Just living in a snow globe

This morning my puppy bounded noisily off my bed. On a snowy Saturday! Readjusting? I hoped. Just scratching his ears? I prayed. But when he didn't return to his place between my feet I mustered up some courage to peek at him from below the mound of cozy covers. He was sitting patiently by the door starring right back at me, no concept of time, no look of remorse on his sweet face. I grumbled and grabbed my nearest pair of sweats. Convinced that no one on God's good planet would be crazy enough to be up this early I decided to forgo the leash, and let him run free through the courtyard of the apartments. I was delighted to find the most beautiful of mornings. Snow perced carefully on every branch, untouched powdery snow spreading as far as I could see, and a sky so white I could of sworn I was inside a tiny snow globe. Flakes lightly brushed my nose but I did not feel cold, on the contrary I felt lucky, safe, happy to be all alone in this crowded world. My puppy ran ruckus around the fresh snow and buried his face in it time and time again. I giggled, and thanked him for waking me up so early on a Saturday morning, how could I have missed this? 

Once Again Looking Back 2013

2013...hmm.

This was a different year for me. I started off this year working at a hospital. Every day I strutted down the hallway, swiped my badge and let it snap back to the clip attached to my pocket. The doors opened gloriously to restricted access zones and I felt important crossing over the red tape. I got dressed in an oh so pretty shade of blue, ill-fitting pair of scrubs, walked into my department and...cleaned blood off of instruments. Many days I blasted my music, that I was constantly ridiculed for by the "cool kids" of the sterile processing department, if there could be such a thing, and questioned my entire existence. Then there was the time I took off my gloves to find me bleeding my own blood and had no way of knowing which disease I had inevitably contracted.

The funny thing, while here, I learned a lot. For one, I learned how to have faith in the little. If I could roll up my sleeves and work hard with a good attitude, maybe God would reward me with more. I had a routine here, I met the strangest bunch of people I ever did meet and the funny thing is, I enjoyed their company, I called them family. I even got beer with them on Friday nights and brought in cake to celebrate their birthdays... and then I was asked to leave. As simple as that. Right when I had started to find my way, when I had learned all the hundreds of instruments and how to out prank the others, I was asked to go on account of a back stabber. Someone in the department had complained to HR that I was working with my brother and the nepotism wasn't fair. Apparently they are not familiar with this term because my brother was a freaking hard-ass on me, harder than anyone else in the department, mainly because he could prove I wasn't sick when I called in... which I do sometimes, sue me. And just like that I felt betrayed and was forced out of a gig that I was secretly starting to enjoy.

Then on my 23 birthday I took a call that stopped me in my tracks. My grandfather had died. My heart hurt more than it ever had. I had been so afraid of death, like literally I had been staying awake at night so afraid of being left on this planet by the people I love. Then it happened, and you know what, I heeled, I kept going. Life will always go on. My papa left me with so so much wisdom, he was a great man, but he left two pieces of advice consciously to his grandchildren; 1, Don't take yourself to seriously and 2. Go to church. Which I started doing more regularly.

In July I finally got to bring home the cuddliest silliest little bundle of joy. I finally got a puppy! He is perfect in every way and I learned so much about what kind of parents Kevin and I will be, how much joy awaits us with children, and how much conflict with the grandparents as well. 

Then my future sister-in-law brought a man to dinner and the second time we met him he asked for her hand in marriage. I would have to share my wedding spotlight with someone else, someone else who in my eyes had not earned the right to be promoted to this stage in their relationship yet. Like a child I was upset about it instead of being overjoyed by the fact that two more people had found love in this crazy world. I'm not proud of how I responded. I failed her, as a fellow human, as a friend, and as a sister. Now I feel nothing but happiness for her and the wonderful man she is marrying.

Then I lost patience and wondered if my boyfriend would ever ask me. I found an email in my fiance's inbox telling me exactly when, which happened to be later that week. I bet you can guess how that made me feel about snooping, yep, like I didn't deserve to be loved. But the thing is when I revealed this bit of information I didn't feel excitement like I always thought I would. All I felt was fear. I panicked. Marriage weighed heavily on my chest and I found it hard to breath. After all this trouble I had caused, what if I said, no??

Knowing it was coming made the day hard to enjoy, that and the horrible cold I had untimely been infected with. But when he did ask me I saw his mouth move and didn't hear one word he said. Despite all my worries I could do nothing but bawl and shake my head yes.

Then our life suddenly got very expensive and I got a job at a Victoria Secret. This was a test all in its own. Here I learned lessons that I had to learn, but it was not easy. Anyone who works at Victoria Secret can not afford to shop there. I found myself wanting things I didn't need and didn't even like! Everything was shiny and pretty and new colors were coming in constantly creating the illusion that I had to buy everything now! I started staying up at night making lists of things I was going to buy. It totally consumed me! Materialism consumed me. It went something like this; after I buy that I will be happy, I just need this, then I will be content. That's when I realized not only did I need to get out of there, I needed to get rid of all my stuff, literally. I returned lots of things I had bought and got rid of more clothes than I ever have. Through working at a store I learned to disconnect from things, which is one of the greatest lesson I have ever learned. It has created a whole new desire in my heart, to simplify.

Looking back on this year I originally thought it was an uneventful waste of a year, but now I realize just how necessary this year was to my personal growth. Through every job I have undergone, hated and quit I have learned so much and gained confidence. At Shur-Sales I quickly learned everything there is to know about industrial and fire equipment, at St. Anthony's I memorized hundreds of surgical instruments in a couple of months, and at Victoria Secret I mastered 10 different bras in a couple of weeks. These are all things I have no interest in, just imagine how quickly I could learn about something I love.

This year wasn't an easy one for me. I saw how sad life can be, I saw how ugly I can act, and despite my best efforts I was miserable at every job I took.

This next year I want to refocus my efforts on a meaningful life. I want to become a better person, I wan't to connect with people, I want to be a good wife and honor my husband the way he deserves, I want to give him the part of my heart I've never given anyone, I want to make the world a better place, and I want to be proud of who I am, not just what I've accomplished.

Cheers to 2014

Decisions

I find myself in this constant dichotomy, one between having this amazing career, or having a family. I'm sure I am not alone in this, it is probably one that many 21st century women face. Today we have choices, endless in fact, which is a wonderful prison to be in. Recently I have acquired a great opportunity in the workplace, and yet I find myself turning away from it. People around me find this preposterous. How could I possibly turn down such a great opportunity, a resume builder? And sometimes I listen. Sometimes I feel like if I turn this down for a life raising children I have failed. Failed myself and my high expectations, wasted my potential as a human being, and given up my life of adventure. Well for those around me and the conflicted fear absorbed voice in my head I say; I met my soulmate at 16, grown into a relationship that not only have I not seen duplicated, but not even fathomable by most, I double majored in college in four years with a 4.0, I've been to more countries by the age of twenty-three than most see in a lifetime. To these people I say; I find myself inspiring those around me, and not because of how impressive my job title is, or how much money I make, but because of who I am; my values, strength, lifestyle, and most importantly, my undying devotion to following my heart. It is always a risk to turn down opportunities, but one thing I will not risk is my happiness.

Death

Death is so strange, and yet it is inevitable. It has happened to everyone that has ever walked the earth and will happen to everyone walking, or crawling it now. The best, the absolute best case scenario, we can hope for is for everyone we love to live a full life and fall asleep peacefully in old age. The worst is we send our beautiful, perfect 6-year old to school and they never come home to throw their backpack on the floor, and track in mud because they forgot to leave their shoes at the door. But no matter how or when we lose someone it leaves a big hole in our life. We look around and can't understand why the car behind us is riding our ass, or why people just keep going on like nothing has changed. So we continue on also, the best that we can.

I don't know how we cope, but we do. Although I don't understand how atheists and agnostics go on. The only thing that seems to make since about death is returning to God. Without this to hold on to I fear my tears would last forever and would not be selfish tears, but tears of fear and discontentment.

I have been so afraid of death, not of dying, but of not living fully until I do. People know it is there, that there is no escape, but still so many wasted days continue to take place. Working jobs we hate, holding grudges, not spending our free time with those that matter most. How do we forget so easily, myself included. Forgive, Quit, make phone calls, make time, move! Find what is important to you and spend your life doing it.

One more time I ask myself how should I spend my short amount of time here? How can I affect the most lives? And last, why on earth do we seem obsessed and completed engulfed with the fear of being forgotten after we go?

Love you papa, a life well lived, and a beautiful soul. R.I.P. Jackson Girtin

The year I turn 23- "What's my age again?"

Why hello again! And a Happy New Year. The one time of the year where I sure as heck remember to blog! I bet you are wondering why I used "heck"; besides being a poorly written sentence, I should have just gone with the old H-E-double hockey sticks. I did this to show you that in this year, 2013, I would like to sound more educated in my speech and so, naturally, curse words have to go. What else do I have planned for this upcoming year you ask? Well first I would like to take a moment to reflect.

2012: Wow, another incredible year. Above all else this shall forever be known as the year I graduated college. I wore the robe, they called my name, and I crossed the stage into the unknown. I could not be more proud of this accomplishment.

Other highlights of this year:
* Kevin and I got to experience the beautiful country, Espana. Spain was never high on my travel list, but I loved it! It was an incredible country; rich with history, culture, and food! It was a modern country. Every region was different in appearance and had so much to offer. We had a very diverse experiences here; palaces in Madrid and Granada, castles and swords in Toledo, crazy nightlife in Ibiza and Barcelona, culture and an Arab bathhouse in Cordoba, hanging by the beach and hiking in San Sebastian, meeting some furry friends in Gibraltar, and most exciting, participating in the Running of the Bulls! It was an incredible trip that I could spend hours reminiscing. One thing is for sure, I will return and walk the Camino! On my list last News Years was; travel to two countries, as always, which was accomplished; Spain and Gibraltar. Also on my list was walk the Camino, which we came very close to doing, but couldn't swing it financially.

*Also Kev and I decided to make one of the first irresponsible choices we have ever made. On a whim we quit our jobs and jumped in the car the next morning. It never ceases to amaze me how perfect we are for each other. Let's be honest, road trips are a recipe for disaster. You are tired, have a headache, and your stomach is punishing you for eating bags of beef jerky and gold-fish dipped in peanut butter, or whatever weird snack intrigued your bored mind. It is enough to make you punch anyone in the throat for absolutely no reason. But the amazing thing is we never get sick of each other. We talk about life for hours, listen to the same song over and over, and don't yell at each other when we spend hours completely lost. I will forever be thanking God for the second he brought Kevin into my life. Anyway we headed for Oregon, stopping in Idaho along the way. Oregon is breath-takingly green. In Portland, home of the hipsters, we had fun looking at art, bookstores, and eating Voodoo Donuts. In Eugene I fell in love with the University of Oregon. It was my dream university. I wish I would of known more when I was applying for college, but all I can do now is open up these options to my children. We drove down the coast, through the Redwood National Forest, where we stopped and had lunch, and drove to San Francisco. Here we marked off two baseball stadiums on Kevin's list and enjoyed some clam chowder. I loved all of these places and wouldn't trade this time we got to spend together for anything.

*I got to experience some incredible things in Hawaii; petting a wholphin, hiking, snorkeling, Hawaiian church and culture, paddle boarding-my new favorite thing, getting my rear handed to me trying to body-board in the waves, swimming in a waterfall, Tara root, black rice, swimming with sea-turtles, kayaking, jumping in Queen's bath, mochi icecream, and I got to experience them all with my biggest brother. While this trip tested my patience like nothing else has, and reminded me once again how little is in my control, I truly had an amazing trip and got to try lots of new things.

*Also on my 2012 list was; get a sewing machine. I had forgot about this until Christmas day when a very large box was placed in-front of me. I stared at it perplexed, but with one small tear of wrapping paper I instantly fell in love with this new hobby; an expensive hobby might I add! But I am proud to say that I just completed my very first project, since I was little on my grandmother's lap of course. I am very excited to dive in and have big plans; curtains, purses, place-mats, tea-cozies, yay! Just wish I had more time to focus on hobbies and less time at work. But this is the time to make money, and everyone must learn how to work hard. besides I am starting to learn how important a job is, any job, to one's self-worth.

*Also I am proud to say I wrote a lot this year. I wrote 100 pages of a book, and while I hate this book with every morsel of my being, it was a great learning experience. I love to write, but I'm starting to learn I don't have to do everything right now. I don't know why I have been in such a rush to do everything right this second, like I'm going to pop out a kid tomorrow and my life is over. I have my whole life to write a good book, to leave my mark on the world. For now I should just keep writing and creating experiences to write about.

*I opened myself up and went out a lot more. I hosted game nights, I hung out with friends when they asked, and I even became a part of a group; sure it mostly consists of my family; siblings and cousins, but it was wonderful having people to call up on a Saturday night. We just moved to Belmar to have more of an urban living experience, so I think this year we will only go out more.

*I went to the gym consistently for a lot of this year, and I am extremely proud to say that for the first time in my life I ran four miles! It made me feel like I could do anything. I continued to fall in love with yoga and Pilates, and would even like to be an instructor some day.

*And finally, I applied for Grad-school at DU. Who knows if I'll get in, who knows if I'll go, or if I even want to go, but the fact that it is a possibility is pretty cool.

This year was filled with many things, accomplishment, adventure, and most of all fear. Fear of the future, fear of the unknown, fear of failure. But all in all, another amazing year; one where I learned, loved and laughed.

So what are my plans for this upcoming year?... Well for one thing I'm tired of making lists. The things I do become more about crossing them off of a meaningless list than enjoying them fully. Making lists makes me feel accomplished, like I have purpose, but my life has got to be about more than writing things down, doing them, then crossing them off. What am I trying to prove? Who am I trying to prove it to? SO this year I am going to focus on me; being me, loving me, making me better. I am not even thinking about what others are thinking, doing, saying. So for my first trick, I got rid of my Facebook. I never got my generation's obsession with documenting their every move anyway. This social site is more about comparing your life with other's appearances anyway; a fake world of stalking and envy, of bragging and pretending, more than it has ever been about connecting.

I start a new job on Monday, I have a cruise planned in May with my family, but no other plans this second. I'm going to take things one day at a time, and figure out who I am, and what I would really like to be. In order to follow my heart, I need some quiet time to listen to it, and exposed it to more possibilities.

This year I hope you all focus on the person you want to be, because that is what I will be doing. I can no longer worry about everyone else, for it is not my job and that's okay. I wish you happiness, contentment, and patience to deal with life's inevitables.

I hope you check back with me this year, because through this crazy, stressful and exciting time of life, I will definitely need my blog to sort through it!

Love, Carrie

Uncomfortable with Consistency

I have this nightmare, and now that I am out of school it is more real and prevalent then ever. I wake up every morning at the same time, have my cup of coffee, drive to my boring job, answer emails until lunch, where I will go to one of the same 5 restaurants and order the exact same thing. On Friday nights we rent a movie, and Sundays we sit around waiting for it all to start again.

In this nightmare I have been bitten by society and have become a zombie running through the motions of every identical day until they are so blended together in routine and dull-activities that I can't pull them apart.

People always say, "the only constant in life is change". Well change I can handle, it's things staying the same that terrifies me, and this too is a dangerous mentality to be in.

People get sucked into these routines because it is comfortable and maybe they are content, which is good, but to me, "The danger of an adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort."  I want more than anything to be doing something different everyday, taste a new flavor, discover a new color, a new smell. The amazing thing is this world is filled with more than a lifetime worth of things to be discovered. Now that I know this I, although I appreciate my home and all of its' beauty, I cannot fall victim to a mediocre life, a meaningless job,a routine...

I want to feel ALIVE everyday.

Wondering Away

It was always my dream to go to college. For some reason I had it in my mind that everything was wonderful in that magical place and that is where I belonged. Somewhere somehow I ended up at some commuter college that anyone with a GED could get into. It wasn't that I wasn't smart enough to go to a famous university, it's just my poorness to smartness ratio wasn't in my wallets favor to afford one. Besides I'm white, and let's face it, that's becoming more and more of a disadvantage these days. If any of you ever find a scholarship that reads;

Are you an average white female with good grades and no interest in becoming a nurse or an engineer? Are both your parents living, have normal occupations and are considered middle class but can barely afford the cost of books? Do you have little to no community service and did I mention white? If so here is $5000.00!

...please let me know. But the funny thing about life is I made choices and was given different things because of those. I got to travel which is something I could of never afforded to do without a small tuition. And now it is something I'm absolutely in love with that makes me feel alive. I got to experience a silly teenage romance blossom into a love that might possibly make it to rocking chairs on the porch. This is not the kind of thing that tends to happen when your roommate is sneaking boys into your dorm at night, and at parties you ask yourself if making out is considered cheating. And I got to get to know the family that my dysfunctional hectic childhood never allowed. I thought I wanted to run away from them, but now I know I just wanted to be with them more. I feel lucky that none of us got married young or have kids because it allowed for us to grow closer than most siblings ever get the chance to. Now that I feel like I got some healthy family interaction and I do not have to worry about all of them as much I am ready to go out and explore myself.

The funny thing about all of my thoughts about what college would be like and my questions whether I would of enjoyed college life full time anyway- these don't matter now. Because in a few short months I'm graduating anyway and will hold that very same piece of paper I would be no matter where it came from, and I'm proud. But as stressful as picking a college seemed it was nothing compared to how I feel now trying to pick a life.

When I sit in a quiet place in my mind I am perfectly aware that I need to take things one day at a time and let things unfold, but that scares the hell out of me. It should make me feel better, but maybe I really don't trust, maybe I'm not patient...And more than maybe I don't want to end up like everybody else!! I'm so afraid that if I don't take action I will fall into something I hate, something I dread, something I will regret.

I want it all, but don't exactly know what that looks like- So where do I start?

What do I want to be? There are so many things what if I haven't found it yet? How do I look so I have the possibility of finding it? All I know is I want to know everything there is to know, I want to try everything, see everything and breathe air from every perspective I can find.

I guess for now I'll try to go to that quiet place, while keeping an eye open for every opportunity that might lead me to where I'd like to be.

Life is a never ending journey, then you are dead. So why am I so desperate to get to a place where I can stop and look back on my life, instead of looking forward to it...

A New Again

Another year has come again and it is time to reflect on 2011 and happily plan 2012, the year I graduate college and therefore will naturally be filled with excitement and a touch of anxiety. Any day we can wake up and say "this is the first day of the rest of my life." We must not forget about the numerous chances we get to turn our life around. But New Years is special because it feels like a fresh start. It gives us a tangible place to stop one thing and start another. Somewhere between February and December (Closer to February) we lose our way again and New Years once again appears to give us another year of life and another chance to start living it. The reason this New Years post is coming to you so late is because my New Years was nuts and since I just got settled into my new apartment, my year really starts now.

So lets reflect on my year: Here are my goals from last New Years, a year and 15 days ago.

- Travel to two countries

Two Countries... I traveled to 5! What an amazing year of traveling! I accomplished my little girl dream to study abroad and lived in another country completely immersed in something different, uncomfortable and still beautiful! I breathed Italian culture until there was nothing else to do but adjust. At first I was stagnant and missed home, but by the end of it I had changed and my lungs miss Italy so much. I stood in the coliseum, I drank wine and watched the sun set over the massive Duomo. I rafted, kayaked and zip-lined in the beautiful Costa Rica. I got to visit a dear old friend in Sweden and we traveled to the beautiful almost toy-like city of Prague. In every country I went to I laughed and met such neat people and most importantly, I grew... I'm stronger, more patient, and more appreciative of other cultures and my own.
- Read 26 books

Kevin surprised me with a nook which I am obsessed with so reading will only get easier-and much lighter to move. lol. I did not do a very good jobkeeping track of the books I read this year, and if I don't count text books I'm not sure I quite made it to 26, but here are a few;

Flipped- Adorable

Sarah Dessen- (Specifically The Truth about Forever) From reading the backs of these books I thought I might be a little too old for these, but there is always something to be learned from every book at every age and I enjoyed them very much.

The Hunger games Series; OH MY GOODNESS, the only way I could of read these books any faster is if I literally threw them in a blender and shot them into my vein, and believe me I would of. Once I picked up the first book I was a goner.

Water for Elephants- Really enjoyed and got to watch the movie on my way home from Italy.

I think I read The Help this year, maybe last, but loved it of course. Any story where the lead character is a courageous educated woman that has more in her plans than marriage resonates with me!

- keep getting good grades

As of right now I will be graduating with a 3.98, So I think I accomplished this incredibly vague goal.

-take dance

unfortunately this is something I can't seem to find. But I did fall in love with Yoga and went 3 times a week. Although I still would like to dance this year.
- learn an instrument well

This is on my list every year and I'm afraid it will continue to be. But I did learn 3 songs on the Ukelele this year and wrote two songs on the Piano.
- take a road trip

This May my love and I drove to Chicago and had an amazing experience rain and all, more to that story.
-do something that makes me uncomfortable

For this one I am going to once again say living in Italy was uncomfortable. But also I interviewed for a serious job and I knitted! Maybe it sounds strange that that could be uncomfortable but it didn't come easy to me.

- write a book

Although I continue to write, the task of writing a whole book just hasn't come together yet. Each book idea seems to be missing pieces. Maybe the perfect story hasn't come to me yet, or maybe when I have more time after school is over I can dedicate my whole self to some other ideas.
- Work on my spirituality

Still searching, praying, meditating and trying to be in touch with the universe and my creator.
- Smile everyday

Thanks to Kevin, this is almost possible.

- finish all my scrapbooks

Let's be serious how is this even possible when I do so many cool things...darn!
- Stop being angry-forgive, forget, figure out, understand, move on

One thought at a time...

- Cook more meals

I've been doing so well! I even ate Gluten and Dairy free for three weeks! I love cooking and now that I have the support from my boy and an adorable kitchen again I will only get better.

It was truly an amazing year. Right now I am incredible happy in an adorable apartment with my love. But for the first time the road is not laid out in front of me this next year and I can run any direction I please. I'm scared as hell but I'm trying to remind myself how exciting this is! So here are my goals, dreams, hopes for this upcoming year.

-Continue to work out and train for the Camino- I just signed up for an athletic club down the street and am very excited to try more yoga classes and keep running. Last year I got to where I was running a mile and a half, it sounds pathetic, it is, but I was proud. But this year I would like to be able to run three miles.

- Walk the Camino- If you don't know what this is google it. Not much of a reader? Watch The Way. I'm not sure if I'll be able to work it into this year or next. But I want my life to be more meaningful and I want to push myself. This would be an amazing challenge and something that would make my feet burn and my body uncomfortable, and something I could be proud of- hopefully enlightening.

- Once again I'd like to make it to at least 2 countries. I recognize traveling will only get harder to do and to afford but I have to make it happen. "Someday" has never been a word in my vocabulary and I know I will continue to find a way to make it happen. I'd really like to do a volunteer program.

- Graduate- obviously

-Take the GRE

-Figure out what I want to do (for right now) and if that includes Grad-school get into a great one in another state.

- Go out more- I've focused on school and it has paid off, but it's time to have fun and say yes to a crazy night.

- Cook even more!

- Read 26 books and keep track!

- Keep writing! Maybe this isn't my year to write a whole novel either, but I'm sure gonna try.

- Keep playing- any instrument, all instruments.

- Knit well enough to make things. Maybe a simple scarf or something with a round needle.

- Scrapbook my childhood and give myself the baby book I never had.

- Buy a sewing machine.

- Get my life organized.

- Learn to trust there is a bigger picture unfolding in front of me and my life will be beautiful.

- Master Swat on Halo.

- Do more volunteering locally.

- Meet with friends more often.

-Be open to making more friends.

-Be a better listener.

- Go on more hikes and do more things in Colorado in general.

- Go to another state.

Here's to another beautiful year of life living, loving, learning and laughing!