Lost in the right direction?

Hello All,

This a post that I have been waiting to write pretty much since I posted this post 2 years ago. But I couldn't write it at first because I had no idea how to write this post because I had no idea what I wanted to do with my future. I went through so many ideas of careers from Hollywood/news producer, to social work even stopping back at high school teacher. But none of those seemed to be the right fit. 

For a long while I figured I would apply for every job that was available and hope for the best. But then I started working for my university and fell in love with my job. One day I was raving about it to my mom or freaking out that I didn't know what I wanted to do, which isn't the point. The point is  my mom told me she always thought I'd do well working at university and she felt even more so after seeing the love I have for my job.

After she mentioned that I started really thinking about and realized that I could see myself working in residence life, student life or the first year programs at a university. If fits a lot of what I wanted out of a career such as working with teens/early adults, making an impact or a difference on people lives and an office job that isn't just sitting behind a desk, pushing paper all day.

I started researching the steps I'd have to take to get there and it looks like I will have to get my masters in higher education counseling. Many of the programs I have looked into require that you have some sort of psych background which at the moment I don't have.  Which means that I will probably be going back to school in January, part time to get  some psych pre-reqs, while working full time at some entry level university job.

At this point I'm still a little lost about where I'm going next but for the first time in almost 3 and half years I'm not scared out of my mind. I'm actually confident about the direction I'm going in and excited for what life after college holds, which starts in approximately 95 days (but whose counting).

I don't regret any of the hops I had to jump through in order to this place in my life. Its been hard and stressful at times but I honestly and truly believe it happened for a reason. I can't wait to share my future with you guys (even if it's not job related).

And for the people who have been there every step of this journey, thank you, your support has been more than appreciated.

Source

What's in my gym bag? {Literally and Figuratively}

Hello All,

A couple of weeks I wrote a post talking about what's been going on currently in my life (Check it out here). In that post I mentioned that I've been working out a lot recently. I know that I've talked about it multiple times on here and then "fell of the wagon" so to speak. But a few weeks a go while I was at the gym I thought about all the things I would tell a friend if they told me they wanted to start going to the gym but had never been. And then I was like I could share it on my blog and maybe it'll help someone. 

With this post I wanted to tell you guys not only the physical things I bring to the gym, or use right after the gym. But I also wanted to tell you guys about the mental and figurative things that I think about before, during and after the gym. 

1. Good sneakers

Source

This probably seems super obvious. But what some people don't realize is how many different types of sneakers there are out there. When I was getting my shoes about a month and half ago I knew I wanted running sneakers so focused on finding the running styles. But there are other types so think about what your work outs are going to consist of before shopping for sneakers. Personally I am a huge fan of the Nike Brand, I feel like my Nike sneakers last a long time and are great quality. But I highly recommend find the brand and the shoes that work for you and your style. 

2. Comfy gym clothes

Source

Again this one is pretty obvious. Since starting at the gym I've seen so many different styles and people feeling comfortable in different styles. For me personally I I like wearing shorts and tank tops. I like shorts because I feel like they fit me better then work out leggins (I don't have a butt to keep them up, lol) and I don't have to adjust them as much. As for tank tops I like that there's nothing on my arms but I also feel like I look cutest in them, which gives my confidence, which I feel like makes my workouts better because I feel like "I'm yup I got this." Also when I pick out my tank tops I like them to have motivating sayings on them because every time I look in the mirror it motivates me. For the most part I've bought most of my workout clothes at Target, their Champion brand. 

Before we move on I just wanted to share a tip that I've learned at big breasted women. I've learned that by layering a typical everyday bra over a sports bra I feel like I gain more support. :) 

3. Headphone and music player

Source

This is another one that is probably pretty obvious but music has been my life saver at the gym. Especially when I'm running. Instead of focusing on the fact that I'm running or that my joints are sore or whatever makes running hard I focus on the words from the music. My playlist is pretty varied to, it goes from Iggy Azalea's Fancy to Britney Spear's Work It B*tch to even some old Disney Channel because the beat is awesome. Basically my rules for my work out playlist is that it needs to have a good beat, I need to know the words and fun. I especially like the ones about pushing yourself or working harder to better yourself. I recommend finding out if your gym has wifi so you can create gym playlists on Spotify so you don't have to pay for the songs.

4. Water Bottle

Source

Another obvious is water because you need to stay hydrated. I drink a lot of water when I work out and on the car ride home. I love using reusable water bottles because they are easy to refill, cheaper then constantly buying bottles at the grocery store and easy to add ice to. I also like ones that are insulated so that they don't sweat and get condensation everywhere.   And aren't those water bottles above adorable.

5. Face wash and/or make-up wipes

Source

In case you didn't know working out with make-up on is a really bad habit and horrible for you skin. It causes more make-up to get into pores which could cause acne. I highly recommend at least wiping your make-up off with a wipe before starting your work. I also love to wash my face with face soap as soon as possible after I work out. My personal favorite face wash is the Clean and Clear brand.

6. A plan

Source

One of my work out goals is to be able to run a 5k! So, I found the couch to 5k plan (shown above) as a way to start working towards that goal. For the first few weeks I changed the plan up a little to work better for me but as I get deeper into the plan I'm realizing that I have to follow it more to the T. I also like to plan out what work out I'm going to do each day. I spilt my workouts by days, i.e. arms, legs and abs. At the beginning of each week I chose what days I will be going to the gym and write down in my planner which day its going to be. Coming from some who is planner I like to know what day I'm working on.

7. A place to record your progress

Source

I'm one of those people who like to see how things have changed. So, I use to things to track my progress. The first one is the app, My Fitness Pal, which has the ability to track what foods your eating, some of the exercises you do (I'll be honest I have a hard time finding some the exercises I do on there but I do track my cardio) and weight loss. I mainly use the app to track my weight lose. Each week I weigh myself and add it into the app so I can see the progress. One of my favorite feature is it has the option of adding in a picture next to your weight lose so you can see the progress. I personally like to add a picture every five pounds. The other way I track my progress using my notes on my phone. I keep track of what I'm lifting during each session at the gym. That way I'm consistent with my workouts and I can make notes of when I want to add weight to what I'm lifting.

8. Flexibility

Source

Like I said above I'm planner but I also need to know when to go with the flow. My goal is to go to the gym 5 days a week but I also know that sometimes life gets in the way. Sometimes I change what day of the week I'm going to the gym or add it to a different day. Sometimes my workouts don't always go as a plan. I find is espcially hard to run when it's humid out. So, although I go in everyday thinking I'm going to run a little better then the time before it doesn't always work that way when it's humid so I have to change it up and maybe run a little less.

9. Positive Attitude

Source

Working out is hard! There's no doubt about it. And although it doesn't ever get easier you do get more practice and a better understanding about what your body can do. Because it can be hard sometimes I highly recommend going in with a positive attitude. If you think its going to be a bad workout then your aren't going to be as motivated. But if you go in thinking "I can do anything" then you can. Also I love the quote above, I think that every time I'm disappointed with my time or distance.

10. A goal

Source

I feel like when your first starting out if you don't have a goal your aren't going to be motivated to keep going to the gym. It doesn't have to a goal that is completely set in stone. You don't have to say I'm going to lift x amount of pounds or have an exact weight in mind but maybe you have something small in mind. For me my goals are to get to the gym 5 days a week, get to a healthier weight and run a 5k. And those 3 items get me the gym every time.

And that's what I what has motivated me to go to the gym and pushes me each time. If you're a gym goer what are things that help motivate you? Let me know in the comments below.

*This is NOT a sponsored post, All opinions are my own and products mentioned are ones I truly use and believe in***

Happy!

Hello All,

Before I start I would just like today say that this post is a one hit wonder meaning that I'm writing this post, schedule it to post and then not looking at it again until I tweet the link. This is because I have been editing like a mad women between school and all the blog posts that I have been working on. And when I edited a blog post I normally wait 24 hours to edit because if I edited right away I feel like I miss so many typos because its so fresh on my mind. But that's not what I'm here to talk about so so let's just move on to what I came on here to talk about.

So, I'm going to start by telling you a story. Today is Tuesday (probably about two weeks before you're seeing this) and it was raining. When I was leaving my building this morning I forgot that it was supposed to rain in the afternoon. Most people would be sprinting across campus so that they don't get soaking wet. But I was walking across at pretty normal pace and was listening to music. And while I was walking I was just overcome with this feeling of happiness. I don't really know where it came from. In all honesty I have been kind of stressed lately so I was shocked when all the sudden I was swept over with happy.

But it wasn't only happiness that came over me. It was this feeling of I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. Not only in location but in every aspect of my life. I have always been a firm believer in the idea of fate. But at times I still wonder if I'm making the right choices and if everything is going to be okay. But while I was walking back from the dorm I got the idea that everything was going tokay and that I'm doing everything I'm supposed to be doing. 

And I was kind of surprised to be feeling this way because I had a lot of thing that just kind of went wrong today. Not that today was a bad day but it wasn't a day that would typically have me walking across campus smiling to myself. 

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is even on days that are uber stressful finding something as simple as walking in the rain can make you happy. And even when everything seems to be going wrong that everything is going to be okay!

And now I have decided spur of the momently (<--- Is that a word? If it is am I using it correctly?) that this post is going to go live on the first day of finals at my school because it seems like a positive note to start the final period with. 

And on that note I would like to wish everyone who is taking finals good luck!

What I'm Thankful For 2015 {Thanksgiving Post}

Happy Thanksgiving!

Source

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. I love all the food and the Macy's Parade and the family and the fact that Christmas pretty much starts the next day. Thanksgiving just makes me so happy. Every year (2013 & 2014) I like to share all the things I am grateful for, like...

...Mama Judy

...my family in general

...my friends

Mandi & I

Tori & I

Sonja, Megan & I

Amelia & I

...the ability to go to school...even when it stresses me out

A snap from my least favorite class in Spring '15 semester

...the ability to eat 3 meals a day

...the fact that I can write this blog

...the ability to travel

From my March 2015 trip

...the amazing men and women who risk their lives everyday for our freedom.

...people who donate their organs so that people like my cousin can continue to enjoy their lives.

And those are all the things I'm grateful this year and everyday. What are you grateful for? Let me know in the comments below. 

Thoughts & Worries With Senior Year

Hello All,

I'm a senior in college!

Source

I have had a lot feelings going through the past 5 weeks. A lot of them aren't a positive as I would have thought. Don't get me wrong. There is a small piece of me who is excited to graduate. I mean I get to experience new things and I'll get a break from school for at least a year before going on to graduate school. Plus when I no longer have to live by a school schedule I might have more time to travel which will be really awesome.

But the majority of me is scared to graduate. The biggest thing that scares me is that I still have no clue what I want to do post college. I don't know what kind of career I could want. I go through different ideas about as fast as I go through underwear. TMI? But nothing really seems to suit me. I'm not sure that any of these careers are something that I could see myself wake up and do every day for the rest of my life. Or at least until I retire. Wow, retirement is an even scarier thought.

Another reason that I am scared beyond belief to graduate is because I know how to do college. After three plus years I know how to make a schedule, I know where to print my papers, I know how to format my papers. I know how to organized a dorm room (to the best of my abilities) and I know how to make friends in a classroom. What I don't know how to do is adult. I don't know how to find a big girl job or what its like to work all day Monday to Friday. I don't know how you make friends that aren't just thrown into life whether its from class or randomly living near each other. I know in time this will come naturally and I'll laugh at myself for even being worried about but for now I'm worried.

Speaking of making friends who aren't just place in your life by people who have power over those types of things, my friends are at school. The only person from my hometown that I really talk to is Tori. The rest of them are at school. And of the ones who are graduating at the same time I am live near school or even further away by like an hour from me. I'm worried that I won't see them as often. And after a lot of thinking I've realized that if I could work anywhere post graduation it would be in the same area where I am currently going to school. But at the same time I know that I am in no place post college, finically that is, to live in an apartment. So, all that is stressing me out.

The biggest reason is that I'm not ready for this chapter of my life to end. I have enjoyed college but I haven't enjoyed it as much as I should have. I feel like there are things that I missed out on. Some of them are stupid naive girly things. Like I thought I'd come to college and meet a guy and fall in love but now 4 years later I realize that is unrealistic. The majority of my friend and people I know haven't had a steady boyfriend through college. And if I'm being honest I'm grateful that I didn't have a steady boyfriend throughout college because I learned to so much and grew so much as person. But other's

And then there is growth. Logically I know that I won't stop growing as a person just because I'm handed a diploma but I have feel like I have so much more growing left to do that would make sense to do at college campus.

Although there is a lot anxiety in my mind as I chug through my mid-terms and prepare for what should be my final semester as a undergrad, actually my final semester in school for at least a year (I'm definitely taking a break between undergrad and grad school). But there also is a lot of pride. My college has a rate of only about 19% of students graduate in the course of 4 years. I am going to be one of the 19% as long as all of my classes are offered next semester. Not only that but looking back at my Sophomore Year, which arguably was the hardest year of my life and there were times that I thought I would never graduate because I thought that I wouldn't be able to make through school. There were times where I debated dropping out. I wondered if college really was for me.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, even if I don't think of ready to graduate, even if the idea of doing so gives me anxiety and as much as it doesn't seem possible that its already that time in my life, I am damn proud of how far I came. As a student, as a person, as a member of society.

So, here's to the last semester and half of my undergrad career, hopefully it will be the best ones yet.

Source

If you guys are interested I just posted a new video to my YouTube Channel. You can check it out here.