Addition to list

My car is just shy of 5 years and for the first time when I drive it is starting to feel like an older car. My baby will be paid off in July and then I plan to drive it for another 5 or so years. However... I can't help but drool over the nicer jeeps with leather, heated seats and sunroofs. I hope I can exercise some self control on this one because not having a car bill for a few years is going to be great.

So bucket list addition: Learn how to drive a stick shift.

Blog Revival

So after a long process I am close to defending my final project and completing my Masters program! Next up: Getting an awesome job!

I decided to get this blog back up and running because 1) I now have more time and 2) It will be another thing to look back on and remind me of happy times. I love scrapbooking but it takes forever and is pretty expensive... this will have to do.

I came across this blog and I love her travel bucket list. It looks amazing! I made a few changes and posted it below. Hopefully I will be able to knock all of these out sooner rather than later. Especially since a lot of these amazing places may not be here that much longer.

1. Visit every continent
1. North America - COMPLETE
2. South America
3. Asia
4. Africa
5. Europe - COMPLETE
6. Australia
7. Antarctica
2. Hike the Milford Track in New Zealand
3. Pet a tortoise in the Galapagos
4. Take a picture with the Moai at Easter Island
5. Vistit the Steve Irwin Zoo in Australia
6. Stay in a hut over the ocean
7. Hike or ride a donkey to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
8. Go on an African Safari
9. Go on a cross country road trip
10. See Iguazu Falls
11. Hike the Incan Trail to Machu Picchu
12. Stand on a glacier without following on my tush
13. Go Skydiving in New Zealand or Switzerland (Both?)
14. Scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef
15. Go to the Olympics
16. Go to the World Cup - Mens and Womens
17. Swim in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland
18. See glow worms in teh Waitomo Caves in New Zealand
19. See the Aurora Borealis
20. Visit Angkor Wat
21. Walk part of The Great Wall of China
22. See the Taj Mahal
23. Visit the Pyramids of Giza... If it's ever somewhat safe
24. See Petra... Indiana Jones style
25. Go whale & bear watching in Alaska
26. Use a metal detector to search for a burried treasure
27. Pet a baby tiger
28. Go canyon jumping
29. Take a cooking class in Italy
30. Learn how to take decent photos
31. Run a half marathon
32. See the lantern festival in Thailand
33. Stay in an underwater hotel
34. See Stonehenge
35. The Forbidden City
36. Go to the airport without knowing where I am flying to
37. Learn how to snowboard
38. Go to Pulpit Rock in Norway
39. Speak to someone in another language and have them understand
40. Learn how to drive a stick shift
41. Go to Greece
42. Swim with Dolphins
43. Sit in the first row of a football/basketball game
44. Sleep under the stars
45. See the Seven Wonders of the World
46. Coach a volleyball team
47. Hike Mt. Kilimanjaro

Obviously it is a work in progress. I started out with this being all about travel and then it quickly changed... I can't wait to cross some of these things off the list!

Vacation!

My trip to CA came at the perfect time... I had just finished a two week class with Charley Casserly, an amazing individual who started as an unpaid intern and ended at the top, and I needed a break.

Boyfriend Matt and my future brother-in-law Kevin made the trip along with the rest of my family. It was a great week full of tubing, wakeboarding, lake surfing (attempts), cards, and family. My cousins 3yo daughter and 1yo twins provided endless entertainment and it was great to relax and have fun.

Here are a few pics... I will upload everything from my camera eventually.

Matt with Chase

Matt getting ready to show off his wakeboarding skills

Birthday!!

I never got to post a picture of my awesome birthday rice crispy treat cake! Who wants cake when you can have a delicious marshmellowy treat?!

There's getting to be a few too many candles. I guess the next cake will just have to be bigger:)

Holy Tic Tac!

I have a problem with mints/tic tacs... instead of the normal two or three that most people eat at once I eat about ten at a time. Altoids... curiously strong... Paaalease! Six or so will do it for me.

NOT that I have super bad breath... haha, I just love the taste of mints.

Tic tac finally makes a container for people like me :)

It has 200 tic tacs! Of course I had to buy orange and white... I hope they last the day :)

California!!

Every year my family goes to CA to visit family. We usually stay with all of the relatives in my Uncle and Aunt's lake house. It is amazing and I can't wait to get there. Boyfriend Matt and my sister's fiance Kevin are coming with us.

Only 15 more days!!

Lake Nacimiento

Back it Up

So I missed a few weeks but I'm back....

Since the last post my Rock the Pink team Blockers for Knockers ended up scaring all of the competition off and just playing against ourselves. It was scorching hot but I think everyone had a good time. After dominating we went to a friend's house for the night, went to dinner, and then passed out. It was a great birthday with really great friends.

I picked out a watch finally and my mom and dad gave it to me for my birthday.

I love it! Michael Kors

There were a lot of really cute watches on their website but I just don't look very good in rose gold or in watches that are super chunky.

Rock the Pink!

I am playing in a grass volleyball tournament in a few weeks and I am trying to raise money for The Side-Out Foundation. I work for Side-Out so I know all of the money is going to a great cause and will actually make a difference in the lives of breast cancer patients and their families.

If you want to donate the link is below (just click the picture).
Our team name is Blockers for Knockers.

Being Completely Unproductive

I recently found this website - jockular.com and I am somewhat addicted!

This is a cute video... some dad is teaching his daughter to be an obnoxious Boston fan.
She is precious :)

Happy Mother's Day!

I love you Mom! Happy Mother's Day :)

I love you Mom!!

PS I am finally done with classes... thank gooooodness!

I am almost donnnnnnne

I finished all five of my papers just in time last night - Only because boyfriend Matt is awesome and helped edit all of my papers!

Right now I have 6 pages left to write on Title IX and then I am DONE! I'll always say that JMU > GMU (because it is) but when it gets to be time for finals I REALLY miss JMU. I miss ECL... GMU doesn't have anything close.

Wow, I'm a super nerd. I miss the library haha.
Anyway, I saw this online and thought it was pretty cool.

You wish you were a Duke Dog!

PS 5 hour energy drinks are the bomb.com! Wish I had tried them in undergrad.

What comes after senoioritis?

Whatever the grad school version of senioritis is... I have it. BAD

With 5 papers due tonight I finally decided to get started on them last night (after the hockey game of course). Then I decided sleep was way better than pulling an all-nighter so I went to bed with only 1 and half papers written. With seven hours to go I have one paper left to write that is due tonight and then another 20 page paper that is due tomorrow at 5:00pm

I woke up extra early to work on the papers... I worked for an hour and went back to sleep.
It's do or die time... in 24 hours I will be done with this semester, ready or not.

The only reason I am still functioning... massive amounts of caffeine and sugar.

DONE with sport psych!

FINALLY! As of 30 seconds ago I am completely done with sport psychology!!!

I'm now at 6 papers to go and have reached procrastination level: ninja.

Here is a look at how I study - I find I actually get work done if I am simultaneously treating myself to a pedicure.

I definitely enjoy this way of studying

Next up... finding a way to do work while looking out of the hole in a massage chair. 

I am also the person who laminated my flashcards in college so that I could study while showering/tanning at the pool. You gotta do what ya gotta do. 

GO CAPS!!

TGIFriday!!

Thank gooooooodness it is finally time for the weekend. I ended up deciding to stay home for the weekend and not go to JMU because I haven't finished enough of my research papers. I'm pretty great at waiting until the last minute but somehow being able to pull it all together before my assignment is due... but I'm afraid partying at JMU for the weekend would put me so far behind that even I couldn't get it together (I know... I'm so modest).

So since the last post I am now done with my presentations but I still have 8 papers to go. womp womp.

I think next year GMU should take into account the Caps' schedule when putting the academic calendar together. Having finals during the playoffs... not cool.

Anyway... Happy (early) Birthday Kevin! And Happy early Cinco de Mayo everyone else!

I wish I had an El Charro's nearby so I could really get into the Cinco de Mayo mood...

See ya Dragon-lady

5 papers and 1 presentation down... only 8 papers and 1 presentation to go!!!

AND I am finally done with my horrible dragon-lady professor! I just have to email in my paper by Monday and I am finished with her for life!

I am scrambling to get most of the papers done before Friday so that I can head down to Harrisonburg for JMU graduation! I have only been back once since I graduated and I'm really excited to see everyone... AND eat at all of the restaurants I miss sooo much.

Fact for the day --- The reason firehouses have curved staircases is from back in the day when fire engines were pulled by horses. The horses quickly learned how to walk up the straight staircases. (Why they didn't just tie a rope in front of the stairs I don't know...)

Overloadddddd

I literally have 13 papers to write and 2 presentations within the next two weeks. My brain is already dead...
Looking back, taking 4 classes probably wasn't my best idea.

In other news.... It's Draft Day!! The Redskins will finally get a legitimate QB!

Go Redskins!

AND! The CAPS won in OT of game 7!!! It's finally looking up D.C.!

Go Caps!!!

Explore!

While I wish I could say I have already booked my flight to Tanzania... I can't. Boyfriend Matt wants to wait a year and I don't want to go without him. Soooo if I wait this year and it doesn't happen I am sooo not going to be happy about it. This year was supposed to be Kilimanjaro and next year is Machu Picchu.

One day I want to be able to cross off every state!

Countries I have been to... severely lacking

Countries I haven't been to yet but are on my bucket list

If you don't pull a Nike and 'Just Do It' these trips aren't going to happen. So I'm still trying to figure it out. My brother really wants to go and I know he is down for going whenever... so there are options. :)

Update

The morning after I flushed my debit card I find out there was a breach with one of the retailers who had my credit card information and someone in NY tried to spend $510 at a CVS with my credit card. My credit card was canceled and I wasn't charged for any of their purchases which is great... buuuttttt as you know I am also without a debit card and I recently used my last check for my brother's bday so I am currently without access to money. Not cool.

What I want to know is - what the heck does someone buy at a CVS for $510??

Just Flushed It All Away...

Well apparently I achieved a first last night....
I had my credit card out because I had to pay for parking and decided it would be smart to put it in my pocket. Later on in the night I finally decided it was time to break the seal... I did my business, flush and then realize I am dumb to leave my card in my pocket. I pull it out and my butterfingers just flung it right into the flushing toilet... it was never to be seen again. I called boyfriend Matt from the bathroom and said 'get in here now' he had no idea what was going on so hurried in. He even tried to get it out (ewwww) but it was a goner. I got home and called Wells Fargo and according to the guy who hears 'hundreds of stories a day' this was a first.

...I feel so special

It's getting to be that time...

It's that.... End of the semester/End of Graduate Assistantship/Finals/Research Projects Due/Professors still piling on other assignments (read this entire book for next class)/Nice weather that you don't have time to enjoy/Work projects are due before you leave/Realizing you never really saved any of the money you earned from the GA/Never sleeping again  time of the year!

I don't know what I was thinking when I decided staying in school another two years was a great idea. It's not. When all of your friends have jobs that actually pay real money and they don't have to live at home (not that home's not great mom!) staying in school and worrying about homework and finals is the last thing you want to be doing.

Last night, instead of watching the Caps play the Bruins I was talking about hockey in class.... while interesting, I would much rather enjoy the game live instead of getting score updates from boyfriend Matt.

If you haven't noticed, I'm feeling a little stressed out at the moment.

New Blog

Like so many other people I have decided that I am interesting enough to start a blog. In reality I have a pretty normal life... but I still want to blog. Read if you like... if not.... sorry not sorry.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! I hope you all have an awesome day! :)

And Lent is over!!! Finally!

I'm baking these truffle filled red velvet cupcakes now! Hopefully it's tasty! 

Travel Bug

After I graduated last year my boyfriend and I went backpacking in Europe (shattadventures.blogspot.com). We visited cities in England, Scotland, Ireland, Spain, Italy, France, Switzerland, Belgium and The Netherlands and ever since then I have been planning trip after trip. I will need to win the lottery (Life Plan A) in order to actually go on all of these trips but a girl can dream.

Next up: Machu Picchu or Kilimanjaro
Both require me to get my booty in shape and spend a lot of money. BUTTT it would be absolutely amazing.

Peru

Tanzania

Weddings

What is it about your 20's that mean everyone you know starts getting married or having kids? Every time I go on facebook another friend has popped out a kid or gotten engaged.

Well... at least weddings are awesome and babies are adorable.

JCrew

JCrew

JCrew

AND you get to shop for dresses to wear
As you can see I am slightly addicted to J.Crew

Happy Monday

Oh Monday... I hope that one day you and I get along. Until then I will continue to hit the snooze button and go to work with wet hair.


My most recent wish list item: A new gold watch... I am really into gold right now.

This is what I am thinking... Thoughts?

Hunger Games

I'm so excited for the Hunger Games to come out! I am definitely one of those people who gets WAY too into books like Harry Potter or Twilight. You can count on me to be at the midnight show for all of these movies!

Hunger Games Thoughts...
I hope Peeta doesn't look like a shrimp next to Katniss...
Jennifer Lawrence has become one of my favorite actresses, she is pretty much the anti-KStew and I love it.
Does anyone else think that its funny that Peeta bakes bread and Pita is a kind of bread?

Yes, I know I'm a dork... but I can't wait!