SMALL VICTORIES

Dreams are exciting, but they can also feel overwhelming. When our goals are so big, they can almost feel impossible to accomplish. When something seems so far away, its easy to get discouraged. The negative thoughts set in, and soon you are asking yourself "Why the hell did I think I could do this?" Your mind is telling you to give it up already.

Dreams can be scary. Dreams take time. There isn't always a clear path. And most of the times it trial and error, practice and patience that gets you to the end goal. In a world of instant gratification this concept can be hard to understand.

I decided to run a half-marathon this summer. I completed my first half-marathon back in 2013, and it finished in 2:40. I am happy I finished, but I was less than pleased with my final time. Being a somewhat athletic person, who trained hard it's embarrassing. It doesn't help that I have a thin frame and long legs, which gives others the impression that I am a speedy runner. That is not the case whatsoever. I am a pretty slow runner, and I think I pace myself too much sometimes in effort to prevent myself from burning out toward the end of a run and not finishing it at all.

But here I am determined to do a second half-marathon in 2017 and beat my time. I am going to have to train harder than ever. That means dedicating more time and pushing my body past its limit. I am starting an official training plan next month. In the mean time I've just been trying to get myself back in shape, conditioning my body to moderate runs.  That way when the training comes I won't be completely overwhelmed.

But during this conditioning I decided to push.

My original goal this month was just to complete a 5-mile run, which I did last week. Today, I wanted to see if I could be a little faster since I am tired of being a slow-poke. I picked up my pace on the flat portions and let my feet patter hard as I ran down hill. I practiced my breathing through my nose and kept my posture good. I ran up multiple hills, and told myself it was completely okay to slow down. All that mattered was that I got to the top. My shins were aching, my feet were hurting. My legs were feeling wobbly as I inclined. It was terrible and I wanted to give up. But I pushed and kept through it all. Running truly is mind over matter.

I finished running my 5 miles in less than 50 minutes at a pace of 9:59 per mile. I know that's not very fast to most experience runners, but it was a victory for me. My 5 mile runs usually take well over 10 minutes per mile, and I was able to shave off a few minutes from my average. It was a small victory for me.

I smiled and told myself how much of a bad bitch I was. You see, I am still not a fast runner. But I am one step closer to PRing during this race. I still have a long way to go, but I am a lot closer than where I was.

Celebrating small victories are important.
One step closer to where I want to be.

Celebrate all of your victories along your path. 

WEEKEND FINDS

Being the hardcore target fanatic that I am, I was soooooo pleased with my target run this weekend. I found the perfect Christmas card set for only $3.00! I've been on the hunt for cute and classy Christmas cards, but everything I came across have been unreasonably expensive. So glad I waited and didn't waste money on cards from etsy (sorry! just out of my budget). And I also bought eos lotion which has been my fave! My hands have been so dry due to the cold winter, and the eos lotion not only does the trick but its sleek design makes it easy to fit my purse. Yay for good target finds!

I'VE BEEN GONE FOR A MINUTE

Its been about a month and a half since I last wrote a post. It wasn't my intention to abandon this little blog of mine, but I've been living a lot of life lately and for the most part things have been better than I could ever imagined. I'll try to update you all without making this post too long or too boring.

+ I've been spending a lot of time with friends. I have definitely been making the effort to plan things out and get a group of friends together which has been paying off. And even those friends that live far away, I make sure to call them every now and then or catch up when we are in the same city. My heart has never been so full. I got blessed with some amazing friends. Constantly being lifted with words from sweet sweet friends is more than I could ask for. I've never felt so loved, beautiful, intelligent, and appreciated.

+ Half of my weekends every month have been taken up by working over-time or volunteering in Mexico. I enjoy working the overtime as I get a lot of comp time that I am planning on using for a nice, long summer vacation. My last trip to Mexico was so rewarding, I was able to connect with some kids on a more personal level and I believe that is due to the fact that my spanish is getting better. I hardly go "out" anymore. In fact tomorrow will be first time going out and dancing in a month!

+ Work has been good. Some days are dead slow and others are crazy busy, and I think I've learned to accept the roller coaster ride. However, I am blown away by how many compliments and great jobs I have been getting. It feels great to know that I am doing well, especially when it comes from a supervisor. I can't believe I've been in this position for nine months, man how the time flies!

+ I've been working on my little etsy business of mine which has been a process since January. I am hoping to launch this month, but I really feel like every other day there is some type of set back. Its so frustrating, but I guess that the process of starting a small business. I just really could use the extra cash to pay off my student loans and possibly start saving up to own a house one day.

+ I've been back on the dating scene which was a major goal for me in 2015. It feels good to get back out there and I feel like I've got my groove back.  I've been on a handful of dates, and I'm proud to say they all have gone well. No weirdos nor douche bags, just really nice decent guys. Unfortunately, the chemistry wasn't always there for all of them, but that's fine. I may or may not be dating a guy right now. Its too soon to say if things will get more serious. But it sure is nice to feel adored and be kissed passionately.

Other sweet things: listening and secretly dancing to salsa music, tea-toxes, increasing my average running pace, a huge tax return, treating myself to some kate spade goodies, traveling home to visit friends and family, winning $150 at the casino.

I'm looking forward to April!

LA BELLE BLOOM FLOWER STAND

Two weeks ago I had a little break during my conference, and since I was in the area I decided to stop by Little Italy. I love the Little Italy neighborhood, but don't go there as much as I want to. They have some great classic styled restaurants, but there are also new places popping up all over the place. The neighborhood such has a charming feel, and even though there are usually tourists everywhere, it never feels overwhelming or too crowded.

As I walked through the neighborhood enjoying the nice weather, I stumbled upon the cutest flower stand--La Belle Bloom. I had to stop, and buy some flowers for myself! All the flowers were beautiful, but I had no idea what I wanted since there were no pre-made bouqets. I asked Claudia (the owner) for her assistance, and she ended up putting together something simple and pink (per my request) for only $10.00. Next time, I definitely want to take the time to an do  DIY arrangement myself, even though I might not be any good at it. I'm looking forward to buying my flowers from this cute stand in the future. Just another reason for me to venture to Little Italy!

HAPPY FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY GOALS

1. Do my taxes

2. Pick a vacation spot for summer
3.  Start selling my card cases
4. Purchase plane tickets for March
5. Submit an article
6. Find a part time job

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.