The year of the YOLO

Another year done.  Accomplished.  It's been quite the year.  Impromptu graduate programs, new friends, old faithfuls, ups, downs, travels, marvels, goals accomplished, failures endured.  C'est la vie.  Carpe diem.  Or the modern twist: YOLO.  You only live once.  On my birthday this year I pacted with V to seize the day because there should be no regrets in these final fabulous years of our twenties.

Forget tigers.  Forget roosters and snakes.  This is the year of the YOLO.

Thankfully, V committed to being the good-bad influence on me.  Sleep in the grave, there will be time enough for it when you're dead.  There may be days when caffeine has to jump start my day or months when the checkbook doesn't quite balance, but no one ever looks back on their years saying, "Man, I really wish I hadn't had such a rich life of experiences."

A similar influence: KGLove...

One of the coolest girls I know. Her wise words will stay with me into the year of YOLO as I reluctantly got excited about how great life is going. When I pumped the breaks on my excitement because disappointment threatened on the horizon, she told me that the thrill was worthwhile, "because everything that comes along is worth getting excited over.  It's the best thing that ever happened to you until it's not... Then you add it to the list of blessings-in-disguise until something comes along that makes you understand why it all happened in the first place."  The Gone Wrong list may be long, but the forever optimist in me knows that it all turns out in the end, otherwise, it's not the end.

Then there's Rob:

We both showed our out-of-state ID's for a couple of local brews and realized that our upbringing in this sweet little college town was the quintessential childhood that most only see in the movies.  And while we both cherish those formative years, our exodus from the town was so that we could know how special our lives were, how much we had been given, and to harness our hunger to do good works.  I grew up with the idea that for those to whom much has been given, much is expected.  We echoed the sentiment tonight in that we feel an obligation to do more with our lives because of these gifts.  But more importantly, the key is not to look at it as obligation, but an opportunity.  It's people like Rob that reassure me, not all who wander are lost... They just ventured off the beaten path to make the world a better place.

Cheers to 2014

Treat Yo'Self

Today is my 14th shift in a row.  I am exhausted.  Between working full time, starting another graduate school program, and fulfilling my [unpaid] clinical hours, I haven't had a day off in two weeks.

Such is life.  After I burst into tears three days in a row, ugly crying Dane-Cook-style into the mirror repeating "I'm doing my best," I knew that I needed to change something.  Since my academics and employment were non-negotiables, I was at a loss of what to do.  My wonderful cousin asked me, "Becky, what was the best thing about today?"  I don't remember my answer, but it was the start of me asking myself that question ever day.

So here I am, two weeks later, and I have made it a point to do something that is "the best part of today" every day.  Think of it like Parks & Rec's "Treat Yo'self".  

It can be as easy as taking a shower and blow drying my hair.

Or taking a walk in Georgetown with my dog and friend with an ice cream pitstop.

Buying myself peonies.

Going to a see a new band play on H St.

So as much as my life is hectic and stressful, I am so proud to say that I'm taking good care of myself.  This crazy schedule has kept me in one place for a few months, helped me be more present in my community, and appreciate the small stuff...

Just taking time to smell the peonies.

Finally, spring!

Though not the coldest of winters, spring sure took its sweet time in arriving in DC.  At long last, yesterday my toes peeked out from their blustery winter in boots and made their way into sandals.  I enjoyed the 80 degree day with one of my best friends as we walked around the Tidal Basin to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom.

It seems like an exaggeration, but the cherry blossoms are so beautiful, especially on the Roosevelt Memorial side of the basin.  They look like snow covering the trees and the falling pedals are nothing short of romantic.  It was an even more surreal moment to realize that I live here when I see thousands of tourists coming from all over the world to see my historic city.

My day's walk took me 8 miles through my neighborhood, the Mall, Dupont, and finished at the White House for an evening stroll with Lulu Bear.  The arrival of spring marks my fourth season in DC.  I can tell that I have adjusted quite well to city life, but I have stayed true to my North Carolina roots too.  

I love the warm weather seasons, but there is nothing like that first day of wearing shorts, feeling the warmth of sunshine on your pale winter skin, and realizing that you don't have to go back to winter for 7 months.  Ah, spring!

What Every City Girl Needs

Living in DC has been quite an adjustment from my local small town life.  More cars, more buildings, more sirens, more going on at every hour of the day (I think that's why the LT blog has been so scarce).  But living in the city is totally manageable, actually quite fun in fact, if you know the tricks of the trade.  I will dispense this advice now:

1. Most importantly, get a group of girlfriends.  I call my girls "the bridesmaids" because we were all in the wedding party of one of my dear friends who lived in Chapel Hill and DC.  Good city girlfriends should:

-Be able to go out or stay in and have a fantastic time.

-Tell it like they see it, even when it's not pretty.

-Give advice on what [not] to wear.

-Call you when they're randomly 5 minutes away from your house so you can go ahead and put the wine in the freezer.

2. Get a warm coat.  The best investment I made in 2012 was a Lands End down parka.  The website said it was most comfortable between 0 and -30 degrees Celsius.  Sold.

3. Wear comfortable shoes.  Not those jenky Target shoes that make the balls of your feet burn or give you blisters on your heels.  Spend some cash on a cute pair of boots that will last several seasons.  When you're walking five blocks and spending the evening on your feet, the last thing you want to think about is when you're going to see a chair again.  

4. Have a cute dog.  Preferably a dog that flirts.  Lulu is an equal opportunity socializer and makes friends anywhere she goes.  I'm looking forward to front porch season when we will spend our days on the patio.

5. Have neighborhood digs.  A coffee shop, a bar, a sandwich place, a gas station where people know your name (or at least your face).  The neighborhoods are what keep the city feeling small.  

6. Keep the air mattress ready. Once you get settled into your fantastic city life, everyone is going to want to visit.  I'm really looking forward to the Girls' Weekend coming up in April.

A Pep Talk

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by

I want to be on the road that leads to AWESOME.

And that's what I've been doing these past couple of months.  I turned onto 16th St the other day and had to metaphorically pinch myself because I couldn't believe I was living in Washington DC.  I'm closing in on my fourth season here, though spring feels like it is procrastinating.  Spring, if you're listening, get your act together.

Spotted on 17th

Yarn bomb!  Makes me feel like home.