It's no surprise that I've been SUPER busy lately tying up loose ends in my life and getting my affairs in order, but I am thrilled to say that I moved into a small, cozy, perfect little apartment in March, not too far from my childhood home. My roommate Zoila is a good friend of mine that I met a few years ago, and we have been having so much fun learning what it means to truly "adult." Examples range from paying our first rent, gas/light bills, and making rice without burning the pot.
Our apartment is a part of a cute community that is full of young professionals who are dog-owners, which I love. However, it's giving me puppy fever... so to say that I'm considering being a mom to my own dog would be an understatement!!
Speaking of cooking, I'm getting into the habit of really being in charge of the food I feed my body. Our gorgeous little island in the kitchen makes it so easy to actually want to cook, so that's a huge plus of the apartment that I love. I'm trying to stick to the Mediterranean diet of fish and chicken, and getting used to shopping for the freshest vegetables and fruits. When you're in charge of your own diet, it makes a world of a difference to know what you can make easily that isn't full of sugar! I feel like I'm going to really get into creating salads and healthy snacks that I can grab when I'm on the go. As soon as I master those, I can definitely share them here.
I am proud to say that I've lost a total of 25 pounds in the past year. Yes, I did it! Shout out to my trainer, Sam, for never giving up on me... and never allowing me to give up on myself. If you have the means, I strongly suggest finding a trainer that can help you improve your form and challenge your body each time. The right trainer for you will be someone who listens to you, supports you and never makes you feel like you have to be anyone else other than yourself. Your only goal will be to be the healthiest version of you, and that's a wonderful thing!
I'm also fortunate to have someone in my life that I did not see coming. In the last year our relationship has grown so much from where we started out, yet we are far from perfect. We've hit some pretty rough patches, but we've gotten through them together, and I'm very lucky that the lessons from my past have prepared me to face every relationship--romantic or platonic--with love and compassion. We all deserve to have someone love us for exactly who we are, but we must first give that unconditional love to ourselves if we really want to live authentically.
Work went from intense-but-exciting to intense-but-exhausting. As usual, a lot has been going down in the district alone, so what we all feel at school is to be expected. Honestly though, I feel another wave of change coming in my career, so I'm doing the best I can to just stay patient and enjoy the ride. The very, VERY bumpy ride!
For those of you interested in how I've been keeping myself sane through all the craziness and changes, I've compiled a list to share my current faves and obsessions. Hope you find something you'd like to try out! Please be sure to comment and let me know of anything you are into right now as well!
What are you reading lately?
I've been reading The Warrior Goddess Way: Claiming the Woman You are Destined to Be by HeatherAsh Amara and I absolutely must rave about it. Basically it's a combination of Don Miguel Ruiz's books and teachings but written by a woman, for women. Amara talks about practicing habits and outlooks that are essential for women to live like the warrior goddesses they truly are. What I really love about the way Amara writes is that she doesn't make you feel like you have to be any certain way to feel like a goddess--you just need to be yourself, learn about yourself and love every little part of you along the journey to self-acceptance and personal growth. It's honestly a must-read for every modern-day woman.
Let's talk music now.
I can't get enough of all that is John Mayer: his voice, his words, his guitar riffs, his brooding stare. I mean, it might be a little biased because we share the same birthday, but I have to say that he is quite possibly my favorite songwriter. If you're a fan of his but you haven't checked out his newest album The Search for Everything, do so ASAP. This was the first half of his new music to bait us into waiting for the next batch of songs, The Search for Everything- Wave 2, but they were worth the wait. Fair warning: this is a new version of John, pretty different from his old music.... and I'm all for it. My favorite so far is definitely this one.
Also, please tell me you have heard of Louis the Child?? They just released their latest EP, Love is Alive, which contains six amazing little tracks. Do yourself a favor and give it a listen.
I've been fairly hooked on Netflix lately too, especially since Aziz Ansari finally blessed us with season two of his brainchild, Master of None. Season one was phenomenal, but there's just something about this new one that had me absolutely hooked. It's almost like one long movie that you wish never ended, mainly because Aziz is one of the most thoughtful, creative, and hilarious screenwriters out there. If you're a Parks and Rec fan, an Aziz fan, or just a fan of cuddling at home and watching a feel-good series, be sure to check out both seasons on Netflix.
As for my adventures in the city, there have been many great ones that I've shared with friends and family (those who watch my Snapchat stories know this to be true!). If you read my latest post, you're also aware that I was able to go behind-the-scenes at a truly magical performance downtown. I'm also trying to find some great live shows (be it theatre, comedy or music), so I recently checked out the The Improvised Shakespeare Company. Their comedy improv spoken in sonnets are seriously funny! I definitely recommend seeing a show as a date night idea. Things I want to do this summer include: staying active, improving my cooking skills, going to Cubs games, seeing more live shows, networking with fellow bloggers, and enjoying every little bit of my upcoming break!
I'm incredibly proud of a few friends of mine for graduating this summer in their respective fields of speech language pathology, physical therapy and physicians assistant programs. I remember how hard it was to finish in the last month when graduation was just around the corner, so I really do commend all of you out there who are staying on track with your studies. Please know that as strained as you may feel sometimes, the hard times do not last, so never give up on what you truly want for yourself--be it a degree, certification, or something non-traditional. As long as it makes you happy, don't listen to what others have to say. You owe it to yourself to create a life exactly the way that you want, so keep going....and as always, keep growing.
xo
