A Midweek Brain Dump

It's been a month since my last post and I feel like it's been only a couple of weeks!

I am sad to be missing Blogtember this year. I followed it for a couple of years before I participated in its entirety last year. I had every intention of joining in this year, but it just hasn't happened. I've been working really hard, for once in my life, to let myself go more slowly than usual. And, for right now, that means no Blogtember. However, I am going to make the effort to start blogging once each week. First, I miss sitting down and having some "fun" writing time and, secondly, blogging is just a fun way of connecting with people. And, really, third, the English writer part of my loves having a journal to look back on and, in a culture of oversharing, why not make my journal public for the entire world to see, right?

Part of letting myself go slower than usual is choosing to focus on doing a couple of big things well and then make time for a few smaller things as time allows. My current graduate program (which I don't think I have ever actually talked about) has been much more challenging than I anticipated and I have not risen to the challenge on all occasions. This semester I am taking a class on literary criticism and, so far, I am really enjoying it. Lit crit was one of my favorite classes as an undergrad and I attributed it largely to my professor. Whether or not it was entirely him, I am really enjoying my second go at this class as well. Getting my Master's degree in English was something I never anticipated doing, but I am grateful for the opportunity as it has presented itself!

Maybe it's the fact I have started my sixth year of teaching and have finally figured things out a little bit, maybe is the nonconventional class schedule that actually gives me time away from students during the day (I promise that's not as bad as it sounds), or maybe I'm just riding a stroke of luck, but I am not feeling entirely overwhelmed by my job at the beginning of this school year. Things are not perfect by any means at all-- heck, I'm already dreadfully behind in grading in two of my classes and I basically flew by the seat of my pants this last week as (virtually) every free (and not-so-free) moment from Wednesday to Friday was filled with meetings of one sort or another.

After I stepped off the plane from Dallas, post-Poland, this summer, I was of the mindset that the next time I stepped on a plane better not be in the next decade. However, I have made it about two months before the Wanderlust and desire to "Go" has reared its beautiful head again. I fly to Pittsburgh next month for a work conference, so I'll get my airplane fix. But that won't satiate the desire to "go!" Although I did "go" to Grand Forks this past weekend to celebrate Kelly's birthday! Currently inter-continental travel destinations include Seattle and Banff National Park. Current global destinations include Iceland, Sweden, and back to Thailand. What I wouldn't do for some passionfruit, pad thai, and murgh makhani right now.

May your week be blessed!

Currently...

As I work to recover from the plague that infested my head this last week, I present you the current goings-on in my life.

Reading... Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs, Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand (for March's 2CBC!), Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, and, as always, all things graduate school!
Playing... catch up on life. Thank you, double ear infection and sinus infection.
Watching... Duck Dynasty.
Trying... to be more intentional with my time and my choices.
Cooking... not much of anything. But I think this egg roll in a bowl is on the menu for next week!
Eating... trail mix. Easy peasy breakfast!
Drinking... water. Water, water, and more water. I'm trying to flush this sickness out of my system!
Calling... myself crazy for all I need to get done right now.
Texting... Kelly. My sister. Amy. The usuals.
Pinning... Anything and everything. Specifically, my hypothetical closet and all things food.
Tweeting... I check Twitter multiple times each day, but it's mainly for news. I don't tweet much myself.
Going... to the beach this weekend. I'm looking forward to getting out of town!
Loving... that I have a decent routine in my weeks right now. I know that since I have now said this, life will now turn itself upside down, but I'm liking what I have right now.
Hating... being so far behind on grad school. I am legitimately ashamed of where I am right now.
Discovering... that I really should have shaved my legs last night. I am stretching things one day too far today.
Thinking... about what I need to pack for this weekend. So far on the list are my swimsuit, some shorts, and my iPad. I can make everything else work.
Feeling... tired. Being at work all day is exhausting. I really need to figure out how to fit 10 hours' worth of sleep into about 6 hours.
Hoping (for)... a productive evening. I'm heading to one of my favorite coffee shops to (hopefully!) go like a mad woman on grad school!
Listening (to)... the Rent soundtrack. Old habits die hard!
Celebrating... the end of my 28th birthday. I was good and sick on Monday so I didn't do anything, but this weekend will make up for things for sure. And a 30/30 update coming early next week!
Smelling... not much at all. I have been so stuffy as of late. But I did smell my soap this morning so that's a win!
Ordering... workout gear and books. Yay Amazon!
Thanking... the doctor for demands to not go on the service trip this week and to stay home and rest instead. I'm definitely sad to be missing out on this time with the kids but I am so grateful to have slow days and evenings to really rest and recuperate.
Considering... what my new budget is going to look like. I finally get my pay raise with my Master's degree at the end of this month and I am going to move some things around to make the most of it.
Starting... to think about running another half marathon by the end of the year. This summer will not be conducive to training, so I don't want to start something only to put it off for six weeks.
Finishing... grading annotated bibliographies. It is such a worthwhile assignment for students but such a pain in my behind to grade!

What are YOU up to currently?

28||A Day in My Life

A day in the life. Take us through it with you.

I was going to be a good blogger and take little pictures throughout my day but that just didn't happen. Plus, one thing I really like about my schedule this year is that each of my days is just different enough from the others that I never get too bored with things. With that being said, here's what a typical use of time during my day.

6:05 a.m... The alarm goes off. I stumble around my apartment getting dressed, putting in my contacts, brushing my teeth, etc.

6:30 a.m.... I'm out the door for my 2 minute commute to work.

6:32 a.m.-3:00 p.m.... Teaching and students! We have a five day, rotating block schedule and I never have two days in a row that are exactly the same.

3:00-4:30 p.m... Either coaching or tutoring. I am working with the JV volleyball team this first season and I have an SAT tutoring student, so I am typically meeting with somebody during this time for one reason or another.

4:30-5:00 p.m.... Lay on my bed under the air con and relish the silence. No music, no talking. Just a book if I'm feeling really crazy.

5:00-9:00 p.m.... Supper, grad school, teacher prep, etc. I like to get out in the evenings and head to a coffee shop to work, but sometimes and evening in does the soul well too.

9:00 p.m.... Technology off and reading lamp out.

10:00+ p.m.... Reading and sleep. I have terrible sleep habits and have never fallen asleep easily but I am working to develop more healthy sleeping patterns. I read until I'm sleepy then turn the light out and hope for the best!

The 2015 Blog-Tember Challenge. Day 1. Day 2. Day 3. Day 4. Day 5. Day 6. Day 7. Day 8. Day 9. Day 10. Day 11. Day 12. Day 13. Day 14. Day 15. Day 16. Day 17. Day 18. Day 19. Day 20. Day 21. Day 22. Day 23. Day 24. Day 25. Day 26. Day 27. Day 28.

26||Currently Reading

What's on your to-read list, and what have you recently read? 

What a dangerously loaded question this is... I am an English teacher after all. In an effort to be completely transparent, I listed each book on my "active" reading list. Some of these books I definitely spend more active time on than others, but they are all one of the top of my priorities right now.

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9

I am reading Crazy Love, the Harry Potter Series, and I Am Malala for personal pleasure. Rhetoric and Human Consciousness is my main grad school text for the semester although we also read quite a few articles in that class. I use Everything's an Argument, They Say I Say, and the MLA Handbook, along with an assortment of essays, in my AP class and Things Fall Apart is my current World Literature text. Total Truth is my current professional development reading.

I certainly don't read each of these books at an equal rate and some I certainly enjoy more than others.

I haven't really read anything else recently outside of Harry Potter and I probably won't have time for much else for awhile. I'm back in the throes of grad school which I am enjoying, but it doesn't leave time for much else. I am hoping to get my hands on Library of Souls soon as well as resurrect 2C Book Club for October which means I will be reading Frankenstein which was my own suggestion, so I looking forward to it extra!

As I said before, my book list will always exceed my time available, but that won't make me any less ambitious!

The 2015 Blog-Tember Challenge. Day 1. Day 2. Day 3. Day 4. Day 5. Day 6. Day 7. Day 8. Day 9. Day 10. Day 11. Day 12. Day 13. Day 14. Day 15. Day 16. Day 17. Day 18. Day 19. Day 20. Day 21. Day 22. Day 23. Day 24. Day 25. Day 26.

19||It Was (Pretty Much) the Best Day of My Life

Tell us about one of the best days of your life.

I realized very early this year that Summer 2015 was going to be a big one. With my sister getting married and defending my thesis, I was excited to see everything happen. And then my dad put the cherry on top when he bought us tickets for a father-daughter and/or finishing grad school celebration trip. My dad raised his girls to do three things-- love God, love others, and love the game of baseball. I had not seen the Minnesota Twins play in person since I was in second grade and they still played in the Metrodome. I was actually able to attend two series this summer as I flew into the Twin Cities from Thailand and watch the Twins series against the Brewers. I was then super fortunate enough to head back to Minneapolis post-wedding and take in the Twins' series versus the Baltimore Orioles. I didn't realize it at the time, but my first day in Minneapolis that second time around was easily one of the best days of my life.

Our days wasn't anything super fancy or exciting, but, just the same, it was lovely perfect in so many ways. We ate breakfast, showered, and then bummed around downtown for awhile. We were staying right off Hennepin Avenue, so the city was right at our fingertips! We walked around for awhile, grabbed a nice seafood lunch at the corner restaurant, and then walked back to the hotel to get ready for the game. We got to the ballpark in time to watch hitting practice and then settled in for the night. The game ended up going to extra innings and the Twins won when Brian Dozier hit a walk-off homerun to end the game. The day was fairly simple but it was spent with one of my favorite people, doing things that we love, and doing them together.

Living overseas has allowed me to really understand the blessing that is spending time with people in person. My dad is a very busy man, but we started planning this weekend in January and it could not have been any better than I had hoped! We are already talking about taking in another Twins series this upcoming summer and I am looking forward to it!

(Clockwise L to R) Dad and I pre-game. Forever a Mauer fan. Dozier's walk-off home run. Old habits die hard.

The 2015 Blog-Tember Challenge. Day 1. Day 2. Day 3. Day 4. Day 5. Day 6. Day 7. Day 8. Day 9. Day 10. Day 11. Day 12. Day 13. Day 14. Day 15. Day 16. Day 17. Day 18. Day 19.

13||Tis the Season As They Say

Create a collage or inspiration/mood board for this season in your life.

mine/via/mine

I am living overseas, but life cannot stop until life goes "back to normal." 

I am not a teacher at an elite college prep high school, but I find my identity in so much more than my profession. 

I start graduate classes again in two days, but I am more than a graduate student.

I am a single, almost 30 Christian gal, but I refuse to be defined by my relationship status or my age.

In so many ways, my life has completely changed since moving to Thailand, but in so many ways, it is entirely the same. I don't have to work too hard to maintain an American lifestyle here in Asia and I find myself guilty of such all too often. I still feel like I am trying to figure out what it means to be a grown up, I still act like a kid much of the time, I still have my faith, I still have a job, and I don't anticipate any major events for awhile, so what, then, is my season of life?

I really don't mean to be difficult... I just find myself truly questioning what my current season is. I am in Thailand until something else comes along and, until then, I suppose I am in the most stable season of life I have been in for awhile. So, regardless of what this season may or may not be, I share three of my biggest focuses in life right now.

First, growing relationship with Christ. I am in a completely different place in life and faith and understanding than I ever anticipated for myself, even more so in the last ten months. I am a Christian in a predominantly non-Christian nation and I am literally equipping the next generation of world changers. I feel such a burden for my students, their families, this nation, our broken world. How do I continue to live out my faith in a way that glorifies God and makes Him known outside of the direction faith instruction so many of my students shirk?

Second, learning to live life. I am a perpetual planner. I enjoy lists and calendars and plans but I am learning to embrace change and spontaneity (ahem, moving to Thailand?!). Sometimes embracing life means just the little things at a moment in time but sometimes it means the big things. A student wants to meet for lunch on my busiest day of the week? Yes, because this may be the moment she really needs somebody to give her the time. Take a night bus to see a new Thai site? Let's do it! Stay in Thailand a possible five years to set myself up for financial success post-30? Five years may seem like a lot now, but as soon as my debt is eliminated, I know I will be grateful. Sometimes it's the big things and sometimes it's the little. But if not now, then when?

Finally, blooming where planted. I had a blog before this one and I called it "Bloom Where Planted." I have always struggled with living life where I am for the moment. I was ready to move to college at 16, ready to be done with college at 20, and ready to retire at 24. Well, not really retire, but the first four years of teaching where so tough. Additionally, the older I get, the more I come to understand just how broken, ugly, and painful the world is. I am ready for my heavenly home. But until that day comes, I will do my best to bloom where God has planted me much like that poppy made its home at the base of my parents' driveway in the sea of concrete.

All that to say, I don't really know what season of life I am in, but I'm going with what I have and making the most of what has been placed before me.

Soli deo Gloria.

The 2015 Blog-Tember Challenge. Day 1. Day 2. Day 3. Day 4. Day 5. Day 6. Day 7. Day 8. Day 9. Day 10. Day 11. Day 12. Day 13.

12||Currently...

What are you up to currently?

Reading... Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling, I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb, Crazy Love by Francis Chan, and assorted graduate material for my upcoming class on Monday!
Playing... catch up on grades. Story of my life.
Watching... NCIS. I'm looking forward to BBT and Grey's starting back up soon!
Trying... get caught up on laundry and get packed up for my pending move!
Cooking... roasted vegetables. I am (so very slowly) making the transition to the Paleo lifestyle and I'm currently eating assorted oven roasted vegetables like the are going out of style. Oven roasted garlic makes everything so much better!
Eating... too much sugar. I wish I were kidding but I have a serious sugar addiction that I need to break ASAP.
Drinking... kombucha. I've boarded the hippie train quite a bit in the last couple of years and I started making my own fizzy tea drink just a couple of weeks ago. My current batch is blueberry flavored and I enjoy my daily tea! And I'm also drinking coffee. Just always assume I am drinking coffee. And water. Lots of water. I just like to consume liquids, I guess.
Calling... nobody? I have a strong distaste for talking to people on the phone. I called my mom earlier this week as well as the apartment rental agent and that's twice as many phone calls as I usually make in a week.
Texting... Kelly. My sister. Amy. My mom. Anybody who will talk to me! As much as I dislike talking on the phone, I love me a good text session. If Kelly or I am awake, we are pretty much texting. One of the best purchases my parents ever made was the unlimited texting option for our family phone plan. I make sure to get my money's worth!
Pinning... Anything and everything. I have been pinning quite a bit of food, clothing, and travel. I love me some Pinterest!
Tweeting... Instagram? Does that count? I check Twitter multiple times each day, but it's mainly for news. I don't tweet much myself.
Going... somewhere for October break but still need to figure it out. Current frontrunners are Indonesia, Myanmar, and northern Thailand. Thoughts?
Loving... that I finally feel a little confidence in myself in regards to my job. I still have so much to learn and have so far to go, but I am finally, in my fifth year, rocking some clarity and understanding in my daily work.
Hating... mornings. And a new one comes each day. Can't we get a break on weekends or twice a month or something?!
Discovering... the joy that is life in Thailand. Last year I was so overwhelmed with a new country and its language, a brand new job, and trying to write a thesis proposal that I was not able to enjoy my new surroundings in the fall. This year, I feel so much more at peace and wonder with everything going on in life right now!
Thinking... about grad school starting again on Monday. I am excited to get back into the routine of classes and studying.
Feeling... excited for my Saturday dinner plans with some lovely girls from school and the potential of seeing a movie with my closest friend in Thailand!
Hoping (for)... a productive and rejuvenating weekend. I have so much to accomplish and get caught up on... The correcting never ends. #Whampwhamp
Listening (to)... Adele Radio on Pandora. Yay for friends who help me get Pandora overseas!
Celebrating... the potential of moving downtown in the very near future! Bring it #36!
Smelling... the many smells of BKK. Some are so good, some are so bad. As one friend put it during his visit in March, Bangkok is definitely a full-sensory experience. 
Ordering... Christmas presents! I formally began my Christmas shopping this week and it was so fun to start!
Thanking... God for this life I get to call mine. It's broken and imperfect but so much is still so beautiful and I wouldn't trade it for another one, even if I had the chance.
Considering... what my new budget is going to look like with my move. I'm definitely still living within my means, but my monthly expenditures are shifting and until they settle into a routine, I'll be thinking and wondering how things will actually shake down.
Starting... the C25K program for what feels like the 500th time. I really would like to do the BKK Color Run at the end of October, plus I just need to get myself back into shape.
Finishing... this blog post. Even though it was a lot of fun, it was also a lot more difficult than I expected and I am glad to finally be at the end.

What are YOU up to currently?

The 2015 Blog-Tember Challenge. Day 1. Day 2. Day 3. Day 4. Day 5. Day 6. Day 7. Day 8. Day 9. Day 10. Day 11. Day 12.

3||Collage to Describe Be.Do.Say.Go.

Create a collage or inspiration/mood board that describes your blog.

(Clockwise, from top L) Thailand. Specifically, Krabi which has quickly become one of my favorite places to be. I blog about Thailand quite a bit, simply because I'm still trying to make meaning of this season of life. Recipes. I made a cookbook of family recipes for my sister as a wedding present this last summer. Now, I am working on making a family cookbook for myself. I also enjoy cooking and baking and find recipes to be something very easy to collect as well as share. I have a whole arsenal of recipes ready to be made known! Teaching and learning. I am a teacher by training and a graduate student by choice. I spend many evenings with my computer, learning materials, and a coffee, always working towards the next goal. Faith. This view comes from the service learning trip I took with my school last February. I started to write about it but never finished. This picture represents for my my purpose in life, the calling God has placed upon my life, the opportunities He has given me to be a part of His work in this world, and, even more simply, just the marvel of His creation. Family. My home is where my family is and where they are is where I like to be.

The 2015 Blog-Tember Challenge. Day 1. Day 2. Day 3.

1./10.

1. Finish my Master's degree.

Master's of Science, Reading Education

University of North Dakota

Class of 2015

10. Earn a Master's degree.

#ItsMSnotBS #UniversityofNorthDakota #UNDproud

July Goals

I'm seven days late and a million dollars short, but better late then never, so let's get this show on the road. 

I haven't set any monthly goals since March for more than one reason, but a look back at March will show that many of the goals I made for this month have been carried over from then. I did manage to clean out my work email and I did finally complete my thesis, so I accomplished two of my five goals. In four month's time. Shh. I am disappointed in me too.

I usually limit myself to five goals per month but this month brings much catching up on life and transitioning back into Thailand. I simply needed to empty my mind of everything I've been needing to do, much less meaning to do, and this is the list that appeared. What you don't see are the other things that still need to be done, but not necessarily in this month. Well, hello there, August. I already have plans for you! So, a week late into July, I present my fifteen goals for the month:

1. Make monthly goal list.
2. Update my Franklin daily.
3. Transition my Franklin to the new (school) year.
4. Update my Franklin's long-term calendars.
5. Establish a daily quiet time for fifteen minutes each day.
6. Shut down my collegiate email.
7. Double check and prepare my work email for the upcoming year.
8. Clean out and organize my personal email for fifteen minutes each day.
9. Read three (3) books.
10. Pay May's rent. I was granted an extension before I left, no worries!
11. Return an important email I keep forgetting.
12. Arrange for a Thai tutor.
13. Call registrar, inquire about graduate degree posting, and order a transcript for a pay raise.
14. Blog twice per week.
15. Finish my classroom novel inventory.

I can do some of this while still in the States, but clearly some of it will need to be resolved once I get back to Thailand. But no worries, if I happen to actually finish these fifteen items, I have another thirteen waiting in the wings!

Here we go, July. Let's make things happen!

How I Dropped the Ball (By the Numbers).

Graduate school is almost done.

The thesis is as finished as it is ever going to be.

I finally defend this Thursday.

I have no other excuses.

I am fully aware that other people are able to juggle full time work, graduate school, blogging, and many other commitments while not dropping the ball on any single thing, but I am not one of those people.

In fact, for some fun, let us count the balls that dropped this spring. In no particular order:

1. Apartment cleanliness. My place was beyond a pit. I could hardly stand to be in there myself. So one day I cried for a little bit, moved everything that was on the floor out to the patio (which was most everything I owned), used almost an entire gallon of vinegar to scrub every surface in sight, moved all of the items from my patio to their proper places, and found it tolerable once again.

2. Non-stress induced cooking. I am so grateful that eating out is so cheap in Thailand. My friends did benefit from my need to blow off some steam from time to time, but overall I existed on a steady diet of som tam and fried chicken, Starbucks iced Americanos, more Subway and McDonald's than I'll ever admit (thank you, comfort-ish food), and the school chicken and potato special of the day.

3. Any sort of a laundry routine. It was crash and burn "college" loads all semester long.

4. Human interaction with anybody who wasn't willing to spend time at a coffee shop while I didn't really pay attention to them or talk to them. If you were content to sit in my presence and absorb my existence then I could spend time with you. Otherwise, my human interaction consisted with people who put their words on a page that I underlined, copied, and quoted to my academic advantage and my own heart's content but still don't have any idea that I exist.

6. Personal organization beyond my fancy three drawer system of "Frequently Used," "Business-y," and "Can't Be Lost but Doesn't Have a Real Purpose Right Now." Even Franklin bit the dust hard which was a complete shame because then I lost control of everything else. See #1, #3, and #8. Prolly #7 too.

7. Apparently I also dropped the number 5. I teach English and study reading education. No comment. 

8. Blogging. I used up my word quota teaching and writing. And revising. And revising again. And then revising some more because I'd had a twelve hour break from my previous revisions.

9. Grey's Anatomy. I completely recognize the ridiculousness of this habit, but it's been a 9 year investment for me. Also, see #4. I plan to binge watch before the school year starts. But don't worry... I already know the huge spoiler.

10. Updating my computer. I have not had an internet connection at my apartment since October 2014 and my other reliable connection bit the dust, so I was stuck on the school network which does not let me update my personal computer. Then I kept putting off updates since I've been home because I was preoccupied. Last Thursday (aka July 2), my computer finally got to the point where it refused to function until I updated it. So, two and a half hours later, I had a new OS and at least 9 other "critical" updates installed and my computer is functioning again. And at a speed that has me no longer wanting to pull my hair out.

I am finding myself not really knowing what to do with myself and all of my newfound free time. I should start gearing up for the new school year, but I need a little more time to decompress before I move that direction.

So until then, I sit and ponder. And take in this current Twins series versus Baltimore. And look forward to Thursday.

March Goals

I'm much less late with this month's goals than I was with last month's. Actually, being late to the party has been the theme of the year so far. See please Exhibit #1, Exhibit #2, Exhibit #3, Exhibit #4, and Exhibit #5. At least I started the year out on the right foot and managed to remember my birthday. Ahem. Five out of seven is not a good track record.

Anyhow, March. Hello. I can't believe you are here already. I still feel like we should be back in January somewhere. I think the consistent weather helps me to lose track of the days. Every day seems the same and, in turn, I have no way to track the seasons. We are down to basically twelve weeks of school. Cue the part praise, part panic. Or mostly panic, to be honest. So much to do in such a short period of time!

This month, I intentionally wrote down my goals and will hang them over my desk. These goals look very similar to February's goals. And January's, I know. I made progress, for sure, but not enough for completion. So on the list they stay until I have accomplished the goal completely and wholly.

I extended my thesis goal because I'm hitting crunch time hardcore there and I did complete my goal of (more or less) memorizing Philippians 2:14-16 and (completely) my Thai phone number. Each of these goals would take up so little of my day, I'm frustrated that I have let myself be so lax about taking care of them. 

It's a new month and a fresh start... Make it happen, Aubrey!

May your March be blessed.

30 Before 30, v.27.0

I am a full two years into this journey and I find it crazy to see how life has happened in the last six months. I definitely feel older with this 27th birthday, but I also feel the same as I always have been. Bring it on 27... I'm ready and waiting.

1. Finish my Master's degree. I have my thesis proposal defense scheduled for Friday and have been given June 19 as my date of final completion!
2. Knock out Baby Steps 2 & 3. I am struggling. Sadface.
3. Complete the C25K program.
4. Build my blog to 100 followers.
5. Take an international vacation... alone.
6. Coach in a state basketball tournament.
7. Buy a nice camera to document life's adventures. I need to figure out how to use my camera and then document this post!
8. Read and notate through the Bible five different times, in four translations (NIV, NKJV, ESV, NASB).
9. Run a marathon.
10. Hit my goal weight (160 pounds... Dream weight is 145 pounds).
11. Do something really nice for somebody... something I never thought I'd be able to do... somewhere, at sometime.  Something has been done and I'm leaving it at that.
12. Send out snail mail Christmas cards one year.
13. Read 100 new (never before read) books. 1Fat Angie. 2Single Infertile Female: Adventures in Life, Love, and Infertility. 3Sparkly Green Earrings: Catching the Light at Every Turn. 4The Help. 5Monster. 6The Book Thief.7Eat, Pray, Love. 8Same Kind of Different as Me. 9Winning Balance.10Thirteen Reasons Why. 11Zack's Lie. 12Water for Elephants. 13The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. 14The Girl Who Played With Fire. 15The Language of Flowers. 16The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. 17Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. 18Jack's Run. 19Gone Girl. 20My Sister's Voice. 21The Heavy: A Mother, A Daughter, A Diet-- A Memoir. 22Divergent. 23The Fault in Our Stars. 24Inferno. 25The Time Keeper. 26Arranged. 27The Anti-Prom. 28The Boyfriend App. 29Going Vintage. 30Deception Point. 31The Tyrant's Daughter. 32Hollow City. 33And the Mountains Echoed. 34Unbroken. 35Calico Joe. 36Insurgent. 37The Memory Keeper's Daughter: A Novel. 38Allegiant. 39Looking for Alaska. 40The Hurricane Sisters: A Novel. 41An Abundance of Katherines. 42The Lovely Bones. 43If I Stay. 44Where She Went. 44Paper Towns. 45Night. 46Will Grayson, Will Grayson (46/100)
14. Try at least 30 new recipes. 1Knoephla Soup. 2Parkerhouse Rolls. 3Broccoli Salad. 4Caramel Rolls. 5Jello Salad. 6Garlic and Parmesan Brussels Sprouts. (6/30) Bad blogger alert. I hosted a large dinner party last fall and never blogged about the evening or my recipes. This will happen, though!
15. Write 500 notes of encouragement to those around me. (5/500)
16. Go skydiving.
17. Crochet a baby afghan.
18. Have a photo shoot done of myself... Insecurities set aside.
19. Go on another missions trip. This one may be in the works. Details are being worked out right now.
20. Complete a semester of calculus.
21. Earn my permit to carry a concealed weapon.
22. Sleep a night under the stars.
23. Get three stamps in my passport. (1/3) I have two international weekends booked in the upcoming two months!
24. Make a kite and fly it.
25. Achieve complete financial independence. Although I am currently struggling pretty hard with #2, I can see that I am slowly but surely moving to total financial independence.
26. Take a dance class.
27. Tear a phone book in half.
28. Solve a Rubik's cube.
29. Learn to swim.
30. Visit New York City... Perhaps for a 30th birthday celebration?