Haircut?

Lately I have been feeling the urge to cut my hair short. But i have waited so long for it to grow out and i am not sure if i would look good with the shorter hair style ive been thinking about. Longer in front and shorter in the back. Sort of like Scarlett Johanssons hair at the Oscars yesterday. She looked gorgeous! Im not sure if i could pull off this style though. Decisions decisions... to cut or not to cut?!!!

I caught something!

On Friday my school had a pep rally for the lacrosse team. At one point the Goucher gopher was tossing out t-shirts to people in the crowd, and I CAUGHT A T-SHIRT. Although the shirt is a large and HUGE on me, i will cherish it forever. I am not usually one to win or catch anything. It was a great start to the weekend.

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Sunshine and kiddies

Lately the weather has been AMAZING, and by AMAZING i mean not ridiculously cold. Last week I was babysitting some kids and we spent some time outside playing in the dirt & jumping on the trampoline. It felt so good to be outside soaking up some vitamin D. These sunny days have had such a positive impact on my feelings and emotions. It has made me giddy, smiley and  VERY excited for summer. Thank you SUNSHINE :)
Also, i love spending time with kids. Being around children and listening to all the interesting and at times outlandish things they have to say and their views on life helps put things into perspective for me and makes me realize that life is FUN and that at times its ok to run around and be 100% silly.

boredum

Bored at work + Photobooth =

sixteen

Love this song.

biffles

biffles.

Last year

This time last year I was in Gulu, starting my semester abroad on "Post - Conflict Transformation" first in northern Uganda and then Rwanda. My first month there was very very hard for me. The first week i was in a state of physical and emotional shock. Everything made me cry. I spoke to my parents on the phone for a few minutes about every other day and every time my mother picked up and said "hello" i would burst into tears. I was doubting myself and whether i had made the right decision and whether i would be strong enough to make it the next few months. All i wanted was to be home, in my comfortable bed, with people i knew, with foods i liked & in weather that did not cause me to sweat buckets and buckets all day and all night.

Fast forward 2 months and i had made East Africa a home. I had made deep connections with people whom i considered family to me, i had learned how to wander the streets and take public transportation without fear and worry, i had mastered the art of bargaining & i was happy. Although i was ready to leave at the end of the semester i knew that i would miss the experience deeply, and that the past few months would be something that i cherished forever. I have never learned more about myself than i did during that time. One of the biggest lessons learned was about inner strength i never knew i had.
I miss Africa. I truly truly do. I miss the adventure, the energy, the spirit & the people. Two nights ago I decided to make my very first imovie, and this clip above is the end result.

Happiness.

Happiness comes from within. No one will make you happy. People may help you find happiness within yourself, and people can make it harder and get in the way of you finding inner happiness, but no one will provide you with happiness. You cant love someone unless you love yourself. You cant care about anyone else until you care about yourself.

You.

I woke up this morning to gorgeous weather & the smell of spring! I went for a walk around campus with my roomie, we went to the pool, swam a few laps & then relaxed and chatted in the sauna. It was the perfect way to start the day. Now I am eating some bloobs (blueberries) & reading with my windows wide open. I am happy.

On another note this Dr. Seuss qoute has been stuck in my head all morning

"Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you."

Congrats to my bro

Hard to believe that my little bro bro is now liscenced to drive! 

So proud of you! Now you can return the favor and chauffeur me around :)

healthy habits 101

My 2 cents on how to be healthy and happy :)

1. Eat wholesome foods: I really believe in the saying "you are what you eat." What you eat can directly affect your energy level, your emotions, and even physical aspects like the health of your hair or skin. I strive to eat mostly whole, natural, unprocessed foods. Fruits, veggies, beans, whole grains, healthy fats (olive oil, avocados). I RARELY eat meat, maybe once every weeks, and i try to make sure that its as organic as possible.

Instead of dieting and depriving yourself, i think its best to emphasize foods to include into your diet. Instead of saying no pizza or french fries, its alot easier for me to say, if i want to have pizza and fries im going to have it, but with a healthy twist. For example, i would bake sweet potato or carrot fries in the oven myself, or make pizza with whole wheat pizza, salsa as the sauce, and load it up with veggies and a little bit of cheese. You could even make an Indian inspired pizza with whole wheat nan & channa massala sauce topped with mushrooms and fresh tomatoes. That way you can have what you want and still be healthy. Chances are the healthier dish you make yourself will way tastier than anything you order at Domino's. BE CREATIVE. Food is fun :).

2. Move! I hate and love to excercise. The hardest part is getting the motivation to get up and go. But the best part for me is the fact that i always end up on a high afterwards thanks to the endorphins. Whenever i excercise i find myself more positive, less sleepy & alot more energetic. One of the things i dislike about working out is it can be so BORING. Which is why you have to be creative. Do something you love and you find fun! Some of my favourite ways to workout include hiking, dancing, yoga & ZUMBA. Going with friends also makes it alot more fun and enjoyable. Whenever i end up going to the gym to workout i make sure to mix it up too. For example i usually do 20 min of the treadmill, and 20 min on the ellipictal, and switch up the speed and resistance about every 4 minutes so that things dont get repetitive.

3. Drink lots of water: Stay hydrated! I drink ridiculous amounts of water. Dont forget to have at least 8 cups a day!

4. Sleep: One of the things I find to contribute to my energy level and attitude is the amount of sleep i get. Sleep derpived me is much less positive and productive. I try to get at least 8 hours of sleep everynight. This isnt always easy at college, since the average bedtime for most people on campus is way after midnight. But i try to go to bed around midnight and wake up around 8:30, 9.

5.  Pray/ meditate: Taking time out of my day to breathe, reflect & meditate helps me focus, relax & put everything in perspective. When your busy and stressed its easy to think you dont have time to do this. But even 5 minutes of meditation can help "refresh and gladden your spirit."

6. Surround yourself with positivity: This is very important. We soak up the energy around us so make sure you surround yourself with positive & loving people. Also make sure you are positive and forgiving with yourself. Its easy to get discouraged and angry at yourself for making unhealthy choices but we are all human and everything is a process. As long as you are trying, that is all that matters. Also, life is meant to be enjoyed. If you feel you need to eat a big fat chocolately brownie once in a while do it. Everything in moderation. And if you are traveling and miss working out for 2 weeks straight, dont punish yourself. You can get back into gear when you get home. Dont dwell in the past, embrace the present & the future.

miss my pupster

This little animal has brought so much love, laughter and cuddles into my life. Her name is Honey and her little fluffy face makes me smile. She is also the best pillow.

oh baby

This post is dedicated to my beloved friend and roomate J.

photo taken from here

mafia & neutrality

Lately i have been feeling very neutral. Not sure how to explain this well.. but im just somewhat happy & positive, but also somewhat down. Feelings can be confusing, and instead of figuring out why i feel the way i do, i am simply going to embrace it. But still work towards feeling closer to 100 % happy & positive, cuz being a debbie downer is not my thang!


On another note i have great friends. last Thursday we had MAFIA night at our apartment. Those who know me understand my deep passion for this game. Since freshman year of college i have been begging my friends to play and finally i decided to take matters into my own hands by creating a Facebook event. And the rest is history. 

i love game nights :)

dream catcher

Lately I have been having very vivid and sort of emotional dreams. All about things that have kind of been bothering me the past few months, but that I have mentally pushed aside because i choose to focus on more positive & uplifting things in life. When I woke up this morning i just kept thinking over and over again about how my dreams give me away. My dreams wont let me get away with hiding things from myself.

Along those lines I had this dream weeks ago that absolutely blew my mind. it was the most beautiful dream. I dreamt that I was with a bunch of friends & all of a sudden we came across breathtaking scenery. We were looking across to a waterfall & mountains surrounded by the green and lush flowers and trees. The most interesting thing about the mountains was that they were all covered with dream catchers. They were all different sizes, and a variety of bright and vibrant colors and beads. The entire dream consisted of my friends  and I simply staring at the beauty in front of us. After this dream my love for dream catchers has spiraled a little out of control.  When I have a home with a big tree in the backyard, i want to hang a number of them from the branches. I LOVE dream catchers. There is just something some peaceful and whimsical about them.

photos from google images

yoga

Yoga makes me feel like this.

Happy. 

Happy in a calm, relaxed, strong & uplifted way.

My mind this week is feeling a little cluttered & tense,

 meaning i am in NEED of some soul/mind/body therapy, aka YOGA.

photo from google images

heres the thing

i'm the type of person who doesnt like to take sides. Im talking about arguments and debates between people close to me. Friends, family... The reason i dont like taking sides is that we all have flaws, we all have strenghts and we all make mistakes. Anger usually comes from hurt. When we hurt other people, its often a way of dealing with pain. Often people who make mistakes, and do things they later regret, do them because they are not strong enough to make the right decisions. Sure there are people who intentionally do bad things to purposfully hurt someone else, but chances are that they themselves are feeling some emotional void or pain that causes them to do this. So, instead of punishing people over and over again, the best thing to do is offer them support. Understand that we are all delicate, we are all vulnerable at times, and we ALL make mistakes. So this is why i usually try my best to see the other persons point of view. If we were all a little more patient, understanding, supportive of  others rather than pushing them away and punishing them, we would save ourselves and others alot more energy, frustration and hurt. Be more understanding of others and you will build stronger relationships that are more supportive, positive and loving.

another

This is beautiful too. Also found on this blog. I love windows and a bright lit up room.

decor

i love this decor. Fresh, bright and cozy at the same time. I cant wait to have a home of my own to decorate!

image found in this blog

you know your growing up when

You know you are growing up when deciding to buy an aero latte milk frother makes you ridiculously excited.

I cannot wait to make homade lattes!

(photo from aerolatte and google images)

key to my heart

The key to my heart = make me laugh.






(photo from google images)

Teaching is a Human Act

I was reading a chapter by Freire for a class, Teaching is a Human Act, and thought i would share some parts i really liked:

"Here I want to repeat-forcefully- that nothing can justify the degredation of human beings. Nothing. The advance of science or technology cannot legitimate 'class' and call it 'order' so that a minority who holds power may use and squander the fruits of the earth while the vast majority are hard pressed even to survive and often justify their own misery as the will of God."

"The fatalistic philospohy of neoliberal politics of which i have been speaking is a case in point of how human interests are abandoned whenever they threaten the values of the market.
I cannot imagine, for example, a modern manager allowing one of his workers the right to discuss, during a literacy class or during an in-service course in the factory, the pros and cons of the dominant ideology. For example, to discuss the question 'unemployment today is an end-of-the-century inevitabilitty.' And, in that context, to ask: Why is agrarian reform not also an inevitability? And why not make putting an end to hunger and misery inevitable as well?"

find yourself

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." Ghandi