ordinarily extraordinary

Right before graduation, I went on a Seniors retreat with the Catholic Patriots. What better way to celebrate the end of my college years that with all of my friends, some good food, and Jesus? I had a final to take that morning, so I showed up after the first talk while everyone was having personal reflection. Once I joined my group, they told me that they reflected on what they wanted to be as children and how that relates to what we are doing now. One of the guys in our group said that he wanted to be a waiter and a dentist. Quite the interesting combination, I thought to myself. But the thing is, that's exactly what he was doing. He had just spent the last 4 years studying to become a dentist and this summer, he was going to be a waiter. He was living the dream! But things didn't go perfectly planned. Even though he had spent years devoted to dentistry, including internships and even a medical mission trip to the Philippines, he wasn't going to be a dentist. Nop...

I will be graduating from college in 10 days. I will be graduating from college in 10 days. I WILL BE GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE IN 10 DAYS! Growing up, I always saw myself going to college, graduating, having a career... but I would be lying if I didn't think about quitting a whole bunch of few times while in college. Whether my grades just weren't where I needed/wanted them to be, papers and group projects stacking up, balancing my school work and social life, my mental health diminished at least once a semester. But I did it. I made it through. I went to community college for 2 years. I saved money. I got my Associates Degree. I got into George Mason University. I joined Catholic Campus Ministry. I did a Disney College Program. I became a Bible Study leader. I went to conferences. I was a full time student who also held a job. I did another Disney College Program. I discovered who I am and what I can do. I made friends who have become my family. And now,...

Fun fact of the day: It's still Easter! Easter isn't just one day full of sunrise services and chocolate and bunnies and every other commercialized piece of nonsense, it is a season of celebrations! Christos anesti; Christ is risen! It is a season of hope and new beginnings, of knowing that not even death can overcome us. Jesus endured the most painful acts of torture and death that a person can experience. And He overcame! He rose, and so will we.

I get the feeling... Garfield the cat is credited with the quote, "I hate Mondays." Mondays are known to bring stress and funny Facebook memes. I mean, I get it, you have 2 days off to sleep and have fun only to go back to work Monday morning and daydream about that clock striking the end of your shift on Friday afternoon. But I actually really like Mondays. Monday means a brand new week, a whole week of being on your grind and crushing the term #GirlBoss. Monday means motivation, finding inspiration to get through another week. Monday means early mornings and late nights, getting work done and preparing for every possible outcome. Monday means change, trying to find what is making things feel slow and taking charge. This Monday was for change. I changed my calendars. I changed out my closet. I changed the layout of my bedroom. I changed my mindset from wanting a nap to working on applications. I changed my hair. I changed my mindset, so I'm going to ...

I love Tyra Banks. She's inspiring, beautiful, and really knows how to coin a word (smize is my favorite). A few years ago, I was reading an article or interview or something about Tyra where she said something along the lines of this: The woman's good! Lately, I've been thinking about this term. In this culture of social media, selfies, likes, filters, and #thinspo #makeupgoals, it's so hard to determine what is real and what isn't. Movies, music videos, TV, and magazines were always seen as the pieces of media that were warping young girl's self-esteem, but now, it's even worse. People are becoming famous because of Instagram and Snapchat posts. They have perfected the art of  strategic lighting and filters while sitting in uncomfortable ways to show off a seemingly flat belly and Kardashain type but. Now, it's one thing to see people you don't know getting hundreds, even thousands, of likes and followers, but it's worse when you see...

I don't know about you, but last week was rough. Early mornings, late nights, piles of work, cleaning that needed to be done, places to go, people to see, things to do... Busy doesn't even begin to describe it. I was on the go from Monday straight through Saturday. Once I got the chance to sit down and do homework on Sunday, I couldn't bring myself to do hardly anything. Fortunately, I only have one written assignment, and it's not due until Friday. I got the general idea fleshed out for the 3-page, double-spaced paper, before I felt the wave of exhaustion. My legs and feet hurt from lip sync practice, my voice was raspy from talking and singing, my head hurt from having too many To Do lists, my heart hurt from everything stacking on top of each other; I needed a break. I pampered myself with all of my favorite products last night and allowed myself to just take care of myself. As I lay in bed watching Bob's Burgers for the thousandth time, I realized something....

Yesterday was the Super Bowl (congratulations, Patriots!) and I am definitely feeling the excitement! This week is Homecoming Week at George Mason University and I am on the team! From high school to college, Homecoming has always been exciting. At GMU, we have events ranging from a grocery bingo to a 3-on-3 basketball game to a blood drive. But the one event that I am looking forward to the most is the lip sync battle on Friday! I've adjusted to life back at home pretty well in the last month. As soon as I came home, I got sick with a sinus infection, not something you want in the middle of moving into a new house. Living with my family is great, but it's hard to get back into that frame of mind when I've been independent for almost 6 months. Now that things are starting to settle in, having a schedule for workouts, assignments, and Bible Study has gotten much easier. It helps when I have a set schedule when new things pop up, things like Homecoming!

Hello, blog-osphere! Welcome to my new and improved blog! In order to keep my blog new and fresh, I am going to be doing daily posts. Monday Motivation: Let's start the week off on the right foot! What is motivating me to get through the week? What is inspiring me in my life right now? What is keeping me going? These posts will include graphics, workouts, fun activities, Tunes-day: On Tuesdays, I will be sharing music that I enjoy! Wonderful Wednesday: Pulling inspiration from my Snapchat account, Wonderful Wednesday is the day where I share 3 wonderful things going on in my life. In return, I want you to do the same: tell me 3 wonderful things going on in your life. This practice is helpful on days when things seem to be going wrong and you just need that little boost of positivity to keep you going. Treat Yo-self Thursday: Tune in for my favorite health and beauty finds including DIYs. Faithful Friday:  Being Catholic is one of the largest pieces of my identity. On...