Signs that "adulthood" is near

Let's be real: I will never retire Disney from my movie collection or iTunes library. I still think that blue box of mac 'n' cheese is acceptable for every meal, and I will keep on reading young adult fiction like it's my job.

Timeless tendencies aside, it is hard to deny that in just a few short weeks, I have to grow up just a little bit more. How do I know?

1. I've had my last "official" spring break. And it wasn't with a group of friends at Panama City Beach, which I'm fairly certain is where the rest of campus was. I chose to go to Alabama and visit family. And it was great. It was nice to catch up with everyone after so long, especially when I'm about to move to the opposite side of the country.

2. I bought my cap and gown. $45 dollars down the drain for something I will only wear once. Oh well, commencement just isn't the same without the uniform. Now that it is in my possession, though, everything just seems too real and happening too fast. Before I know it, I'll be putting it on and taking my last steps on Ball State's campus.

3. I can no longer pull all-nighters. At least not like I used to. I could pull them off every few nights without a sweat a couple years ago. It's not that easy anymore. I guess I'll just have to settle for a nightly average of four hours of sleep to get me through each day.

4. I've admitted that I don't know how to be an adult. I also feel that nobody every really knows how to pull it off. We are destined to just stumble along for years, making our way as we go and hope everything turns out OK. I hope I'm a little more prepared than that, but right now, I'm not even close. It's time to start gaining more self discipline and making more budgets and lists and...yeah, important stuff like that.

5. I've become a homebody. Not the crazy, never-leave-the-house-EVER type of homebody. It's more that I'd rather stay in with a couple of people, or even by myself if I need a break from the world. I could be perfectly happy just a movie or book. No drunken crowds necessary.

Weekly project

I think I'm going to make this a weekly project. Just finding a quote that resonates with me at the time, then design it. 

It's nice to have a project that's just for you, and not for a work or school deadline. Something that comes with no stress or constraints. 

Still working on a snazzy title for this series, but it'll come in time.

Enjoy :)

22.

You could say it hasn't been the best week. Two parking tickets, a trip to the health center, stressful work nights, little sleep. And that's just a part of it.

Sitting here writing this, my birthday has already squeaked by, ending just minutes ago. And I won't lie, part of me feels a little down. But the other part of me is counting my blessings, and making me realize that even though things may be in a slight, slump at the moment, it is nothing to stress over.

I think back on last year, and I remember just how good 21 was to me. And then I look ahead, to a trip visiting family in Alabama, returning to England for another field study, and then moving my life to California for at least a year. My life has definitely not been lacking in adventure. And I know that so many great things are left to come.

And that's when I remember that those small road bumps ultimately mean nothing. Bad days happen. Bad weeks, even. But it's just a piece. The big picture is what matters. And that's what I'm going to try to remember as I embark on 22.

Completely unrealistic and sarcastic expectations for 2013

1. I don't have to worry about my birthday, because Taylor Swift made turning 22 cool. "I don't know about you, but i'm feeling 22..."

2. The picture I get crossing Abbey Road will be perfect and not look awkwardly posed at all.

3. Life in Southern California will be directly relatable to "The O.C." and "Laguna Beach."

One taste and I'm a believer

Something I had been seeing on blogs and Pinterest boards everywhere lately are those Green Monster spinach shakes. At first, I just thought, gross. Until I read the testimonies that they doesn't taste like spinach.

Not that I don't like spinach, but it just doesn't sound appetizing in a blended shake fashion.

BUT, I made my first one today. And I can honestly say that I could drink these every day.

I used a recipe from Iowa Girl Eats:

1 frozen banana, sliced

1 Tablespoon peanut butter

1/2 cup vanilla greek yogurt

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

4 cups baby spinach (more or less; I just put enough in to fill the rest of the blender)

Another perk? I drank this at 9:30 a.m. It is currently 1:45 p.m. and I am just now starting to feel hungry.

Try it. You won't regret it!

2012 // 2013

Sometimes, as I trudge through the busy routine of everyday life, I just get stuck and feel as if the monotony will never end. During these last couple weeks of a relaxed break, though, I was able to see the bigger picture of this past year. So many amazing memories were made, and I truly feel so blessed to have had such a great year.

In JANUARY,  I celebrated my 21st birthday at a concert in Indy with a couple friends.

FEBRUARY, made me an aunt of three wonderful little boys when my newest nephew, Oliver, was born.

I took my first of three trips last year to Vegas in MARCH, my first since turning 21.

MAY was my second trip and full of family bonding, hiking and karaoke. And I got my first tan lines in over a year!

The next 10 weeks of my summer were spent in the land of lighthouses and Kennedys. I interned at the Cape Cod Times until mid-JULY. It was an incredible experience and I loved living by the ocean!

From the end of July into AUGUST, I took a trip across that ocean. My three and half weeks spent in England reporting on the 2012 Summer Olympics was an experience beyond words. Besides getting graphics published in the Chicago Tribune, I got to explore the Tower of London, take some strolls around London and Worcester, and...OH YEAH, watch the USA women win gold from the top of Wembley!

Just a few days after I got back, I began my senior year at Ball State. Crazy.

I started off the holiday season with yet another trip to Vegas in NOVEMBER to spend Thanksgiving with my sister's family in the desert. Then we drove to Phoenix to meet up with my brother's family in Scottsdale, and the rest of my family flew in on the weekend for an early family Christmas.

Just when I thought life had calmed down to end the year, DECEMBER brought good news that ensured 2013 to be just as exciting as 2012. First, my England adventures aren't over! I'm taking a colloquium over the Beatles this semester, and we are visiting Liverpool right after graduation.

And second, I accepted a year-long internship with the Orange County Register in Santa Ana, Calif., beginning in June! I am beyond excited, because California has always been a dream of mine. I had kind of let it start to fizzle, believing that what happens will happen and I was determined to follow opportunity. But then it just happened. And it feels right :)

Just these plans alone get me all riled up for 2013. Between graduation and leaving for the west coast, I know that May will be tough for me. I hate goodbyes. But, I know that everything will be OK.

My other hopes for this year? Just a few simple things:

Read more books, drink more water, pray a little more, complain a little less and just remember to love.

Happy New Year! :)