12 Days of Christmas

“It is a miracle if you can find true friends, and it is a miracle if you have enough food to eat, and it is a miracle if you get to spend your days and evenings doing whatever it is you like to do, and the holiday season—like all the other seasons—is a good time not only to tell stories of miracles, but to think about the miracles in your own life, and to be grateful for them.”
— Lemony Snicket, The Lump of Coal

I kicked off my 2nd annual Christmas extravaganza this week, with tacky sweaters, Shiner Cheer, and maybe a few technical difficulties (let’s just say we ended up watching Bride and Prejudice).  It was an excellent night, and it made me appreciate more and more the amazing ladies I have in my life.  Who knew I could be so lucky?

My cousin Mandy surprised me by coming into town today.  We got dinner and caught up on family drama and everything else in between.  My heart hurts even more thinking about being so far away from family for work.  The holidays just seem to magnify this.  Things just don’t seem to be falling into place, and I can only hope time is on my side (and if it isn’t, I must settle for taking advantage of every moment I have left).

Tis the Season!

It was a long drive back from the beach, but as we pulled into the neighborhood we all perked up a bit.  “Do you think the blow ups will be up?”  And as we inched up to the stop sign before turning onto our cul-de-sac, we caught our first glimpse of these guys lit up in all their glory.  There are over 20 of them on parade, and over the years they’ve become a tacky source of joy to see coming home from Austin.  We’ve even started to contribute a few of our own to the line up 🙂  Maybe someday they take up the entire block!

Back to Reality

“I can’t stand it to think my life is going so fast and I’m not really living it.” — Ernest Hemingway

Today was our last day in beautiful Gulf Shores.  It’s been a truly wonderful, relaxing trip.  But now that we are headed back to reality, I’ve found I have a lot to think about.  The root of it all comes down to the fact that I have only one more class to take to graduate, and UT wants to charge me an unreasonable amount in tuition to complete it there in the Spring.  It seems my only financially responsible option now is to complete the coursework elsewhere over winter break.  If this is the case, it’s about to get a little crazy.  This has been such a sudden development, and now I have three weeks to answer a million questions:

• Should I break my lease and move back home until my Nike start date next summer?
• Should I see if I can start sooner at Nike?
• Can I find an internship or job in Austin or Dallas to occupy me in the Spring?
• What about my friends and my life in Austin?  How can I pick up and leave a whole semester early?
• Should I stay at UT and minor in another subject to get my monies worth?
• Why does this have to be so complicated?

I have some big decisions to make.

Gulf Shores

That’s how you know you love someone, I guess, when you can’t experience anything without wishing the other person were there to see it, too. — Kaui Hart Hemmings

We are on the beach and life is good.  If I made a list of my favorite things, it would be well reflected in these photos.  I’ve got quite a bit to be thankful for.

I’m thankful for friends to share books with and family to share breakfast with.  I’m thankful for baking sessions with Alexis and for $1 margs at El Arroyo every Thursday with the gang.  I’m thankful for road trips and new experiences.  I’m thankful for the little things.  I’m thankful for all the good memories this year has given me.

I’m thankful to be graduating debt free to a full-time job at a respected company.  I’m thankful to have discovered early what I am passionate about.  I’m thankful for my ability to pursue it, and for all who have reached out to me in the process.

I’m giving thanks a day early, and I am thankful everyday. I am a lucky girl.

I35

“Embrace change. You may take a different path than you planned or end up somewhere you didn’t expect, but it’ll be where you need to be.”

Got to spend a peaceful day in Frisco before the road trip.  I always forget how much I enjoy driving alone down the highway, singing at the top of my lungs and avoiding speed traps.  It was good to be home, and to catch up on episodes of How I Met Your Mother and finally see 21 Jump Street.  And, of course, it’s always great to see my favorite puppy dog.

Plus, the pumpkin spice donuts ended up being delicious, which makes me feel much better after the sub-par cinnamon rolls I made last week.  That was the last recipe on my “to do” list, so I guess it’s time to start searching for some new experiments!

What Happens Between Snapchats

Spontaneously, Alexis and I made marshmallows and hot chocolate.  That’s right, we made the marshmallows.  They didn’t float all pretty like a Pinterest picture, but they sure were delicious.  We also played Mario Kart on my N64, in honor of Formula 1’s presence in Austin.  It was a perfect night.

This morning, I went on an exploratory 10-miler.  I didn’t really mean to run 10 miles, but I couldn’t resist Town Lake (or checking out the graffiti place per a friend’s recommendation).  Runs like this always remind me of how amazing Austin is.  I plan to spend the rest of the day packing for Gulf Shores, and putting a dent in Steve Job’s biography.

I just have a few more items to check off my November to do list, namely making pumpkin spice doughnuts and using my oven-top smoker to make brisket.  Then I’ll be ready for all kinds of December adventures!

Enchanted Rock

“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” –Nora Ephron

I finally made it out to Enchanted Rock.  We even stopped in Llano for Cooper’s BBQ, and got to enjoy a very scenic drive through hill country to get there.  I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day.

I’ve been really thankful for my dad recently.  Yesterday my heart was hurting, and I was feeling incredibly lonely, when my phone started ringing.  He had no idea how much I needed that phone call.  To just hear his voice and talk about nothing in particular.  He’s the best.

The topic of Christmas presents has officially come up within my family, and I think I may ask for a DSLR camera.  I’d also be happy with some hand-me-down fishing rods, or even an old guitar.  I’m really just excited for the whole Christmas season.  The lights, the parties (preferably involving tacky sweaters), the movies, the crafts, family.  And I’d love to have a great camera to document it all 🙂

Skyfall

  

“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.” –Corrie Ten Boom

I feel like there’s been a lot of good these past couple of days.  The best part, Jess visiting from Nashville.  She came by my apartment before we met with the group for dinner, and we caught up on everything — college, boys, jobs, life.  It was so great to see her again, and I selfishly wish more than ever that she could stay here with me (and Ben, and Carly, and the rest of the gang, of course)!

Last night was spontaneously perfect.  Danika and I went out for dinner, and talked about our fears with recruitment and the job search.  We both don’t want to follow the traditional path of our majors, so this process has been extra hard for us.  But I’m glad we have each other to push through it.

It was also Bobby’s birthday.  I hadn’t spoken with him all weekend, but apparently 22 was tough for him to swallow.  I couldn’t let him not celebrate though, just a little.  We persuaded him to see Skyfall (two thumbs up!) with us, and even though the “old man” slept through some of it, I’m glad we got him to come with.  And I think he was, too.

Oh, and did I mention my UXD professor and class loved my wireframes?!  So much good, so much to look forward to.

Austin Bucket List addition: Go to a German festival in New Braunsfels!

Human Centered Design

“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” — Willie Nelson

This is what I want to do for a living.  I want to pursue ideas I’m passionate about. I want to design experiences that solve problems.

Above is the homepage concept of a project I am working on for my Human Centered Design class.  My idea is a website that helps adventurers (like me!) discover, learn and exchange information about National and State Parks.  The business goal being to create excitement and drive traffic to these struggling parks.  My design goal is to improve the currently user experience (try navigating the nps.gov website).  I’ve drawn a lot of inspiration from sites like Yelp, LonelyPlanet and TripTuner (which are great social resources, but fail when it comes to National Parks).  It’s a lot of work, but I am having so much fun with it!

Last Tailgate Ever

When I tell people I’ll be moving to Portland to work at Nike after I graduate, I always get the same reaction.  They’re in awe, even envious.  They all wonder why I am so unexcited by, even resistant to, the idea.  They say just a few years with a big company on my resume, and I can go anywhere.  This comes up a lot at the tailgates, especially at my final one today.  I can list all the reasons in the world that I want to stay in Texas (tailgates being one of these reasons).  Rarely does anyone seem to understand my desire to find something different, something closer to home.  But that’s truly what I not-so-secretly want.

Danika and I went to see Perks of Being a Wallflower last night (finally!), and some parts resonated with me especially.  “We accept the love we think we deserve.”  I’m trying to be acceptant, but I think I deserve something different than the path I’m on right now.