2k14 Goals in Review

Seeing that as tomorrow is the last day of 2014, I think it's time to reflect on the goals I made at the beginning of the year. Shall we see how I did??

1. Live in, appreciate, and cherish every moment
Check. This will always be something to work on, but I genuinely feel like I have made an effort to live in the moment and appreciate everything I'm going through with a very real perspective. Some big events and transitions have happened this year, and I am grateful for each experience.

2. Find my passion
While I think this will be a work in progress throughout my entire life, I have found that I really love being in nature - it truly is my happy place and I find so much joy going and being outside. I also am very passionate about Harmon's...aaaand my electric blanket. But that's beside the point.

3. Get a real freaking job
Done and done! I'm so happy where I ended up and feel very lucky to work with the people I do. Did we ever think I could be content going to work? Nope. Am I thrilled? YES.

4. Become unplugged
I think I have switched views on this one. Earlier this year, technology was an unnecessary and taxing thing to keep up with. Now, technology is my way to keep in touch and connect with the people I love who live far away. Can I get a WHOOP WHOOP for FaceTime???

5. Stop obsessing over diet soda
Let's just say I went through spurts with this...but it's the real deal now! Currently four days sober...HOLLA

6. Quit putting quarters in the swear jar
Living with your mother really helps with this one. #angel

7. Make meaningful relationships and mend the harmful ones
Boy oh boy was this a tough one. It's hard to mend something you aren't interested in mending. But trust me - I've put forth valiant effort even when I haven't wanted to. It's a work in progress, and mending takes time, but the healing will come.

8. Travel to a different country
London, you have my heart forever.

9. Join Crossfit
Crossfit sucks. Heavy weights are the worst and I'm 99% sure I was lifting wrong/injuring myself in the process. Like...my elbows hurt. Are elbows ever supposed to hurt? TRX is the way to go.

10. Become vulnerable
Vulnerability is an interesting concept, but I truly feel like I am open and ready to embrace anyone or anything that comes my way. This was probably the hardest thing I did this year and it's something you have to consciously work toward every single day.

11. Read the Book of Mormon
This was by far my favorite goal of 2014. I finally finished it in October and it has been such a strength and blessing to me. I read the last few chapters while I waited outside the Draper Temple for my little sister to come out - words will never be able to do justice for what I felt. There was such a special ambiance that night and I have never felt so much peace and comfort about my life as I did when I finished the Book of Mormon. I know it's true with all my heart and I owe everything in my life to this gospel.

It was a big year...but I made it! Bring it on 2015.

#PostGradLyfe

Remember that one time I graduated? From college? With an actual degree? Like as in I'm done with school forever?

Yeah. Same.

(cue passing out)

 I am now living the phenomenon that the world likes to call "The Post-Grad Life." Because suddenly life was like... "You have a college degree so LOL let's throw you out into the real world and by the way hurry and figure out what you want to do with your life and OH good luck finding a job!"

Or something to that effect. So here I am. Twenty one years old, a college graduate and working a big girl job (which by the way, took me a solid 8 months to find).

Shhhh hey little guy it's okay, I feel ya. Young and afraid my friend...young and afraid.

But I mean I bought my very first cookbook and signed up for my own health insurance, life insurance AND a retirement plan so heyyyy boys!

Also so many heart eye emoji's over paying back my student loan. YAY.

Not.

Really though. Shout out to this new stage of life. I'm learning lots and figuring out what to do with all my no-more-homework-ever-again time. Now that I'm finally done with the job hunt and settling into one I like, it's been pretty liberating. A lot of my time involves trying to balance a social life, building my book list, baking treats that max out my caloric intake in a single bite, planning my next big trip, watching lots of Netflix aka Scandal and an occasional morning run here and there to train for a half marathon (which by the way if I ever try to sign up for one of these again slap me, and slap me hard).

So here's to you real world. Ya ain't half bad.

 xoxo

The Alteration of Thoughts

I recently returned home from a solo four day trip to New York City. The adventurous part of me loved it - there was a sense of thrill as I laid my eyes on the city for the first time and walked the streets alone. It was liberating to be able to have my own agenda and not have to worry about pleasing anyone. I absolutely love my "me time" - so being on my own was extremely gratifying.

But being by yourself for four straight days gives you a lot of time to contemplate. I feel like it really gave me a chance to reevaluate my life direction and helped me realize how truly blessed I am.

As I walked the streets alone, I did a lot of observation on the harshness of the city. I marveled at the poverty and sat in awe as the career driven individuals finished their 80 hour work week. In each contrasting group there was a noticeable strain and stress as they lived their lives day to day, just trying to make it to the end. By 7 o'clock they could either scrape up enough money to eat a meal, or finally get off work to go out and drink. It was perplexing to witness.

As I wandered and observed, I thought about my own life. I reflected on how incredibly lucky I was to live in such a naturally beautiful place and have so many wonderful people surrounding me.

While I was pumped to be by myself, the fact of the matter was...I was alone. I truly had never felt more vulnerable in my entire life. In Utah I had family and friends who I would see every day, yet in New York it was quite the opposite. It's a lonely and selfish city when you're by yourself - which creates such an interesting and exposed feeling. I continuously had the chance to think about my stable and outstanding support group I had back home - thinking of everyone I loved was such a charming thought. What an advantageous phenomenon it is to love and be loved.

I'm so grateful for the chance I have to know true happiness. No job or adventure or material possession will make you as happy as the relationships you have in your life. Cultivate these aspects in your life and I promise that true and everlasting happiness will come.

xoxo

{the city that stole my heart}

Spring break. Like, where do I even begin. A dream come true? The best thing to ever happen to me? My wanna-be home away from home? The most beautiful city ever? The classiest I've ever felt? The best week of my life?

LONDON. Even looking at the word makes me smile from ear to ear. London London London. Eee! Going to this beautiful city has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. When the opportunity came up to go on a week long study abroad with the School of Business, I jumped (mostly for joy) at the chance. While there, we visited about ten different companies and during our spare time mixed in every tourist thing you can think of. I'm not kidding, we did it all. Here's a recap. And I mean a big recap...so prep yourself and enjoy.

Favorite Memories

+LES MIS x1000000

+St. Paul's Cathedral

+Wandering the streets

+Eating chocolate every single night before bed

+Playing cards on the quad at Oxford

+The British Museum (even though we had to power walk it in one freaking hour)

+Blenheim Palace

+The quaintness of Notting Hill

+Early morning bike ride through Kensington Gardens

Somerset House

(All pictures go from top left and rotate clockwise)

First sighting of Big Ben/a double decker bus/St. Paul's Cathedral, Ashley and I

Top of St. Paul's, Big Ben at Night, Treats on the steps of St. Paul's, David Beckham and I love each other

Big Ben at night, me trying to fit into English culture on the tube,, Kait and I at the National Portrait Gallery, some enthusiastic British dude

Crazy architecture slash don't remember which building this is, floating Yoda, National Portrait Gallery, the temple in the Da Vinci Code 

LES MIS (aka best thing/cried so hard), a riot in London, classic telephone pic, slash the doors to the telephone booths don't open sometimes

British Museum

Tube escalator, enjoying a diet coke on the top of Barclay's Bank, Tower of London, flower stands

Our new friends from Qatar, BIG BEN, Tower Bridge, Eating the yummiest ice cream ever 

Wicked, Notting Hill, LDS Visitors Center, Abbey Road

Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace

Oxford

Tower Bridge at night/oxford during the day/classic tourist pic

I could go on and on about what a dream come true this was, but I could literally write for hours. Bottom line is that we had the best group, the coolest sites, the yummiest chocolate and the greatest time.

LONDON YOU HAVE MY HEART FOR EVER AND EVER.

xoxo

holy smokes i've got it good

Thanks to my boy George W. for starting the whole President of the United States trend. And praise the Holiday God's for making President's Day weekend a thing. I'm such a firm believer that a trip to somewhere warm needs to be taken during the bleakness of February. Logan just gets so dreary.

So....

#STGEORGE2014SNITCHES

It was phenomenal. A weekend filled with beautiful hikes, around-the-world tennis games, BBQing, cosmic bowling, dance parties, running, hot tubing and plenty of sarcastic bickering. Shoot, I've got awesome friends.

Angel's Landing

Some super cool slot canyon hike in Leeds

Church

I'd say it was a successful weekend. Wouldn't you?

xoxo

Silently Silently

The inter workings of my head are so contradictory sometimes. It swings one way, then violently shifts and swings the other direction. I don't know what I want, I don't know what I want to think, and I don't have any clue what my future holds - so sometimes silence is my cop-out.

But there's something beautiful about silence. The way you can isolate your thoughts and detach from the world. The way you can hear nature breathing when you're out alone in the world. The tranquility of sitting alone and inhaling the aroma of your surroundings.

The most wonderful things can happen when it's silent, too. The stillness of the air when making big decisions, the intimate silence you feel with a loved one, the way your brain works to understand concepts, and the small whisperings of the Holy Ghost.

So maybe we just need to learn to bask in the silence and understand that maybe the only thing we need is the peace and muteness of the moment. And then maybe our brain can figure itself out. Right?

At least that's all we can hope for.

Hi. I think you're perfect.

I'm obsessed with body image. Utterly obsessed. Not in the bad way like you would suspect, but in the I-wish-everyone-was-comfortable-in-their-own-skin-because-everyone-is-so-stinkin-perfect kind of way.

As women, we tear ourselves down. It's a concept we claim as natural, but really it's just unfortunately learned. Insecurities, comparisons, low self-esteem, and a depleted self-worth plague society. We see images in magazines or on billboards and instantly compare ourselves to them. Heck, I'm even guilty of it. You better believe I've seen pictures and wished I had legs or abs like them. But why do we do this? Where in our life did we ever start thinking we weren't good enough?

Re-touched images have infiltrated society. I'm so in love with the recent marketing campaigns that have stated they would no longer retouch their models and are promoting a positive body image. It thrills me because these comparisons we are making are doing us absolutely no good. We see these images and want to be like them. But why? At some point in your life, you are going to have to accept yourself for who you are.

I'm never going to be a size two. No matter how much I work at it, or how much I think I should or shouldn't eat, it's just not in the cards for me. I wasn't born that way, and I'm certainly not built that way. And you know what? I'm pumped about it. I love my size 8 body. I love my strong build, I love the way my hips curve and how my butt fills out my jeans. But more importantly? I love when I am being my absolute and true self. I feel beautiful when I'm laughing and making others laugh. You know...the genuine and exuberant I'm-going-to-pee-my-pants kind of laugh.  I feel even more beautiful when I'm passionate about something and using my talents to help others succeed and see their self-worth.

Don't you see? Beauty is certainly more than skin deep.

Stop the comparisons, ladies (and even men for that matter). Don't let society dictate how you should or shouldn't look. When I say you're beyond perfect the way you are, I mean it. You have a hearty personality and your very own beautiful and enormous aurora that engulfs you. You have character, and that is what defines you. It doesn't matter if you are tall, short, slender, skinny, full, or curvy - you were made that way for a reason. Embrace that. 

xoxo

Oh and while you're at it watch this vid. I promise it doesn't disappoint. 

Your Average New Years Spiel

As another year draws to a close and a new year begins, you can't help but reminisce. You think about what you have accomplished, the fun times you had, and which goals should probably carry over again to the new year.

My year in retrospect was freaking insane. But boy oh boy, was it good too. I learned, I lost, I loved, and I gained. But most importantly, I grew. I have developed more as a person this year than any other year previous and I am determined to keep on that path.

So this year I'm doing away with the typical "keep my room clean" garbage (because honestly no matter how hard we try it's totally unreachable) and I'm moving on to things I believe wholeheartedly I can accomplish...with a little work. So here's to you, goals of 2014.

1. Live in, appreciate, and cherish every moment
2. Find my passion
3. Get a real freaking job
4. Become unplugged
5. Stop obsessing over diet soda
6. Quit putting quarters in the swear jar
7. Make meaningful relationships and mend the harmful ones
8. Travel to a different country
9. Join Crossfit
10. Become vulnerable
11. Read the Book of Mormon

They say goals aren't real until you write them down...so this is the real deal folks. I am now accountable for these bad boys. Here's to another adventurous year!

xoxo