thoughts from a downtown windowsill

There's just something about the rain, and some quiet, easy-going music that makes a girl think a little. And as everyone is coming home from their first, second, or maybe even their last year of college, I've been forced to think a little about what I have accomplished in this past year. My first thought is well...not much. But when I take a second to realize my life has not been pointless over the last year, I realize I have fulfilled a lot more than I was planning to this year. 

I know I try so hard to hide the fact I'm an organizationally minded person, but I'm a bit of a list enthusiast. To-do lists, bucket lists, shopping lists, songs-to-learn lists...it's a bit of an obsession. So, it seemed ideal to create a list of everything I feel has made this "year off" worth while. 

bought a ukulele(and learned how to play four chords)

visited my girls in Mankato...twice!

continued working at Brix

got a second job at Gap

performed in Junie B Jones at YPC

finally won the lip sync competition, yeah spice girls!

saw mumford and sons for Paige's birthday

moved out!!

sleepovers with Lydia

built a fort

decorated our apartment to be real cute

got plants (and kept them alive)

walked to the farmers market

took a ton of pictures

saw Miley with Alex and Hayley

performed in Urinetown at Ashland

made a ton of new friends at Ashland

went swing dancing 75% of thursdays this whole year

saw Bombay Bicycle Club with Sarah

had our first Friendsgiving!

went on a road trip to Chicago

hosted a formal party

many coffee dates, breakfasts, and lunches with Natalie

performed in my fifth Cattle Call

saw the 1975 with Kim

joined a book club (even though I've only made it to half the meetings)

keeping up with Alex

experienced new music daily

I'm sure my list could continue on for miles, but as you can see I did...a lot. No matter if it was a big event or something not quite as significant, everything made this year a worthwhile year off. 

I keep saying year off, but it really wasn't. More like, year-of-trying-to-jam-pack-my-life-as-full-as-possible. But then again, what's new. 

Yes, this is the normal business of my schedule. 

Soak up the Sun, Get Drenched in the Rain.

To put it bluntly, I have been a complete asshole lately. I'm tired, physically exhausted from being on my feet fourteen hours a day and mentally drained from dealing with everything inside my head along with everyone else in my life. With every waking moment, I have been running around from one job to the other, one problem to the next, and every second available for sleep, I am gone. This is the life of a girl with two jobs and a little bit too hopeful of a social agenda. 

But today, after the exhaustion had me at my breaking point, I stepped outside. 

The air is perfectly crisp and the sun warming my skin. 

It is these moments that wake me up from the daily bullshit that I endure. Moments in nature where you stop rushing around and just are. For that moment, whether it be a minute, an hour, or even an entire week where the world around you disappears and you just...exist. 

I crave more of these moments. 

Today gave me a glimpse, and I am ready to escape just for a little while so I can just be.