learning to live with a new roommate/friend, and settling into a new city. It's been a process that has unexpectedly worn me out physically, mentally, and emotionally. I had a professor once tell me that life never really slows down and he is correct, except for me it's more of a roller coaster of emotions.

Anyway, after weeks of riding this roller coaster, I decided to challenge myself. This past week I woke up everyday after 6 AM to have 30 minutes of quiet time with the Lord. And let me tell ya, it wasn't easy. It also wasn't as hard as I thought, either. I found myself longing for that time with my Father. It filled a pre-existing void that I had been ignoring since I moved. A void perpetuated by thinking I can do everything by myself. Boy oh boy was I wrong. This past week, God reminded me that I am weak but He is strong. He is merciful, loving, and kind. God longs not only to fill these voids but fill every aspect to the brim and without abandon. 

So here I am, today. Sunday: my favorite day of the week. I finally reclaimed it after college (no more homework for me) and am now given the freedom to be on this day. Today specifically, I was reminded to "be where your feet are." To stop looking ahead or behind, to what's next or the next best thing. But to be where God has planted me in this moment. A sweet, sweet reminder that God is here. He is always here and if I listen, He will guide my path.

summer

Well, it's summer again. But not just any summer, my first one post-grad. Yes, I graduated from the beautiful Rhodes College this past Saturday and could not be more proud, excited, and overwhelmingly scared. Many, many emotions fill my body each day when I remember what I've accomplished and what I've left. Alas, it would take days for me to label them much less, explain them. There is no possible way to describe being forced to leave a place you love with your whole heart and friends who are your life. The only thing consoling me currently is my favorite season: summer. I feel like as women we constantly try to classify our favorite season. Sounds silly, but to any woman reading this you know you've had a similar conversation with your girlfriends. For me, I'm incredibly indecisive and constantly change my answer. But, one thing stays the same: I love summer. I love the hot breeze, the blaring but radiant sun, and the sweat constantly dripping down your back. There's something in the air that I can never place but I always think, "Summer has arrived, and I feel at home." When you leave your air conditioned homes you are confronted with the smell of grass and honeysuckle tainted by the steaming heat. A breeze is rarely enjoyable, when they even come, but only moves the hot air around. But, there is something promising about this season. To me, and it has been this way since I was a child, summer means freedom. You look up and see the blue sky dotted with white clouds, you look down and see the bright green of freshly cut grass.  When my bare feet touches the hot pavement I feel alive. It is the feeling of home, possibility, and freedom. This feeling has faded a little over the years but I don't think it will ever go away. My heart thrives on hot, Alabama summers and would be heartbroken if I never got to experience one again.  Alas, I'm growing older but not too old. This summer I will spend it in North Carolina, again, at a summer camp that has my heart. That place too, is nothing short of wonderful in totally different ways. But there is something about Alabama and its interaction with summer that excites and relieves me. It will always be there to welcome me home when it arrives in May. Happy summer, friends.

Life

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"God: Goodnesss, Love energy, the Divine, a loving animating intelligence, the Cosmic Muffin. You will worship and serve something, so like St. Bob said, you gotta choose. You can play on our side, or Bill Maher’s and Franklin Graham’s. Emerson said that the happiest person on earth is the one who learns from nature the lessons of worship. So go outside a lot, and look up. My pastor says you can trap bees on the floor of a Mason jar without a lid, because they don’t look up. If they did, they could fly to freedom." - Anne Lamott

I recently discovered with amazing writer and wow oh wow, where I have been? Read everything Anne Lamott has learned as of today [really April 10, 2015] here.

Life as of Late

Morning coffee + paper writing

My beautiful Rhodes

Finally snagged a pair of these puppies

My new favorite mug

Took a little jaunt to New England