Wrap up!

Ok, welp. I haven't done a super great job of blogging this year.
Oh well!
2014 flew by and I just wasn't in the blogger mood.

But here is a list of some of the top 9 things that happened in 2014. (sidenote: this kind of feels like one of those christmas updates...I thought it would be funny if I sent out a picture of me and Selma and then wrote a whole page about Selma and how she still has a cough and gained a couple pounds...hahahahaha!)

Ok, anyway.

#1 thing that happened in 2014 - Nathan Salley. Nathan Salley asked me out for a beer in March (finally!) and then we became official in May and now we are in love. He's the best.

#2 Getting more experience with photography. Did my first wedding and second shot another wedding with Tayler. Want to keep improving.

#3 Grateful for my health this year! Got involved in essential oils with Young Living. Trying to go the all natural route when it comes to things I put in or on my body. And cleaning products, etc. It's been awesome!

#4 Was able to travel a few new places internationally. Columbia in March with a flight attendant for her birthday. South Korea in May to visit Justin and Alicia. And South Africa in November with my mom.

#5 Was able to explore Colorado more! Nathan and I went to Telluride and Ouray in Fall - it was my first time and definitely one of the most beautiful places in Colorado. Also did the Crested Butte trip and we went to Steamboat a couple weeks ago. Places that I can't help but go annually!

#6 Airbnb! I had been talking about it for a while but finally signed up to list my space on www.airbnb.com. It is an awesome site where you can rent out your place for whatever price you want, whatever days you want. I only started it in October - but have had about 10 guest stay at my place! I love it.

#7 Getting more involved in church (Mile High Vineyard). Involved in the sense that I actually go. When I can. Ha. Nathan and I went to a small group for a little bit and the location of the church moved to lower highlands. About one mile from my house. God couldn't really make it much easier. And it's nice actually knowing a couple people at church (vs. flatirons!)

#8 Weddings, babies, friends moving away. This happens every year I suppose. And it's stiiiill happening.

#9 This a year of being secure. Or more secure. Trying to be. Let go of expectations. Be free. Less transition and looking for the next cool thing and more so being happy with who I am. With years prior there was a lot of FOMO and YOLOs and I love a busy social life but I am getting better at being ok if  I miss a concert or happy hour or having new clothes (ok that last part is probably not as true...I shopped at free people for the first time this year)

The sound of silence.

Boyfriend Nathan bought me this book that I wanted called "Seven" by Jen Hatmaker. 

"Seven is the true sory of how Jen (along with her husband and her children to a varying degrees) took seven months, identifited seven areas of excess, and made seven simple choices to fight back against the modern-day diseases of greed, materialism, and overindulgence."

The theme of the months are clothes, shopping, waste, food, possessions, media and stress. I read the first couple chapters and since there is no real order in the months I chose to start with the media month. I have been wanting to to a sort of "media fast" for a while - so it was perfect timing. For the month of November I would be giving up seven things:

1. facebook

2. instagram

3. pinterest

4. tv (news, shows, etc)

5. movies

6. radio in the car (except npr, sermons, worship) 

7. games (entertainment apps)

I am about halfway through and I am realizing my life is so full of noise and the urge to constantly entertain myself. At the stoplight, on the bus, when I wake up, when I go to bed. We don't know how to be quiet anymore. I loved when I was in Africa and I would look forward to quiet yoga sessions in my room and reading before bed. But this isn't Africa. And I actually went to South Africa with my mom and I couldn't do it. I coudn't just read or have a conversation for seven days. We watched a couple movies. I watched movies on the 17 hour plane ride! I've definitely failed a few times. 

On top of the noise and time thing I know I find a lot of identity in facebook or instagram. Posting cool pictures of my travels, getting likes, being invited to things. Where does my value come from? Is this "stuff" that I am filling up my time with making me more loving, patient, kind? Can I hear my own thoughts anymore? When was the last time I blogged? Ha. I dont think that I have to quit facebook and movies but I want to be less glued to my phone. And have better face-to-face time with people. We say we don't have time for things but when we take away all the fillers we have more than enough time. Time to listen. 

Oils!

I tend to want to do everything that my dear friend Elisa does. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right!?  I love her style and taste and she is so smart and funny. So when she started talking about these new "essential oils" that she is "really" into - I didn't think twice about getting on board. She was using them because she had recently re-broken her foot, had surgery and couldn't do much for a couple months. For someone who is active and likes to be outside she naturally wasn't feeling great. The oils not only helped her emotionally but she also was able to stop taking all the pain medication! I ordered a kit and this is how my oil addiction began...

Birthday Love.

We were sitting around the table playing a game of "citizens of humanity"- a snowy night in Crested Butte. My friend Jenn preparing pazole soup. It was elisa, erin, jen, jen's bf, and jen's bf's friend. When Jen sent out the invite for her annual get together at her parent's amazing cabin I couldn't think of a better place to be for my 30th. Then when Elisa surprised me on the phone saying that she was flying out for the trip - I knew it would be perfect! And it was. After much laughing, appetizers and wine we starting eating around 10pm. The most delicious birthday dinner. They brought out a confetti birthday cake and I made a wish and then Elisa brought out this book that she had put together. Of basically all my friends and family writing me love notes. I starting crying right away. I am so lucky to have such incredible friends and I feel so rich in life. Thank you for everyone's kind words and for your loving friendships!

#30daystill30

I am surprised at how excited I actually am to turn the big three oh. What if you were one of those people who were just so dang excited about being alive?! I love the life and opportunities I have had so far and growing older means, growing wiser and letting go some of the juvenile or insecure thoughts that come with wanting to be accepted. Keeping up with the Joneses. There are still times of going on facebook and envying people's lives. Their look. Their ideas. It's easy to get down on your life when you are constantly checking instagram and facebook and when your friends are ridiculously good looking and cool! Ha. I am happy for my friends and all the stages of life they are in. People who don't have kids - want kids. People who have kids - want to travel. People who travel - want a husband. People who have a husband - want a house. Everything is amazing and nobodies happy. Instagram SHOULD act as an inspiration! If you don't think your life is awesome. Then just make it more awesome, duh.  Get excited to be here. Don't get stuck in a rut. I started a #30daystill30 to try something new everyday. Weather it's going to a new country (Colombia) or making pesto. All I know is that life is short and growing older motivates me to do more things! More fun things. And then post them on instagram so other people can see how awesome life is.

a poem for 2014.

I found this poem by Mary Oliver on a friends blog - she posted it while she was in Africa.


“you do not have to be good.

you do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.

you only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.

tell me about despair, yours, and i will tell you mine.

meanwhile the world goes on.

meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain

are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees,

the mountains and the rivers.

meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

are heading home again.

whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting –

over and over announcing your place

in the family of things.”

the most wonderful time of the year.

i have a long layover in burbank and i thought it would be a perfect time to catch up on my blog. except I am sitting in a starbucks full of loud, cheerful consumerist. i am trying to drown out the obnoxious christmas music with something more relaxing. everything is distracting. burbank is full of tourist and people trying to make it. it's a 20 minute drive from the hollywood sign. outside there is a huge christmas tree with bible thumpers standing in front. the wall directly across from me is covered in posters of the counties from which some of the coffee derives...the tanzania one wont stop looking at me. it's taunting me with the rude awakening of being back in the states.
its a weird time of year to come back from africa. my sister kept saying she felt like this trip was going to "change me" more than previous trips. and yes, one of the big reasons i travel is selfishly for myself. to cleanse my mind, body and soul from whatever toxins or misconceptions i have believed about...well, life. the simplicity of being in a third world country alone automatically lowers your expectations about almost everything. i expect to get sick, for the van to break down, to not get on my flights. when i was there little things like warm showers made me so happy :) i am only in control of so much and my attitude is the difference between an ordeal and an adventure (ok, thats a direct quote from pinterest...but it's true!) it takes a lot for me to get irritated or stressed out because i just keep reminding myself of how lucky i am to be in africa and that everything good and bad is part of the experience, part of the story.
but that's africa.
now i am home and it's like i have a sense of bitterness and irritation towards...well, almost everyone. ha. all the sudden i feel allowed or entitled to have high expectations for people and things, including myself. and i am constantly being let down. i was planning on adventure and some sort of revelation in who i am and god building my character. my trip was great, it was so smooth it was almost erie. what i wasn't prepared for was america being so challenging.