2014: Direction

As I sat down to write about my goals and intentions for this upcoming year, the word "direction" popped into my head suddenly. I realized that this word truly encompassed what I need to see in my life in 2014.

Last year, so many great things happened. At the same time, it was a very difficult year for many, many reasons. Looking back, the major thing I lacked was direction. After I graduated college, I jumped at the first job that offered itself to me and it turned out to be a major disaster. I tried a few other things before I finally landed the two jobs I have now (which are amazing and right where I need to be!). Working as a teen librarian has really set me and my husband in a direction that we both need to be heading. I feel really positive about this year because it's already starting out 100% different than the last. We are in a better place in just about every area of our lives and I am so incredibly thankful for that. So, choosing this word will serve as a guide and inspiration to shape my decisions and attitude in the upcoming year; it will help me be mindful of observing and managing my direction.

That being said, I've always stuck to things when I wrote them down somewhere. I always kept a journal growing up, and would flip through the pages often to remind myself of what I had said I was going to do or try to accomplish. While I don't normally set "New Years Resolutions" each year, I felt it was the next logical step if my "word" was direction. Goals often yield direction, so here are a few of my goals for this upcoming year.

Get at least 60 minutes of physical exercise a week. I know this is a cliche of all cliches, but for me, achieving this (tiny) amount of exercise is extremely important. It's not about looking a certain way, or even maintaining a specific body type- it's about prevention and wellness. Exercise keeps me in control of my body and also keeps me accountable for how I am taking care of myself. Physical activity gives me the energy I need to live the life I need to live.

Learn a new language. All throughout high school and college, I took Spanish classes, so I feel like I have a pretty decent grasp on it. I also took a course on French in college and it came so naturally to me. So I've decided that by the end of the year, I want to have a solid grasp on the French language. It's such a musical language, beautiful and expressive, and I feel like I need more of those two things in my life. Allons-y!

Pay off one of our bigger student loans. This is really high on our list of things to accomplish this year and will require a lot of willpower and fortitude to accomplish. Last year, I paid off all of the credit card debt I had (which, admittedly, wasn't much, but it still feels good!). Doing this will, naturally, allow us to achieve other long-term financial goals that we have as a couple.

Successfully bake a batch of French macarons. It will be done this year!

Get better at not comparing my life to the lives of those around me. I know this will add greatly to my happiness.

Read 100 books. I've goaled myself to read 100 books this year. That should be easy seeing as I work as a librarian, but I don't think I've ever counted how many books I read. Reading in college was impossible because I already had to ingest so much other material, so I've really been catching up these days.

Complete at least 5 things off of my 25 Before 25 list. I was happy to see that I've already accomplished 2 items on this list, but seeing as I turn 24 in about two months, I gotta get moving!

I'd love to hear some of your 2014 goals. What are you hoping to accomplish this year?

Achievements in 2013

I'm honestly baffled by how quickly this year passed. For me, this was a very up and down year. Sometimes I look back and say to myself, "this was a really great year." As I look back on 2013, my mind gets lost in the many memories and experiences I had this year. Some of them good, some not so good. So, I decided to reflect a little on some of the things that took place this past year, both the big and the small (and in no particular order).

1. I graduated college and received my Bachelor's in English Language and Literature.
2. Committed to a gluten-free diet and improved my overall health.
3. Luis and I bought a second kitty!
4. Paid off all my credit card debt (whoo hoo!).
5. Increased my sales in my Etsy shop!
6. Celebrated my second wedding anniversary with Luis.
7. Went to California in August.
8. Got a job as a banker.
9. Then I quit.
10. Then I got two great jobs and two great libraries and finally feel like I'm right where I need to be.
11. Made some new friends.
12. Attended a Young Adult literature conference and really got my feet wet in the world of libraries and YA lit.
13. Taught myself some HTML and will continue to learn more.
14. Started doing yoga regularly.
15. Learned how to use Photoshop.

What were some of your achievements this year? Have a happy new year!

A Week in My Life: Week 1

I know both of these photos are blurry, but I thought they were SO adorable. My cat does the silliest things.

Trying with all of my might to keep my rosemary alive despite the cold...

I discovered ancho chile powder this week... I'm obsessed with the earthy, smoked flavor it adds to food.

Made a pad thai dish I'm pretty exicted about. Yes, those are clover sprouts. Tasty!

We took down our Christmas decorations this week. As per usual, Kitty has to put everything in her mouth.

My mother-in-law gave me a gluten-free pancake mix by Pamela's that I took quite a liking to. These little guys tasted MUCH better than a flour pancake mix.

Morning light on the wall. I have loved being able to sleep in this week.

Reading the first book from my reading resolutions, Jane Eyre, with a green apple pie smoothie. 

Wires and light at dusk.

Welcome, 2013!

 

image via

Happy New Years Eve! While most of us will be partying or spending time with friends and family, it's also a time for reflection; reflection on last year's New Years resolutions, how many were kept and how many were forgotten the following week; reflection on our mistakes, failures, successes, and met goals. We look forward with a sense of hope that this year will be different, and it usually is; perhaps just not the way you imagined it. 

For me, 2013 excites and frightens me. There are many new opportunities on the horizon for me that I am excited to tackle. 

But for now, I wanted to do a review of 2012. This was a year of discovery for me; I discovered how much strength I actually have; I discovered talents that hadn't yet been explored; I discovered a completely new side of myself. It's been a great year, and here's to the next one! 

January

January was a slow month for us. It was cold and we stayed indoors. I worked on my coursework, and our kitty, as always, tried to distract me. 

February

In February, I discovered a love of indoor gardening. I say "indoor gardening" because I live in an apartment and outdoor gardening is near impossible. Luis bought me this Hypoestes plant for Valentine's Day. It's still thriving today!

March

March was a great month for us! Luis and I started walking to the lakefront each morning for exercise. We live less than a mile from Lake Michigan and loved taking advantage of the increasingly warmer air. Also, in March I was awarded a prestigious scholarship from the Chair of the Carthage English department for Honor's Convocation. It was very special! In addition to all of that, March is the month in which I started my blog!

April

 April was bridal shower month. My two best friends both had their showers during April; I ate a lot of cookies and wore lots of dresses... More than usual anyway. It was so wonderful seeing them open gifts and be blessed by family and friends. I was very excited for them! We also threw Kelsey an Up-inspired bridal shower!

May

 Likewise, May was full of bridal events, this time the bachelorette parties! I made bra and panty cookies for one of the parties, and set up a candy bar for the other. 

June

 My best friends' weddings were two weeks apart from one another, so June was very hectic for all of us! Despite that, both weddings were beautiful- tears were shed, futures were toasted, and dances were danced. 

July

The beginning of the month meant a celebration of Independence Day! Luis and I spent most of the day with his parents, grilling outdoors, and attending an Americana bandstand concert later in the evening. The rest of the month was slow and relaxing- a perfect summer month. My family from Colorado came to visit. It's always wonderful to see them!

August

In August, Luis and I celebrated our one year wedding anniversary! My mother graciously hosted a little celebration get-together where we cut into the last layer of our wedding cake. It was very special. The rest of the month wasn't so pleasant. I got very sick and recovered in just enough time to start school again in September. 

September

I started classes again in September and began a very grueling semester. In addition, we took a long weekend and headed up to Door County, Wisconsin, for a belated anniversary celebration. It was amazing- great food, beautiful scenery, wineries, and whatever we could fit in! We went sailing, parasailing, and took a haunted ghost tour. Hehe. 

October

I spent most of my time on campus, working on my senior thesis. We also celebrated my mom's birthday! I cooked dinner for ten people! It was great. I'm very thankful to have my mom in my life!

November

November was a big month for me! I went gluten-free at the beginning of the month! I have stuck with it since then and I already notice an improvement. I am less tired, I don't get nightly headaches anymore, and a myriad of other problems have improved. 

I kept writing away at my thesis! 

Luis and I moved into a new apartment in November. I am enjoying the slow process of decorating and curating our little place. 

December

My thesis paper was due this month. Not only did I have to turn in a hard copy, but I also had to present it to the faculty. I'm SO glad to have gotten through that. 

We celebrated Christmas with both of our families. Luis and I genuinely had a beautiful holiday season this year! We're so excited about the upcoming year!

New Year's Reading Resolutions

I'm pretty excited about some of my goals for 2013, one of them being more reading! 2012 was a very challenging year that stretched me in directions I hadn't yet gone; every day was a learning experience. That being said, I didn't have much time to really sit down and read if it wasn't for school. This year, I won't necessarily have more time on my hands (quite the opposite I think) but since I won't be in school, I can commit all of my reading to that which I want to read. 

Among those books, I want to tackle five classic novels; I have a few British novels, an American novel, and Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I am debating whether to read Leo Tolsoy's Anna Karenina or Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. I will probably end up reading Anna Karenina because I have already read Wilde's novel and haven't read Russian literature since Crime and Punishment in high school.

If anyone wants to join in, I'm reading Jane Eyre first. I will follow it by reading Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. Comment if you're interested! 

 I also joined a monthly book club over on Cassie's blog Back to Her Roots where we'll be reading Terra, a young adult novel that is the first installment of author Gretchen Powell's Terrestrials series. If you like all things dystopian, then this might interest you! Happy Friday!