Category: pursuit of happiness

Feelings about Paris

June 3rd, 2013 · · Memories, pursuit of happiness, Travel 35 comments - Tags: ,


I get tongue-tied every time people ask me about our trip. The last day in Paris stands out because it contained both my least favorite thing that happened in Paris and favorite thing that happened in Paris. Maybe I’ll tell you about that later. Ashley asked me how the trip was and what I just told you was what I told her.

With some help from Ashley’s questions, I was able to tell her more specifically about my feelings about Paris. Mostly that it was amazing. I know my travel experiences are still so very limited, but Paris is the most beautiful city I’ve ever had the pleasure of exploring. I’ve seen the sights through blogs and photographs but it just didn’t prepare me for how breathtaking it would be in person. I could people watch and architecture watch all day everywhere in the city. I already want to go back so I can feel small around churches that are centuries old and eat ice cream while walking along the Seine and admiring the twinkle and the sparkle of Paris at night.

While we were there, Kim said, “Everything in Paris is so small except for the crepes!” And it’s true. Especially the apartments! Tiny living area and no storage are popular complaints you see on housing websites about apartments, but it’s something I actually really admire. The people are minimalists and I wish Americans were less consumed with things that take up so much space in our homes. I’ve been really drawn lately to minimalism and what I’ve seen in Paris really embodies that philosophy.

There were a lot of singular amazing experiences that happened in Paris and Amsterdam. We saw the Mona Lisa, we peered at Paris from the Eiffel Tower, I rode a bike for the first time in twenty years, we ate at our first Michelin rated restaurant, we set foot in three different countries in one day, we visited Ann Frank’s house, and more. All of these individual experiences were monumental, but it’s really the sum of these experiences that really changed me. I am now feeling quite restless and a little sad. I told Ashley that I really want to take more long vacations abroad and this compulsion can only be indulged so often with how much it costs in PTO and money to get myself abroad. What she said in response rang so true. “That’s the most annoying thing about travel. You think it’s going to satisfy your wanderlust and it only makes it worse.”

So here I am. It’s a little over a week since I’ve been back in Texas and I have been feeling nostalgic for Paris ever since. I am mulling over what to devote my energy towards now and what trips I want to dream up and plan for next. In the short term, I have a $17,000 student loan debt I’m focusing on and a long weekend planned for Portland, Oregon in a month. In the long term, I’m considering what I need to change about my current life to afford myself more travel. And for the rest of my days, I will think fondly of my first trip to Paris.

Wealth of Interests

February 7th, 2013 · · Books, pursuit of happiness 4 comments - Tags:

I’m currently reading Beyond Wealth: The road map to a rich life by Alexander Green. I’m reading this during my lunch break at work and get a lot of snickers from passerbys. They joke about my assumed plans to become a millionaire. I don’t have anything against financial books (I just have a knack for not finishing them), but this is not one. Though Green is a notable financial analyst, this book is more about finding meaning in life. The chapters are short at two to three pages and they are his observations on what makes for a rich life. About a fifth of the way in, he has chapters dedicated to his personal interests. He even has a chapter dedicated to chocolate, titled, “What Women Want”. He introduced these mini chapters on his various interests with the following passage and I loved it.


Yet there is another essential ingredient to a rich life: a wealth of interests. The more you look outside yourself and your immediate concerns, the more you will find to love in this world. Your life becomes more interesting.

Some of my interests include chocolate, delicious foods, books that broaden my perspective, traveling, positively affecting the world around me in small and consistent ways, practicing gratitude, and collecting puns and one-liners. When I delve into these interests, I feel joy and fulfilled. What an inexpensive way to feel wealthy!


Questions: What are some of your interests? How do you dabble in them?

Guest Post: What Happiness Means to Me

January 29th, 2013 · · Guest Posts, pursuit of happiness 5 comments - Tags:
My friend Stephany from Stephany Writes is going around the blogosphere guest posting as one of her writing goals for 2013. I’m honored to host her thoughts on happiness. I love what she says about finding happiness in the mundane. Cultivating an awareness for the small moments is exactly what fuels my standing 7th take in my Friday 7 Quick Takes posts and the happy 3 things emails I take part in. Thank you, Stephany for sharing your thoughts on happiness and cheers to the tiny everyday moments!


What Happiness Means to Me


Happiness is defined as “a mental or emotional state of well-being characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.”

That’s the technical, working definition but to get down to the bare bones of what it actually means to me personally is much more difficult. Happiness is a range of emotions and sometimes, happiness can be very, very hard to grasp and hold onto.

I used to define happiness as an external emotion. When I had something to look forward to, happiness. When something amazing happened in my life, happiness. When I got a compliment, happiness. Happiness was defined by something happening to me. It was motivated by external forces so when there is nothing exciting on the horizon or life was floating along at a boring pace, it was hard to find happiness in the everyday.

We hear it all the time: you can choose happiness. You can’t always choose what happens to you, but you can always choose how you react to it. Happiness is a gift we give to ourselves.

It’s easy to get happy about upcoming vacations or good things happening in our lives. It’s easy to be happy when life seems to be perfect and everything is happening according to plan. That’s when being happy is a simple emotion. A reaction to the good that is happening.

This year, I want to bring my focus to finding happiness in the everyday. I don’t have anything exciting on the horizon. My days are filled with sleep and work and exercise and trying to save money and eat healthier. Coming into this year, I felt a bit let down at all the work I was going to have to put forth. I wanted to feel a big change, a shift, in the way I feel about myself and my life by the end of 2013, but I will have to put in a lot of hard work to see this happen.

There is something about finding happiness and contentment in the mundane, everyday details that can be more exciting and thrilling than the anticipation one finds when they have something exciting coming up. Each day holds its own possibilities and there is such power in being content. There is such goodness when you can look at a day lying before you and be okay with its mundaneness. To be okay with boring. It won’t be boring forever. Things will happen. Vacations will be planned. Holidays will come up. But sometimes, life feels good when it’s just life. Just about working and enjoying each little moment as it comes.

So what does happiness mean to me? Happiness is about the little details. It’s about being content in the every day. It’s about the intense joy and gladness that fills us when we have something to look forward to. It’s about the choice.

We can always choose happiness. It’s not always the easiest emotion to choose (and frankly, sometimes we need to feel emotions like sadness and anger so I am not saying we have to be peppy all the time) but it is a worthwhile investment into our time. Happiness is a choice, it is a gift, and it is in our power to harness it and unleash it to the world.

We’re Not Boring. We’re Aging.

January 9th, 2013 · · Holidays, pursuit of happiness 18 comments - Tags: , ,

Since October, I’ve had a few conversations with close girlfriends about a shift in our social interests. I noticed nights out are comparatively tamer than they have been two years ago, three years ago, since college, and etc. I’ve gone from being able to play hard til six in the morning, then it ebbed down to three or four in the morning. Nowadays, we leave before bars close to skip out on traffic. I needed three cups of coffee to make it through Les Mis on a week night. The first drink I drank at the New Year’s Eve party was coffee. Jordan wrote an awesome post about her experience with this. Though in her defense, girl’s a momma now and I’m still only responsible for my well-being.

For New Year’s Eve, I recycled an older NYE dress and showed up to a cozy get together at a friend’s place for game night. It ended up being too crowded for game night and evolved to just a sweet house party. Alan and I left early at 1:30 am and then we curled up on the couch to watch American Horror Story. No longer do I feel the kind of adrenaline I used to get finding a cute and new dress to ring in the new year or pay a ridiculous amount to reserve the best table. I loved that I ended the night on the couch in front of a good show. A friend of mine recently exclaimed, “I’ve become boring.” I told her she wasn’t boring and that we are just aging. Showing up for brunch and clinking glasses over happy hour (read super early dinner time) are now our things. Our bodies cannot handle closing down bars and then caravanning to the after-party. I don’t miss that kind of leisure but it is stunning to me my first shift in social interests. With 7 months away from my 30th birthday, this shift came just in time.

imageNew Year's Eve

New Year's EveNew Year's Eve

2012 in Review

December 31st, 2012 · · Austin, Books, Creative Endeavors, Holidays, Lists, Love, Memories, Misadventures, Photographs, pursuit of happiness, Travel 14 comments - Tags: , , , ,

2012 was the best year I’ve had. I climbed out of my rut, maintained my dearest friendships, explored more bits of North America, and incorporated more sparkles into my wardrobe. It has been a beautiful year and I can’t believe it’s over. Below is my annual bullet recap.

Previous years: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

Note: All links open in a new window.

January

February

  • Had a fun blogger meet up centered around Austin’s Livestrong Half Marathon.
  • Kim and I exchanged care packages in the name of love. Mine from her is pictured here.
  • Hosted a fun sleepover with Naz while Alan was in Vegas for a bachelor party.
  • Acted as one of twelve judges at the That Takes the Cake cake competition. I taste tested 36 desserts. This was a mini dream come true!
  • I climbed Enchanted Rock for the first time with my coworkers on Leap Day.


    • Mini #BiSC Blogger Meet Up in Austin

March

  • Attended wedding Bill’s and Jennifer’s wedding.
  • Bob met my parents for the first time.
  • I taught Bob the “Bang Bang” trick.
  • Alan and I celebrated 4 years together at one of our favorite restaurants.
  • Went to a few SXSW music shows.
  • I took a week off from work because I realized I was at my max limit of PTO. It was a productive staycation.
  • I bought Alan and I Kevin James tickets for our anniversary. He was hilarious. It was the first time I experienced his standup.
  • Went to Houston for dad’s birthday.
  • Kim and I played love vandals and left paper cranes around Houston’s Historic Heights.


    • Alan and I at Jennifer and Bill’s wedding (St. Patrick’s Day)

April

  • Planted 4,000 tree seeds at the Wildflower Center as part of my volunteer resolutions.
  • Had a shooting range date with Alan.
  • Took a weekend road trip to Arkansas with Treavor, scratching out a new state in my 50 states goal.
  • Treavor convinced me to climb a mountain in Arkansas.
  • Best Dudie Friend visited my Sketchbook in Brooklyn. He sent me the photos from his disposable camera. I kind of loved the fuzzy quality.


    • Treavor and I on top of Mount Pinnacle

May

  • Had a lot of fun dreaming and journaling the Prosperity Game.
  • Went to Bloggers in Sin City and met 59 other bloggers, a handful I had been hoping to meet! It was a fantastic time and I smile every time I think back on that weekend.
  • Began training to be a Dishcrawl Ambassador.
  • Went to book signing party of Michael Natkin’s Herbivoracious.


    • Bloggers in Sin City

June

  • Hopped on a trolley and toured Austin’s mac and cheese scene with Google Local.
  • Celebrated National Donut Day by going to a 24 hour donut shop past midnight. I love a good simply glazed donut.
  • Saw Snoop Dogg in concert.
  • It was a hard month and the sweet gals from Totes Awesome Channel were in the know so they surprised me with gorgeous delicious cupcakes!
  • Reunited with my half sister in Pittsburgh. It was my first visit to Pittsburgh but not my first time in Pennsylvania. This was one my most profound experience in 2012.


    • With my sister at her luau

July

  • Hosted Austin’s first Dishcrawl.
  • Helped the philanthropy committee of Austin Food Bloggers Alliance host a charity event benefitting Bake A Wish, a local nonprofit.
  • Accepted a new job position at a software company the day before my birthday.
  • Treavor came to visit for a night and we saw one of the best movies of 2012, Magic Mike.
  • Celebrated my 29th with sweet friends with dinner and drinks.


    • Celebrating my birthday

August

  • Moved to a new apartment with Alan and Bob.
  • Started a new job where one of my college friends also works.
  • Hosted Austin’s second Dishcrawl.
  • Rode my first Segway with Brandi. I’m a slowpoke on the Segway.
  • Participated in my third year of VEDA (Vlogging Every Day in August).
  • August was super stressful with moving, starting a new job, VEDA, and planning and hosting another Dishcrawl. Whew!


    • On Segways

September

October

  • Bought a new to me car!
  • Gave Alan 28 gifts for his 28th birthday, on the day of his birthday we went to the West Virginia vs Texas football game.
  • Went to Marfa with Kim (and Oprah and Gayle and Ryan Gosling) and spent the night in a teepee.
  • For the first time in ten years, I didn’t dress up for Halloween and go out. I had an awesome time avoiding the drinking and the parties. Is this a sign of getting older? I think so.


November

December

  • Had a morbid date with Cindy and explored the National Museum of Funeral History. It’s actually a fantastic museum with a fascinating and impressive collection! Post to come soon.
  • Trail of Lights returned to Austin and I walked it with Alan and my little (Big Brothers Big Sisters of America). They met for the first time this night and it was great to see them hit it off. Little said Alan has swag.
  • Had a Love Actually date with Anita and Ashley complete with tomato soup and grilled cheeses.
  • Enjoyed crepes for lunch on Christmas Eve with Davey.
  • Had hot pot with BFF and her brother and mom. A Christmas Day tradition!
  • Kim and I had our balloon release date for the 6th consecutive year. We didn’t release balloons this time (did you know there is a global shortage of helium?). We did Chinese paper lanterns.
  • Tonight we’re ringing in the year at a friend’s place and playing board games. I’ve been having board game hankerings!


    • Wish Lanterns




So that was my 2012. It was fantastic! Hope you have a great end of year tonight!


Question: What are five highlights that happened in your 2012?

Throw Your Dreams Into Space Like a Kite

December 27th, 2012 · · Holidays, pursuit of happiness 3 comments - Tags: , ,


“Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country.”

– Anaïs Nin

wish lantern

wish lantern

My favorite yearly tradition is the one I share with Kim. For six years now, we meet around the advent of a new year with two helium filled balloons. One balloon is designated for things we’re letting go in the coming year, the other is for our hopes and dreams. In addition to our lists, we also write a fitting quotation for each balloon. This year we learned that there is a global shortage of helium and that it cannot be synthesized. In hopes not to be part of that problem we chose to release prayer lanterns instead.

What a beautiful sight to see our wishes light up the sky.

3rd Year Balloon Release
4th Year Balloon Release
5th Year Balloon Release


Question: What are your hopes and dreams for 2013?

12 Things I Love About 2012

December 12th, 2012 · · Lists, Memories, New Thing(s) of the Week, pursuit of happiness 16 comments - Tags: ,

In honor of 12/12/12, I’d like to enumerate twelve things I love about 2012.

  1. Reading
    I still haven’t reached my 2012 reading goal but at 45 books read so far, 2012 is my record reading year. Recommended books from my 2012 reading list: Just Kids, Elegance of the Hedgehog, Stumbling on Happiness

  2. Travel
    I managed to schedule five trips this year: road trip with Treavor to Little Rock, Pittsburgh to see my sister, Seattle with my BFF and to see a couple of other girlfriends who reside in Seattle, Marfa with Kim, and Vegas with Bloggers in Sin City. All meaningful trips to me. I climbed a mountain with Treavor and ate purple ice cream. I met my niece and nephew for the first time in Pittsburgh. I was able to see an old friend during a hard time in Seattle. Had quality time with three of the Totes Awesome Channel girls in Vegas and finally took a trip with Kim. Romantic moments with my friends. In 2013, I hope Alan and I will take time for a romantic trip of our own.

  3. Reunion with my sister
    For a big portion of my life, I often wondered if I’d ever speak to my half siblings again. I knew my sister got married and had no idea what her new surname is. Now it’s been a couple of years since we’ve rekindled a relationship and I had the pleasure of meeting her family and seeing her this summer. Seeing her and her family remains one of my most cherished memories of 2012.

  4. New job
    As much as I had grown to love the academic research lab and my previous coworkers and employer, it was a not a particularly challenging position nor was there any real growth opportunity. I am digging my place here and opportunities to learn some marketing. I also get the joy of working with an old college mate. It makes me feel younger!

  5. Buying myself flowers
    I am perpetually on a budget and never felt like buying myself flowers was justifiable. I made a resolution to buy myself flowers since I’ve always liked receiving them so why not be the source of my own happiness? It has been lovely the last couple of days to wake up to pink flowers on my nightstand.
    image

  6. Renegade street art
    Paper cranes around Houston and balloons in a telephone booth. It is thrilling being a love vandal.

  7. Patient dog model
    Bob lets me put anything on him for a treat.


  8. Likely once in a lifetime experiences
    It is doubtful that I will ever sleep in a teepee again in my lifetime. Helicopter rides is likely not to happen again either given the price and other things on my bucket list waiting for some attention. I SLEPT IN A TEEPEE IN 2012!

    image


  9. Traditions
    This year is the third consecutive year where I argue over what I should blog about during National Blog Posting Month with my BFF. It is the third year I’ve cranked out a sketchbook for Sketchbook Project a couple of weeks before it was due. It was my third year uploading a video every day in August. It is the fourth year, Brandi, Jessica, and I went to Texas Renaissance Festival and in just 11 days, Kim and I will be our end of year tradition for the sixth consecutive year. These traditions make me so happy.

  10. Culinary adventures
    A chef in Houston designed a meal around bone marrow just for Kim and me. Austin finally has delicious ramen. I waited three hours for the best fatty brisket I have ever eaten. I moonlighted as a Dishcrawl Ambassador, sharing my love for progressive meals with town locals. It was a good year for food. I hope to be better about documenting the delicious eats on my food blog in 2013.

  11. Awesome themed parties
    Uh, I went to a reading party. How awesome is that? I’m a huge fan of themed parties. I think they provide a great way to break the ice with new people with built in conversation starters. It gives you a mini project to fixate on to alleviate social anxiety and makes for great photos! Honorable mention to Anita’s pink and gold birthday brunch!

  12. Staying in touch with friends
    Oddly, most of my friends are spread out in the state and country but most times I feel really connected to them. I email Kim, Ashley, and BFF every work day. They keep me sane during work. I also am fortunate to have friends who stay in touch via GChat, quarterly phone dates, sending mail and packages, and if we’re lucky, we see each other in the flesh once a year.


Question: What do you love about 2012?

Ten Awesome Things About Today

November 25th, 2012 · · National Blog Posting Month '12, pursuit of happiness One comment

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I’m Glad You Exist

November 22nd, 2012 · · Holidays, National Blog Posting Month '12, pursuit of happiness, Uncategorized One comment

image

The photo may be old but it’s still true!

Gratitude is my favorite gateway to happiness which makes me a fan of the spirit of Thanksgiving.

I’m blogging from my phone which is really difficult for me so I’m keep this short. Hope you all get to spend this holiday with people you love. My list of things to be grateful for have pretty much stayed consistent through the years.

100 Things I’m Thankful For (2010)

Happiness Project Survey

November 18th, 2012 · · National Blog Posting Month '12, pursuit of happiness 4 comments - Tags:

I have been a fan of Gretchen Rubin‘s blog for quite some time and read her book, Happiness Project this year. She often interviews well known people and ask them the same questions about happiness. I thought I’d answer the questions for myself.

What’s a simple activity that consistently makes you happier?

Emailing happy three things with Kim.

What’s something you know now about happiness that you didn’t know when you were 18 years old?

I am responsible for my happiness. I don’t think I really understood that I had a responsibility towards myself to be happy and take care of myself. I often put other people’s well being over mine.

Is there anything you find yourself doing repeatedly that gets in the way of your happiness?

I think a lot of my peers do this. Whenever I compare myself to others, I can easily get sucked into a black spiral of gloom.

Is there a happiness mantra or motto that you’ve found very helpful?

I don’t have a specific mantra or motto but I do have a specific way of living. I try very hard to see the small and great things in my life. “Small and great” sounds like an oxymoron but what I mean is the simple things that occur every day that are easy to overlook but are awesome. While Kim and I were driving to the Midland airport from Marfa, we left before the sunrise. Subsequently, we were able to see the sky change its colors as the sun rose. We excitedly narrated the color schemes to each other as new colors were unveiled. If you were to listen in our conversations, you’d think we were children intellectually witnessing a sunrise for the first time. Sunrises are everyday things but when you remember to look at them with fresh eyes, they’re pretty great.

If you’re feeling blue, how do you give yourself a happiness boost? Or, like a “comfort food,” do you have a comfort activity?

I like going to the movies by myself when I’m feeling blue. It’s my way of taking a break from my mind chatter. When my mind chatter isn’t tormenting me, journaling can also give me a happiness boost. Oddly, I really enjoy being by myself when I’m feeling upset. My extroverted tendencies subside when I’m not well.

Is there some aspect of your home that makes you particularly happy?

I have a small collage of photos of a few of my favorite cities. I love seeing it because it conjures up some fond memories.


Have you ever been surprised that something you expected would make you very happy, didn’t – or vice versa?

As a teen, I was enrolled in a private all girl school for high school. I really thought my life was going to end as I was separated from kids I went to school with for eight years. I’m not sure what would have happened if I went to the high school I wanted, but I had a pretty awesome high school experience and the friendships I’ve managed to take away from the experience are my oldest friendships.


Questions: Pick a few questions and answer them!