Carrying a heavy heart

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The events of this past weekend were truly horrifying and have placed a very sombre feeling over the whole nation. Especially right before Christmas. Unfortunately it takes such a tragic event to remind you to count your blessings every day and not to sweat the small stuff. I mean everyone complains. Daily. In the grand scheme of things, most of our complaints just don't matter. Standing in long lines, paying bills, we don't want to make dinner, or clean our rooms, etc, etc. All of these things are fixable. What took place on Friday is most certainly not fixable and my heart goes out to all the victims' families and anyone who was affected.

A lot of people may disagree, but I think the problem lies not with gun control laws or security of public places, but within ourselves. We love to place the blame on anyone but ourselves. It is so normal for people to throw around the words "hate" or "kill" anymore that if anyone means it, it just goes unnoticed. We need to work together to notice problems before they happen. Most of all, we need to stop hating and realize that the way we treat other people can have a larger impact than we think. Small acts of kindness are so much more powerful than we give credit.

Sometimes when I'm in a hurry at the grocery store and the person in front of me is taking just a little too long, I need to remind myself not to give an angry glare (which, I admit, occasionally does slip out). I take a deep breath, remind myself "Don't sweat the small stuff!", and realize that it is not the end of the world.

That being said, I'm keeping those who were affected in my prayers and so proud of the teachers that sacrificed their safety for others.

Love is a song that we've sung

My last post got me thinking about qualities that I really admire in other people and things that I want to improve in myself. Especially with the new year coming up, I need to keep these in mind. It's never too late to make a change in your life.

Here's what I came up with in no particular order.

1. Generosity
I need to try to be more generous and think about others instead of getting so caught up in my own problems. Small acts of kindness mean so much more than we even realize. I try to make an effort to do something nice for strangers or someone I love every day, but it's easy to get caught up in my own sorrows or frustrations that I don't always stick to it.

2. Genuinity
There's nothing that I appreciate more than when someone is truly genuine. Sometimes I will hold back something I want to say for fear of sounding fake.

3.Open-mindedness
 I can't stand when people are so closed-minded that they won't even listen to what others have to say. I've definitely improved on this aspect of my life since high school and feel like I am very open-minded. Open mind, open heart.

4. Free-spiritedness
This is something I struggle with. I am generally a carefree person, but occasionallly I tend to overthink, over-analyze, and worry, worry, worry. Hmm...not that worrying runs in my family or anything (wink, wink), but I am constantly trying to simplify my life and just be the best I can be. Worrying does nothing to solve the problem anyway.

5. Dreamers
This kind of goes along the lines of free-spirits, but I admire anyone who stays true to their dreams and doesn't let voices tell them they can't. I used to be a dreamer and believed that anything was possible, but as we gain more experience, reality makes it that much harder to do. I kind of have a love-hate relationship with this one. Most days I am such a dreamer and keep my head in the clouds, but other days reality knocks me down and I find it almost impossible that I was able to think such things. I'm making more of an effort to keep to the former.

What are qualities you admire and what do you want to improve?

It happened upon a midnight clear

Now that it's already the middle of December (crazy, I know!) I've been trying to really enjoy the holidays and not just the stress of it all. I've always been an overly obnoxious holiday person, but since most of my life I've had finals, homework, assignments up until the week before Christmas, I found it hard to take in the beauty of the season and enjoy every minute of it. I think it's important to stay true to the real meaning of Christmas. So...I have been taking time to find meaningful gifts, putting up decorations, watching classic movies, baking cookies, and most importantly: spending time with the ones I love. Once you remember to slow it down, this time of the year is just that much more special.

What do you love about this time of year?

Precious.

If a sleeping kitten isn't the sweetest thing ever, I don't know what is. Seriously. Maybe two sleeping kittens?

With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair

This song found me when I needed to hear it most. When life was getting me down and I felt like things just wouldn't get better, I had lost all hope. And hope was exactly what this song gave me. It recently popped up in my iTunes again and I felt that same comfort that it had given me the first time. This song reminds us that suffering is everywhere, but life is beautiful and even in the darkest depths of winter there is promise of a new beginning. The chorus still gives me chills and I believe are the most inspiring words I've ever heard. Amen Marcus, amen.

"And there will come a time, you'll see
With no more tears and love will not break your heart,
but dismiss your fears
Get over your hill and see what you find there
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair"

P.s. this isn't the official music video but isn't it wonderful?

Bridges...and more bridges

Speaking of road trips, this weekend the parents and I took a road trip to see the covered bridge festival in Parke County, Indiana. It was magnificent, breathtaking, and oh so refreshing to get away for a night.

See, when I was growing up my parents had never taken my sister and I on random vacations so road trips were completely foreign to me. My dad has never been someone to just hit the road and see where the wind takes us! He is meticulous at planning exactly where we'll be down to the minute, which route to take, how many gas stops there'll be, including which parking spot is best! Okay so that may be an exaggeration (well, a slight exaggeration), but honestly there's no messing around with him. He has a purpose and doesn't like to dilly-dally along the way. I, of course, am the exact opposite and very prone to wandering (which he hates, by the way). So you can imagine my extreme shock when I suggested a fall excursion for the weekend and he went along with it!

Parke County, Indiana has a festival every year to celebrate their covered bridges. Each town sets up their own unique arts and crafts, while visitors drive from bridge to bridge through incredible scenery, stopping in town along the way. It really is an amazing experience and the fall colors will have you in awe. We did take this trip right in the midst of the busiest time of the year for me, and although I was stressed beyond belief, it was exactly what I needed to get my head straight.

 

The first covered bridge we drove through.

A visit to Turkey Run.

We came across an adorable little boxer who insisted on playing a game of troll. He was the troll and we were the unsuspecting travelers waiting to pass his bridge. After much barking, tire biting, and chasing of our car, he finally stepped aside to let us pass.

Bridgeton mill is the oldest continuously operating mill in Indiana. They make all of their flour there and the pumpkin bread was to die for!

Bridgeton had an adorable selection of crafts and antique shops.

The first day was cloudy and rainy, but the colors were beautiful nonetheless.

The haunted bridge was perhaps my favorite. I'm a total sucker for anything with a lot of history behind it and this bridge did give off an eerie atmosphere.

Plus that's where we found this little darlin'. I wanted to wrap her up and take her with us. I'm convinced she was there to protect any passersby from haunted spirits.

After day two of our getaway, we visited my sister at college and headed home later that night. Sorry for the long, rambly post, but I thought I'd share our mini vacation with you.

What do you do to refresh your mind?

I live for road trips

Seriously, there is just something about hitting the road with a map in hand and no particular destination that is so exciting. Sometimes when life is getting crazy, all you need is to pack up and leave home for a while (even if it's just a day trip) to really clear your head. I promise you will always come back refreshed and ready to take on the world again. Whenever I'm feeling overwhelmed, I feel that if I just crank up my ipod and drive, life really slows down and I can appreciate the world we live in. So have an adventure, explore new places, notice the beauty that is all around you, and just be.

"But why think about that when all the golden lands ahead of you and all kinds of unforeseen events wait lurking to surprise you and make you glad you're alive to see?" -Jack Kerouac

Today, I am excited...

Well, I admit I am excited most days, but today I am especially excited! Can you guess why?

Because my friends, I found this....

...and that means autumn is right around the river bend. And autumn is by far the most superior of all the seasons. I'm trying not to think about the fact that I am working 72 hours a week, including classes and both my jobs. Instead I'll try to focus on crisp, cozy nights by the campfire, autumn sweaters, magnificent colors, warm drinks, and layers, layers layers...

Yes, these are things that will keep me sane through the long hours and late nights.

 What's your favorite thing about autumn? I hope you all are having the loveliest September!

I might be insane...or something

Tomorrow I am waking up at 5 AM to drive with a close friend five hours to Iowa for a concert. I also have to be at work at 6:30 AM on Sunday, which means I need to drive another five hours to get home in the same day. That, my friends, is dedication. Now which band you may ask am I so dedicated to that I would endure 10 hours of driving and practically no sleep?

Hanson.

Yep, you heard that right. That Hanson. Mmmbop and all.

But, seriously, before you judge I urge you to check out some of their newer stuff. They are legit. Although, I do admit that my love for them mostly stems from my 90's fangirl days. Zac will always and forever be my first love.

 

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So yes I may be slightly insane, but after all the summer is winding down and life's all about adventures right?

Here's a song from their newest album...

 and just for fun, here's one of my personal favorites :)

23.

Today marks my 23rd birthday. It has not been an easy year, that's for sure.

It has been full of heartbreak, failure, and feelings of hopelessness.

But along with the hopelessness and despair, there have also been moments of joy, laughter, and beautiful blue skies.
If this year has taught me anything, it's that even in the darkest hours, I am strong enough to overcome whatever life throws my way.

And the sun will come again.

And so it begins...

I finally caved in to the world of blogging. In a way, I knew I would since I've always had a knack for graphic design and website development.  I figured that this would be a good way to organize my thoughts, since my life seems to always be in chaos.

I wanted to really use this as a way to document my travel plans and life's adventures along the way. I'm sure I'll be posting about random and happy things, as I love any and all things creative. Other things I love: fashion, art, photography, film, reading, music, the moon, exploring, etc, etc. I hope you'll grab a cup of jo and stay a while! :)

<3 Lindsey