An Endlessly Changing Horizon

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“Make a radical change in your lifestyle & begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt. So many people live within unhappy circumstances & yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, & conservation, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, & hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new & different sun. If you want to get more out of life, you must lose your inclination for monotonous security & adopt a helter-skelter style of life that will at first appear to you to be crazy. But once you become accustomed to such a life you will see its full meaning & its incredible beauty.” — Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild.

Just something to think about...

-Julie

Simple Pleasures

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In my opinion, simple pleasures are some of the most under-appreciated, underrated things in the entire world. This might be cliche, but it's the little things that really matter and that bring true happiness.

What are some of my simple pleasures you ask? Well, I'm going to tell you!

• Those lines that a vacuum cleaner leaves on the carpet.
• Finishing every last thing on a to-do list so all that's left are scribbles.
• Writing mundane things in pretty colored markers or gel pens.
• A perfectly made bed.
• When a song comes on shuffle that perfectly fits your mood.
• Those socks with the little grippy things on the bottom, they're comfy and safe! (I'm clumsy, that's important.)
• Rediscovering songs that I haven't listened to in years. (Example: Fall Out Boy? remember them? I'm listening to them right now.)
• The look and smell of my room after I do ALL of my laundry and it's all put away (perfectly...in color order.)
• Putting a sweater on right out of the dryer.
• When it's a lot warmer outside than I anticipated and I don't even need my jacket anymore.
• Seeing people doing nice things for other people. Unexpected kindness is my favorite.
• Having really good ideas about things to write about.
• Learning a new song on the piano.
• Buying greeting cards.

I'm sure there are more things, but I can't think of anymore right now...but i think that's a pretty solid list :)

-Julie

Things I Love Thursday

I took this one :) it's my favorite necklace and new journal.

It's an internet phenomenon that i have decided to take part in :)

Just a few things that made me smile this week:

• This website, I can't stop reading it. I love discovering new things that you can go back through and read all of the archives and never get bored. I especially like this post.
• Cute text messages.
• Pandora. Enough said.
• Not-so-scary plans for the future.
• Cold room + warm blankets = me not getting out of bed.
• Gossip Girl Season 2. I've been watching it like its my job. I love the drama, but it only affirms why I love my life and wouldn't trade it for all the upper east side fame money could buy.
• Hazelnut coffee with soy milk instead of half and half. seriously. try it. you won't be disappointed.

And that's about it. I need to start writing down the little things I notice, because they're always the best :)

-Julie

Okay, so I've lost count...

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I know it's been quite a while since my last post, but I've been so wrapped up in other things I have hardly had the time to think about what I want to write!

I started keeping a paper journal again. I filled nearly a whole spiral notebook with random stories and musings over the course of the summer and fall semester, but now I've upgraded to an actual journal, and its beautiful. Most recently, I have made a list of 20 things I would like to do before my 20th birthday (September 16, 2010). This list is inspired by Sarah Von at Yes and Yes and her 31 before 31.

I think it's a fantastic idea, to make a new list every year and every year as you get older you have to do more and more new things, because when you're young, frankly, everything is new. When I'm pushing 50, I hope that I can still find enough things to do 45 new things in a year's time. It will keep me young I think....I know, all of this coming from a 19 year old college sophomore...

A few years ago, my list probably would have consisted of: getting my license, kissing a boy, getting on the honor roll, getting into college....but having accomplished all of those things, now it looks a little more like this (in no particular order):

1. Go on a multi-day road trip.

2. Stay up all night and watch the sun rise.

3. Drive 100 mph and not get caught (I actually did this one this past weekend. it was exhilarating, and I very quickly slowed down because I was sure I was going to get caught.)

4. Go camping.

5. Knit something. Like an entire something. Not just a few rows of a scarf.

6. Go to a concert/show (PLANNED - I have a ticket to see Vampire Weekend at the Electric Factory on April 2. It's SOLD OUT baby!)

7. Go to a state I've never been to before.

8. Send a post card to post secret...or anyone really.

9. Go for a hike to watch the sun set.

10. Go to a drive-in movie.

11. Learn the guitar correctly, know all (well...most) of the chords by name and be able to just sit down and play.

12. Get up to speed in current events, know what's going on in the world.

13. Volunteer somewhere.

14. Participate in an Iron Girl triathlon.

15. Go to the Baltimore Aquarium (I've lived within forty-five minutes of it for my whole life but never actually been inside. This must change.)

16. Go to an estate sale/ flea market.

17. Finish an entire crossword puzzle (hopefully without too much cheating...)

18. Fill my entire journal. Every last page.

19. Learn to drive stick well enough as to not annoy the unfortunate people who end up behind me.

20. Go to Canada - again.

Several of these things I have done in the past, but I either really want to do them again, or I want to do them my way...without parents and not on a family vacation. It will be such a different experience to go to Canada and have to deal with customs and driving there on my own than it was to have my parents deal with all of that for me. (I mean...i was 13, so what do you expect?)

All of this is on my quest for independence and self-sufficiency. I am a naturally independent person, but there are a lot of things I still need to learn before I can REALLY be on my own. But I am so ready to learn!

Day 4: Cupcakes and Needlepoint

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This picture and this picture alone makes me want to learn needlepoint so that perhaps I can needlepoint some baked goods with faces. Maybe I'll do vegetables. I hear they're a little healthier than cupcakes.

Day 2: Back "home"

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I moved back to school today, almost 12 hours ago, actually, and I'm still not finished unpacking. I have a problem with procrastination, especially when it comes to cleaning and organizational tasks, and especially when I have 5000 things that I could be doing instead.

Usually, organization is my form of procrastination, but when I actually have to do it, I'll try anything to just not put all of my things away.

I've come to realize that when you have any large task staring you straight in the face, it's much easier to run from it and...I don't know...play Wii for a few hours, than just crack down and get it done. Large tasks, like moving your entire life (...or all of your clothes...which may or may not be the same thing) from Maryland to Philadelphia, are much easier to accomplish in small bits. I have learned that if you unpack each bag as you bring it inside it is far easier to get everything finished, because that way, everything gets put away by the time all of your suitcases are inside...and that's a lot nicer than staring at a giant pile of suitcases and shopping bags.

This philosophy can be applied to just about any big task that has to get done...that big statistics project or english paper, or applying to grad school, or planning the rest of your life. If you chip away at it, take each challenge as it comes, it becomes much more manageable. It is much easier to take your life one day at a time, one "suitcase" at a time (...see what I did there? this whole thing does make sense!), unpack it, organize its contents, and move on to the next.

Trying to tackle a big project all at one time is a setup for failure...or at least a lot of unneeded stress.

[Disclaimer: I didn't realize this entry would turn out to be a rant against procrastination...it just kinda happened. But i can almost guarantee that I won't follow my own advice and I'll be scrambling to finish just about ever assignment this semester, just you wait.]

-Julie

Day 1: Introductions

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Every once in a while I get this urge to write, like I have something to say that I need to tell everyone. And i figured now would be a great time to start.

I am about to start the second semester of my sophomore year of college, and the start of 2010 marks the start of the second decade I've been around. This realization made me think about all of the things I've done and all that i hope to do. Which is why, i guess, i've decided to write here, so that maybe I could inspire someone the way my favorite blogs have inspired me. A lot of the reason I'm writing a blog at all is because of all of the wonderful ones I have been reading for the past few months, and a lot of the things I will be writing will be inspired by these lovely ladies, and i'll be sure to give credit where credit is due :)

But to start with, here's nineteen things about me:

1. I really like using smilie emoticons, it's the only way you can show emotion through text and I don't like people not knowing how I really feel when I can't talk to them in person. :)

2. I am a Virgo and I think that horoscopes are, in most cases, disturbingly accurate.

3. Music is my life. And as cliche as that sounds it could not be more true. I play 3 instruments and sing with at least a little bit of proficiency. If I had to choose another area to study, it would unquestionably be music performance with a concentration on education. I've thought this through.

5. Speaking of music, I listen to a wide range, a bit of everything, but mostly indie/alternative type stuff. My favorite band is Coldplay, but don't hold that against me.

5. Sarcasm is my go-to sense of humor. It's pretty much all I've got.

6. I hate doing things that I'm not good at. If I'm not immediately good something, I probably won't stick with it because I'll just get frustrated. A prime example? Any sport involving a racket.

7. I am a certifiable coffee addict.

8. I have red hair and I love it.

9. Trying to think of nineteen interesting facts about myself is a lot more difficult than I thought it would be.

10. I'm studying international business and accounting, but I have no intention of being an accountant, I just had to pick a concentration.

11. I'm much more interested in traveling the world and writing about it for a living than anything else.

12. I feel like I was born in the wrong decade, I like old fashioned things like chivalry and the art of conversation.

13. I am constantly trying to better myself, there's always something different I want to do or something new that I'm inspired by.

14. The thing I value most in people is honesty, insincerity is the biggest turnoff.

15. I like to bake when I'm upset or nervous about something. I make some mean chocolate chip cookies.

16. Driving with the windows down in the middle of the summer while blasting good music is my favorite thing in the world.

17. For a while I have been extremely cynical about love and everything that goes along with it, but I'm starting to come around a little bit.

18. I only wanted to do 19 things about me because that's how old I am and I thought it would be cute.

19. I hope writing in here isn't just a phase and continues for a while, I have a lot to say :)

That's about it. A good start I think. :)

-Julie