Spread Positivity

what do YOU want?

Have you ever been asked the question: What do you want?...

What do you want right now?

What do you want out of life?

What do you want for your future?

What do you want to do?

And there are probably hundreds of other options but you get the gist.  The point is: Things come in and out of our lives sometimes sporadically and sometimes more frequent.  Regardless of how often or not often things happen - the smallest to largest change can alter what you want. 

In a perfect world these questions wouldn't even be asked because they wouldn't relevant.  You'd already have anything and everything you could ever want.  But the world isn't perfect.  Thus giving these questions the power, the power to make us question, despise, reevaluate, learn, and enjoy our lives we have set up for ourselves.  

But I do feel as though these questions can be answered.  Answering these questions isn't the hard part.  The hard part is making your answers become your reality!  I want to be happy, healthy, loved, enjoyed, and even spoiled.  I want my life and future to be unlimited!  I want the whole world and I also want to be alone.  I want the best of both worlds.  

I'm now finding that answering these questions is simple and now I have to do what I want to achieve these.  Surrounding myself with family and friends and taking advantage of this time in my life to do whatever I want!  Travel, splurge, go out with friends - enjoying myself and my time.  This is what I've learned that will help me achieve my answers to "what I want?".

So whether you're happy and loving life or feeling a little lost or down, take a moment and ask yourself what do you want? and then... go do it!... You will thank me later.

Soundtrack

Music is such a simple yet powerful thing.  I grew up with music being a part of my life in every single shape and form (my parents were both music teachers, to be exact - they were both MY music teachers).  I can say from those experiences I am not a performer but I do have an unbelievably deep appreciation for music.  Listening to music is where I found my passion for music to be.

For as long as I can remember I've used music as a form of escaping and also enjoying my life:

I'm a sucker for a good love pop song for sad and happy days.  There's nothing like an old school boy band group love song to help you remember how good love can be... or can't be.

When going out with friends, there's nothing like a good "club banger" to really get your night going.  Put on a song with a good beat and get everybody up and dancing.

On the first nice spring day of the year, I love to gather friends in a car and drive with no specific destination in mind with the windows down blasting hip hop and rap songs with everyone attempting to rap along - we all sound just like Drake and Rhianna right? RIGHT!

Having a down day? - no problem.  That's something that Britney, Christina, Mariah, and Whitney can help get you through by singing your heart out... GIRL POWER!

I also find music extremely influential for me.  There are certain songs that I come across and they have a way of making me feel invincible.  A certain song about love and adventure will make me ache for the same love and adventure they're feeling in the song.  I've always had the sort of imagination that allowed me to escape reality and become fully involved in movies, television shows, and songs.  I can feel what characters are going through or what songs are singing about.  As soon as they end, I'm sad... I want them to continue.  I want to feel more of what they're going through.

My point for this post is to find your very own soundtrack.  Music helps enhance every part of your life, not JUST the sad ones.  Make memories with songs so when they come back on your ipod randomly it brings a smile to your face and memories flow.

Music is therapeutic.
Music is empowering.
Music brings people together.

Listen and enjoy.

Listen and learn.

Listen and love.

Listen and live.

Pros & Cons

I'm sure we've all heard this saying in all different forms with it having many different meanings, "You only live once".  This 15 letter, 4 word sentence can apply to almost anything and everything in your life.  Everyone is always afraid  of the word "regret".  Afraid to regret doing or not doing something in your life with opportunity knocks.

Regret: to feel sad, repentant, or disappointed over (something that has happened or been done, esp. a loss or missed opportunity).

Regret is part of life.  But I'd like to "regret" the least amount of my life as humanly possible.  However, that's not always easy or possible.  So for me, the best possible way to try not to regret something is to lay out a "Pros & Cons" list.  

I have a potential opportunity coming up that would be a chance of a lifetime and quite possibly a life-alternating experience.  I've been verbally making this list via phone with my parents.  I plan to share what this said "opportunity" is as soon as it becomes more set in stone.  So fingers crossed things work out and I get to share it with you!

I feel as though many great opportunities are sometimes lost or given up because of money.  As much as we'd all love to have a life time supply, or just enough to pay the bills, money is unfortunately a HUGE part of our lifestyle.  So I'm treating this opportunity as a chance to really work hard, more overtime hours and Saturdays with one goal in mind... All this hard work WILL pay off and WILL be worth it!

So in conclusion:
Keep your dreams, hopes, wants, and desires alive because they are worth it!
Regret will happen but with hard work you can kick regret's ass and make your life whatever you want it to be!
Continue to dream and dream big!

Spread Positivity

Farewell 2013

2013 was quite the year.  I started it off just like any other year.  I was in love with my boyfriend and eager to spend another year with each other.  We had our little home together with Muhka.  We had a great group of friends and our amazing families.  We had a great life together.  Weekend trips, dinner parties, movie dates - everything was great.

Summer came and on it's way out it left with a bang.  My relationship was over.  My life - how I was used to it, was over.  It took awhile for me to move on and get back to a "new normal", a new me.  If you've kept up and read my previous posts you already know where I'm going with this and what I'm going to say... surrounding yourself with loved ones in hard times help make those hard times turn into easier and happier times.  I'm unbelievably blessed to have everyone in my life who has helped me take those steps towards happiness.

So 2013, you started off great, had a rough middle, and are ending better than ever.  I now have a new love of my life... myself!  I'm finally learning to love myself, the good, bad, hostile, happy, sad and always clumsy parts of myself.  And I'm learning that other people love those parts about me too.  I'm very excited to see where 2014 leads me and who comes in and out of my life throughout my journey.  Cheers 2013, thank you for helping me grow up, learn to love, and learn to live.  Thank you, for everything.

My New Years Resolution: To live my life as beautifully and boldly as I can!

"Rocky Mountain High"

The Sunday after my birthday my parents dropped me off at the airport and I headed off to Colorado to continue my birthday celebrations.  26, flying for the first time alone, going to Colorado for the first time - I feel like a whole new woman!  Flying by myself was a breeze, I  just had to pay attention a little more than I usually do.  I arrived in Denver around noon and was instantly greeted by Jonny!!!  I was ready for whatever he and Colorado had to throw my way, I wanted to explore, see as much as I could, and take in all the beauty Colorado has to offer.

He lives and works in Boulder.  We spent one day driving and walking around his city.  It was adorable and I instantly fell in love.  Surrounding the entire city as far as you can see are the Rocky Mountains.  Calenders, post cards, and the Internet do not do these Mountain's justice - they are absolutely breath taking.  We drove up a mountain that is essentially across from his apartment to get some timeless pictures.  It was cold, windy, snowy, icy and extremely sketchy but the pictures were well worth it!

We spent Tuesday in Denver.  We took the bus from Boulder which was barely a 30 min ride.  What a clean and beautiful city!  We walked all around, even to some places Jonny had never really been too before either.  We stopped at Coors Field and looked through the gates at the field.  I have to say Denver, you have some interesting street art.  My top favorites would have to be: the over sized blue bear that's staring into the Colorado Convention Center and then the enormous random red chair with a pony on it in front of the Denver Public Library... enjoy.

Then we headed over towards the Pepsi Center.  We ate a bar/restaurant right next door and then headed over a little early to the Avalanche game to watch warm ups.  I have never been early for a hockey game to see the warm ups and it was AWESOME.  I was in constant contact with Steven to find out players he liked or disliked and I went right up to the glass to get their attention and pictures of course! Helloooo boysss...

The Avalanche unfortunately did not win.  But it was a great time and it made me remember just how much I enjoy hockey games - you got me hooked Jonny!  After the game we headed back to the bus station and back to Boulder.  It was an awesome day spent in Denver and we did a lot of walking!

The next day our end goal was Breckenridge!  We started there and made a stop on the way to the Red Rocks Amphitheatre.  And man oh man was that a beautiful venue.  We got to walk down to the stage and then we did a walk through their Performers Hall of Fame display.

Then we continued on our way to Breckenridge.  Breckenridge was beautiful.  The town looked like a snow globe.  We parked the car and walked around the main strip of shops, restaurants, bars, and coffee shops.  We stopped for lunch and had an amazing meal.  Then we walked towards one of the ski lift/gondolas.  This is a huge skiing/snowboarding town - for a second it made me wish we were there for that reason, just for a second and then I remembered how uncoordinated I am and why I don't do outdoor winter sports. 

On our way home, we stopped at a pull off spot and took my favorite picture of my trip...

We spent my last night in Colorado at Jonny's job, Shine Restaurant & Gathering.  I got to meet more of his friends out there and we hung out at the bar and had a couple drinks.  It was the perfect ending to the perfect getaway.

Overall, I fell head over heels in love with the state of Colorado.  My pictures and words do not do the state justice.  It is truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.  I asked Jonny if he ever gets tired or sick of seeing the mountains every day, his response was no - and after being out there and seeing them for myself, I totally understand his response.  How could anyone get sick of seeing them!  A big thank you to Jonny for hosting me and putting up with my for 4 days!  I totally experienced my own Rocky Mountain High while out there, everywhere you look, is unbelievably beautiful and breath taking.  I hope to one day move out there so I can enjoy the beautiful state everyday!