5 things I miss about Maui

1. The gym

There are no words to explain how it feels to be running with the ocean on one side & palm trees on the other.

Running? Yes. But did it feel like running? No. It felt more therapeutic than anything.

In case you were wondering, taking my shoes & socks off & walking in the water to cool down wasn't a bad deal, either.

2. The adventure

It is no shock that Maui is beautiful. & by beautiful, I mean really freakin' gorgeous.

We went on an all day snorkeling trip which included going to 2 coral reefs to swim, went zip lining (cross that off the bucket list!), & went to the top of a 10,000 ft. (inactive) volcano.

My favorite of those, zip lining. I screamed, I yelled, I laughed, & I tried to take in all the scenery in those short seconds while on the line.

3. The food/drinks

Lava flow. 'Nuff said.

Mango cheesecake. Again, 'nuff said.

Fresh pineapple while sitting poolside? Yes please.

Mango bbq chicken sandwich.

4. The beauty

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

5. The people

No pictures for this one. I mean, did you really expect me to walk up to strangers & ask if I could take their picture? That would go against everything my mom taught me about conversing with strangers now wouldn't it?

All jokes aside (oh, you mean that wasn't funny?), there was not one person that wasn't nice. From the resort staff to the captain of the boat on our snorkeling trip, they were the friendliest, helpful, most upbeat human beings I have ever crossed paths with.

sometimes

...I unlock all 4 car doors even though I'm the only person getting in.

...I make to-do lists just to make myself feel like I have my life in order.

...I want to apply for jobs that have nothing to do with teaching.

...I wonder what this world would be like without Facebook, twitter, or the cast of Jersey Shore.

...I spend more time reading about health & fitness than I do at the actual gym.

...I question how water is helping my body when it goes right-through-me.

...I buy home decor & then realize that I still live in my parents basement.

...I lie & say I'm going to blog about my Hawaii trip aaaaand then I whip this one up.

...I can run for days.

...I can barely run for 3 miles.

...I get so excited about the future even though I have no idea what it entails.

...I have writers block & have nothing to blog about (hence this post).

proof that everyone needs (& deserves) chocolate

More on my Maui trip next post! Mahalo!

it surrounds us

everything has beauty.

when life gets you down

I was recently thrown a curveball in this crazy adventure we call life. It sucked. Flat out sucked. I had my night of pouting & now I am moving on. & you should, too.

Why? Because when life doesn't go your way, say you didn't land that dream job or your friends did something to you, move on. Get over it. Have your pity party & change your attitude. Why waste your time dwelling on "what if's" and replaying the event in your head when you could spend your time thinking about the next step.

My oldest brother always told me to be positive (& how I was the best little sister anyone could ask for). I didn't really start listening to him until a year ago. Positivity is a powerful thing. Finding the good in light of a dark situation is hard, but you can do it. It's there. I truly believe that we are put on this earth for a reason. There is something we are meant to do & if you don't know what it is yet, who cares. I sure don't know what my true purpose is. Over time, your purpose will shine through. You will find something you love doing, with someone you love by your side, in a city you love to explore, with friends you love to laugh with.

One day it will all make sense. But for now, in all this uncertainty, choose happiness. Find the positives in every situation & go with it. Live. Take it day by day. Breathe.

little girl

Little girl with your big blue eyes

& music lovin' ears

little girl with your beautiful long eyelashes

& 2 adorable piggy-tails

little girl with your humor

& concentration

little girl

with an auntie who thinks the world of you.

crafts & laughs

If you are like me, you love anything crafty. Whenever I go to craft shows, I always leave telling myself that I can make close to about everything there. Here is my proposal. If you are in the area, what do you think about starting a craft night about once a month? I have found tons of ideas on Pinterest & am itching to make some things!

Good company. New & old friends. Wine. Laughs. & crafts. Any takers?

baby yawns

Ready...

Set...

Go!

10 simple rules

Do you ever wonder how to pray? I do. I always wonder if I'm saying the right things, if I am being selfish in the way I ask for things, etc. Here are 10 simple rules on how to pray.

1. Pray where you are. God is present everywhere and

ready to listen.

2. Pray when possible in a quiet place where you can be alone. It is well to fix your mind deliberately on God, apart from confusing distractions.

3. Pray to God simply and naturally, as to a friend. Tell Him what is on your mind. Get help from the prayers of others.

4. Pray, remembering the good things God has done for you. Reckon up your blessings from time to time, and give thanks for them.

5. Pray for God's forgiveness for the unworthy things that you may have done. He is near to a humble and contrite heart.

6. Pray for the things that you need, especially those that will make your life finer and more Christlike.

7. Pray for others, remembering the situations they confront and the help they need.

8. Pray for the world in its need, asking God to bring better things & offering your help to them.

9. Pray above everything else that God's will may be done in you & in the world. His purposes are deeper & wiser than anything we can imagine.

10. Pray, & then let God use you in answering your prayer.

{ taken from The Lutheran Prayerbook }

a spoonful

While cleaning out my room today, I found 6 tiny spoons.

These are not spoons to eat ice cream, cereal, or yogurt from.

These are souvenir spoons that were my grandmothers.

They were given to me when she passed away.

And since being given them, I, too, have started my own collection.

Did I make you want to clean your room?

my life uncertainties

I have been home now for 4 weeks. To me, home is coming back to the place where my family is. Where I grew up. Where my friends are. But coming home this time around was different. I'm not sure why I have such resentment towards this place or if it is just me growing up & knowing that there is so much more than this. Everything is the same. The people, the town, the pace. I have a new fire in me that wants to get. the. heck. out. of. here. I'm not sure where, I'm not sure when, but all that uncertainty is what is making my life "exciting" right now.

I am a planner. I have a planner. Color coded & everything (thanks mom for those genes). So when my life at the moment doesn't have a future plan, you can see where that stresses me out. I am soon realizing that I need to simply go with the flow and appreciate my time back home (as much as I can't wait to say adios).

i am a runner

I may not run the fastest

or the longest

but I run.

I may never push myself as hard as I should

or listen to my body when it needs a break

but I run.

I may never run a marathon

or train the way I should

but I run.

Whether you enjoy running or not, get out and do something. Go for a walk around your neighborhood, shoot hoops at your local YMCA, take up a yoga class. Heck, do a Richard Simmons work out video for all I care. Get up, put on your tennis shoes, & break a sweat. Your mind, body, & health will thank you.

the starting point

It wasn't up until student teaching that I really started thinking about photography. The couple that I lived with had a DSLR camera and I found myself experimenting with it & really enjoying taking pictures. It seemed to be an "escape" for me when the stress of school was present. For graduation, I asked for money so I could buy my own fancy camera. I went in and talked with the salesperson & walked out of the store feeling uber confused. Did I really want to spend that much money on a camera? Is it really necessary right now? The more I thought about it & the more I read my photography blogs, I decided that taking pictures is another way to use my creativity.

So I bought one. Complete with the guilt of spending that much money. Honestly, I am completely overwhelmed & truthfully know little to nothing about these cameras. But I am willing, excited, & eager to start slowly learning "the basics."

I babysat my niece Mallory this morning & decided to whip out the camera & snap away. As I loaded them on my laptop, I wasn't too happy with them. I am very much a perfectionist & need to learn that things like this take time & patience. You gotta start somewhere, right?!

More

I dare you.