Places to live (update)...

I wrote about the places I want to live a while back and wanted to make a more up-to-date list.  I crossed out places that are a no-go and updated the list with the stuff that's in italics.

I'm leaving Denver.  

When I graduate from UCD I plan to pack my bags and move on to the next big city, little city, any city.

So!  In anticipation of this change, I've decided to visit as many places in the US as possible, keeping an open mind and heart for my future home.

1.  Albuquerque, NM.  My friend has a gallery opening, so what the hell, I may as well give New Mexico a go.  I visited Albuquerque and decided HELL NAH to living there.

2.  Seattle, WA.  I like rain a lot.

3.  Austin, TX.  Music and vintage clothing.

4.  Nashville, TN.  Yeehaw.

5.  NYC.  Fashion, duh.  (INTERNSHIP AT MAGAZINE)

6.  Fort Collins, CO.  I love Colorado and I don't know if I can leave.  Hope to end up here someday.

7.  New England.  Never been, should probably go.

8.  CHICAGO (INTERNSHIP AT THIS AMERICAN LIFE?)

9.  ABROAD  (TEACH ENGLISH?)

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS HEEEYYYYOOOOO

These are my New Years resolutions from last year.  Resolutions are kind of a biatch.  A lot of these were accomplished during part of the year and totally abandoned in other parts of the year.  Overall, it's been a good and extremely busy year.  My brother got married and I officiated (the most beautiful and meaningful wedding of my life).  I started a membership at a yoga studio which has completely saved me!  I went to Cancun for a week with dear friends.  I skied for the first time since I've lived in Colorado.  I visited New Mexico with my lovely friend, Eva.  I planned a month long trip to Thailand.  I had an awesome time working at the Writing Center (I helped my most notable student prep for the GREs and apply to her dream grad school--and she was accepted!)  I also began tutoring independently, helping a high school student through his last few trimesters of school along with college prep.  I bought two dogs with Jeremiah.  I helped Jere's family move stuff out of their house during the Colorado wild fires.  I moved in with a fabulous roommate in a fabulous new Cap Hill apt.  I went to Vedauwoo and other locations to climb with family and friends.  I visited the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs.  I got the first C of my college career.  I volunteered at the Botanic Gardens and in return spent my Thursday mornings practicing yoga with my fav teacher.  I turned 25.  I visited RMNP and hiked about.  AHHH, I know I'm forgetting a million things, but whatev, here is the end of the year report card along with some new goals for 2014:

2013 Goals:
1.  Whiten my teeth by the end of February.  YES
2.  Chop off all of my hair by the end of the year.  NOPE
3.  Find ways to better cope with stress.  NOPE/YES
4.  Get a gym membership by February.  YES
5.  Stay off Facebook for the year.    NOPE
6.  Fix my shoulder with physical therapy.   YEP
7.  Clean out my car by the end of January.  YEP
8.  Take the rest of my clothes mountain to Goodwill.  NOPE
9.  Cherish the relationships I hold most dear.  SORTA  (What the hell does this even mean?)
10.  Stop putting so much pressure on myself.  NOPE
11.  Drink more water and cut out all soda.  YES/NO
12.  Do one meaningful or productive activity each day and take the time to reflect on this activity.  PROBABLY?
13.  Start volunteering.  YES
14.  Continue journaling.  YES
15.  Get a better sleep schedule.  SORTA  

2014 Goals:
1.  Chop off all of my hair by the end of the year.  Cute pixie cut.
2.  Become comfortable hiking alone.  
3.  Travel to another country (Not including Thailand).
4.  Visit my aunt Pat in Idaho.
5.  Go skiing at least once more this season and buy a ski pass for next season.
6.  Get comfortable visiting ski resorts and skiing on my own.
7.  Find a place where I can live with Alamo (my doggie).  Become a good (single) dog mom.
8.  Continue volunteering at the Botanic Gardens.  Begin volunteering at a senior living facility.
9.  Create a bangin' CV.
10.  Graduate college.
11.  Apply for an internship in NYC BABAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY.

Vent like a motherfxcker...

Okay, this is about to get whiny.  And pathetic.  And sad.  And dumb.  And I hate everything.  And everyone.  Except that everyone is awesome and I mostly just hate myself.

You know that feeling where you just want to scream?  And cry?  And punch all the happy people in the face one by one.  Line em up.  Line those smiling faces up because I'm feeling slap happy.

I know this feeling.  I know this time of year.  I know that this is the way that I get.  Some idiot decided that 5pm was a great time for nightfall and this idiot decided that taking four literature courses at the same time was totally manageable and would be great fun.  "Sonja, the Bible is so interesting and cool and you really need to know this information!"  "FXCK YOU, SONJA.  'Bible as Literature,' my foot!  This piece of 'literature' is total crap and I want a refund."  I just wish that with this much experience, I would be better at coping with the stress that comes with this time of year.

I know that breaking up with the most significant boy of my life, moving, dealing with normal life things that aren't that big of a deal but let me tell you grocery shopping is THE HARDEST FXCKING THING TO DO and WHY will my feet not warm themselves up when I'm sitting alone in bed--I know that these things are not the easiest to deal with in the middle of the semester.  But life happens in the middle of every semester.

It helps to write out my thoughts.  It helps to talk to three different girlfriends and my mom in one day.  It helps to know that this time of year tends to creep up on everyone and if it doesn't, get in that row of happy people so I can slap you but really.

I'm glad you're happy.  And I'm actually a little more happy myself, because I'm starting to think that it's okay to feel not okay, especially during this time of year.  And hey, ya know, the Bible is really not so bad.  And grocery shopping is actually pretty fun.  And my new roommate cleared an entire shelf so I could line up all my boxes of tea and tea cups and holy shit will you look at those yellow trees outside my window and I just can't wait to yoga with my favorite teacher tomorrow and wow, I love my family so much and life!  Life is just so good it's not even funny.  

Things I like to do lately...

Things I like to do lately:

-Thrift for books on S. Broadway.  Specifically Fahrenheit Books.  They have the best books for the best price and it smells so perfect in there.  I've really been into the DRAMA section lately.  

-Thrift for clothes and shoes at Goodwill on S. Broadway.  I've been hitting the jackpot lately.  

-Watch shitty television.  America's Next Top Model, Project Runway, So You Think You Can Dance, Glee, New Girl.  I'm really happy I can stream all of these shows for free after a long day at school and work.

-Yoga at the Botanic Gardens. 

-School.  I'm taking a class called Nobel Authors with about seven other people and it's just so perfect.  We meet in the back of a musty Victorian which houses the Department of English and before every class we brew tea and chat about our lives.  And the books.  I don't care if I ever get a job; I will be proud to have an English Literature degree when all is said and done.

-Cuddle with my dogs and play tricks on them.  (Wrap Peaches in bubble wrap, clothe Alamo in a button-up shirt like a big boy, etc)  I also love our daily training sessions.  "Gimme paw" is my absolute favorite command because OMGTHEIRCUTELITTLEFACES they don't know what shaking hands is but heck, they'll do it to make me happy.

-My job has been killer lately!  Killer in a good way.  Like, "yeah! radical! killer, dude!"  Soooo, I'd been in a bit of a rut in my one-on-one tutoring sessions.  I'd found a good approach; students were digging it.  Everything was fairly peachy.  BUT WHAT THE HELL, MAN.  How boring.  Lately, I've been critiquing my methods and have decided I'm just not good enough.  I need to be better.  These darn Freshmen and Sophomore's and ESLers  and grad students deserve more from me.  I guess the Juniors and Seniors do, too.  So, yeah, I'm not in a rut anymore because I'm moving forward!

-I would like to blog more.  I make random lists all the time to keep me sane but I almost never write anymore.  I would reaaaaallllyyy like to blog about my brother's wedding.  It was the most stunning event of all time and my experience as the officiate was totally mind-boggling and something I'd like to share.  Until then, folks, here's a picture of happy doggies on a climbing adventure.

Swim...

Oh, J. Crew, why do I always love the most expensive item at your store??  WHY!? 

Red Rocks...

I'll be headed to Red Rocks Amphitheater for the first time to see The National and Local Native.

HEHEHEHEHE YAY!

New baby...

Look who I've been hangin round with!!!!  This little love is Peaches.  She's full of energy and loves to play but is also quite the cuddler.  We went to the dog park today and she got her first boo-boo.  She bled and everything.  Ugh, I think I was more scared than she was.

I'll let you know when she gets better, and I'll keep sharing all the cute on this blog.

Three month update...

I wrote down this list of goals for the new year.  Some of them are pretty specific, while others are kinda dumb or too broad.  I figured I write a little update about how things are coming along.

Here's what I wrote:
1.  Whiten my teeth by the end of February.  Haven't done this yet.  I figure I'll wait until a couple weeks before Mexico.
2.  Chop off all of my hair by the end of the year.  Again, I'm waiting until after Mexico to make this change.
3.  Find ways to better cope with stress.  I've been getting better at this.  Exercising, eating better, journaling, making lists of positive aspects of my day and seeing a school counselor have helped relieve a lot of unnecessary anxiety.
4.  Get a gym membership by February.  I don't have a membership but I do have an awesome fitness plan including two nights of climbing and two nights of yoga per week.  It's been more than fabulous.
5.  Stay off Facebook for the year.  I kind of sucked at this during the first part of the year.  I even made a new Facebook with the goal of only being "Friends" with people I see on a regular basis.  Facebook just doesn't allow for real life, however, and I've been doing better ever since.  I still check Jeremiah's newsfeed every once and again, though.
6.  Fix my shoulder with physical therapy.  OH YEAH!  BOOM SHAKALAKA!  I've been seeing the most amazing physical therapist for three-ish months and my shoulder is almost completely back to normal.
7.  Clean out my car by the end of January.  Check.
8.  Take the rest of my clothes mountain to Goodwill.  Check.
9.  Cherish the relationships I hold most dear.  This is where the goals start to get a little vague.  I think I'm doing okay with this one, but really, who knows.
10.  Stop putting so much pressure on myself.  Again, I think I'm doing okay but this is a pretty vague goal.
11.  Drink more water and cut out all soda.  I'm proud of this one.  I still love me some soda but I don't ever have it in my house.  I've been drinking La Croix as a replacement when I get desperate for some bubbles.
12.  Do one meaningful or productive activity each day and take the time to reflect on this activity.  I generally journal about my top three best moments of the day.  So yeah, this is going okay.
13.  Start volunteering.  Just started today.
14.  Continue journaling.  I haven't been journaling much this semester because I've been composing a day book for one of my writing classes.  My usual journaling has been replaced by my day booking.
15.  Get a better sleep schedule.  Since I started tutoring, my sleep schedule has been SO MUCH BETTER!!!  This will always be a work in progress for me.

YAY GOALS CYA LATER BYE

Lately...

Things that have been happening lately:
1.  I got another job!!  I'm so thankful for the opportunity and for the people at my primary job hooking it up.
2.  I committed to spending a week in Mexico with some of my best pals.
3.  I started volunteering at Metro Denver Promotion of Letters and had my first shift today.
4.  I got a puppy and named her Peaches.
5.  I'll soon be moving into a bigger room of our house.
6.  MY SHOULDER IS FIXED!!!!!!!!!!!!  I've been climbing and yoga-ing up a storm!  STOKED!

Life has been pretty good all around.

Bookybookbook...

I've been quitting and un-quitting Facebook over the past few months and although I've relapsed multiple times, even creating another account at one point, I've managed to read a lot more books for fun during this time.  I don't really care to review any of these books.  They've all been valuable in their own way and after years of studying literature, I've become a lot better at avoiding stinkers.  I just hope to keep a record of what I've read thus far.

 

The next three books are some I've found on my work's bookshelf.  We are required to complete a book review each semester and I've enjoyed the process.

We've been reading excerpts of the next book in my Rhetoric of Sound class but I want to read all of it before I attend Peter Elbow's seminar in Estes Park, CO this summer.

Resolution...

I really love New Years Resolutions.  I tried to get my entire family to participate in making their own lists of goals but alas, no one else really cared to do so.  Since I love lists and I can't seem to sleep (EVER), here is a reflection of last years goals and a new list for 2013.

What I wrote for...
2012:
1. Self-reliance will be a big deal for 2012; I can feel it!
2. Scratch my fashion itch.  I'm loving on everything fashion lately and 2012 is the year to scratch that itch.
3. Introduction to Powder 101.  I'm wanting some winter sports in my life so skiing and snowboarding will be a MUST.
4. Get a job, yo.  Not much more to say about that one.
5. Maintain relationships.  I always try at this one and it's HARD.  Whether it's family or the many friends I have scattered around the globe (including the ones in Denver), I must get better at maintaining these relationships.
6. Find a hobby.  I've been big into riding horses, checking out art and going to shows in 2011 but I'm not so much feeling those scenes anymore.  (Except for the horseback riding "scene."  I'll always be into that!)  I'm looking for something new and different.
7. Do well in what I do.  School must continue to be my priority.  Getting scholarships, writing a bangin' thesis and applying to grad school will be my priorities for 2012.
8. Continue to travel.  France and Italy were the perfect introduction to all the traveling I MUST do in 2012.  Here's looking at you Amsterdam and London!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ERR'BODY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And here is how I did in 2012:
1.  I live in my own place and do what I want whenevah I want.  Bingo-Bango.
2.  I've really enjoyed blogging and made an extra effort to dress up for school even if I was feeling oh-so lazy.  Check.
3.  Nope.
4.  Got a job.  Love the job.  Check.
5.  This one is getting better.  I backed off on Facebook and ever since, I've done a better job at keeping in touch with people who mean the most to me in my daily life.  I will always love visiting and re-connecting with old friends and family but staying away from social media has helped this goal a lot.
6.  Hobby.  Um.  Does cleaning my room count?  Actually this is another win because as soon as I quit Facebook, I became so bored that my bookworm self was born again.  I've been finishing a book every couple of days now!
7.  This year was a lot.  I put too much pressure on myself and it sort of turned into a hot heinous mess.  I'm not very worried about this in 2013 because I'm pretty sure it'd be impossible to do worse than last year.  Fingers crossed!
8.  Nope.  Frustrating, but nope.


I have smaller goals for 2013.  I've found that making super broad goals leads to little success.  I almost never stay conscious of my goals after I've written them but I actually did okay last year.  Though, I don't know if a couple of those count considering I just achieved them a week ago.  Whomp.  Nevertheless, here are some random goals I just thought of for 2013:
1.  Whiten my teeth by the end of February.  This is totally vain but I don't care. I want a whiter smile and this is a super easy, achievable first goal.
2.  Chop off all of my hair by the end of the year.  I've wanted a chopped 'do for forever and 2013 must be the year.
3.  Find ways to better cope with stress.  I'm determined to handle the hurdles of school/work/life better in 2013.  I don't want to get a million wrinkles or die when I'm 30 so I really need to find some ways to better cope.
4.  Get a gym membership by February.  If I go to a gym to get a membership, I might be able to convince myself to go there again.
5.  Stay off Facebook for the year.  My life has already hugely benefited from breaking up with Facebook.  I live in the moment more, I don't feel as pressured to fit a certain mold, and though I still waste time like whoa, I feel so much more accomplished when I've just finished a book than when I used to blow a couple hours on the Facebook.  
6.  Fix my shoulder with physical therapy.  Omg, my dumb shoulder.  I've been frustrated with it for over a year, so I need to buck-the-fuck up and get it fixed.  Sorry for the language.  It's just been the most horrendous bother.
7.  Clean out my car by the end of January.  This is another small goal.  My car is almost always a nightmare and it's been even worse because I have a million clothes needing to go to Goodwill.  A cleaner car will make a happier Sonja.
8.  Take the rest of my clothes mountain to Goodwill (see above).
9.  Cherish the relationships I hold most dear.  I don't want to care about what people think about me and my life or relationship choices.  I love the people that I love and I want to be in touch with them as much as possible.
10.  Stop putting so much pressure on myself.  This one really applies to everything.  Relationships, school, work...I want to live in the moment with relationships and work the hardest I can at school and work.  I psyche myself out by putting so much extra pressure on myself and it's really just silly.
11.  Drink more water and cut out all soda.  I just bought a new water bottle in honor of this goal.  I've already made strides in cutting out soda but holy mother, fancy root beer might just be my downfall.
12.  Do one meaningful or productive activity each day and take the time to reflect on this activity.  It doesn't take much for me to feel like I've had a super productive day.  I want to make sure I take the time to reflect on those moments and give myself a pat on the back whenever I can.
13.  Start volunteering.  I've been wanting to do this every since I volunteered at Ronald McDonald House in Iowa City.  I have the opportunity to do so through work and I'm truly stoked to start.
14.  Continue journaling.  If you've noticed my absence on this "lifestyle" blog, it's because I've been journaling up the heezy!  It's awesome!  Though I enjoy sharing posts from time-to-time, I feel so much more like myself when I can no-filter, brain-vomit on a fresh sheet of journal paper. 
15.  Get a better sleep schedule.  This has been a life-long struggle, so it's really just a filler for the list, as this goal goes without saying.  But hey, why not start in 2013!?  Why not start now!?  At 630AM!  Lordy.  We'll see about this one.

I'll update y'all next year:)  Hope you're having a fab January thus far.