Feel Good

Rozalla - Everybody's Free (To Feel Good by Hakunamatata67

Photos from Across the Atlantic

I returned from vacation to the Netherlands on Tuesday. While there, I took a quick jaunt with my family to London. Here are a few photos I wanted to share.

Spui, Binnenstad, Amsterdam, NL

Graffiti on Mauritsstraat, Rotterdam, NL 

City of London from Hay's Galleria,
Southwark, London, UK

Here Lately

The fact that Americans work too much is completely true, especially for this American lately. The 76 mile stretch of Interstate 64 between Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky have become a very familiar commute for me in the past few months. Juggling projects and meeting major deadlines have kept me busy, but I honestly cannot complain. I enjoy what I do and everyday is a new challenge that is fun to tackle. For that, I am lucky and continue to work onward and upward while enjoying life.

I must say among all the work I have found plenty of time to enjoy the warm weather we have been having. A few weeks ago I spent hours downtown for Lexington's St. Patrick's Day Festival with friends, doing the Run/Walk in the morning and drinking green beer all afternoon. This past weekend I celebrated my 25th birthday with my mother and friends on the patio. 

St. Patrick's Day Celebration with friends

Rainbow Birthday Cake (!!)

It has been glorious taking advantage of this weather and spending as much time as possible outside! I am heading on vacation later this week, but hope to be posting regularly upon my return.

Belated New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! ... I'm only 22 days late in doing this. 

The holidays were fast-paced for me, but I tend to enjoy my life like that. I was in Virginia with my family for two weekends during the holidays and then spent the New Year holiday in Chicago, Illinois celebrating a close friend's birthday and ringing in 2012! They say work hard and play hard, don't they? =) 

New Year's Eve fireworks at Navy Pier in Chicago

To start the New Year, I have set some resolutions for myself and am sharing them here. They are some pretty easily attainable goals and I have already been working on some of them intensely (on this Sunday night, I am still sore from my exercising from Friday). 

• Lose 20 pounds 
• Exercise 3 times a week (minimum)
• Set (and follow) a sleep schedule
• Be more positive about work
• Get to work no later than 8:30am daily
• Stick to my budget
• Eat out less
• Give up soda
• Conquer sweet tooth

It's a healthy list, but a lot of them go hand in hand. I have already read a lot of other Resolutions people have posted... Good luck and Happy 2012!

Slowdown

I am in Virginia visting my family for the holiday and boy am I ready for a little bit of a slowdown. I sure Hope I am able to get rested and relax this weekend.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Firm Foundation

It has been a busy two weeks for me and I feel like I have been running 100 mph non-stop. 

I have been tearing up Kentucky's Golden Triangle for work recently, primarily spending my days in Louisville working on an inspection program implementation. I will say for the most part, that I enjoy my job because it is constantly dynamic and always provides a challenge for me, but not staying at home has been tough and I am grateful when I am home in my bed.

In my personal life, the past couple of weeks have also been a reminder of the strength that I possess within myself. I am not always the quickest learner; I have always been a 'learn by doing' individual, that makes the same mistakes a few times before I realize something doesn't work. The difference is that by acknowledging my strength and standing up for myself, I have begun to realize when I am in the midst of something that is not working and am able to assess and correct this.

Between work and personal life I feel like I am truly growing up. While working hard on myself and enjoying all that I am so lucky to have, I have grown to a place where I am strong to stand for myself and focus inward and proceed upward. I was reminded of all of this today as I was catching up on blogs and stumbled across a note from Things We Forget that captures it perfectly.

It makes me feel at peace and really realize that, while cliche, everything happens for a reason.

Mid-November?

Mid-November?! The last time I looked, it was June!!! I honestly can't remember what I have been doing since my trip to Florida in October; Everything has been just a whirlwind.

I can tell you that my fall and Halloween season was full of haunted houses/ trails, pumpkin fields, horror movies, and fun with friends.