Life, lately.

Hey all!

It's been one whole year since my last post. I'm not even sure what brought me back here or made me think of blogging at 8am on a Monday (maybe because I've been up since 5am watching YouTube videos in my bed? Go away, rain and the lack of motivation that you inspire).

I thought I should do an update because my life has changed pretty significantly in the past year. First things first, I got engaged! Dillon asked me to marry him last year on September 13th and we are getting married this year on September 13th and I couldn't be more excited! He's the best guy a girl could ask for.

Other things that have happened in the past year include: we moved back to my hometown and into a HOUSE next door to my parents (ala everybody loves raymond), we got a new puppy (!!!) named Cooper (this one is very recent- he's still only 4 months old and super tiny! We are so in love and Jeter loves his new little brother! He's a boston terrier too and can I just tell you how cute it is when you see 2 boston terriers running around playing together, especially when one of them is a puppy??

That's pretty much all the major news, but basically I'm pretty stoked on life right now. I couldn't be happier. Well, okay, I mean I wouldn't be opposed to having a pool and a hot tub and a billion dollars, but what are ya gonna do.

So I think in my endless spare time when I'm not taking care of the dogs, working, sleeping, wedding planning/craft doing, and taking pictures of food on my iPhone (read: I have little to no spare time), I'm going to start doing random posts about random things. And I don't care who reads them or if nobody does, I just like writing and this is America, so #idowhatiwant. Yeah, I hashtag in speech and say "That's what she said" way too much. #sorrynotsorry

Okay well I have 3 (yes THREE) wedding-related meetings today including an engagement photoshoot (and it's fucking RAINING CATS AND DOGS), so maybe I should at least start pretending to be productive. Or at least shower.

Swim

There's this song called "Swim" by Jack's Mannequin that I love. It's basically about how when things are tough and you don't think you can go on, you just have to keep on going and believe that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It's a song that I think would have helped me a lot in 2006 when my mom was sick. But even now, when my problems are much more trivial and I'm just having a hard time figuring out who I am and what I want out of life, it's applicable.

There are both tough questions and less life-altering questions that I have been asking myself these past few months. To sum it all up though; I'm trying to define myself in this post-college, real-life, "adult" world that I have somehow found myself in.

What do I want to do? I want to travel and see the world. I want to help people and make a difference in someone's life. I want to kiss under the Eiffel tower and get stuck at the top of the London Eye. I want to stay up all night and watch the sunrise. I want to experience life before life gets away from me and I'm looking back on it wishing I had done all the things I want to do. I want to be in the drivers seat in the car that is my life, but lately I feel like an unwilling passenger on a runaway train.

To be completely honest, this post is going nowhere. But these are the thoughts that have been consuming me. My life (other than a few aspects) still feels like a blank canvas and I don't know what I want to paint on it. What I am meant to paint on it. Hell, I don't even know if I am supposed to use paint. What if I was meant to use colored pencils? All I know is that when I'm old and gray, I want to have a beautiful, colorful, completely full canvas to share with my grandchildren and have zero regrets.

Here's to picking up the brush and choosing the first color. Every story has a beginning. This is mine.

Yeah you've gotta swim
Don't let yourself sink
Just find the horizon
I promise you it's not as far as you think
The currents will drag us away from our love
Just keep your head above
Just keep your head above
Swim
--Jack's Mannequin

Fried plantains + Let's Yo!

I'm in New Jersey for a week on business. When I'm traveling, I like to try to eat at new places that I wouldn't otherwise be able to enjoy back home. My last trip, I ate at T.G.I. Friday's and Panera Bread. I was more than a little disappointed with myself for not expanding my culinary horizons and taking advantage of being in a new place.

This trip didn't start out any better. Last night I ate at T.G.I. Friday's. It's just so darn close to my hotel and convenient! I promised myself that tonight I would try somewhere new, so today at work I asked my coworkers for recommendations. I'm glad I did!

For dinner, I went to a little Mexican restaurant and had grilled flank steak with chimichurri sauce served with fried plantains, rice, and beans. Everything was delicious! I absolutely loved the fried plantains. I've never had them before, and it is definitely something I would order again and again. They kind of reminded me of sweet potato fries... but better. The steak was perfectly seasoned and grilled and the chimichurri sauce was incredible. Overall, I'd say it was definitely a positive experience!

On my way back to my car, I spotted a bright storefront with the name "Let's YO!" in bright neon green letters on it. I figured it must be some sort of frozen yogurt place, so I decided to stop in. I've never been to a serve-yourself frozen yogurt shop before, and it was awesome!

They had about 10 kinds of yogurt that you could dispense into your cup (I went with Red Velvet Cupcake, Peanut Butter, and Oreo Cheesecake) and at least 35 different choices for toppings. I'm slightly indecisive (read: I've been known to not buy something simply because I can't decide between color options.), so this presented somewhat of a challenge for me. I like to take my time and look at all of the choices, but I also don't want to look like a crazy person staring fondly at the toppings for 10 minutes.

I ended up going with chopped peanut butter cups, butterfingers, chocolate chips, cherries, rainbow nonpareils, rainbow mini m&m's, and hot fudge. I really wanted to get sprinkles, but only because they would make my dish look prettier. Sprinkles and I are the best of frenemies. I think they're cute, but I don't like how they taste. I also may or may not have a sprinkles lock screen on my iPhone.

Happy Monday, y'all! (My boyfriend says I can't say "y'all" because I'm not from the South. I not-so-secretly want to live inside a Jason Aldean song. Since I can't, I will continue to say y'all and pretend I do.)

I'm Ready

I graduated from college last year. I got a full time job, got an apartment closer to that job, got the best dog a girl could ask for, and started to fall into somewhat of a routine. Go to work, go home, eat dinner, hang out with my boyfriend and pup for a few hours, go to bed... repeat for five days.

I want to do something more. I'm not sure what.. hence the name of this blog. All I know is that I enjoy writing.. and I'm hoping that this blog pushes me to do more things so that I can share them.

I can't promise how often I will blog, or even what my posts will be about. I don't know what I want this blog to become become. All I know is that I'm ready.

"Well I'm ready, I'm ready to drop
Oh, I'm ready, I'm ready so don't stop
I'm ready so don't stop, Keep pushing
I'm ready to fall, oh, I'm ready
I'm ready so don't call, I'm ready so don't call"

               -Jack's Mannequin