I Can Carry You

Why is it that the end of the month always comes so quickly? I feel like every single month I'm always surprised a new one is coming.

A couple of things before we go onto our "usual programming."

1) Pardon me all day today while I flail about due to today's Lizzie Bennett Diaries. Feel free to ignore those tweets and Facebook posts.

2) Today I joined BlogHer - and I'M SO CONFUSED. If anyone is on that site, add me (is that what you do?) and explain to me how it works. Thanks

3) I'm considering bringing back sponsor swaps and guest posts (maybe not a monthly theme though?). Thoughts?

Currently..

As much as I love to travel and visit friends, I have to say that it is wonderful to sleep in my own bed, lay on my own couch, and stand in my own shower. 

Orlando was wonderful! However, I have not uploaded or edited all of my photos yet, and I want to write a blog post about my trip with photos. I did post a couple on Facebook and Instagram and such, however, since my phone has terrible battery life I learned early on in the trip to take all of my pictures with my actual camera. So, hopefully this week you'll get an update on my travels.

In the meantime, I don't want to leave all of you without anything to read! (Because I know all of your are anxiously waiting by your computers every moment of every day waiting for me to post again. Haha.) A couple of the blogs I follow have been doing some "currently" type of posts. So I'll jump on the bandwagon and do the same for now!

And here's a photo from my phone to tie you over for the time being:

We saw The Hulk at the Lego store in Downtown Disney!

A Lot of Lists and Fan Girling

While you are reading this, I will be:

A) Sitting at the airport waiting for my flight

B) At my friend Chelci's preparing to leave for the airport

C) Sitting on an airplane

D) Arriving in ORLANDO to see Alice, Kirstie, and Lor.

E) Sleeping

That's right friends - I'm heading to Orlando this week!

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This Is What I Get For Being Responsible And Getting My Flu Shot

Ah the weekend. A time to hang out, chill, and relax.

Or get sick and still be running around all over the place. Whatevs.

These are my best friends this lovely Monday morning.

Coffee (cause you know... it's me), hand sanitizer cause everyone at work is terrified
of getting sick by me, and DayQuil. It's a party in my office today!

Coffee Date

It should come to no surprise for my long time readers that coffee shops play a large role in my life. Particularly, Starbucks. (Although, in my defense, we don't have a whole lot of other options in the town I live in. There is one other coffee place I really like, but it's sort of out of the way of where I tend to spend my days. Therefore, Starbucks gets most of my business.) There is something peaceful and nostalgic about coffee shops. Maybe it's because many of my college memories are from weekly walks to Caribou Coffee nearby, or watching Friends too much as a kid. Who knows? It's not just about getting coffee. It's sitting down with an old friend (or a new one!) and catching up on life. It's finding a place to go when it's cold and rainy outside and you need to warm up. Or maybe just to clear your mind and get lost in a good book for awhile with a hot drink in your hand. 

Or maybe I just have watched Friends too much.

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The Green Brothers Make Funny Faces When The YouTube is Slow

I'm coming to the conclusion that YouTube hates me.

When I upload videos, it sometimes takes two or more hours to upload to the site.

Then when I try to watch videos, it is constantly stopping on me. No matter where I am, home, work, Starbucks, etc. it takes me at least fifteen minutes (if not more) to watch a three minute video.

COME ON YOUTUBE! I want to overdose on the VlogBrothers and Lizzie Bennett Diaries. My goodness. While at lunch today, I was trying to watch John Green's latest video but for at least five minutes it would freeze at various points making me stare at crazy screen shots like this:

Can I Pick Your Brain For A Minute?

It's over a week into the new year, and my goals/resolutions are still fresh in my mind.

Which is new and exciting for me. Usually I've forgotten all about them by January 2. This is progress guys!

One of my big goals for 2013 is to improve this blog. I want it to be something I'm proud of. I feel as though in 2012, while it kept going and some great things came out of it, it lost some of it's original heart. Which is sad.

To make this place better, I would like to have some of YOUR feedback! Here are some questions and thoughts going through my head right now. Let me know in the comments (here, on Facebook, email, Twitter- whatever) what you think.

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One Sentence

One sentence is all it takes.

I'm suddenly shrinking in my seat staring at the screen, thinking of all of the things I've written, loved, watched, and read, and wonder if any of it is good enough.

"It was so good to talk to a real writer. Not just someone who has a blog."

Not thinking about those people who are "just someone who has a blog" and work hours on end on a story that may or may not be published someday.

Condescending comments about writing novels in thirty days. 

Not thinking that maybe that 30 day deadline is exactly what someone needs in order to get a rough draft done. Or at least to get an idea on a page.

Tweeting about how they took a nice little nap during a movie that many of their followers have probably seen and loved.

When maybe that movie is one of the reasons why another person loves the art of acting and storytelling so much.

Announcing how they will judge someone if they claim their favorite book is in the young adult genre.

When maybe they haven't even read the story themselves.

Fridays Letters

Dear 2013, this has been a pretty good week thus far. Keep it up for the next 51, okay?

Dear Leslie, I'm so glad we were able to hang out over coffee this morning! It was good to catch up and have some quality time.

Dear Ginny and Kayla, Thanks for letting me hang out and crash at your place over New Year! I'm glad I was able to have a relaxing holiday and spend it with some good friends.

Dear Internet, You know I love you... but lately I'm having mixed emotions. I feel as though every time I go on Twitter, blogs, Tumblr, etc. I'm being judged. I'm not good enough. Cool enough. Cultured enough. This may be a topic which needs to be expanded upon later.

Dear Books, I have bought many of you the last week or so (13 to be exact...) and there are even more I wish to buy. Thank you for always welcoming me into other worlds and letting me escape my own for a little while.

Dear Indiana Family, I really missed you over Christmas.

Dear Christmas, I miss you already, and my decorations are still up! It's so sad how the holidays go by so quickly.

What letters are you writing this week? Linking up with The Sweet Season. 

Starting Again

There's something refreshing about switching over your calendar to a new year.

While I may be sitting here in my office, at the same computer, in the same building, with the same clutter covering my desk, there is still a feeling of starting fresh. Maybe it's because after my vacation my "to-do" list hasn't filled up as much as I had thought it would. Instead, I'm using my time for advanced planning, goal setting, making connections, and daydreaming of what 2013 will hold.

Part of me wants to run away from New Year's Resolutions so I can stay away from the cliches.

However, I can't help but think about what I want to accomplish in the next year and figuring out ways to start fresh.

It's somewhat of a long list, but these are all things I really need to work on in 2013.

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2012- That's a Wrap

As I am writing this, it is New Years Eve and sorting through all of the blog posts, Twitter updates, and Facebook statuses all reminiscing over 2012.

Some people seem to have happy memories of the past 12 months (or at least make their internet face make you believe this) while others appear to be happy 2012 is over and a new year is starting. Everyone is recapping everything (myself included - check out my book and music recaps), while also frantically trying to get their plans done at the last minute so they can celebrate. 

Oh America, we do love to procrastinate on these things, don't we? 

I will probably be spending the night with a friend watching movies, playing games, and watching the ball drop while eating unhealthy food.

A few days ago, while I was going through my own reflections on 2012, I wasn't sure what to think. At first I had all of the negative emotions I'm noticing a lot of people my age have about the new year. Feeling as though I'm in the same place as I was 12 months ago. Not going anywhere. Not getting any of my goals for the year completed.

Then as I thought about it... 2012 wasn't terrible after all.