College: The Prequel

With the arrival of college swiftly upon us, change is brewing. It can be felt in every aspect of life: the weather, our relationships, and within ourselves.

Some people crave change while others, like me, dread it.

Change is hard. As humans, we like routine. We create our little worlds and try our best not to stray from what we know. Playing it safe through carefully calculated actions yields very few risks and chances for failure.

When I was sixteen I had my life planned out: I would stay in my sleepy hometown of Hurricane, West Virginia,  keep my job at a fast-food restaurant through high school, go to the local college where I planned to be a doctor, and most likely stay in an (unrealized at the time) unhealthy relationship with my then boyfriend.

But life had very different plans for me. My dad quit his long-term job and moved us to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, so he could advance his career and create a better future for our family while simultaneously shattering my life plan. Now, two and a half years later with the age of nineteen looming over me, I am so perfectly content with my unplanned life that the inner peace I feel brings me to the verge of tears.

Today, I can proudly say that I graduated from high school in the top 20% of my class with distinction and honors, have a beautiful relationship with my sweet, sweet boyfriend, and am in the best place that I've been for quite awhile with my family. I traded my hairnet and uniform for a key holder position at an amazing boutique and will be attending MTSU where I am double majoring in Biology and Psychology with a minor in neuroscience. 

I know that God has greater plans for me than I do myself, and as reminded by Jeremiah 29:11, I know that I will never be led astray or brought to a challenge that I cannot handle.

So even though my natural response to change is dread and fear I am reaching a new chapter in my life; one filled with so many new memories, friends, and struggles. In honor of this new chapter, I boldly invite change into my life and will accept whatever life sends my way.

I will accept every new adventure that comes my way with a resounding "Yes!"
I will invite new friends into my life.
I will never take a moment for granted.

The Great American Road Trip of 2014

I just got back from a twelve day road trip out west and back.

I'm a firm believer that everyone needs to travel out west at least once in their lifetime. My first out west experience was last summer during my trip to Yellowstone.

While there, I fell in love with the outdoors and gained a new appreciation for the life I was blessed to experience. I realized what a beautiful country I live in and now that I'm home, I find myself constantly craving a mountain view.

We left from our home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and traveled through Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri. We got to see Cadillac Ranch in Texas, the Grand Canyon in Nevada, Caesar's Palace in Vegas, where I did some illegal gambling, Sequoia National Park, King's Canyon, Yosemite, the Redwoods, and San Francisco in California, Salt Lake City and the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, and Pike's Peak and the Manitou Indian Cliff Dwellings in Colorado.

All in all, the trip was 6,056 miles. It was a long and tiring journey, but I wouldn't have changed a thing about it. I got to witness this beautiful country and sights that many don't have the chance to see. I loved soaking up every moment of this adventure and embraced everything I encountered.

I got the chance to talk to Native Americans about their culture, walked the streets of Chinatown where I tried bubble coffee, conquered a mountain, and so much more. 

Here are some of my favorite pictures from our road trip:

 The beauty of California

 At the top of mountain I climbed

 Calico ghost town

 Hugging a tree in Sequoia 

The roadsides of Arizona are lined with stands full of handmade Native American arts

Eating My Way Through the United States: Memphis

While my family and I began our road trip to California, we stopped in Memphis, Tennessee, to grab a bite to eat for lunch.

We found ourselves stumbling across Charles Vergo's Rendezvous, a little hole in the wall known for their ribs. 

Rendezvous is down a little alley and in the basement of an empty building, and if you blink, you'll miss it! But don't let the seemingly sketchy appearance scare you off, the food is fantastic. 

I ordered the half-size ribs which came with coleslaw and baked beans. 

The ribs were perfect; the meat fell right off the bone! This was my first time having dry-rub style ribs and I was very impressed. The flavor was great, not too spicy but gave enough heat to satisfy those who crave spices. The coleslaw was phenomenal. I'm not one for slaw, but this was out of this world. The slaw is vinegar based, and I'm a vinegar lover for sure. The flavor was great and complemented the ribs very well. And to top it off, the beans were delicious. I'm a fan of baked beans and was definitely a fan of these! 

Outside of the women's restroom, an apron signed by THE Julia Child. 

Birth Control's Out, Vasectomies and Viagra Are In

As I'm sure you all know, Hobby Lobby won their lawsuit. This means that they will no longer have to cover certain types of birth control that they have deemed as "abortion pills" (despite having factual evidence disproving their claims) but will still continue to cover vasectomies and Viagra.

This hypocrisy does in fact prove that they have no problem supporting safe sex when it comes to men, but have every problem supporting women in their personal choices- a private choice that should be handled between a woman and her doctor, not her boss. And even though Hobby Lobby's owners preach about their concern with birth control and abortion, they will continue buying the majority of their supplies from a China, a country that has one of the highest abortion and birth control rates in the entire world.

Birth control has many, many purposes other than controlling birth. It helps with acne, diseases such as endometriosis, chronic ovarian cysts, and plenty of other things that greatly improve the quality of life for the women who rely on their birth control. Vasectomies serve one purpose and one purpose alone: to prevent pregnancy. Let the hypocrisy sink in.

It's upsetting and disgusting that we live in a world where our leaders would support such an insane idea that directly opposes women. As a Christian and a woman, I fully disagree with Hobby Lobby and their choices they have made in the name of Christianity and urge my readers to take their crafting somewhere else. I heard Michael's has a good sale this week.


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The "F" Word

No, not that "f" word. Feminism.

I know feminism has become a very trendy cause to support lately, thanks to sites like Tumblr. Contrary to the belief of many, feminists aren't a coven of lesbians who neglect routine hygienic practices to focus on channeling their hatred of men and scheming to overthrow the patriarchy.

Actually, most feminists are not as extreme as they have been painted to be. Feminism has nothing to do with man-hating, but instead has everything to do with leveling the playing field.

The fact that I'm even writing this post proves in itself why we, men and women alike, need feminism in our world today.

We live in such an advanced civilization and literally have the world at our fingertips. We are able to meet new people and spread ideas more efficiently than ever before. But despite this, so many people in our world have such a hang-up with feminism. Some even view it as a dirty word or insulting to be called a feminist.

I need feminism because as I was walking to work in above 90 degree weather wearing a sundress, I was met by a car full of cat-calling young men. I can't even dress in weather-appropriate attire without being harassed. Now, many might roll their eyes and even say "Oh, just move on. Boys will be boys."

But that's the problem: We as a society have promoted this animalistic idea of men being so primal, so barbaric, that they are incapable of controlling themselves. This not only teaches men that they are so fueled by desire that it is okay to neglect their self-control, but also teaches them that women should be viewed as objects, rather than equals. It is this type of thinking that is holding back our world.

Even though it is 2014 and we all try so hard to be accepting of different types of religions, lifestyles, and cultures, we are forgetting the most important thing: to respect the person who holds those beliefs and ideals, and that is the most severe problem we are faced with in our society today.

The Fault in Our Stars & Discovering a Blissful Life

Recently, some friends and I went to see The Fault in Our Stars, a beautiful and moving (and heartbreaking) story of two star-crossed lovers with cancer, based upon John Green's novel.

By the end of the movie most people were crying. But the entire time I couldn't help but think of someone I love dying from cancer. I feel like almost everyone is touched by cancer at some point, whether it be an aunt, a grandma, or a friend. Luckily, no one I love has been affected by cancer. That is a huge blessing, but at the same time I can't help but wonder when this deadly disease will weasel its way into my life.

At times like these when worry floods my mind, I turn to my faith as a way to lessen the stomach churning stress. I feel confident in saying that I need not worry because whatever happens is meant to be.  I know that whatever life throws at me, I have family and friends who will stand by me. And most importantly, I have my faith in Christ to turn to. These three things combined will be able to get me through anything.

But more importantly, TFIOS taught me to embrace everyday and its challenges. As previously mentioned, my life has stayed cancer-free in every aspect, but I have faced a year of challenges health-wise. Not knowing if I would wake up feeling great or wake up in pain made me grateful for every good day I have had this year.

Before I was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis, a disease which causes chronic pain and inflammation in the bladder lining and pelvic region, I had never imagined what life would be like to constantly be in pain, or what it would be like to have my body seemingly turn against me. None of these thoughts had crossed my mind. But now I sympathize with everyone who struggles with health problems and have personally learned that diseases that are seemingly invisible are just as bad, if not worse, than diseases that make their presence fully known.

So, in short, my readers, embrace life. Embrace it fully and wholly, the good with the bad. Smile when life is gracious to you and smile when it is cruel. Optimism is the most important quality to have, after all.

Hello.

Hi, there. So, to start off:
I'm a newly graduated eighteen-year-old with an eager and ambitious attitude and the sass to match it.
I'm not starting this blog because I'm actually pretentious enough to believe that people care about the ramblings of a teenager, but rather a way to clear my mind and encourage my love of writing.
However, I am pretentious enough to call myself a writer.

Ever since I was a child, I loved to write. I devoured books and when they couldn't satisfy me, I took to writing. Writing has been my way of coping throughout life and a way to feel accomplished. I was on the newspaper staff in high school, and nothing felt more satisfying than a complete stranger complimenting my article. As cliche as it sounds, I want my writings to reach people. I want to inspire them. And taking into account my lack of artistic ability and being incapable of doing anything noteworthy, I plan on writing.

So what will I be posting? All sorts of things. I have a variety of interests and this blog will match them. One post could be about last night's episode of Game of Thrones or it could be about a quote I found particularly interesting. There will never be a dull moment on this blog.

So enjoy, readers. Maybe I'll spark something inside of you. Or maybe, and most likely, you'll roll your eyes at this blog and laugh at my naive thoughts. Or better yet, maybe my dry humor and sarcastic nature will make you want to read more. Regardless, enjoy my blog.