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 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

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.

What I learned from a job I HATED.

Today is a really great day. It's cold and rainy outside despite it being June 27th, but it's a great freakin' day.

"Why, Sarah?! Why is today a great freakin' day?!"

Today is the last day working a job I truly dreaded every single morning when I left for work. It has been quite the task, trying to stay optimistic and learn from a job that I had initially expected so much from. When people asked me what I was learning in this position, it was hard for me to come up with a valid answer. I didn't really learn much about the industry. I didn't really learn any new skills. I didn't really learn the key to my eternal happiness... Well, that escalated quickly...

However, this morning when I sat down at my desk, I had a few things come to mind. It was like popcorn going off inside my brain, "Oh you learned this and this and this...."

What had I learned from a job that I hated?

That I am adaptable. To an extent.
It constantly amazes me that we as humans are able to adapt and change depending on our surroundings. My jobs in college were exciting, loud, inventive and full of life, but I adapted into a cubicle with little noise and lots of whispering. That wasn't as bad as it sounds. I also was able to adapt what little technology I had access to in order to make the projects successful, like creating graphs and diagrams in Paint. Yes, I said Paint, like the program you used to color on your parents computer when you were little. I also learned that our generation is much more adaptable to change. We're used to constantly learning new technological programs and we've been raised around constantly changing economics. We know that things happen quickly and that you have to keep up so you don't get left behind.

To stand up for myself.
I kind of HAD to learn this one. I was being emotionally trampled and manipulated. All it took was one coworker to come up and ask if I was okay (after about two months with the company) before I broke down into an ugly girl cry at the reception desk. I didn't realize how badly the negative workplace atmosphere was effecting my self-worth. At that point, my bawling made a scene (or at least it felt like it did), so the issues I was upset about finally made it to the front lines. I was brutally honest when talking with my supervisor about the things that bugged me and a few things actually changed. Finally, being forced to stand up for yours truly caused an increase in my self-confidence.

When to let things go.
I learned very quickly to choose my battles. It was the A-team against me on a few of my early issues with my supervisors. I realized that many times, my tasks were taken from me (not because I couldn't handle them) and I had to choose which ones to fight to retain.

How to work with the most unintelligent human on the planet.
Yep, I found this person. You can spell things out so that a fourth grader could do it but this person will still have questions. Working with such a difficult individual has not only given me a bajillion more grey hairs, but this person has helped me learn to hold my tongue. Many times, I let little sarcastic comments fly but I tried very hard to learn how to be graceful in the face of frustration.

That I have been very blessed with amazing coworkers and supervisors in my past.
Wowza, this one is so true. I have always known how big of a blessing my former coworkers and bosses have been, but this job made it even more obvious. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed the company of a handful of my cowrokers here but nothing like the camaraderie that I've seen elsewhere (SHOUT OUT TO J-Stop and MUPC). Also to the crazy awesome bosses in my past work experiences... I am who I am and I have the incredibly high work-place standards that I have because of the communities you created. Erin and Linda, I'm talking to you two ladies in particular :)

That I am a creative worker.
This position left absolutely no room for creativity. I don't mind routine and I don't mind data. But when you have nothing to do and very little creative freedom in the tasks you're actually assigned, you start missing that creation and independence.

That boredom is NOT my friend.
I LOVE being busy. Not in a "Holy crap I need to stay until midnight and work every night" kind of way, but in a "I constantly have something to do" kind of way. When you have 2 hours total of work in an 8 hour work day, you learn a whole new type of boredom and let me just tell you, it's absolutely exhausting. I'm looking forward to projects and tasks.

And last but certainly not least.
I learned that I LOVE blogging.
It's funny and completely unrelated to my job, but I think that this blog is my biggest take away from this whole experience. I had tried blogging in the past but hadn't found a real purpose behind my writing. NOW, I have found an edge, an excitement and an outlet to discuss what we're going through in our early twenties. I may not be a Carrie Bradshaw, but I have truly enjoyed the conversations that have sprung up through the course of the last two months. I've had mature conversations with friends about the issues in their lives. I've learned about the things to which people truly need support. I've gotten texts and emails saying that the things we're talking about here completely relate to what they're going through in life and that it's been nice to know that we're in it together. This blog has been a huge reason why I feel like my life has taken a more positive path and it comes from the conversations I've had around these topics.


Because of you readers, I have pushed myself toward a more positive outlook and in the last year, that hasn't been easy. In the last 12 months, I have graduated college, sifted through 4 jobs, moved twice (three times if you count my move in the next two weeks), thought I fell in love, then ACTUALLY fell in love, lost -and gained- friendships, fought depression, and made it out alive. Man, the last year has been a doosie. But with a positive outlook, I really believe that there is no end to this progress in sight.

Cheers to the next phase, my dears.

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!

So much change, so little time.

I'm moving in a little over a month. For those who know me... Yes. I'm moving again. This will be the seventh time in 5 years. If I were in high school they'd call me an army brat. Or a gypsy. I also just had my second round of an interview for a company that truly excites me. I've lost ten pounds by working my butt off at the gym. My boyfriend is moving up to Portland within the next few months. This will be the first time we've lived in the same town in the seven months we've been together.

You're thinking, "COOL SARAH. Just throw out other random pieces of information. It's not like we actually wanted to read something relevant to our lives or anything."

Well, I guess I'll get to the point.

THERE'S A LOT OF CHANGE HAPPENING.

Normally, I turn into freakout mode Sarah when a lot of change begins to occur. I mean seriously... I'm human! Humans don't like change!

But here's the thing. As much as I don't like change, I actually love change. Why may you ask? Oh Okay... stop begging, I'll tell you.


Change is scary.
I'm not a fan of the terror that accompanies horror movies, or the fear that comes with sitting next to a dying loved one. What I am a fan of is adrenaline. When you're going through significant life changes, you get pumped with adrenaline. Sometimes those things give you a rush that gets you through the scariness.

Change is necessary.
"If there were no change, there would be no butterflies."- Some dead dude.
On a more serious note, if there wasn't change, there would be no growth. There would be no chocolate chip cookies. There would be no statue of Winged Victory. Change must take place to make room for new ideas, new growth, new awesome experiences.

Change makes you reevaluate where you're at in life.
It makes you look at where you're at, where you're going, who you want to be with, what makes you YOU. The changes I'm going through have caused me to look at relationships. They have caused me to figure out what's important in my life right at this moment in time.

I'm sitting here at work. I'm sitting here watching the news. I'm sitting here watching the coverage about a school shooting 8.6 miles from where I work. One student was killed and a teacher was injured. Even though I don't know anyone who attended this school, didn't know the teachers, the first responders or anyone else involved, I know that this act of selfishness and terror was done in my community, and that's pretty freaky.

I'm not saying this school shooting was change that should have happened, but it did. These kids, these teachers, these community members witnessed an event that will change their lives. This change was scary but hopefully, everyone will see a change that keeps kids safer and helps individuals with mental health issues. Despite the fact that I was virtually un-involved, this is change that will effect me, and it sure as heck has caused me to reevaluate where I'm at in life.


Change is not a bad thing. Like I said, it's scary and it takes a lot to overcome, but change is good. It keeps you on your toes and helps you to develop your path.

Make a good change today.

Inspired by.

Straight up, yo.

Transforming Boredom

I don't know about you but I loathe boredom.

I was brought up in a family of three kids, but with our activity level, we could have made up for six. Each one of us was extremely involved with sports, school, 4-H (for you city folk, 4-H is a *mostly* agricultural youth organization and we showed livestock), and countless sleepovers. I legitimately don't know how we were able to do so much and have any hours left for sleeping.

Long story short, I LOVED IT.

Not only was I kept out of trouble (for the most part ;) ), but I was also introduced to so many growing life experiences. If you're a parent right now, please sign your kid up for t-ball, or ballet, or skateboarding. Whatever it is... SIGN THEM UP! It doesn't matter if he or she can't run in a straight line, or catch a ball. ALL that matters is that you're teaching these kids the values of team building, of persistence, of failure... which are HUGELY important lessons for kids to learn gracefully.

Okay. Rant over.

ANYWAY-

Growing up in such a busy atmosphere was wonderful. It made us appreciate down time, along with the busyness  too. When I got to college I realized I had SO much free time. But inversely, instead of appreciating the down time, I became lost because I didn't know how to fill such a vast schedule. The beginning of college was pretty difficult because like I said, I HATE being bored. Before I knew it, I was finding hints of depression popping up in my everyday life.

Fast forward four more years. I had the EXACT same thing happen at the end of college. I went from a super busy and exciting life of school work, two jobs, an internship, incredible friend groups and LOTS of country western dancing - yep, that's a thing - to a job that gave me anxiety attacks and absolutely no time for social interactions.

HOLD UP! This is supposed to be a positivity blog!!! (Hang with me, it's coming...)

Then, in a twist of events, I switched jobs out of the blue in an attempt to get back to the obnoxiously bubbly person that I am. However, I work at a job that plops me in front of a computer and all I do is scan Pinterest for eight hours. I witness grown adults acting like middle school girls. I watched the Olympics from my desk for two weeks straight. Sounds wonderful, right? WRONG. You are so SO WRONG. The boredom level is exponential.

Here's where we're going to turn these things to find the positive.

I've learned that I am a structure junkie! I love having a schedule (that can be bent, but at least it's there!). I also have learned that it's up to me to fill my time outside of work. I've started consistently going to the gym, and despite being tired after my hour long commute everyday, I make sure that I get at least one friend date in every week. These things are little changes, but it makes a big difference. When it comes to weekends, the grown-up in me knows I should clean the house/do the laundry. The long-distance girlfriend in me wants to go visit my man. The friend in me wants to hang out with EVERYONE. I've learned that my boredom throughout the week is practically GONE on the weekends so it comes down to balancing. Clean the kitchen on a weeknight, hang out with the boyfriend on the weekend, and later in the week you can incorporate a Kate Hudson movie in there somewhere with your girls. Get it on the schedule. You'll have something to look forward to!


I am also learning a LOT about the executive work force and I have learned tons about what I DON'T want in a career. (I can see the wheels turning and you're thinking, wait... that's still a negative. WRONG AGAIN!)

Learning what you do not want in a given situation is just as much, if not more important than learning what you absolutely do want. I have found myself to be in a position that a majority of my generation finds themselves. We finish college, try out our career and realize, that's not actually what we wanted.... SO NOW WHAT?

By learning what I don't want (a career in logistical transportation, large amounts of down-time, a sitting desk job, an office without people my own age), I am able to narrow down the things that make me passionate. I'm learning about the people I want to surround myself with and what kind of atmospheres I work best in. I am positively looking at this situation and realizing that I can do a lot more to make this a growing experience. I desire fast-paced excitement, face-to-face customer interaction, movement, relatable coworkers, a community atmosphere. I do not plan on staying at this job forever. But I WILL learn a great deal from the time that I do devote to this company. I know that I'll continue to learn so that I'm prepared for my next big change.

Who knows, maybe this blogging thing will work out ;)

Also, if you made it this far, you deserve a gold star! That was a long one!

Blogging is hard.

Goodness me.

Here I am thinking that starting up a blog will be super easy... I'll find a cool background, think of some witty blog titles, and BAM! - it's gorgeous.

Well newsflash, that's not how it happens.

I've tried my hand at blogging for work related purposes, but the company had already created the format, the fonts, the graphics and all the pretty stuff, so I just had to look around Pinterest and think of something clever.

But after a whole day of dinking around and probably downloading 5 bajillion viruses labeled "cute free blog templates," I've arrived here with a cookie-cutter layout courtesy of Blogger and a new found appreciation for the super creative computer whiz-kids.

So why start this blog, you ask? Two Reasons.

THE FIRST REASON: Become a more positive person

I've developed a mantra that is annoying the crud out of everyone around me but I don't care because it's really starting to change the way I think about situations. And I'm going to share it with you.

2014 is the year of positive thoughts.

Say it over again and let it sink in.

I've always been a "glass half full" girl so when I found myself newly out of college, in a job I hate and a schedule that doesn't allow much social time, I realized I was becoming a Debbie Downer. I've never been an unhappy person and I was falling down that spiral. I knew I had to make a change and so my mantra came to me in early 2014.

It sounds silly but I keep saying this to myself as a constant reminder of my half-full philosophy and I have found that I am looking more at the positive and less at the negative.

THE SECOND REASON: Changing the way I view the future

I keep thinking about how people talk about situations- Good or Bad. Even when you try and make good out of the bad, there's still a bit of a Debbie-Downer vibe to the comments. As a communications major, I love looking at how people interact. When talking about a situation people tend to say, "I'm closing that chapter of my life and looking forward to the next one." We've been taught to see this as a good end coming of a bad experience, but how can we cut out the bad and just appreciate the good?

Which brings me to my favorite woe-is-me comment... "There's no End in sight!" 

Since 2014 is the year of positive thoughts, I am bound and determined to change the way I look at that common phrase. Instead of seeing it as I'm-buried-alive-and-it's-never-going-to-end, I'm going to look at it as the-good-days-will-keep-on-rolling.

So here's the plan...

I want this blog to be about positive changes. How can I make all aspects of my life better? WHOA, that got ambitious real quick! But seriously, I'm going to focus on physical health, mental health, relational health, and maybe even some fun projects here and there!

Now that you're all as jazzed as I am, let's get this adventure rolling....