On time.

[Random photo from the wedding we went to this weekend...never a dull moment with this guy] 

If you know me personally, you know that this post will most likely having nothing to do with being "on time," because I'm never on time. Unless it's class, work, or a wedding, I'm almost always 5-10 minutes late to everything. I've actually had a friend tell me that something was scheduled an hour earlier just so I would show up on time. Embarrassing.

We've all heard the saying, "you have just as many hours in the day as Beyonce." While I'm more of a Taylor Swift kinda girl myself, I couldn't agree (is that the right verb?) with this statement more. Having said that, I'm guilty of acting like I "don't have time" for things. Between classes, working, and racking up observation hours, it isn't entirely untrue. However, I could do a much better job at prioritizing my time. For example, I couldn't begin to tell you how many times I've come home from class or work with the intention to accomplish "all the things!" and you know what I end up doing? Sprawling out on the couch, scrolling through Instagram, watching House Hunters reruns and doing a whole lot of absolutely nothing.

If I had all the time in the world, or even if I just prioritized my time a little better, this is what I would do:

-- Make my bed every single morning, throw pillows and all.
-- Bring the dogs to the bark park every morning with a hot cup of tea...who am I kidding, I can't navigate those boneheads whilst carrying a hot drink.
-- Write in my personal journal. Sometimes, you just can't put all of your thoughts and feelings and ideas and worries on the internet, ya know?
-- Fill out my "one line a day" journal. This should be way easier than I make it out to be.
-- Finish a rough draft of my letter of intent for grad school. Because it's my future and all. No big deal, though.
-- Bake a new recipe every week...and maybe even create my own! How do food bloggers know exactly how many eggs/how much baking soda/how much of anything off the top of their heads?! HOW.
-- Get some air in my bike tires and find a trail. Especially now that Tampa's weather is cooperating.
-- Go somewhere solely for the sake of taking photos with my Nikon. 
-- Work out five times a week and meal prep healthy meals. THIS. All of this. The healthy lifestyle needs to make a comeback ASAP.
-- Read read read. Maybe this one has less to do with time and more to do with the books I'm reading? I'm more than halfway through Paper Towns by John Green and I feel like it is just soooo booooring.

I could say I'm going to make more of a conscious effort to do all these things but I like to keep it real around here, and I'd be lying if I said that was the case. Sometimes life gets in the way, and maybe that's an excuse. Okay, it completely is. With that being said, I'm challenging myself to make my bed every day this week! Little steps, right?

What would you do if you had all the time in the world? (Realistically speaking, of course. In fantasy land, I would obviously travel everywhere...EVERYWHERE).

Moving forward.

Growing up, and even as an adult, I never realized the impact of encouraging words. Maybe it's a good thing, because it means my childhood was so chock-full of "great job"s and "I believe in you"s and "you can do it"s that I never felt a void. I'd never felt rundown or sad or upset enough to truly need to hear those things; praise just felt like a given.

Months ago, when I made the decision to quit my job and go back to school, I felt unstoppable. Despite the fact that my life was about to change in a drastic way, it felt right. I was finally rid of the job I'd grown to hate, and I was making what felt like huge strides to start a new career, a new way of life. I was on the way to do something that mattered. 6 months later, I'm still on that way...and it's harder than I ever imagined it would be.

My savings that took me years to build is cut in half. The credit card I used to pay off every month, no matter the statement, is quietly easing me into debt. I feel more swamped in schoolwork and classes than I ever felt in my undergrad. It's become a habit to decline invitations to most outings and togethers because I simply don't have the time. Not to sound like a brat, but it's been a difficult adjustment for me.

Especially considering the fact that I could have a well paying job tomorrow if I decided to throw the last six months of hard work to the curb. And sometimes I consider doing just that.

Then I talk to my mom, who reminds me why I began this journey in the first place...because the work matters, and it changes lives. I talk to my boyfriend, who never hesitates to remind me that he's here for me every step of the way. I talk to my dogs, who lick my feet and my face and, you know, the inside my mouth if I make the mistake of breathing. I like to think it's their furry way of telling me "we gotchu, keep awn' keepin' awn."

The point of my rambling is that the little negative voice living inside my head has never been so loud. Every day feels like a struggle, and the little negative voice consistently reminds me that I can quit anytime I want to; that I was never cut out to do any of this, anyway. It's times like those that I need the most reassurance. I need the "great job"s and the "I believe in you"s. I need all the words that used to feel like noise. Because some days I still feel unstoppable, and motivated, and excited for the future ahead...but many days, I feel rundown, stressed out, and afraid.

While it's so easy to get caught up in that negativity, it's more important to move forward. This, too, shall pass, and it isn't forever. Now, more than ever, I'm determined to stay positive, because this matters. Now, more than ever, I need to stay true to myself, and stick to my guns. Not for anybody else...for myself.

October To-Do List!

Is it just me, or do 30 day months go by a lot faster than 31 day months? That one extra day really does make all the difference, because September came and went in a flash and here we are, six days into October already. Strangely enough, Florida is already starting to feel like fall. And by "fall," I mean it's been 65 degrees for about 20 minutes in the morning and then borderline 90 by 11 a.m., so there's that. Close enough.

Like most "basic" girls, I love October, and I like to think that October loves me back. October means the beginning of the holiday season, which seems to put me into the most chipper of moods, even when I'm at my lowest, which has been more often than I'd like to admit. I digress.

At the beginning of the summer, I posted a "summer to-do" list. It's almost embarrassing how many things I did not accomplish this summer. Despite the fact that it was my first summer in two years without a full time Monday through Friday job, I spent a good chunk of the season prepping for the GRE and picking up doubles at the restaurant. I never ended up floating down a river, and I read something like three books instead of ten. Whoops?

This season, however, I plan on getting down and dirty with my to-do's. I'm going to take this list by storm. I'm going to make all the pumpkin things and drink all the apple cider and burn all the fall scented candles! Although we're already a week into the month, I've put together an October to-do list, and I'm hoping to actually conquer it. Here goes:

1. Visit a pumpkin patch. For the last two years, Ryan and I have talked about carving pumpkins together and we have yet to actually do it. This will be the year.
2. Watch Hocus Pocus. Obviously.
3. Go to a Halloween party. One of my best friends is in the midst of planning a Witches Brew at the end of the month, and I can't wait! 
4. Go to Howl-o-Scream at Busch Gardens. I didn't get a chance to go last year, and I'm dying to go this year. Roller coasters and haunted houses until 2 a.m.? Sign me up.
5. Drink hot apple cider at least twice a week. Tis the season, you know.
6. Make pumpkin cinnamon rolls on a chilly morning. We haven't had a real chilly morning quite yet, but it'll happen eventually, and I plan on making the apartment all sorts of cozy when it does.
7. Celebrate our two year anniversary. Two years ago on October 12th, Ryan took me on our first date. While we didn't officially start dating until December, my heart knew he was something special from the moment I met him, so I hold October very near and dear for that reason.
8. Try a toasted graham latte from Starbucks. Because as much as it pains me to say it, the new and improved (and actually authentic) PSL just isn't doing it for me this year.
9. Finish my book and start another. Easy as this may sound, it feels like quite the feat. I've been reading Paper Towns for two months now and I can't seem to get past the halfway mark. What should I read next?
10. Simply appreciate the season. Like many people, I adore autumn and all that comes with it, and I get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that it's easy for me to lose track of what's important to me.

What's on your to-do list? Is it actually starting to feel like fall where you live? Let me know so I can start living vicariously through you!

Weekend Wrap-Up: The Kearns Wedding!

So this happened this weekend! One of my best friends (and my old roommate!) got married last night to the love of her life. As Kaylee's roommate, I feel like I had a special peek into the anxiety-ridden adventure known as wedding planning, so it was such a wonderful experience to watch her wedding dream become a reality on the big day.

The morning-of involved wearing matching floral robes given to us by the bride, drinking endless mimosas and feeding each other fruit for the sake of photographs. We cried a lot and laughed even more. I made a conscious effort to look around and take in every moment, because I knew it would all be over in a flash...and it was. The evening was spent under twinkly lights in what felt like real "fall" weather. There wasn't a drop of rain, and there also wasn't a dry eye in the house (err, in the garden) while Kaylee and Ryan read each other their vows. It was indeed a night to remember.

It hasn't even been 24 hours yet and I'm already depressed because it's all over. Besides her older sister Brittany, I hardly knew who these girls were a year ago. Fast forward to post-all things wedding related, and I can officially stop calling them "Kaylee's friends" and start calling them my own. I mean really, how cool is that?

Alas, it is back to reality. I plan on doing a lot of nothing tonight in preparation for another crazy week ahead. Who told me it was a good idea to go back to school again? WHO?!

6 "No Brainer" Tips on Getting Straight A's in College.

Going back to school is a big deal. It's exhausting and it's expensive, but when you're going for what you want, it is so worth it.

Even though it's been a good two years since I graduated, I remember exactly what kind of student I was in college. I did the bare minimum to get by with a decent GPA, showed up when I needed to but definitely skipped the occasional class, and when I did go to class, I scoured through Pinterest for an hour and a half. I had countless all nighters, deadlines that I procrastinated until the night before, you name it.

Now that I'm going back for round two, I'm a little wiser (perhaps because I'm a little older). The way I study and even the way I learn has completely changed, and I like to think that I'm a better student because of it. While I may only be one month into the semester, I've taken several quizzes and exams, and I'm doing better than I ever have in any semester of my undergrad. My secrets? They're pretty obvious. Read on:

1. Do the readings. In the four weeks I've been in school post-bacc, I've probably done more textbook reading than I have during my entire undergrad and believe it or not, it actually helps me understand the material. Shocking, I know. 
2. Go to class. Again, pretty obvious. As an undergrad, I didn't think much of skipping a class here, skipping a class there. #YOLO and all that. But actually going to class and truly paying attention is what can take you from a "B" student to an "A" student. Which brings me to my next point...
3. Put your phone away during class. Just stuff it into your back pack and forget it's there for the next hour and a half. You'll actually start to understand what you're learning if the material and the professor has your undivided attention.
4. Work smarter, not harder. All nighters are sometimes necessary, but certainly not for every exam, quiz, or paper. Spend just one hour per day prepping for a test the week before it's scheduled. Make note cards early and review them, read a chapter per day, etc. This way, you never feel like you need to "cram" the night before because you've already been slowly retaining the information.
5. Find a study buddy. Sometimes I prefer to work alone, but when it comes to exam prep, I like to have someone to bounce ideas and concerns around with. 
6. Keep the end goal in mind. It's so easy to get caught up in due dates and feeling like the stress is never going to end. Remember: it will end, and you will have a career. When you're feeling frustrated, take a few minutes and remember your "why." 

My classes this semester are significantly harder than any classes I've ever taken, yet I have A's in all of them (okay, I have a B in hearing science, but I'm a speech major...clearly there's a reason!). I think that 100% correlates with my change in studying habits and general behavior toward my classes. If you're struggling with classes, maybe reevaluate how you're studying. It could make all the difference!

What are your go-to study tips and tricks? I could always use more of them!