A Day in the Life of a Master(s) of Education

As I approach another anniversary of my birth I realize it's time for yet another retrospective analysis of my life. Well I am at my happy place so I am refusing to acknowledge it (my birthday  & a need for reflection) and acting like its just any other day. The best part of this birthday has to be the fact that my 2 besties are coming to visit. Going to continue to enjoy my visit and not worry about the birthday until the next post...laters

One of my friends got married this pass weekend and boy was it a party. Though I had a fantastic time I wonder how much better it could have been of there wasn't tension with other people.  At times I felt like I had to be on guard because I was being judged. Though other peoples thoughts of me generally don't bother me when they affect how people I consider to be friends it does. It calls into question my friendships and that saddens me. In a time to be focused on love and happiness, I felt trapped in despair and judgment. Adulting is so hard and relationships are too. Until next post.... laters

Thinking of all the things I want to say knowing that I can only say them in my dreams. 

With another Labor Day Weekend come to pass with it also is Dragon Con. This year I was very ambitious with my cosplays and successfully pulled off 4 over the course of 3 days. To say I am proud would be an understatement. For those of you curious they were Amanda Waller (Sucide Squad), The Riddler  (Playboy Bunny Style), Barf with Jesse as Lonestar  (Spaceballs) and Rogue (90s Animated Series). This may have been my last DragonCon for a while so I wanted to full advantage. Having Jesse by my side and running into tons of friends was just the icing on the cake to a fun weekend. Though September is full of all sorts of things this month already has a lot to live up to...until next post.... laters

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind for me. We finally opened the new CG to the public after numerous setbacks and though some of those issues remain unresolved 😑, it's so good to share the space with so many excited people. Recently took a big step in my romantic world too...went on family vacation with J. We have had our issues, some of which remain unresolved but every day with him in my life is fantastic. He has become this super supportive, reassuring, open hearted person who makes me laugh, let's me cry and is always willing to try. If for some reason we become no longer romatically involved I hope he will still remain in my life because I have come to depend on his hand on the small of my back, helping to thrust me forward and there to catch me when I fall. Along with the joys of work comes new opportunities and growth. Currently I am sitting in my hotel room at a conference in SC after enjoying 3 days of interchanging ideas that are to inspire the next ...

Sometimes  people grow out of you like a toy they had as a child.  And that's okay. If you say it over and over again...one day it may ring true.

Yesterday news broke about a shooting at a nightclub in Orlando that resulted in 50 people dead. It broke my heart. Orlando and the surrounding areas are like another home to me. I spend so much time there and to have it violated much in the same respect of Virginia Tech has hurt me to the core. I keep fluctuating between depression, anger and hope. The world we live in needs change. If nothing else comes from this senseless crime I hope governmental regulations do. However there is that little voice in my head that says....remember Sandy Hook. If the laws didn't change when 5 and 6 year old children died at the hands of a gunman will they change for gay party goers? I'm ashamed of the answer. Until next post...

Some days are still harder than others. Some days are awesome, others not even close. This past weekend I was able to spend some time with friends I haven't seen in a while and it reminded of these very things. It can be hard to see the eroding of a relationship by outside forces and be powerless to fix it. Nonetheless it's those great days that make the crap ones that much more tolerable. Every tunnel has an end. Until next post.... laters

This has been one of the busiest and most tiring Springs I have had in a long time. My normal 8 hour days have turned into 9 to 12 hour days and throw in a few curve balls like moving, a major family vacation and a job change to boot! I come home to a sweet dog who curls up next to me and keeps me company as I try to make the move from the couch to the bed. Yesterday I legit dozed off in the shower. With a beer in my hand. Let's just say it's a good thing I was already washing my hair or I may have hit my head on the wall.  All in all we are almost done. Home stretch. Soon I'll be at one of my favorite places with people I love and all this will be behind me. Until next post.... laters

Valentine's Day has long been a treasured holiday in my mind. I see a world so full of anger and hate on a daily basis that I heavily and unabashedly bby into the idea that for one day we can celebrate love. With this day now just a remnant in the minds of most I sit here and think of more things that embodies love. I love my family for all of their faults, like how my mother's idea of finding me a husband includes a trip to Jamaica i.e. "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" or how my nephew starts high school this year and isn't worried in the least because he already has a strong sense of self (shout out to his parents for that). I love my beau who is passionate and confident in the things that make him happy especially composing and playing music. I love my friends who take the time to sit on the couch with me and watch horribly stupid people do mindless things for a few hours so that we can decompress. I also love the friends who leap into new challenges with a mi...

So it's a new year, time for resolutions that I have a hard time accomplishing right? Wrong. Much like last year I am taking a slightly different route to making sustainable changes. I'll write them again for tracking that seemed to help immensely last time. So here we go: Finish grad school applications Start grad school Maintain healthy hair Diversify working out (circus arts, roller blading, biking etc) Find a new loveable apartment More work/life balance More mini vacations with people I love Visit family more Hoping and working towards the best 2016 and life I can. Until next post laters

Looking back on the last year, I only accomplished half of what I set out to do yet I don't feel like I have failed. As a year of ups and downs, tears and laughter, joy and pain I've come to realize that it's been mostly positive. Looking forward to making moves in 2016, building bonds and reaffirming friendships. Until next post. Laters 2015

Of late many of my parents friends have been dying. People I knew growing up, people I saw every Thursday at bible study and Sunday for service. It's hard to handle, not necessarily for myself but for my parents. They aren't getting any younger and more and more their peers are leaving this earth. In the next few weeks my parents will come to visit and coinciding with that visit is my birthday. I really want to take the opportunity to celebrate my life with my parents and show them that there is still much to do and enjoy in the time left on this earth. When their time comes I will be heartbroken,  which to me mean even more reason to celebrate life with them now. Until next post...laters

So I have finally gotten to the heart of my recent funk. I've been feeling pretty aimless and because of that I haven't been enthused to much of anything. With a life dominated by work (even if it was to meet financial goals and is very enjoyable) and not much else, I had not decompressed in a while. This coupled with the fact that I don't really have a hobby led to a life that was repeative and mediocre. When I took a moment to really step back and analyze everything and everyone in my life, I came to see that I am VERY goal oriented and to date I'd accomplished most of the major goals I'd set out for myself. That being said, I needed a new goal for that really was the only way I would find steady happiness again. I think I have found it. I'm going to finally go to and complete grad school. For real this time. I've figured out what I want to do in grad school now the task at hand is to figue out where. I'm not ruling out any possibilities. I would love ...

I'm having an insane case of the blues right now. Which I know is ridiculous because there are so many joyful things in my life. I just got back from my very first solo vacation to Paris of all places and though I had a fantastic time worth repeating I am having a hard time dealing with an overwhelming feeling of sadness. I work hard to maintain a state of joy but for some reason everything I would normally do to cheer myself up from a funk isn't working. More and more I just want to find a dark hole and bury myself in there never to resurface. On the other I look at the things I have accomplished and I smile and feel pride. I am being split in two and I can't deal.  Hopefully I'll look back on this roller-coaster time and reflect positively. In the meantime here are a few photos from my trip that will make me smile.

So many great things have already happened this month. Next week I'll do a post about Dragon-con because it was fantastic and wonderful. This post is about my first solo vacation. I'm heading to Paris, France and I could not be any more excited.  I have worked multiple jobs since March to save for this trip and now it's finally here. As I sit here in the airport waiting for my flight I can't help shake with the anticipation of events yet to come. I feel like such a big girl :-) Until next post, laters.

Never in my life has September been an exciting month for me. Usually it has meant time to go back to school or ramping up for fall busy season at work or just blah in general.  Not this year! This year September means fun, friends & freedom! Starting with the very first weekend the largest sci-fi, anime & nerd convention in the SE, Dragon*Con will be taking place and for the first time I will be attending. I've already picked out my costumes and outfits, made my schedule of must attend events and found friends to nerd out with. Following Dragon*con will be a weekend at Lake Lanier and hanging on a boat. The following week brings concerts and Music Midtown featuring Drake, X Ambassador, Sir Elton John and so many more! In all honesty though as exciting and fun as the first half of the month will be the last week is really the big ticket. This year for my big trip I'm heading to Paris, France. Not only will I see all the major sights such as the Louver, the Eifel Tower ...

This post was on buzzfeed today and it was like reading my life story: 26 Signs You Were Raised By Caribb... http://www.buzzfeed.com/fionarutherford/signs-you-were-raised-by-caribbean-parent?utm_term=.cjP0L9O1jm

This year on July 17th Disneyland will be officially celebrating it's Diamond Anniversary. In conjuction with that since May they have added a new parade, merchandise, activities and much more to celebrate this momentous event. Since it was such a big event and I knew someone who loves theme parks and has never been to Disneyland before I took the opportunity to spend the long 4th of July weekend enjoying everything they had to offer. I loved the parade at Disneyland,  the World of Color at California Adventure and of course meeting all the characters in their outfits for the celebration.  Here are a few of my favorite photos.

I have found that when I get things down in writing that I am more likely to do them for the following reasons: 1) Written Record=Accountability 2) Reference point 3) Sense of accomplishment when completed 4) Trackable & quantifiable Therefore here are a few additional goals for 2015: Organize one group activity a month (game night, dinner, sporting event,  etc) Hang with Jim once a week (even if it's only an invite & he can't do it) Read 1 book a month Work out 3 times a week (30 minutes minimum) Be more fashionable (invest in decent/presentable clothing & find a stylemodel) Save $100 a month Take a multi vitamin every day Go to the grocery store and cook once a week (possibly combined with Jim related activities) Splurge on myself every 3 months (buy tixs to a play or concert, go to a really nice restaurant, spa day etc) Get more involved in the lives of my niece & nephew (details TBD) Post 2x a month on Blog (pictures count) ...