The Difference of a Year

 

It’s been exactly a year since I took my last trip to San Francisco. This place makes me so happy – I get to stay in a friend’s gorgeous apartment, bask in all the sunshine and greenery, eat at my favorite spots, and explore new parts of the city while also visiting old haunts.

As I’ve reflected on this past year, I realized that I’ve had some pretty incredible gains…and losses. The biggest realization that I’ve made in the past 12-18 months is the one of ‘duality’ (for lack of a better word). The yes….and yes. How there can be two seemingly diametrically opposed truths held in tandem and they both are just that – true. I’ve also learned a lot about perspective and empathy. It’s been a tough ride and it’s only after going through the tough bits that I’ve been able to gain the perspectives that I have. I’d like share some of those gains and losses with you, along with some of the things I’ve learned along the way.

  • Lost – 50+ pounds (and still going!)
  • Gained – a new appreciation for my body and what it can do. I didn’t realize until a few months ago just how uncomfortable being in my body had become. I had a job several years ago that was an awful fit for me – I was on the road all the time, eating poorly, not working out…I gained a significant amount of weight over the course of that year and had never managed to lose it even after quitting the job. I finally got to a point where I felt uncomfortable in my body – like everything was too tight and foreign. Last year I started running before work – I called it the ‘path to least resistance’ to exercise since literally all I had to do was put on shoes and run out my front door and around my neighborhood. From there I built on baby steps of eating better, investing in an Apple watch to track my activity, and spending time logging my nutrition. I didn’t go on a restrictive diet because I knew I wouldn’t be able to maintain that forever (a girl’s gotta have her pastries…). I’ve found that what’s working well for me is tracking my nutrition (macro and micro nutrients) and monitoring my energy input vs. energy output (this is beyond basic calorie counting as I’m able to see how active I am and therefore adjust my food intake accordingly). I still have a little bit to go to achieve my ideal health goal, but I feel better than I have in years.
  • Lost – relationships (2 of them, of the romantic persuasion)
  • Gained – a whooooooooole lotta information on what’s important to me in a partner, as well as a whooooooooooooole lotta love for myself. I hadn’t realized until a few months ago how incredibly codependent I am in relationships. Because I wanted to be married so badly, I would mold myself into what I thought my partner wanted while simultaneously having an unrealistic view of what relationships were like to the point that I tended to be selfish/self-centered, demanding, and judgmental of my partner. I was insecure in myself, in my value as part of the relationship equation. I always thought of myself as ‘too’ – too overwhelming, too much, too emotional, too needy, too rigid, too ugly, too awkward…and if these were the core truths I believed about myself, bringing that into a relationship essentially doomed it to failure. I’m thankful for both of the men I was able to love and learn from over this past year. I’m thankful for my incredible therapist for helping me to change my thinking about myself and to truly trust in my own self-worth.
  • Lost – $12,000+
  • Gained – a clean bill of health, a new apartment, and becoming debt-free for the first time ever. If you read my last post, you know that I had some scary health issues last year that ended up costing me quite a lot mentally, physically, spiritually, and financially. I was stressed to the max (to the point of losing my hair and barely sleeping), my anxiety reached an all-time high and I was spiraling, and I couldn’t seem to go a month without a trip to my PCP or the ER. I’ve since gone back on medication for anxiety, which has done wonders for me. I can handle my stress much better (to the point that I’m starting to overcome my flight anxiety!!), my hair is growing back, and my hypochondria is at an all-time low. Earlier this year I discovered my apartment had bedbugs, which is quite honestly one of the most traumatizing things I’ve ever experienced (aside from my health scares last year). You know how you hear the nursery rhyme ‘don’t let the bedbugs bite’ and you think it’s cute and chuckle as you drift off to sleep? They’re your worst nightmare – I wouldn’t wish them on anybody. I have scars on my body from scratching in my sleep. I have a paranoia about traveling and being on the T (likely where either I or one of my roommates picked them up). I’m afraid that even though I took every precaution to get rid of them (trashing every single piece of furniture, getting 3 rounds of chemical treatments by exterminators in the apartment, putting every single item of clothing/blanket/fabric through the dryer for at least an hour and then storing it in an airtight container in a storage unit, treating any remaining objects/keepsakes with exterminator-grade pesticides) that I didn’t do enough and I’ll have to relive the nightmare again. After living with these pests for a couple of months, I put in my 30-day notice that I was leaving my apartment with nothing else lined up. By the grace of God I had a new, beautiful apartment in less than a week. I’ve since purchased all new furniture and finally feel at home. Lastly, I paid off my car loan and am officially debt-free for the first time in my life. It’s an incredible feeling and I feel like the world is my oyster.
  • Lost – unquestioning faith.  
  • Gained – the ability to cultivate a deeper and truer relationship with God. After experiencing real suffering for the first time in my life, I had a lot of questions about God. Was He real? Was He good? What was the purpose of this life? Of my life? Had I wasted time, energy, money, and faith in something that wasn’t even really there? Through a *lot* of therapy and conversations with trusted friends and experiences of my own with God, I’m starting to regain the faith I lost….or maybe a better way of putting it is finally having authentic faith. I still have many questions. I still have misgivings and doubts. But if there’s anything this past year has shown me it’s that there is a God, regardless of how I may feel or what I may think, and He has a plan, even if I’m not privy to understanding it. God is not a heavy-handed big meanie up in the sky just waiting to punish me for the inevitable sin I will commit or smite me for the lesson that will take me far too long to learn. He is patient. He can be gentle. He also has reasons for orchestrating the events of my life that may cause seasons of pain and doubt, but ultimately serve a greater good, a growth of empathy in my heart for others, and a deepening in my relationship with the Father (no matter how slowly and cautiously I’m approaching it).

Perspective. Empathy. Discipline. Growth. Love. These are all things I’ve been afforded the opportunity to gain this past year. I never thought that I would get to a point to be able to say this and actually mean it but I am thankful for this past year and all its ups and its many, many downs. I’m most thankful for growing in the understanding that just because I may have moments of feeling that God is absent, that life is meaningless, or that the world is decaying before my eyes, that Truth and belief in that Truth trumps feelings. I pray that this tiny mustard seed of faith continues to grow in all the seasons to come.

||redemption||

 

I’ve tried to start this post several times and I just haven’t been able to figure out the right ‘angle.’ Is it going to be about my recent break up? My health scares? My doubt in my faith? How much do I share on such a public platform, where friends, colleagues, family, and strangers can see into the deep and murky crevices of my soul, but may ultimately benefit from knowing that someone else in the world is walking through pain similar to their own?

It’s going to be a mix of all those things, but I don’t think it will turn out the way I had pictured it when I mentally started drafting it 2 months ago or even how I reimagined it as I wrapped up meal prepping 15 minutes ago.

I ran away last month. Well, the grown-up version of packing snacks and books in your backpack and running down the street only to turn around and come home an hour later because you’re tired, bored, lonely, and hungry (those snacks never lasted long enough).

My 2018 got off to a rocky start. One ER visit mid-February was followed by a break-up at the end of February, which in turn was followed by the onslaught of chronic headaches and countless trips to the doctor and ultimately another ER visit mid-March. I’ve been in pain, both physical and emotional, more days than not this year. I’ve had countless blood panels, 2 sets of x-rays, 2 EKGs, 1 head CT with contrast, 1 head CT without contrast, 1 MRI, and 2 lumbar punctures. There have been many potential diagnoses: chronic migraines, Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension, thyroid issues, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis.

I had a break-up in the middle of it all. It came unexpectedly and left me confused, heartbroken, angry, and alone.

What was God doing? Where was He in all of this?? This was *not* how my 30th year on earth was supposed to go.

So, I ran away. One of my best friends from college knew she would be traveling for an extended period of time and, knowing what I’d been through and how much time away would help, graciously offered up her gorgeous one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco for me to to use. This was perfect – my company has an office in SF so I could go for an extended period and work, with the benefit of having a home where I could still cook, do laundry, and ultimately rest far away from the problems I would leave behind in Boston. I planned on giving myself a ‘full break’ – no boyfriend to think about, no doctor visits, none of my infamous vacation spreadsheets planned down to the 30-minute increments, and…no God. I wasn’t going to deal with Him on this trip – this was for ME. He had abandoned me at my lowest – I kept praying for peace in my soul, healing in my body, mending of my heart and He was doing none of it. If He wasn’t going to talk to me, I wasn’t going to talk to Him.

(Wo)man plans and God laughs.

That first day in town, a Friday, I cried. I was lonely. I was scared to be away from my doctors (even though I was told it was ok to go). I missed my routine and my room and my friends. And so even though I fully planned on sleeping in all weekend and lounging around, that Sunday God had other plans. He woke me up bright and early and told me to go to church. I googled a few and found one that looked similar to my home church in Boston. I got ready, grabbed a bus, and made it just in time to hear [this sermon] on redemption. Fortuitously (or was it divinely?) there was an ‘Eat Up’ (get it?) for newcomers to grab lunch with church members right after service and I decided to go…little did I know I would meet several interesting people, 2 of which significantly impacted my life for the better throughout the remainder of my trip.

“A” became a fast friend and was always up for an adventure. He took me to see all of the best sites in the city – the highest views, the oldest bridges, the prettiest cityscapes. On our adventures we talked about hard things, namely our respective recent breakups. I shared with him my health struggles and my doubt in God’s goodness that accompanied them. “A” shared a piece of advice he’d heard from a pastor – that many of us expect God to be a ‘helicopter God’: a God who comes flying in to extract us from the surrounding perils and hardships. In actuality, the Bible never talks about a God who hovers over us promising to remove us from tough situations, but instead is an anchor and a foundation – the thing that keeps us grounded in the midst of a storm. This may seem like a small or obvious understanding of God, but for me in that moment, it was a reminder I needed to hear.

“L” and I didn’t hang out as often as “A” and I did, but when we did meet up for lunch, she also shared about her recent break-up (gosh, is it something in the water? First Anna and Chris, then Channing and Jenna, and now us too??). “L” also brought up a new podcast, Dateology, she was listening to that was hosted by 2 people from the church I was attending in SF. I started listening to it when I got back to Boston and it has been such a refreshing take on dating as a Christian in a metropolitan area in 2018.

Fast forward to today. Last night I said something to someone about my ex and I shouldn’t have. I woke up today feeling regret, shame, and anger at myself for giving into pettiness. The song ‘Proud’ came on my playlist on my drive to church and it was everything I could do to keep from crying and ruining my makeup – the lyrics perfectly summed up what I wanted to say to God. I got to church and I just know today’s sermon was written specifically for me – it was on Psalm 73 and talked about – you guessed it – doubt.

A few hours after church my ex reached out to me because of the thing I’d said yesterday and my stomach just sank – here it was, my hurt and anger and pettiness on display for the one person I wished to never see that side of me. He asked if he could call. I said yes.

We talked for nearly 3 hours – the conversation I’d been wishing for for months. It was hard to have the muck and mire of my soul on display, to know I had sinned against the last person on earth I wanted to talk to.

But you know what? It was amazing. We both got to share what had been on our hearts – offenses, misunderstandings, wrongs, and pain – and to extend grace and forgiveness to one another. We got to laugh together. And at the end, we got to pray together. As hard as it was to reopen what I thought was a mostly-healed wound, it was one of the most redemptive relational conversations I’ve ever had.

As I was meal prepping this evening I was listening to Dateology, specifically the episode titled ‘The Mess.’ It so perfectly summed up the conversation I had just had with my ex and I had this massive revelation – one of those ‘ah-ha’ moments only afforded by distance and time: look at all God had orchestrated. Just look at how everything from the past several weeks culminated into perfect alignment today. This mundane, run-of-the-mill Sunday, which started off so full of shame and guilt and ickiness unfolded into this brilliant sequence of puzzle pieces dropping into place. If we hadn’t broken up, I never would have gone to San Francisco. If I hadn’t been so lonely, I wouldn’t have sought out church and met the people that I did. I would never have gotten the perspective on my relationship that I did – that it wasn’t a failure, but a ‘successful dating relationship’ (as my mentor so lovingly calls it) that didn’t end in marriage and that that was a good thing. I wouldn’t have learned about Dateology and heard messy truths delivered by insightful strangers and heard today’s episode which so, SO perfectly aligned with the conversation I had just had with my ex. I also got to hear a song and a sermon that spoke to the exact needs of my heart and share both of them with you (the sermons usually take a few days to get posted, so it’s a such a blessing I get to link to it right now!).

Today was a day I want to remember, so I’m writing it down. If you’ve made it this far, thank you for sticking with me on this winding road. While I can reflect on it and see the beauty and wonder and glory that went into crafting this day, it’s still hard. I’m still sad, I still have questions, I still house doubts. It’s amazing to me that all of these things – these truths, these events, these feelings – can all coexist. I still have questions and I still have things to figure out, but I can see God working for my good even in the moments of decidedly-not-good.

Psalm 73: 28 – But as for me, it is good to be near God.
    I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
    I will tell of all your deeds.

Thank you for letting me share some of God’s deeds in my life. Have you ever walked through a time like this? I’d love to grab a coffee and talk about it.

Selah.

Dating is Awkward

It’s been a hot minute, hasn’t it? Just when I think life can’t get any busier…it does. So here we are, 6 months since my last post and a lot has changed. The ‘highlights’ include moving to a new apartment, my job moving locations, turning 30, and starting to date again [see title, above].

If you read my post from April, you may have noticed that I mentioned a relationship not working out that I really hoped would. Fast forward a few months and we’re dating again…but this isn’t the post you may be expecting.

Dating is weird, y’all. I feel like a lot of people talk about how much fun it is and how exciting it can be and while my relationship is those things (for the most part), it’s also awkward. And stressful. It’s full of ups and downs. Our story so far has not been ‘easy’ or traditional – we’ve struggled through hard conversations, through differences, through being on and being off and being back on again, through tough questions and even tougher answers…and you may be wondering why we’re back at it again.

The answer is messy and unresolved. My significant other and I haven’t reached the next chapter of our journey of either parting ways or deciding that this is the forever choice we want to make, so it’s harder to give you a nice-pretty-tied-up-in-a-bow answer for why we’re dating again. In a world full of highlight reels, smiling photos, and 140-character updates I haven’t found a lot of transparency in the hurdles couples face during the dating process, especially when dating as a Christian. We’re told that this is one of the most important decisions of our lives and we should take our time, but you should also date intentionally and work towards the goal of marriage (at what feels like a rapid pace). We’re told to set really clear boundaries (physical, emotional, and spiritual) but no one gives you practical advice on what those boundaries should be, how to have a conversation about them, or how to keep them. We’re encouraged to invite community into our relationship, but not told how to welcome feedback and insight from our friends and mentors. But how do you handle the tension of the not knowing and the ‘still-figuring-it-out’? As someone who has a very strong aversion to leaving things unresolved for any amount of time, I’ve struggled with how to deal with not being able to have the answers *right now.* Of having to take time to wait on my partner to think and pray about things, or for me to think and pray about things, or for us to see how things develop over time.

All of this to say: we’re working on figuring it out, one day at a time. I really like this person. Like reeeeeeeeeeeally like him. There are sooooooo many happy, fun, and exciting things that make me hopeful for the future. But then there are also sad, stressful, and disappointing moments that make me question if we are good for each other. I may experience the joyful moment that is sharing the bliss that is frozen custard for the first time, but I may also hear the same joke for the upteenth time and wonder to myself ‘can I really handle hearing this same joke for the rest of my life and not want to smother him with a pillow?’ For the majority of our relationship, I experience excitement and joy over this person, but I also have times questions and doubts. Is it ok for me to feel this way? Is this normal? How do I handle these thoughts and emotions?

If I’m being honest, I still don’t know. I’m lucky enough to be dating someone who is willing to let me be completely open with what’s running through my head and talking through things or affirming that he, too, is facing the same questions. He is so kind and loving and is thinking not only about if this relationship is good for him, but also if it’s something that’s for my good too, which I’ve never experienced before. I’ve been talking with a couple of trusted friends for accountability and guidance. I’ve been praying for God to reveal His plans for us – if it’s to end things, let that answer come quickly, and if it’s to keep going, make that abundantly clear. I’ve also been praying for a lot of grace and guidance on how to navigate the tricky world that is Christian dating in 2017.

I’m afraid I don’t have a great ‘lesson learned’ or pithy ending. It didn’t really occur to me to actually write about this until I was talking with a friend earlier today, lamenting over the challenges of dating and how I don’t really know of people facing the same issues, and she encouraged me to blog about it and share my experience with others (in the hopes that if there’s anybody else out there facing similar things, you’d know you have a friend in me). I’m working on taking one day at a time and reminding myself that I don’t have to know all the answers right this moment, I don’t have to have the 5-year-plan laid out today, and it’s ok to sit in the tension of the unknown. And, I think, the biggest takeaway for right now is that this relationship can still be good regardless of the outcome. Because we’re both actively working to date each other well, to keep God at the center of our relationship, and to help each other grow in our walks with Him, no matter how things end up, it will still be a successful relationship. I can only continue to look to God in all of the moments (those of happiness, of sadness, of doubt, and of hopefulness and excitement for the future) and persevere in seeking His will.

My questions to you, reader, are these: have you experienced those moments of uncertainty and if so, how did you handle them? How do handle moments of tension and things being unresolved and how long is it ok for them to last? I think it would be even more helpful to hear the answers to those questions from people across the dating spectrum – single, dating, engaged, married…in a time where we want to show the best parts/happiest moments of our lives, how do you practically work through the hard parts? I’d welcome any comments, stories, or feedback – thank you for ‘listening.’ 🙂

Life….is hard

I’ve had a challenging past few weeks. Past few months, actually…but crap really hit the proverbial fan a couple of weeks ago, and it’s been pretty tough for me to get out of my ‘funk’ and trust God and the plan He has for me.

I’ve been in a ‘rut’ for awhile. It’s mainly been a spiritual one – feeling like I haven’t grown in my faith, like I don’t know God any better than I did a year ago, and that I’m not hearing Him or trusting in Him. I feel like I must be doing something ‘wrong’ – am I praying enough? am I singing the right worship songs? do I need to do more than one devotional in the morning? am I reading my Bible enough? am I listening for Him the right way? In my mind, to have been in this ‘plateau’ for so long means that I must be missing something. And it’s not even just a general plateau of ‘hey, life’s alright, I’m just gonna keep on keepin’ on’ – it’s been a plateau of ‘meh,’ of disappointment, of frustration, of apathy…a plateau where I keep asking myself, ‘why am I living life this way? why do I believe what I believe? do I actually trust God? do I have enough faith?’

The past few weeks haven’t really helped my overall frame of mind. I ended a relationship that I really, really wanted to work. My lease is up at the end of June and my roommate is moving away so I need to find an apartment that’s in my budget, hopefully with Christians, and with a reasonable commute to work….by June 30th. To top it all off, I got into a car accident while on what was supposed to be a money-saving ‘staycation’ and learned the hard way that I don’t have the right insurance coverage and will be paying for thousands of dollars in car repairs out-of-pocket.

It’s hard to trust God and His goodness right now. I fully recognize that I’ve never 100% trusted that He’s got my back or that He can work things out for my good no matter what the situation. As a control freak and someone who feels like I’m responsible for digging myself out of the messes I’ve made, I can’t really comprehend a God who’s willing to love me and help me when I’m the one who’s continually screwing up over and over again. I ask myself, ‘why would God want to help get me out of this financial mess when I haven’t been prudent with my money?’ or ‘how can God possibly work out my housing situation to find me good roommates, a nice apartment, an easy commute to work, and in my reduced budget (now that I’m paying so much for car repairs)?’ or ‘I have too much to learn or there are too many ways I have to grow before God thinks I’m ready for a husband…I’m never going to get there or be good enough for that kind of relationship.’

In my ‘logic-brain’ I know what the Bible says about God’s character and what He wants for His children. I know of His capacity to do all things. But it doesn’t really feel like those things are true right now. After admitting I didn’t read my Bible as much as I should, a wise friend told me: ‘Em, you can’t really trust and proclaim something you don’t know.’ This is where something finally clicked for me as to why I’ve probably been in this rut for so long – I’ve been spinning my wheels trying to *do* all the things you’re ‘supposed’ to do to be a ‘good Christian’ (serving on a church team, leading a community group, discipling someone, being discipled, volunteering my time, tithing, etc. etc.), but I’ve never actually done the thing that’s most important – seeking God and learning more about Him through reading His word and simply praying and listening.

It’s still really hard for me to not let my fears, stresses, and anxieties run wild…to not sit here and obsess about all the money that I owe or the apartment I have to find or the car I have to pay to fix and how crushing it all feels. But I’m trying my best to work on reading the Word and just being still. My favorite Scripture right now is Psalm 46 (verses 1, 2, 5, and 6 are my favorites):

1God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

8Come, behold the works of the LORD,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
11The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Has anyone else been in this place? What Scripture helped you?

Thanks for listening, friends.

-Em

#ThingsOnMyHeart

Can I just say…I don’t even know where to begin. How to start the delicate dance of talking about the sensitive topics of today without sounding ignorant, misrepresenting my faith, or alienating a fellow Image-Bearer (aka another human)…But I recognize that the whole point of blogging is to share your thoughts, and they aren’t always going to make everyone happy (ground-breaking revelation, I know). I also don’t want to run the risk of becoming complacent because I typed a few words that reached a few hundred people and call that ‘engagement.’

So…I’m just going to be honest as I try to wrestle through the twists and turns of my thoughts.

I didn’t march this week. I’ve been so scared to say that out loud for fear of being judged as ‘unprogressive’ (whatever that may mean) or uncompassionate or anti-feminist. Quite honestly, up until a few minutes ago, I didn’t really see the point of them. My mild agoraphobia aside, I’ve felt apathetic towards the marches that have happened this past week. Do they accomplish anything? Can change actually be made from the gathering of thousands of people with their signs and posters? My head says ‘yes’ – we have historical proof of it (hello there, Dr. King), but my heart still isn’t sure.

But then, through a conversation I had with my friend Andrea (aka Dre aka D-Swizzle aka my spirit animal) this evening, I started to see that attending a march can matter, regardless of the outcome. She said ‘I just have to think that if I were in a position where Trump’s laws were oppressing and belittling me as a human being, seeing that thousands of people showed up on my behalf would be a pretty big deal. So while it won’t change the whole world in itself, it can empower and inspire enough people to do something in response to it.’

That’s huge. It makes it ‘click’ for me now. I’ve had a hard time connecting with the enormity of the things going on in the world today and how I – one, small, insignificant person – can take action in a way that points people to Christ. I think tonight I took a step toward understanding how to do that better.

I’ll admit, this isn’t my most eloquent post. There are still dozens of other thoughts swirling in my head that I wanted to include, but I’m trying not to go down the rabbit hole. I welcome any thoughts, musings, or suggestions of how you think I could show my support through action.

xo,

Em

An Update – December

An Update on #LVER30Before30.

I’ve decided I’m going to revise some of these items because after a few months of tackling my bucket list, I realize some of the items here are either no longer relevant or just things that actually aren’t a priority for me.

  1. Read the Bible cover-to-cover
    1. I’m currently in 1st Samuel. I’m pretty behind on my plan, but I *finally* got the set of Bibliotheca books I ordered 2 years ago through Kickstarter and I’m hoping these will help me speed up my reading.
  2. Eat at Alinea / visit Chicago
    1. Work is sending me to Chicago in February or March, so I may look into trying to visit then!
  3. Roll out new blog and do minimum 1 post per month
    1. December post here and here
  4. Become conversationally fluent in French again
    1. I’ve signed up for cooking classes (taught in French!) starting in late February
  5. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
    1. Accomplished November 25, 2016
  6. Become an expert on the Belle Epoque (all the great artists, musicians, and thinkers of the day)
    1. I ordered 2 books that sit collecting dust on my nightstand…if I can just get to reading them, I’ll knock out 2 birds with one stone! (this and #16)
  7. Try a speed-dating session for fun
    1. I found a friend who’s willing to do this with me!
  8. Do 10 body weight pull-ups
    1. oof…what was I thinking?!
  9. Go to Pentatonix Concert
    1. Check – November 9th, 2016
  10. Take a cooking class – knife skills
  11. Go do paintball!
  12. Go to Central or South America (pick country later)
    1. My sister and I are shooting for a trip to Costa Rica sometime in the next few months
  13. Do a color run
  14. Mission trip to Haiti
  15. Try eating bugs
  16. Read 1 book per month
    1. October – Longing for Paris
    2. November – I’m behind 😦
    3. December – still behind but I’m wrapping up a couple of books soon!
  17. Revamp my wardrobe – BE AN ADULT
    1. I plan on doing a big cleanup in Januray
  18. Become an amateur cheese connoisseur
    1. Started reading It’s Not You, It’s Brie (you’ll want to eat cheese for every meal)
  19. Do the Whole30 [this goal has been changed/updated]
    1. Currently doing Whole30 with a friend – 9 days left to go!
  20. Have a professional portrait session (Abigail)
  21. Learn to drive stick shift
    1. The girls in my community group have decided to do a weekend excursion and teach ourselves! Probably this summer…
  22. Have one real spa experience (mud path, hot stone massage, etc.)
  23. Visit gun range (maybe get gun permit)
  24. Find a way to creatively display my postcards and mementos from trips
  25. Pay off student loans
  26. Go to Colorado to visit Sheila and San Franciso to visit Chessa
    1. Heading to SF in February!
  27. Get TSA Pre√ – no more lines for me!!
    1. DONE AND DONE
  28. No soda for a year
    1. Still doing this! 🙂
  29. Watch one classic movie per month: Casablanca, The Sandlot, National Lampoon, Some Like It Hot, The Big Lebowski, Breakfast at Tiffany’s(November), The Graduate, Clockwork Orange, Fiddler on the Roof, The Breakfast Club (October), The Goonies, Stand By Me
    1. I’m behind here too – hoping I can catch up on books and movies before the end of this month!
  30. Throw an epic 30th birthday party
    1. I’m back to the drawing board – I want something fun but still accessible for everyone…any ideas??

Ghosts of Boyfriends Past

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Recently I went to my last apartment to pick up a few lingering bits and bobs. I came across an old and faded box labeled ‘Important School Stuff.’ After lugging said box home and opening it, I stumbled not only upon long-forgotten college papers, but also a photographic trail of the loves I’d had from the past decade.

This was very strange for me – to see the photos I’d carefully selected and taken the time to upload to a website, order prints, pick up from a store, purchase a frame, and assemble so that I could have a physical reminder of the relationship I was in. It was especially weird as I had just written and mailed a forgiveness letter to my ex-fiancé not 2 weeks ago. I tend to remember the worst parts of my relationships – the fights, the annoyances, the endings – and writing my forgiveness letter made me realize just how much I’ve focused on the negative over the past decade.

Although these ‘ghosts’ are all from the past, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the impact they’ve had on my present (and future) by being thankful for each one.

Ross (2006).* Ross was my First Love. Ross and I dated when I was a senior in high school, and we got engaged the summer after I graduated. For better or for worse, this relationship has had the biggest and most lasting impact on my dating life. I’m thankful for my relationship with Ross because it was exhilarating. The drives in his fast car. The pride I felt when we held hands knowing (at the time) that he was ‘mine.’ The goofiness we had (because we were basically kids). The vulnerability. The promise of love everlasting, even though we were only 18 and 19. I’m thankful that I got to experience both the very good and the very bad with him.

Joey (2011).* I’m thankful to Joey for opening my eyes to new cultures. Joey grew up in another country and had a very different view of the world than I did. Joey was smart. He had big ideas and big plans for the changes he wanted to make in how students learned soft skills and critical thinking. I’m thankful for Joey living in Boston and giving me a reason to come back to visit time and again. This gave me the chance to fall in love with the city so much that even when we broke up, I still wanted to take the risk of leaving behind life as I’d known it in North Carolina and move to New England. I’m thankful for his help in landing my first job in Boston, which gave me the financial ability to make the move. My life is so full and I love this city!

Chandler (2015).* Chandler gave me a peek into what Godly dating can look like, and for that I am thankful. While our relationship’s ending was like the punch-line-opening-scene of a romantic comedy (he broke up with me at my best friend’s wedding on New Year’s Eve 40 minutes before midnight), I think that of all my relationships, we had the healthiest boundaries and most God-centered relationship, and for these things I am grateful.

I’m not sure why the turning of a year brings so much hope and promise. January 1st of one year is no more sacred or meaningful than December 31st of the previous. But as the craziness that was 2016 comes to a close and the light of 2017 shines through the darkness, I’m thankful for having the opportunity to reflect on the romantic relationships that have taught me so much. None of these relationships were perfect – all of them had many bad and un-Godly elements. I know that while none of these men were God’s best for me, I was certainly not God’s best for them. Even with the tears cried and the heartbreak endured, I’m still thankful for each of these men and the lessons I was able to learn from them and the time we spent together. I pray that they feel the same.

I have hope that the wisdom I’ve gained and the lessons I’ve learned will help me be a better partner for the next man I date (and -hopefully- eventually the man I marry). Above all, while I may not always understand it, I’m thankful for the plan that God has had for my past, the plan He has ordained for me now, and the plan He is orchestrating for my future.

*names have been changed

An Update – November

An Update on #LVER30Before30.

  1. Read the Bible cover-to-cover
    1. Truckin’ along!
  2. Eat at Alinea / visit Chicago
    1. Plans for a May 2017 visit with the Boston Foodie Club 😉
  3. Roll out new blog and do minimum 1 post per month
    1. November post here
  4. Become conversationally fluent in French again
    1. Still need to do this…
  5. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
    1. Accomplished November 25, 2016
  6. Become an expert on the Belle Epoque (all the great artists, musicians, and thinkers of the day)
    1. I actually need to start reading these…
  7. Try a speed-dating session for fun
  8. Do 10 body weight pull-ups
  9. Go to Pentatonix Concert
    1. Check – November 9th, 2016
  10. Take a cooking class – knife skills
  11. Go do paintball!
  12. Go to Central or South America (pick country later)
    1. Looking more closely at Costa Rica and maaaaaaaaybe Columbia
  13. Do a color run
  14. Mission trip to Haiti
  15. Try eating bugs
  16. Read 1 book per month
    1. October – Longing for Paris
    2. November – I’m behind 😦
  17. Revamp my wardrobe – BE AN ADULT
    1. I plan on doing a big cleanup in Januray
  18. Become an amateur cheese connoisseur
    1. Started reading It’s Not You, It’s Brie (you’ll want to eat cheese for every meal)
  19. Meet with one professional / social networking person per month
    1. I missed November 
  20. Have a professional portrait session (Abigail)
  21. Learn to drive stick shift
  22. Have one real spa experience (mud path, hot stone massage, etc.)
  23. Visit gun range (maybe get gun permit)
  24. Find a way to creatively display my postcards and mementos from trips
  25. Pay off student loans
  26. Go to Colorado to visit Sheila and San Franciso to visit Chessa
  27. Get TSA Pre√ – no more lines for me!!
    1. DONE AND DONE
  28. No soda for a year
    1. Going strong 🙂
  29. Watch one classic movie per month: Casablanca, The Sandlot, National Lampoon, Some Like It Hot, The Big Lebowski, Breakfast at Tiffany’s (November), The Graduate, Clockwork Orange, Fiddler on the Roof, The Breakfast Club (October), The Goonies, Stand By Me
  30. Throw an epic 30th birthday party
    1. I think I found the perfect spot!

Chanel

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A Musing on Setting Foot into a Chanel Store.

Recently I had a friend bless me with a bag of amazing goodies. She knew my week had been stressful, so she surprised me by stopping by my office, handing me a Chanel shopping bag, and telling me to enjoy what was inside. When I got back upstairs and had a moment to myself, I got to delight in many French treats and also marvel over my very own, very first Chanel lipstick. Little did my friend know that I had been admiring all things Coco for years (ever since I’d seen Coco Before Chanel) and have been saving for a Chanel bag of my very own for awhile.

Yesterday, something came over me where I felt that I had to visit the Chanel store here in Boston and see ‘my’ bag. I’ve always felt uncomfortable walking into luxury-brand stores, even in such touristy places as Newbury Street here in Boston, or 5th Avenue in NYC. I felt like I didn’t belong – my clothes weren’t right, my hair wasn’t adequately highlighted and styled, my nails weren’t manicured, I wasn’t wearing couture or high-end brands, and so of course the sales clerks would immediately be able to tell that there was no way I could afford any of their merchandise.

Back to yesterday. I had just visited the French Culture Center and was just around the corner from the Chanel Boutique. I reeeeeeeeally wanted to go (and I almost chickened out) but I started walking over. I was feeling pretty good about my outfit, my makeup was ok, I’d splurged on a manicure a couple of days before. As the doorman held the door for me and I walked in, I felt immediately out of place, but I held my ground. I made my way to the beauty counter and a cheerful woman asked if I needed help. Caught off guard, I said yes and she immediately set me up at the counter and asked me the most surprising question – ‘would you like some water? still or sparkling?’ I frowned internally – she didn’t even know if I was going to buy something and she was offering me Perrier? Would they still charge me for the water if I didn’t buy anything? (I can hear all you luxury brand aficionados are snickering.) I hid my concern and she brought out the bottle and its own branded Chanel napkin (not gonna lie, I was tempted to take it home as a memento of this occasion). She proceeded to let me sample 5 or 6 different lipstick shades and blush, all while giving me beauty tips and tricks. I felt so special and important! I ended up getting a lipstick and a blush, and couldn’t believe that my purchase came with my receipt in an embossed little folder, my blush in a velvety slipcase, and a cute little Chanel shopping bag. Emboldened with my purchase (using my shopping bag as my ticket to say ‘I deserve to be here’), I approached a saleswoman and asked to see ‘my’ bag.

They didn’t have it in the store, but she started bringing out similar bags. And that’s when I saw it. THE bag. This was it. Whatever I’d had in mind before was now replaced with this gorgeous, luxurious, French masterpiece. The Chanel Calfskin New Medium Boy Bag Flap in Silver. I held it in my hands. I tried it on. I admired in the mirror. And now I have $5,200 (plus tax) to save.

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Enter Qapital. I’ve been using it since early June to save for MY bag by setting up rules to save $ by either rounding my purchases to the nearest dollar and putting that amount in the account, or by linking it to fitness goals (a certain number of steps will deposit a larger amount in the account). I’ve only saved a few hundred since June, but this has been a painless way to save and requires absolutely no brain power on my part. Will it take me a while to save for my bag? Yep. Will it all be worth it when I can pay cash for something I’ve thought about and saved for months (or even years)? You betcha.

This has turned into a rather long post that can result in many closing thoughts to tie it all together. I think what I’ll end with, though, is with the excitement and anticipation of one day being able to own and use such a quality piece of craftsmanship. Anyone else on this journey?

An Update on October

An Update on #LVER30Before30.

  1. Read the Bible cover-to-cover
    1. Truckin’ along!
  2. Eat at Alinea / visit Chicago
    1. Plans for a May 2017 visit with the Boston Foodie Club 😉
  3. Roll out new blog and do minimum 1 post per month
    1. Check and check
  4. Become conversationally fluent in French again
    1. Taking my language placement test at FCC in November
  5. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
  6. Become an expert on the Belle Epoque (all the great artists, musicians, and thinkers of the day)
    1. The books have been ordered and received!
  7. Try a speed-dating session for fun
  8. Do 10 body weight pull-ups
  9. Go to Pentatonix Concert
    1. Tickets for November 9th!
  10. Take a cooking class – knife skills
  11. Go do paintball!
  12. Go to Central or South America (pick country later)
    1. Making plans for February
  13. Do a color run
  14. Mission trip to Haiti
  15. Try eating bugs
  16. Read 1 book per month
    1. October – Longing for Paris
  17. Revamp my wardrobe – BE AN ADULT
  18. Become an amateur cheese connoisseur
    1. Started reading It’s Not You, It’s Brie (you’ll want to eat cheese for every meal)
  19. Meet with one professional / social networking person per month
    1. Lunch with Tendai!
  20. Have a professional portrait session (Abigail)
  21. Learn to drive stick shift
  22. Have one real spa experience (mud path, hot stone massage, etc.)
  23. Visit gun range (maybe get gun permit)
  24. Find a way to creatively display my postcards and mementos from trips
  25. Pay off student loans
  26. Go to Colorado to visit Sheila and San Franciso to visit Chessa
  27. Get TSA Pre√ – no more lines for me!!
    1. DONE AND DONE
  28. No soda for a year
    1. Going strong 🙂
  29. Watch one classic movie per month: Casablanca, The Sandlot, National Lampoon, Some Like It Hot, The Big Lebowski, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Graduate, Clockwork Orange, Fiddler on the Roof, The Breakfast Club (October), The Goonies, Stand By Me
  30. Throw an epic 30th birthday party
    1. I think I found the perfect spot!