What?! She's posting again? That's three days in a row!
You're welcome.
Can you tell I'm taking a break from all social media except blogging? It's an experiment in humility. You see, I was looking back on my Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook feeds for the last...while, and I realized that almost everything I post is some form of bragging. Which is lame. I now try to ask myself the question: "Does anyone care?" before posting something on the internet. We'll see how long that lasts. Like most people, I really love myself. But for now, I am not signing in to Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. I hid the apps on my phone and removed the links from my bookmarks in attempt to remind myself of this, and I hope that will help stop me when the urge to post strikes. You may just find that my blog is blowing up, but I figure this is a lot more intentional than the other forms of social media. If you are visiting my blog, you must at least like me a little. ;)
With that said, here is my song of the day! It's by Andrew Belle, although it's somewhat reminiscent of early Coldplay (aka the best Coldplay). He just (or will soon) released a new album, and this is the single, "Pieces." A mi me gusta. Download this song for free!
I'm sorry it's been so long since I wrote on here. These last two months have been full of activity and change! I don't even really remember the month of August, except that I went on an amazing trip to Washington state to visit a lifelong friend and her husband. We had a wonderful time exploring all the neighborhoods in Seattle and then spent two days in Spokane, where they have been living for the past few years. We had great weather, ate interesting foods, and drank a good amount of coffee and alcohol (not together). :P It was unlike any trip I've taken before, because we didn't make any plans ahead of time and just played each day by ear. It was lovely. Here are a couple pictures from that trip.
Another piece of news from August is that we moved again! We're only living about 15 minutes from our old place, but we had a really bad experience with our landlord this past year, and we decided to move to a more corporate-run apartment complex. I'm liking our new place a lot, and we plan to stay here for at least the next two years.
Oh, also...I finally started graduate school! This semester I am taking two classes, one online and one on campus, which has worked out really well so far. I'm enjoying both classes and don't feel overwhelmed [yet] with my schedule. I am still working at the hospital three days a week, which gives me a nice balance of time at home and in the office. I have to say that I feel very satisfied with life right now. It has only been a couple of weeks, but working part-time with school was a really positive decision and I am so thankful to have a husband that supports us in a way to make that possible. He is quite the catch. ;)
That's all for now. Enjoy the fall weather, everyone! I hope you are all doing well.
Hey there, blogosphere! Long time, no update. I'm fairly certain most of you are my Facebook friends, so none of this will be very earth-shattering news. However, it's been awhile and I figured it was time to post a little something again.
First of all, I went on vacation! I spent a week in St. John, US Virgin Islands with my husband, parents, sister, and brother-in-law. It was a wonderful week full of swimming, laying out, eating, snorkeling, beaching, laughing, and stargazing. The trip was a much-needed break from reality, and I greatly enjoyed it! Here's a taste of the scenery.
In other news, I have officially turned in my notice at my old job and my last day is August 9. I have been thinking about it for a long time, and I decided it is really for the best. I have enjoyed working there, but I don't think UGM is a place where I will be able to grow. Now that I have figured out what I want to do with my career, I realized that the organization is nowhere near ready to have someone come in and evaluate their programs. There is a lot more I could say about that, but I won't. I felt really sad about leaving at first, but now, I just feel relief. It's time for me to go.
I am really excited about this next month. I start my grad program in September, but before then, I will just be working three days a week at the hospital. We're planning a trip to Seattle/Spokane for mid-August, which should be really fun! I've never been to that part of the country before. :)
And one more exciting thing...this fall, I will have 4-DAY WEEKENDS! I CAN'T WAIT! I know the whole reason for doing that is so I can work on school, but I still can't help seeing this as a little vacation. I've only been working full-time for 3.5 years, but still, having a flexible schedule sounds like heaven right now. We'll see if I still think that way in six months... ;)
Well, that's all for now. My life in a nutshell. I hope you all are enjoying the summer! I highly suggest going to the beach.
I don’t have too much news to report, so this blog will likely just be more of the same chatter you’ve heard from me before. However, I noticed that some people DO actually check my blog on a regular basis, so I figured maybe I should give them something to read!
I guess I should share that I am doing a lot better than I was a couple months ago. You may not have been able to tell, but I was in a fairly dark place this winter/spring, and I am so glad it is over. I’m not saying that I wake up each day feeling happy-go-lucky (I mean honestly, does anyone?), but the overall darkness/blues/sadness is gone. I want to say that I am still not fully “myself,” but I have also considered the possibility that I really just have changed. I’m not the same person that I was even three years ago, and I’ve decided that’s okay.
I am currently reading a book about marriage that describes how marriages are always changing, evolving, because individuals are always changing. That is not an idea I have really recognized before, probably because I am not a huge fan of change. I like to think of myself as the person I was when I felt I was at my BEST. My PEAK. Do you know what I mean? (Are you making fun of me because I’m only 25 and talking about already passing my peak? If so, I don’t blame you. I’m sure I will look back on this and laugh at me too.) I think my personal peak was my junior year of college. I had a ton of close friends, I was in a great routine spiritually, I did well in school, and I felt incredibly confident.
But, you know what? Life changes. I’m not that person anymore. I have different (and fewer) friends, I often struggle spiritually, I’m starting a new chapter in school, and I am nowhere near as confident as I was then. And I’m sure all of these things will change again soon! I also have a ton of new wonderful parts of my life that didn’t exist back then, and I definitely would NOT change places with myself if I could. This is who I am now, and it’s time I just accept it.
On a brighter note, I have been trying to seize the day a bit more. Because I can’t just hop on a plane and move to California tomorrow, I’ve decided to try and live it up where I am. I’m constantly looking for events and activities going on in my city to fill my weekends so I don’t end up just sitting on the couch the whole time. So far, that has included some concerts, an outdoor art festival, and two off-Broadway shows (coming up!). It’s been really fun!
I think that’s all for now. Hopefully I didn’t bore you too much with my self-reflection. Thanks for reading!
If I had to sum up my feelings over the past month in one word, it would be restless. No matter how quickly the weeks pass, how the weather changes, or how I spend my free time, I still can’t get past this intense feeling of restlessness. Perhaps part of the reason is because I have quite literally been having some trouble staying asleep at night, so I am lacking quality sleep. Another reason may be because I work a long week, but don’t have a lot going on at either job currently. The hours seem to tick by VERY slowly no matter where I am. And wherever I look, it seems that everyone around me just can’t find enough time in the day. They are so “busy,” “crazy,” and “stressed.” Seriously, I would be all too happy to share some of my hours with them. Then my day could be a little shorter and theirs could be longer – it sounds perfect! ;)
I’m sorry for whining, but I am just wondering: what am I missing? Why am I really feeling so restless? A lot of wonderful things are happening…
1.It’s [pretty much] summer.
2.I’m going on vacation in 2 weeks!
3.I finally found a good church and a small group.
I lied. It's not summer. It's not even pre-summer. It's just cold, rainy, cloudy spring. On JUNE 5TH! Dear Minnesota, what did we do wrong? Is God punishing us? I apologize, because all I really have to say is negative today. This weather is incredibly depressing, and quite honestly, I think we're all depressed along with it. I should be able to take a walk, go to a lake, and enjoy the wonders of this state. But NO. It has been raining almost nonstop for the past 3 weeks. I hate it. Like, really. I have seriously looked for jobs in California. If I wasn't about to start school, we would be currently apartment hunting on the west coast. There, it is summer A LOT. :) I've said it before, and I'll say it again...I'm ready for an adventure. H
All of these things have been on my mind lately. In the past month, I have come very close to making some very serious and permanent life decisions. However, I've also had this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that prevented me from making these decisions. The feeling is this: I want an adventure.
This isn't necessarily a new feeling, as you may know from reading previous blog posts, but it is becoming more concrete. I'm 25, with no mortgage, no children, no major financial burdens...this is THE TIME. Okay, maybe "the time" was actually three years ago right after I graduated college and didn't have a job yet. But, I was (and am) hopelessly in love and needed to finally live near my boyfriend (now husband)! I wouldn't have been happy to move to another country and teach English by myself, nor would I be happy doing that now (because, duh, I have a husband). :P
So, I guess what I'm discovering now is that my definition of adventure has changed. It doesn't have to mean living in a mud hut with dreadlocks and learning fluent Spanish (although the dreadlocks might be fun for a short time...). I think an adventure may just mean moving to a new place and exploring a different part of the country. I don't think I'm ready for us to settle down permanently just yet.
And no, I'm not saying that we are going to move tomorrow. It is just something that has been weighing on my mind a lot lately. I really don't feel any rush to live in one place longterm (I can probably thank my parents for that one - I still haven't lived in any place for longer than four years). There are just so many options! So many WARM options! Who knows where we could end up?
Before you freak out, dear family and friends, be comforted by the fact that we will be here for at least the next two years as I'm in school. But after that, I cannot make any promises. *SANFRANCISCODENVERBOSTONMAUISEATTLE* You just never know.
Happy Spring! To celebrate, I'm sharing this photo I took the other night. You will soon find out that I am OBSESSED with sunsets. I take pictures of them every chance I get...and in the summer, that is quite often. :)
So, depending on how well you know me, you might have observed that I am currently on a Facebook fast. I am somewhat addicted to Facebook, and our new church (which we both LOVE - answer to prayer) is doing a 40-day fast to focus on prayer. I know it's a little shallow and immature to just fast from Facebook, but it honestly consumes a ton of my free time. There are many benefits to having an iPhone, and constant connection to the internet is one of them. Unfortunately for me, that means I am checking Facebook at all hours of the day, basically whenever I get distracted or bored by whatever else I am doing. I'm pretty sure that is unhealthy behavior and also puts me in the same category as 7th grade girls...hence the fast. The thing is, fasting from Facebook has turned out to be extremely easy. Maybe I wasn't as addicted to it as I thought. However, I haven't really figured out how to do the whole "focus on prayer" part. I feel really out of practice. I don't know if this stems from some anger at God from losing my nephew last fall (let's face it, I DO know), but I'm finding it really difficult to pray. It's almost like I'm afraid to ask for anything, even wisdom or guidance, because I don't know how much He cares. I do believe that He hears me, but I'm really unsure how much He directly intervenes. Honestly, I struggle with this issue probably once a year. There is just so much hurt in the world! The fact that God sees it all and doesn't stop it kind of makes me sick, but I also accept that there is a lot about God that I don't understand. I still believe that Jesus loves and saves me, and that basic faith is about all I can handle right now. Whew, I did not intend to get that deep in this blog. I guess that's why blogging is such a good outlet - once I start writing, I often uncover thoughts I didn't even realize I had. Thanks for listening. I love you all. H Here are a couple videos from a Josh Garrels concert I went to last week. He's amazing. Go check him out.
Since blogging takes energy and I don't seem to have any right now, I will instead share this video by one of my very favorite artists: JJ Heller. This woman knows how to write about real life. Grief, pain, joy, love, guilt, anxiety - she pretty much covers it all. Whenever I am struggling and can't find the words to express my feelings, I can always find a JJ Heller song that says it perfectly. Her vulnerability and transparency is inspiring. What I wouldn't give to sit down and have a cup of coffee with her... On a side note, please don't conclude from me posting this video that I am depressed right now. I'm actually doing pretty well. I just stumbled upon this video today, remembered how much I LOVE this song, and decided it needed to be shared. Maybe it will speak to one of you! Love, H
Being the fairly frugal couple that we are, I thought it would be fun to share some tips from the Zook Nook on how to save money and still enjoy life. Some of these tips are aimed at newlywed couples, but not all of them. I don't claim that any of this is groundbreaking advice, but you may learn something new!
1. Chipotle: To make your money stretch further, split a burrito bowl between two people. To do this, ask for extra rice (you must ask very sweetly and maybe even wink - my husband does this well) and they will give you bigger portions of all the toppings, making the bowl larger. You can even ask for a tortilla on the side, and then have one person scoop half the toppings into the tortilla. This gives you the feeling that you are eating a normal burrito, except it's a much healthier portion size for each person. Plus, it's delicious!
1B. Around Christmas and Graduation time (in May), Chipotle offers a deal where you can buy a $30 gift card and get a free burrito at your next visit. We take great advantage of this and buy one gift card every time we go during this time period. That way, we get a free burrito bowl each visit, AND we are stocked up with Chipotle gift cards for the rest of the year. We rarely pay actual money for Chipotle.
2. Netflix: This may seem obvious to most of you, but using Netflix Instant instead of paying for cable TV saves a TON of money! Since getting married, we have never had cable, and yet we watch TV all the time. We pay $7.99/month for all the TV we could possibly need. Plus, we have been exposed to shows like 30 Rock, Parks & Recreation, Friday Night Lights, Jericho, Lie To Me, The West Wing, Bones, etc.
2B. For free movies, we use the...library! Again, this may seem obvious, but you can order pretty much any movie from your local public library, and it will eventually get in your DVD player for FREE. Does this sound familiar to anyone *cough*Netflix*cough*? Boom, save $7.99 additional dollars each month.
3. 2-in-1 Shampoo: I don't think I need to expand much on this topic. Buying 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner saves money, time, and space in your shower. Garnier Fructis has a good 2-in-1 product.
4. Generic Products: Consider buying off-brand products. Of course, you can always do this with food at the grocery store, but in my opinion, there can be a significant drop in food quality with certain brands. What I am referring to here is generic brands of medications, vitamins, paper goods (but not toilet paper), hand soap, etc. *Did you know that Equate brand "Tums" are WAY better than any other brand?
5. Noisetrade: Free music, people! Subscribe to their weekly emails, and you will enjoy the benefits of getting free downloads of new bands, old bands you didn't know, and bands you already love. I found most of my current favorite bands on Noisetrade. Seriously, who needs iTunes when you have Noisetrade and YouTube?
6. Thrift Shops: Again, super obvious, but if you look hard enough, you can find art, picture frames, and cool decorations for your house at thrift shops. I will have to add Craigslist to this category as well. If you don't know about that (are there people who don't?), you are missing out. Speaking of thrift shops, let's take a break for this gem. Don't worry, it's the clean one.
7. Public Transportation: I know your options for this may vary based on where you live, but most cities have a decent public transit network that may reach farther than you think. All you suburbanites out there, you should look into your nearest bus/train stop at home and work and check to see if the route saves you any time/money. I took the bus to work last winter, and it made me a much happier person!
Okay, I don't want this list to get obnoxiously long so I think I will stop here. Maybe you learned something, and maybe you just got to jam out to "Thrift Shop." Either way, thanks for reading my blog! :)
I’m scared to write this down, because I don’t have it all worked out yet. I apologize in advance if this is hard to follow or seems scattered. My hope is that writing a blog will provide an outlet for all of my jumbled thoughts and help me figure out what’s going on in my head.
Let me try to start from the beginning…
For the past few weeks, I’ve been feeling pretty depressed. I think I can contribute some of that to Seasonal Affective Disorder combined with Minnesota winter, as it is definitely that time of year again. However, the thoughts I’m having aren’t very consistent with past winters, and I am fairly convinced there is more going on than SAD-ness (oh, puns!).
As I mentioned before, work is very slow right now (but apparently not for anyone else in the office), and I don’t have a lot of extra-curricular activities going on – although I did start tutoring at the library one night a week. We are still looking for a new church, and we don’t have a lot of consistent Christian community. Oh, and I haven’t heard about grad school yet either. I say all of this just to make some excuses and offer possible causes for the feelings I will now reveal.
I feel like my life is purposeless. I feel like I am wasting these precious, carefree years of my mid 20’s planning for my future and acting too much like an adult. What is the rush? I don’t own a house, don’t have kids, and have very few responsibilities. Here’s what I’m thinking: I want to move to another country. Preferably in South or Central America. I want to take a break from offices, TV, happy hour, driving, makeup, winter, gossip, senseless worrying, shopping, Facebook, 401K, Netflix…
I also realize there is a whole other person in my life that needs to be on board before we pack up and move to Chile (Costa Rica? Mexico? Paraguay?), and there are jobs, school, finances, relationships, and many other factors that would need to be considered. For now, I think I could be content to plan a short-term trip, and that planning is already in the works. But, if I’m not going to move to South America, then what AM I going to do to satisfy this discontent?
H
PS: I LOVE the lyrics to this song by Jenny & Tyler.
Question: What do you do when you've completed everything on your long-term "to do" checklist?
My "To Do" List:
1. Take a graduate course. CHECK
2. Study for the GRE. CHECK
3. Take the GRE. CHECK
4. Get good enough scores on the GRE. CHECK
5. Get two letters of recommendation. CHECK
6. Complete and submit application to graduate school. CHECK
7. Wait. CHECK
8. Wait some more... CHECK?
Well, I'll tell you what I have been doing: seeing friends, hanging with the hubs, reading, laundry, and watching a lot of TV. Oh, yeah, and now I've moved on to obsessive cleaning. It all sounds pretty normal (maybe not the cleaning), except for some reason, it doesn't feel normal. It feels like I'm missing something. Like now that my class is over, Christmas break came and went, and I'm done getting everything in order for school, I don't have a purpose. Sure, I still work 40 hours a week, but work has been slow lately, and I don't have a lot that is challenging my mind. I got in a really good rhythm of balancing work and my class, while still having plenty of time for fun -- and I miss that!
It's so weird, because up until a few months ago, this WAS my rhythm. Work was my main responsibility, and it felt sufficient. I'm guessing that living ten minutes from work and having an extra 1.25 hours in my day has something to do with this feeling, but there must be more to it. Why do I feel so antsy? Any ideas of how I can NOT feel guilty for having nothing to do at night?
That's all for now. And hey, I blogged, so that's something fairly productive I did today (...or is it?). :-]
Okay, so we're not literally homeless, and no, this is not a post about homeless people (but it did catch your attention, right?). What I'm talking about is being spiritually homeless, or rather, churchless. Since moving to Minnesota, I have attended/visited 9 different churches. Two of those we attended for at least a year each, and the rest range from 1 week to 3 months. And right now, we have still not officially decided to commit to a certain church. We really have legitimate explanations for leaving the churches - especially the two that we attended longterm - but, now I just can't help but feel homeless. I know that we need to just choose one and understand that no church is going to be perfect, but for some reason we are having a really hard time deciding. There seem to be major flaws with every place we visit. I guess it doesn't help that we would really like a church in our community, and our home happens to be in a Protestant desert. Apparently, all of the evangelicals decided to focus on every other area of the city except our own. :( I've joked about starting a home church, but my husband doesn't seem too keen on that idea. I suppose it might be a tad difficult with everyone we know living on the other side of town (20 miles at the minimum), but wouldn't that solve our problem of not being content? When you make all the decisions yourself, you can't blame other people for your problems, right? Oh well, maybe in another decade... We're visiting a new church tonight, and I am fairly optimistic about it. Toby attended this church during seminary and stopped attending because of the distance, but now we are close by again. Maybe it is "the one." Or maybe we are too picky (make that definitely). But how do you lower your expectations, and how do you prioritize church qualities? Aside from statement of faith, are all qualities the same in God's eyes? Didn't He write a book about that? Oh, yeah, that's right. But the Book tells me to cover my head in church...is there anything translated to the 21st century? Am I offending some people? Are you sick of my questions? Okay, I'm done. That's enough food for thought today. Speaking of food...I'm going to eat lunch. As always, I leave you with a song. H
I know, it’s not exactly the cheeriest of Christmas sayings, and that is because this is not a cheery post. This fall has not been a happy time for me, and now that we’re heading into the Christmas season, I’ve realized it’s going to be difficult to automatically flip some switch to make it all better.
For those of you who don’t know, last month my sister lost her first child, a precious baby boy, seven months in to her pregnancy.
Tragedy. That’s the only word I know that can describe it. I don’t think I’ve ever before experienced something that felt so cruel and unfair. I don’t think I’ve ever asked so many questions and been so utterly confused about why God would allow something to happen. My logical mind is blown, and all I can do is cry.
What’s even harder is that I live 12 hours away from my sister, so I can’t even be there in person to mourn with her. It’s like my husband and I are a little island far away from the rest of my family, and all we can do is wave from a distance while everyone else is together. One good thing about the holidays is that we already had plans to go visit, so we did (and will) get to spend a little time together.
But I ask you: how are we supposed to celebrate when there is so much sadness? How do I even go about my day when my heart is so heavy? I know my family is not the only one to ever experience this, but really, it’s hard to find comfort in the fact that it’s happened before.
So as we move into this holiday season, I guess I am just asking for prayer. For my sister especially, and then for my family as a whole. I pray that somewhere down the line, there is joy (“Joy to the world,” right?), and somehow we will find it again.
Ah. There is so much going on right now in my life. I really want to blog about it, but I'm not sure how to word things appropriately. I'm afraid if I start, it will turn into one giant venting session, and I don't want to write something I will regret later.
Basically, work is really stressful and has been for the last couple months. I don't want to go into details, but I'm pretty much just waiting for it all to be over. It doesn't help that September through December is our busiest season, with fundraisers, Thanksgiving Basket distribution, Christmas events, and end of year giving. Everyone is overwhelmed so everyone is crabby. I really cannot wait for January (I know, I'm probably the only one).
On top of work stress, I had my midterm exam last night for my grad class. I completely overstudied for it, which I guess is a good thing. However, the test just could not have come at a worse week. I feel like I haven't had a carefree moment in weeks.
Luckily the exam is now over and I made it through the first week of Thanksgiving Basket signups. Only one more week of that and I will be able to relax at last (hopefully)! Then, I just need to start studying for the GRE, which I scheduled for December. Whew! It's so weird to be studying and taking tests again.
Anyway, I apologize for whining so much, I just felt the need to update my blog. Things really aren't all bad, and I am very thankful for my job and the ability to take this class. I'm hoping Thanksgiving will be a nice refreshing time to be around family and relax. It can't come soon enough!
Thanks for listening,
H
Here are some pictures from the registration this week.
I am ready for a change. I have been feeling it so strongly lately, and it doesn't make a lot of sense. The past few months have been full of change: Toby got a new job, we moved, and I started school again. Yet somehow I still feel the need for change. I'm pretty sure this feeling is actually caused by me returning to school...mostly because I really like it. I know two years ago I stated very adamantly that I would NEVER go to graduate school, which was preceded by at least a year of intense desire to go directly to a PhD program. Clearly, education is a passionate subject for me, and now I think I feel ready to be a full-time student (and part-time worker) again. I've been in contact with a couple professors in the department, and all I need to do now is pass the dinky little GRE test before I can apply (italics=sarcasm). Does anyone have some advice on how to study well for the GRE? Is there any way I can just blink my eyes 10 times and automatically pass with flying colors (by the way, where did that saying originate?)? Sigh. There's something I've learned about myself since being an adult, that is, I really like to work by myself. I guess that was true in college too, but it wasn't such an issue because most of my work was supposed to be done independently. In my job, I work by myself for the most part, but then I have to wait for other people to make decisions. It's that silly thing called an organization. I know there are many great qualities about an organization that you don't have when working for yourself, but it can also be a pain. Toby correctly identified me as a "scientist," and I didn't really understand what he meant until recently. I don't particularly like laboratories, but if I could just sit in one all day wearing a lab coat and doing "science" (or evaluation in my case), I would be quite happy. I don't like waiting. I don't like inefficiencies. And it's irritating when everyone is on a different page. I'm always on MY same page. :) Don't get me wrong, I still really like my job and the organization. I just think someday I would really enjoy working for myself. I guess that's all for now. I'm off to do some homework and read an exciting article on Culturally Competent Evaluation. Good night! H
I write to you from my new (mostly moved-in) place in the city. In the last two weeks, I have learned a lot of new things, which of course I'm going to share with you here.
When you put your TV in the basement, your amount of time spent watching it decreases dramatically. I know we've been busy unpacking and setting up house, but I can't even believe how little TV I've watched recently. Let's be honest, in the previous two years, I made up for the previous 10 (you know, those years when I was Miss Involved in soccer, dance, theater, youth group, clubs, etc.) in TV watching. I can justify it all I want ("being a working adult is exhausting"), but it's the truth. My point is that now that our main TV room is in the basement, it has become much more of an ordeal. Any time I need to refill a drink, go to the bathroom, eat a snack, or actually get phone service, I have to walk back upstairs. Now you are probably thinking that I am incredibly lazy. Well, I won't fight it, you are right.
My other point is this: if you are trying to cut something out of your life, put it in the farthest away space possible. Like if you are trying to lose weight, keep all the junk food in your garage. Or if you are trying to spend less time online, keep your computer in the...gosh I don't know, attic? I guess there aren't many other inconvenient places in a house. However, the opposite of this is true as well. When your laundry room is three flights of stairs away, doing laundry becomes a huge chore. We DREADED doing laundry and so we only did it about once every three weeks (a little embarrassing to admit), and at that time we would have at least four loads to wash. But now, we have a washer and dryer in our basement, and I am proud to say I can now wash one load at a time every few days! Therefore, if you want to add something to your life, put it in the most convenient place possible. Boom. Thus ends my great burst of wisdom.
You're welcome.
Let's see, what else do I have to tell you? Oh! Commuting to work is THE WORST! If you have the ability to move closer to your workplace, do it. Do it right now. In our previous apartment, I had a 30-40 minute commute to work and a 50-70 minute commute home. Now, I have a 10 minute commute both ways. TEN minutes! That is an extra hour and a half each day that I didn't have before. Things you can do in an hour and a half: watch an entire movie, drive to the grocery store/shop/drive home, attend a short wedding reception, exercise/shower/eat all the calories you just burned, sit on Facebook, have your cake and eat it too - you get the idea. Have I convinced you yet? Basically, everyone should just move to the city so we can all be neighbors and hang out all the time. :)
Okay, that's it for now. Once we buy a little more furniture, I will take some pictures of our new place and post them for your enjoyment. I leave you with the new Mumford and Sons single. Adios.
We are officially moved in to our new apartment! We've done a lot of packing, cleaning, moving, unpacking, and more cleaning, but we are finally here. There are still tons of boxes to unpack and furniture to organize (yippie!), but I feel really good about our progress. I'm pretty exhausted right now, so I'm just going to give you a sneak peak of our place. Here you go!
I spent yesterday afternoon wandering around Lake of the Isles. My hubby was out and he told me to spend the day doing whatever I wanted without planning it ahead of time (which is difficult for me). So I figured out the ingredients needed for my perfect day off, and I have to say, it was quite enjoyable! :)
Hello, and welcome to The Zook Nook! I'm still not sure if I'm going to tell people about this blog or just keep it to myself and any random creepers that stumble across it on the inter-web, so for now I will just pretend I have an audience out there. I created this blog so I would have a place to post my videos and pictures, with the occasional written post, and share anything I find interesting. I figure the great thing about a blog is that no one is being forced to read it (like a Facebook or Twitter feed), so I can openly state my thoughts and opinions without annoying the heck out of 400+ "friends" who I haven't talked to in years. Plus, I think "The Zook Nook" is so stinkin' cute of a name that I had to claim it somewhere...
To quote Jason Mraz, "for those who don't remember me, now let me introduce you to my style": I am not a highly emotional person, so I typically write more in facts and statements that with feeling. Don't get me wrong, I do have strong feelings about a lot of things, it's just that I'm not very good at expressing them. I've done a small amount of blogging in the past, and it seems that I default to writing about my situations more than how I feel about them. So if you're looking for someone who intimately expresses their deepest emotions for the whole blogosphere to read, this is probably not the place for you. I will mostly write short, direct posts about whatever I fancy, and then accompany that with photos I took and videos I edited.
Here's a snippet of my interests (and what I will likely write about): homelessness and poverty, music, faith, photography, pop culture, and definitely NOT politics. Feel free to leave a comment or check my Twitter for more frequent communications from me.
