just a season…

I wanted to get on here and give an update to what has been going on in my life. I have always felt like a weight was just lifted from my shoulders when I write- I love having a place to share anything I want. There hasn’t been anything bad at all that has happened, life is going great for me right now. But to get to this point, it took me about a month and a half. (a VERY rainy month and a half, it’s currently thunderstorming at the moment I am typing this)

    In Mid-April I had an interview for an internship for a company that I have dreamed of working for since I was young. I even turned an application in and was in contact with them. It’s now June and I haven’t heard anything. I waited about three weeks and then honestly, I got tired of waiting. I got pretty upset when I never heard anything back. I still love the company I just don’t think they needed an intern when I applied.

    At the three week mark, I started looking for jobs all over the internet. The place I work at now doesn’t offer many hours in the summer. So, I was looking for something to get experience in for my major and to add to my resume… something within a half hour of my house, preferably in social media, news reporting ect. I have event assisting experience and I absolutely love people. I will talk to just about anyone! I think I signed up for at least six or more job websites and still nothing. When I started to see the same job postings over and over, I had two main thoughts.  The first was, “I am going to have to plan ahead after I graduate to move away since there is not many opportunities around in my major.” My second thought was to just take matters into my own hands and do it myself! I have never really been someone who has to stay within their comfort zone at moments like this. I decided to email a huge list of companies in my area to see if they needed a social media intern. I got a lot of emails back that day unfortunately all of them were nos.

The next morning I received an email from a local outdoor event venue about 15 minutes from my house- the email said “Yes! Can you come in this week for an interview?” I went in a few days later and I was hired within three minutes into the interview! It is a paid position, I get reimbursed for my gas and I can also use this internship for class credit. I had finally found something I wanted to do- social media and event assisting. It was right in front of my face the whole time. There is a possibility for me to work into the fall/winter as well. The craziest part of this whole experience was when I was talking to my boss, she mentioned that they were just about to put out a job posting of my exact position. God really provides, He is so so good! I was excited to start last night for their first concert of the summer. I learned a ton about the business and how behind the scenes works. I could not be more thankful to be at a place that I get to learn and grow at. They also said there are opportunities to grow within the company.

I have a desk in an office which I am very happy about! I will be decorating it in a few days and can not wait to see it all put together. I will totally appreciate any tips you may have for decorating a small space for a girl like me- always with a. lot. of. stuff! This summer is going to be really fun, I will be sure to post more when I know more:))

The point of this blog post on this rainy first evening of June is to know that during your toughest time God still loves you. It’s only a season, you will get through it and come out of it better than ever. Just like the rainbow after the rain, there is always hope for bigger things. Being a Christian in this world is not easy. God never promised it was going to be but He DID promise to be with us during every step of this crazy journey.

A letter to Barton Lake

missing this view a lot lately so I wrote a poem about it for class!!

‘A letter to Barton Lake’ 

hometown station turned to static,

passing through state lines,

the most familiar route,

un-click the seat belt.

feet start running in the hard grass,

immediately up the stairs,

and into my grandma’s arms,

I am greeted by the comforting smell of the summertime lake air, I have always loved.

pink flip flops,

sticky sunscreen,

and awkward tan lines,

summertime friends,

independence from the rest of society, 

old wooden docks,

jumping off the pontoon,

splashes of lake water,

hang up your towel,

ice cream drips from the hot July sun,

blue daytime skies,

and sweet s’mores to end each night,

stargazing on the deck after the sunset,

suitcases filled to the top like balloons, 

couch bed pulled out, 

fan always spinning, 

my eyes slowly shut already ready 

to do it all over again.

My word for 2019

Okay okay I know what you were thinking right when you clicked on this… ‘Lauren, we are a whole week into 2019 why are you just now posting this?’ To be honest, I have had a lot going on the last few weeks of last year. I also like to make sure I am completely in love with my word that I will keep all year. Oh and I really loved my word of 2018 and wanted to keep it!!

Ever since I was a senior in high school, I’ve had a word after reading the book “One Word” it goes through different steps of finding a word you can keep for your year/life, which is pretty neat. I’m not sure if I’ll ever have a life word, I think that is too much commitment for me at the moment.

My past words of the year:

2016-> beginning. I was beginning my first real job, Beginning college and all that comes with college life. I didn’t want to put too much emphasis on leaving high school and leaving everything I knew for the past year. I decided to look on the positive side and chose ‘beginning’.

2017-> I originally chose the word ‘wait’ but I shifted it to ‘growth’ about 3ish months in because of what all happened in my life. I think that people change and situations change and it is okay to actually switch.  Growth like moving on and growing. I also had the quote ‘bloom where you’re planted’ quote on my mind for most of this year. 

2018-> wholeheartedly. This past year, I really stuck with my word. I was proud that I kept using this word daily. I was putting my all into everything, camp, work, school, home, friendships. I really pushed myself to keep going even when I thought I couldn’t anymore. I was super sad about not keeping this word. I will always use this word but once January 1st of this year hit, I knew it was time to chose something else. I talk to my aunt, my mom’s sister, on the phone pretty much every night. Last night I was explaining this all to her and she said “You don’t have to get rid of your 2018 word, you can just build on it!” And that is so true and exactly what I’m going to do!

So 2019?! Actually, up until today these were my thoughts -> ‘Honestly, I’m not sure. I don’t want to pick a word and not be able to actually keep it. Something Happy & Positive definitely.’

Today, I kept thinking about my past blog posts each year where I write about my new word. The word that kept coming back to me was ‘focus’. I have always said “The word I’m focusing on this year is …” or “This year, I’m really trying to focus on doing…”

So I decided… why not focus on ‘focus’!?

If you know me, you know I get distracted really easily. I think I’ve got distracted over 10 times just writing this blog post about not getting distracted. (Lol whoops) I have always needed to focus more in my life. The book I mentioned where I got this idea from says “Choose a God word, not just a good word.” This year, I want to focus more on learning about my faith and focus on trusting God. I want to focus on getting good grades and everything I do in school. I really need to focus on my friends and family more. I’d like to focus on looking ahead into the future and stop worrying about the past— something I tend to do often. I also need to focus more on my blog and my internship. I always need to focus at work and at home. I desperately need to focus on myself more as well. In conclusion, I’m going focus more on any interesting adventure I get myself into, focus more on the little details of life and focus more on pretty much everything.

“Dear brothers and sisters, I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.”

‭‭-Philippians‬ ‭3:13‬ 

Thank you, 2018

2018… wow it’s been a year of wholehearted adventures. full of growth, learning and laughter. Looking back on the past 12 months, I am proud to say I have personally accomplished a lot. 

I’ve said it many times but I lived and worked at camp from June through August. In the 6 months leading up to camp this year, I was preparing as much as I could. Mentally and physically. This summer put me through a lot. Many times I thought that I wasn’t going to make it, that I wasn’t doing enough for myself or my campers and I was pushing myself as much as I actually could. I came home crying a few times sadly. Actually, that wasn’t just this summer. That was this year in general. This year threw many curveballs my way that I didn’t necessarily know how to handle. I have gotten a lot closer with God this year. And hope my relationship with Him keeps growing each year!

This past year taught me so much about healing. I have had a lot of time to just step back and work on healing myself. I’m proud to say, right now I’m doing the best I have about this situation in a long time!

A quick overview and some highlights from my 2018: 

In January, I went to Washington DC for my 3rd time there (4th time in a few weeks!!)

I also won free Tshirts from Sassy Frass TShirts for a year! 

In February, I went to camp for the weekend. (you’ll start to notice a little bit of a trend haha) And actually the big thing that was on my heart and mind this month, was I was put into a situation that ended with a decision that I knew I had to make. I didn’t make  an angry decision- I prayed for weeks about it and I realized it was finally time. I chose myself over an organization I was apart of for almost 2 years. I personally chose to be happy, instead of involved, which I can admit has been difficult in many ways since I left. But, in this situation, I wholeheartedly chose myself instead of anything else. I didn’t stay involved in something just because it was comfortable to me. I really didn’t know what the future held but I knew this is what I wanted. 

In March, I took my first trip to Cincinnati and  we went to Kentucky for the first time as well! I hung out with Dan & Chris the whole weekend and have wanted to go back since! I went to my first eagle eye retreat, It really was a trip that I needed. 

In April, the lake house opened and I spent time there before I had to leave for camp. I also spend a lot of time with the girls I babysit and The Crew. Also in April and May, I was struggling a lot with change in my friend group. We were all still friends but I was moving away for the summer, and a lot of my friends were moving into new houses or leaving for the summer as well. I wanted to spend as much time with them in the current season we were in as much as possible.

In May, I finished sophomore year of college! I was also at the lake a bunch and then took a trip to Cedar Point with Pip and Chris. On this trip, I learned my best friends Christy and Kev were having a baby due in early December! I also got an iPhone X in May. I was convinced I would never get rid of my 6s because I loved it but it was getting really slow. I am enjoying my new phone and it was nice to know my phone would work at camp.

Then June finally came! I had 9 days to pack my suitcases, scroll through articles found on google about being a great camp counselor, take a picture and post that I was going to be at camp for the next two months, and say goodbye to my friends and family! The first week was staff training- full of learning and meeting new friends. We put our hammocks up and “hung” out all week!

This summer, I became a camp counselor for the first time to 7 different groups of 7-9 year old girls. When I got my first session of campers, I was beyond excited and that’s when my full summer at camp actually started! 20 days of camp later, Storer had its 100 year celebration. It was incredible. So many people and about 100 degrees but everyone was happy to be at camp again. It was very interesting to meet people that also love the same place I do- and have for years and hopefully many more to come!

July was just full of camp for me. I got to come home each Friday evening and had to be back early Sunday morning!  I had such sweet campers but there were a lot of nights where I didn’t think I was good enough for them. The drive there and back every weekend was actually pretty nice to be able to reflect on my past week or my week that was soon to start right when my feet hit the ground. July was also the month where my mom, dad, sister and I started to love word searches. Why? I have no idea but it was something random and fun to do together!

August came and we finished with summer camp and on my birthday (August 5th), we started Camp Catch a Rainbow- which is a week-long camp for kids with cancer. The campers and their volunteers taught me so much about myself, how strong and smart they are and basically just about the world around me as well. They were amazing. This week was totally my favorite week of the summer! When CCAR was over, I got to come home for good! I was very sad I wasn’t going back to camp, just a few days later and knew I would miss my campers a lot but oh my gosh was I excited to be home!

September was the month where I was just getting back into the swing of things at home and I started my first semester of junior year! I also went to Cedar Point again for their Christian Point Fest concert- we saw Hollyn, Crowder, For King and Country and TobyMac. I loved it! Oh and The Fulton County Fair! How could I forget! I’ve been going to fair since I was less than a month old. We also watched fireworks on a random night in late September, which was hilarious!

In October, I went to the lake a few last times of the season. I also traveled back to camp and worked the CCAR Family Camp! It was so sweet to get to meet some of my camper’s families. On the last night, I sung my campers a song that is really special to the camp staff and I wanted to cry because I knew I wasn’t going to be there for another year.

In November, I went on a super fun weekend trip to Hocking Hills with the Catholic Student Association at UT. It was totally out of my comfort zone because I didn’t know many people and we hiked for a total of 5 and half hours on that Saturday. But I am so glad I went and got to experience the beauty around me that God gave us! After that trip, I got sick. I don’t even mean for a few days….  I mean for 3 and half weeks. It was really     bad :(

In December, all I did was prepare Christmas presents for The Crew and my family! And go to Christmas parties. I also got to meet sweet Baby James. I can’t believe how cute he is:) I went to his baptism in late December and got to see all of my friends again. It was a really nice day!

This year was one for the books for sure. Lots of learning and growing and becoming a better version of myself.  I learned how to walk away from something I loved for almost 2 years and how to walk into something I have always wanted to do. I kept moving on from things that I knew weren't going to help me in the long run, and found more things to put my mind too. I learned to wholeheartedly rely on God to get me through tough times and enjoy where I was. This summer at camp really showed me how to get creative and love the world around me. 2018 taught me how to move on and learn something totally new. I worked a lot, went to school each day of the week, tried to keep my room clean and be with my family and friends and babysat in between. It got hectic at times but I am just so blessed to be able to do so much with my life right now. I’m not sure what this next year holds but I am excited to find out!

Wholehearted: to complete with sincerity and commitment. 

on my story…

MY STORY

I think telling your story and letting others hear it is one of the most important things to do. 
I have told my story before on my blog but just this past weekend I realized everything became full circle and how I got to where I am today. 

The summer before my junior year of high school, I went to the first youth group I had ever been to. It was Sunday nights in our parish community room. I don’t really remember all the details but I pretty quickly became friends with the leaders of the youth group. Who quickly became the best people I have ever met. I call The Crew. I have blogged about them many times but they are just that great!

So I’m actually going to pause this part of the story really quick to mention what happened a few months later... 

In April of that same year, the one best friend that I had for two years prior started dating a not-so-good guy. I warned her about this and she then started only talking to the friends she had that supported her new-found relationship. She dropped me very quickly and I was then left like I was nothing. She told me many times that I was a terrible person and I was never going to go anywhere in life and so much more that I have blocked out of my memory. I couldn’t be more proud of myself because that turned out to be completely false.

Okay, we can now un-pause my first story, I feel like God put The Crew into my life at the exact moment He did because He knew I would need them at a time where I was going through a hard season of my life (and for the rest of forever honestly.) He knew I needed to fall back on and rely on these friends. See, The Crew is not at all like the girl I was just talking about... they 
would do anything for me. They drop everything when I text in the group chat 

that I need prayers. They call me just to catch up and ask how I’m doing. My parents trust them more than I think they trust me sometimes. They push me closer to Christ in every way and have extremely strengthened my faith in the past four years.

The craziest thing is if the girl I was describing never stopped being friends with me:

I would be nowhere. I would be in the same season of life I was in.1

I would not be as strong in my faith as I am now because I probably wouldn't have created a friendship with The Crew who help me to be the best version of myself daily.

I would not have gone on the retreat I did this past weekend because

I wouldn’t have any desire to. These past four years of knowing them, 

I have become such a better person and Catholic. 

Here’s a list of many many things in my life that I would have never done 
if I never stopped being friends with that girl... 

-I would have never taken 2 (about to be 3) trips to Washington DC for The March for Life each January.
-I would never have gotten invited by The Crew to multiple movies (where there’s like 20 of us in the movie theater and we take up the whole row!)
-Or to Cincinnati for a weekend trip (we even went to Kentucky and I got to cross that state off my list!)
-Or to bowling nights- which are always a blast and a competition!

-Or many many many concerts!! I love Christian Music now and Country Music even more

-Or to game nights with lots of laughter and popcorn and ice cream
-I would have never gotten to experience my best friends getting married
and having a baby! (Which I am very thankful I got to be there for those!)
-Or go tent camping for the first time!
-Or have an extreme support system behind me through the good and the bad,
-Or just any other crazy adventures we take together…

I am extremely thankful and blessed that I get to live life with my best friends in the entire world. God is so good for giving them to me. The coolest thing is, wherever we are when I look around, I know each one of my friends care about me and want to see me succeed which I have never had before. I am endlessly blessed to be able to confide in each one of these people and
keep meeting even more people they know! I have never had friends like this, my only regret is if I could have met them sooner! It still blows my mind everyday that they choose to keep me around, even when I don’t deserve them at all. 

A different part of my life I was reflecting on this weekend was,

I would have never gone on this retreat if I never had dropped out of the organization I was apart of for almost two years. 

I left that organization in March of this year, and I was totally looking for some other way 

to use my extra time. You know, I have been involved in something that I chose to participate in at school since I was in 8th grade, or even since Kindergarten if you want to think about things I had to do and didn’t choose to. At that point, I was almost a junior in college who woke up one day and was suddenly not involved at all. So I sat around and thought about it, went to my university’s club  fair and nothing really stuck out. I knew I just had to get more involved in the Catholic Student Association on campus. I was looking for those friends and that part of my life to be full again. I am very glad to have found both of those this weekend. Life has a crazy way of working out for the better. 

Everything is going to turn out the exact way God planned for you. He is in complete control.

Your situation is going to get better and I pray that each one of you can find God and your people to completely fall back on when you are struggling like I did. 

my travel essentials

Hey everyone!

In honor of (already) planning some trips for next year because it’s never too early for that, I decided to sit down and think about some of my absolute travel essentials that I need on the go! Whether it’s one day away from home or a whole week, these are the things I can not live without!!

Now, ya girl loves to travel. But the thing is I haven’t been to many places at all actually- 7 states and Washington DC. So I’m not a complete expert on this but I did live out of a suitcase at camp for 2 months so maybe  that sorta counts?!

My essentials: 

I love getting new cute duffle bags and tote bags! If you talk to my dad, he says he never wants to see another bag in the house… whoops, I may have too many!! But recently I have became obsessed with the reusable bags from TJMaxx/Marshall’s/Home Goods they are a big size and have a long handle— and the best thing ever is that they are only 99 cents in the checkout line at these stores. I swear I must have taken at least 5 to camp when I lived there! I would take them when I walked to a different building to shower during my Time Off (they are made out of a high quality waterproof material). I put my clothes I was going to change into, my shower caddy, which is another one of my essentials, my phone and charger, can’t forget snacks and honestly anything else I needed for my TO in this bag. These bags are also perfect to give as gifts, wrap things up and put them inside and it’s like another reusable gift! They come in many colors and designs— They’re perfect!

My shower caddy is another essential I love. I bought a pack of 2 on Amazon. They are circle shower caddies that have dividers inside, a handle and collapse for easy storage. Inside, I had shampoo, conditioner, body wash, washcloth, a brush and sometimes even my phone while playing music! It was a big help to hang on the hooks inside the shower when there was no other room to put anything!

Talking about showering again… lol

When I go anywhere, I usually pack travel sized shampoo, conditioner and body wash containers. You can buy the products in the travel/trial sized section at a store or fill up empty bottles yourself. The refillable travel bottles can come in a set or by themselves. Sometimes it is easier and cheaper to buy the empty bottles and fill them up with product! These are cheap reusable small bottles instead of having to bring the full sized item. I love saving money and even though, this is a small tip it might save you a few dollars!

Ohh girl, dry shampoo is probably the essential I need the most on these trips. My hair gets greasy very easily and I don’t always have time to wash my hair every night while I’m away. I usually throw in some dry shampoo, put my hair in messy bun or two quick braids and a thick headband (also a must have for me)and I’m on my way! Find a dry shampoo that you love and thank me later because it is especially helpful when you are traveling!

Another essential that I have and will never stop purchasing are “OXY deep pore cleaning facial pads”. These things are a life saver and get so much dirt and gross-ness out of your skin. I have used these to take my makeup off if I don’t have anything else to use, I use them in the morning when I wake up, if I feel like my skin needs to get cleaned up in the middle of the day, and at night before I go to bed. I use these at home and on the go. They come in a small container and do not dry out quickly. They help reduce acne and prevent future breakouts. I highly suggest these OXY facial pads!

If you are going on a road trip, I suggest being as comfortable as possible. Bring a pillow & blanket for the ride! I also suggest wearing leggings or sweatpants that have pockets in them so you can keep what you need on you at all times, even when you get out of the vehicle.

If you are going to be gone for a long period of time or just know you will have to change quite often while traveling, a portable mesh hamper will help tremendously. I never knew I would need one until I took it to camp this summer. I got mine for free from PINK during a promotion they had going. But, they are pretty cheap on Amazon. It also had another purpose for me on the way there, I put blankets and my pillow in it instead of leaving it empty.

Also, obviously headphones are a great thing to pack as well. There have been many times where I have forgotten to bring mine and it is just not fun! I bought the ones I currently own off of Amazon for less than $8. They are rose gold which is my favorite and have magnets on the end of each earbud so they can connect together. This is a simple but easy way to stay entertained and not bored while traveling!

Something else I have been trying to get into is books. More like novels or auto-biographies people write & I’m interested in. I don’t read much so when I do, I have to love it! I am currently reading a book from an amazing lady who has a great podcast! I challenge you to find a book you like and check it out— even if it takes months to read like me!

Also, if you are going somewhere like a camp or even somewhere where you know you won’t have a nightstand or dresser (this kind of serves as both) you can bring a 3 drawer  organizer. I wouldn’t bring this everywhere, only when you really really need it, but I was basically living out of this thing this summer. I bought mine for $13 and it was the brand “Sterilite”. They are easy to find at Walmart, Target, Kroger… any store that sells storage items. I put extra shoes, folders, a first aide kit, and anything else I needed as a counselor in it. On top, I put my phone when it was charging as I was sleeping, my glasses, chapstick… it was a catch-all for me and I’m so glad I had it! 

Another huge essential for me is the “EasyAcc Power Bank” found on Amazon. This power bank is unlike any I have ever used. It can charge up to 4 phones at once, has a flashlight, and has amazing battery life. For example, last summer my friends and I went tent camping for a weekend and it kept my iPhone 6s charged throughout the whole weekend and still had battery left over. And I am always on my phone, playing music or taking pictures. My family and I bring this on road trips, I bring this on the 9 hour bus ride to DC and back or anywhere we know we won’t have access to an outlet but still want to have our phones charged. It’s probably one of the best purchases I have made!

If you are going somewhere like tent camping or to camp, a twin-sized foam mattress pad is a must! This is also something I don’t bring everywhere but very helpful when I needed it. I bought mine for less than $20 off Amazon (Can you tell I where I like to get things cheap?) When I was sleeping in the tent last summer, instead of sleeping directly on the hard ground, I put a fuzzy blanket down first, my mattress pad and then my sleeping bag. It was great! Also when I was at camp, I usually put 2 mattresses down and my mattress pad and sheets on top of that. It makes it much more comfortable to sleep at night and feels like your own bed!

As always, snacks are also a huge thing. If you know you are staying in a hotel without free breakfast, bring a box of granola bars or another one of your favorite quick breakfast foods. This is something I always do so I don't have to worry about spending extra money and so I can leave the hotel quicker. I also bring snacks honestly anywhere! To go along with the snacks, bring a Swell bottle (or honestly a knock off, I have 3 different kinds of stainless steel bottles that aren’t the Swell brand but the exact same) and fill them up with ice water. It will last a long time and something you will definitely love if you brought it!  

When I go to DC, I know that the bus is going to stop at certain roadside stops. Most of them have a Subway restaurant, Panera, Starbucks or something similar to any of these where you can get it to-go… 

I have a Kroger card (or anywhere you might have a rewards card to) and I like to buy gift cards to those places. I do this so I can get gas points on my Kroger card. I know I’m going to eat at these places so might as well by the gift cards before and get gas points out of them! 

If you couldn’t tell already, I’m an over-packer which can sometimes be a nightmare but I like to be prepared! These are some of my absolute travel essentials I always bring with me.

Hope you enjoyed & Safe Travels to you:)

 

Making a message out of your mess

If anyone reading this knows me, you know my life is a complete mess at the moment. You know that I commute to college everyday about 40 minutes each way- I basically live out of my car while doing so, you know my shirt usually has a stain on it from eating on the go (some days I actually eat every meal in my car) and you know my hair doesn’t always stay in place. You know I don’t live near anything at all so basically I have to drive quite a distance to get somewhere and I put way too many miles on my 1996 Buick - which is two years older than me - while doing that. 

But you (or people close enough to me) also know it’s not just what I look like or how clean my car is but it’s also my mind is a total mess as well. It’s going in every possible direction at all times of the day and night.  I have a job, I babysit, I go to school. 

I also have places that I love and want to be at 24/7. Home, Camp, The Lake… to name just a few. I try to keep up a social life with my friends, and I really do try to go to church as much as I can. Fall is an extremely busy time! 

But I can’t be everywhere at once. I am only one person, I can only do so much. This is the biggest lesson I have been learning in the past 2&1/2 months since I’ve been home from camp… I can’t be everywhere. As much as I want to and as much as I try, I can’t do all the things at once. I have extremely bad “FOMO” and have taken off many weekends at work because of it. See, at camp I could walk to the waterfront, walk to the dining hall, walk to the health office, walk to pretty much anywhere on camp. And now I can’t do that at home. 

EDIT: I think I have "FOMO" which stands for the fear of missing out, so bad because I never had a close friend group growing up. It took me almost 16 years to find my forever friends but I write about that in many different parts on my blog. 
I never had friends that I could hang out with and just be kids with when I was little. 
I missed out on a lot, up until I was a teenager, because my class was very rude to me. I can remember many afternoons when I would come home just crying my eyes out because the other students would say mean things to me, I can remember many days when I heard about birthday parties and hang outs that I was never invited to. I think this is the reason why I have "FOMO" because I was constantly surrounded by several different situations like this over the first 16 years of my life.
Now I know The Crew knows a bit about this but they don't, actually no one but my immediate family, knows the extent of this. It definitely negatively impacted my life. 

The world is so big and there are lots and lots of things to do out there- that I want to experience. I’m much more of a experience person than a person who wants gifts (I love getting/giving gifts, don’t get me wrong) but take me on an adventure. Let’s post some cool pictures to Instagram. (we can thank the social media major in me for that) Let’s tell stories and make memories in every moment. I don’t want to be stuck in a building all day. I can not possibly wait until I can work from literally anywhere in the world. 

So yeah, being busy is hard. But also doing everything alone is also really freaking hard too. Everything I do, I am by myself. I drive to campus by myself, I go to babysitting by myself, I go to church events by myself.

Ever since I got home from camp, I have felt nothing but lonely. I came home to my loving family & friends like usual, but it’s not like living with 70+ other staff, doing the same thing as you, 24/7. But I really am trying to embrace this hectic time of my life. I rely on random encouraging messages from friends, hour long conversations with my aunt on the phone or seeing one of our regular customers at work. I hate being alone most of the time because absolutely love people. (I think that’s the ENFP in me) I totally am a people person so mostly whenever I am this busy, it’s because I know a lot of people and never want to miss out on things happening with them!

Out of my mess, I want people to learn that it’s okay to be busy and it’s okay to get home at the end of the night and not be able to keep your eyes open. You’re blessed to be living this life where you can know and love all sorts of people and where you can know and love all sorts of places in this world… It’s okay for you to try and do “all the things” but it’s also okay to fail at that. No one can do it all, take it easy on yourself. 

Don’t stress out too much, it’ll be alright.