26th Birthday Recap

My 26th Birthday was incredible. Absolutely incredible. I had no real plans and no real expectations. However the events that occurred and the people with whom I celebrated with made this birthday one I will NEVER forget.

I had SO much fun during a pre-celebration happy hour at McGinty's Pub, enjoyed seeing Boyz II Men in concert, had a blast getting a mani/pedi AND a no words can describe time at Seasons 52 with two of my best friends!

I am so thankful for the friends that I have in my life. I truly believe I have some of the BEST. Each one of you brings such joy and happiness to my world. You love me when I am not very lovable. You love me when I am. You accept me for who I am and challenge me to be greater. YOU all are fabulous and I thank God every day for you. And right now ... I thank YOU for celebrating my special day with me.

I look forward to what 26 holds ... if it's anything like the past 48 hours - it's going to be an awesome year!

Here's a look at what I have been up to!

Birthday Sweets - ON THE HOUSE -

Best Birthday "Cake" EVER

Tasting Wine [outdoors] on a Beautiful August Afternoon

My Best Friends <3 Thanks for celebrating with me girls! 

My Chickie! 

My BFF <3 

Cousins by Blood. Best Friends by Choice.

So grateful for these lifetime friendships xo

Favorite picture of the night! 

High School Favorites <3

Dinner & Drinks [and 50 poses] before Boyz II Men

It was an AMAZING 26th Birthday! 

Last Day of 25.

Today is my last day as a twenty-five year old. I have survived multiple quarter-life crises and I've become stronger and wiser. Twenty-five was a HUGE year for me. I can truly say I grew as an individual.

I laughed a lot. I cried some nights. I challenged myself to do the things I thought I could not do.

I started graduate school and had one of the best years of teaching in my career thus far. I experienced some setbacks. I lost some friends. I gained some new ones. I met new people from all walks of life.

I broadened my perspectives and opinions. I deepened friendships and found new ways to cherish those good people already placed in my life. I learned about myself. Who I am. What I want out of life. What I think and feel. I dated. I let myself fall for someone. I got back out there.

I learned how to cook more meals. And how to budget my money. I dealt with loneliness. I celebrated my single hood. I learned how to love time spent alone. I went out on adventures with myself and only myself.

Most importantly however, the greatest experience/life lesson I had/learned this year was to be present. To make the most of now. To stop worrying about things beyond my control. To be happy. To give thanks for something - anything - everything each and every day. To find one thing to be thankful about each day - because there IS good in each day. To live simply. To meditate and pray. To take each moment - good or bad - as it comes. Because it's all happening for my greater good. To cherish those people in my life and to let them know I love them. To be kind and stay positive. And to live my life the way I want. The way I see fit. It's my life to live and I need to be happy doing so. No regrets.

I thank God for this 25th year of life. It has been my favorite by far! As I prepare to say goodbye to yesterday ... and I look forward to tomorrow. I feel different. I feel wiser. stronger. I know twenty-six will come with it's fair share of ups and downs. But I will take the lessons I learned this year with me - and make the most of now ... today and every day.

"I’m only twenty-[five/six]. I’m young. I’m learning. I’m growing. I’m succeeding and sometimes I’m failing. And this year, instead of wondering where I’ll be next year, I’m going to focus on making the most of what’s in front of me. Today. Here’s to hoping you will, too." - Matt Cheuvront 

Make This a [Habit]

"Devote yourself to praise - giving thanks for everything and everyone in your life; to prayer - asking for what you need, believing that you can have it; and to surrender - detaching yourself from a specific outcome. I trust that these activities alone will put your life and your mind on its divine course." - Iyanla Vanzant

Taking Back Charge

I am feeling pretty low this evening. I originally felt an urge to bare my soul in this blog post. To pour out all of my emotions and feelings onto this page. But then I remembered that I made a vow to myself in July to 'be happy'. To find something beautiful in each day. And it became immediately clear that instead of sulking - I should find a few things to share that brought joy to my heart today.

So what made me happy?

• sitting with Kelly and Meghan during ILT today
• participating in the ILT meeting today
• the gorgeous 'fall-like' weather 
• text messages from my best friend Kitty
• hearing from [and reconnecting with] old friends from high school
• even though we were unable to sync schedules
• a home cooked meal for dinner
• walking around the perimeter of the newest elementary school in the county with my momma, feeling the cool, crisp, breeze in my hair 
• coming home to a clean house 

I am taking back charge of my happiness today ... are you?

Meditate Until a Habit is Formed

Sometimes I begin my day by reading a daily devotional by Joel Osteen. These encouraging little blurbs arrive in my inbox for me to read while sipping on a cup of coffee or while lounging on my couch. This morning, I opened the latest devotional to find this message:

Many people today don’t realize that the reason they’re not happy, the reason they’re not enjoying life is simply because they’ve trained their minds in the wrong direction. They’ve programmed their minds to worry. They’ve programmed their minds to complain. They’ve programmed their minds to see the negative. But just as we can train our minds to focus on the negative, we can also reprogram our minds to focus on the positive. It all depends on what we meditate on.

When we meditate on the Word of God, we reprogram our minds. When we meditate on God’s goodness, we are developing a right mindset. When we choose to be grateful and focus on what’s right rather than what’s wrong, we are choosing a positive attitude. This doesn’t happen automatically, you have to discipline yourself to focus on the right things. You have to make a conscious effort to spend time in the Word of God every single day until a habit is formed.

This message resonated with my soul. It is in fact the very thing I did during the month of July. I woke up at the beginning of July and realized I was so unhappy. I worried about things beyond my control and complained about things I should have been giving thanks about. I focused on the negative day in and day out. However this one particular morning, I decided that I did not want to feel that way anymore. I did not want to live my life that way anymore. I had felt like I had lost a sense of myself. Who I once was. Who I should be. So I embarked on a thirty day journey of happiness.

What an amazing thirty day experience that was. It totally changed my life. Do not get me wrong, it took a lot of conscious effort to reprogram my mindset. There were days that I struggled with focusing on positivity. But I made it a point to find one thing each day to give thanks for. One thing to be grateful for. And day by day, moment by moment, happiness returned to me. Happiness flooded my gates ... my being ... with such an intensity that no words could do the feeling justice.

Thirty days later, a new habit has been formed. It is not an easy habit, but it does become easier with each passing day. So I challenge you - you reading this - find something to be happy about each day. Something to give thanks for. Something to be grateful for. And write it down. Document it. So if you loose your way or begin to fall, you can look back and remind yourself that life is not as bad as it seems. That there is something beautiful in each day ... there is something beautiful inside of you ... if you just take a minute to stop, look around and meditate.

The Cure For Anything ...

I woke up this morning and thought, "I need to get away. I need to go to my happy place." It was 8 o'clock in the morning. I packed a beach bag and grabbed a book, then headed out the door. The skies were cloudy and I encountered several pockets of rain on my drive down. Normally I would have been discouraged, but I was determined to get to there. to. my. happy. place.

So I sang along to songs on the radio. Switching between two pop stations and a country station. Windows down, breeze blowing through my hair. Nothing was going to stop me today. I had a mission to accomplish and I would stop at nothing to see it through.

I arrived at Matapeake Beach, just as two families were leaving. Not one single soul was left. "This is heaven!" I thought to myself. I set up camp, which consisted of draping my beach towel over a chair and pulling out my book. I read a few chapters, listening to the waves crash into the shore. Breathing in the fresh salty air. A few times a patch of drizzles rolled through, but there I continued to stay. I eventually grew bored of reading, so I walked up and down the coastline, waves crashing into my feet.

I said prayers ... for my girlfriends ... for my family ... for myself. I gave thanks for my girlfriends, for my family, for the ups and downs of this year. I recalled all of the lessons my 25th year of life taught me. Of all the opportunities and experiences I was afforded. Of all of the new people I've met and how some friendships came full circle. At one point I sat on a log, feet in the water, waves crashing upon my thigh. I couldn't tell you how long I stayed out there today. At peace. One with myself. One with the universe. An aura of thanksgiving surrounding me. For a rainy, cloudy day ... it was beautiful and magnificent at the same time.

My phone was turned off the whole time I sat on the shore. I wanted to disconnect for a little while. Disconnect from social media and text messages ... and reconnect with myself and my thoughts. I wanted to be free from everything, except for the salt water (which I truly believe is the cure for everything).

At some point, I returned back to my car and traveled down the road to Terrapin State Park. The trails were empty of people but full of bugs. When I finally made it to the beach, it was hot and muggy outside the sun finally peaking through the clouds. Children were EVERYWHERE and adults to. I stepped onto the hot sands just to take in the view ... but left soon thereafter. This was not Matapeake Beach. I could not find peace here.

So I ventured further down the Eastern Shore, this time about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, to the shopping outlets. I spent the afternoon wandering through countless stores and trying on clothes with the upcoming school year on my mind. I stopped for a lunch and dined outdoors by myself. It was a relaxing Sunday ... a much needed kind of Sunday.

My Weekend in Pictures

Great times with amazing ladies! Feeling so blessed to call these beautiful women friends!