2015 IS MY YEAR

I've been MIA again, but all for good reason. 2015 has been filling my life with lots of goodness, and I have been enjoying every last second of it. I don't remember the last time I smiled for so many consecutive days, and laughed so hard until my stomach hurt. I don't remember the last time I looked in the mirror and felt confident. I don't remember the last time I was such a social butterfly. I've been telling my friends "I finally got my groove back" and they've been saying "I cant tell!"

I've been getting back into the dating scene, which I had been so scared of for too long. Instead of facing awkwardness and douchebags, my experience has been quite the opposite. I've met a handful or really nice, normal guys, that have treated me very well. And even though the chemistry just wasn't there for a few of them, I still enjoyed their company and had a great time. Dating isn't too scary after all. I'm just taking it slow and enjoying every part of it.

Lastly, I decided to get a part-time job to supplement my income. I really just want to pay off a large chunk of my student loans and save some money for traveling. And even though the last two weeks have been busy, I still have free hours in my week. I could dedicate 10-15 hours to a part-time job. So I've been searching but haven't seen anything that fits my availability and desired pay. So I will continue to search and I hope something comes along.

January has been one hell of a month and I am excited to see what February has in store for me!

WANDERLUST WEDNESDAY: VENICE, ITALY

Oh Italy, a country after my own heart. Who would not want to enjoy a country known for its beautiful scenery, tasty food, and romantic language. I would love to go to Italy one day and explore all of it's the major cities. But for some reason Venice has always stuck out more than the other cities within the little boot shaped country. All the pictures below were found on Pinterest.

VOLUNTEERING IN TIJUANA

This weekend I had the opportunity of going to Tijuana to serve an orphanage with my church. Let me start off by saying, I've been praying for quite some time to find a way for me to serve that felt fitting to my wants, strengths, and abilities. I had been searching for volunteer opportunities but nothing ever felt quite right--either my heart wasn't really in in, it didn't fit in my schedule, or it wasn't on a consistent basis. I am so happy that God answered my prayers with this opportunity, it fits everything I need plus more.

On Saturday, I woke up early and met with 20 other volunteers (some apart of the church and others not). We parked our cars at the US side of the border, walked across, and then took prearranged buses to the orphanage. I don't remember the name of the area exactly, but the orphanage was a good 30 minute drive from the border. The area was rural, at the top of a hill in which we had to travel on a very bumpy dirt road.

Upon seeing the house, I did not have any culture shock. I have been to Tijuana many times (my ex-boyfriend's siblings live there), and so I was used the differences in terms of living conditions. The orphanage is ran/directed by a couple. The government brings them the orphans, but does not offer them much support in terms of financing and supplies. There were about 60 kids of all ages; there was a 2 month baby all the way to teenagers.

The kids were great! I was surprised by how receptive they were, especially having a stranger come into their home. Right away, a baby wanted me to pick him up and so I carried him all day.  These kids have little, yet had such huge smiles on their faces. There were some communications barriers, but it was such a great opportunity to use my Spanish (yes another blessing!) And honestly, the kids just want to play and interact so language isn't too big of a problem.While we were there we did arts and crafts, played games, and taught them a little bit of English. We also provided them with lunch and supplies that we had brought from the US. Another cool thing we do is write a check to help pay the bills for the month. The biggest surprise for me was when a pre-teen boy came up to me and just hugged me. I saw him around but I hadn't really played/talked with him during the day.  Sometimes you just need a hug and you need to be held, and as an orphan I know that may be hard to come by.

I am looking forward to continuing with this ministry and building relationships with these kids. I want to continue to give back to them with both time and donations. I want these children to know that there are people that love them and are there for them. I came back to the United States with a blessed and grateful heart.

WANDERLUST WEDNESDAY: CARTAGENA, COLUMBIA

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday! I am excited to introduce a new feature today called WANDERLUST WEDNESDAY, in which I will showcase pictures and a few random facts about a new place every Wednesday. I've been dying to travel more and more since college, but unfortunately there has always been something that has gotten in the way--usually time and/or money. I am in the beginning stages of planning out where I would like to travel to this year, and I thought this would be a good feature to showcase some of the places I am considering. I hope this feature inspires both the well-traveled and the curious. 

CARTAGENA, COLUMBIA

(ELLE.COM)

(ALEJO CALDERON)

(NEIL TAN)

(tazdevilgreg)

(pacificholidaysinc.com)

2015

HAPPY 2015 EVERYONE! I hope the year has already gotten off to a great start for you. Mine has been relaxing even though I've had to work. I am planning on keeping 2015 very simple in terms of goals and what not. Obviously it will be another year of lots of growth and experiences. But I want to really zone in and focus on a few select things instead of trying to cross as many things off my list as possible.

In 2014 I experienced some highs and lows. I got to take a few trips--Mexico City and New York City, which was a lot of fun. I really wish that somehow I was able to squeeze in more trips throughout the year. It seems near impossible with this new job. I guess I'll be working hard and trying my best not to get sick. In 2014, I also got my state registration which was a huge deal as it allowed me to practice in the state of California and get a nice little raise. And then I ended up moving back to San Diego and getting a new job which had been my goal for the last year and a half. I can't even explain how happy I felt to move back. There were two really hard things that I had to go through this year. The first one was feeling extreme feelings of loneliness and depression at times due to not having any friends or family in my new (now old) city of residence. I literally went mad some days, as all I did was go to work and then I didn't have anyone to hangout with. The second was being hurt by someone, over and over again. Unfortunately, this person has been using me, and has not appreciated me as a person. I'm looking forward to cutting this soul-sucking person out of my life and leaving them in 2014. So 2014 was filled with both extreme highs and lows, but nothing short of learning.

My goals for 2015:
1. Travel somewhere new (in-state, out of state, out of country)

2. Launch my online business

3. Run one 5k, 10k, half-marathon

4. Be able to wear tank tops again

5. Become apart of my church
6. Volunteer/give back on a consistent basis
7. Meet someone who thinks I am wonderful
8. Read at least 1 book a month
9. Try something new
10. Eat more real food