Princess Charming-But-Only-After-Caffeine-Consumption

In between reading Chaucer and DesCartes, Latin tests and job hunting on the web, I've found myself thinking a lot about where I'm headed in my life and just how much of that involves this handsome ginger I happen to be dating and I think I'd like to do a series of posts about relationships. Not to go all sentimental on you, but just because I have a lot of weird ideas that need to be spilled and vented properly.

Since starting my first serious relationship I've had the realization that I am SO unprepared for marriage. In my book, that's the entire purpose of dating, to see if that person is someone you would spend the rest of your life with. Hence, why I was not allowed to date in high school, because when you still need your mom to drive you to the theater, it just doesn't make sense.

On the other hand, I'm not advocating that people go out "hunting" for a spouse once they reach a decent age, which seems to be a fairly common concept, especially among Catholics and Christians. If you've reached seventeen and you feel the need to start talking to that older guy with the pit bull next door, just stop and breathe. There's no need to do that.

The right person for you will come into your life at some point, and when they do, it'll be fantastic! But until then, calm down. Relax. Go have some adventures, eat some Starburst jelly beans, try underwater basket weaving, and DON'T PANIC. You can wait around listening to Taylor Swift songs and expecting Prince Charming to fall from the sky, or you can live life, and while you're out star-gazing from the Rockies, or becoming a Marine Biologist,  you might just find that other person in the most unexpected way possible. I honestly believe that when you stop fretting about it, you become that much happier and as the lovely miss Audrey Hepburn said:

On the other hand, if you are currently in a relationship and feeling all those tingly feels, think about what that means.

I know for me, maybe due to those baby-doll toting instincts that started around age two, I grew up determined that I would just get married as soon as humanly possible. Now, however, I look in the mirror and think, "Me? Get married right now? Umm...... hahahaha! NO." It's not because I have an aversion to marriage, or that I feel drawn to a fancy little desk job somewhere. Nope. For me, it's simply a realization that I have so much to work on before I can be a dependable spouse for any guy, whether it's the one I'm currently dating, or someone I'll meet 10 years from now. How can I expect a Prince Charming when I'm essentially Princess Sometimes-Charming-But-Only-After-Caffeine? It's a two way street, people.

I've been told that marriage is difficult; really, really difficult and when I find myself struggling to get my teeth brushed and makeup on before 2 p.m. every day , I just realize that in no way am I in a responsible enough state of existence to be someone's wife, or mother. I want to be ready and capable before I make that leap. I  understand that no one can ever be 100% prepared, but it would be great to at least be somewhere around half that, or maybe to just be able to choose an apple over a dozen Chips Ahoy when the scale indicates it's time. At the very least, I want to be kinder, stronger, sweeter, and wiser. Not perfect, just better. Is that too much to ask?

Obviously, everyone is unique, but I just want to say to any one considering marriage, or searching for "the one," try not to rush into things. If that person really loves you, they'll understand that it takes time to figure life out, to grow, mature, and have a few crazy adventures before the serious stuff begins. And if you feel like he or she is nowhere to be found, stop looking around every corner for him. Take some time to focus on your own personal growth. The more you've grown in all the best areas of your personality, the better it'll be when things do get difficult, as they undoubtedly will down the road.

So, from Princess Charming-But-Only-After-Caffeine-Consumption to you... drink ALL the coffee and work on that charm stuff. It'll be okay. 


YOU HAVE NOW REACHED THE END OF MY CRAZY RANT. THANKS FOR READING!

My Bucket List for Life

Life is crazy. It surprises me at every turn. Just when I think I know exactly what's coming next, it
throws a new adventure my way, or a roadblock pops up and I have to travel a different road. I used to feel like I could only take so many roads in life before the journey would end.

Lately, however, my heart has been telling me otherwise. I think my natural inclination is to fear the unknown, and yet to long for it with every fiber of my being. I want to accomplish so many things, but I'm always fighting my fears. Will I ever have the money for that? What if I get injured? What if I don't succeed? And the list goes on and on and on. More times than not, these thoughts win out. My heart is not a terribly courageous one and that's not something I'm proud of; it's just the way it is. I'm not sure why, but I feel always so cautious in the face of life's wildness.
Lately, though, I've decided that I need to stop fearing the possibilities, and instead of asking, "How?" ask, "Why on earth not?" I'm not willing, as cheesy as this may sound, to continually live in a state of caution and fear. I want to have adventures, and not just tiptoe along my road, but run, leap, and dance!

So here is my bucket list. It is a compilation of my ideas of what I want to accomplish before I reach the end of my road.
Some of them are silly. Some serious. But I hope that one way or another, they all come to be.

MY BUCKET LIST OF AWESOMENESS

1. Write a book (any book will do!)
2. Have said book published
3. Travel Europe (especially Ireland)
4. Dance in a public place with a loved one
5. Teach literature and writing
6. Improve piano skills
7. Learn German
8. Pet a Giraffe (I LOVE giraffes!)
9. Improve painting and drawing abilities 
10. Open a photography studio in my home
11. Catch a HUGE fish!
12. Go ice fishing (maybe that should have preceded 11?)
13. Write for a magazine
14. Drive a big black pick-up
15. Go to a concert with thousands of people
16. Make homemade bread successfully
17. Improve knitting skills
18. Try surfing
19. Have my own garden
20. Earn multiple degrees (I almost have my first!!!)
21. Have a stranger offer to buy me a drink
22. Try all kinds of new foods
23. Read as many books as possible
24. Watch the sun set from the top of a mountain
25. Be someone's maid of honor
26. Try a fried pickle
27. Improve sewing skills
28. Visit each of the 50 states
29. Drink coffee at a sidewalk cafe
30. Watch every Alfred Hitchcock movie ever made!
31. Drive a mini-cooper
33. Walk the Camino
34. Go skinny-dipping (again, that is...)  
35. Learn how to freaking French-braid
36. Learn how to curl my hair (yes, at 19, I still can't)
37. Go on a mission trip to a foreign country
38. Own/help operate a thrift store
39. Have a leading role in a play
40. Become more educated about music and art
41. Ride in a hot air balloon
42. Star gaze from a mountain
43. Have my own writing studio
44. Learn how to tie a tie
45. Be more adventurous with my style
46. Get in shape (you knew it was coming, didn't you?)
47. Milk a cow
48. Sing a solo, or duet in front of a crowd
49. Grow stronger in my faith (this should be number 1...)
50. Find sea glass at the ocean
51. Dance and laugh more frequently
52. Try a shot of Tequila ( or maybe two, or three...)
53. Go rock climbing
54. Own a fully functioning typewriter
55. Smoke a whole cigar
56. Learn how to ice skate and rollerblade
57. Catch some crawdads (don't ask)
58. Do a crazy road trip with friends
59. Write about the things I experience
60. Stop doubting that I can accomplish numbers 1-59

What's on your bucket list???

A Few of My Favorite Nerdy Things: 3 Sites for a Rainy Day

Lately, in my interweb wanderings, I've found some pretty fantastic sites that you should definitely know about, especially if you're someone who would identify yourself as "Nerd," and/or "Bibliophile," or just plain "bored."
DRUMROLL......

1. First up, if you're someone who consumes books like chocolate and are in need of a new read, there is a fantastic site called BookMooch.com where you can exchange your already-read, no longer wanted books for new books that you DO want. Basically, BookMooch uses a system in which, after listing ten books to give away, you receive a point. That point can be spent on books you want, which you request from other members. When someone requests one of your listed books, YOU pay the postage and send it to them, but when it's your turn to receive a book, THEY pay for it. The bottom line: this is a fun way to clean out your collection and get some new reads, without much damage being done to your wallet. Remember too, media mail postage is the way to go!

copyright: bookmooch.com

2. Next up, is the lovely website for bored people known as StumbleUpon.com This site is the ultimate cure if you're feeling uninspired, or simply want something other than Pinterest to entertain you. At  www.stumbleupon.com you will need to make an account (don't worry, it's free) and then choose different categories that you're interested in. Some of mine include writing, photography, and coffee. Then, you hit the big red button that says "Stumble" at the top of the page and "Voila!" it brings up other great websites, articles, blogposts, and videos that pertain to your chosen interests. It's just a great way to explore what's out in the world, that five minutes before, you might not have known existed. So cool! Check it out!

copyright:stumbleupon.com

3. And last, but not least, is a site that I recently joined called The International Geek Girl Pen Pals Club their URL is http://geekgirlpenpals.com/ and essentially what this awesome site is all about is connecting geeks from around the world. By geek they mean anyone with a somewhat nerdy interest. . It could be anything from a Dr. Who obsession, to knitting. You can sign up to get a pen pal, which is great if you're like me and still believe that letter writing is the ultimate form of communication. The site also organizes what are deemed "Swaps," in which you register and are paired to receive something in the mail from a fellow geek. Each swap is different and they change each month. Sometimes you swap tea, sometimes geeky cards, or sometimes just surprising random gifts. I did this for the first time recently and was paired with a girl in Canada. It's a lot of fun and you're put into different age categories. They accept people from the age of 14 on up, and you're paired with others in your age group. This site is open to both genders now, too. So the bottom line: it's a really cool site for anyone who loves geeky things and/or snail mail, or just wants to connect with like-minded people.

No Copyright Infringement Intended

So there you have it! Three new amazing sites to check out on your next rainy day! Enjoy!