The Miami Urban Weekend Survival Guide

        Let me start of by saying this Miami trip trumps last year's one by leaps and bounds.  Maybe its because I can remember all of this trip lol.  But nonetheless here is what I've learned in my escapades down in South Beach to help you survive and have a successful time...

Never Underestimate the Power of Courteousness:  Free umbrellas on the beach, free drinks and shots at restaurants were all results of just treating people well.  Our waitresses Paula and Sible MADE our trip. Treat them well and tip them well and you will be rewarded :).  NOTE: If you want to leave a very generous tip, make sure to tip them in cash, or check what the restaurants policy is on tip sharing.  You don't wanna leave a hefty amount that they will only see 30% of.

Excessive Liquor and Intense Sun do not Mix:  There will be drinking and sun...LOTS of it.  But be forewarned they do not mix.  You will be left exhausted and sickly, neither of which you want to be on vacation.  To avoid combining the two like I did, either stay in the shade if you decide to drink, or not drink and be free to soak up the sun like a little solar panel.

Woman Down!:  If by chance you find yourself face down on the pavement because your heel got caught in a crack, simply play it off as if you were drunk (even though you were as sober as a nun).  Chances are people think you are toasted either way.

First AID: If you cut yourself (as a result of falling on pavement or by other means) and don't have any antiseptic, use plain old non-flavored vodka.  Works like a charm.

8 Girls, 1 Condo:  Ever put 8 women in one small condo for 6 days? Yea me neither, until this trip.  There will be arguments and it will get messy (literally).  Best advice? Pick and choose your battles and don't take anything too personal because chances are everyone will love each other again in the morning.

Judgement Free Zone:  While in Miami during Urban Weekend, you will see some things that no human being should see (ratchedness is ramped at this time). But bare in mind that 90% of the people here are there for an escape from there own realities so let loose and be free.  Take this opportunity to do things you wouldn't normally do, talk to people you would usually be too shy to approach, and wear all the things you never imagined wearing outside the comforts of your own bedroom.  I promise you if you do this you will have a ball, plus you never know what or whom may come of it ;)

YOLO!

The Art of Being a Woman

          As if life wasn't hard enough already, I'm a woman.  Blessed with the ability to be amazing in every way but also cursed with wayward, unexplanatory emotions, double standards set by society, and the truth that I don't even understand myself sometimes.  The fact of the matter is that for women, life is even harder.  Its a delicate art to being a "wholesome" woman in the eyes of every person in her life and its never perfectly mastered. 

          Society tells us the "ideal" woman, should think like a man but act like a lady.  Be sassy but never bitchy.  Be caring, giving, and loyal without ever being selfish.  To her family, she has to be the emotional (and sometimes financial) support.  To her man, she has to balance perfectly the submissive, dominant, affectionate, understanding role of housewife, friend and lover.  To her friends, she has to be honest but careful and selfless even when she wants to be selfish. 

          Its all too much at times, to please everyone in the world and still get what you want and deserve.  Its impossible to do so without screwing up once in a while.  Yes, we all have the strength in us to be Superwoman, but even she needs a vacation every now and then.  A vacation from being the selfless friend/acquaintance, the understanding partner, the overworked and underpaid employee, and so on.  We can't do it all, all of the time and its ok... Its OK.

          Its ok to screw up sometimes, to explore your curiosity, to let go of what you think people may think of you, to fall in love with someone you just met.  Its your life, your mistakes, your victories, and most importantly your pursuit of your own happiness.  Know that no one's perfect and you aren't any exception. 

          There will be people who love you for your bravery, judge you for your choices, and hate you for your decisions and all you can do keep your head held high, apologize when you're wrong, try not to make the same mistakes twice, and continue to live your life the way you see fit. 

          In my ups and downs, my prideful moments and shameful ones too, I've realized that the people who were really meant to be there for you will always find their way back to you, no matter how bad you mess up.  So instead of worrying, getting upset and depressed about all the things us women worry, get upset and depressed about; stop, breath, and remember... there is no point wallowing over spilt milk so just move on knowing that you are that much wiser from the experience.  Know that being your own woman is an art that even Picasso himself couldn't master. 

Will I be an Eagle?

          Alright I really should be figuring out how to import this GPS data into AutoCAD (engineer talk don't mind me), but I really am bursting at the seems right now with excitement.  I couldn't ask for things to go any better than they have recently. 

           Ever since I've moved, I've been closer to friends and family and my nights and weekends have been busy.  Workout sessions with Diva and Morley, weeknight shenanigans and girl talk with mi Latin amor Augustina, occasional partying up with the girls, Saturday morning soccer games, running around with the little man in my life, pure bliss.  But today, oh today is the icing on the cake.   

         For starters I did the math and realized the pay cut I took coming to this new job is actually 80% less than it shows on paper, all because the difference in taxes between CT and MA.  Oh how I love thee Massachusetts, let me count the ways.

         Today we launch the She's a 10! Website! Like us on Facebook, we're trying to get to 100 likes before it goes live tonight.  Do it, Do it, Do it... please? :)

         Then to top is all off, last week I got out of the blue a surprise birthday present from Boston College in the form of an acceptance letter.  Now its really late in the game to let someone know of their admittance and of course I'm not financially ready for that this fall, so after some talks with the Director, I found out today that I am able to defer until next year.  Score ::Fist Pumps::

          So here in lies the question:  Will I be an Eagle?  Will I, come Fall 2013, wear that Boston College logo both representing the Master Degree I purse and the city I call home?  If all goes well with money and aid, hopefully that answer will be yes.

::Jay-Z Voice:: Boston 'Til Die :)

Another Year Older, Another Year Better

         Today I celebrate another year on this earth.  Thankful isn't even a good enough word to describe how blessed I have been throughout my life but even in the past few months alone. 

          So, I told you a lot of stuff went down recently and that has been why I have been MIA. Well to sum it up, I quit my job, moved out of CT back to Mass to start a great new job at a company that is more tailored for my personality and interests.  I moved into a nice little cozy studio downtown within walking distance of everything I need essentially (besides my beloved Market Basket) and I am loving having truly my own place again. 

          Its true, at least for me anyway, that you never miss something until its gone. Never in a million years would I think I would be this happy to be back in the state I called home for so long and closer to a growing family I didn't know I'd miss so much. 

LESSON OF THE DAY

          If its one thing I've learned moving out to CT for a job I found I didn't really enjoy, its this; life is too short to waist time being miserable in any situation.  I mean everything isn't always going to be roses and new things take time to adjust to, but if you find that its not getting easier overtime, or that you don't even fully care to try, then stop, re-evaulate the situtation, and think about the things that would actually make you happy.  Are you getting them?  Are the available to you where you are? And if you got them right then would you still be happy where you are?  If the answer is no, then maybe you need to change your situation.  I know I did and needless to say I'm LOVING where I am now.



Hi My Name is Q, and I'm Addicted to...

Everyone has their weaknesses and little odd things they're addicted to.  Hear are mines :)

Chocolate:  Preferably dark, but I'll settle for all forms of it.  HGTV: and all things related to Interior Designing, I can watch it all day and night.  DIYing:  Save money, have fun, and customizable to my taste?! I'm sold.  Food: Nothing make me happier than amazing tasting food... nothing.  Football: Something about the roughness of the game.  I will always have a little weakness for those who play it.  The Sun:  I'm a living breathing Solar panel.  Nothing beats and afternoon nap in the sun.  Sleep:  I can never get enough of it.  Shoes, Bags, and Jackets:  What can I say, I'm a woman.  Gadgets:  I'm a little tech nerd.  Phones, computers, game systems, TVs, etc you name it,I always want the latest and greatest gadget because I get bored easy in this department. 

What are you addicted to?

Note To Self

          I know I've neglected posting but LIFE has been calling and that is the reason I blog in the first place.  But any who, here are just a few things I have to remind myself on a daily basis...

Financial

1. "A little goes a long way".  Don't use more than you need to and don't buy more than you have to. 
2. Never pay full price for something, unless its for a good cause.  Chances are somewhere out there you can get it cheaper.
3. Think BEFORE you buy.  Brand names aren't everything.  Do you really need another Coach bag Q?
4. Be happy with what you have.  There are people out there wishing they had just a fraction of what you do.

Health

1. You'll regret not going to the gym but you'll never regret going to the gym.
2. Exercise, its the best stress reliever.
3. Want to feel accomplished? Work out and stick your health plan.
4. That piece of chocolate only has a feel good rating of 10 seconds before you feel like crap for eating it in the first place.

Relationships

1. Let him have his space. You can't make someone forgive you until they're ready to.
2. Trust that if its meant to be, it will be.
3. After you're done crying, smile at the times you had together.
4. No matter how amazing he is, you can't expect him to be the only reason you smile if you can't make your own self happy.  Work on yourself and everything else will start to fall in place.

Life

1. Don't backtrack in life unless whatever it is is absolutely worth it.  You can't move forward if you're still focused on what's behind you. 
2. Things worth having are worth taking the time.
3. Make a difference and do something greater than yourself.
4. On days when you're feeling like nothing can get worse or you're thinking "God, why me?"  Watch this video and count your blessings.
5. One person can make a difference with the help of others.  #kony2012

Get Up, Get Out, and Get Happy

          Alright seems easy enough right.  Well it is...kind of.  The hardest part is finding the motivation to start the road to happiness and it doesn't happen over night.  As you may know I haven't been in the best of moods, some days worse than others, so this is something I needed to start.

          It all started with getting out of my bed and going to the gym.  This week I spent my fair share of days sulking in my bed watching sappy movies and trying to sleep my life away but Wednesday I forced myself to go to the Y.  I took my Zumba class tried out a great new Hip Hop class and felt a little better.  Yesterday, I was exhausted but I pushed through it and fought the irresistible temptation of my bed and went to my spin class.  Even though the spin instructor was playing every fricken sad love song known to man I fought the urge to get up and walk out.  I felt a little better than I did before I went.  Exercise releases endorphins, and endorphins supposedly make you feel good so I was glad I got up and got my little fix.

  

        Even though I'm no where near where I want to be in terms of my mood, ever since Wednesday, I've been able to deal with the shit going on a little bit better.  So I'm convinced the more I do this over time the better I will feel. 

LESSON OF THE DAY

Get Up, Get Out, and Get Happy*. 

*Disclaimer results may not be instant and may vary.  However the more practiced the better results.  

25 Days of Blessings: Another Day

Today's Morning Commute, The Only Bit of Sun I See for the Day

          Yesterday didn't really end off on a good note and I can't stand going to bed upset.  But I guess its my fault, I get too emotional sometimes and expect too much from people.  So today, I've made an effort to just take those annoying little things called emotions and bring them down 50 notches.  Time to schedule a little me time and self reflect for the day.  Not on my job because I've already started the ball rolling on changing that, not on my relationship because that's what kind of been making me crazy, and not even on my friends or family because for the most part I always make time for them, but some time to reflect on just me. 

          So today I'm doing just that.  What do I want for today, tomorrow, and in the distant future?  I've been able to cross out some of my personal short term goals, like refinancing my car, getting my money in better order and even joining a gym.  To give myself a little brake from everything else I'm taking today to wind down and relax.  What do I have in mind? Well after I do a little shopping for my little get-together tomorrow I will be pampering myself at home with a facial, mani and pedi, then off to the movies to see New Year's Eve with Me, Myself, and I.  Yes people, it is perfectly fine to go to the movies by yourself.  And to end off the night a little studying by the fireplace for my GRE tomorrow. 

          Even though yesterday wasn't the greatest, my blessing of the day is that I was fortunate enough to wake up this morning and see another day.

"5 Easy Ways to Stay Happier"- MSN Article

          Good Monday!  I know its Monday, not much "good" about it, but I'm forcing myself to see the positive in things, subsequently putting myself in a better mood.  But in all honestly it wasn't that hard today because it is actually a good Monday.  The Thanksgiving break was good to me in more ways than one, and I came into work productive with positive thoughts and memories of the well deserved holiday.  I'll tell you more about it later , but today I wanted to share with you an article I came across on MSN.  You can find it here, but essentially it went over "5 Easy Ways to Stay Happier."

1.  "Good Sleep: Research shows that people who go without enough good sleep (at least six hours a night) are up to six times as likely to become depressed as those who get good sleep."

          Makes sense.  I can't tell you how good I feel when I get the right amount of sleep.  If I get too much I'm exhausted, too little, the same but just enough I'm golden.  I should probably work on it because with a steady job and schedule this shouldn't be hard to do.

 

2.  Good Sex: In short, sex releases feel good chemicals in your brain that temporarily relieves stress or anxiety obviously because it make you feel good.  When in a relationship, sex is easy to come by, but the challenge is to make them great so you can maximize off of those feel good chemicals. 

3.  Good Exercise:  They say aerobic exercise is the best but its similar to sex in which exercising releases feel good chemicals in your body.  They actually mention how depression can actually be treated with an exercise regimen of three thirty-minute sessions per week of aerobic exercise at 60 to 80 percent of maximum heart rate for at least eight weeks.  Guess I better keep up with my morning runs.

4.  Good Food:  They list a number of foods that are good for your brain and body, but my interpretation of it is delicious healthy food = pure bliss that lasts long after the meal does.  Its one thing to have orgasmic food like Waffle House or Popeyes in my case, but once that delicious comatose feeling subsides, if the food is unhealthy you feel like a load of crap after (kind of how I felt on Thanksgiving).  BUT if its healthy food, you get that same deliousness without feeling like you are going to die of a heart attack later and that is happiness at its finest for a food lover.

5.  "Alcohol: Take it easy and limit it to the standard two drinks a day."

          I don't neccesarily agree with this or the "standard" 2 drinks a day.  You can find and stay happy without the aid of any alcohol.  In my option a nice glass of wine or other mildly mixed drink with a good meal is definaelty a soothing thing that can ease your stress but if your idea is 2 shots a day, then you may be taking this article too litterally and need to look elsewhere for your happiness.   

My Friends = Inspiration

          One thing I admire about my friends is that for the most part they all are doing something they love or are making strides towards it.  One of my lifelong childhood friends inspired me today when she drove all the way to Nashville from Atlanta to audition for The Glee Project.  Her passion is singing and she took time out from being a full time student and working woman to pursue her dream, to be a singer.

          My other friend is living her dream as we speak.  Ever since I met her in 7th grade she wanted to be a doctor.  After getting accepted to both her dream schools (John Hopkins and Emory), she is now a full time grad student at Emory living out her dream. 

          Even my boyfriend is another example.  From a kid who loved figuring out how and why things worked, he followed that passion and is now an engineer doing exactly what interested him so much when he was younger.

          With all these stories and more, I can't help but be inspired to put more effort into changing the things that are blocking my overall happiness.  As I sit and wait for 4:30pm to get here so I can start my jet setting weekend, I fell into one of my deep thoughts about life, career happiness and everything else in between, I wrote this on my facebook wall...                                                                                                              

          "We aren't promised tomorrow, so I'm gonna live for today, and learn to let go of yesterday.  We came in this world by ouselves so I’m going to live life how I want to and expect to reach no one else standards but my own. Life isn’t guaranteed so don’t waste it doing something you don’t love, so I’ma make a change…"

Good Morning Monday: Remnants from an Inspiring Weekend

          Usually I dread Mondays, but this weekend was filled with inspiration for my personal life, career, blog, and weight loss (even though I slacked) and that inspiration has carried over into today.  I've been super productive since Friday and I feel like it will only continue to last all week long. 

          Friday I started adding completion dates to my ever changing To Do list and have actually been following through with the timelines.  I finished painting and refinishing my cabinets (details to come later this week), cleaned and unpacked nearly everything in my apartment (minus a few decorative items) and think I finally came to a decision on where my boyfriend and I will vacation.  Get ready...

Chicago!

          I know I am mad excited for many reasons.  1: I've never been and I really want to try their famous deep dish pizzas (I know, my inner fat girl will have a field day which is not good for my weight loss but you only live once) 2: I'm dying to get a break from my boring job and 3: this will be my first vacation with the Mr and I can't wait :). 

          Saturday night, one of my mentors from college came down to visit me.  We went out for coffee and I picked her brain about her thoughts about me going to grad school for higher ed.  She told me about her story about how she got to where she is now and needless to say I was inspired and got the reassurance I needed to make the next big step in my life.  Its always refreshing to have support from the people who you value in your life.  But the inspiration for my career change it didn't stop there. 

          Sunday, I went to help out with some admission work for my Alma mater in CT.  It was nice to meet up with the interns and staff I used to work with and even better getting their enthusiasm and support for my decision.  One of the newer staff I worked with over the summer was an Mechanical Engineer Alum from WPI and has been working in higher ed for a number of years and to hear her story on why she switched careers and the few students she worked with that also made the change from engineering to Student Affairs gave me comfort to know that I wasn't alone. 

          But just in general this weekend was good.  I went out with my roommate Saturday night for her friend's birthday and it was fun.  It was cool to meet new people and get out of the house every now and then, but this very thirsty man trying to dance with me all night who wouldn't get the hint did remind me of why I don't go out to clubs that often.  I have a whole theory on that and more which will come later. 

          Until then I will leave you with the...

LESSON OF THE DAY

Get inspired.  It just might be the fuel you need to put your plans and goals in motion.

Halfway to Happiness

          Seems like its been a while since I posted, with actually having some stuff to at work (still not much but its an upgrade from nothing) and with moving, getting sick and trying to make some of my goals a reality, it seems life has started to pick up :). 

          While I am no where near where I want to be, I am a far cry from the dark, depressing place I was just a month ago.  With the new move, I now have money to do the things I want to do and with a new roommate, I have awoken my social life from the dead.  I feel like this move, and being in an amazing state of mind with my boyfriend has given me the boost of enthusiasm I needed to go after the main gaping hole in my life which is keeping me from full achieving my happiness... my career choice. 

          Last week I went to an amazing conference for professionals in Student Affairs.  It was so refreshing 1: being around people who actually enjoyed what they did and 2: actually being excited about what I was learning and could potentially be doing.  I met a few contacts that are already helping me get into grad school and secure an assitantship so I won't have to pay for it.  The only draw back to it all is the pay cut I will have to take, but you can't have it all, all the time.

          It all comes down to a decision that we all have to make, do you do something for the love of it, or for the love of money?  In my case, I'm doing engineering for the love of money; Higher Ed, I will do for the love of it.

LESSON OF THE DAY

          What I am finding out is that you can't have everything you want, right away.  In your career, your relationships, and in your life altogether happiness and true gratification take time.  You can't jump right into a job and expect to love what you do and make the money you dream of making right off the bat.  Most likely in the beginning it will be either or.  In relationships, you can't expect that the other person will be and do everything you wanted automatically.  You have to let them know what you want and expect and learn what they want and expect in return and that takes a lot of time and patience on both ends.  But I believe that if you can bear to wait (I know its hard to do, coming from a person who wants everything now) everything will fall into its place.

Happy Thursday!

          So I woke up today feeling better than usual, still not where I want to be emotionally and mentally, but definitely a step up from where I've been.  I think its attributed to ending my convo with my man on a positive note and having a lot of things in motion that I want to change. 

          For starters, I found a new place that I really like that will help me save the money I want to without giving up too much on my wish list.  And to help, I have made the decision that if I get the place I will be getting a roommate.  2 bedroom 2 bath condo, why not?  Not something I thought I was gonna go for but getting one would help me save more and get rid of the sting of loneliness by having someone around.  I mean chances are whoever I find I won't wind up being my best friend, but I'm open to the possibility and kinda hoping that it plays out that way.  I didn't really finalize that decision until I found Roomster.com though.  Its like facebook for finding roommates, so its not like I'm searching creepy ass craigslist for someone I am planning to share my home with.  Anyways we'll see how it all pans out.  Everything looks good, just hoping someone doesn't snag it from me while I wait to hear back from my current landlord.

          Then to relieve my social isolation from people my age, I've become real good friends with my neighbor two doors down.  We actually have a LOT in common in terms of moving here and not knowing anyone and not really enjoying where we wound up in our jobs.  Real chill guy.  Today is Thursday funday in which we will indulge in a little pre-weekend celebration with some drinks.  Then tomorrow another trip back to the woo to enjoy some barhoping with a few friends for a birthday celebration. 

           And THEN, I hopped on the scale this morning to notice I droped 1 Ib in 3 days.  Been keeping track of what I've been eating and writing it all down and its been paying off.  At this rate I'll reach my goal weight in half the time I slated for myself. Go me!

          Needless to say the week is looking up as it winds down :)

         

Mellowing Out

         
          Mellow. That's how I'm feeling today.  Not upset about much but nothing really to look forward to either.  In my fit of boredom at work, I've further broken down my expenses to a T.  In other words I can tell you where every single penny of my money is going all the way up to 2013.  I know excessive right? But what else do I have to do to with nothing to keep me busy at work, plus my OCD doesn't help the cause either.

          Update on the Gym.  I haven't yet joined.  To be honest I don't think I am going to know either.  The Gold's Gym I was going to join doesn't really have that much to offer for the price they are asking.   Plus, the apartments I'm looking at mostly all come with some form of workout room.  Until the and in the mean time I will stick to my Insanity, once I get the energy after work to actually do it.  Needless to say I'm feeling a little unmotivated and I gotta fix it. 

          In my efforts to reach my financial goals I have been searching craigslist constantly to find a cheaper apartment.  Don't get me wrong I LOVE the place I'm in, but the benefits of it don't outweigh my desire to save up for things I want.  The money I'm putting into this place is not worth it to me anymore.  Yes I love finding deals and coupon cutting, but let’s face it, I'm the type girl who loves chai lattes, shopping at Whole Foods, has a weakness for shoes, jackets, and the latest technology, and is also addicting to saving and paying things off in full.  There just isn't room enough in my budget to do all of that and have a pricey pad to lay my head down in.  If my friends and family were around enough so that I could host parties and have people over, I wouldn't imagine giving up but they aren't and for that reason it’s not worth it. 

          So after beating my budget down to a pulp, I realize that I'm going to have to stay with my company for at least a year in order to get financially stable before I can take any risks in following my real dreams. 

LESSON OF THE DAY

          Unfortunately you can't always live life like there's no tomorrow because chances are, there will be one.  The sad thing about it is that in the unfortunate event that I died today, I wouldn't be able to say that I've done all I wanted to do up to this point or that I had no regrets in the decisions I've made or that I have lived my life to the fullest.  In order for me to get to that point of complete satisfaction with my life I need to do something’s I don't enjoy doing today so that I have the means to do what I want to do tomorrow. 

The Pursuit of Happiness

          Migrane.  Bored beyond belief as I enter day 27 of the working world.  Counting the days like I'm serving a life sentence.  Trying hard to see the positive in living in a city 2 hours away from my family, friends, and boyfriend and working at a job where I sit and watch the clock until its ime to leave.  There's no doubt, I know I'm blessed, as there are many people out there who don't have jobs and aren't nearly as well paid as I am for pretty much doing nothing.  But that doesn't change how I feel about my own situation. 

          Rev Run tweeted today, "There was a man who had no shoes and complained, until he met a man with no feet... stay thankful."  True, there are always going to be people way worse off than you and you should be thankful for what you have, but that doesn't change how you feel about your own situation.  Trying to see the positive in what you see as so negative is extremely difficult.

LESSON OF THE DAY

          I read a friend of mine's blog today and it inspired me to try a little harder to improve my attitude.  In her words Life is "too short to waste my time complaining about the things I know I can change."  The reality of it is that my situation is not going to change for at least 6 months, I'm stuck at my job and apartment until then. I can't change that, BUT I can change how I feel about the little things that I do have control over to make the time I am here as enjoyable as I can.  After this week I will join a gym.  Step one in improving my overall mood and health.  I gained a few pounds and am NOT happy about it plus working out makes me feel better overall.  Hey maybe I'll even meet some people my age. 

          Next step, find new ways to increase my income.  I'm addicted to saving and nice things, plus I want to build and design my own house from scratch someday.  In order to do all that and more I need to make as much money as I can and as soon as I can because I want it all, and I want it ASAP.  Like my friend said, life is too short.  I want my dreams to come true while I can still enjoy them,  I want to enjoy my life while I still can.  So, I have to put some kind of plan in motion to make sure that happens...now.

Ambitiousgirl.com

“Ambition is like love, impatient both of delays and rivals”

                                                                                                                                  -Buddah

          No this is not a website (well it might be), but for the purpose of this post, it's just my title :). I pride myself on a lot of things like always having at least 1 job all the while graduating high school with a 4.0, making it through WPI to receive 2 degrees and be the first in the school's history to graduate with an Bachelors in Science AND Arts. But the thing I am most proud of is that once I get an idea in my head that I want to do, I won't stop until I've got it done. I guess that's why I've been able to do all the things I've done... ambition.

          According to dictionary.com ambition is defined as "an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment." Sounds about right. For the earlier part of my life I was mostly surrounded by unambitious people, people who would just (metaphorically speaking) bend over an took it from life. Well, seeing that could either make you too take it up the ass from Life, or make you wanna grab it by the balls and take control of it. Needless to say I fell into the latter.

          So after handling the beast called school and landing a job in semi-cooperate America (the construction management industry tinkers on the edge of suits and work boots) I think I'm going back into the ring for another round. I'm going back for my masters! Dream school: Yale, just because I've always wanted to be a Ivy Leaguer but was too lazy to go through all those extra essays for Cornell, plus Yale is right in between work and home. You can't get a better location than that! Yea, I thought for sure that I was done after I graduated undergrad but the saying is true, you never miss something until its gone, and I can honestly say I kinda miss school. Plus its true what they say about money not being able to buy you happiness, now I realize that I'd much rather have a job that I love that doesn't pay as much than a job that pays well but I can't stand. Which brings me to my (drum roll please)....

LESSON OF THE DAY!

          So this is something I want to do everyday because as cliche as it sounds you in fact learn something new everyday, whether you notice it or not. So today's lesson is: Sometimes its better to follow your heart, rather than your head. I wouldn't suggest this lesson for everything in life but definitely ones that concern your everyday happiness, like your job. I mean you do spend 9 or more hours there a day so it makes sense that you should enjoy it, right?