Wanderlust: Finding my True North

I had been putting off this post for a week now because there is just so much to say that I don't know where to start! So here it goes...

Everything happens for a reason, really, it does. I say that all the time, but probably only believed it about 90% of the time, until last weekend happened. It's so easy to get lost in the disappointment/confusion of why something happens, that you often miss the good/lesson that is coming from the situation. In a very odd way, that is what got me to Wanderlust.

What is Wanderlust, you may ask? Wanderlust festivals are, "All-out celebrations of mindful living...Exceptional yoga and medition instructors, musicians, speakers, artists, and chefs for transformational retreats in the world's most awe-inspiring natural resorts." 

This particular weekend was in Snowshoe, West Virginia.  (Both of these pics are #nofilter) That sunset though!!!

I had no idea what to expect coming into Wanderlust. I bought tickets for myself as my Golden Birthday Gift (29 on May 29th) and decided I would go alone. I found a group of girls to stay with on the Facebook Forum page and felt as if I was set. The leader, Chasity, assured me that though I was no pro-yogi, I would surely have a blast and fit in.

A few weeks prior to the event, I was tagged in a post on the Facebook page asking for anyone who might want to carpool from Nashville. I figured it wouldn't hurt, so decided to meet Lloyd to see if we could stand being in the car with each other for 9 hours. Luckily, it worked out even though I warned the poor guy about how weird I was! Soooooo... I started to get ready for Wanderlust.

I could tell you step-by-step everything that I did at Wanderlust, but I will just let the pictures do the talking.

As for what I learned...

I learned to expect the unexpected. Expectations are such a cruel thing. I think we would all be a little better off if we could live life with no expectations of ourselves or others.

I learned that there are people out there who I can completely relate to on so many levels, even if we are from different walks of life, and that running through puddles is more fun with you have a squad to laugh with afterwards. Within that, I learned that time doesn’t always matter in a friendship. I connected with 3 amazing ladies on an eerily deep level within hours of meeting them! 

I learned that I’m pretty good and parking cars in unconventional ways.

I learned that sometimes you just need to paint your body and do some dancing!

I learned the value of teamwork and what it means to let go and trust someone completely. And guess what? I didn’t fall…well…maybe once…

I learned that I CAN do things that I never thought were possible, both physically and mentally, as long as I truly believe it’s possible. Pardon my language, but I call bull shit on anyone who says, “But I can’t…” There is ALWAYS a way, even if it’s not the way you were intending.

I learned that it’s OK to eat dessert first at dinner and the world doesn’t stop spinning! Crazy concept, right?!

I learned that you can always choose how you perceive a situation. Put on those glitter glasses when the world starts looking gloomy!

I learned that I will never be content with, “What if…” again. Ever.

Finally, I learned that it’s ok to be exactly who I am. Be it a YO-GAngta, hippie, librarian, child, gypsy, whatever, I should just be me. People that mind don’t matter, and people that matter won’t mind!

As you can tell, this was a weekend I won't soon forget. I can't wait to go back next year! I found my true North last weekend and have already brought back many of the lessons I learned, but the challenge will be sticking with it. If you ever have the opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and try something unexpected, I highly suggest you try it! You might just surprise yourself!

#GlitterGlassesJourney

Lottie Turns 1! (From April)

(My Apologies! This Post was actually from early April!)

Lottie's first birthday party was a blast! She's the daughter of one of my best friends, and such a happy baby! I mean...look at that face!!!

It's hard to believe that it has only been a year since she came into the world and that now she is walking around. I don't get to see her near as much as I would like, but there is no doubt about how much love this child gets. Her parents are amazing too! The party decor and theme was perfect! 

(My gift to the birthday girl)

Here's to many more awesome themed birthdays, sweet girl! 

#GlitterGlasses #GlitterGlassesJourney #Lottie

City Girl Visits Small Town World

So for Spring Break this year I decided to visit Iowa for a couple days. This was my third visit to "God's Country" and it was just as wonderful as the first 2 times. The people who live in Iowa that I visit often think it's a bit strange that I find such joy and comfort in visiting their tiny town.

Well, here's one reason! 

I traded in the hustle and bustle of hundreds of people in my 5 mile radius for about 10 people in a 10 mile radius! The horizon goes on for dayssss and everything is just so open, including my mind. Throw in the fact that I get no data and only 1 place in town has wifi I can get on, it's the perfect "unplugged" vacation.  Also, I never realized how claustrophobic I felt in Nasvhille, until escaping to the Midwest.

After spending a day to myself, we helped prepare CJ Gaston  for his performance at The Riverview Country Club in Keosaqua, IA. He did a great job, even if his Nashville stories pointed out my strangeness...but let's be real, I already stuck out anyway! 

Once the show concluded, there was a bit of mass chaos (to my very plan oriented-trained mind), but I dsicovered that half the fun is just going with the flow! I ended up going into town with CJ's friends while he made the rounds at the club and thanked everyone for coming out to support his music. I had so much fun hanging out with these guys, sharing stories and just comparing how different our lives are. I loved every minute of it!

I feel very blessed to have such a great friend that will let me come visit his hometown and hang out with his friends! Iowans are all very friendly! Thank you all for making me feel so welcome! :-)

Needless to say, by the time Sunday rolled around I was not ready to go home. This trip ended way too fast. Luckily, the drive home was quite easy and peaceful. The sun chased me home.

Now back to the hustle and bustle!

#CjGastonMusic #GlitterGlasses

Tonsillectomy Time!!

I've had sinus issues since I was about 11, and have been through many medications to treat it. The past couple years. specifically, I have had issues with my actual tonils. This summer (after having a sinus infection) I decided it was time. Ironically enough I couldn't get them out in July when I wanted, so I decided to wait. Then I got my first case of tonsillitis since I was a child at the end of August and ended up being throat sick for over 30 days! Back-to-back!

That being said, I was glad to get these crazy meatballs removed, and I can't wait to be fully recovered and see how it feels to not constantly feel like my throat is closing in!

 Pre-admittance on Monday was about 3 hours and consisted mostly of just sitting and waiting. THey told me today I would be on the fast track so I should arrive at 6:30 for my 8:45 surger. Well. We came in and waited an hour and a half before even starting the process! My dad went with me and sat at my side as we waited to meet with everyone then get rolled back. I ended up taking 2 naps and didn't go into surgery until 9:50am. It was SO fast! They rolled me back, but me on a different table, then I was waking up in recovery!

Post-surgery, I am still feeling rather well! I thought it would be WAY worse, and it still might be, but for now I am just sore. It hurts to talk and swallow..but it's definitely manageable.

I've also been very well taken care of! Like I said earlier, my dad stayed by my side, then my mom has been catering to my liquid/popsicle needs, and Em has been my 'communicator'. Also, my roomie got me the card, popsicles, and pudding...and she ROCKS! Em's girlfriend got me a balloon and flowers...SO sweet! And I even get to take pink medicine!!! woo!

So far..so good! 

I better get back to laying down before I pass out as I am typing again. The meds aren't as scary as I thought they would be too!

#GlitterGlasses

I work at the #1 Middle School in TN...SCORE!

So Monday night I (along with quite a chunk of our staff) attended the SCORE Prize ceremony downtown Nashville at the Schermerhorn. It was a HUGE honor to have our school nominated as 1 of the 3 top middle schools in TN, but when it came time to announce the winners they read off our name!! It was unreal! We all jumped out of our seats screaming in excitement!!

Here is a clip of how it all went down. 

After the remainder winners were announced, we got a mini acoustic concert from Dustin Lynch. It was actually really good! I had never really heard his music before

As the night progressed, #GlitterGlasses made the rounds as everyone joined together to celebrate. It was so nice having a good chunk of the staff together outside of school and everyone seemed to really enjoy being together. I'm sure it helped that we all had something BIG to celebrate! 

All in all, it was a great day!! Roomie and I even got a pic with the prize! :-)

#WarriorNation

Today was a great day! My other half (Robin) and I did the Warrior Dash! The weather has been steadily hot for who knows how long..it was just 90 this past Tuesday..but on Warrior Dash day, the temps dropped and the high was only 63! The day was actually really beautiful and the views we saw throughout the dash were gorgeous. The weather was only a problem when we were plunged into water or trudged through the mud, haha.

This year I raced WITH #GlitterGlasses on. They got a few dabbles of mud on them, but they survived just as much as I did! :-) Can't wait to see the rest of the pics the photographers took!

Oh..and PS. Age is but a number. This girl KICKED MY BUTT in this race. Who cares if the big 5-0 just happened a few weeks ago! One thing is for certain, she always keeps me moving and stays positive while she does it. I will forever be grateful for the fact God brought her into my life for more reasons than I will ever be able to keep up with. 

Love you Robin! 

#WarriorNation #WarriorDash #BeastMode

#ThrowbackThursday

These pictures popped up in my Timehop app today and since I've been missing my sister, I thought it would make for a  good post!

This time last year was the week after my first music festival, Music Midtown. I had no idea what I was getting into and I loved every minute of it! The second day it rained almost all day, we trudged through mud, wiped our ranch fingers on trees from lunch, and it was AWESOME! I had such a great time and made memories that will last a lifetime! 

Seeing Weezer in the pouring rain was a stand out memory....but the below is one for the record books..obviously! haha...

#MM2013