My 25 Before 25: The Update

For those of you readers who have been with me for a while, you might remember that shortly after my 23rd birthday, I made a bucket list. Not a lifetime bucket list, but 25 things I wanted to accomplish before I turned 25. I picked 20 of my own ideas and then opened up the floor to 5 additional suggestions. If you're a newbie to No End In Sight, here's the link to the original post: CLICK ME, I'M A LINK! I also followed that up with the completed list (SEE HERE BECAUSE I'M ALSO A LINK!)

Here we are in the last 6 months before the big quarter century mark and I figured I should probably check in to see where I stand on the whole completed vs. to-do thing. Some of these might be difficult to complete but (with the changes marked in Purple) I am determined for all of them to be completed by the big 2-5.

 MY 25 BEFORE 25!!!
1. Complete a mud run. (Completed May 2015) 
2. Get my Concealed Carry license. (Will do with Kaysea and Emmie, Winter 2016) 
3. Check off another state in my list of places I have traveled. (So far I'm at 41) (New York for My Birthday 2016!) 
4. Regularly maintain my blog for at least a year. (Almost two years strong!!) 
5. Go on a mission trip. (Or multiple day service project!) 
6. Attend a professional sporting event. (Go Blazers! Two games so far!) 
7. Donate more than $100 dollars to a worthy charity. (Charity Ideas are welcome!) 
8. Visit my grandma in Arizona. (March 2016) 
9. Keep a plant alive in my house or on my balcony :) (STILL GOING!)
10. Get my Zumba Instructor Certification. (February 2015) 
11. Camp on the beach. (Illegal in Oregon so I might have to get creative!) 
12. Have two months salary saved in my savings account. (September 2015) 
13. Go snow camping. (Winter 2016) 
14. Ride in a hot air balloon.
15. Pay for a strangers coffee. (Multiple times ;) ) 
16. Go fishing with my dad.
17. Make a time capsule to open in 15 years.
18. Pretend I'm really rich and test drive a sports car.
19. Attend an all-weekend music festival.(July/August 2015) 
20. Go on a 10+ mile hike.

And the Extra Five...
21. Take a class, just for fun... I'm deciding on a cooking class!- Alex Savory (Changing it to a sewing class!) 
22. Sell a piece of my own artwork. - Sabrina Bartell
23. Choose a Pinterest project to do each month. - Kelly Meyer (Not quite successful but I will try to hit a total of ten between December 2015-May 2016) 
24. Cook my way through a whole cookbook- Danielle Van Buskirk (and baby Matthew)
25. Play "Messy Twister." (Don't know what that is?! Look at the link here!)- Milan Laurent (With Kelly, Spring 2016) 


 I have got a LOT to do in the next 6 months! Who wants in on this? Anyone want to join me on my leftover items?! Thanks for stopping by and be sure to follow No End In Sight!

The pressure of keeping your SH*T together.

Have you ever hit a wall, thinking, "That's it! I'm done holding myself together. I'm going to throw a temper-tantrum in the middle of (Insert Location Here)."?

If you didn't say yes, you're either lying or you're the luckiest person I've ever met.

I feel like I have been hitting this wall frequently, and at full-fledged ramming speed. Anxiety has become a battle that I am facing and I find myself taking so many 'deep breaths' that I am border-line hyperventilating. I've never had a constant struggle with anxiety, so learning how to manage it has been a learning experience. As I learn what works, and what definitely does not, I have realized how much pressure we put on ourselves to keep it together; to stand strong without breaking. Before you say it, this is not a pity party, nor is it a place to whine. That's not what I am about. But I will admit that I am in a slump. This Slump happens every once in a while and time after time, I find myself feeling ashamed, like I can't handle everything. Because, you see, I am a perfectionist.

My perfectionism is not found in methodical tasks or by doing and re-doing projects. My perfectionism is found in the way I want others to perceive me. I don't do this so that everyone will like me or so that other people think better of me. I do this because I want to think better of myself. I want to 'fake it til I make it'. I want to inspire others through my actions. I want to be a good role model for handling life, even when life is hard. However, putting this perfect ideal onto myself is exhausting, especially when I start failing.

In the last year, I have made my fitness journey a very public experience. I have heard countless people say, "You inspired me to hit the gym more frequently," or "I started eating healthy because you have shown me that real people can make changes." This warms my heart more than I have words to explain, but what happens when I lose my motivation because of an injury? How do I continue to inspire people when I feel my strength fading? How do I stay true to my own journey when I don't know how to work around those failures? In comes the Slump. When I find myself in a cluttered work space, in comes the Slump. When my sleep schedule is off, or I makeout with someone that I probably shouldn't have, or when I feel the hammer come down at work, the Slump comes in and makes itself very comfortable.


But there is hope. The beauty of a slump is that it's not a permanent location. A 'slump' is defined as "a period of decline," meaning that it's a small portion of the whole picture. Sure, I haven't been going to the gym. Yep, I drank too much a couple weekends ago. You are right, I did drop the ball on that work project. But you know what? My slump is going to give me the motivation to climb my way back out to success! (Insert corny crowd-cheering noises here!!)

So, what do you do when you don't feel like Polly Pep-in-her-step'?

Let yourself freak out.
I may or may not have had a good, solid, Kim Kardashian cry in the car the other day. It wasn't pretty, but I definitely felt better when I was done. As my mom says, it's better to let a little water out of the dam, than for the whole thing to come crashing down. Sometimes you need to get it out on your own, and sometimes you need a shoulder for support. Have both options ready when you need it.

Let yourself relax.
In a world where being busy is praised, take some time to yourself . Read a book. (For awesome reading recommendations, and all around awesomeness, check out this killer blog, Sorry, I'm Booked). Go on a run. Build a bookshelf. Go on a hike. NAP. Do whatever soothes your soul. Just the other day, I took a bubble bath and read for a half hour. It was absolutely glorious.

You can say No.
I am the biggest hypocrite on this one. If I am asked to do something, I usually say yes. Whether it's helping with a friend's wedding, going to a baseball game, or even happy hour, it's okay to say no to things, even if they're fun! I have a horribly social problem, where I want to do everything. Unfortunately, I need to start practicing the art of Saying No. It's hard when you want to do everything, but sometimes, you need to preserve your peace of mind.

Make a get-away plan.
I don't mean like the Italian Job. No mini-coopers involved. (Unless you own a mini-cooper, and then I'm jealous...) I mean a plan on how you can get yourself calmed down when you feel your SH*T getting out of control. For me, I know that cleaning or rearranging my room gives me a sense of order and accomplishment. I also love building crappy Target/Ikea furniture to calm myself down (which is a very expensive relief mechanism), but whatever you do to gain an ounce of control, make sure it is being done for you, and as your choice.

Yeah, keeping your SH*T together is hard sometimes, and it would be super great if we could just pound our fists on the ground, wailing like misbehaving 3 year olds, but unfortunately as adults, we have to at least TRY to keep some sense of composure. We are human. It's okay to not be positive and peppy all the time. It's okay to have times where you don't feel like you can handle things. It's okay to be down on your luck. Adulting is hard, and doing it gracefully is nearly impossible. Let yourself hit the slump, but use the momentum that was bringing you down to act as a pendulum and swing it back to the upward slant.

24 thoughts when you turn 24

Last week I turned twenty four. There's nothing exciting about twenty four. No milestones. No ridiculous cards with your number on the front. You're at the point where it's no longer exciting for someone to check your ID. You automatically pull the little plastic card from your wallet because you still look closer to twenty than to forty. It's the beginning of the boring birthday's; the seventeenth birthday of your twenties.

Don't get me wrong, I love birthdays. I'm going to be the woman turning 43 who still has birthday parties. If I make it to the big milestones like 70, 75, 80 years old, you can damn well bet that I'll still be celebrating. Maybe I'll take after my grandma and go skydiving for my 65th birthday. Who knows.

Twenty four, however, is an interesting place to be. You're (usually) past the stupid college years. You are looking at the beginning of your adult life, which for most of us will be the longest stage before the grave. Being someone who loves birthdays so much, I have never really felt a difference between the ages - with the exception of my 21st birthday, which I only remember about eleven months of that year, but that's different. That was until this year. A week after turning twenty four, I have felt a shift, an awareness if you will, that caused me to take stock of where I'm at right now.

1. You're officially in your mid-twenties.
   By this time, you're not a "young adult." You're just a plain ol' adult. You don't get to use the excuses that you could when you were 23, because you've moved into the next age demographic. Say good bye to the days of staying out til 2am on week nights and of financial irresponsibility. You're a real adult now.
2. Everyone and their mom is getting married.
   Seriously. This is the norm now. The race to the ring is ON. This summer I have 6 weddings that I will be attending. And yes, there are more happening that I'm unable to attend. The weddings at this stage aren't even the shot-gun wedding types, these people are actually wanting to spend their lives together. On purpose.
3. Or having kids.
   On purpose. These married friends are having babies. There aren't nearly as many "accidents" at this stage. I heard a friend say the other day that she and her husband were starting to think about 'trying'. My ovaries cringed.
4. You start thinking about whether or not you will want kids.
   When you're surrounded by children, it's inevitable that the thought of having kids will pop through your head. Whether it's a hard pass or baby fever will probably depend on the children you're around, and the parents you're around for that matter. Despite what side of the argument you're on, it's something you begin to genuinely look at.
5. You're old enough to have friends getting divorced.
   That was a trippy moment. Up until this point in my life, the only divorces I saw were parents of friends, and older connections. These people are my age and they are getting divorced. It breaks my heart but it's part of life.
6. You're old enough to realize how much it costs to be an adult.
   Unless you are extremely lucky, you're probably paying for all (or most) of your own life. You pay your rent. You buy your groceries. You have bills. You pay for the visit when you go to the doctor. You don't get free stuff as often as when you were in college. Being an adult is expensive, even if you're a cheap date.
7. You don't like asking for help for fear of being seen as incapable.
   Like I said on #1, you're an actual adult now. Asking for help is hard when you feel like you're supposed to have your shit together. Reality is that you should be able to ask for help at any stage in your life. The ability to ask for help is a wildly undervalued characteristic that shows vulnerability and self-realization. And if you don't ask for help, situations can get immensely harder.
8. Dating has more pressure.
   Because of the insane amount of weddings at this stage in life, people feel pressured to be finding "the one." They feel like they need to be on the same timeline which puts an asinine amount of tension on relationships. I had a friend tell me the other day that she was going to be alone forever because she was single at 25. Bitch, please. Get yourself off of the wedding fever train. Enjoy your partner. And if you don't have a partner, nothing says desperate like assuming every person you meet is a potential husband or wife.
9. You're beginning your career... or still looking to fall into one.
   At twenty four, there's a good chance that you're working one or more jobs, equaling a full-time schedule. If you haven't landed a "big-kid job" that okay, but the reality is that you're probably looking for one. If you have landed one, the reality is that you're probably trying to figure out if this could be something you do for a long time. You're looking long term. Do you want to be a server for the next 40 years? Do you want to be an accountant for the next 40 years? You will spend more time working than any other activity in your life. This is a big thought for 24-year-olds.
10. You start thinking about big purchases.
    A home. A couch. A car. A bedroom set... and no I don't mean lingerie. These big purchases start popping up. Gone are the days where a card-board box houses your extra blankets in the living room. The financial responsibility to provide for yourself (and possibly others) shows up in big ways on your credit card statement.
11. Benefits are a godsend.
    You don't have the crappy student health center of your college years. You get excited to see how much money your benefits covered when you go to visit the doctor. You are more aware of your health and how much your lack of health costs you.
12. A late bedtime is 11:30pm.
    Sure, you'll break this bedtime on occasion. Birthdays, Girls Nights, Man-Dates. But you will FEEL IT the next day. Anything less than 8 hours is definitely less than ideal. A sleep hangover is a real thing and they are rough, especially when you have to work early the next morning. It will leave you wondering, "How did I do this so often in college?!"
13. You start finding your "types."
    Types of friends, types of romantic partners, types of activities you prefer, types of places you like best. At this point in life, you are allowed to be choosy. You've gone to that dance club where you feel totally out of place. You've dated people who didn't work out. You've decided that hiking is your thing and rock climbing isn't. At twenty four, you're allowed to start picking the types that you like, more than the types that you've put up with.
14. You have your first "I feel old" moments.
    The little kids that you babysat are graduating high school. Your favorite song from middle school is on the oldies station. There are kids that don't know who the Spice Girls are and never played with a Tamogachi, let alone know how stressful it was to care for one. I kid you not, listening to the radio a couple days ago, there was a commercial that said, "Justin Timberlake, who started as one of the members N'Sync..." I was like, duh Justin was in N'Sync, but then I realized that there are kids who don't know the goodness of Bye, Bye, Bye...
15. You start to look at quality.
    You might not necessarily make decisions based on quality, but at least you are becoming aware of the fact that the dress you bought from Forever 21 will probably fall apart after three washes. This goes for other things too; friendships, clothing, furniture and so many other things. 
16. The hip new celebrities are younger than you.
    Sam Smith is two years younger than me. I'm ten years older than most Disney stars. Weird. 
17. Can I still pretend I'm a stupid college kid?
    College was hard, but it was a whole different battlefield than adulthood. We got to pretend to be adults, without actually having the true responsibility. Get a bad test grade? That's okay, you can just pass/fail the class. Get to drunk at a party? Skip class the next day! Our pseudo-responsibility was a key step to getting here, but the adult world is far less forgiving. Amazing, and worth it, but you have to work ten times harder. 
18. No matter what tough stuff is going on, there will always be someone from high school that makes you feel better about your life.
    I'm not making money by dressing up as a Disney princess. That is all. 
19. College Loans are worse than the devil.
    Sure, we all know college is expensive but you forget about that until your 6-month grace period is over and you see all those zeros behind the comma and, if you're anything like me, you have an instant panic attack. Paying them back is hard. And we may never finish, but at least we got a great education right? ...
20. You want friendship that are more than just drinking buddies.
    Happy hours are great and going out on a Saturday night is fun, but you know what is even better?! Brunch dates, where you talk about how crazy your coworker is, or how your girlfriend did the most ridiculous thing on her first date last week. People that you can do life with become extremely important. And you can still take shots on occasion. 
21. A night in is just as exciting as a night out.
    Netflix is my boyfriend. We're pretty serious. Plus, on a night in, pants are optional. 
22. I don't know how (insert name here) can still party like that...
    We all have those friends that can still drink a whole fifth in a night. I don't know how they haven't lost their jobs, but after college, we like to call that alcoholism. 
23. "Me-Time" is an actual thing.
    I love my friends. I love my roommate. I love my coworkers. And guess who else I love? Myself. Whether it's lifting at the gym for an hour or sleeping in a bit later, I have been awakened to the idea of self-care. And I love it. 
24. You realize how off you are compared to where you thought you'd be at 24...
    I realized the other day that around this time, five years ago, I had a guy ask me where I wanted to be in five years (while I was on a date). My 19 year old self said that I wanted to be done with school and hopefully in a serious relationship, on my way to getting married around 24-25 years old. I wanted to be successfully involved in a wedding planning career moving towards being a top coordinator. I wanted to be living in downtown Portland, or another big city, and if have a dog. 
    Literally, none of those things are happening in my life at 24. And that's not a bad thing. I am starting in a successful career path with a company that inspires me. I'm single. I don't have a dog. I live in Portland, but not downtown because I'm not stupidly rich. And I'm happier than I have been in a long time. 

Twenty four has been a whirlwind already and it's only been a week. It's exciting and terrifying to be a full-fledged adult, but it's also inspiring, and challenging to be the best darn adult I can be. 

I'm gonna go adult now. 

Did I miss any?! Comment below for any thoughts that come up in your mid-twenties!

The Life of Sarah: The 2014 Highlight Reel

It's getting toward the end of 2014 which means it's about that time for sentimentality and all sorts of retrospectives on the past year. You see the top songs of 2014, the top movies of 2014, the most influential people of 2014, the best tweets of 2014, etc. It's all about the highlights.

What better way to follow up the "Thankful For the Crap"  post than with a Highlight reel?! I figured, everyone else is making these great 2014 Recap's, so I guess I should make one too!  A LOT of my highlights have been covered in other posts on No End In Sight, but not all of them.

Not only did I create my list of highlights, but as I was compiling them, I realized that these highlights strengthened me as a person. They made me happier, stronger, and more successful.

So I'd like to take a second, just sit right there, and I'll tell you all about how I became... happier in 2014. (Tell me you didn't just sing that like Will Smith and I will know you're lying!)


The Best of 2014- According to Sarah
I had my first snowday as a grownup.
Yes, this is most definitely how I am going to start of this post because it was quite a fun experience. You take snow, unexpected PAID time off, the Olympics and peppermint Schnapps, mix it all together and you get a pretty fun couple days. There was no learning curve to this experience, just the pure, child-like joy that is SNOW.

I started a kick ass blog.
It came out of a dark place, but the beauty is that it saved me from darker places. 2014's mantra was "2014 is the year of positive thoughts" because I found myself struggling to find positivity. 2014 was hard. It was ugly at times. I cried a hell of a lot. But one thing I could always count on was that I could pour all of my emotions and decisions into my virtual diary, where some of my closest friends -as well as total strangers- could weigh in, or at least know what I was going through. It turned from my venting space to a place of connection. I also felt that I continued to grow in the way I communicated. I was (and still am) able to put it all out on the line, even if I choose not to publish certain posts. Yet another beautiful result of this blog is the comments I have received from my readers. The notes saying, "That post really hit me because..." or "Thank you for addressing that!" truly warm my feelers. I appreciate you taking the time to go through my jumbled thoughts.

I got my butt in gear. Literally.
Getting into the gym in March was probably the one of the most positive things to come of this year. I have maintained a 15 pound weight-loss, I'm in the process of getting my Zumba Instructor Certification, and I've found a "gym family." Finding my physical strength was also an incredible way of staying positive and mentally strong.

I saw some AWESOME concerts.
Black Jack Billy, Cole Swindell, Lee Brice, Bella Fleck, Katy Perry, Chase Rice x2, Nickel Creek. All incredible shows and I CANNOT wait for 2015's concert opportunities.

I became best friends with my siblings.
How cliche is that? Maybe it's because we're all adults now. Maybe it's because we all live apart, so we're not annoyed by each other. It could be any of those things but I think it's because my mom and dad did an incredible job raising three human beings (but I'm a little biased). I have had more support from those two boogers in the last year than from anyone. They let me cry, they make me laugh, I let them cry and I help them laugh. I truly value you both, Andy and Hannah. You are two amazing role models even though you'll both always be my wittle babies.

I fell in love.
Okay so technically, this happened in 2013 but it deepened in 2014. Falling in love is a pretty incredible thing. Although it didn't end well, I am very very thankful for learning how to fall in love. I know it happens differently every time but I learned about what type of partner I am. I learned that I am able to be a great girlfriend. I learned that I am able to be selfless. I learned that I am able to feel deeply. I learned that I am able to be incredibly happy in a relationship and I learned that I AM still incredibly happy. Which leads to the next highlight.

I also fell in love... with myself as a single woman.
When the love I talked about was cut short, I had to do some soul-searching. I made some decisions that led me to discover what an incredible woman I have become in the last 23 years. No, that is not some conceited statement. It is a sense of confidence that I have been trying to find for a long time. When I had my love rejected, I had to invest that love in myself. I took care of myself. I let myself be sad. I let myself be cared for. I let myself heal and I let myself be happy again. I found strength and I found my laughter. And dang it, I LOVE laughing, because let's be real, I'm hilarious.

I took some fun trips.
I ventured to the coast for a wedding, the mountains for a camping trip, to Montana for another wedding, and to California for turkey day. All of the company was wonderful. The memories were beautiful and I hope to remember them for a long time to come.

I found an incredible job.
Are you guys sick of me talking about my awesome job yet? Well, get over it because I love it. I love the people I work with, the tasks I do, the mission of the company, the community we serve. ALL OF IT. Definitely one of the biggest highlights of the year.

My roomie is one of my besties.
I've had a lot of roommates. All amazing women. Some working better than others. But let me tell you about my oober-goober roommate. If Hannah and I lived together, I think it would be very similar to living with Emmie. I feel like she's me when I was 19. She's outgoing, and silly. She's not afraid to be a dork. She will have deep conversations with me and then run through the hallway to scare me five minutes later. I'm so blessed to have my little Emlynne Faith. It's always an adventure, and usually a struggle, but at least we're on the struggle bus together. HA HA!

I re-engaged my life with Jesus.
Cue the inspirational music, the robed choir and the televangelists. No but seriously. I started reading my bible (app) every night. I found a beautifully engaging church that not only relates to my everyday life, but it also lives up to the Christian ideal of family and stewardship. I have been able to see the work that Christ is doing in my life, but also how our church is making a difference in the world. I cannot wait to learn more about how to walk a more loving and supportive life with the Lord.

I met AMAZING people.
From the amazing crew at my local Dutch Bros., to the tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum that share my office, to the amazing Zumba family that I've found, I have been incredibly blessed with a multitude of personalities to add to my arsenal of friends. Each person brings something new to the table. I am so excited to watch these relationships flourish.

I took my mantra, "2014 is the year of positive thoughts," and turned it into a reality.
It wasn't easy. Sometimes I had to lie to myself and tell myself all this positive mumbo jumbo to get through. But I'll tell you a secret. Deep down, truly in my heart, I knew it was going to be okay. I knew that my positivity would prevail, and guess what? It did!! The power of suggestion is a pretty powerful thing. So to those of you needing that last little positive boost before the new year, here it is: Never underestimate yourself. You are amazing.


The greatest part about looking back on this highlight reel is that I have realized how much happier I am in December, as opposed to where I was in January. God puts us on "this crazy, magic, sometimes almost tragic, awful beautiful life" (please, someone get that reference...), and as my mom says, "If God leads you to it, He will bring you through it." God led me through a year of trials, of building, of growth.

Despite some rough waters, this year was one of the best. I am incredibly thankful. I am especially thankful for YOU! You're reading my blog, which was my little love child idea. Thank you for listening.

May you all have a blessed Christmas. And I will leave you with this:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. - John 14:27

If I could write a letter to me...

Dear 15 year-old Sarah,

You are about to embark on the most awesome life. Seriously. You get to experience some really incredible things. You get to witness love, excitement, loss, and the most incredible laughter. You'll get hugs that repair your heart and hugs that will leave you completely crippled. You'll meet people who will change your life forever. As I'm looking back on the person I was my freshman year of high school from my 23 year old eyes, there are some things that I would want to tell you if I could.


Don't drink pink panty droppers. EVER. You won't remember those nights and you usually don't make very good choices at that point. Anything with that many types of alcohol is a bad idea.

Making out with a stranger WILL happen. (Sorry Mom...) It won't make you feel better about yourself and it tends to make things a bit more awkward later on in life. However, you usually will have friends that save you from your own stupidity.

Put yourself out there. People will judge you. Screw 'em.

Learn to dance ASAP. You'll meet incredible people and it's a fantastic workout. Plus, guys that know how to dance are officially your type because they are sexy as heck. It also helps you gain a whole new level of self confidence that you never knew existed. And guess what?! You're not half bad!!!

Forcing yourself to throw up is never a good idea. Which leads me to the next point.

Take care of your body. You only get one. Skinny is overrated and usually unhealthy. 800 calories a day is stupid. Vomiting is unhealthy and causes so much more BAD than you can imagine at this point. Fueling your body to be fit is the best way to take care of yourself. Don't get me wrong, laziness is great, but like everything, it should be done in moderation. Exercise is one of the best things to combat depression, and you'll face that more than once. Taking care of your body also makes you feel so much better about yourself, physically and mentally. When you are fit, you look hot, and your confidence shows.

Be a dork. It's your thing. You're good at it and it comes easily. Don't fight it. With your sense of humor, you can have fun with most people and when you're being silly, people feel more at ease. Laughter makes any situation better, I promise.

You learn a lot when you start dating. Don't be afraid. Again, you have to put yourself out there. You're going to get shut down, and friend zoned, and blown off, and stood up, but believe it or not, some of those trainwrecks lead you to some great people.

Heart break is literally the worst thing on the planet, (with hangovers pulling at a close second) but also one of the most influential forces of nature. You will be crippled. You will cry more than you thought humanly possible and you will be betrayed, Benedict Arnold style. It will cause you to question everything, yourself and your decisions included. But it will also grow you. You'll find a strength that you never knew existed. You will pick yourself up when you feel like everything on the planet is pulling you down. You'll laugh between the moments of weakness because you are strong and you can't be destroyed. You become a stronger woman, a more compassionate woman, and a smarter woman.

Peach Burnett's is a bad idea. Correction, any sweet alcoholic beverage is a bad idea, but Peach Burnett's is the worst.

It's okay to whole-heartedly love Taylor Swift. Her albums will literally heal you. She's putting all your feels into words. And she does so in an eloquent and rather catchy way. Turn the music up and JAM GIRLFRIEND.

Open your sun roof at every possible chance. Turn your music up loud and be glad that you are blessed to have yet another day on this earth.

You will see loss. It's hard to see those around you lose someone and it's even harder when you lose someone yourself. Hug everyone you love as frequently as possible and don't let anyone go without knowing how you feel about them.

Don't buy the Jetta... actually, you gain some pretty incredible people in your life from that piece of shit, just sell it earlier.

Don't start texting and driving. It's like quitting smoking. Impossible, but worth it.

Exercise is not for someone else, it's for you, and when you finally get the hang of it, you end up gaining so much confidence in yourself. You're pretty strong too when you actually push yourself. And let me tell you, with good diet and exercise, you won't get bulky. Don't be one of those dumb girls that are afraid to lift.

Your gut intuition is probably right. Whether it's about a friend, a situation, your boyfriends "friend" that he made out with three years ago, your gut usually can tell if something's not right. Regardless of how you feel about someone, be the bigger person and ALWAYS treat people with respect. You always want to be the person whom people have nothing bad to say.

NEVER make that comment about the lesbian couple to one of your best friends. It will cost you one of the most genuine friends of your life. This is my only one thing in life that I would change. Literally, the one moment I would go back to and alter.

Friend break-ups are ALMOST as bad as romantic breakups, and sometimes worse. Cherish your friends but know when to let go. Sometimes they'll come back to you and sometimes they won't.

High School is absolutely NOT the best time of your life, so get excited for all of the stages after. Each stage of your life brings even more new and exciting opportunities. Keep your chin up.

You will cry over money more than you will cry over boys. Money sucks. No, you don't need to go out for dinner tonight just because you're lazy. Save that $10 because you WILL need it. However, your appreciation for money will help you in the long run. Be smart but don't be afraid to ask for help. Many people have faced the struggle that you're going through, and you never know when someone will invite you over for dinner (it's one less meal that you have to afford!).

Your relationship with the Lord should always come first because He is always with you and your biggest cheerleader. Followed closely by your mom.

Lorelei Gilmore is always going to be your biggest role model. Also, followed closely by your mom.

The quantity of friends you have does not determine the quality of friends you have, but family dinners are one of the most fun parts of college. A diverse group of friends is a fantastic thing. You have a friend group for when you want to watch Netflix. You have a friend group who will join you at the bars. You have your sports friends, your school friends, and your work friends. Sometimes they'll overlap, sometimes they won't. Embrace the variety of friends but know that they won't all be there when you need them, and that's okay.

Coffee will be one of your best friends. It's like a security blanket and a therapist all in one.

And lastly, Love yourself. Despite the circumstances of life, you are you. As Dr. Seuss said "Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive that is you-er than you!" Stay true to yourself and find out who that is. It takes trial and error. You'll go through phases with your interests and your talents. One thing that you should always keep in the forefront is your positive outlook and your silver-linings perspective. Positivity truly changes your life. So keep smiling, keep shining... Trust me, Bridemaids will be a source of wonderful quoting pleasure in your future.

You're really freaking incredible. Don't forget it.

Love always and always cheering for you,
Older, and slightly wiser, Sarah

I don't miss you, I miss SOMEONE.

I'm okay being single. I don't want to be single forever, but for now I do NOT mind it. I've done some soul searching (insert deep philosophical background music). It had been a while since I had been solo and a lot has changed in my life since last time I was looking for love in all the wrong places.

If you take romantic relationships out of the picture, I have gone through five jobs, three apartments and a few friendships in the last year and a half. (That last sentence makes me look like a shit show, and let's be real, I kind of was... in the most controlled way possible.) I think that constitutes a bit of change. Take out relationship drama and you find a wide-eyed girl who moved her country roots to a big city. I've finally landed a job with an incredible company and I have coworkers that have become "killer friends"... you see what I did there?! That's a LOT of change. Awesome change.

Despite the change in the form of a promotion, an awesome apartment with a great roommate, and the best friends a girl could ask for, I find myself missing my "girlfriend mode." What do I mean? Well, it's pretty simple. I miss being a girlfriend, and that means I miss having a boyfriend. Do I miss the tool I dated? Nope. Not in the slightest. I have learned the hard way that I am so much better off, but it doesn't mean that I LOVE being by myself. Sometimes, I do. A lot of times, I don't.


But here's what I miss.


I miss thinking of fun ways to surprise someone. I miss thinking about how to make their day or cheer them up. I miss thinking about what kind of gifts would make them smile the biggest.

I miss having the best friend who listens and let's you be excited/mad/confused/scared/dorky. Yes, your friends can do this, but there's something comforting about knowing that your significant other will snuggle with you when you're done being a basket case.

I miss date nights. I'm not talking about the "Put your heels on and spend a lot of money on dinner" type of date nights. I'm talking about the "PJ's and takeout with Netflix" date nights. (This one can be altered into a girls night, but usually it involves celebrity gossip, fingernail polish and lots of wine... LOTS of wine). Don't get me wrong, the fancy date nights are very important too. There's something to be said about showing off your arm candy.

I miss the S.... nuggling.

I miss holding hands. When I miss holding hands a lot, I clasp my own hands and pretend to hold my own hand. Just kidding. (You'll never know if I'm actually kidding...)



So yeah... I miss being a girlfriend and I miss the placeholder of a person who is my go-to confidant. But here's the thing: Just because I miss having a person to do all of those things with, it doesn't mean that I'll just start sticking people into the empty space and seeing which random person fits!

I had a friend tell me recently that I shouldn't be looking to date right now, but just look around to have fun. Well, sorry hunny, this isn't college anymore and I am not the type to just fill the blank with some Tom, Dick or Harry. Sure, dating is great. It's fun. It gives you butterflies. But it also takes a LOT of work. It takes emotional investment when done for the right reasons, and let me assure you, I am doing this dating thing for the right reasons. When you invest your heart, you invest a little piece of yourself that is permanently changed. When you start giving all of those parts away to a bunch of different people, you start to lose your identity. You're altering so many of those little pieces, to the point where you are left with random puzzle cutouts that don't fit together. Before you know it, you're too afraid to give those pieces away in fear of an even more mismatched final product, or even worse, you become a person who ALWAYS has to have someone around to make sense of those pieces.

When it comes down to it, I have realized that it's too early for me to give more pieces away to be altered. Again, I am not saying that I miss my old relationship, specifically. I'm thankful for the opportunities I had to give out each and every piece of me, because like I've said in prior posts, it made me who I am today, but I also know that the ones I have left are special. They're precious and fragile, so it's not fair to me, let alone someone else, to give those pieces away at this time.

So no, I don't want to go on a random date to have "a little fun... but not too much fun." I want to let myself fully make peace with the loss of a dear relationship. I want to let the little chunks of Sarah Soul get stronger in their altered identity, and THEN I want to start dating, because, dang it, I rock and someone will be lucky to date me. I make a great girlfriend. I know because I miss that role. 

But until then, I'm going to love being single and re-learn about what a kick-ass human I am.

KEEP GOING: When LIFE hands you lemons, you make a Lemon Meringue Pie.

There was a point this year where I didn't know that lemons could produce anything sweet. They were sour, and made me make a face that semi-resembled this little guy.

(Image from Pinterest)

But way less cute.


Let me tell you, I had plenty of lemons. I hated my job, the weather was (in true Oregon style) dismal, I didn't feel like I had many friends in this town that I had begun to call home, and my support system was scattered all over the country. It's not like anyone was dying or I was out on the streets or anything, but things weren't all unicorns and rainbows.

At that point, my mantra was hard to believe, and even harder to maintain. But there was a saying that my one of my god-awful volleyball coaches from high school always said; "Fake it til you make it." 

SO THAT'S WHAT I DID. Because there is always a reason to keep going. At the time, I wanted to give up and poop out on this new challenge of being a grownup. I somehow managed to push through. How, you may ask?
 
Well here it goes, Sarah's fool-proof reasons why you NEED keep going:

Life gives you seasons.
There is not a person on this earth who is happy all the time. There is not a person on this earth who has not seen a bad-hair day, or a stubbed toe, or felt like they were all alone... literally or figuratively. We all see the sunny days and we all see the gloomy days. To be as cliche as possible, we wouldn't see the good if we didn't have the bad to compare. Now, sometimes there comes a point where you have a hard time remembering the good, but as the great Albus Dumbledore once said, “Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” Gee, that dude is smart...

You are not a starving child in Africa.
And if you are, I apologize that you're seeing this blog instead of some cool and inspiring thing that the internet could provide. My point here is it could be worse. Just because it could be worse, doesn't mean it doesn't suck. When I had to eat pb&j sandwiches and plain spaghetti noodles with butter for a week because my "full time job" couldn't afford me any food, I was pretty bummed. However, I had SOMETHING to eat. I was not starving. Sure, I was hungry and bummed with my lack of options, but I wasn't starving. It could be worse, so take a moment to be thankful for what you have.

Pity Parties are made for cowards.
There is nothing that I hate more than pity parties. You can ask ANY of my closest friends and family members. I do not tolerate a woe-is-me attitude. Sure, we all need to relinquish defeat to our hard times on occasion, but if you get stuck on it, I'm probably going to slap you into reality and out of your whine sesh. While we're sticking with the Dumbledore quotes, let's view my absolute favorite quote by the genius himself; “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” If you are cowardly and obsessing over how sucky your life is, you're going to lead a sucky life. Time to suck it up, put on your big kid panties and make some changes.

Someone is cheering for you.
It might not feel like it but, even if it's just me, SOMEONE out there wants you to succeed. Maybe it's your mom, or your grandpa, or your little brother, or your second grade teacher, or a stranger you met at work. SOMEONE is rooting for you. If you ever need to hear that someone is cheering you on to keep going, let me know. I will be your support system through the hardest of times, because that's what friends are for.

Somewhere out there is an opportunity of a lifetime.
This one takes a lot of faith and even more persistence. Who knows what it is? It could be taking a trip to Haiti to work at an orphanage. It could be mentoring a group of at-risk individuals. It could be taking a job at a company you have always enjoyed but didn't know what kind of opportunity it would lead to (cough... this one is me... cough). Whatever it is, you have to actively search it out. My dad always says that opportunity is about patience and preparation. You have to be actively preparing for something while patiently waiting to see what kind of options are out there. Whatever it is, keep going... You'll get there.


So, yeah... you've got some lemons... But you've got someone cheering you on; that's the sugar. You've got the bravery to not cave in on pity; that's the egg whites. You've got a lifetime of opportunity; that's the butter. You've got perspective and are thankful for what you DO have; that's the crust.

Yeah, you've got lemons, but without the lemons, you could not create such a beautiful and delicious Lemon Merigue pie (which is a metaphor for life, obviously...).

Because 2014 is the year of positive thoughts, I have been trying to maintain an opimistic outlook throughout the last 7 months, which was a lot easier at times than at others. Many times, I had to fake positivity, only to cry in the shower when I got home. But with all of these steps, I was led to an incredible job, a great sense of belonging, and a new apartment that is one of the home-iest places I've been in a while.

I am not a sad person. I am happy. I am extroverted. I am giggly and silly and sometimes immature. Lemons cannot, and will not, ruin that.

Remember that cute sour-faced baby? Here's another one, after trying a lemon as well, but an entirely different view on life... and lemons.


(Image from Pinterest)

CHALLENGE RESULTS: 25 before 25

HOLY MOLEY! I cannot believe it has been more than two weeks since my last blog. I am SO sorry and so humbled that a bunch of you asked when the next post would be showing up. It's crazy that I was still getting views even without new content.

YOU ARE ALL ROCKSTARS.

I am working on the perfect update to fill you all in on my ever-crazy life but I figured it was time to reveal the finalists of MY 25 BEFORE 25!!

There were some seriously awesome ideas. You are a very inspiring group of people, you know that?! I would like to add (most) of these to my life-long bucket list, but unfortunately, I do not have time to do them all in the next 22 months. So here I am, trying to whittle it down to only 5 additions to my list of 20 predetermined ideas, and let me tell you... IT'S HARD!

But here it is: The Official List!

MY 25 BEFORE 25!!!
1. Complete a mud run.
2. Get my Concealed Carry license.
3. Check off another state in my list of places I have traveled. (So far I'm at 41)
4. Regularly maintain my blog for at least a year.
5. Go on a mission trip.
6. Attend a professional sporting event.
7. Donate more than $100 dollars to a worthy charity.
8. Visit my grandma in Arizona.
9. Keep a plant alive in my house or on my balcony :)
10. Get my Zumba Instructor Certification.
11. Camp on the beach.
12. Have two months salary saved in my savings account.
13. Go snow camping.
14. Ride in a hot air balloon.
15. Pay for a strangers coffee.
16. Go fishing with my dad.
17. Make a time capsule to open in 15 years.
18. Pretend I'm really rich and test drive a sports car.
19. Attend an all-weekend music festival.
20. Go on a 10+ mile hike.

Drum roll please.....
21. Take a class, just for fun... I'm deciding on a cooking class!- Alex Savory
22. Sell a piece of my own artwork. - Sabrina Bartell
23. Choose a Pinterest project to do each month. - Kelly Meyer
24. Cook my way through a whole cookbook- Danielle VanBuskirk (and baby Matthew)
25. Play "Messy Twister." (Don't know what that is?! Look at the link here!)- Milan Laurent


It's crazy to think that in just under two short years, these fun tasks are going to get checked off!

Here's the part where I invite you to join me on this list!!!
Want to do one of these activities with me? Or even on your own? Let's do it. When you complete one of these activities, send me a photo! That's how I'll be documenting the adventure of MY 25 BEFORE 25 (and yes, that's going to be capitalized everytime).

Let's do it YO!

There were so many awesome entries! Thank you to all who contributed fantastic ideas! Here were some of the honorable mentions:

• Own Property
• Learn a language
• Get 8 hours of sleep every night
• Do a mini-triathalon
• Make a photobook on Shutterfly
• Rooftop Party
• Read the whole bible
• Play Messy Twister
• Take a long roadtrip with friends
• X amount of hours of volunteer work
• Go Wheelin with Jake (my cousin)
• Finish our brewery tours
• Enter a Country Western Dance Competition
• Sketch or paint a work of art and enter it in a competition, like the County Fair or a local Juried Art Show
• Plan and produce a national convention.
• Make a another trip to visit your Grandma in Arizona (Bet you guys can guess who suggested this one ;) Love you Gram Gram!)

Thanks again guys for checking back with No End In Sight. Now, more than ever, do I believe that positivity makes a difference.

Keep on keepin' on my friends. XOXO.

CHALLENGE TIME: 20 before 25

I've been lacking blog-spiration in the last week and a half.

I thought about writing a post about how to quit your job, since I did that last week (YAYYY! I got a new job, but that will be a post for after I officially start!) but realized that's a really dicey subject and I'm trying to focus on positivity in the 'No End in Sight' realm. Not saying that it's impossible to stay positive when quitting, but it's also something that could very easily take a turn that I wasn't anticipating.

I thought about writing on how to stay in touch with friends through a long distance, but had a hard time finding the right angle.

I wanted to write about how bad-ass it is that the World Cup is happening right now.

But then it happened... Today, while perusing the interwebs, I stumbled upon gold.

As I was randomly googling the phrase twenty-something, (because who doesn't do that?!) I came across a blogger out in Florida (Click Here to check her out!) who had put together a list of 20 Things to do before she turned 25. After looking at her list and thinking about what goals I have in my life, I started putting together my own list, but with a twist.

HERE'S THE TWIST...

I am going to come up with a list of my 20 Before 25 (in no particular order) and then, based on recommendations from all of YOU, I will add 5 things onto the list. Don't even bother suggesting Skydiving and Bungee Jumping for consideration, because that WILL NOT HAPPEN. However, I am excited to see the ideas you throw my way.

So, ladies and gents... here it is!

MY 25 BEFORE 25:
1. Complete a mud run.
2. Get my Concealed Carry license.
3. Check off another state in my list of places I have traveled. (So far I'm at 41)
4. Regularly maintain my blog for at least a year.
5. Go on a mission trip.
6. Attend a professional sporting event.
7. Donate more than $100 dollars to a worthy charity.
8. Visit my grandma in Arizona.
9. Keep a plant alive in my house or on my balcony :)
10. Get my Zumba Instructor Certification.
11. Camp on the beach.
12. Have two months salary saved in my savings account.
13. Go snow camping.
14. Ride in a hot air balloon.
15. Pay for a strangers coffee.
16. Go fishing with my dad.
17. Make a time capsule to open in 15 years.
18. Pretend I'm really rich and test drive a sports car.
19. Attend an all-weekend music festival.
20. Go on a 10+ mile hike.
21. ?
22. ?
23. ?
24. ?
25. ?


Okay, there it is! Now it's time to send me your ideas! Keep in mind, I don't have a whole lot of expendable income, so most of these things can't get too crazy when it comes to cash required.

To make a suggestion, you can Facebook me, Email me, or leave the suggestion in the comment section of this post! Once I get a good amount of suggestions, I'll go through and pick out the winners to be added onto the list. When the top 5 are decided, I will reveal them on another post (and might throw out some honorable mentions too :) )!

Get creative people! You all continue to inspire me with the amazing things you're doing in your lives and I can't wait to have you be a part of this fun new challenge for myself. LET THE SUGGESTIONS BEGIN!

Hire me... please?!

Finding a job is just plain exhausting. Finding a job that you like, and you're passionate about sounds like finding a pot of gold under a rainbow; ideally awesome, but next to impossible.

With my long and crazy job search, I've had friends start up a multitude of conversations surrounding employment. We've talked about how to make your resume stand out. We've talked about how difficult online applications are (because you are unable to create a person-to-person first impression), and we've talked about interview skills.

All of these topics are equally important, but as a lover of nonverbal communication, I am always drawn to the conversations that focus on interviewing. Let me give you a little background on my personal experience with interviews...

I have been involved in a LOT of interviews. I have also been on both sides of the interview spectrum, the hiring committee and the hire-ee. In regards to the jobs which I have actually interviewed for and been hired on, I have successfully completed nine interviews. (Yes, I have had 9 jobs in 6 years... granted there was a LOT of overlap.) I've interviewed a few other times, maybe 3 or 4, without getting the position, but every interview gives me a little bit of anxiety, even though I am a people person and I enjoy meeting new friends.

On the other side, I have participated in two interview committees, helping interview for different teams that I have been on. It is a LOT harder than I would have thought. Many times you have more than one highly qualified individual who would be a great fit in the job, and you have to be the one to nit-pick any negatives, while highlighting the positives, to see the best person get the job. It's a very complicating and tiring process.


So now that you know I am a chronic interview junkie, I've put together my list of  8 SUPER DUPER MEGA AWESOME INTERVIEW TIPS:


1) Research the company.
Coming from and interviewer, it's always impressive when a possible future employee knows about the origins of the company. My recommendation is to find out some piece of info that you could generally "bring up in conversation," such as the mission or vision statement, the origin of the company, or any community related involvements of the company.

2) Research common interview questions.
Forbes writer, Jacqueline Smith, put together a KILLER list of the top interview questions (SEE HERE) that I really enjoyed looking at when preparing for an interview recently. Even if you don't have a lot of work experience, life events can definitely be used in examples to respond to many of these questions.

3) Be honest.
You might think that fibbing a little here and there in your experiences might make you look a little better at the moment but you want them to know the real deal. Plus, if you have to make up a story, you'll have to remember your story, and that's just a disaster waiting to happen.

4) Smile.
A genuine smile, nonetheless. A warm smile can instantly put the whole room at ease so flash those pearly whites.

(Image)

5) Talk with your hands!
Talking with your hands, or making gestures when you talk shows that you are actively engaged int he conversation. It's also demonstrative of your understanding and helps to emphasize your points.

6) Look at everyone on the interview panel.
Eye contact is really hard, especially when you're nervous. You don't want anyone to see inside your nerves or to realize that you have no idea what the question was that the interviewer just asked. My advice in this situation is to make sure you look at every single person in the room. This way, it won't feel like you're talking to one individual and again, it shows that you are actively engaged. I personally know that I have a tendency to look mostly at one person more than others, but taking time to "talk to each person" will help you connect to the whole panel.

7) Lean forward in your chair.
Can I hammer it in enough? ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT. Leaning in nonverbally communicates that you are drawn to the questions, the answers and the company. I'm not saying lean all the way forward like you're sitting on the porcelain throne, but lean (without slouching) about 4-6 inches away from the back of your chair.

8) Let them see your real personality!!!
If you're goofy, make a joke, as long as it's appropriate and still semi professional. If you work best in quiet atmospheres, tell them that! I love learning a little bit about the persons demeanor in an interview to make sure that he or she is a good fit for the nature of the company.


Interviews don't need to be scary. My mom always says that an interview is for the company to look at you but it's also for the employee to look at the company! Both parties need to make sure it's a good fit within the organization. Make sure you're paying attention to the surroundings of the company to get a feel of your comfort level in the workplace.

My best advice for an interview is to go in prepared. Research the company, prepare questions to ask the panel, do something to make yourself stand out from the rest. Whatever you may do, stay calm and stay YOU! You'll have an offer on the table in no time with no end in sight :)













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