Where You Lead....

If you're out on the road
Feeling lonely and so cold
All you have to do is call my name
And I'll be there on the next train

Many of you might recognize these words to the Carole King song "Where you Lead." However, many probably recognize it better as the theme song from Gilmore Girls. If you've been living under a rock you've missed the most exciting news. All 153 episodes of Gilmore Girls are coming to Netflix at the beginning of October. For some this will be a trip down memory lane, for others a brand new experience, and for even more a return to familiar friends. Even Time is jumping in on the game. I'm glad to see the excitement about this show is still as high as when I first saw it on WB and the final season on CW. 

I will spare you the age old argument of Logan, Jesse, or Dean; as well as the Luke or Christopher argument. I just want you to know how much I am looking forward to re-watching this show.

Where you lead, I will follow
Anywhere that you tell me to
If you need, you need me to be with you
I will follow where you lead

As the Pages Turn: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is the story of two young girls in the Hunan providence of China who are bound together in a laotong pair. This book follows these girls from their footbinding, through marriage, death, life, and old age.

 

“Read a thousand books, and your words will flow like a river.”  

This book was a leap from what I usually read. However, I really enjoyed it. It was one of the first books I've read set in China and it did not disappoint. The descriptions were enchanting and the relationship between the laotong reminded me of friendships I've had over the years. The reflection on a long life lived that this brings was insightful. Telling us that there is in fact times that we all make mistakes through life and let our pride and what we think we should do get in the way of what is right. 

I would recommend this book to friends. It's a little slow going but was an enjoyable read for those slow days. 

What books are you reading now? Do you recommend it?

Memory Lane: Ella Enchanted

Have you ever recently read a book that you read growing up? Were you disappointed? Or was it just as good as you remember?

I had this experience over the last few days. I recently re-watched Ella Enchanted on Netflix. It was one of my favorite books growing up and I remember loving the audiobook just as much. This is inspired me to reread it. And let me just say it was just as good as I remember. The characters were just as relatable as I remember and the story just as compelling. I was rooting for Ella and Char from the beginning and when the end came I was glad I had waited. Ella's journey through her curse is moving and teaches the lesson of overcoming all obstacles in the way. Char is a remarkable young man who respects Ella and her decisions, even if he doesn't agree with them. (See what I'm saying? Great lessons!) 

Is there a book you remember growing up that you want to reread?

xoxo
 -Becca

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Much has happened over the last few months. The biggest change is that I am now employed (Yay!) and loving it!! If you had told me a year ago what my path was going to be between these two points of time I would not have believed you. Quick recap shall we?

-Move back to Oregon from Florida.
-Spend a month looking for a job.
-Go back to my college job.
-Go back to school for Event Management Certificate.
-Spend 9 months underemployed in retail.
-Continue to be rejected for jobs throughout. 

As you can tell it was one heck of a year. However, it did get better. With going back to school I was able to apply for internships again with Disney. Long story short.... I got another internship with Disney and am now living in Florida again and loving it!! Life has put me through a roller coaster of emotions this last year but finally I can say I have a job that I love! I'm making more friends, having more experiences, and loving Florida like I never thought I could (despite the heat)! 

 

 

Addiction

I have an addiction.... a book addiction, that is.

Since I've moved and all of my books are still in Oregon I've been buying up cheap books like crazy. This has presented itself as a problem since there is a Goodwill in my friend's neighborhood and every time I go over to their house I have to stop and spend at least 10-15 minutes looking through every single book the store has. This has given me a totally of 6 books that I want to read. Now the question is which book first? And when will I find the time? 

 I've already read Sisterhood Everlasting. It was an interesting experience revisiting characters who I grew up reading. The girls are almost 30 and dealing with situations that I sometimes find myself worrying about. Such as, what if I get so comfortable in my job and can't leave, what if I'm not made to settle down, what if I really am hiding from myself under layers of people...what if, what if, what if! Interesting read for this point in life. I don't know if I had read it a few years ago if I would have connected with the characters as well as I did. 

Which book next? Water for Elephants? The American Heiress? Under the Tuscan Sun? Or One Thousand White Women? All of them have their own strengeths and will lead somewhere new. Which should I choose?

March Goals

How is it March already? It seems that January and February just flew by without a moments notice. I hope everyone has a wonderful month full of excitement planned. Anyways on to the goals and what March is for!

March Goals

1. Read 3 books. 

2. Read ONE article per day dealing with Event Management/Planning. 

3. Network

4. Go on TWO adventures. 

Have a wonderful month filled with excitement and adventure! Hopefully it brings many wonderful things. 

Happy Travels!
-B

What is everyone's goals for the month?  

Why was I Dopey?

If you had told me a year ago that I would run a marathon in the next year I probably would have laughed at you and said you were crazy. I mean why in the world would I want to run a marathon? A half-marathon maybe but a marathon? Yea, right! And yet here I am on January 20, 2014 having already run a half-marathon and a marathon. Both things that I had never done before. This prompted me to think about why I decided to sign up for the Dopey Challenge and run a marathon when I've never had a desire to do one.

Why I signed up for the Dopey Challenge:
1. It included two inaugural events (10K and Dopey Challenge) and lots of shiny medals, both of which I am a sucker for. I mean just look at all the bling I got! 

2. My friends are very persuasive and once you do one runDisney event you want to do many many more. They are just that much fun!

3. When I registered last spring I was unsure if I would still be in Florida and figured it was a solid way to make sure I would be able to go back and visit. This plan seems to have worked because I got to visit my friends and have wonderful amounts of fun!

4. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do this. No matter what else was happening in my life I could complete the Dopey Challenge and live to tell about it. And guess what... I DID!! I have never felt better about myself than I did the day after completing the marathon. I was on cloud 9! (At least when I could get out of bed.)

The Dopey Challenge was one of the most reckless un-thought out things I have ever done and though I'm not sure I will be signing up for next year's (unless I get talked into it again) I am glad that I did it this year. I would not trade the feeling of holding that medal and being able to do this with one of my best friends for anything. Thanks for pushing me to be great Elena!

xoxo
-B

P.S. The picture of my friend and I was taken after dinner outside the restaurant. It should have taken us 5 minutes to walk from our hotel room to the restaurant.... it took us 10. C'est la vie. 

Dopey Challenge Finish!!

Well everyone.... I did it!!!!!

5K Finishers!

10K Finishers!

Start of the Marathon!

Fireworks to start every corral.

All of my Medals!!!

 
I completed the Dopey Challenge!! I want to thank everyone for their support and good thoughts for me. 

5K - 48:59
10K - 1:37:51
1/2 Marathon - 3:14:30
Marathon - 6:38:57

Other than blisters everything is just sore. I think I got off pretty good overall. I didn't pull anything or do any other sort of damage...to my knowledge. 

I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend!

xoxo
-B

December Goals

I realize that December is almost over but I never went over my November goals or made new goals for December. With that in mind I am going to only make a few goals for the remaining days of December. 

On to my November goals in review.

- Run 100 miles in the month of November - I didn't quite make it to 100 miles but I did make it to 82 miles which I was overjoyed at! Especially since I followed my Dopey Challenge training plan for much of November. 

- Volunteer - I was unable to do any additional volunteer work from that which I already do.

- Read 3 new to me books - I lost count of how many new books I read but it was at least 3.

- Continue to Stay on top of my class work - This was a success! I did well in all of my classes and truly enjoyed them.  

December Goals
- Read 3 new books
- Apply for 5 jobs
- Network 

I am very excited to get to work on these goals and to start setting my goals for January. They should be good! 

xoxo
Happy Travels!
-B

Missing?

I would like to apologize to the masses for my disappearing act since Thanksgiving. My computer suffered an unfortunate demise one fateful afternoon and was unable to recover. Thankfully this was at the end of the term so most of my classes were wrapping up and all but one major project had already been turned in. Thank goodness!! So since the beginning of December I have been computer-less and as many know the app for Blogger on Android isn't worth the pain.

Today was a joyous day!!! I got my new laptop via FedEx and Costco. Let me tell you it is more well traveled than I am. Following its progress across the Pacific Ocean to the East Coast and back to the West Coast was an exciting endeavor. With that being said I had a lot of time to contemplate what will be upcoming on the blog and I have a couple of posts that I am exited to start writing and some new ideas that I can't wait to put into play. 

Any suggestions on making the switch to Windows 8? What is your favorite thing about Windows 8? 

xoxo

-B 

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Turkey Day!!! How much are you going to be eating?

This year I am thankful to be able to spend Thanksgiving with my family. As some of you know this is my first Thanksgiving home in 2 years. Needless to say I am very excited to spend it with my family eating all sorts of yummy food, watching movies, football, and parades. 

I am also very thankful that the weather has been nice enough for me to continue training outside the last few weeks and it looks like it is going to continue to be nice out for the next few weeks. 

I hope that everyone has a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving no matter what their level of plans are. 

Happy Travels!
-B

Running = Blisters

Total: 46 miles!!!

Saturday: 11 m

Sunday: Cross-training

Monday: Rest

Tuesday:Sick

Wednesday: Sick

Thursday: Rest

Friday: 3 m

Saturday: 8 m

Sunday: Rest

Monday: 11 m

Tuesday: 5 m

Wednesday: 8 m

Wow it's been a long week! There were moments I thought I would die.. and I've got a couple of blisters to prove that fact. However, I made it through!! I even managed to follow my training plan for two whole weeks (minus my two sick days). This is what I am most proud of. Also the fact that I went 46 miles!! I still cannot believe that. I must have recounted my mileage about 6 or 7 times to make sure I got it correct. Most of it might have been walking or a job but I do not care. All I care is that I made it in one piece and that it is preparing me for the Dopey Challenge in January. Mini-motivators seem to be what works for me. I'm so glad I found my groove.  

By the way blisters seem to be my problem no matter what I do. I've gotten the double socks that guarantee no blisters, I've worn bandaids, and I've used gel and glidesticks. I'm at a loss of what to do about them. Any pointers?

Happy Travels!

-B

How do you handle blisters? Or exercise caused stiffness? 

Interesting Read: The Wilder Life

A few weeks back while I was browsing my libraries selection of books available for Kindle I stumbled across The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie. It follows the author, Wendy McClure's quest to learn all she can about her favorite childhood book series, the Little House books. These books were a standard read growing up in America and portrayed the life and times of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family. Somehow I missed reading these books growing up and did not get the chance to read them until I was a little bit older than the standard reader, being about 14. I feel that because of my age they did not appeal to me as much as they would have had I been a bit younger. None the less, McClure's book appealed to me because it looked at her love of a childhood classic and what made her enjoy it, then and now.

McClure's quest leads her to try some interesting things, such as butter churning in her Chicago apartment and making bread from scratch (including making her own starter). It also led her to compare the actual life of Laura vs the Laura of the books and to understand why there are differences. To me this was one of the most interesting parts. I knew that the books were based on Laura's life but I did not realize how far they really strayed from what happened. 

{via}

In this book it was interesting to follow the journey of a grown women reconnect with her childhood passion and still remain in love with it. A lot of her experiences reminded me of visiting Prince Edward Island and seeing the places that Anne of Green Gables was written about and where L.M. Montgomery lived. It is a surreal experience and it can be hard to rectify what you have always thought about a place and people with the actual place and the actual history. This is was the appeal of the book that kept me reading. I wanted to know how McClure felt about the book series and its author at the very end. How does she feel after spending the better part of a year traveling to different places to see the real location of the Little House on the Prairie, in the Big Woods, the Little Town on the Prairie, and many other locations that Laura lived. 

Over all I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to take a trip down memory lane and to learn a little about what it means to love something as a child and to love it (in a different way) as an adult. 

Happy Travels!

-B

What was your favorite childhood book? Do you still feel the same way about it?

Real Life: Disappointment

Disappointment: the feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the non-fulfillment of one's hopes or expectations.

Life is full of disappointment and I thought I realized that but after the last few days I do not think it had fully been ingrained in my mind. As many of you know I am in the job hunting mode of my life. This means interviews, endless applications, and ... very few call backs. 

Honestly it is the very few call backs that really get to me. I have always been taught that it is rude to ignore people and the fact that many companies do not even send a "Thank You But You're No Longer In Consideration" email boggles my mind. In the last 8 months I would say that I have applied for about 50 different positions. Of those I have gotten 4 "Thank you for applying but we think someone else is better" emails. 4 out of 50!!! That is 8% of the places that I have applied who have cared enough to let their applicants know that they are no longer interested in them. One of these was from Disney and let me tell you that email hurt the most. I had applied for a position at the beginning of September on a whim not thinking I would get it, because of how competitive a position it is, but I applied anyways. I got the email a few days ago right after I had gotten home from my part-time job. The longer it had been the more excited I got that maybe this was going to happen. Alas, it was not meant to be. This is something I am becoming a little bit too used to. However, I am keeping my chin up and trying to see a positive side. (Like all the running I get to do. Especially at the park.)

A Morning Run Can Be Fun

I've been dealing with this disappointment and frustration mostly by running and doing puzzles. I've run more in the last week than I have in the last month. I've also done more puzzles in the last week than I have in the last three months. It is best to focus your frustration on things that you can control.. like running or puzzles. (I am very original. Can't you tell?)

 

Disappointment is a part of life. The sooner we realize the sooner we can start living it to the fullest. Live life like there is no tomorrow. Carpe Diem. And all that jazz. 

 

As always, Happy Travels!

-B

“If I am to meet with a disappointment, the sooner I know it, the more of life I shall have to wear it off.”

― Thomas Jefferson

Ouch! or The Post Where I Start My Training

Total: 16 miles
Tuesday: 4 miles
Wednesday: 8 miles
Thursday: 4 miles
Friday: Rest (thank goodness)

I have stuck to my training plan for the Dopey Challenge for three whole days!!!! I am so freaking excited I cannot contain myself! (I am completely serious. I mean I have told strangers at work that I ran 8 miles.) It might not seem like a lot to some people but to me this is a big deal. I am not very efficient at following plans like this unless someone is making me or I have mini motivators. Well... I have both. My mom is holding me accountable for my training plan and believe me she means business. Hi mom! I do not hear the end of it when I miss a run and have been getting a lot of flack for not following it for the last month or so. I finally grew tired of it and decided I should probably follow my plan. It has been a little rough but over all I feel great about it. Though, I might be a little sore (note a lot).

Want to see what I'm working towards right now? It's pretty awesome! (At least I think so.)

{via}

This beauty is an REI Airflyte Hybrid Jacket. The body is insulated while the sleeves give room for movement. And the best part? It's on sale!!! Yes I realize that at $68 that is still expensive but compared to the original $99 it's a definite discount (but it's so comfy). And this little babe will be mine in only 2 more weeks. I can't wait!

In other news I have started Jen Lancaster's Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist's Quest to Discover If Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big; Or, Why Pie Is Not the Answer. Let me tell you it is just as good as the first two in her memoir series and I cannot wait to finish it!

How was your week? Any exciting plans for the weekend? I'm going to run 12 miles and hopefully go to a Sherlock Holmes Exhibit. 

-B

November Goals

I cannot believe that it's already November. I have no idea where the time has gone. Oh yea... It's gone towards school and work, with the occasional run thrown in. Let's do a recap of October's Goals shall we?

- Dopey Training Plan!! (This needs to happen and regularly)
- Run 100 miles in the month of October 

     Yea.... this was really far from happening. 
- Stay on top of all of my classes
- Continue being organized and using my planner
- Read 3 books that are not romance novels

     This almost happened. I finished 2! 

 

2/5 = I can do better!

via

November Goals

- Run 100 miles in the month of November (I'm already behind on this so I need to up my game)

- Volunteer 

- Read 3 new to me books 

- Continue to Stay on top of my class work

I think that after last month I should really try to focus more on certain aspects of my goals each and every day. Like making mini goals each week to make sure that I accomplish these goals by the end of the month. I might try a sort of reward system. That's worked well for me in the past. 

Have a wonderful day!
-B
 

How Can It Be?

I want to discuss with everyone a very important issue at hand. It is something near and dear to many peoples hearts.... I give you the dounut. Not just any old donut but an apple cider donut!! These little guys are absolutely delicious. I mean melt in your mouth yummyness in every bite. My favorite are the ones from the local pumpkin patch but when I went to Costco the other day I saw a display of Apple Cider donuts just sitting there calling my name. "Buy me.. Buy me.." they proclaim. I being a week person did just that. I bought those little guys with not a second thought. The first one I had was not quite as splendid as the fresh ones but hey for something from a store they weren't too bad. 

That was before I looked. Looked at what you might ask? I will tell you!!!

I looked.... at the calorie count!! DUNH DUNH DUNH!!!!! Oh yes the dreaded calorie count and let me tel you for this particular donut it really was. My brother was the one who initially asked me what it was. I figured it would be between 200-300 calories per donut. This is where I was greatly wrong. It was 200 calories but not for a whole donut. Oh no... it was 200 calories for 1/2 a donut, making it a whopping 400 calories for the entire donut! I don't know about you but I find this ridiculous. How is it possible for such a small piece of dough to be 400 calories? Here is my question.

Why are companies aloud to make such silly serving sizes? Obviously we're going to eat the whole donut and usually wouldn't think twice about it. At a quick glance the calorie count says 200 per serving, thinking that the serving was one donut. Just tell me how many calories are in the freakin' donut. Just be honest! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? That is all.

Happy Travels!

-Becca

October Goals

Taking a look back at my September goals I realize that I was a little bit over zealous in the goals department. I wanted to do too much and as a side effect didn't get very far on any of my goals. Let's take a look.

- Continue job searching (hopefully I'll find one soon)
- Plan a plausible vacation to go on while job searching 
- Stick with my Dopey Running Plan
- Simplify my life starting with my room
- Try to keep my life more organized
- Set mini goals to help achieve my monthly goals
- Pay it forward
- Read 3 Books
- Blog more regularly 

I really only accomplished one goal to the fullest that I wanted to. All the others I made a good effort at but never full finished. For October I am making fewer goals so that I have a better chance of succeeding at them.

Here are my new goals for October.

- Dopey Training Plan!! (This needs to happen and regularly)
- Run 100 miles in the month of October
- Stay on top of all of my classes
- Continue being organized and using my planner
- Read 3 books that are not romance novels

There you have it folks. My goals for October in all of their goal making glory. I am hoping to accomplish all of them with full force! 

Have a Happy October!

-Becca

Interesting Reads: Night Road

This book came as a slight surprise to me. My mom had borrowed the book from one of her friends and devoured it. I was lacking a book to take to work one day and my mom handed me Night Road. It was brilliant. It read like a young adult novel but dealt with adult feelings and decisions. 

For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children’s needs above her own, and it shows—her twins, Mia and Zach—are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable.
Jude does everything to keep her kids on track for college and out of harm’s way. It has always been easy-- until senior year of high school. Suddenly she is at a loss. Nothing feels safe anymore; every time her kids leave the house, she worries about them.
On a hot summer’s night her worst fears come true. One decision will change the course of their lives. In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything. In the years that follow, each must face the consequences of that single night and find a way to forget…or the courage to forgive.
Vivid, universal, and emotionally complex, Night Road raises profound questions about motherhood, identity, love, and forgiveness. It is a luminous, heartbreaking novel that captures both the exquisite pain of loss and the stunning power of hope. This is Kristin Hannah at her very best, telling an unforgettable story about the longing for family, the resilience of the human heart, and the courage it takes to forgive the people we love.

- Book Description

I enjoyed the writing style of this author and plan to read some of her other books in the future. I also enjoyed that it was set in Washington state. This made it very easy to identify with the setting and even, to some extent, with the characters themselves. The fact that the story spanned such a long period of time also made it easy to grow with the characters and their m8tivation behind some of their decisions. There were a few plot points towards the middle/end that I did not agree with but the author made them work with her storytelling.

Any new books you recommend? I'm always looking for an interesting read. 

Happy Travels!
-B 

Blogger Book Club: Me Before You

I had never heard of Me Before You by before Kay at The Best of Intentions named it the first read of the Blogger Book Club (BBC) read.  I am really glad I came across this when I did because it enabled me enough time to read the book as well as digest what had happened in it and think it through before writing out my thoughts. 

This was not a book I would have usually picked out to read but I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the dialogue that Moyes wrote and the depth that the characters had. The story was a little slow to start but it was beautiful. It showed just how much one decision and knowing one person can change our lives for the better or for the worse. 

I identified the most with the main character Louisa or Lou. She had become comfortable with her life and then was given a life change that she did not expect when the business she worked for closed. This left her floundering to find her calling in life. This was really the part of Lou that I liked most. She took what life gave her and made the most of it. 

The end of this book was slightly unexpected and throughout the story I required an occasional tissue. I am glad that I read this book which is out of my usual reading box. 

Bottom line: I recommend this book to everyone who wants a good read that requires them to think. What would you do in this situation?

 

As always... Happy Travels!

-Becca