Reverb 10, December 5, Let Go

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

That is quite the question, er, prompt. I let go of a lot this year but none of it was terribly difficult. I let go of a lot of my insecurities and regrets. I learned a lot about people this year which caused me to let go of ideals and desires in friendship. I am not sure if "let go" is even the right phrase but there was a lot of letting go of my own issues so that I could move forward. I can think of so many people that are bogged down in their own circumstances that they can't see past it. I knew that in order to move on, I needed to let go of everything and push past any discomfort or timidness. 


Revision: I completely forgot that I got rid of 70% of my belongings! The amazing people at Salvation Army made many a trip to my house to pick up my stuff. I have four medium sized boxes being stored at my mom house and the rest came with me to Michigan in my little Honda Civic. This realization comes after watching Clean House on Netflix for the past.....well....longer than I should have.

Blogroll Watch: End of the Year

I read a lot of blogs. I add a bunch and then if I don't get excited to read them, I unsubscribe and find more. I have found out how to live healthier, how to set fitness goals, and about new foods to try. There are blogs that inspire me and ones that make me feel like I am not the only weird one out there. As we come to the end of 2010, many bloggers are reflecting on the past year and looking ahead towards the future. Goals are inevitable: the new year means a new start for many of us and goal setting is one way to take action.

I have been saving so many blog posts in my reader that it is driving me crazy! So I thought I would add some links to great blogs and posts that have made me think and smile this past week:

Life of a Doctor's Wife put up her 30 (mostly) non-material wants. For that first list, I couldn't agree more on at least 7 of those things!

The Healthy Everythingtarian talks about life lessons she has learned through traveling. She has learned how important it is to simply take in the moment, have fun, and find your passion. She also has an excellent post about being 25 and single and what that means. Yes I am older but all the same rules apply.

I follow some other blogs that are more like guides to life than anything else. Sometimes the posts are funny, sometimes insightful, sometimes technical. These stood out to me last week:

wikiHow: How to Get a Little Healthier While Staying Just as Lazy

Positivity Blog: How to Cut the Irrelevant Stuff Out of Your Life-3 Helpful Questions

Dumb Little Man Tips for Life: Are You An Emotional Packrat?, Will You Regret This When You're 80?

Reverb 10, December 3 & 4

(I skipped December 2nd because I didn't feel it was very important for me)

December 3
Prompt: Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors).

It was when I was driving from Oregon into Idaho during early August. It was perfectly sunny but I could still see the road, listening to Eminem so that I would stay awake, and taking in all the sights of everything that was new to me. It was the rolling hills to the river to the dams to the state line. Everything was just overwhelming because I couldn't believe I was actually leaving my home state and the amount of beauty that I saw. That was just the very beginning too! It was embedded in my memory because of the emotion that poured out of me every time I realized what I was doing and where I was going. 

December 4
Prompt: Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?

My sense of wonder came from making new friends, exploring Portland even more and appreciating some of the small things that come from living in a city, and deciding to go against my comfort zone. I believe that fate decided to give me the choices in grad schools that I had so that I wouldn't go with any safe choice, stay near home, and ultimately be miserable. I sought out opportunities, experiences, and people whom have enriched my life more than I can say.