Vacation Day

I am NOT on vacation today. 

As we speak, I am at work staring out my window at a dreary rainy Thursday.  I have A LOT to get done today, and yet all I can think about is my warm bed.  Unfortunately, I can't go back and start today over on vacation, but I can dream about all the things I would do (or not do) if I was taking one. 

This is not my bed but it looks just as cozy and I'm pretty sure this is where I would stay until about 10 or 11 just to make sure I squeezed every bit of extra sleep out of my morning off.

I would eat a few bowls of these for my breakfast/lunch.

Obviously, I would have to have one or two of these throughout the day.

Then of course I would spend several hours watching this.  AT&T Uverse has made me a happy girl.  And during my lazy tv-watching afteroon, I would lounge on this:

Again, not my couch but it looks like one on which I could spend several quality hours.

I think I've cooked up a pretty nice little day off for myself.  If only it could happen before 2011 . . .

Thankful

My Thanksgiving was in a place that looks a little like this . . .

I was lucky enough to spend Thanksgiving in Arizona this year, which meant I was able to see a whole bunch of family.  I haven't been home to Indiana since July and before this trip I hadn't been able to visit my brother, who is currently living in Phoenix, so I got the best of both worlds this past week!  And, as an added bonus, I got to see my aunt, uncle, cousins, and all of their kids.

I guess I hadn't thought near as long or hard as I should have in the days leading up to Thanksgiving about all of the things that are so precious in my life.  To try and make a list of all the ways I've been blessed would take hours, and even that in itself is a blessing to be able to say.  I guess the easiest way to sum up all of the wonderful things in my life is to say this:

God has been so incredibly faithful in providing for me, teaching me, developing me, and challenging me to become a woman who is a more accurate reflection of Him each day.

Every person, situation, opportunity, and ability that is a part of my life has a place in the statement above.  And though you may catch me on days when I don't seem particularly "thankful" for His faithfulness, I know I am so incredibly lucky to be loved and pursued by the God of this universe.

I hope I can be more conscious of each and every way in which I am blessed this coming year.  And, I hope each of you had the happiest of Thanksgivings, wherever you spent your time!

195.5

Who knew reflective vests were so stylish?

That's the total distance me and 11 other crazy people ran last weekend.  And let me tell you, it was an experience like no other.

Several months ago, I decided to run in the Ragnar relay, which takes runners from Chattanooga to Nashville.  Each runner is responsible for running 3 legs of the relay, which can be anywhere from 3 to 9 miles long.  My total for the relay: 17 or 8, 4.5, and 4.5 to be more specific.

I'm going to tell you that this race was a blast, but unless you like running you probably won't believe me :)  I'm also going to tell you that only getting one hour of sleep and one shower during the whole 29 hours wasn't that bad.  But, I know you'll think I'm insane for saying that too.

And that's okay.  Because even I have to admit the whole idea is pretty ridiculous.  But, most of the time, it's the ridiculous things I've done that end up being the most fun/exciting/memorable.  And this ridiculous thing just happened to connect me with some truly amazing people that I'm so glad to now call friends.

So here's to all things that are a little off-center.  I say dive in head first.  Life is short and you only get to live it once . . . so why not throw an all-night run complete with reflective gear, headlamps, and a 15-passenger van into the mix?

Getting There

I'm trying to get to a place where I can make decisions that go along with this idea . . .

‎"Discipline is making the choice between what you want now and what you want most."

I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Home Sweet Home

Photo courtesy of Google Maps Street View

I really don't like moving.  I mean REALLY dislike it.  If I made a list of the 10 things I most dislike in life, I imagine moving might make that list.  However, as a renter, it's a necessary evil.  And as much as I would like to move out of the rental world (no pun intended), there are little monsters like school loans and car payments standing in my way.  So . . . renting it is.

The good news: I get to live in the upstairs of this cute little house, which is right around the corner from Vanderbilt, a block from tons or wonderful restaurants and bars, and 3-4 blocks from the one and only Mafioazas, which home to 2-for-1 beer everand pizza every Tuesday and 2-for-1 drinks every Sunday.

The better news: My wonderful mom is coming down to help me, which means shopping for cute new house stuff.  She told me it was time to get a "style" to my bedroom, and with her help (and money), I have no doubt I will.

The best news: I get to live with the fabulous Sarah Beth Webb.  And as much as I hate moving, I have a feeling that spending 12 months or more sharing a place with her would be worth trucking my sh** more than halfway across the country. :)

So give me a few days to gripe about all the crap I've accumulated and how stupid it is that I have so much stuff crammed in such a small space.  Then let me claim that I'm never moving again and never buying anything new. 

And after all that's said and done, come over and visit!  Sarah is an excellent cook and I'll supply the drinks!

Cheese

I love cheese.  In fact, I don't know that I've ever met a cheese I didn't like.  Sometimes I get so excited to top things with cheese that by the end of my meal, all I have to show for it is a really bad stomach ache.  Last week I think I had two different types of gourmet macaroni and cheese at two different restaurants within 5 days time.  And that's in addition to the cheese calzone I had last Tuesday and the cheese pizza lean pockets I've had for lunch today and yesterday.

So imagine my delight when my love for this wonderful food group was highlighted on Man vs. Food yesterday.  The "eater", Adam, journeyed to my birth state of Ohio and took on "The Melt".  What is "The Melt" you ask? 

Well it looks like this . . .

This bad boy has 14 types of cheeses . . . yes, that's right, 14!  On the show, Matt, the owner of this restaurant, demonstrated how this masterpiece is put together, and let me tell you, it's unbelievable.  This sandwich has 3 pieces of Texas Toast that are smothered, layered, and covered with Goat, Feta, Swiss, and Pepperjack cheeses, just to name a few.

The restaurant that serves this amazing dish . . . Melt Bar and Grilled.  If you're anywhere near Cleveland anytime soon, you HAVE to check this sandwich out for me and maybe even figure out a way to get one back to Nashville for me to try :)

http://www.meltbarandgrilled.com/

Fall, Friends, and Football

I love Fall.  I love my Friends.  And I love Football.  I came across this picture the other day and it's got all three so I thought I would share it.  This is when all of my wonderful FRIENDS came in the FALL for the Vandy-UK FOOTBALL game in Nashville.  I'll always remember this weekend because it was a great group of girls, we won the game, and for the highlight- one of my wonderful friends left my number for one of the waiters at the restaurant we went to later that night.  Of course I can't blame her for the bad judgment I used that led me to actually go out with him . . . but that's another story for another day.

So, hopefully this picture encourages you to spend time this FALL enjoying FOOTBALL with your FRIENDS.

I love my memories!

Update

A lot has happened since the last time I blogged so I figured I'd just give a quick update to keep those of you who care "in the know".

• My last day at O'Charley's was August 27.  It was a surreal experience to pack up my things, turn in my computer and keys, and realized I would never be going back there.  But we celebrated my next step with a DELICIOUS mexican lunch and I even got a gift certificate for a massage (which I will definitely be needing after my half marathon in a few weeks)!  As I was saying goodbye to everyone at the end of lunch, I was aware of how lucky I was to have such good people in my life that were sad to see me go, but are excited about the opportunities I will have in my new position.  My O'Charley's "family" gave me my introduction into the working world and helped me learn a lot about myself both personally and professionally.  And for that, I am oh so thankful to them!  It also helps to know that goodbye wasn't really goodbye because I will see them for Friday Happy Hour this week!

• I started my job with Vanderbilt on September 1, and boy have I been on the go ever since.  The medical center is a huge, fascinating, and amazing place.  I'm sure it will take quite a while for me to fully understand everything that the organization includes, but I'm getting a little bit more comfortable everyday.  I can already tell that I am going to learn so much from all of the different people I'll have the opportunity to interact with, and there is no doubt that I will be stretched and challenged.  It's a little scary, but more than anything, I'm EXCITED!  Plus, I can get discount movie tickets, there is a Quizno's within walking distance, and I get season basketball tickets for next to nothing.  Talk about perks!

• This past Sunday I ran 14 miles!  I can't believe I actually did it!  That's the farthest I've ever run in my lifetime and it was awesome.  The weather was unbelievable, and I ran with a great group of people who definitely motivated me to keep going.  However, I think the thing the biggest motivator was knowing I could eat WHATEVER I wanted when I was finished.  And eat I did!  I had a wonderful Totino's pizza and delicious Menchies ice cream.  I also managed to fit in some macaroni and cheese later that night!  Even though I'm really proud of my accomplishment, I have to say I'm glad I won't have to run more than 10 miles until race day!  I think these type of achievements are definitely better if they are few and far between!

So that's about for what's been going on in my world.  These past few weeks have been quite crazy, but I'm happy for the whirlwind and all the changes.  Nothing like change to keep life interesting!

Vandy Vandy Vandy

So I've been keeping a secret for about a week now, and let me tell you- it's been difficult not to spill the beans!

But, I can FINALLY share the news I am so excited about/thankful for/in shock over: I GOT  THE  JOB!!!!

For those of you who don't know, I applied for a job at Vanderbilt Medical Center a while ago and have been going through several rounds of interviews for about a month.  My last interview was with a panel of 3 people, and I knew it was the make it or break it interview.  As it turns out, it was the MAKE IT interview, and a few days later, I got the job offer!  I will be working as the Instructional Design and Technology Consultant for Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which is a really fancy long way to say that I will be designing/helping others design training programs for the different departments in the medical center.

Now, a job offer in general is always exciting.  But for me, this is more than just that.  It's the realization of a dream I've had for a long time.  From the time I was 16 and my family randomly** stopped at Vanderbilt, I've always loved the university and everything it includes.

**(Okay, not really randomly, but more because my mom insisted I start looking at colleges and didn't care that I was an insecure, no-makeup-faced highschooler when she dragged me out of the car to walk around campus and get admissions information on our way back from a summer vacation)

Though I didn't end up going to Vanderbilt for undergrad (GO CATS!), God did give me the chance to go for grad school, and I think I appreciated my time there more than I ever could have at a younger age.  I grew so much both professionally and personally during my time as a student, and when I graduated, I made it a goal to eventually get back to Vanderbilt as an employee.

A little over two years later, I've made it!  I have no doubt that this whole situation has been a God thing.  From the job itself (which is very similar to what I do now with more responsibility and autonomy-- exactly what I was looking for!), to the timing, to the people I'll be working with, I know God has been in every little detail.

So this job represents more than just a career move.  Yes, it's a great job at a great institution that has wonderful things in it's future.  But for me, it's also a symbol of how God has woven together details from so many different times, situations, and pieces of  my life to get me to where I am today.  And I'm so thankful that He cares enough to do that.

Now it's up to me to take this opportunity and run with it.  I have no doubt it will be challenging and as much as this is my DREAM job, I know it's not going to be perfect.  But I know it's right where I'm supposed to be.  And I think that's what really matters anyway.

Around the World in a Lunch Break

THIS . . .

is what I had for lunch today.  I was lucky enough to take a tour of both Italy and Mexico on my lunch hour.  Needless to say, I am not a health nut.

Am I proud of this combo . . . NO.

Was it delicious . . . YES.

Will I be running my a$$ off after work to at least break even for the day . . . YOU BETCHA!

Making Mountains out of . . . well, really big hills

I like to run.  I really really like to run.  But I have to say that my 9 mile run yesterday made me question my own sanity (well actually more the sanity of the people who designed the trails where I was running).  Now I realize how lucky I am to actually be able to run 9 miles and go on to live a relatively active and normal Sunday afterwards.

However, I have to be honest and tell you that when I was running THIS . . .

I actually felt like I was running up THIS . . .

And that did not feel good.  But I made it through, and now that I'm no longer mid-torture, I can say it was well worth it.  And I think that's the way life is a lot of times.  You go through how-am-I-ever-going-to-survive-this moments and look back a few days/weeks/months removed and say "That was well worth it" or "Oh, now I see".

So all in all, I'm glad for my hard run and for the insight it brought . . . just don't expect me to be taking the stairs two at a time or doing jumping jacks in the near future!

Happy Hour

Each and every one of you probably knows that, for me,  there are very few things that top an ice cold Coors Light when it comes to a refreshing and relaxing way to end a stressful day in my world.  And for that reason, Happy Hours are usually a welcome event in my life at the end (and sometimes middle, and well let's be honest, sometimes beginning too) of my work weeks.  But last night, I had one of my Happiest Hours in a long time, and it had nothing to do with ice cold beer.

Last night, a hot and muggy Nashville Tuesday night not unlike most nights this summer, I got together with 3 of my very favorite girls.  These are UK-loving, live-in-a-house-with-40-other-women-and-no-air-conditioning, laugh-or-cry-with-you-over-anything-and-everything kind of girls.  I feel so blessed to call them my friends and to know that I can sit with them on the patio of an crowded restaurant and be a part of some of the most interesting and hilarious conversations I've had in a long time.  The kind of conversations that make you think about your life and where it's going and who you really want to be.  The kind of conversations that make you laugh until you snort and cry and snort again.  The kind of conversations that make you realize that though you will never go back to college again, you get to relive the best parts of college through these friendships that will last a long, long time.

I feel so lucky to have friends like these.  I'm looking forward to many more "Happy Hours" that have nothing to do with half price drinks!

Running on Water

This weekend I thought I was the luckiest girl in the world!

On Saturday afternoon, it was actually cloudy in Nashville, and I could hardly wait to go running without having to worry about the sun mercilessly beating down on me.  But, as it turns out, these dream running conditions were too good to be true.

I started out from my apartment and had a nice little 3 mile route planned out.  It was perfect- or so I thought.  As I started out, it started to sprinkle a little bit.  This only made me happier, as I truly believe the best run includes a little LIGHT rain.  I mean, you don't even notice you are sweating when you've got rain coming down!

Unfortunately, this enjoyable sprinkle turned into a deluge about a mile into my run.  At first, I figured I would just run through it.  I mean I was already soaked, so I might as well just keep going.  If anything, it would make my shower when I got back one of the best ever.  But, this rain was a force to be reckoned with!  The drops got so big they felt like they were pelting my eyeballs, and I figured that instead of running blind and possibly ending up as roadkill, I should probably stop and wait for the downpour to pass.

Luckily, I was close to a shopping center AND a Fire/Police station, so I found the awning of a Japanese restaurant to hide out under for a while.  As I was waiting, the owner of the restaurant was kind enough to bring me some hot tea (which warmed me up but made my stomach a little jiggly for the run back).  I waited for what seemed like forever, but the sky just would not close up!  

So, I decided that perhaps the men charged with protecting and serving the general public would be kind enough to take me back to my apartment.  This was not as simple of a request as you might think however.  I darted over to the station and found a fireman and asked him for a lift.  He kindly informed me that unless I was hurt, neither he nor any of his coworkers would be able take me home because of the "liability" involved.

So, I trucked home in the rain with soggy shoes, a see through white shirt and a blue sports bra, and shorts that were suctioned to my thighs (which as far as I was concerned were already drawing too much attention when the shorts were loose and dry), thinking that this rainy day was not as much a stroke of good luck as it was God's practical joke on me.  I made it safely, and I will say that my shower was one of the best I've ever had.

Needless to say, that turned out to be one of my LEAST favorite running experiences, but I did learn something out of the situation: If I'm ever stranded again, I will be sure to "sprain" my ankle so that I can get a ride home!

.

I stole this . . .

from a friend of a friend of a friend's blog.  But, that doesn't make it any less true, and I'm hoping I can believe this, REALLY believe this every day.  And more importantly, I'm hoping I can live it out.


“I will set you apart from everyone else. 

The whole lot of you. 

I will give you the ways to walk, show the roads, and teach you about myself. 

All of you. 

I will be good to you. I will meet your needs in ways you would never imagine. 

If you will follow me, I will do these things – and people will notice. 

People will see – all of them – that you live differently. 

You give. You rest. You trust. You love. You serve. 

You do these things because we know each other, and you know this is enough for life. 

I will call you my prize possession. My treasure. My beloved. 

You will be my people, and I will be your God. 

The whole world will see our relationship, and they will see how I treat you – and how you live in response to me. 

This blessing I give, it is to act as a charge upon you, a responsibility as you speak when others ask you as to who I am. That you mediate, explain, encourage and teach who I am. That you shout to others, “Come with me to the house of the Lord, for He alone is God.”

And that your life is lived dependently upon me. For I am strong, and I will do what I have promised. 

If you will keep my covenant. This is your identity, this is who you are. You are a nation of priests. Your life is to usher others in – the generations to come – that you might teach them and show them that the Lord your God has dealt graciously with you and loved you."

Leftover Macaroni

A few Saturdays back, I had leftover macaroni . . . and it was DE-LI-CIOUS!  Eating leftover macaroni may seem like a silly thing to dedicate any time writing about, but it made me think.  You see, it wasn't too long ago when I would have refused to eat macaroni that was a day old.  It was only fresh Kraft macaroni for me, and I can remember my mom and I having several tiffs about my snob status when it came to processed cheesy noodles.

So as I was scarfing down my day old lunch a few weekends ago, I had to laugh.  Eating leftover macaroni is just one of the things my mom did/wanted us to do that I deemed "unreasonable".  And yet, it is one of a number of those unreasonable things I find myself doing now.  Buying generic products (though I still hold out for name brands on pop-tarts and cereal), microwaving spaghetti noodles instead of cooking them on the stove, and buying jeans from Target because I refuse to spend more than $25 on a pair are just a few of the other "mom-practices" I've reverted to as I've lived life on my own over the past 8 years.

And the funny thing is, I've realized that mom's ways really aren't all that bad, and though I may never tell her, I completely understand the benefits of the choices she made.  So, while I used to dread hearing "you're so much like your mom" when it came to the things I did or said, now I consider it a compliment because if being like mom means saving time and money, I'm all in.

 Plus, macaroni really is better the second day . . .

Run Baby Run

THIS . . .

is the running I will be doing over the next three months to get ready for

THIS

My 5th Half Marathon in Virginia Beach!!!

Now, I"ll be honest.  I've had a rocky return to my running routine (wow, that was quite an alliteration; my English teachers would be proud!).  But, I'm hoping the knowledge that I've paid to compete in a race in 3 months, not to mention that I'll get to lay on a beach the 2 days before, will be enough motivation to train, and train HARD.  My best half marathon time was 1:58 in Phoenix, and I would like to beat that.  It's going to take a lot of work in the dead heat of a lovely Nashville summer, but you only live once right?!  So, if while reading this, any of you have become inspired to join me for a run (and a little beach vacation) in Virginia, I would love some company!  And if not, just think happy and fast thoughts for me as I run!

I'm Super Pumped!!!!!!

Why you ask?  Because . . .

This girl, yep the one in orange, is moving on down to Nashville.  And as you can tell by this picture, we know how to have a good time together.  Look out Nashville; life as you know it is about to change . . .

Back to Reality . . .

This past weekend, I was lucky enough to travel down to beautiful Destin, Florida for some time at the beach.  I've taken this trip each of the past 3 Aprils for the Fudpuckers Volleyball Tournament.  My roommate always plays in the tournament and it's fun to watch her, but for me, this 4-day mini-vacation is all about laying on the beach doing nothing but soaking up the sun and drinking some ice-cold Coors Light.  Honestly, it's a little slice of heaven!

And of course, on the Monday morning we have to leave to head back to real life, it's always slightly depressing.  However, this year, what I was greeted with on Tuesday morning as I returned to the office made my return to reality even more depressing . . . or should I say disgusting.  This is what was at my desk on Tuesday . . .

That's right folks, I was greeted by a mousetrap . . . at my desk.  Who does this little critter think he (or she) is?  I mean how rude to attack my place of work as I'm coming back from vacation and trying to readjust.  Diving back into the real world is hard enough after a few days away, and now I have to watch out for rodents?!?!?!  I might just have to take a "sick" day to deal with this!  :)

Anyway, just wanted to share the "extracurricular" activity that's happening in my office.  Anyone want to head back to Florida with me?

I almost peed my pants . . .

To get to my friends in time. This past Saturday morning, I woke up at the ungodly time of 5:30 AM to make the drive to Lexington for a great day at Keeneland with the best friends a girl could ask for. I opted out of driving the night before because- and this won't surprise any of you who know me decently well- I have a severe case of road rage, and the traffic I would have encountered on Friday night would have definitely put me over the edge. So I figured I would save the other drivers on the road (and myself) from certain disaster by waiting until morning.

My drive went by fairly quickly thanks to the super-sized Vanilla Iced Latte from McDonald's and my new CDs (thanks Drew!). However, also thanks to the Vanilla Iced Latte, I found myself with an extremely full-bladder about 45 minutes from my destination. This did not fit into my plan, and nothing was going to stand in the way of me getting to my friends or Keeneland on time! So . . . I drove on. I drove the full length of the Bluegrass Parkway and managed to keep myself together until I reached my planned orange juice and champagne stop (a girl has got to have Mimosas at Keeneland right?). And, after I had relieved myself and picked up my party supplies, my friends and I were off to the races!

Now, I'm not telling you this story to impress you with the size of my bladder or to highlight my extreme dedication to sticking to a plan at all costs. I'm sharing this with you because as I was driving and wondering if my bladder would in fact hold out until I made it off the highway, I realized how blessed I am to have friends I would honestly consider peeing my pants for. I mean I was so incredibly excited to see these people, I was willing to go against the laws of nature and ignore a basic bodily function! But, that's what these women are worth to me. That's the impact they've had and continue to have on my life. It's been four years (crazy!) since we've graduated and gone our separate ways, but whenever we get together it feels like we are all living at 325 Columbia Terrace again, sharing the community bathrooms and eating Kevin's extremely unhealthy but oh-so-good family dinners. These friendships have been some of the greatest blessings in my life, and I wouldn't be who I am without these women. Their love and support is unconditional, and I can only hope I give those same things back to each of them.

Well, I could go on forever . . . but I won't. I'll just leave you with a picture of these wonderful women from this past weekend. I mean let's be honest, who wouldn't pee their pants for these girls??

Way Back When . . .

This is my dad . . . with hair . . . in a high school cooking class. I know what you are thinking-- he was a knockout and the ladies were undoubtedly crawling all over him.

I randomly found this picture on my dad's newly established Facebook account. One of his friends was kind enough to tag him in it, giving his oh-so-creative daughter easy access! And, as I believe any good daughter would do, I decided to use it to bring a little joy to myself and my blog readers.

But, unexpectedly, finding this picture did more than just give me a good laugh. It made me think about all the memories my dad and I have shared, and it made me grateful that the man in this picture grew up to be the bald-headed, soft-spoken, hard-working, incredibly caring man I am lucky enough to call my father.

So, while I'm most likely going to take extra precaution to make sure none of my middle or high school photos are ever within the reach of my children, I hope that if they do somehow stumble across one, they will be reminded (after a good, long, hard laugh) of all the good times they've had with their mom.

Putting My Best Foot Forward

I'd like you to meet the newest member of my shoe family. These bad boys are going to carry me back into the running world! I've designated tomorrow as Day 1 on my road to running recovery, so I took some time yesterday to get some new running shoes. Now, I'll be honest and say I can always think up a reason to buy new shoes, but this is actually a legitimate and functional purchase. "They" say that you should replace your running shoes every 6 months, and the pair I've been wearing around (notice I didn't say "that I've been running in") are about 3 times that old, so I've been due for some new kicks for quite some time now.

I decided to get serious about my return to the running world so I got refitted and even bought some arch supports since apparently I land on the inside of my foot with every stride. My friend at the running store guaranteed that the arch supports would help me enjoy my running a lot more, while allowing me to run faster and farther. Hopefully these $35 pieces of foam and plastic live up to those promises!

So, all in all, I feel ready to get back out there. I've got new gear and the promise of warm and sunny weather to keep me motivated! So, wish me luck as my new shoes and I set out on our first 3 miles of the season!

Happy Easter!

Lauren

What's my passion?

Sometimes the most thought-provoking questions hit you at the most unexpected times. That's what happened to me today. It was Performance Review time with my boss, and I have to say, I was a little nervous, but we ended up having a really good conversation that included her asking me the question that is the title of this blog entry . . .

What is your passion?

This was part of a long conversation about several things that I won't bore you with, but the question has stuck with me for the rest of the day, and I've realized it's one that I haven't stopped to ask myself in a really long time. So, in view of the "self-makeover" I've decided to embark on, I thought it would be fitting to think about the things that I consider my passions at this point in my life.

So, after six hours of thinking (and admittedly, I'm sure I'll continue to consider this question for a much longer period of time) this is what I've come up with:

- I'm passionate about people. I'm passionate about the things that make each and every person unique as well as the things that connect us. I'm passionate about the relationships- romantic, friendly, or otherwise- that people can have with one another. And, I'm passionate about helping people realize their own potential and capabilities by being a positive influence and encouragement in their lives.

- I'm passionate about my faith. When I really stop to think about it, where would I be without Jesus? The answer in a word: LOST. God has been so faithful to provide for me, strengthen me, and teach me throughout my life. As I look back, there is no way my life could have come together the way it has if God had not been in control.

- I'm passionate about realizing my own potential, and I think this passion stems from the other two I've mentioned. I feel that I owe it to the wonderful people in my life who have loved and cared for me and to the God that has been so faithful to me to make the most out of the opportunities and talents I've been given. And as cheesy as it sounds, I want to constantly work to do better and be better.

So, the question is, what do I do now that I've made this discovery. It wouldn't do me any good to write all about this and not take any action. So, I'm pledging right now to start thinking about these passions with every decision I make and in every situation I'm in. I can think of far too many times over the past couple years where I haven't honored these passions, and I don't want to look back years from now and be in the same situation.

So, here's to honoring my passions. Hopefully this blog will help you think about yours!

Lauren

The Thong Dilemma

Now . . . I know I said my blog was going to be dedicated to the upcoming changes in my life, and in light of that, I bet your thinking the title of my post is absolutely ridiculous. But never fear, I'm going to tie it all together for you!

Part of my "life makeover" as I've decided to call it was to begin working out consistently again. I have to admit I have been absent from the workout world for quite some time now. What started as a week off to reward myself for finishing the Seattle half-marathon somehow turned into a 5 month couch potato session. But, I'm back on track.

But, as I walked into the gym yesterday after work, I realized that I was inviting an old obstacle back into my life as a result of my return to the in-shape world. The problem, in a word is UNDERWEAR. Don't worry, I'm not going to go all crazy on you and refuse to wear undergarments. It's just that I realized yesterday that my workout clothes and my comfy non-thong underwear do not play well together. What's a girl to do when she can get away with wearing comfy underwear under her work attire and not at the gym?

The way I see it, I'm left with two options . . . confidently display my underwear lines with each step I take on the Stairmaster or become a slave to thong underwear for the sake of fitness-fashion. I'm not sure how I feel about either of these options, and I'm not coordinated enough to work out in the droopy or saggy pants that would hide my problem.

So if you are a dedicated exerciser, feel free to share your advice. I'm not sure what road I'll take, but let's be honest, there are a lot of attractive men at the gym and I'm not sure my underwear lines are what I want them staring at!

One debt down . . . two more to go!

Well, I did it. It's hard to believe enough time has passed for me to pay off a student loan, but it's true. Yesterday, I received my annual bonus check from work, and though it was a little smaller than I had hoped (let's be honest, the economy has not been kind to companies that depend on disposable incomes), I had plenty to pay off what remained of one of my school loans. I was even able to put a few extra bucks into my savings!

Funny as this may sound, the process made me take a look back at my life here in Nashville over the past four years. All in all, I have to say I am proud of the person I've become from my time here in this city. I went from a not-completely-confident grad student to a woman who can hold her own.

I guess all this to say that my little victory yesterday made me realize that I should be proud of my past, in fact we all should, and that I am more than ready to welcome the challenges of the future. I don't know what challenge is next for me, but I feel that something is coming and I'm ready for it.

So, whether it be a big victory or something as simple as brushing a little debt off your shoulder, I think these events are meant to make us take stock of life and what we've accomplished and what lies ahead.

Okay, enough with the deep thoughts on a Friday. I'm off to celebrate my small victory in New Orleans! Have a fabulous weekend!

Lauren

Yes . . . I decided to start a blog!

Hello everyone! Yes, it's true, I decided to start a blog. I'm doing this, not because I think I have so many wonderful and interesting things to say, but because I feel I'm embarking on a life makeover of sorts and thought it might be good to share my little journey.

So, feel free to read this (or NOT), and I'm sure there will be many interesting, funny, and only-that-could-happen-to-Lauren entries to come.

Lauren