Beach/ Ocean Withdrawals

T.G.I.F! :)

For some reason, I woke up missing the beach. I miss the sound of the waves crashing on the shoreline, the feeling of sand between my toes, the smell of the coastline and just the simplistic idea of missing a large abundance of water nearby. The good ole days in Cali. 

So, with that thought in my mind, I figured I would post a few pictures of me and anything related to a beach. And for my sake, I also just wanted to reminisce on these memories I collected. 

P.S. Someone should take me to the beach one day! :) 

Off the coast of Cali in November!

Pismo Beach, CA (note: yes I am wearing a sweatshirt, pants & boots on the beach....weird right?)

My two favorite bathing suits, both from Wal-Mart! :)

 Random seashells from Cali in a Bath & Body Works bubble bath jar, creative I know!

I would like...

~to learn to speak Spanish fluently
~to go skiing
~to invent a time machine
~to get lost in my favorite books
~to paint
~to get in shape
~to love unconditionally
~to live at Hogwarts
~to get my Master's in weather, paleontology, & international studies (focus in Europe)
~to see a theater performance (musical, opera, ballet, etc)
~to build a coffee bar/station at my apt
~to take more pictures

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There are days when I get lost in my thoughts and start to think about what I really want to do with my life. There are other days when I get inspired by others and start to let myself dream up beautiful ideas.
There are days when I set goals or ambitions with what I want to do tomorrow, in the near future and far out in the future. Hence the list above sharing my ideas & thoughts about what I would like to do now, tomorrow, next week, next month and in years to come :)

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A few of my ideas came to life via pictures! I look forward to see what the future has in store for me involving my many ideas listed above...

Technology Challenged

Happy Wednesday to all! :)

For the past week plus a couple days, I have been having issues with my computer. Issues including the fact that I was yelling at "it," so basically arguing, and I wanted to punch the living daylights out of this hunk of metal including its mother(board). Haha get it? Well, the jokes on me because I had to forfeit the boxing match and just get it repaired. Probably the better alternative rather than breaking my hand...

The title of this post speaks to me, myself and I because I am literally the worst "tech-y" person ever. I am one of those people who just presses random buttons on anything electronic hoping it'll correct the problem at hand. That being said, I am referring to my lovely computer and also my blu ray player, wireless router and this audio USB jack thing (since my speakers are broken on my computer). Let's just say it was quite the weekend of torture trying to figure out how to work all of the above.

Nonetheless, I managed to get everything to function properly & that being said, it's going to be a great week and many months & years to come.

Part five: C.O.M.M.I.T.M.E.N.T

New and old relationships (part four if you missed it is found here) require commitment, hence my next & final part of my 2013 Ambitions series. Commitment is a strong word. It’s a promise to another person in your life. It’s like a seed blossoming into a flower: you meet someone (that’s the seed), you start talking more & more (that’s the watering), then finally after more time passes, you realize how much that person means to you because they have true value in your life (that’s the blossoming flower).

Any true relationship requires time, energy, communication, and commitment.

Part five: C.O.M.M.I.T.M.E.N.T.

Don’t let this word scare you. It scared me at first, but then I gave it a chance and started to understand the true meaning of it. Commitment doesn’t have to be a scary thing! It can, in fact, be a very amazing thing if you just give it a second thought and allow time to be on your side.

I have decided to focus more on my commitment to friends, family and God. I want to improve my relationships with the people I love and most of all, I want to create a better bond between God and myself this year. I have been lazy these last few years and that is not an excuse. My new ambition for this year is to give commitment more attention and strengthen my friendships using this simple word as part of my foundation.

One commitment I want to focus on the most is the one with our heavenly father, God. I’d like to build a stronger relationship with Him because I know He is & always will be there for me & I have been neglecting that as of late. I believe it will be a good thing for myself & for Justin to have this bond reignited. I know I can turn to Him whenever I am going through difficult times or when I just want to be thankful & grateful for another day to live in this beautiful life.

I am really looking forward to see what is to come later down the road just by giving my new & dear friend “commitment” another chance. I will not let the busyness of my life get in the way; I will put more energy into my friends, family and God.

Part four: N.E.W. & O.L.D. R.E.L.A.T.I.O.N.S.H.I.P.S.

Happy Thursday y'all! Hope everyone has had an amazing week so far :) I should have posted this for my "love" post, but figured it was just as fitting for this post...

So the last portion of my Ambition series was about happiness (and you can find that post here), which is very crucial to living a healthy and positive life. The next ambition I have is to develop new, everlasting relationships as well as rekindle a few old relationships that might have been abandoned, or possibly forgotten to an extent.

Part four: N.E.W. & O.L.D.  R.E.L.A.T.I.O.N.S.H.I.P.S.

Relationships are wonderful things. They bring two completely polar opposite people together or two peas-in-a-pod similar people together. These bonds allow people to confide within one another rather than just themselves. These relationships can range from a romantic, loving connection to just an amazing & lasting friendship. Regardless of what kinds of relationships you make, do ensure that you are putting forth enough energy into it and not just letting it go to waste.

"You don't realize how many treasures you have until you lose them." 

Ever since I have graduated college, started my job, and literally had to move to a different state, I have learned that the friends you should keep close are the ones that put forth the same amount of effort into the friendship as you. They are the ones that are still always there for you whenever you need a shoulder to cry on, a willing audience to listen to your venting, or just someone to have a nice, reminiscing chat with on an ordinary day. 

Basically, my ambition involving new & old relationships is to indulge more energy into rekindling my old relationships and venturing out to meet new people, especially in my career field.

I want to surround myself with positive and optimistic people who bring me up, not bring me down. This ties into my last post in regards to happiness, which involves being both happy & optimistic. 

Part three: H.A.P.P.I.N.E.S.S.

Do you ever get the feeling of being at "a loss for words?" That is how I am feeling right now as we speak. But I did manage to complete the next part to my 2013 Ambitions series. If you missed Part two, you can find it here.

So far we’ve mentioned life and love, which are two dynamic entities to living life well and fully. Who would have thought the next part would indeed be about happiness? Duh!

Part three: H.A.P.P.I.N.E.S.S

To be or not to be happy, that is the question. Quite frankly, I choose to be happy and that is my final answer (Regis). Happiness isn’t a gene that is passed down from your parents. In fact, it is a choice, or rather, a mindset and way of life.

My way of life through 2012 has been about 95% happiness to include positivity and optimism and 5% unhappiness. Yes, its true, people will become unhappy at some point because happiness 100% of the time is exhausting and fairly unrealistic. We all have our moments when we get upset, brood over how mad or sad we are about something, and then eventually (with time) we get over it.

I for one am a prime source to brooding in my misery for hours, sometimes even an entire day. What a perfectly wasted day. My goal ambition for 2013 is to completely encompass myself in happiness and only allow myself a window for any time I get upset about something. And that window will only be open for 30 minutes then it will be shut and I am not allowed to open it back up.

Drew Barrymore describes happiness exactly the way I like to see it: “I think happiness is what makes you pretty. Period. Happy people are beautiful. They become like a mirror and they reflect that happiness.” When you think about it, this is very true because spreading happiness is contagious to people. If you are the one that radiates happiness to others, they will remember that and want to gravitate toward you and maybe quite unexpectedly.

So, together, let’s surround ourselves with positivity and happiness and conquer our days with a smile.

Part two: L.O.V.E

In continuation of my 2013 Ambitions Series...

Yesterdays lesson about my outlook on 2013 included life. Life is such a simple four-letter word, but most people do not realize the importance behind such a tiny word. Positivity and optimism are the foundation of my new and improved life viewpoint as well as nourishing my ability to love more and carefree.

If you missed Part one: L.I.F.E, you can go here. This series is all about a different outlook on living life in a new light. And I am challenging myself to follow up on these perspective changes. I look forward to seeing the results after complying with these simple ambitions. 

Part two: L.O.V.E

What is love? I believe it starts out as a seed that requires attention and a little bit of time because, eventually, it will grow into an unconditional feeling swelling inside your heart and waiting to burst into full bloom.

The idea of love can be cliché, or a mask of uncertainty. Most people have been scarred from the pain of losing a loved one, or having their heart broken from a significant other and resulted in totally losing sight of such an astonishing feeling. I highly enjoy reading novels that entail this anecdote of love because it gives me a little sense of hope that there is true love out in this world.

Being in love is one of the most pleasurable feelings in the world. Knowing that love does exist makes overcoming difficult times much easier. I want to love more than I have ever loved before this year; I want to love unconditionally and bathe in the sweetness of its entirety.

Love is perfect. Love is true. Love is contagious. 

2013 Ambitions Series

Waves are probably my favorite thing to listen to. They are so calming and just simply amazing. This picture was taken on my last treck out to the beach in California before I moved to Wyoming. Saying farewell to this beautiful landscape was hard, but definitely a moment to remember.

Somehow these waves gave me a sense of hope and gratitude for the future. Standing on those rocks, reminiscing on all of the good times I had in California, made me feel content with where I was at in my life. To this day, I am still content and satisfied with what I have accomplished in 2012! Now, I am on to the next chapter of my life and it all started with new ambitions for 2013.

I would like to share my new, self-fulfilling outlook on 2013: life, love, happiness, new & old relationships and commitment.

Photo by Jenni D

Photo by Jenni D

Part one: L.I.F.E

The last few days, I have been reading two to three books at a time, but two of them go hand-in-hand with each other: “The Road Ahead” & “The God who Sees You.” Both of these books have been inspirational as far as my spiritual growth goes and have given me hope for what the future can bring to my life.

Life is a blessing and so many people in today’s society take advantage of everyday they’re given. This ever-so-simple statement didn’t hit home until I picked up the two books listed above and started enveloping myself in its pages, trying to understand each chapter. Every time I get my head in those books, I feel a sense of gratitude and appreciation for finally picking them up to read! So far, I have learned that I must trust in Him and allow Him to guide me through life’s hurdles. And also, that I need to maintain a strong and healthy relationship with Him everyday.

One paragraph in “The God who Sees You” really slapped me in the face (in a good way):

Instead of rescuing us from our painful circumstances, for instance, He often uses those circumstances to strengthen us and mature us. Instead of solving our problems, He uses those problems to teach us patience and trust. Instead of rushing to our aid, He often makes us wait until the very last minute for our deliverance. We may not even know in this lifetime some of the things He has done to help us.

But that doesn’t mean God expects us to stumble blindly through our lives without a sense of His presence. In fact, the very opposite is true. The God of the Bible is all about relationships. He created you and me for intimacy with Him—which means He wants to connect with us.

Sometimes “life” can give you hard lessons to cope with and other lessons not so hard, but nonetheless, life’s lessons are meant to make us stronger. Therefore, I am choosing to be thankful everyday and cherish every memory. I want to enrich myself by being happy and positive more often and not allow myself to ruin a whole day by being upset, sad or angry.