Oh hello there

Yes, it's me... your long lost blogging friend Kelly.  I have returned from my journey to the depths of the Mariana Trench.  Or was I visiting the uninhabited Auckland Islands?  Wait, I think I was actually in Motuo, China.  Wherever I was, I have returned and have not actually fallen off the face of the earth.  Aren't you relieved?

Truth is, I've been thinking about blogging.  Thinking a lot.  Coming up with great ideas.  Pondering life and starting a great blog about 478392098374 times in the past month or so.  But have I clicked over and actually started typing?  Nope.  And I have a few reasons/ideas/excuses why:

• I'm a lazy journal-er
• I'm just lazy
• I feel like I have to post a huge update and I'm just not up for that
• I have this all-or-nothing 'thing' that hounds me, and I feel like if I'm not posting a daily/weekly recap, it's not even worth it
• I've been fighting depression.  I am challenged with depression on occasion, especially seasonal depression which starts in the fall (my old therapist said I'm a summer girl and my brain mourns the loss of sunshine and outdoor activities).  Exercise is my natural antidepressant, but if you've struggled with depression you know that exercise is something you have to force yourself to keep up when you're feeling blue
• My nails are really long right now and it feels funny to type
• I don't really want to let my brain run free, that's dangerous
• I want to blog about my cat getting out and lost but it's pretty emotional for me
• I'm heavier than I want to be and I feel like if I'm not job hunting, I should be working out
• I don't want to face my emotions
• I have too much to say and it will take forever
• It's much more important to get to the next level on Candy Crush
• I like reading other blogs more
• I have a pile of cards and thank-yous that I haven't written out yet
• Cooking creates tangible results so I like it more
• I still don't have a job
• I post a lot of updates and other stuff on Facebook
• I think that I should be spending every minute of my day hunting for a job, and even though that doesn't happen, I feel like if I'm blogging it's time I could be job hunting
• I feel poopy about not having a job yet and I'm frustrated and don't want to let that negativity onto our blog
• Football season is back and I'm obsessed and I can't wait to see my Houston Texans play the San Diego Chargers tonight
• I prefer taking photos of Rufus doing silly stuff or watching him run around the apartment and slide on the wood floors
• I feel like there's an entire city out there that I'm missing out on and that I need to explore more of
• I really need a job but I am having a hard time deciding what direction to go in
• I've made blogging a chore rather than an outlet for my emotions and thoughts or a record of our adventures
• I think too much
• I get digital overload - between Facebook, Instagram, Foursquare, Match, Meetup, Snapchat, fantasy football, emails, etc., sometimes it gets to be too much
• Analysis paralysis
• I can't figure out why one carton of eggs would have three double-yolk eggs.  It both intrigues and worries me...

As you can see, I'm stuck in my head in so many ways.  But while I need to continue my job hunt, I also need to nourish my body and soul as well.  So as a part of my daily routine, I'm going to go for a walk around Prospect Park, or my neighborhood, Prospect Heights / Park Slope, then I'm going to blog, and then I'm going to job search - make calls, submit resumes, follow up on applications, go on interviews, etc.  

I'm a planner to the Nth degree, I love lists, and I know that I need a simple plan so I will stick to it and get my life to where I really want to be.  So... that being said, here's what I will be focusing on:

MIND

1. Keep reading new books, they give me a digital-free escape into my imagination and inspire me
2. Blog!  Get those emotions and thoughts and experiences out there to share and celebrate
3. Hug my sister at least once a day.  I love hugs, I love physical affection, I love my sister, and hugs are good for you!

BODY

1. Daily walk through Prospect Park or the neighborhood, but I'm not going to beat myself up if I miss a day, I'll just make sure I get back on it the next day!
2. Spin class/yoga class/other classes at our gym, Crunch Fitness
3. Eat healthy, whole foods, home cooked mostly.  Lean protein, healthy veggies, whole grains, delicious spices and creative sweet treats
4. Watch alcohol consumption - aim for only one day a week if that.  I enjoy a tasty beer, a delicious wine, or a yummy cocktail, but alcohol is rough on my pocketbook, my calorie count, and my mental health.  It's a depressant and I don't need any help with that - especially as fall turns toward winter
5. Ensure proper nutrition - take my vitamins, and add in some amino acids that help me fight depression, GABA and 5-HTP.  (I know Wikipedia isn't the best resource, but bear with me on my GTS skills.  Here's a couple more links to the great Dr. Oz's website about GABA and 5-HTP).

SOUL

1. Keep going to church when I can, Megan's friend Erica introduced us to Hillsong NYC and it's a great place that speaks to me
2. Set up Skype dates with my best friends, I miss them.  A lot.  Text or email me if you want my username
3. Read the daily devotional that my sweet Mom sent me in the mail (she sent Meg one too, of course).  It can't take that much time, and I know I need it

CAREER

1. Continue my routine and job search as a job during the week
2. Get a few versions of my resume in order
1. Financial jobs
2. Foodie jobs
3. Office manager type jobs
3. Be persistent and have positive energy
4. Network with every new friend I meet along the way

So - expect more from me.  I'll be working on blogging more often, even if it's just a blurb here or there.  And Megan will still be blogging too.  

Oh, and it's nice to see you again!

XOXO - Kelly

Switching Glasses

I switched glasses with a colleague the other day. A new guy joined my team a few weeks ago. 'Bobby the kid' we call him because he has a baby face even though he's only a few months younger than me.....which isn't saying much because I still consider myself young and I feel young, but in no way do I feel like a 'kid'. In my heart I do because I consider myself to have a young spirit. Anywayyyyy......Bobby and I discovered that we both enjoy middle of the line sunglasses and we noticed one day that we both had similar but different pairs of RayBan WayFarers so he suggested we switch because he was looking for a fresh pair, a fresh feel, no I believe it was a 'fresh look' he said. His glasses seemed neat so we swapped for the fun of it. Why not share skin cells with a practical stranger? Sure sounds like a grand idea....! I really didn't think twice about it because it did sound fun for a couple weeks, even though Kel later pointed out that it was a pretty intimate thing to do. Meh. I was just trying to make the guy feel welcomed to the team/org.

For the first few days I wore Bobby's shades I felt like my degree of cool had gone up slightly because his glasses were a bit 'different' in that they had a clear frames - something totally different than what I would buy but I was ROCKIN them - and mine were more traditional with a tortoise frame, amber lenses. A couple weeks into the trade I realized that I wanted my sunglasses back. I liked those traditional frames. I liked the consistency and comfort of them and I liked knowing they were mine and that I had chosen them and bought them with my own money. I also liked knowing that it was my face oil, my skin cells that were on them and nobody elses.....until now.  In hindsight, I do not know why I switched because I am becoming quite a germ-a-phobe as I get older wiser.  Caught in the moment I guess.  Story of my life.  But today I would make the switch back with Bobby, hoping nothing had happened to my trusty old pair. 

Take this for what you will. Maybe I'm feeling emotional because Aunt Flow is in town, who knows. But this simple sunglasses swap helped to realize that sometimes, more often than not, it takes a new perspective to make you see that the grass is in fact very green on your side of the fence and to trust yourself in YOUR decisions, YOUR direction, YOUR choices. Because there are after all in fact YOURS and one of the only things somebody CANNOT take away from you, in 'Murica anyway. 

We are unique individuals as much as we are a primal, evolved species. Trust in yourself, have patience with yourself, listen to yourself. Only YOU knows what YOU truly wants.

MY sunglasses:

Bobby's sunglasses: