Theme for 2014: Calm Down!

 I really like the idea of a theme for the year versus a lot of resolutions. I expect a lot of myself so there will be goals but also I would like to have a theme to strive for that I can come back to every now and again.

CALM DOWN. 

Yes, this is my theme for the year. Seems a bit strange, right? But I'm taking my mom's advice to stop worrying about everything because it will either work out or I will handle what comes next. I am taking my friend's advice to stop over thinking everything and just have fun. I need to learn how to relax and be happy knowing that I am doing my best. I need to learn that it is okay to have absolutely no idea what I am doing because most people don't know either!

My foodie goals for the year: 

• Tamales
• Whole chicken 
• Pie 
• Homemade pop tarts
• Macaroni & cheese
• Soft pretzels
• Cauliflower crust pizza

My goals for the year:

• Completely decorate my apartment 
• Get my teeth cleaned 
• Drink at least 4-5 glasses of water a day
• Get into the healthy weight range for my height (130-160lbs.)
• At least one vacation (looking at Michigan or California)
• Cook one new dish each month
• Save at least $100 per month

Reverb....Oops!

So things on the blogging front took a detour. Life has been busy and in the last few weeks:

• accepted a new job
• moved (all on my own!) to a new apartment
• spent a weekend in Coos Bay with a new family celebrating Christmas
• got a ridiculous flu/sinus infection that absolutely took me down for almost an entire week
• got through the first holiday season without my mom 
• finished up my work at the part-time temp gig

And I am exhausted! I start my new job on Thursday and don't feel quite ready, although I am excited to get back in the advising game.

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So here is going to be my recap of the year:

Lesson learned. What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year?

I think it was more of a reminder that I am not only independent but also strong. My mom always told me not to worry, that things would work out. This year has been truly exhausting, from beginning to end, but I constantly had to remember that I am a capable, smart person that can figure out anything that I need to—driving across the country, taking care of an ill parent, getting a job—and that sometimes I need to relax and take faith in the fact that things will work out, just not always as I had planned.

Photo - a present to yourself. Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Share the image, who shot it, where, and what it best reveals about you. 

 I don't know what these share about me but I really like both of these pictures. They are simple, straight-forward, and the timing of each one feels like worlds apart. The one on the left is during the road trip in May and the one on the right was taken in Long Beach where we scattered my mother's ashes.

5 minutes. Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2013 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2013. 

Driving across the country (Graceland, donuts, Coca-Cola Museum, visits with friends & family, LA, the beach), time with my mom before she started getting sick, family outings, meeting K and all of our dates, working my part-time job, meals with friends, and Christmas in Coos Bay.

One Word. Encapsulate the year 2013 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2014 for you? 

Exhausting. I know that isn’t a positive word but I feel that it really encompasses everything: Deciding to move back to Portland, job searching, logistics of the move, sick parent, being in constant motion for what feels like the whole year. I just got an apartment last week and I have yet to properly stand still for a minute. The words that I hope 2014 will represent are brilliance and heart. I want to show my intelligence, I want to marvel at the world, I want to show love and friendship, and I want to feel secure.

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As far as the blog goes, I hope to focus much, much more on recipes and exploring Portland. I am in a new neighborhood, have a new apartment which means I have all my fancy gadgets to cook with again!

Reverb 2013: Days 6, 7, & 8

Day 6: Lesson learned. What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward?

I think it was more of a reminder that I am not only independent but also strong. My mom always told me not to worry, that things would work out.

This year has been truly exhausting, from beginning to end, but I constantly had to remember that I am a capable, smart person that can figure out anything that I need to—driving across the country, taking care of an ill parent, getting a job—and that sometimes I need to relax and take faith in the fact that things will work out, just not always as I had planned.

Day 7: Best Moment of April

I honestly can't remember much of the first part of this year..it was all a blur! I had a few fun days in the month though that thankfully I blogged about: Birthday & Exploring Columbia. 

It is funny; the flowers shown in the Birthday post from my mom were actually the second basket! My apartment had a front entrance and a back entrance that goes to a courtyard.  For some reason, the flower delivery person went through the back stairwell and put the flowers there. Well I never, ever go through that door. One day, about a two weeks after the delivery, my downstairs neighbors' fire alarm was going off so I opened the back door to make sure I shouldn't evacuate and low and behold, I see some dried out flowers! It was quite the weird sight to see but I immediately called my mom to let her know the flower people actually did deliver the flowers.

Day 8: Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2013? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2014?

 

Rooftop Movie Showing

I have found kind of a fun community in joining Yelp. I started becoming more active on Yelp while in South Carolina and as I was driving across the country. Now that I have arrived in Portland, I am surrounded by such amazing restaurants and sites that I simply have to blog/post about them all! (If you haven’t noticed, I am THAT person!) I became a Yelp Elite 2013 member and was introduced to a whole new little world of events and sneak peeks at great things happening in the city. It helps me get reconnected to Portland but also helps me meet new people. I hope to become more active in 2014 as I know I will be staying put. I hope to meet more friends in 2014 and build my social circle even more.

Free Will Astrology: Thinking Too Fast & Too Much

My horoscope this week is too accurate. So much so that I actually had a conversation with someone about this exact topic on Tuesday evening.

Aries Horoscope for week of December 5, 2013

 

Sometimes I think too fast and too much. My logic gets sterile. My ideas become jagged and tangled. When this happens, I head off to Turtle Back Hill for a hike through the saltwater marsh. The trail loops around on itself, and I arrive back where I started in about 15 minutes. Sometimes I keep walking, circumambulating four or five times. Going in circles like this seems to help me knit together my fragmented thoughts. Often, by the time I'm finished, my mind feels unified. I recommend you find your own version of this ritual, Aries. From what I can tell, you need to get rounder and softer.


Lately, I have been driving in circles and playing A LOT of Tetris on my new snazzy smartphone (yes, I just joined this circus). When I am involved in these activities, I am able to slow down my thinking and focus on what is really bothering or stressing me out. I have wasted many dollars on gas and warn my battery down too fast but it is cheaper than therapy, right? 

Reverb 2013. Day 5: March

Day 5: Best Moment of March

Charleston! I took a day trip to Charleston since I knew I would be kicking myself if I left the South without visiting. It was truly a beautiful and historical place. I would love to have the opportunity to go back and spend a few days so I can see the plantations, more historical sights in the area, and also try more of the truly great Southern food.

Here is the low-down on Charleston Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IV: The Citadel.

Why I Go to the Movies...

Movie theaters are a place where people go to disappear. They’re a place that (mostly) transcends social structures and classist systems and allows people a few hours to escape their everyday lives and put themselves into something fantastically fictional. For a few hours, no matter what your situation, you can be the action star, or the beauty queen, or part of a group of friends who has misadventures with a pair of traveling pants. For a few hours you can forget all your problems and what ails you. Let me tell you, it is beautiful to watch people disappear.

--Taken from 11 Observations From A Former Movie Theater Employee

Reverb 2013. Day 4: Action

Day 4: Action. 
When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It's about making ideas happen. What's your next step?

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My next step in life is getting a full-time position. I hate saying "job" because I don't want just a job, I want something that makes me feel good and that encourages me to work harder and grow professionally. Ideally, I want an advisor position that supports adult and transfer students in pursuing their education. While this position does exist, it is the slower time of the year for job postings and Portland has a rough job market. I try to remain positive.

As far as making ideas happen, I do actually advise people still...just not in the traditional setting. In the past six months of my unemployment, I have advised people on pursuing their education: during a hike, in a bank, at a bar, and over Facebook and LinkedIn. It is something I am wildly passionate about and I know that patience will be an asset right now.

Reverb 2013: Reflecting on the Year

Here is my officially made-up list of things to reflect on for the month of December. I plan to post daily however we all know how that goes. If you decide to do your own Reverbing, let me know! I will post a link to your blog on here.

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Day 1. Best moment of January

Day 2. Love. What does this word mean to you?

Day 3. Best moment of February

Day 4. Action. When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It's about making ideas happen. What's your next step?

Day 5. Best moment of March

Day 6. Lesson learned. What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward?

Day 7. Best Moment of April

Day 8. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2013? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2014?

Day 9. Best Moment of May

Day 10. Healthy Life: What things did you do in 2013 to be healthy?

Day 11. Best Moment of June

Day 12. Appreciate. What's the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it?

Day 13. Best Moment of July

Day 14. Friendship. How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst?

Day 15. Best Moment of August

Day 16.  Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?

Day 17. Best Moment of September

Day 18. Inspiration: What are three things that have inspired you this year?

Day 19. Best Moment of October

Day 20. Photo - a present to yourself. Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Find the shot of you that is worth a thousand words. Share the image, who shot it, where, and what it best reveals about you.

Day 21.  What was the theme of your life in 2013? Why?

Day 22. 5 minutes. Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2013 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2013.

Day 23. Best Moment of November

Day 24.  What are you most thankful for?

Day 25. What's the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year?

Day 26. Best Moment of December

Day 27. Wisdom. What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out?

Day 28. What are 11 things your life doesn't need in 2013?

Day 29. One Word. Encapsulate the year 2013 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2013 for you?

Day 30. What do you want the theme to be for 2014?

Day 31. Donate blood. Save a life.

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Day 3:  Best Moment of February

I went to the First Year Experience Conference in Orlando! It was a crazy experience but there were two standout reasons why this was awesome. One: I got to present about supporting veteran students on campus with an amazing co-worker, which did a lot for my confidence and professional development. Two: I realized that I have a great, great passion with supporting transfer and adult students. I talked with many people about what they do at their institutions to support transfer students, how people got into their positions, and changes happening in higher ed and it not only did it get me excited (which means I am in the right profession) but also gave me some things that I needed to think about professionally.

Oh...and I got so many free books! It was like Christmas!