Running is Life

Today was my day off so of course I planned to get in a little bit of running. I try to spend my days off doing a longer run and on a trail of some sorts (instead of a treadmill at the gym). I've been working hard this past month on getting back into shape and hitting the gym. And I am proud say I am finally seeing and feeling the difference. Today, I was able to run a 5k at the lake. I used to walk/run the lake randomly throughout college, and I would seriously be so tired. So running the whole way today felt so so amazing! It was a major accomplishment for me. I seriously now feel like I can do anything. I might just have to run a 10k, 15k, and a half-marathon before I reach the age of 24. Overall, my body just feels great. I have so much energy and I feel healthy and strong. I am so happy I have been getting back into running again, I hope to keep it up and accomplish more and more.

Appreciating fall

I am starting to get pretty excited for fall. I know I was just saying that I never wanted summer to end. But fall is really starting to rub off on me. In the past few years I've been spending my fall seasons studying away and being fully involved in my school work. Now, that I am a graduate I want to really appreciate this time of year that I am usually too busy to even notice. I've been looking up little events and things to do such as the Julian apple harvest, Oktoberfest, Halloween festivals, decorating pumpkins, baking fall goodies, etc. Since me and J are spending less time together overall due to him being in school, I want to make the most of us spending time together and enjoying this season.

Recently, I've been working a lot and gaining a little more independence. With J being in school all day, I've been learning how to spend my free time in other ways. This includes spending time and catching up with other friends. I ended up going hiking with my friend Travis (and his dog Ruby) on Wednesday and had such a good time. It was so good catching up and getting a little work-out in. I hadn't been hiking in a while (even though its one of my favorite activities!) so it felt great. I am hoping to get in touch with more friends, of course its hard growing up and everyone having conflicting schedules and their own lives.  But I really want to make a better effort.

Things have been going really well, the perfect balance of everything. Of course I wish I could see J more, but this is something I am just going to have to get used to. He is going to be in school these next two years and I am sure things are going to get harder sometime in between. But it is fine, and I am willing to do this. Especially, since he has been great and has been putting in effort too.  I will get used to seeing him less than usual.

What are your plans for this weekend?

Being Motivated

I have been feeling so incredibly motivated lately and I love it! I think this motivation is stemming from me recently turning 23 and from my boy starting school. There has been lots of inspiration being pushed my way and I love it. I've been making small and subtle changes, and I really hope to keep them up. I just truly feel that 23 is the year to make changes and start living the life I've always wanted. What are some things I have been up to?

1. I'm happy to say I have started attending church again. I went through a period this summer where I've been skipping out on services and have been watching them online.  But I woke up early and attended service and it felt so good to go and be there. So now I am going to make it a habit to wake up early and attend the morning service so I can spend the rest of the day watching football, relaxing, and hanging out with my boy.

2. I've been applying to a series of jobs like crazy. I am hoping that one of them comes through, but I won't be waiting quietly to hear back. I am going to continue to work hard and to keep applying like crazy. I am going to continue volunteering and gaining experience. I am also hoping to get in contact with the environmental health department to see if they have any volunteer opportunities for me to gain experience. I'm ready to take this to the next level and really make myself a strong applicant!

3. I am so happy to say that I finally ran over 30 minutes straight the other day. And what was even better was that I didn't feel like I was going to die. I felt like I could have continued running! I still have not found a 10k race to enter, but I am going to complete a 5k first. I haven't ran a 5k since middle school, so this will be a big deal. But I am excited to complete it and I am excited that J has decided to run with me. I've also been taking vitamins and overall I feel great and healthy!

Life at 23

On Wednesday I turned 23 years old. Another year old, and another year wiser? I surely hope so. I had a lovely little birthday though. I started the morning off by volunteering at SDRPF and getting some experience doing water quality testing. I've been looking for resume builders since I so desperately need it.  My biggest problem in landing a job has been because I lack experience, despite having my degree. I had to quit my internship because I was not getting the experience that I needed, so therefore it was a big waste of my time. From now on I will be volunteering, until I find another internship or job.

After spending four hours of the day volunteering, I came home and took a nice relaxing shower and got dolled up. By this time George had came over and had brought me gifts. He is such a good boyfriend because he did so well. He got me a pair of studded flats, a new moleskine, chocolate covered strawberries, and had made me a beautiful painting for my room. I love having an artist for a boyfriend! Our evening concluded with dinner at indigo grill in little italy and some champagne drinking at vin de syrah. A few good friends joined us later in the evening for drinks! Overall, it was a lovely little birthday.

So I've already broken in my moleskin with a few goals for the age of 23, along with my biggest accomplishments at age 22. Twenty-two was honestly an okay year for me, definitely a roller-coaster of ups and downs. I went from being depressed and hating life to falling in love and trying new things. It was not my best year, even though I cannot complain about all the good things that also happened. I am hoping and praying that 23 is a good year for me. Most of all I hope I start a career and life more of the life I want.

I'll give it my all

+ I've been taking advantage of my free-time on Mondays and Wednesdays by working out and hitting the gym. I thought of the crazy idea of running a half marathon sometime in early 2013, but now I am having second thoughts about that. I am just starting to get back into shape, so my runs are still feeling really rough. Today was the first time running on a trail (as opposed to the treadmill at the gym) and after 2.5 miles I was feeling pretty winded. So maybe I will work towards a 5k and then a 10k. Obviously, I still have a lot morning training to do as I am not even in shape yet.  But maybe after I hit those markers, I can determine if I still want to run a half marathon or not.

+ My internship is so far so good, and I've been putting in a lot of time. But at the same time, my mentor is moving away at the end of the month. I really liked her, her work ethic, and her personality.  So having to adjust to someone new for the next two months is going to be rough.  Other than that, everything is going well.

+ So what do you guys do when your boyfriend is out of town? I'm sure most of you hangout with friends and family. I just clean up my room and take care of things that never get done. My boy is out of the country right now visiting his family in Tijuana, and I haven't had any contact with him (can't get service). It's weird because even though we've been apart from each other a few times before, we still stay connected through calls/texts.  But I've only gotten a facebook wall post from him this morning. I thought he was coming back tonight, but I am unsure (he has the next week and a half off so he can really stay as long as he wants).  I just hope he comes back soon, I just want to squeeze him and never let go.

+ My job search in San Diego is still not going well. And with my dream job starting to open in various counties around California. This means I just might have to move even though I don't want to. With the boy starting school soon, we will be spending a lot less time together anyways. So I'm sure wherever I end up, I can still see him on the weekends. But here goes nothing.....

+ And lastly....I turn 23 in a week from Wednesday. Yes, its scary!

Life as of Lately

Happy Hump Day! I can't believe we are now entering the second half of the work week. Of course my schedule is not a typical 9:00-5:00 so the days of the week are always kind of scattered to me. I thought this week would feel kind of busy and rushed, but its actually been kind of low-key and chill.

On Monday, I started the first day of my internship. I was basically thrown right into field work, which involved hiking off trail through trees, brush, and unstable terrain. I also walked through a bush of bees and damn near had a heart attack. We identified sources of trash and used an GPS device to mark them for our clean-up event on Saturday. Today I had a quick orientation and learned more about the SDRPF and also the history of the San Diego River. Definitely very cool. I'm a little anxious about this event this Saturday and I'm sure next week will be a lot more intense. But I am ready and willing and learn as much as possible!

One thing I've been bouncing around in my head is if I should relax a little or work harder? Lets face it, I am not happy with my current financial situation. I thought that at this point in time I would have a new and exciting full-time job, making decent money, and using my degree. The thing is I have gotten a few opportunities, but not as many as I wish. I am tired of struggling financially, and tired of spending all this extra time looking for jobs--It definitely takes its toll. My mind is running a mile a minute. But now I am left wondering if this new job hasn't come yet due to the fact that I am not trying hard enough, or that I have too much going on right now... Should I step it up, or step down? I mean I just started this internship and yet I am still looking for more work. I think I might just be lacking in the quality, and I should put more effort into perfecting myself when applying for a few jobs instead of rushing and applying to as many jobs as possible. I am blessed to have parents that support and help me out, but I strive for nothing more than to be an independent young lady.

A little love + A little change

So many amazing things have happened this past week, and I am feeling truly happy and blessed.

Accepted a new internship

Spending a day at the beach in a tent

Getting paid to hula-hoop and play with kids on labor day

Finding out I'll be keeping my pay rate for the next month at least

New white nail polish

Spending time with an old high school friend

Endless hugs and kisses from my amazing boy

Having my boy take care of me during an allergic reaction

Watching hunger games while eating the best fudge brownies

Trying Vietnamese sandwiches for the first time

Having a girls night out

Finding out I am going to be an aunt again

I think I may be coming to terms with accepting and truly enjoying the simple things in life. I can't even believe how amazing this past week has been, and its not like anything super crazy or luxurious has happened. I just feel happy and I am going to take on one thing at a time. That might also mean being more strict and budgeting more. It might also mean finding a second job and staying extra busy. A little sacrifice will do me good, and in the meantime I will enjoy all those little things that really make life so great.