Recap of my 27 things before 28!

So in January I made a post of the 27 things I want to do before I turn 28. Here is the post if you would like to see it. 27 things before 28.
I thought I would share my progress on this. I turn 28 on February 28th, Wow my Golden Birthday, I gotta do something amazing!. So I am about half way there, or a little over.

My first thing was to read 10 books.

1-Someday, Someday, Maybe-Lauren Graham
2-Speak-Laurie Hanlse Anderson
3-Sharp Objects-Gillian Flynn
4-The Fault in our Stars- John Green
5-The Next Best Thing-Jennifer Weiner
6-In Between Days-Andrew Porter
7-Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children-Ransom Briggs
8-Hollow City-Sequel to above-Ransom Briggs
9-Coming Home-Karen Kingsbury
10-If I Stay- Gayle Foreman
11-Fan Girl-Rainbow Rowell
12-Bossy Pants-Tina Fey
13-Attachments-Rainbow Rowell
14 The Interestings-Meg Wolitzer


I Love anything by Rainbow Rowell, Eleanor and Park, Attachments, Fan Girl, I need to read Landline. They are so good and interesting. She really knows people and how they think.

I think that Ransom Briggs is going to be in some ways like Jk Rowling. I can already see this being a huge series. He mixes vintage photos in with the books and it makes it much more visual for a reader. Even when there is a twist in the first book and you may think I don't know about this, keep going, you will get so attached to the characters and it will keep you going.

Gillian Flynn writes psychological thrillers like none other. They are so good and there is never just one twist there are multiple. You think its one person and then its not, but is it?

I would say that each of these books are must reads, I liked every single one of them.

I died my hair purple.Check.

I have gone to four sporting events. 1 Brewers, 1 Red Sox, 2 Cubs

I have gone to 2 out of the three concerts, Ed Sheeran, One Direction, No Shame.

I have disconnected from all screens for a month pretty much.

I work out at least three times a week

I have visited 2 out of three states I haven't been to. Massachusetts and New York.


Things I need to continue to work on. Decluttering my wardrobe. Sewing myself a piece of clothing. Crafts. SAVING MONEY!

What Egress means to me.

Photo courtesy of koffeinszerelem

 

I thought it was time to explain the title of my blog. So here it goes.

I first encountered this word when I was teaching a book called City of Ember to a class of grade 6 students while I was student teaching. I really liked the word. I was simply drawn to it, I cannot explain it. I am not sure what it was.

As I thought about it more and more I found that it had several meanings to me. Here is number 1.

The idea of Egress, the act of exiting. It is not an exit, a noun, a thing that you search for. It is a verb, it is the movement of exiting, leaving. The exit may not be important but how you are going to get through it is. Simply put we are not going to be on this Earth forever. We will leave it, so many of us focus on how it will happen. Will I die of old age, in a fire, a car accident, etc. But I think what is more important than the instant you leave, is the entire process before it. How will you exit, how will you live you life while you are moving toward the exit. Will you merely by time until the time comes or will you live it to the fullest extent a life can be lived. (you may be thinking, wow you're stretching it, but really am I, AM I? sorry I get passionate)

Another meaning that Egress has to me is that in life you should be constantly progressing, moving forward, exiting your old life repeatedly so that you can become the person you were meant to be. If you did not continue to improve yourself you will be living at home with your mother, oh wait I am doing that. HA. Completely kidding. Because if you have read even a sentence in this blog, well maybe not the post about bugs on the windshield, you would see that I am constantly contemplating life, maybe too much, but that is up for discussion.

I would rather be someone who thinks too much than not at all.

So that is Egress to me. What is Egress to you? Think about it and message me to tell me what Egress is to you.

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Start Something That Matters

Many of you know that I am in a place in my life right now where I do not know what I should be doing. Some have said its a crossroads but I almost feel like it is a dead end.

I have been desiring a job that I love. And I do not know exactly what that is. I feel as though I want to do something that makes a difference or is in some way fulfilling while still making some money because going to university did not pay for it self, ya know what I'm saying.

I am currently teaching in a different setting, which many people said I should do before I threw the baby out with the bath water. It has been a very different experience. I have far less kids, the administration is truly there to help me and not to harass me,  the curriculum is spelled out for me. I am not stressed out. It has been a beautiful transition. But I am really feeling like teaching is not for me. So still in the same place I was in before.

A few months ago I put a bunch of books into piles that I did not need anymore. One of them was the book by Blake Mycoskie, the man who started the TOMS shoes company. (clarification, I had two of these books). While I was looking through my stack of books I decided to actually look more into this one called Start Something That Matters. I didn't read it initially because I thought it was merely a book about his journey, which I am not sure why I thought that was boring, but okay previous self. It has been one of those timing things. I received these books when I bought TOMS seriously years ago. And now I am actually reading it and it is exactly what I am needing right now.
If you want to buy the book you can do it my clicking on the link above.



It has challenged me in the idea that all you need is an idea, a spark and some great people around you to make it happen. He asked a few questions that really made me think. Because my issue isn't that I have this idea and I cannot get it off the ground. My issue is that I do not even have an idea. I have interests, hobbies, passions and I am not sure how they morph together into something that means something.

Here are the questions if you are not sure what your passions are-

1. If you did not have to worry about money, what would you do with your time?

2. What kind of work would you want to do?

3. What cause would you serve?



1- I feel as though I would spend my time volunteering, truly- not just to sound pompous. I would love to go to different countries, traveling, being submersed in a culture and truly trying to understand the differences between us.

2. I would be doing work where I am truly helping people, making an impact. Interning at different non-profits.

3- This one is difficult, I mean I really, truly would be doing this for the benefit of Christ. And I can only do great things with his strength and help. I feel as though I do not have a certain cause yet and maybe this is my issue. I haven't found my cause yet.

So these questions are questions that I am going to be mulling over for sometime and may change or become more specific. I have a year of my teaching job. So I have time to figure things out and then move forward with more direction, hopefully.

I have found the headband that my head loves.

If you love a good headband that doesn't move and you want to support a great cause then Banded is for you. My friend gave me an awesome gift right before school started and it has saved many a bad hairdo. Each band they sell gives three meals to a child in Uganda.

They have wide bands, skinny, and one inch bands. They also have hair ties. They have velvet underneath them to help them from sliding back on your head. You know the headbands that you constantly have to readjust, these do not require so much maintenance to keep them in place.




Here is a sample of what they look like. There are many styles to choose from and they are very reasonably priced. from $10-13. I am already looking into buying more. So if you want to save that hairdo and also help a great cause head over to banded2gether and make a purchase.

Don't tell me what I DID!

I had the privilege of attending a very dear friend of mine's weddings yesterday. She was very kind and invited me to partake in some of the events of the wedding weekend that usually only the bridal party or family are invited to. They day did not exactly go as planned, it rained and it was meant to be an outdoor wedding, but it didn't matter. The joy and love that was throughout the entire event was evident to everyone that was there.

I was in charge of the video camera. So basically I called myself the videographer. And I took this seriously. So when it came time to cut the cake and I was about to miss it I rushed over with camera in hand ready to capture the cake in face moment.  I was not too late and got it all on film. I was talking to the mother of the bride this lady comes over and is noticeably distraught. She grabs my arm and proceeded to practically shake her finger at me and scold me as if I were a child. Little did I know that in my rush over the get on camera all the shenanigans I stood in front of someone else that she informed me was family. She also said that I told the person I got in front of to "Get out of my way." When I told her I did not say that. She told me that indeed I did say that. (side note, I love when people tell me what I did, sarcasm) She was so mad, it was startling. I almost thought she was going to smack me or something. The mother of the bride was still standing there and put her arm around her, trying to calm the situation down, and said this is a celebration and the lady told her to back off. Seriously you just told the mother of the bride to back off. I can only imagine that my face is showing a mixture of shock and awe at what I cannot believe is happening to me. After she tried to tell me what I did, I realized there is nothing I can do in this situation but apologize, because she already has it set in her mind that I terribly wronged someone that she loves. So I say, "I am very sorry I did not know that I did that." She says, "Thank you for apologizing," and walks away. The mother of the bride says we need to pray for her, which made me feel a tad better, but I was affected by this turn of events for the next few hours.

It is very hard for me to apologize for something that I know I did not do. I had a serious conflict inside of me. On one side I knew what God wanted me to do, simply apologize. It was truly all she wanted. But then there was this other part of me that wanted to stand my ground because I know that I did not say, "Get out of my way." Anyone who knows me knows I would never say that. I knew I wasn't wrong. And I could not stand having this lady tell ME WHAT I DID. This was a classic example of the sinful part of me and what I wanted to do and my Christian part of me what I should do. Following what I knew God wanted from me deescalated the situation. It was solved in simply a few minutes, if that. If I would have tried to prove myself it would have only made it worse and nothing would have been solved. A huge scene could have been caused and I would have been that girl who is part of a fight at a wedding. Would have made for a great story in a few years but for the immediate time would not have been very flattering.

I do not like how I am now seen in their eyes, I think that is what bothers me the most. Not that my image in tainted but I do strive to be a person that has integrity and what I say I do and I live by certain principles. When someone accuses me of something that goes against who I am and what I am about it affects me. I know that I will probably never see these people again, but for some reason it still affects me even a day later. I know it also should not affect me as much as it does because this lady doesn't know me and the only person that I should care about their perception of me is God. But I am human I feel greatly and I do care what people think of me to a point.  This reminds me of people accusing Jesus of so many things that he didn't do or did do and they twisted it and he never fought back. He knew it wouldn't make a difference. They had their minds made up about him. And I felt the same way with this lady, no matter what I would say it wouldn't matter, she had her mind made up about me.