I've hated chocolate with nuts my entire life (until this week). Now, I simply can't get enough of Dove chocolate with almonds.
I've been eating an obnoxious amount of salad lately. #yolo
Dear Tweeter, You've won me over.
I GOT A JOB AT CRACKER BARREL. I START ON MONDAY. It feels excellent to be a contributing member of society, again...or something like that.
Today I set out on what I thought was a 2 mile trail run at Fair Hill that ended up lasting 45 minutes. How, you may ask? I have no clue. At one point I thought I was lost and ended up knee-highing through uncut grass, simultaneously afraid of spraining an ankle and encountering a snake. So glad I was alone, otherwise, that could have been embarrassing. Oh, well I just got to spend more time at Fair Hill.
I stopped at the High's today to get a Gatorade after my run and the guy at the register was so surprisingly nice. I <3 random acts of kindness.
The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People. If you haven't read it, please do. I'm rereading it and it's even better the second time around. I'm also rereading The Great Gatsby. F. Scott Fitzgerald is the man, but that goes without saying.
Also, am I the only one that could careless about the new IPhone5? I find Apple to be a total bore...I'm pretty sure Steve Jobs just rolled over in his grave.
La Deuxieme Contester:
There was two different challenges I had to choose between this week, but this one beat out the second one for a few reasons. Next week's challenge is sure to be rockin' so just bear with me* through this one. I know, I know, you guys are on the edge of your seats.
I think I'll call this one "7 goals". I'm a pretty goal oriented person and started doing this in Italy for two reasons 1) to not become totally bored 2) to make sure I got out of the apartment at least once a day on my own.
How it works: At the beginning of each week, say Sunday or Monday, sit down with a notebook that you're not going to lose (that's actually a really important step) and write down seven goals you want to accomplish that week. You can make the list one goal specific to one day of the week or seven goals to complete each day, or whatever combination works best for your specific goals. At the end of the week, or part way through, look back at how you did. If you keep the list out in the open and reference it enough you won't let yourself slip and accomplish more. This turns out to be an excellent confidence booster.
For me I usually set seven goals that I want to get done each day. Exercise is a great mood and energy booster for me so I usually write one down like "Workout for 30 min. err'yday" and then draw out seven boxes, underneath, with the days of the week labelled at the top, so I can check off the days I actually am active. In Italy a weekly goal for me was "go for a walk in town/go outside for one hour everyday". I knew that since I didn't know anyone over there initially it would be super easy to stay inside and not interact and see Italy. I had a lot more experiences with people and found out a lot more about Montichiari by simply going outside. By the end of the summer I felt a part of the town and I know I wouldn't have if I hadn't set that goal.
So the challenge is for you to set seven goals this week of your own and get them done. AND THEN REPORT BACK.
It feels really silly at first, and requires a fair amount of introspection depending on how serious your goals turn out to be. I've noticed being back here, and much busier than I'd been all summer, that having definite things that I need to do each day helps me see my day in a clearer, less stressed perspective which is super beneficial because I become stressed so quickly. It's a good feeling at the end of a hectic day that didn't go exactly as planned (aka my week thus far) to be able to look back and be able to cross at least seven simple things off your list. It's also an excellent opportunity to start setting positive habits, if you make yourself accountable for something everyday instead of once a week or once a month, you're more likely to face the facts and get yo' act togethaaa. Weeeell, at least that's how this "7 goals" thing has worked for me since I started it in June.
But, I'll let you figure these things out for yourself, you've just gotta take The Leap.
I hope you guys try it out!
Until next time,
Salut!
*I just googled this because I wasn't sure whether to use "bare" or "bear" and the differentiation I got is this:
"Bear with me": the standard expression, is a request for forbearance or patience
"Bare with me": would be an invitation to undress.
I will never make this mistake again, ever. I promise.