Year in Review

To 2012... 
     So long, farewell, auf Weidersehen, goodbye...

Overall, it was a pretty stellar year in Kayla-land. 

• I celebrated by 25th birthday. Yes, I am a baby. 
• I started a new job. I didn't switch companies, I didn't even really switch departments. I just got a title change, a raise, and moved up the stairs in the same building.
• I went to Italy. I visited Rome, Florence, Bologna, and Venice. (I also spent 7 hours on a cold tile floor in Madrid.) But anyway, visiting Europe = success. (Read about the trip here and here.)
• We drove to Nebraska on a whim. We made the decision at 9pm, took 30 minutes to pack, and walked out the door. We spent the next day at the Omaha Zoo. It was the best spontaneous road trip ever. (Read about it here!) 
• Draco turned two. And yes, I am crazy enough to include my dog's birthday on the list of important events of the year. 
• We celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary. 
• We moved out of our apartment and started renting a house. We'll probably move again in 2013. 
• We became Sporting Kansas City season ticket holders. And we won the US Open Cup. That is a big effing deal. 
• The US Men's National Team came to Kansas City. We sat in the front row, right at midfield and watched them practice, and then watched them beat Guatemala in a World Cup Qualifier. 
• My department at work went through a huge restructure. I moved back downstairs and had to learn a lot more new stuff and have more responsibility. 
• There was an election and the results in several states made me very happy. (And no, I'd rather not elaborate.) 
• We went to the Wizard World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios, Orlando. 
• We started to get more serious about our financial goals. 

There were some sad moments, too. We lost our friend, Shawn, entirely too young. He passed away in January - his last Facebook post was about what he would wear to my line-dancing birthday party that weekend. We also lost another friend in October, our friend Julian. We had met both of them through work several years ago, and it was a rough year for the company (husband still works there, I do not). 

We also struggled with the husband's maternal grandparents being very ill and his paternal grandfather fighting cancer. But all three of them are still here, and we are incredibly blessed to have had this year to share with them. 

So, while 2012 was not without heartbreak, there were so many positive things that happened to us this year - and we're excited for what 2013 has in store. 

Next up: A 2013 preview! 

Price Tag.

Would you rather spend your money on material items or experiences?
For example, would you rather buy a shirt (that you can wear until it no longer fits) or go out to eat?

Like many people, I used to think that I'd rather have the shirt. It lasts much longer than a meal out, after all.

Or does it? 

That meal is an experience. It is a memory.
At the end of your life, are you going to remember that shirt, or are you going to remember that night out with your husband or friends?

I think I would rather spend money on experiences. So, we don't own a home. And we probably won't for several years. Instead, we buy season tickets to support the team and the sport that we love so much. And we make new memories and meet new friends.

And we travel. We see the world, and we see our country.
We spend our money on memories, not things.

Right now, we need to pay off our credit card, so we have to hold-off on spending money on travel until that is paid off. We just turned down a trip to Philadelphia. And it sucks - but we know that it's the right thing to do at this moment.

But that honestly doesn't change my mind - when I have the money to spare, I would much rather spend it on travel/new experiences. Even if that means purchasing a home later in life than most people might choose or forgoing other material possessions.

Am I crazy?
Where do you prefer to spend your money?

Progress Report - Part II

In yesterday's post, I pointed out all of the things I've managed to accomplish on my 101 in 1001 list to date.

It's hard to believe, but the timeframe to complete the list is quickly closing. I only have approximately 8 months left before the clock stops ticking.

Yes, I realize there is no possible way to complete everything left on the list. Some goals were just too lofty, while others could have been accomplished if I'd started working toward them just a little earlier (like running a half marathon).

But there are many things on this list that would be really easy to accomplish. And now that I am almost done with my graduate degree, there will be extra time to read, watch movies, and basically do whatever sounds good at the time!

So here are the items that have yet to be accomplished:

1. Lose 20 lbs 
2. Complete the C25K program 
3. Run a 10k 
4.  Run a half-marathon 
5. Run a marathon 
6. Climb a rock wall 
7. Go kayaking 
8. Find a dentist 
9. Complete the 30-Day Shred 
10. Take a Dave Ramsey course 
11. Write a personal mission statement 
12. Pay off my credit card balance 
13. Pay off my (undergraduate) student loans 
14. Establish an emergency fund of at least three months expenses 
15. Visit at least two more Presidential libraries (0/2) 
16. Go to the Wizard of Oz Museum 
17. Get a professional massage 
18. Sit on the patio and read a book 
19. Watch 10 movies on the AFI 100 list (2/100) 
20. Watch 10 of AFI’s Top 25 musicals (0/25) 
21. Send flowers to a friend just because 
22. Send a letter via snail mail to a friend 
23. Give Blood 
24. Present a paper at a conference 
25. Earn my graduate degree 
26. Read 75 books in one year (18/75) 
27. Read five classic novels that I haven’t read (0/5) 
28. Complete a jigsaw puzzle 
29. Learn and be able to identify at least three constellations 
30. Read a book of poetry 
31. Read a memoir or a biography 
32. Grow my own vegetables 
33. Get a professional photography session w/ Joe 
34. Send a Christmas card 
35. Fly in a hot hair balloon 
36. Fly a kite 
37. Buy an original piece of artwork 
38. Get a caricature of myself 
39. Go ice-skating 
40. Go sledding 
41. Get another piercing 
42. Build a snowman 
43. Make a gingerbread house 
44. Go through a corn maze 
45. Go on a brewery tour 
46. Get a tarot card reading 
47. Go camping 
48. See an I-MAX movie 
49. Learn all the lyrics to Ice Ice Baby 

Some are will be incredibly easy, some have lost my interest, and some will be practically impossible. But I'm looking forward to trying to best to tackle as many as possible in the 8 months remaining!

Here we gooooo!!!

Progress Report - Part I

It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.
Now that we've got the whole "the Mayan calendar ended but we're still here" portion of this post out of the way, let's move on to the real reason for this update.

The new year is just around the corner, and that has me thinking about all my accomplishments over the last year and what I hope to achieve in the next. These thoughts, of course, lead me to my 101 in 1001 list. 

I still have a lot of things that haven't been accomplished on this list - but I've crossed off a helluva lot of items as well. I decided not to make this into a 2012 Year-in-Review post - I'll do that later. Instead, I want to focus on what I've accomplished on my list so far - which I started tacking in November 2010. 

Here are the items on my list that have been completed:

1.  Run a 5k
2. Get my Cholesterol under 200
3. Find a new primary physician
4. Give up red meat
5. Create a realistic budget
6. Change my name on my passport
7. Get a smart phone 
8. Find a job (after contract expires) 
9. Move into a different apartment
10. Buy new furniture
11. Fill our custom vase with silk flower arrangement 
12. De-clutter the apartment
13. Get new Christmas décor 
14. Visit the HP theme park
15. Visit at least one state I’ve never visited
16. Ride a train
17. Travel abroad
18. Go to a Chief’s game
19. Go to a Wizard’s game
20. Go to a farmer’s market
21. Go to a concert
22. Go to the Nelson Atkins
23. Eat at the original Oklahoma Joe’s
24. Go to the Power and Light District
25. Go to the WWI Museum
26. Go to First Fridays 
27. Go to the zoo
28. Watch a sunrise
29. Go wine tasting
30. Go on a picnic
31. Stay at the Chateau Avalon again
32. Color my hair
33. Get a manicure/pedicure
34. Organize i-Tunes into playlists
35. Buy coffee for the person in line behind me
36. Donate goods/money to charity
37. Go on a service trip 
38. Volunteer at a local non-profit
39. Choose my thesis topic
40. Maintain at least a 3.75 GPA in graduate courses 
41. Watch at least three documentaries (3/3)
42. Learn to play chess
43. Try 10 new recipes (10/10)
44. Bake something from scratch
45. Start a blog 
46. Get a new handbag
47. Get an e-reader 
48. Go on a romantic date w/ Joe
49. Get a tattoo
50. Purchase and assemble Harry Potter legos
51. Decorate my desk

I have somehow managed to accomplish half of the goals that I have included on my list.

Some of the items I've completed are small accomplishments, and others took a lot of time/money/effort - but each one gives me a sense of accomplishment and I am really looking forward to tackling the next half the list! 

I'm currently drafting a post with all of the items I haven't accomplished yet, and a plan for accomplishing them. I'm sure that all three of my readers are super stoked for the wave of blog updates I have planned after posting nothing at all for months. 

This is what happens when I get time off work. 

A day off work = blogging craziness!! 

Pottermania

I love the holidays. I'll admit, we don't have much of a social life most of year, but during the holidays there is always something at attend.

The worst part about the holidays: there is ALWAYS something to attend. It's a mixed bag. While I'm enjoying being busy with fun parties and events - I crave time to myself. The husband and puppy are worn out and already asleep (yes, it's only 10pm) and I'm enjoying the peace and (mostly) quiet time for just me. So what I am doing with my me-time? Well, telling you about our latest vacation, of course.

Thanks to an amazing sale, we found some incredibly cheap flights to Orlando, Florida. We had  already visited Orlando in 2005, during our senior year of high school. I'm not usually a fan of going on vacation to a city that I've already visited - but there is something wonderful in Orlando that didn't exist in 2005.

What could be so wonderful that would convince me to break all my traveling rules and visit the same city twice instead of experience something entirely new? That would be the latest addition to Universal Studios Islands of Adventure: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Anyone that knows me well, and even most people that don't know me well at all can tell you that I am a HUGE fan of the Harry Potter series. I even have a tattoo inspired by the novels. Yes, I know that is incredibly crazy. But I don't think it's any crazier than anyone else's tattoo.

I am actually really surprised that I don't seem to have blogged about this tattoo. I got it done over the summer, and I'm honestly having a difficult time remembering the exact timeframe. I believe it was done sometime in June - because we moved in August and it was definitely well before that time.

Anyway, it says "wit beyond measure" which is part of the motto for Ravenclaw house. I have always considered myself a Ravenclaw, and even Pottermore agrees! My absolute favorite character in the series, Luna Lovegood, is also a Ravenclaw. The tattoo not only represents my love for the series, but my love for learning as well. It is also fitting since education has been my first career field in the "real world."

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was awesome. It is tucked into the back of Islands of Adventure. If you've ever been, it is between Jurassic Park and Suessville.

The Harry Potter section of the park  is much smaller than I imaged. The majority of the store fronts were for show only, which I found disappointing. You can visit Ollivander's, Zonko's, Honeydukes, and Owl Post (Post Office).  The setting revolves around the Goblet of Fire (book four). There is even a Tri-Wizard Pep Really and Hogwarts Choir show that occurs several times throughout the day.

There are two rides: Dragon Challenge and the Forbidden Journey. The Dragon Challenge is not a new ride for the Potter expansion, but is simply the former Dueling Dragons ride revamped to be Potter-themed. This was a little disappointing since we have already been to Islands of Adventure in the past and had ridden this ride several times during our previous visit. But there were some great props along the line to the front, including Hagrid's hut and the Ford Anglia, and we annoyed many people by stopping to take pictures and holding up the line.



The Forbidden Journey was a new, Potter-themed ride. The line to ride goes through Hogwarts Castle. I think the line leading up to the ride was actually better than the ride. You encounter the greenhouse, the hall of portraits, Dumbledore's office, the Sorting Hat, and much more. The ride itself takes you on an adventure with Harry, Hermione, and Ron. It is a simulator ride, much like a lot of the newer rides at Universal. If you're really curious, you can view this youtube video. This also takes you through the wait-line, so if you just want to see the ride, skip ahead.

DISCLAIMER: This ride takes you through the forbidden forest. If you are afraid of spiders, you will find this ride terrifying.  I was not prepared for the spiders and was not happy about that portion of the ride!

We did also visit the rest of Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios. I'll always be a big fan of the Spiderman ride at Islands of Adventure. In Universal, I would have to say that my favorites are The Mummy and the new Despicable Me ride.

The roller coaster (Hollywood Rip, Ride, and Rockit) was also really awesome. It was different than other coasters in that you could select a song to listen to during the ride, and in-seat cameras filmed your entire experience.

But - Harry Potter was clearly the focus of our trip. And both Warner Brothers and Universal Studios are going to force me to break my rule once again and vacation in the same city THREE times - because guess what?!?! They are currently planning an expansion to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter that will include Gringotts and Diagon Alley.

And Universal Studios is opening a Transformers ride this summer. So I think it's safe to say that we'll being seeing Orlando again soon.

It's been five months since my last blog post.
I really have zero excuses, I just haven't bothered to update.

Sometimes, I don't know why I even bother this is blog. It has an incredibly small readership. But it's not about my readers, it's about me. I blog because it gives me a way to keep track of my goals. It provides me with an outlet when I'm stressed or just unsure about where I'm at in my life.

And so, whether my readership consists of one person or one-hundred, I'm here to stay.

A lot has changed in the last five months:

• We moved. We are still renting, but we are currently living in a four bedroom house instead of an apartment. 
• My work went through a massive restructure (this is still ongoing). While I didn't get a new job, I do have a new office location and new job responsibilities. It is currently madness. 
• I found out that I should be able to finish my graduate degree this year (as in a month from now!). 
• We went to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. 

Okay, so when I list it out like that, it doesn't look like all that much as changed. But those few things sure seem like a lot of changes! 

I'm making some updates to my list and I'll post within the next few days about the some of the things I've accomplished while on my blogging hiatus. 

A (long) love story....

On Wednesday, we celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary. Four years! 

I'm guessing that the vast majority of you already know the story of how we met/got engaged/got married.  I'm going to tell you again anyway.

 It's going to be a long story. I'm warning you now.

I've known my husband since I was twelve years old. That's right - we met in middle school! We were the two students selected for the leadership council at our school, which just means that we sat in really boring meetings with a bunch of faculty and administrators that pretended to want our input on policies, procedures, events, etc.

We became friends through the leadership council and summers at the local pool. I had a membership to the pool and could be found there basically every day, and he often came with a friend of ours that had a membership too. I thought he was adorable and had the hugest crush on him (my now husband, not his friend).

By 8th grade, I guess he decided I was cute too and asked me to be his girlfriend. In 8th grade, that means we talked on the phone - and that's all. But he was so painfully shy that I could barely even get him to talk on the phone! As a fourteen year old girl that wanted to be showered with attention, it just didn't work. Like any other fickle fourteen year old girl, I started "dating" another boy that actually paid attention to me.

I did agree to be his date for the homecoming dance during our freshman year of high school. I still had a huge crush on him, but he was still painfully shy for the most part. We had a great time at the dance. He was so adorable, and he did kiss me at the end of the night. It was his first kiss! Who marries the first person you kissed?? My husband does, and thank goodness for that!

Anyway, a few days after the dance, he asked me to be his girlfriend again - via email! I wonder if he remembers this part... but I turned him down. Probably because he asked in an email.

For the next several years, we continued to be really good friends. We spent a lot of time together outside of school, sometimes in a group and sometimes on our own. He helped me through a few high school break ups, and I even set him up with a few girls along the way! My boyfriends were frequently jealous of our friendship and accused us of being more than friends, but it really was just a platonic friendship at that point.

Then, our senior year, something changed. We ended up kissing one night, and at first I thought it was one of those random high school kisses that don't amount to anything. But after a few days went by, it didn't feel random.

I actually remember the moment I realized I had feelings for him beyond friendship. It was on the bus ride home from an away football game. I was a cheerleader, and another cheerleader and good friend of mine had noticed that my now husband had showed up to watch the game without any friends. She had also managed to notice that we were acting a little differently toward one another. She called me out on it on the ride home - and I admitted that we had kissed. She followed up by asking me why we weren't a couple, and I couldn't think of an answer for her. I just didn't have one. And then I knew that I didn't want to be just his friend anymore, and luckily he had come to the same conclusion.

We decided to give dating a shot - a real shot. He had dated a few other people and he was no longer afraid of girls (sorry babe, but it's true!). So, we dated for three years, which spanned our senior year of high school and our first two years of college. We went to different colleges, which made it difficult at times - but I was only one hour away and so we still saw each other frequently. 

He asked me to marry him on September 25th, 2007. It was his 21st birthday. He told me that all he wanted for his birthday was for me to agree to be his wife. Isn't that incredibly sweet?

We got married on June 20, 2008. It was the summer before our last year in college. We were young, but I'd known him for so long - I knew what I was doing.

So almost eight years into our relationship and four years of marriage later, I couldn't be happier. Some people criticized us for getting married so young, and not without valid points.

I can't deny that we are entirely different people than we were at twenty-one/twenty-two. As we have become more educated and experienced more in life, our personalities and opinions on things have evolved. I wouldn't even recognize my twenty-one year old self in the mirror.

We are lucky, however, in the fact that we've grown in the same direction. We realize that too often, people that get married grow in opposite directions. It could have easily happened to us, and we realize that too. But it didn't, and we are more in love and in sync with one another now than we have ever been before - and I am so lucky.

We're incredibly lucky to have each other and I try to remember that fact each and every day.

So, now you know our whole life story.

(Not so) lazy Sunday

I am in love with today. 

Why? 

Because it is the Sunday of a three-day weekend. I enjoyed a nice relaxing Saturday with my husband. It was great. We went out for breakfast, went shopping, took a nap, and just spent time together. 

And now it's Sunday. Normally, Sunday would be the last day to get any rest and relaxation before jumping right back into the work week. But not today! This Sunday gets all the rest and relaxation it deserves with the promise of one more work-free day tomorrow. 

Isn't that great? 

Unfortunately, I don't get to spend these two days hanging out with the husband because he is working the rest of the weekend. Lame! 

So I'm starting off my morning with some granola + almond milk and some coffee out of my favorite mug. 

I love coffe mugs. There are just so many cute coffee mugs out there! This (pictured below) coffee mug is my favorite because it came from the most adorable coffee shop in the United States, and the iced coffee I ordered was incredibly delicious.  I wish I could say it's the most adorable coffee shop in the world, but I've been to Italy.. and well, it's still super adorable. The Thinking Cup is located directly across the street from Boston Common and provides a lovely view of all the goings-on in the park. 

We had just spent our morning volunteering at St. Francis House and discovered that this coffeehouse was the perfect place to rest our feet and contemplate the events of the morning.

I think about that service trip quite often. While I was actually there to chaperone the alternative spring breakers (who are actually only two-four years younger than myself), that experience really changed me for better. Well, at least I'd like to think it changed me for the better. 

I definitely look at homelessness differently and have sought out more service opportunities than ever before. 

Anyway, I'm allowing myself to be lazy this morning, but this afternoon it's time to get to work! Last weekend the husband and I deep-cleaned and organized our kitchen and bedroom. This also included the bedroom closet, which took FOREVER. But our apartment is more organized and less cluttered as a result. This weekend, we are tackling the bathroom and the office. 

The bathroom is already completed. I had entirely too many samples of lotion. In an effort to simplify our life/living space, most of those are in the trash or will be taken to work to share with others. 

I plan to start working on the office and have made some significant progress before the husband gets home. The closet in our office needs some serious review, it has become a catch-all storage space for things that don't have an obvious home in the rest of the apartment. After this room is completed, the rest of the apartment will need to be deep cleaned and then we'll be done! 

Yes, we do are doing our spring cleaning just as we entering the summer season.

Better late than never, right? 

I have considered going into work for a few hours before starting this project, but the jury is still out on that decision. I probably should, just to get things organized and ready for Tuesday, but it just doesn't sound appealing. 

Also, I don't eat beef, pork, or poultry anymore. 

Say what?!?! 

My post on the diet woes really got me thinking.  I need to be healthier, that much is obvious. So, does it really matter which diet is the absolute best? 

Not really. 

At the moment, it matters that I make a drastic change in my diet (in a position direction). I decided that a pescetartian diet was the most realistic diet for me at the moment. If I tried anything more radical or restricting, I would probably fail. 

This may be a stepping stone to something else, or it may be the way I eat for the rest of the my life. But it's the way I'm going to eat for now. 

I'll let you know how it goes. 

Burnout

I work for a university. We have 5ish times each year when things are crazy-insane busy. This is one of those times. I was evaluating degree audits at 8pm last night. 

It is not fun. 

Don't get me wrong, I do like my job. 

But when it gets this incredibly busy, I'd much rather be back here:

Or here......

No, I do not know those people.

Anyway, work is demanding and taking a lot of my free time at the moment. I will be spending some of my three day weekend at the office.

I like my job. I like my job.

Seriously, I like my job.

But I'll be very glad when things calm down just a little.

The Diet Woes

There are so many suggested diets out there. I'm not talking about those fad diets - but there are entirely too many of those as well. I'm referring to diet as a way of life, eating habits that are meant to last forever. Or at least a very, very, long time. They all are supported by science. They all seem legit.

Paleo?
Pescetarian?
Vegetarian?
Vegan?

The one thing that I can assert with 100% accuracy is that I have to change my eating habits in some way. I'm totally unsatisfied with my outer appearance. I'm also tried of dealing with an eternal shortage of energy and the constant headache, sinus, and allergy issues.

Despite all of this, I've found myself entirely unmotivated. I can never seem to be healthy and make a lasting change.

How do people do it?

It is so incredibly simple.

Don't eat the piece of chocolate. Go for a walk. Nix that (every) morning latte. Go for bike ride.

Yes, it's incredibly simple. It isn't, however, incredibly easy.

I've watched entirely too many netflix documentaries lately and it's really got me thinking.

I need to do something -- but what?

I need your help.

I know I don't have a lot of readers, and no one ever leaves comments, so it's time for you to step up your game and help me out.

I realized that I have an item on my list twice.

I have listed going on a picnic in two different sections of my list: around town and just for fun. Since we went out on a picnic two weeks ago (yay!), I crossed it off my list in the around town section.

That means I need something else to replace the duplicate entry.

Any ideas?

Please provide some suggestions!

Heart Shaped Hands

I love Sporting Kansas City.
I have never been a strong supporter of any team, until I went to a Sporting game last year and fell absolutely in love. Win or lose, SKC is my team.

Sporting Kansas City is a soccer team, by the way.

April 28th, 2012. The Westport Food Truck Festival.
We are enjoying our day at the festival, walking around deciding where to eat next. I stop dead in my tracks. Kei Kamara is walking toward me.

He is forward (a position on the field) for Sporting Kansas City and he happens to have the most incredible Cinderella story. He grew up in Sierra Leone in the middle of a civil war, somehow managed to make his way into the United States, and now plays professional soccer. He is a Kansas City fan favorite.

So, we did what any normal people would do, which is interrupt his day off and introduce ourselves. We discussed how well the season was going so far and how proud we were of our team. He thanked us for us support and hoped we planned on being at the mach the next week. Of course, we said, we are at every home match.

If you have ever been to an SKC match, you will know that "heart shaped hands" is Kei Kamara's thing.

It's something he does when we score a goal, when he is greeting fans, etc.

So, it was only fitting that I posed for a photo with Kei Kamara with my own heart shaped hands.

He was so incredibly nice.

Anyway, I met Kei Kamara and it was awesome.

The food truck festival itself was also very cool.  We tried some interesting things like fried mashed potatoes and deep fried oreos. Both things tasted amazing.

I have been meaning to post about that weekend for quite some time, but I have been so busy with coursework and finishing up the semester.

But I have a few weeks off before I have to start working on my thesis, so it's back to blogging for awhile.

Kei Kamara. Heart Shaped Hands.

Apology Accepted

I have some fun updates for you, but it is my last week of class and that means that I have to do homework.

I promise I will blog again soon. Sometime this week.

I'm sorry I have sucked at blogging lately.

This is the life.

It's Saturday morning. What I am I doing?

I'm drinking this....

And hanging out with this guy.

Isn't he the cutest? His birthday was on Tuesday. Our little puppy is now two years old!

And yes, we are those people that get our dog a cake and presents on their birthday.

The husband only works a half day today. This afternoon, we are going to the Westport Food Truck Festival.

This will be followed by a get together one of my professors has each year for the graduate program.

Fun times!!

There's No Place Like Nebraska......

What do you when you're sitting at home on a Saturday night, and decide it would be really fun to go to the Omaha Zoo?

You get in your car and go to Omaha, of course. Even if the current time is 9pm and it is a three-hour drive.

This is what we did last weekend.

We found a hotel, a dog sitter, and packed our bags. This all took about 30 minutes. Dropping off the pup ended up taking a little longer, but we were on the road before 10:45.

We arrived in Omaha at 2am.

You may not know this about me, but I am not a morning person. I like to sleep. 

I knew I would be getting up early after getting very little sleep. I wasn't looking forward to that part of the deal, but I wanted to be spontaneous more than I wanted a full night of sleep. At least that is what I kept telling myself. 

I woke up. I was tired. Then, we had a great day in Omaha. The zoo lived up to all the hype, and we thought it was incredibly awesome.

I even faced my fears and snapped a photo of this jellyfish. 

It's true. I'm afraid of jellyfish. But this one was behind glass and it couldn't sting me. 

We also couldn't help being silly in the gift shop. I'm not sure why the giraffe is shorter than the monkey. That doesn't really make sense. We probably should have thought that one out more carefully.

Since we still weren't quite ready to head home after spending the entire day at the zoo, we stopped at the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge. Basically, it's a cool bridge that sits right on the Nebraska/Iowa border. So, we stood in the middle of bridge and took some fun (cheesy) photos. 

And that's the story of a random, super last minute road trip to Nebraska. 

Thesis (Again)

Those tears of stress and frustration in my last post have turned into tears of joy because.....

      I HAVE A THESIS TOPIC!!!

What? Is this real?

It's too good to be true.
Except it is true.

For those that do not know - my graduate degree is in Communication and Leadership.

There is this thing in communications known as interpretive communities. It deals with  groups of people interpreting texts and creating a shared meaning. Sounds fun, right?

You're right, it doesn't.

But it sounds more fun when you're looking at interpretive communities through the lens of HARRY POTTER.

That's right, my thesis is about Harry Potter.

Isn't that awesome?

Now I have to actually do some work.

**resumes crying hysterically***

Thesis

Thesis. Do people actually write those things? Do people ever come out alive on the other side?

The coursework for the class I'm current taking is quite overwhelming. I realize that I'm earning a master's degree, but I've been spoiled the last few terms. 

But the amount of homework isn't the problem. The problem is that this class is my last class. 

My.last.class. 

Does this mean I get to graduate? No, no it doesn't. It means it's time to start my thesis hours. 

What is my thesis topic, you ask? 

I don't know. 

***starts crying hysterically*** 

It's time to get down to work, folks. 

First Friday Fun

Saturday is the best day of the week. Hands down. 

Why? 

There isn't any work on Saturday! Plus, there is still the promise of Sunday, another day off work before Monday starts looming over my head. 

So, while Friday and Sunday are great, Saturday is way better. 

This Friday, however, was Good Friday. This meant that our offices were closed, and it was a very good Friday indeed. 

The morning/afternoon was spent lounging around with my puppy, which is basically my favorite activity. 

Our Friday evening was quite busy. We started out by attending a ThirtyOne sales party, because it was being hosted by my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. There were some very cute things, and I might end up buying something, but I haven't decided yet. 

Then, we headed to the Crossroads Art District for First Fridays. We have been meaning to go for quite some time, and it's an item on the list, but we just could never seem to get there. Our friend Paul is a ceramics artist, and he has a studio in the Crossroads and sells his items on First Fridays. Another friend of ours (and my former boss, in my barista days) mixes music and was playing at Paul's studio. 

We needed to make it down there, because Paul is moving to a studio in the West Bottoms, which means this was his (and Joe's) last First Friday. So, we walked around and popped into a few galleries, making sure to see Paul's studio as well. He was vey excited to see us! We loved First Friday and will definitely be back for more, but I am so glad we made it down to one before Paul's studio moved. 

Then, it was off to Erin's for a birthday party. There were drinking and shenanigans involved. 

All in all, it was a great night. I had an awesome time and I crossed an item off the list! 

Ciao Bella (pt. 2)

This post is a little delayed, but I've been busy!

I fully transitioned into my new position, started a new class, and am still working on the assignments for the study abroad class. The study abroad class just happens to be the subject of this post!

I already discussed Rome and Florence. So, that leaves us with Bologna and Venice.

At first, Bologna seemed quite boring, to be honest. There didn't seem to be many restaurants and pubs, and it just wasn't a happening place. We turned out to be wrong. As it turns out, our hotel was not centrally located and quite far from the main city square. So, we just didn't realize everything the city had to offer.

The main city square = awesome. Unfortunately, we didn't have a tour of the city until the day before we were scheduled to leave, so we didn't realize just how awesome the city was until it was time to move on to Venice. Bologna is the food capitol of Italy! We had some culinary delights, and I brought home the most amazing chocolates. The gnocchi with four cheese sauce, seen in this photo, was incredibly rich and delicious.

In Bologna, we conducted interviews with university students about Italian culture and values.  This was the most eye-opening experience of the entire trip. These students, even as college freshmen, were incredibly knowledgable on current events and political issues. They provided me with some great information about the close-knit nature of Italian families. The values the students associated with Italian culture were art, food, and faith.

And, when it was their turn to ask me questions about American culture, they didn't hold back. I was asked to explain the reasons we drive huge, gas-guzzling vehicles and refuse to preserve the environment. I was asked why we don't do more to help Greece, and the reasons we seem to so adamantly oppose government healthcare. It was clear these students are well-aware of all that is happening in the United States.

I do not think the phrase "ignorant American" is too far off the mark. The students informed me that Italians view Americans as self-centered, and they do not think we understand nor care about matters that do not affect us directly. I fear that this statement is, in many cases, a correct one. It has definitely made me think more about the effort I put into learning about current events both inside and outside of the United States. It has motivated me to get outside my comfort zone and expand my knowledge base.

Me, standing in the middle of the Rialto Bridge

Anyway, after Bologna, we took the train to Venice.

Venice! Upon exiting the train station, it felt as if we were stepping into a painting.  A cold painting, but a beautiful one.

We spent one full day exploring San Marco Square and the surrounding area. There are no words to describe the interior of the basilica, which is filled with gold leaf mosaics. We entered at noon, when the sun was high the lights in the church were on - the beauty was enough to bring people to tears.

We spent another day on the Islands of Murano and Burano.

Murano is known for its blown glass. There were shops and factories all over the island. I purchased several pairs of earrings!

Colorful Houses on Burano

Burano is known for its lace. So, of course I purchased some scarves.

All of the houses on Burano are painted in bright, vibrant colors. Out of all the places I was blessed enough to visit, Burano is my favorite place in all of Italy. Everything was just so quiet and charming. I would imagine it would be the absolute perfect place to retire.

So, while that barely scratches the surface of my experience in Italy, that's basically the highlights. I cannot wait until I am able to visit Europe again. Next stop, London and Paris!!

Ciao Bella! (pt. 1)

I haven't updated for a few weeks, but I've got a good reason. 

I was in Italy! I went on a 12-day study abroad with my graduate program. We visited Rome, Bologna, Florence, and Venice. I can claim with confidence that my life has been forever changed by my experience. It was my first time traveling to another country.  I had never before experienced being on an entirely different continent and needing to adjust to a different culture and language. 

While I've been to Mexico, I do not consider that as a visit to a foreign country since the area was so Americanized and it felt as if I'd never left Miami. It was absolutely beautiful, but it felt as if I was in any tropical city in the United States. 

Italy was a different experience entirely. And while we did encounter some very tourist-heavy areas, we also visited some less touristy spots and experienced true Italian culture. 

The trip was off to a rough start when a delay in Chicago prevented us from making our connecting flight in Madrid. Since the next flight to Rome didn't leave for 7 more hours, we spent much more time in Madrid than anticipated and missed a day of our time in Rome. As you might expect, we were frustrated and restless by the time we finally arrived in Rome that evening. 

Any negative emotions were thrown out the window, however, when the Colosseum was suddenly right next to our vehicle, lit up and looking absolutely breathtaking. At that moment, we knew that all the travel troubles in the world wouldn't have mattered as long as we ended up in Rome.

The next 11 days were a whirl wind of touring some of the oldest streets in the world. In every city, the cobblestone streets were filled with the most beautiful buildings, the most beautiful art, and plenty of annoying street vendors to off-set the beauty. 

If I had to choose one experience that stands out among them all, it would be the sunny Wednesday in Rome in which I came within mere feet of Pope Benedict. We were among the thousands in St. Peter's Square for the Papal Audience. We were surrounded by people from all over the world, speaking numerous languages.  

As none of us had ever been to Rome, we weren't sure what to expect. We thought he might just come out onto his balcony, wave, and go back inside. As long as we had caught a glimpse of him, we would have been satisfied. We soon discovered, however, based on the massive amount of cheering that was happening, that he was being driven around the square. We happened to be situated right along the route. We were, at the most, about 50 feet away. I became quite emotional when I realized just how close he was going to be - and the tears started flowing. Even for those that are not Catholic, it is incredible to be so close to an international leader and celebrity. 

In that moment, I felt as if I could have flown to Italy for that one hour and witnessed nothing else, and it would have been worth the trip. I enjoyed so many other experiences, but nothing quite compares to the emotions I experienced in that moment. 

Inside St. Peter's Basilica lies the final resting place of Pope John Paul II. Standing at the foot of his tomb was another very emotional moment. Again, the tears were flowing. 

Anne Marie and I outside of St. Peter's Basilica 

While in Rome, we also toured the Colosseum and the forum. We toured the Vatican/Sistine Chapel and visited the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. We crammed as many sites as possible into our  3-day stay. While I did enjoy Rome, it was quite crowded and metropolitan. I felt that I had visited everything I had wanted to see in Rome and was ready to move on the the next city. 

If I ever make it back to Italy, I'll spend more time in Florence. Our stay in Florence was just a day trip, which wasn't nearly enough time. I didn't make it to see the statue of David, but we spent a lot of time in the Duomo, shopping, and just meandering around the city.  We did manage to find the Jersey Shore house, and it was pretty clear that Italians do not have a favorable impression of any of the cast. Well, Florentines (Florentinians ?) do not have a good impression of them anyway. 

Well, this post is quite long already and I still have two cities left to discuss! So I'll wrap things up for now and continue in another post. 

Pay it Forward

This morning on my way to work, I finally did something I've been wanting to do for quite some time. I paid it forward.

When I was a student at Benedictine College, one of the fun (and only) things to do was visit Daylight Donuts, a doughnut shop that opened at 2:00am.  I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that it was one of the only things to do, the college is located in a very small town. Wal-Mart was the mecca of entertainment for those too young to get into the bar, it's that small of a town.

Anyway, it was I not unusual for Daylight Donuts to be filled to capacity at this unusual hour, even during the week. One night during finals week, I headed there with a friend since we were still awake studying for our Chemistry exam at 2:00am. Naturally, most of campus was still awake studying as well and the place was packed.

We must have looked like we could use a break, because two very cute guys had already paid for our doughnuts by the time we'd reached the front of the line. Or, we'd prefer to think it was because they thought we were pretty. Not that it matters, since I was already dating my husband to-be at that time. We were an hour apart, at two separate colleges, but we saw each other every other weekend (sometimes every weekend).

Anyway, that was my first experience with the kindness of strangers. Since that time, I have heard several stories of people experiencing the kindness of others, particularly during the holiday season. So, I wanted to do something nice, but I didn't want to be cliche either.

So, on this random Monday morning in February, I asked the drive-thru attendant if I could pay for the order behind me as well. She seemed a little surprised, but not terribly so, which leads me to think that people have done things like this in the past. And that is great! I liked the idea of making someone's Monday morning just a little bit brighter.

Not only did it make that woman's day brighter (I'm hoping that it did anyway!), it made me much happier as well. It felt very good to do something nice for someone without expecting anything in return. If I had a larger budget, I would do things like that more often!

I have been crossing all kinds of things of the list in the last few days! I'm liking this forward momentum I have been building, I hope it continues in this direction!

As you already know, my Saturday got off to a lazy start.
The rest of the day, however, was actually incredibly productive.

After Joey got home from helping his sister move, we decided we'd like to go to lunch and run a few errands. We waited it line (somewhat) patiently for some Oklahoma Joe's barbecue, the delicious restaurant located in a gas station, which has been discussed in a previous post.

Then, we headed off to run our errands. We started at Hobby Lobby, where we purchased silk flowers to put into a vase we were given as a wedding gift. The vase is lovely, and has our names and wedding date engraved on the front of the vase - but it's not in our budget to constantly purchase fresh flowers and it's a shame to not being able to display it all the time. So, I tried to get back some of my skills from working at the flower shop, and made an arrangement using silk flowers.  I'm fairly happy with the outcome, but keep in mind that I haven't worked in the floral industry in almost four years! I'm a little rusty, but glad to finally have this project completed.

After leaving Hobby Lobby, we decided to cash in an unused groupon we had purchased a few months ago at the Three Dog Bakery. If you've never been to the bakery, it's an adorable small shop on the Country Club Plaza that sells baked goods for dogs including cakes, brownies, treats, bones/bully sticks, and their own line of homemade dog food. They use all natural ingredients, and we've always had a great experience. The groupon was for $25, so we now have one spoiled pup! We came home with a brownie, a bully stick, and some grilled cheese and tomato soup flavored treats. We chose the boxer brownie, since Draco is a boxer - and he loves it! Here is a photo I snapped of all his goodies before he proceeded to demolish them. 

And, since we were already on the Plaza, we decided to go on over to the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art. While we've been to the museum on several different occasions, our last trip was for Valentine's Day a few years ago. It was snowing that day, in fact I remember the roads were terrible and it had resulted in a 20 car pile-up on the other end of the city. As a result, we didn't brave the weather to go outside and walk the sculpture garden, which is really the heart of the museum in my opinion. It turns out there is a brand new edition of the sculpture garden, and we choose a warm (for the season) February day to check in out. It is made entirely of stainless steel, and really quite beautiful. We talked the museum for a few hours, focusing mainly on the newer section which houses the contemporary art and photography collections. 

Then, we ended our day with a trip to the grocery store. For dinner, we still weren't terribly hungry since our lunch was so amazing, so we made a snack recipe from Pinterest. We made low-carb pizza bites, which I've had at a work pot-luck, but I had never made them myself. Since I also had a goal of trying 10 new recipes, I guess this can kick off the start of researching that particular goal! 

So, all-in-all, it was a busy (but fun) Saturday! Today, I did a lot more lounging around to make up for it. Now the Oscars are over, and it's time to go to bed! 

Lazy Luxury

It is finally Saturday morning. I'm propped up in bed by several pillows, have a hot cup of coffee, and an incredibly cute doggie laying on my feet. The only thing missing is my husband, and he woke up entirely too early to help his sister and her boyfriend move into an apartment. If I had been able to drag myself out of bed, I would have been helping as well. Instead, I am having a morning of lazy luxury.

I like my idea better.

In 2012, I have read 10 books. The extended winter break (my class doesn't really begin until we leave for Italy) has been a huge help with the reading goal since I haven't had to read any textbooks or do any homework yet.

While I'm well on my way to reaching my goal of 75 books in one year - I haven't tackled the more specific reading goals. Until today.

I have always had a huge level or admiration and respect for Nelson Mandela. His character and lifetime achievements are beyond words. I've written a few papers about him, both in undergraduate and graduate courses, but I've only read excerpts of his autobiography and memoir. This makes Mandela the perfect choice to complete the item on my list that requires me to read an autobiography. The book I've started reading is titled Conversations with Myself.

Conversations with Myself is a collection of personal documents of

Mandela's, which mostly includes letters written to friends and family while in person, his personal journal, and portions of an unpublished sequel to his autobiography.

I've only started reading, but it's quite obvious from the start the Nelson Mandela is a remarkable man. Even in his private communications, he maintains such a level of morality and character it is truly amazing. At 93 years old, he is lived a more fulfilling life than most people can even imagine.

You know the question - if you could meet any famous person, dead or alive, who would you meet? I would meet Nelson Mandela.

Stay tuned - more items on the list will be completed very soon!

Quarter Life Crisis

Well, we're almost two months into 2012. I've got both good and not so good updates.

I turned 25 last month. It was a fairly uneventful birthday, and since the first three weeks in January are one of the busiest times at work, I wanted it low key! I just wanted to relax. I didn't have a "quarter life" crisis, which is apparently a thing now. From what I've read, it exists because many people use 25 as an arbitrary age by which they hoped to have achieved certain life milestones - marriage, career, education, etc. I have a job I really like, I'm over halfway done with a masters degree, and I'm happily married. Although I didn't expect to be married at 25, so I was way ahead of the curve on that particular milestone, considering I actually got married super young (21 years old). But he's pretty great, and when you've known someone since you were twelve, you pretty much know what you're getting into by marrying them. :)

I suppose I can see why people may get down on themselves if they aren't where they expected to be at age 25, but it is still so young! Please, kids, don't freak out until you're 30. I think that's when I'll start getting disappointed in myself. I'd like to own a home and be back to healthy weight, so if I have not done those things by 30, I imagine I'll find myself disappointed. Luckily, I have 5 years before any such meltdown will occur. :)

Did anyone have a quarter life crisis? Or maybe you at least did some reflecting on your life and goals? Let's hear about it.

In other news, we finally get a second car! We've been a one car household for quite some time now, and while it was nice only having expenses for one vehicle, it just wasn't sustainable in the long term. Especially since Joey is getting some additional responsibilities at work, he will be working extra hours. And my hours will be changing as soon as I'm out of training for my new position.

That's right - I got a new position at work! I am currently on the first floor of the building I work in, and I'll be moving to the second floor - so I'm making a HUGE move. :) I'll be doing similar work to what I've been doing, but assisting a different student population. I've been training for past week, but I won't fully transition until I get back from Italy.

Which brings me to...Italy! I leave in less than a month (March 10th). I've known about the trip since last summer, and back then it seemed entirely too far away. Now, it's practically here! I can't believe how the time has flown.

So - new car, new job, and a trip to Europe. So far, 2012 has been fairly good to me.

We've also had our share of not-so-great things happen this year. My cousin Vernon was diagnosed with liver cancer, and while he fought bravely, he lost the battle with cancer only a month after his diagnosis. While I am sad to have lost him, it is a comfort to know he did not suffer long and he is now pain-free.

Joey's paternal grandfather was also diagnosed with prostate cancer, and while it was quite scary, he is doing very well and at this point the prognosis looks good. His maternal grandfather is in the hospital with pneumonia, but doing well.

So, as you can tell, we've had a lot of things crammed into these last two months!! I haven't done very much at all as far as the list is concerned, but I bet I can get some of my reading goals accomplished over the very long flights to Europe!

I've dumped lots of information on you (as if anyone actually read this thing!), and I know I should just blog more often - then you wouldn't be subjected to these super long posts and maybe some people would actually read about my life and my list.

I think I will really start trying to accomplish some of my movie related items of the list next - any suggestions? I'm not counting anything I've already seen, so sadly, The Wizard of Oz is off limits.

For those that don't know, this is sad because The Wizard of Oz is my favorite film of all time.

Now, we're off the hospital. Leave some comments!