Saturdays in Spring

The picture above is exactly how I am planning on spending my day today. The sun is shining and the temperature is supposed to be in the 70's! Hallelujah! I wrote a post earlier this week about the finicky spring weather but I am 100% wearing shorts today. 

One of my favorite things to do is to lay outside. Not necessarily to get a tan (I'll still take it) but to just enjoy the breeze and the Vitamin D! This is something that my mom got me hooked on as a little girl and I've loved it ever since. When I was little we'd go out into the backyard with a large Mexican blanket and a pitcher of lemonade and lay there for hours.  Even if it's just for an hour it's so relaxing! Some sweet tea, a good book, a mexican blanket and happy tunes make for that perfect afternoon. 

How do you plan on spending your Saturday?

Emily

Relationships trump Spanish papers.

So I'm type A. I'm constantly moving, constantly working, constantly go-go-go and it's hectic. In the midst of school and life in general I easily get caught up in work and meetings that I fail to put my true priorities first and focus more on the busyness in my life. I've been working more on taking a breath. Because quite frankly sometimes I just need to chill out. The work will get done, it always gets done but I need to quit putting off the things that are truly important.

Yesterday I got some time to really step back and reflect on a lot, mainly focusing on everything in my life that is good. I thought about everything in my life that is rewarding and everything that I want to hold onto. And this is something that I think I need to do more often. I've never been consistent on journaling or keeping a diary but I do need to work towards a way of stepping back and checking in on my life. I think sometimes we get so caught up in jobs and school and work that we fail to recognize when things are falling behind and most of the time it is the most important things that we push aside.

I'm personally at fault about pushing relationships aside in order to focus on work. I push conversations to the next day and I opt out of social events with my girlfriends to finish up projects that I could work on later. However in doing so, I take little steps away from these relationships and I underestimate the toll that this takes. I need to stop assuming that these relationships will stay strong even if I'm not making deliberate efforts to strengthen them. This is such a faulty way of thinking and I'm working on changing this. We can't build and keep relationships if we don't work at them.

Friends, family and significant others trump work any day so why are we focusing so much time on work?

My problem is I need to breathe. I need to take a step back and call my dad on the phone. I need to walk to my friends house and vent on her couch (wine optional). I need to Skype my boyfriend and simply smile. Because ultimately, at the end of the day that spanish paper didn't really matter and that budget project was just a grade but these relationships I'll have for the rest of my life. And that, is what I need to be focusing on.


Feeling grateful,
Emily

Spring Break!

Today is my last day of classes before Spring Break. Well scratch that, I'm currently in my last class before Spring Break. Whoops. "Pilgrimages & Crusades were a source of funding for building Romanesque churches." … Obviously I'm having difficulties focusing. 

I just can't wait. 

I don't have any crazy Spring Break plans nor do I really want to. My cat, home cooking and a couch is really calling my name. I'm not someone who really gets home sick but I definitely need some time with my family. I need some time without a day scheduled around work and I need some time with my guy. Fact about Emily: I'm in a long distance relationship while at school. So that's really about most of the time. Needless to say, breaks are a little bit of heaven. Weekends are great but a whole week, I can't explain what that feels like. Keeping this minimally cheesy, let's just say I'm pumped.

So parents, brother, boyfriend, cats, and couch. What more could I ask for?
Well I could ask for the next 20 minutes of art history to go away but I guess I can deal.



Dying in class,
Emily

Snow Days

So yesterday we had a snow day. A snow day. In March. In Memphis.

Either way, I'll take it. Waking up to the brightness of the snow outside is one of those "little things".  I always remember doing secret tribal dances in my room when I was in elementary school praying to the snowday gods that my school would close. I did even try the pajamas inside out trick. I'm also happy to say that the one time I tried this it did work. Although I don't typically spend the day sledding and creating elaborate 4 feet snowmen in the backyard I still love these days. Playing around in the snow (now mainly consisting of walking around in the covered grass) is something that I will never get tired of.

Despite my hopes that the weather will warm up as soon as possible, I loved yesterday.  It also was a much needed respite on a Monday. I could use more mondays off to sit in my room and drink a hot chai. And obviously a cake pop. If you give a mouse a cookie right?

So snow days are good and snow days will always be good. Thanks snowday gods, stay tuned for more tribal dances to come.

Diggin this day off,
Emily