Back in the Ol' Pueblo

For my spring break I jetted off to Tucson, Arizona (where I lived during my undergrad) to see friends and journey back to the place where I spent three and a half years living. It was an absolute blast. I love that I can go a year without seeing some of my friends and we can all pick right back up from where we left off. This time away was very much needed and gave me the extra push to finish off this first year of grad school. (THAT'S INSANE!)

Now about this dress. I recently decided that just being in grad school, having a social life and being involved in my church wasn't enough so I took on a part time job at Anthropologie. I blame my sister. She convinced me to take it. ;) I probably would have laughed in her face when she offered up the suggestion but Anthro just opened up their largest store EVER in Portland and I knew I needed to be a part of it. It's been a definite whirlwind and I barely have a minute to breathe, which is why Tucson was so great. 

I saw this dress hanging in our dress shop at the store and knew I needed it. I've been really good about what I spend as far as clothing and nick-nacks but I knew I wouldn't regret this dress and necklace. I love that I can get multiple uses out of it and dress it up or down. Also, I'm convinced this color looks good on anyone. 

Tucson will always have a piece of my heart.

Current Design Style

couch, rug, coffee table, map, poster, entry table, record player, plant, candle, pillow

My entire design aesthetic entirely changed when I moved to Portland. I always thought my design style was girly or vintage inspired (Chateau as we like to call it at Anthropologie) but once I started picking out furniture for the apartment, that was the farthest thing from what I gravitated towards! All of a sudden I wanted everything to be clean, white but with pops of color, all of the exposed wood, plants galore etc. etc. I wanted it to represent a cabin in some ways. A place you could cozy up with a cup of tea and read a great book.

It's so interesting how our personal style and design style can be different. I feel like my design style in clothing form would be straight out of Madewell or the menswear trend. I want neutral, earth colors and I want as many pieces of wood as you can find me, pleaseandthankyou. In reality my clothing style is a lot more classic and feminine.

I am currently lusting over a big plant to put in the apartment but I know it can get pricey. Anyone have some recommendations on a place to get a good plant? #help ALSO, how amazing is that "WORK HARD AND BE NICE TO PEOPLE" print??? It's way too pricey for me right now but it's from this amazing store in town, Schoolhouse Electric. I want all of the things from there. I actually wouldn't mind if they just designed my apartment. :) The plant, National Park map and the print are all from there.

What's your design style?

I miss you Italy

 Lately I've been missing Italy something fierce. I think it may be because of how much Portland reminds me of my favorite little city. The weather, the delicious food everywhere, walking constantly, and the feeling of spring that occurs when you've experienced a winter. I remember the distinct feeling of that first spring day like it was yesterday. All of a sudden the trees were blooming, the hills were the greenest of greens and all the cold weather was 100% worth it. 

When I think about walking the tiny streets and stumbling over the cobblestones, I find myself breathing easier and a general calm washes over me. It's been three years now since I lived in that beautiful place and I miss it every day.

 It was the first time I traveled alone, booked trips without the help of parents, let loose more than I ever had, drank delicious wine, and fully allowed myself to create a home somewhere. I will always have a piece of my heart in Orvieto. I have a feeling that whenever I return, all the old feelings will flood back and it will feel like home again. I can't wait to bring someone with me and show them all my old haunts and hope that they can love it a little bit too. 

As much as I miss that little town on the hill, I know I'll return. :)

PDX Adventures: St. John's Bridge

 There are so many amazing things to do and see in Portland that I sometimes wonder if I'll ever see them all. Visiting the St. John's bridge and Cathedral Park has been on my list for a while and I'm so glad I got to stop by recently.

When it's sunny in Portland, there really is nothing better. Everyone is out and about, enjoying the sunshine and truly living our their day. The kids on the dock even had a little motor boat they were playing with! 

The St. Johns Bridge is the only suspension bridge in the Willamette Valley and the park below, Cathedral Park, has its name because of the beautiful archways holding up the bridge (shown above). The bridge was built during The Great Depression and actually helped provide jobs for many people in the area. 

So there's your history lesson for the day and if you're ever in Portland on a clear day, definitely stop by. :)

Weekend Adventure:: Mirror Lake

After a crazy week filled with stacks of school work/practicum/and regular work, I was ready for a fun adventure. Luckily a couple of my friends were ready for an adventure as well so off to Mount Hood we went! 

 I fed a bird off of my hand and it felt like a Disney movie. Such a cool experience!

It was wonderful to sit up there and reflect in front of my favorite mountain. I had never seen him that close before! It was also great to lie in the fresh snow and make snow angels. :) 

Mirror Lake is a great 4 mile (round trip) hike that is beautiful any time of year. It was definitely challenging hiking in the snow and most people wore snow shoes but we were feeling reckless. ;) I can't wait to go back in the Spring or Summer when the lake isn't frozen over and you can see a perfect reflection of the mountain! 

Just a heads up, for this time of year you have to park at Ski Bowl and walk about a mile to the trail head. Honestly, the mile walk in and out, to and from the trail head was the hardest and most tedious part because you're walking along the highway for a bit. But it's worth it! I promise! 

Did you go on any adventures this weekend?

A Book Review

Sometimes you stumble upon a book that grabs your attention right away and you feel the need to highlight ever single sentence. They're hard to come by but once they do, I find them irresistible. As many of you know, I'm studying to become a Speech-Language Pathologist and would love to work in acute care in a hospital at some point in my career. Well if you are at all interested in doing some kind of medical work or you already do some kind of medical work, READ THIS BOOK. I mean, I think everyone can find something special from this book but what really spoke to me was how Dr. Kalanithi spoke about mortality and being faced with others mortality every day as a health care worker, or in his case, a neurosurgeon. 

But Dr. Kalanithi was not only a neurosurgeon. He was a complete renaissance man and his writing is poetic and beautiful. He talks about going from doctor to patient when diagnosed with terminal lung cancer at the age of 36 and how so much of what he preached day in and day out was now being preached back to him. 

If you follow the popular lifestyle blog, Cup of Jo, you know that Dr. Kalanithi is her brother-in-law. It broke my heart when we heard of his diagnosis and how her sister and her husband were coping and then when he passed away. I'm glad he decided to write about his experience as a doctor especially after being faced with such a devastating prognosis. 

Here is one of my favorite quotes:

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Before operating on a patient’s brain, I realized, I must first understand his mind: his identity, his values, what makes his life worth living, and what devastation makes it reasonable to let that life end. The cost of my dedication to succeed was high, and the ineluctable failures brought me nearly unbearable guilt. Those burdens are what make medicine holy and wholly impossible: in taking up another’s cross, one must sometimes get crushed by the weight.

And then there are a few quotes that perfectly sum up how I want to be as a clinician. 

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I had met her in a place where she was a person and not a problem to be solved.

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Here we are together, and here we are through-I promise to guide you, as best as I can to the other side.

So? Did I convince you?

Why Knot: Explore Bend

Over the long MLK weekend a couple friends and I decided to head to Bend to continue my birthday celebrations and explore Bend in the winter time. One of my friends grew up in the town and knew all the best places to go. We mostly drank enough beer to sink a ship (Bend has a crazy amount of breweries) but we also walked all around downtown and got to see a free concert on Friday night! I equate Bend to a Mary Kate and Ashley movie (the one where they go to the ski resort town) because everyone was decked out in ski gear, fresh off the mountain and ready to party. It was everything you could hope for in a smaller mountain town. 

Here's how the weekend went down:

 We started the drive by going through Mount Hood, which is always a little sketchy due to ice, but beautiful nonetheless. It was a straight up wintery wonderland out there! 

Then things got even more sketchy when we had 0 visibility on the other side of the mountain. We were all cheering that we had made it down the mountain safely when up ahead we saw this thick blanket of fog awaiting us. My friend drove like a pro and we made it through but it was definitely hairy there for a minute (or 20). 

 Once we had made it safely to my friend's moms house, we dropped our things and headed into downtown. I proceeded to make a fool of myself and take photos like this. After quite a few hours of driving, I was excited to be stretching my legs. We went to 10 Barrel Brewing and Bend Brewing Company (SUCH good nachos!!) that night and finished the night at a bar where all the locals go. 

The next day we rolled out of bed and headed to Smith Rock State Park. If you haven't been, drop what you're doing and make some plans now! This place was beautiful and I can't wait to go back once the weather gets nicer and actually hike it. The sun peeked out for a minute while we were there and I was very grateful. 

We ended the day by walking along the Deschutes river in the old mill district and it turned into a beautiful but chilly day. We stopped at Cascade Lake Brewing to watch the first NFL playoff game and then went to a sports bar to watch the second game. Honestly this day contained all of my favorite qualities to a day: friends, football, hiking, exploring a beautiful town, a little shopping, some coffee and beer and a cloudy blue sky. :)

On my list for next time is to ski Mount Bachelor at some point and in the summer, I want to tube down the Deschutes and hike Smith Rock. 

What are your favorite things to do in Bend, OR?

23 on my 23rd

23 on my 23^rd

23 things I’ve learned:

1. When in doubt, watch a Parks & Rec episode.

2. Move to a place that always felt right and what do you know, it feels like home.

3. If you follow God’s plan everything works out perfectly.

4. True friendships make themselves known and stick around.

5. “Don’t be scared to walk alone. Don’t be scared to like it.” –John Mayer

6. Go listen to that band, eat at that restaurant or see that movie even if no one else wants to go with you. Don’t wait around.

7. EXPLORE.

8. Facetime is almost always better than texting.

9. Find a church and belong there.

10. Appreciate the belly laughs, tears and uncertainty and hold on.

11. Realize that this time in your life is FUN. Treat it as such.

12. Grad school is hard but worth it. You could meet the greatest people.

13. A long walk is incredibly therapeutic. So put on those headphones and sneakers and get walkin’.

14. Find a form of exercise that works for YOU and YOUR body.

15. Listen more in conversations. Silence isn’t a death sentence. It’s actually where all the good stuff happens.

16. Pray constantly. Pray as you walk down the street, before bed, in the car, always.

17. City living is a blast and every time you drive into Portland or walk around you’ll feel a sense of peace.

18. It’s ok to get giddy and maybe get TOO excited about something. You’re allowed to be happy.

19. You have the best support system.

20. This past year was hard but you would never take any of it back. Hard times make for stronger hearts.

21. Send the note, help people feel known and extend grace especially when it’s difficult.

22. My life has been one fairly consistent timeline and now’s the time to throw the plan out the window and wait for God to say what’s next.

23.Dance like Drake, sing like Adele and scream out the lyrics, tell the goofy story, read the fluff book, don’t let your heart grow hard from all the pain in the world, drink endless amounts of coffee and call your loved ones.

Here’s to 23 years!

^{looking back:: 22, 21, 20}

What I'm Working on in 2016

Holy smokes that is weird to write. It's 2016! 

I love the idea of having a word to go back to and help guide me as I experience this new year. But because I couldn't choose just one (classic) I decided on two! 

Let's break 'em down!

Faith.

For 2016 I want to grow stronger in my faith and learn more about what I believe to be true. My church is doing a year of biblical literacy and I am joining them in reading the bible in a year. I want to journal more, spend more time in stillness with God, and ultimately be able to stand behind my faith more and more. I want to be able to lean on my faith when times become uncertain (which happens often) and I start to think more worldly. I'm excited to push myself and be more diligent in my faith life.

 (source)

 
#truth. 

This is something I really struggle with and I always look towards the thing that I don't have instead of reflecting on all the things I am incredibly blessed with. I want to actively push myself to seek out contentment and enjoy this amazing life that I get to live and stop constantly searching for more. It's good to push ourselves but it's not good to look past all of the great things in our life and always check the other side of the fence to see what you could have. Because honestly, the people on the other side of the fence probably think they are lacking too, just in a different way. 

I want to keep going back to these words and at this time next year, be able to reflect on what an amazing year it was and how much I grew. And that's ultimately why I keep this blog! This little blog is my ultimate accountability partner and it sure does a good job at reminding me of my strengths and weaknesses. :)

I'm excited for this year! Are you?