It is all about the small things in life

I have been told recently that I need to focus on the small things in my life and celebrate those successes. So in taking that to heart I have been thinking about stuff that makes me happy, like drinking hot chocolate on cold winter days, snuggling up under my covers with a great book, having long phone conversations with the ones I love, and last but not least listening to my favorite instrumental music.

I have noticed recently that it is easy to let your spirit get low. People keep telling me that time is on my side, and that if I am patient everything will work out well. But why is it so hard to be patient? Personally I am a very impatient person, but I am trying to get better a little at a time. My newest mantra though is, "it is not me, it is them." I catch myself throughout the day saying that over and over again as I remind myself that I am not always responsible for how people feel. Honestly though that is very difficult to do because as humans we tend to take things personally as a reflection of who we are as individuals.

Today though I am celebrating the little things in my life, like the fact that I get to wear my sewanee sweats, my uggs, and a hoodie to work and no one cares. So while it is difficult I am trying to teach myself to look beyond individuals reactions, to understand their perspective and reasoning for why they are acting a certain way. For in some cases it really is not me, it is them.

What is this white percipitation falling from the sky?

Yes, you guessed it.....SNOW! Believe it or not yesterday it snowed all day and the city went crazy. You would of thought that we were preparing for the next world war by the way people here in Austin were reacting. Schools were all delayed in the morning, and then later in the day they were canceled. The accumulation in some parts was about 4 inches, just enough to shut down an entire city. I realize that this is nothing compared to the amount of snow that hit the east coast this winter. My friends who live especially in the North East have been buried under snow, and what Austin received is nothing in comparison to what they have accumulated.

I personally think that the most hilarious parts of our "winter storm" was how there was such a big hype built up around the fact that it was going to snow in Austin. As soon as the first flakes began to fall from the sky in the early morning everyone was getting on their phones and computers sending texts and emails to everyone they knew to announce that the snow had arrived. I personally spent the entire day in a long planning meeting so I did not get to participate in any snow day activities. It was nice though to curl up by the fire and have a large bowl of new england clam chowder for lunch. Moments like those remind me of fond memories I have from my childhood when all of Norfolk would be shut down for days on end because of snow.

Texas weather though is very unpredictable and ever changing. Sunday for example was such a beautiful day! It was almost 80 degrees and the sun was out shinning in full force. I tried to soak up as much vitamin d as I could. Then two days later the weather drops into the low 30s and it snows. Will I ever get us to this ever changing weather?

Bye Bye ZAX!

For the past few months I have been working two jobs. Since Thanksgiving I have been hostessing at this cute little restaurant off South Congress. I originally took this job because I had too much free time on my hands. All the free time was making me more sad and lonely, so I thought if I filled up all my free time it would make me happier. While that initially worked well, recently it has been back firing on me. These past few weeks have been very long weeks, 65+ hour weeks, and then wen you add another 20 hours at ZAX it begins to take a toll on your physical, mental and emotional strength. Saturday night was the final straw. I did not sleep at all Saturday night and I quickly realized I could not continue at this pace. I thought when I graduated from Sewanee I would no longer have to pull any all nighters, obviously I was wrong.

Tonight I told one of the owners of ZAX that I was going to finish out the shifts that had already been scheduled for me, but that I did not want to be put back on the schedule. Unfortunately I did not realize that another hostess has also decided to leave, so I feel a little guilty that within a few days of one another two of the three hostesses are leaving. I need to take care of my own personal health and that is a higher priority than what works best for ZAX. I think part of me though is sad that I am leaving ZAX. While it can be a really boring and stressful job at times, I do enjoy laughing and joking around with the other wait staff. It is really one of the only times during the day that I get to hangout with people my own age. My normal companions are high school students and they provide a different type of social atmosphere.

So farewell ZAX! I will miss you and your cheap meals, but I really need to make myself a priority. Having my evenings and weekends free again will mean that I can travel more and maybe try new things around Austin!

Chocolate....got to love it!

There are somethings in the year that can always be expected. One such events comes in the dead of February, Lent. For the past few years I have not only been trying to give up something but I have also been trying to talk something on. This year I have given up sweets, but boy do I miss CHOCOLATE! I mean doesn't this look delicious.....

But unfortunately I will not be eating any chocolate cake for a while....or atleast until Easter.

But Lent is more then just giving up something. It is a time for self reflection and self evaluation. This can be hard at times, but it is also a good thing. So for now, chocolate is out of the question, but sodium is not! All I have to say is "Bring on the Salt". I am craving salt now more then ever.

Hope you all are making it through February smoothly. It was a wonderful 78 degrees yesturday here in TX. I do not think I have ever been in a place where it gets that warm in February before so I am soaking it in, literally absorbing all the vitamin D I can.

Sleepless Nights

Recently I have not been sleeping well, actually I have not really been sleeping at all. Lent has begun and things are very crazy in my life right now, but being busy is not always a bad thing.

Part of growing up is learning certain life lessons. These life lessons can at times be very painful and difficult, but that is part of maturing. This past week has been a particularly hard week for me. There are always bad and good days, and while the good days normally out number the bad this week they have not. But instead of dwelling on the past I am trying to let it go and move on with the future, which is always easier said then done.

When you enter into the real world after graduation you a young, naive individual who has suddenly been placed in a larger pool. Sometimes you have guidance and structure and other times you are left to fend for yourself. But these are the moments that give us character, right? These are the moments that shape who we are as individuals. Then why can they be so painful or difficult?

Things will get better because every cloud has a silver lining.

The Sky of the Lonestar State

This past weekend Austin hosted the Love Marathon on Valentine's Day. Since I live downtown and my street was part of the course it made it a little difficult to get out of my apartment on Sunday. On Tuesday I participated in my own marathon, a driving marathon to be specific. In one day I drove to Houston and back, and while in Houston I had three meetings. My day started at 5am and ended at 6:30 when I arrived just in time for our pancake supper.

For those of you who have not made the wonderful 3+ hour drive from Austin to Houston then you might not be aware of the fact that there is NOTHING between these two cities. When I accepted my job here in ATX my impressions of TX were the result of childhood movies I had grown up with. One movie in particular, The Rookie, had a profound effect on my impression of TX. The movie depicted towns as having one stop light, one black of empty store fronts and tumble weeds are the only thing rolling down the street. While that is an extreme exaggeration of what a small town in TX, I do think I went through many of these towns during my long commute to and from Houston.

Not only did I witness "the real lonestar state" and see the heart of the people that live in it I got to watch the most beautiful sunset. With the help of my wonderful Iphone I was able to capture these pictures and I wanted to share them with you.







Come and see these beautiful blue skies that go on for days, and you too will feel like you have been transported into another world!

The Olympics start TONIGHT!

The Winter Olympics begin tonight and I am so excited! I have some very fond memories of the Olympics in my childhood. I can remember in 1996 when the Olympics were in Atlanta Georgia. The Olympics were going on during my All Star Swim Meet and I would stay up late in the evening watching the girls gymnastics and swimmers compete. One morning during early morning practice I practically fell asleep in the pool. When my coach asked me why I was so tired I told her I was watching the Olympics! She told me to focus on getting more sleep and watching less Olympics. But really how could I do that when the girl gymnasts were going to win the gold and it all was hinging on Kerri Strug's final Vault. Then a few years later Salt Lake city hosted the winter Olympics and I remember watching the opening ceremonies. During the opening program a little boy ice skated around depicting he history of the Olympics. I can remember the broad casters saying how that little boy had been practicing for months for this moment and how he had to lie to all his friends about what he was doing in the afternoon. During the 2000 Olympics my brother, sister and I made up hand motions to depict Ian Thorpe and we went around for days "doing the Ian Thorpe". Two summers ago I, along with the rest of the world, watched Michael Phelps win seven gold metals. I can remember exactly where I was when he out touched another swimmer by one onehundreths of a second.

The Olympics have been an important part of my childhood. I have always looked forward to both the winter and summer Olympics and for these two weeks I am glued to the TV watching and loving every event. While I watch these world class Olympians perform on the world's largest stage from the comfort of my couch with a bowl of popcorn in my lap, I wonder what they are thinking. Have you ever thought about what it would be like to be an Olympian? Have you ever wanted to be one? The lifestyle they live and the sacrifices they make must deter many from pursuing that course, but then think about how cool it would be to be in the Olympics. When I think about the girl gymnasts and girl figure skaters I see these amazing talented 16-18 year olds who's lives revolve around their sport. Their childhood was the complete opposite of mine.

I hope you enjoy the Olympics as much as I do. I had to clear off part of my DVR this afternoon to make sure I had enough space for the sporting events, I know I am a bit obsessed. Watch as much as you can and wish our team the best of luck!

Movies!

It is no secret that I LOVE MOVIES!! During college I spent many hours curled up in bed snuggling under my quilts watching endless movies. On nasty days, where there is a never ending blanket of rain/sleet falling from the sky I find myself wishing I could stay in bed all day watching pride and prejudice on repeat while drinking hot chocolate. Unfortunately that is not possible because in the real world after college there is something called "A Job".

Even though I can no longer spend all day in bed watching movies I still do love movies and have a insane movie collection. Do you have a favorite movie or does every movie represent something different to you? While I feel like I tell myself all the time that I do not need to buy any more movies I continue to buy them. I find it very difficult to turn down old classics! I am definitely a fan of the old black and whites.

I encourage you to take a day of pure relaxation and stay in bed all day! Curl up with a pile of blankets and lean back against a mound of pillows and indulge in a day of endless movie watching!

Happy Birthday Mom and Dad!

Today my parents are celebrating their birthday and I am sorta sad I am not there to be with them. Philip will have to hold down the fort for Ruth and I because neither of us are home in Virginia these days. Philip and I joined forces and decided to get Mom and Dad a delicious cake from all three kids for their birthday to show them how much we love and appreciate them!

Birthdays always make me reflect on my life as I realize that another year has past. Some times years run together and seem very monotonous, while other years stick out in your memory because something big or important happened. Of course when we reflect on our life we always have those "blunder" memories that pop up and make us cringe internally. I am the queen of those memories. When one flies into my head that I really do not want to remember I shake me head and grind my teeth. The thing is that we all have these moments, so I guess we should not be that embarrassed by them.

"You and I have pasts, families we come from, things we've done, mistakes we've made, and where we've been and what we've done has shaped us into who we are today. So we have to embrace our story, our history. You don't have to be proud of it, but you must claim it because it's yours." I came across this quote a few days ago and I feel like it is talking to me. So from today on I am going to accept what I have done, like breaking a wall sconce at the restaurant...a big whoops, and realize that no matter how embarrassing or exciting it is that it has shaped me into the individual I am today.

**** For all of you who are caught in some cold winter weather I am sending you some warm thoughts! If you get too cold and want to come and warm your little toes in the sun of Austin, my apartment door is always open to you!

The beginning of a new chapter in my life!

Yesterday I reached my sixth month mark of living in Austin, TX. When I moved here in August I really had no idea what I was in for. After the honeymoon period ended reality quickly set in that I am here in Austin working and living by myself.

"Keep Austin Weird" is the universal response or answer for anything in Austin. It is the first thing I learned. This liberal city sits in a very conservative state and it tries to preserve its liberalness by being all inclusive. So the weirder you are the more accepted you are in Austin. When getting dressed in the morning I no longer question if what I am wearing is appropriate because anything goes here in Austin. Workout pants, tee shirts, hoodies and slippers are the typical dress of most Austins.

But over these past six months I have learned a lot about myself and grown as an individual. I am trying to think more outside of the box and be more experimental. I will say that I could not of picked a better city to live in for being a vegetarian. Ever restaurant you go to has a vegetarian option including the local burger joint called P-Terrys. They have the best veggie burger around!

A new chapter in my life has begun and I am embracing it full force. There have been some bumps in the road, some minor set backs but I am learning to work through whatever life throws at me. I am excited to see where life takes me over the next 3 to 4 years as I discover who I am, and eventually answering the age old question: What do I want to do when I go up?