Taking a break to breath

This long weekend was full of moments -- big and little -- that made me smile.

It was seeing my parents and laughing with my mom through an entire football game.

It was buying little pumpkins and decorating our house for fall.

Me and Kelly Squatting - Taken by Sarah 

It was raking the leaves with roommates in hopes of ending our mice problem.

It was spending time to get to know a friend.

Oktoberfest 10k - Taken by my mom

It was waking up bright and early to run my first 10k. It was finishing the race and finding out that I had kept a steady pace -- 7:51 -- throughout the entire space. It was knowing that an 11-year-old boy had kicked my butt in the race. It always amazes me to see these young kids running these races and doing so well.

It was learning a new game and laughing our asses off.

Roomies - Taken by Will

It was celebrating my beautiful roommate Kari's 21st birthday.

Kelly and Kari - The Birthday Girl

It was watching my dad wrestle with his granddaughters.

It was being able to sleep in and not rush through my day.

And it was capturing all of the moments on camera.

Find your escape

This weekend was the best of everything. I got to spend time with friends, escape to the park and "check out" for a while, experience something completely new to me and run like crazy.

Friday night, a friend and I went bowling. It's been a long time since I last went bowling, and it definitely showed, but it was still really fun. Then, a few people came over to the house for a few games and a lot of laugh. I didn't get any sleep, but it was a great night. 

Saturday, I woke up at 6 a.m. for an Advocate story. I bundled up and drove down to the Regional Science Center. It was still dark when I got there and the wind was chilly blowing across the prairie as I walked to the  site. I was there to observe the bird banding, interview the students and professor and get photos and video. There were twenty or more students signed up to come, but only four showed up, so I ended up helping with the bird banding as well. It was an entirely new experience for me. Seeing these little tiny birds tangled up in this big net and trying to disentangle their little bodies and keep them warm. Holding the robins in my hand and throwing them up in the air, so they could fly away. It was an amazing experience. 

Later, I grabbed my camera and my iPod and went to Lindenwood Park. I wandered around the park taking everything in: the calmness, the beautiful fall colors, the chirping of birds, the peacefulness... I took pictures of everything. It was my time to escape and "check out" of the world for a while. I cleared my head and let my mind wander as I enjoyed the quietness of the park and the liveliness of the playground.

Some days you just have to check out for a while. Turn off your phone and computer and just get away. It be cruising around in your car, taking a walk, or just sitting at a park. Take time to enjoy the beauty of life and think about all the wonderful things in your life or maybe the not so wonderful things in your life that you want to change. Take the time to reexamine your life.

Oh how I've missed you

Sometimes life gets a little too busy and all the silly little things that I love to do get thrown to the side and almost forgotten. Sometimes I wish I had a few extra hours in the day, so I could do all those silly little things like writing this blog, going for a walk with my roomies, taking photos or just listening to music and dancing.

Yesterday, I had the chance to go to the Johnny Holm Band show on campus with a few of my friends. It was so much fun to just be able to de-stress for a few hours singing and dancing to the music. I loved it! I was also able to take some great photos, which is always a plus!

No matter how stressful and busy life gets, don't forget to set aside a little time for all the silly little things that make you smile. :)

Be the Energizer Bunny

I got three hours of sleep last night and woke up at 6:30 this morning. I went to campus early and started my busy day. I felt like the energizer bunny running from here to there with plenty of energy and excitement. It (the lack of sleep) didn't hit me until I got to work and I was just sitting on the couch watching tv. But after work I had the chance to hang out with some friends and just talk and be silly. 

Today, so many silly little things and some not so silly, not so little things made me smile (and laugh.) It was the friendly campus squirrels running from tree to tree. It was briefly visiting a friend at work. It was simply the fact that it's Thursday and I didn't have a night class for the first time this week. It was interviewing the guys at the Veteran's Resource Center, even though my brain was very scattered and I probably seemed very unorganized. It was running mile repeats and sweating like crazy. It was walking to Dairy Queen with a friend and having a strange man try to ask us something, we couldn't understand what he was trying to say. It was taking random photographs just because I felt like it. It was finally getting an email back from ILoveFargo.com about the internship - they offered me the job!

When life gets stressful...

Sometimes it's alright to procrastinate.

Saturday, it was enjoying a delicious home-cooked breakfast of bacon and french toast. It was spending time with my roomie's adorable little baby cousin. It was laughing all night with drunken friends.


Sunday, it was trying a few new machines in the wellness center with my roomie, the fish game on the row machine was the best. We laughed so hard that we got a double ab workout. It was baking in the house for the first time, the delicious smell of chocolate and white cupcakes filled the entire house. We baked two boxes, so I would have plenty to share with friends. It was spending the night with a friend, making a wish and blowing the candle out at midnight.



Monday, it was waking up feeling great. It was taking some much needed time to get some homework done. It was reading Blissology and soaking in all the happiness. It was getting a new car just for the day of my birthday. It was bringing cupcakes to a new friend and making another. It was celebrating the night of my birthday with a friend - laughing, reading the Qua-ran, learning a few words in Bangla "Ki Khobor" It was receiving a phone call from my dad on my birthday!

Today, it was coming home to my phone after stressing out all night that I had lost it. It was recording a short sequence in Desktop Video. It was talking to a new friend. After a stressful day and night, it was laughing about everything.

Let all the little things lift you up when you're down

Monday...

Some days life gets a bit crazy and stressful. Someone will say something that hits you hard and knocks you off your feet for awhile, but if you wait long enough the littlest thing will make you smile and help you get back up on your feet.

Today, it was running around the track listening to my iPod and suddenly hearing the familiar, comforting voice of my dad. Although we have a strange almost non-existent relationship, whenever I hear his music I feel this very deep connection with him that always warms my heart and makes me smile.

Tuesday...

Today, it was finding out my best friend is possibly going to be visiting me for Labor Day weekend. It was having a private concert performance of Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis by two beautiful, talented and creative girls. It was sitting on my bed with two old friends just talking about anything. My wonderful attempt to paint an abstract master-piece on a small canvas for my bedroom wall.

Wednesday...

It's great to have a day when everything goes just wonderfully. On days like today, I just can't stop smiling.

Today was filled with silly little things that made me smile. Laughing on the floor in the wellness center with my roomie when she got a crazy cramp in her leg. Meeting new people while visiting my friend in her new dorm room. Talking with my boss. It was losing an intense hula hoop competition with a six year old. It was finally being able to share my new happiness with my best friend.