Bartholomew -The Silent Comedy

Current new obsession.

Be Alive.

"Try to learn to breathe deeply,

really to taste food when you eat,

and when you sleep really to sleep. 

Try as much as possible to be wholly alive with all your might, 

and when you laugh, laugh like hell. 

And when you get angry, get good and angry. 

Try to be alive. You will be dead soon enough”                                                             
                                                     -William Saroyan


This quote makes me cry happy tears.

Manatee Crush Monday

Dreaming of being somewhere warm where I can visit one. 

Daniel Gilbert, Stumbling on Happiness

“We treat our future selves as though they were our children, spending most of the hours of most of our days constructing tomorrows that we hope will make them happy... But our temporal progeny are often thankless. We toil and sweat to give them just what we think they will like, and they quit their jobs, grow their hair, move to or from San Francisco, and wonder how we could ever have been stupid enough to think they’d like that. We fail to achieve the accolades and rewards that we consider crucial to their well-being, and they end up thanking God that things didn’t work out according to our shortsighted, misguided plan.”

Some Thank Yous!

I have had a lot of "this was the worst day" "this was the worst week" type experiences (almost all of them travel related) and when I compare them to this week, I recognize that this was not, in fact, the worst week ever. Actually, it was pretty survivable (everything but the last thing is). 

But it was tough. I was the kind of sick that turns you into a baby, and that combined with some medication issues and living all alone was a real bummer. And by "bummer," I mean I cried a lot. I never used to do that, and I need to knock it off, so I'm calling this week the end of the cry-baby period. 

Sometimes I get caught up in focusing on my scarcities, and I forget to recognize what I am not without. You live with what you don't have, and maybe sometimes you miss it and maybe sometimes you never had it. But you can live with anything. 

I did not have my friends. But I had Mitch checking in on me, always offering to share my burdens and push me to inspiration (seriously, he should be a life coach). I didn't have my parents, but my mom checked in on me every hour via facetime. My dad came by after work one night to bring me things I needed. My aunt sent me a package, which is such an awesome thing to come home to. My grandmother wrote me a two-page letter. I walked through my anxieties with Tyler and like always, he cheered me up. 

I would like to have more of these people in my life. I'm ready to proactively make new friends in my area, meet new people, and start making connections. I think winter is a good time to hunker down, start at a new place, and get comfortable living on your own-- and I've done that. But now I want to plan for spring. I am ready to have adventures with new people and gain perspectives and share stories.

I believe in moving forward. 

For Cheering, on a Sick Day.

How To: Celebrate Valentine's Day Alone

I love Valentine's Day, not for the consumer-poaching Hallmark holiday that it is, but because I will pretty much find an excuse to celebrate anything if you let me. I have celebrated Valentine's day with long-term boyfriends, with boys on our first date, and with groups of friends. I have made mailboxes and gone out for frozen yogurt and one time even celebrated with post-wisdom teeth removal  complications.

But, this is the first year I've celebrated Valentine's Day totally alone. I decided a few weeks ago that that was no excuse for not enjoying the holiday! So here are my top essentials for making a single-girl Valentine's Day:

1) Waffles with Nutella- I got up early to go on a waffle run (getting up early makes everything feel more special) and had the most delicious carb-fueled, sugar-stacked breakfast a girl could want.

2) Spearmint Eucalyptus Candles- My absolute favorite from Bath and Body works. I bought one last month when they were on sale and I've been saving it (they're so expensive but they know how to cure a headache) for a special occasion.

3) Parents that Love You- Mine came up to visit and took me to a fancy antique mall, where we almost bought some very ridiculous decorations for my apartment. My favorite was a huge mosaic lobster plaque.

4) Vin Diesel- I took a break from depressing Oscar nominees for The Fast and the Furious. I love fast cars, muscles, and ironically hip soundtracks. They make me happy.

5) The Right Attitude- When you decide today is the day you get to spoil yourself silly, there is no sadness. While I may have overdone it on the carbs, just having a day where you decide to be nothing but nice to yourself really helps with the February blues.

BONUS: Having a new spirit jersey from BW and a pair of fleece leggings. They make you feel slightly more dressed up than sweatpants, without sacrificing any of the comfort! Basically, an all around win.