Monthly Life Update: March

+ My friend Laurie and I bought tickets to see Shania Twain in DC this July!!  I have always been a huge Shania fan and have been saying for years that if she ever went back on tour that I would be first in line for tickets.  Laurie and I were able to score pre-sale tickets in the first row of stands (I didn't want floor seats because I'm usually too short to see over people). I could not be more excited!!!

+ I am so over not having money so Josh and I have been looking at places to cut down.  We ended up switching insurance providers and now are paying total what Josh was paying just for himself!! That is insane to me!!  Yay to State Farm and BOO to Geico!  Also, we're thinking of switching from Verizon to TMobile because my Verizon phone bill is just stupid.

+ I am in the middle of deciding whether or not to go back to school. I recently got accepted to Towson University which is about halfway between my work and home.  I was debating between going for Mass Communication or Environmental Biology but I think Mass Comm would be the smarter idea.  My only hesitation is that I would probably have to take out loans since my EFC on FAFSA was more than I make in a year.  I guess that's what I get for marrying a hard working man ... shame on me.

+ We have the most adorable cuddly little house guest staying with us!  She came on the 26th and will be staying at least through Easter Sunday.  The whole thing is a long story and if she ends up staying with us longer than a week, I will tell that story, but for now we're just enjoying having her here.  (and yes in the pictures you do see blankets all over my furniture.  It's brand new and I'm not all about having hair all over it!)

+ The Monthly Friends Dinner which I hosted/started last month is going strong :) My friend Heather took it this month and we have volunteers through July!  I'm so glad we do this and get to see everyone since everyone is always so busy.  We have such a strong group of friends, we definitely don't want to start drifting apart.  Also, Heather lives behind a horse farm and me and my sister spent half the time at the fence with the horses.  (photos on Instagram)!

+ I finally emailed our tattoo artist so hopefully this time next month I'll be sharing a photo of mine and my sisters matching tattoos!! 

Books Read:
 Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (3/4/15)
If I Stay by Gayle Forman (3/5/15)
The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen (3/9/15)
My Boyfriends' Dogs by Dandi Daley Mackall (3/9/15)
 My Boyfriends' Dogs by Dandi Daley Mackall (3/9/15)
The Sweet By and By by Sara Evans (3/13/15)
My Life With the Walter Boys by Ali Novak (3/16/15)
What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen (3/19/15)
Before I Die by Jenny Downham (3/23/15) 
What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick (3/27/15)
Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson (Current)

Monthly Life Update: February

+ I watched the Super Bowl at my friend Heathers house.  I was only able to stay til the beginning of the fourth quarter then listened to it on the radio.  I was not a happy camper, I really dislike the Patriots so I was hoping the Seahawks would pull out a win.

+ Me and my friends Heather and Vicky (and Vicky's son Jaxon) had a girl's day one Saturday.  It was great just eating junk food, drinking wine and catching up with two of my closest friends.  I am really upset that we didn't get photos of this!

+ Work almost killed me, literally and figuratively.  We had a snowstorm one Monday night and it started about two hours before I left for work so I didn't think the roads would be that bad.  Boy was I wrong!  I took me an hour and fifteen minutes to drive 20 miles.  I almost turned around at one point after a near miss but it wouldn't have been worth it.  Then I stayed later in the morning because someone called out.  So, since I worked my second job Monday during the day and really didn't sleep much after I got off on Sunday morning, I went almost 36 hours without sleep.  Not Fun!

+ I got Josh the most epically awesome anniversary gift this month!!  Comic Con is coming to Philly (2 hours from us) in May just 3 weeks before our anniversary.  Josh and I are big fans of Arrow so imagine my excitement when I saw that Stephen Amell and Katie Cassidy would be there!!  Needless to say, I bought tickets to get a photo with them as well as the tickets to get in.  I will also be getting tickets for him to get a photo with Jason David Frank who played the Green Power Ranger (his favorite), but the other tickets put quite a dent in my pocket so that I'll have to buy later.

Books Read: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (2/2/15)
When Calls the Heart by Janette Oke (2/4/15)
The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson (2/7/15)
  First Love by James Patterson (2/10/15)
  The List by Siobhan Vivian (2/11/15)
My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick (2/18/15)
To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han (2/19/15)
The Duff by Kody Keplinger (2/21/15)
Love and Other Theories by Alexis Bass (2/23/15)
Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen (2/24/15)
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell(2/27/15)

New Shows/Movies:  
NCIS Los Angeles: Season 1 

Monthly Life Update: January

I don't do a lot of "daily life" type of blog posts, so I thought a monthly update on the last day of each month would be a good idea (this month is different because I forgot to finish the post).  In these post I'll pretty much just share what I've been up to throughout the month (duh?).

+ This month consisted of a lot of work - we finally hired a new person which is fantastic!  But it takes three to four weeks before they're fully trained.  Plus since we work at a port there is a special ID that we need and the person can't work on their own until it comes in.

+ I was finally able to see my friends!  We all live within 10 minutes of each other and still have a hard time getting together which makes me sad :(  we were all able to get together at Texas Roadhouse for lunch and even though I was super tired from working a double, it was nice to catch up.

+ I started watching Arrow on Netflix and couldn't stop!  The first five or six episodes were a little hard to get through for me but after that, I couldn't quit!!   It doen't hurt that Stephen Amell is gorgeous.

+ I finally got frames for a bunch of pictures I want to hang and got a bunch hung.  This house is a rental so I didn't want to put too many holes in the wall, but I'm glad we did.  It feels much more like home now.

Books Read:  My Name is Memory by Ann Bashares (5 Stars)
The Chocolate Thief by Laura Florand (3 Stars)
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink (4 Stars)
The Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz (2 Stars)
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (current)

E Books Read: Back in the Saddle by K.F. Breene (3 Stars)
Hanging On by K.F. Breene (2 Stars)
Blitzing Emily by Julie Brannagh (3 Stars)
A Wild Ride by K.R. Breene (2 Stars)

New Movies/Shows Watched:  Arrow (Seasons 1 & 2)
When Calls the Heart (the movie)
A Cookie Cutter Christmas (yes I watch Christmas movies year round)
Endless Love

Blogtober: I Wanna Be A Billionaire ...

I am so excited to be participating in Blogtober!! I've been in a bit of a blogging funk since before our wedding and this is the perfect thing to help me out of it!

The first topic is "what would you do if you won the lottery"?  Let me preface this by saying that my job is BORING (and pointless), as such, I have way to much time to think about things (when I'm not reading or watching movies), so I have thought about this lottery thing a lot.

Also, I am going to assume that I've won A LOT of money and will never have to work again.

That being said, If I won the lottery I would ...

... Make sure my family and Josh's family (by family I mean parents and siblings) have a nice place to live.  They'd still have to work because I don't think I'd pay their monthly bills but I would make sure they have a home that is suited to them, a decent car, and I'd pay off as much of their debts as I could. 

... Pay off all of mine and Josh's debts and get us some new vehicles.

... Buy the house I grew up in off of my Dad and fix it up.  It's a small house (the exact layout of the one Josh and I live in now) and it's all we'd need for a few year as a home base while we travel.

... Tavel like crazy.  I would take my parents and my sister to Europe (separately of course, no one wants a murder) and I'd take my brother to Legoland and on an overnight train ride (he is obsessed with trains).  Josh and I would then travel all over.

 Dad and siblings in Colorado 2005

... Invest money into this blog.  I'd buy a nice layout and invest some time and money into making this a great travel and lifestyle blog.  Having something to write about would make blogging so much easier. 

... Go on at least one volunteer trip abroad and one in the U.S. each year.  There is one in Costa Rica that I am dying to do at a sea turtle rescue!

... Buy myself and Josh a nice piece of land in the South once we decide to slow down with traveling.  Somewhere in GA or SC would be ideal.  We would build this house ...

My Charities of Choice Would Be...

The Beagle Freedom Project

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

The Wounded Warrior Project

Operation Homefront

The ARC

FarmAid

Wildlife Conservation Society

Animal Welfare Institute 

National Parks Trust 

Earthworks

I would donate a chunk to each of these each year and smaller amounts to smaller non-profits such as the wolf sanctuary not far from us.

Life Lately

I seriously intended on really getting back into blogging but majorly failed these past two weeks.  I have a bunch of half finished posts in my drafts that I wanted to finish, but before I could, Josh came home sick one day.  It was all down hill from there.  

I had been feeling dizzy for about a week but last Wednesday (17th) I woke up really dizzy with a sore throat.  I went to work anyway.  I got there and asked my boss if she could get someone to come in 4 hours early so I could go home.  Literally right after I sent the text I felt really nauseous and ended up getting sick, so my boss came in and sent me to patient first.  On my way there I felt nauseous one more time and literally had to pull over on the side of 95.  I'm sure it was really attractive.  By time I got to patient first my throat felt much better and I never got sick again but I was still dizzy.  The Dr. did some blood work but nothing came back so he sent me home.  My Mom suggested migraine meds, which helped.  

I got home, went to sleep and expected to feel better when I woke up.  Nope, I felt worse.  I was extra dizzy, stuffy, and couldn't breathe.  I didn't sleep at all that night and still had to go to work overnight on Thursday.  That was loads of fun.  This lasted til Friday when I started feeling a bit better.  However, I got only one hour of sleep on Saturday due to a baby shower I went to and only two on Sunday because I wanted to go to the Renaissance Festival.  So I started feeling kind of bad again.  However, on Monday morning when I got off work I went home (630am) and slept til 630pm and then only stayed up til 2am before sleeping for another 8 hours.  I started to feel better at that point and by Wednesday I felt pretty good and Thursday I felt 100%.  

Needless to say, it was a rough week.  We did have a good time at the Renaissance Festival and it was good to get out of the house.  I seriously think I watched every Jimmy Fallon video in existence when I was sick - I spent way to much time doing nothing.  The past few days have about catching up on things.  Josh and I were both sick so bills got neglected, the house got neglected, pretty much everything but youtube got neglected.  I've been cleaning and doing laundry like a mad woman and trying to get caught up.

Now for some good news:

* My new passport and southwest rapid rewards card both came in this week (I'm not sure when because the mail was another thing that got neglected) and I'm so excited :)  I had to renew both of them in my married name.  Now I don't look like a drug addict in my passport photo.  Seriously, the old one was bad. 

* We booked our flights to Florida!  We only paid $70 thanks to rewards points.  We had to pay government fees and automatic check in fees out of pocket or it would have been free!  I love points cards!

* Good and bad news, I'm starting a second job.  I am so bored lately that it's actually making me anxious so I needed either another job or a new hobby and since the two hobbies I want (horseback riding and violin lessons) are too expensive right now, second job it is.  Plus, all the money will be going to paying off two of my student loans and my credit cards which will help with the no money situation.  If I work for a year at the second job I should be able to get everything paid off for the most part.  Also, the job is at Applebees where I used to work, so I know the job and the people which makes life easier and they're willing to work with my full-time job.

* Our cruise is a little over a month away!!! I CAN'T FRIGGIN WAIT!!!  For real y'all, I need to get away from my job before someone dies.  7 days in paradise seems like just the ticket :) plus, I'll be able to check off three more Central American countries off my list; Honduras, Mexico and Belize :) 

* We have two more cruises in the works :) We will be booking our "Friends Cruise" when we get back from our honeymoon (because we'll get a better price that way) which we'll be going on in September 2015.  I wasn't sure if I really wanted to do it because we'll be going to Grand Cayman and Cozumel which are two places we're going this year BUT the friends cruise has Jamaica which I've always wanted to go to, so we're doing it.  We're also going down two days early to go to Disney/Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  Also, we have picked a Europe cruise and are just waiting for the dates for 2016 to become available!  We'll be starting in Copenhagen and going to the Netherlands, England, Ireland, and Scotland.  We'll end in London. 

I feel like I've rambled enough today but that's what's been going on in life over here.  I am excited that starting on Wednesday I'll be participating in Taylor and Helene's Blogtober :)  So stay tuned for some fun fall posts!

Life Changes

Since our move, Josh and I have made a good deal of changes in our lives. 

1.  Stuff

I didn't realize how much useless crap we have until we moved.  Seriously, it's mind blowing!  Our basement is filled with boxes of junk.  I've decided that other than my memory box (which my mom would kill me if I threw out) I'm going through each box one at a time and getting rid of anything we haven't used in the last year (which is probably 95% of that stuff!).  Some of it will be thrown away, some given away, and some donated - but it's gotta go!  I can't wait to be rid of everything.  We are also making an effort not to buy stuff unless we really need it.  This is both to keep out the clutter and to save money. 

2.  Books

I spend sooo much money on books!  Now that we have a library 5 minutes away, I'm making an effort to go there more for books.  I  promised Josh that I would buy no more than 1 book per month (unless I have a gift card).  I packed 5 huge totes and 2 cardboard boxes full of books.  That is insane and I need to stop!  Right now I have 5 library books at home waiting to be read.

3.  Food

 Last month Josh and I spent $500.00 just in food!  and not food from the grocery store.  We were going out to eat for every meal and it was really adding up.  Part of this was laziness and part was because we really didn't have a kitchen and then our kitchen was in boxes.  We've definitely done much better since getting the kitchen unpacked.  We've been eating really well and plan to keep it that way!

4. Trips Over Gifts

To go along with the "no more random crap" rule in our house, we've decided that instead of gifts, we take a trip.  Nothing crazy, just something like a overnight trip somewhere local or a weekend trip somewhere new.   I don't need a lot of stuff, I need to do things and so does Josh.  

Daily Diaries - My First

Since life has been pretty crazy around here and I have no time to write a post that requires much thought, I figured I'd just tell y'all what I've been up to. 

- WORK.  I have been getting some major overtime these past few weeks.  The next time I really have a day off is the day before my wedding.  I haven't had a true day off (thanks overnights) in two weeks.  That's OK with me though, all that extra money is more than welcome.   Josh has also been working non-stop.  Monday was his first day off in 21 days.

- I have been tearing through books.  Usually on day shift we switch between being in the truck and being at the main gate.  When I'm in the truck I read (I know, my job is so hard) but when I'm in the booth I don't have time between the phone and the people coming in and out.  This week my boss has been training a girl up at the booth so I've been spending my whole day in the truck and it was only busy up at the pier one of the days.  

- All things wedding are done except the favors but it's just a matter of putting them together which wont take long.  I ordered the cupcakes on Tuesday and Mom and I did the seating chart, which was surprisingly easy, on Monday :)  I said last week that I'd be getting my dress back Wednesday night but that didn't happen due to the massive flooding we had.  My Mom's basement flooded and my entire street was flooded, so we postponed until this past Wednesday. 

- Our official moving date is June 1st but since the owner of the house we're renting is a friend of my family, we are able to slowly start moving stuff in.  So, our current place looks like we live in a sea of cardboard.  I'm loving it though and I can't wait to be closer to work!

...and that is all I have time for!  After the wedding and the move, blogging will be back to normal, but for now - ain't nobody got time for that!

Life Lately

Post around here might be a little slow in the month of May!  We have so much going on, I hardly have time to breathe!

- For the next few weeks, we have several people on vacation at work, so I'm just racking up those overtime hours!  Plus we have a trainee coming in that I'm training on one of our posts, starting next week.  Josh and I both hardly have any time off until our wedding

- I have my hair trial today for the wedding :) My appointment is at 3pm so I'll probably Instagram a picture when it's done :)

- I have my final dress fitting tomorrow night at 8pm.  I'm so excited to see what it looks like now!  It was a little loose before and the corset didn't look right because of that.  Also, they added a bustle.

- I helped save a goose at work!  It was so sad, the little guy was walking up and down the street for 8 hours just honking and limping.  His one wing was broken.  I put a facebook status up about how sad it was making me and one of my coworkers from Wawa said that her brothers girlfriend works for a wildlife rescue and that she could come get him!  She was there within an hour and the little guy is recovering!  :)  He confirmed my idea that his wing was broken when he was trying to get away from them.  He tried using it but it wasn't working.  I was thrilled to hear that he's doing well!  It was making me so sad, I actually cried at one point because I went outside and could hear him honking and I felt so helpless.  The power of the internet y'all.

- We're moving!!  We're so excited to move closer to work (the hour drive is killer) and to have a place of our own.  We're renting a townhouse that my Dad's friend owns.  It's two bedrooms, fully finished basement, full bath, and it has a decent backyard with a shed.  We'll definitely miss the area we live in now but we definitely wont miss the drive!  We move in on June 1st.

- Because we're getting a new place, we decided to get new furniture!  The furniture we have now is from my parents old house so we wanted something newer and nicer.  We're keeping our old living room furniture at the old place so our roommates can use it in their extra room.   We found this set purely by luck.  We went to a place called Gavigans and we happened to go during their anniversary sale - we got 60% off plus they paid our sales tax!  We're waiting for the next sale so we can get a new dining room table.

- Mom and I made our center pieces and table numbers and I really like how they turned out :)

- My flowers arrived yesterday!!  I checked them to make sure they were good and I absolutely love them!  The girl did such a great job!  Below is the photo she sent me before she shipped them :)  It's mine, the bridesmaids, the throw away, and the mothers corsages.

- I am getting a massage tomorrow after work and before I pick up my dress!  I could not be more excited!  My friend Sam is a massage therapist and Josh got me a gift certificate to get a massage where she works :)  My back has been killing me, so I hope to God that this helps!

- Our ceremony and vows are done! and so is our playlist!  and our time line for the day is just about mapped out!  We have less than one month y'all!  Shit is getting real!

If You Want to Annoy Me

If for some reason, you decide one day that you want to annoy me, be one of the following people.  (PS I'm just in the mood to bitch, so this is what we get).

People Who Go Into Checkout Lines While On Their Phones

OH...MY...GAWD!!  Like, for real, this is one that actually makes me want to deck people ... in the face. In my opinion, it's one of the rudest things you can do.  No conversation is that damn important that you can't tell the person on the other line to hold on for a minute when you complete your transaction.  If it is that important maybe you shouldn't be having the conversation in a store?  If you must have the conversation in the store, don't get in line until you are prepared to hang up or ask the person to hold on a minute.  That or just use the self checkout lines.

I actually go into it with a customer at Wawa over this.  He was holding up my line because I was asking a legitimate question regarding his debit card and couldn't finish the transaction without the information.  He was too busy on his phone to pay attention to me so I put his stuff behind the counter, suspended his transaction and moved on to the next (annoyed) customer.  He was not happy at all.  I told him why I did what I did and we definitely argued a bit.  If any other manager had been there that night, I probably would have lost my job.  The one that was there could barely deal with him because she was laughing so  hard.  Anyway, the point of this story is don't be on your phone when you're checking out from a store (or when you're in a restaurant where you will be served, for that matter) ITS RUDE!

People Who Tailgate

 I am not a slow driver, but I also don't drive like I'm at Daytona.  The "main road" that leads to my street has a speed limit of 50mph; I usually go about 60 (unless it's rainy or something).  The road is pretty hilly and curvy so I wouldn't feel safe going much faster than 60.  This is my biggest pet peeve - when I am going OVER the speed limit and people tailgate me!  I am not one to slam on my brakes and try to cause an accident; I value my car, and my life.  What I'll do is gradually slow down until either they get off my ass or I reach the slowest speed I can legally go.  There is no safe or legal place to pass, so unless they're really stupid, they're stuck.  

Moral of the story? Tailgating is stupid, annoying, and unsafe ... don't do it :)

People Who Try to Talk to Me When I'm Reading

...and these things are not important.  I talked about this here.  Josh is also bad for this one.  He gets the stink eye a lot. 

Germophobes

Not like people who just wash their hands a lot (that's just sanitation) but people like the lady at Wawa who wanted us to change our gloves every 10 seconds.  HELL NO.  This lady, let me tell you.  She asked me to put gloves on while making coffee ... coffee!  Our hands never touch the coffee .. like at all.  I flat out said no and she didn't get a coffee.  Then she asked the guy making her sub to change his gloves, I kid you not, three times!  The third time he got pissed and walked away.   Nobody else would touch it so the manager had to come out and make it (and changed her gloves twice).  That's just a little stupid.  Also, studies have shown that Germophobes are more prone to serious illnesses because their immune systems haven't been stressed and are therefore, weak.

People Leaving Shoes on in the House

This is a weird one and I don't know why it bugs me so much but it does.  Maybe because growing up, at my house and my friends houses, we were required to take our shoes off by the door.  Josh has a hard time with this one but I am adamant about it because he tracks so much shit into the house.  

Now, I have told you how to thoroughly piss me off ... but please don't.

That Time a Movie Made Me Sick

Yeah, so lets talk about this glorious day.

Just so y'all know, I am a huge baby and cry during about 80% of the movies that I see.  But this one was the worst.

July 11, 2009, I lost one of my best friends.  I had just pulled in front of my house after spending the day moving back from JMU for good.  So the day was bad enough already.  Then getting that phone call made the day go from bad to worse. 

I spent the whole rest of the day with my friends.  It was a difficult and emotional day and when I got home there was no way I could sleep.  I decided to watch a movie.  I picked Remember Me because I'd just bought it and hadn't watched it yet.  (PS Spoilers in the next paragraph).

My first mistake was picking a movie that I knew nothing about.  I hadn't even read the back cover, I just picked it up and decided to buy it.  I think Robert Pattinson is a good actor so I figured it could be good.  I'll spare you the details of the whole movie (which is excellent and I highly recommend it) and say that RP's characters Dad works in an office building in NYC, which you never see the outside of.  Well, RP's character goes to the building to meet with his Dad, who is late because he decided to take RP's sister to school (which is a big step for him).  It then shows a shot of RP looking out the window, then cuts to his sisters classroom where her teacher walks past the date on the chalkboard: September 11, 2001.  I was really out of it and figured that the class was learning about 9/11 in school.  Wrong.  Then it goes back to the office building showing RP in the window and zooms out.  Suddenly it hit me.  I just leaned over the bed and threw up in the trashcan next to the bed.  I spent the rest of the night shaky and crying.

This is the clip of the scene I described.

I had just moved back from college, lost my friend, and was reminded of another loss and the other worst day of my life all in about 16 hours.

And that is my super depressing, worst day ever post.  And the time a movie actually made me sick.

Word Vomit In List Form

Life these past few weeks has been nuts!  My work schedule has been crazy because of people needing off; I've been racking up the overtime and we've been all over wedding stuff.  So, I'll just share life in list form!

1.  We got Josh's vest and shirt for the wedding.  Now all he needs is a new nice pair of jeans and boots.  Yes, this is going to be a very casual wedding.  Josh is just not a suit guy so putting him in one made no sense.

2.  On the 23rd, my girls threw me a fabulous bridal shower :) (I wasn't planning on doing a full post on this but after trying to narrow down pictures, it has to happen)!

3.   I have my wedding dress fitting tomorrow after noon.  I shouldn't need much work done ... really all it needs is a bustle *crosses fingers*.

4.  I have an amazing opportunity on Saturday and I hope I have good news to share with y'all in the coming weeks.  That's all I can say about it for now.  Totally not trying to jinx myself!  I will be traveling to Princeton, NJ for this though so hopefully I'll have time to explore a bit.

5.  We met with our venue lady on Thursday and she was super helpful!  We picked our food, linen colors, and a few other smaller details that I would have never thought of!  I am definitely very thankful that we chose a venue that really seems to care.  Plus, she said if I can get her horses to come to me, I can take pictures with them!  Favorite person ever!

6. This week has been exhausting and these last few days ... let me tell you!  Tonight is my last night of working 13 straight days.  Saturday, I sprained my wrist by closing the truck window on it and this morning my food made me really sick.  On top of that my phone is completely not working (out of the blue) and my upgrade wont be here til at least April 18th.

Passion

I was recently asked to think of different things that I am passionate about.  Of course, that immediately sparked a blog post!  So, I'm going to share with you today, 4 things that I am passionate about. 

1. Travel

 This is probably the most obvious.  I love to travel and it's a love that started when I was very young and traveled to Canada.  I love going somewhere that I've never been before.  I love meeting people whose way of life is different than mine.  I love learning about different cultures and hearing stories from people who live so far from me.  I love the experiences and the knowledge and acceptance I've gained from traveling.   Each of my trips have been a unique experience that I'll always treasure and the people I've met will always have a place in my heart.  I also think that due to the nature of some of my travels, I have a different perspective on things than others on certain subjects.  Because I have witnessed such extreme poverty, I have learned that I need to be grateful for what I have and I do not concern myself with things such as brands or having the newest "thing".   I've learned that I can live minimally and still be happy.  I get by on what I need and the rest of my money gets donated or put in savings.   Travel can teach so much and that is definitely something I am grateful for.

2. Reading

This is another one that is probably pretty obvious.  I love to read, and do so every chance I get.  I am one of those people who gets so lost in a book that if you try to talk to me while I'm reading, I probably wont hear you.  I love being transported into someone else's world and going through the ups and downs with the characters.  It also amazes me, people's ability to write these stories!  J.K. Rowling just amazes me, the world she created is so complex and detailed and I'm amazed at her ability to create that world in a way that feels so real to the reader.  I often get so emotionally invested in books but I love that.  I still get sad thinking of Dumbledore and Fred.

3. Animals and Animals Rights

As I mentioned in this post, I love animals and usually like them more than people.  I am passionate about animal rights because for the most part animals are defenseless against humans.  Dogs are so loyal and trusting that humans have the ability to take advantage of them and break them.  Horses are such beautiful animals, but are often mistreated especially in the racing industry.  Elephants are incredible creatures but people kill them for money.  It absolutely breaks my heart and infuriates me that people can be so selfish and hateful.   Most of my donation money goes towards animal shelters and rescues because I want to help give a voice to those who can't speak.  Also, I make myself aware of the products that are tested on animals and am sure to avoid such products.  There are lists online that I check quite regularly - I just started doing this within the last  year so I am definitely still learning.

4.  Education

I think education is one of the most important things a person can have.   I believe that everyone who wants an education should be able to get one and that college tuition rates keep intelligent people from getting the education they should be allowed to get.   This is one of the reasons I love Coursera.  Even though I can't get a degree from taking the classes, I am taking classes taught by professors I'd never be able to take classes with and learning things I otherwise wouldn't have has access to.  It makes me so angry that funds are being used for millions of other things but our schools are barely getting any funding.   It infuriates me that the children of Baltimore City are getting a lesser education than they deserve because people in power don't believe it's worth it to invest in them.  I could go on about this topic for hours. 

Getting Out Of Your Comfort Zone

This quote appeared here as one of my favorite quotes.  I love it so much because I find it to be so true!  Some of my best and favorite experiences involved getting out of my comfort zone!  So, over the course of two or three post I want to share some of my favorite experiences which involved me getting out of my comfort zone!  This post will feature adventurous things and the next post (or two) will feature things that just made me uncomfortable but were totally worthwhile!

Before I get into this post about some adventurous things that I've done I think I need to explain my weird relationship with heights.  I wouldn't say I'm afraid of heights, but I also wouldn't say that I'm not.  I'm OK in things like tall buildings and planes but I get scared when I don't feel that security.  That is the fear that I've worked hardest on and I feel like I've come as close as I will to overcoming it - heights still make me uncomfortable but it doesn't stop me from doing things I think would be amazing :)

Parasailing in OCMD

I had been wanting to go parasailing for a long time, I thought it looks like so much fun!  The opportunity presented itself in 2007 during my Senior Week trip to Ocean City, Maryland.  I was all about it and my friend Kristin decided to join me.   We made reservations before we got there for the highest you can go (80ft) and were so excited to get out on the water!  Though it wasn't as thrilling as I thought it would be, it was definitely an amazing experience!  It was so neat to see Ocean City from above and come down to have our toes dipped in the water!  It was also a relaxing experience - you truly feel like you're moving super slow!

Repelling in Italy

In Assisi, Italy we spent the day with an amazing group of New Zealanders with a company called Full On.  One of the most amazing experiences of that trip was being able to repel down a 100ft castle wall that was not open to the public!  Only Full On used it and they only worked with P2P.  Three people went at a time and I volunteered to go in the first group of three.  I was completely freaked out when they made us hang over the wall for a picture before beginning to repel!  Once I was at the bottom I was so proud of myself for volunteering to go first and for making it down without panicking!  It was one of the coolest experiences of my life! 

Zip-lining in Costa Rica
This was the single most amazing thing EVER!  While in Costa Rica we spend most of the time working, but we had one free day to do something fun and were given a few choices.  Everyone thought zip-lining would be the best and it most definitely was!   The entire trip through the canopies was about an hour and a half.  Also, at the halfway point there was a larger platform where we stopped for drinks and a rest and it had amazing views (pictured below).  It was a little scary at first but it ended up being one of the best experiences of my life!  and we saw so much wildlife!

Jumping Off A Rock Quarry in VA

Look up East Jesus in the dictionary and Louisa County Virginia will be pictured right there.  My ex lives there and several times over the summer we'd illegally off road up to this quarry in the middle of nowhere.  There was an area where you could jump into the water and climb the rocks back up.  The drop was probably about 30 feet.  It took two visits before I finally jumped but I'm so glad I did!  It was super fun and the water felt so good!  No matter how hard we tried, no one ever touched to bottom and we have no clue how deep it really is.   The picture below is his friend diving in - I was never that brave!

Extreme Sky Flyer at Kings Dominion

I have been going to Kings Dominion since I was in middle school; it's one of my absolute favorite amusement parks! Every time I went I really wanted to go on the Extreme Sky Flyer but it cost $40 per person or something and I never had the extra money.  So, before Josh and I went with our friends in 2011, I made sure that we had the extra money to do it.  It was one of the most terrifying and awesome 5 minutes of my life!

The Time I Jumped Off a Bridge
This was the most random thing ever.  Me, my best friend Alex and one of my coworkers at the time, Sasha decided to go swimming in Broad Creek by Sasha's house.  We found a place to swim near this bridge and set up our stuff.  Then we see these guys up on the bridge and watch them jump into the water.  Of course, me and Alex had to go talk to them.  They told us what to do and one jumped on either side of us the first time.  We had so much fun, we decided to do it again!  I think the drop was around 25-30 feet.  What started out as hitting on some guys turned into one of the most fun days I had all summer - especially since Alex moved away at the end of that summer :(

White Water Rafting in PA

 I was  in like 6th grade or something when we did this and have no pictures and my memories are scarce but I do remember having a good time and being scared shitless at the same time!  Though I enjoyed it at the time, I don't think I'd ever do it again.  I am glad that I gave it a try though and I do have a few fun stories from that day. 

Rock (Wall) Climbing
For some reason this was super scary to me.  I am so glad I did it though!  I had a blast the day that I learned and I lucked out in going to a University that had a rock wall in their gym!  I definitely took advantage of that!

 
That Time I Rode a Bike For 30 Miles
I guess that's just what you do in Maine.  This bike ride was very hard at times and there were definitely some interesting things that happened which I will talk more about when I do a post on Maine.  It was very difficult but super rewarding at the end!  Oh, and that picture below was taken a little more than halfway during our lunch break - we don't normally look like we wish we were dead.

 
Upcoming Adventures
This upcoming November, Josh and I are planning to do a canopy tour while in Honduras (I believe)!  I am so excited to do it again and for Josh to experience it.   Our other excursions include swimming with dolphins and "scuba diving".  We also plan to skydive this upcoming year.  We have been talking about it for a while but it was never the right time, but I think after the wedding would be the perfect time!
 

My First Apartment

Like many Americans, my first time living on my own was in college.  I attended James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA and studied Biological Anthropology.  During my Sophomore year, I moved into an apartment with 3 other girls.  It ended up being great because we all got along well and were pretty much never there.

I really enjoyed living here and loved getting to decorate and watch all of our personalities come together.  So, here is a photo tour of my first apartment:

Our Building: 

Our apartment is the second floor on the left.

Mine and Caitlin's Bathroom:

My Bedroom:

Yes, I had a million stuffed animals.  That hasn't changed, their just not on my bed anymore, haha!!  and I did have a quilt but I didn't use it during the warmer months when this was taken.

Please excuse the unmade bed in this picture ...oops.

Common Rooms: Kitchen and Living Room

The couch cushions were really uncomfortable so my one roommate went and got the fabric that you see and hot glued it around the cushions!  The fabric was so comfy!

This light did absolutely nothing so my roommate who was an art major painted this party light!

Yes, the thing behind the couch was our beer pong table.  The mill was the name of the apartment complex.

 

The door on the left by the front door was the laundry and storage room.  It was actually huge. 

The door on the left was mine and Caitlin's bathroom and the door next to that was Caitlin's room - my room was right across from the bathroom.  The hallway past the kitchen was Allie and Jenny's rooms and bathroom.

 

And that is the grand tour of my first apartment! Hopefully in the coming weeks I will be able to give you the grand tour of our new (rental) house!