I finally switched my blog over to WordPress from Drupal (sorry, Drupal friends). I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now but just have not had the time. Regardless, it’s done & I’m pretty pleased. It’s quite different from my old site but it’s now consistent with my “brand” (I feel like a princess when I say that) and I think it will be much easier to maintain in the future.
Anyway, hope you like it as much as I do and I’m also pretty excited to be going to Dallas next week! Thought this vacation was never going to come.
Yep! I spread my tiny little wings and moved out on my own. I’ve never lived by myself and so far it’s been a whirlwind.
The day before I was supposed to move in, I went to get the keys and found this:
Someone came to clean up the mess and they put up wood to cover the hole until they were sure it wasn’t going to leak any more. Since I’m such a stubborn person (thanks Mom and Dad), I was bound and determined to still move in regardless and just deal with not being able to decorate the bathroom. So, I did.
Then there was problems with the A/C (I can’t even tell you how many times I was rubbing my ears, saying ‘woosah’ and telling myself that I couldn’t control this situation).
I’m happy to report all problems have been fixed and so far, things are going good. I’m really in love with the area – so close to downtown and work and has plenty of great places to go running or bike riding.
(dock in the back of the complex)
(lake down the street)
(I find myself reading here for class a lot)
I’m definitely still adjusting to coming home to an empty house, not having cable, and doing my laundry in the community space across the hall but I think I needed to change it up a bit. It’s weird living alone though. It’s so quiet all the time.
Funny to think about how I started off living in the funny farm with my bazillion brothers and sisters and cousins and parents and dogs and birds and well, you get the point and have ended up in a cozy little place near downtown Orlando by myself.
I think this change is going to be a good one for me. :)
The first week of school has officially ended and can I just say DAMN! My ass was handed to me this week. With each class only being 8 weeks long, they are already fast-paced in and of themselves. Combine that with a too packed week and you get spending Friday night at home finishing homework (already delirious) and praying to get more than 5 hours of sleep.
I am overwhelmed to say the least. I know that this is most definitely manageable though. It’s really just a matter of allowing myself an adjustment period. I haven’t been to school in 5 years and let’s be serious, working a full-time job, being on the Relay for Life committee, finding time to workout, trying to maintain a small social life, and finishing all the discussions, labs, assignments, and reading for 2 classes is not exactly easy to balance.
In the midst of this crazy and completely draining week, I’ve noticed some changes. Primarily changes in some people’s behaviors. It’s amazing how when you finally do something for yourself, how truly unsupportive your so-called friends really are. In my FIRST week of classes, I was already getting shit from people about not being able to attend events, not being able to stay long at happy hour, etc etc… and it truly surprised me. Here I am, taking a huge leap and doing something that will essentially help me have a better career, and I’m getting push back from the people that I need support from the most.
After a long chat with a close friend tonight, I was reminded of a blog post that I read earlier this week. The post is titled, “Belong to Yourself & You’ll Find Who Else You Belong To!” As much as I loved the entire post, there were 2 parts that really stuck with me that I want to share with you:
“When you’re surrounded by the right people, who believe what you believe and support your dreams, you can thrive.”
and a Will Smith quote: “You will see how far in life you’ll go with the 5 people you spend the most amount of time with.”
I see very clearly now that not everyone is going to support my decision to go back to school but I realize now more than ever that the people who don’t support me are not the right kind of people that I need to be surrounded with.
If you only take one thing from my rambling rant tonight (which may not even make sense tomorrow), please take this with you:
Surround yourself with people that will lift you up in moments of weakness, doubt, and fear, and then lift you up even higher in moments of happiness, love, and hope. Everyone else is irrelevant to the betterment of YOU.
“Nobody said it would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.”
*Blog title lyric credit goes to Passion Pit – Little Secrets Photo credit: http://weheartit.com/entry/13895105
It’s hard to believe that another year has come and gone. I always like to see how everyone has classified the year…good, bad, exceptional, depressing, horrible, the best, the worst…it’s just so interesting to me how one person’s year can be totally different from someone else’s.
I love how even though January 1st is technically just another day in the books, to some, it’s the turning of the table, a chance for a fresh, new start. It doesn’t matter what word described your year because at that moment when the clock hits 12, you are instantly filled with new hope for what’s coming next.
My word for 2010?
Incredible.
I am pretty confident when I say that this past year was one of the best years of my life – one I will never ever forget. I am also pretty confident when I say I have never busted my ass as hard as I did in 2010. With hard work comes big rewards, right? =)
As I watched my friends write and discuss their goals for 2011 today, I couldn’t help but smile. All that hope and determination running through their veins makes my heart happy. As for me? Well, I have very few resolutions this year. My goals for the year are to:
Run a 10K in March (and continue to improve my running)
Continue eating healthy (with the exception of cupcakes here and there of course =) )
Improve my design & development skills
Continue to have & spread positivity
Have fun – I need to practice relaxing and enjoying life more =)
I am definitely looking forward to what is in store for 2011 – for myself and for my friends and family. The year will be as good as we make it. Aim high and appreciate every single moment of it. =)
