It is crazy to think that a year ago I was on my last spring break, and was preparing to graduate from college. Now, I look back at my year, and I have achieved so much more than I could have ever thought possible.

Granted, I am not making as much money as I would like to be and I am still living at home, but none the less, I am happy, and currently that is way more than I could ever ask for.

Counting my blessings has never ever been something I did. I made fun of that whole #blessed phase, and just kind of took what was given to me, said thank you, and went on with my life. But now, when I look back, it all is kind of coming together and I truly am grateful for everything that I have and that makes me even more excited for what the future holds.

All of this reflection came right in time for Easter, which in my family, like every other holiday, is just a competition for Thanksgiving. Not only do we out do our selves with food, but we focus on gratitudes, something that forever grounds me, and brings me back to the moment, to focus on what really matters, what I want out of life, and what I am looking forward to more of.

This Easter, as we went around the table, hope for peace and family were mentioned multiple times. I, personally said I was thankful for life lessons, opportunities, and every day life. It truly is something when you step back and think about day to day life, and how instantaneous it can all change, for better or for worse.

In this moment, hours and too many plates of food later, I am thankful for laughs and loving people. I am as single as it can get, yet I feel so incredibly loved, and that has been something I have been working on for awhile, because I am a firm believer that if you don't love yourself, you won't see others' love for you. And that has been showing more and more lately, which I could not be happier about.

I hope you had an incr-egg-ible (see what I did there) Easter, and if you don't celebrate Easter, I hope you had an amazing Sunday Funday that recharged you for an even better week ahead. We are almost in April! How crazy is that?!

Incredible Routines and Weekend Snapshots

Happy Monday! Or Sunday, I haven't decided when I'm going to post this, but happy day!
This weekend has been kind of all over the place, which is surprising because I had no plans and now here I am looking back on my weekend thinking about all the stuff I did.

Thursday and Friday I worked like 12 hour days each day which was exhausting. Like, if you work 12 hour days multiple days in a row, kudos to you because I don't know how you do it. I am used to working 10-6 Monday-Friday and with that I have a routine, which is not something I like to break. Once I got this schedule, it took me about two months to figure out my morning and evening routine, and after these two days of being off schedule is it weird that I am going back to my normal schedule tomorrow.

On the weekdays, I wake up around 5:30 and go to the gym.

I know, just like everyone else, I go to the gym in the morning. But if I don't go in the morning 1) I don't go at all because I am too tired to go after work 2) it truly makes my day 110% better 3) it really isn't that crowded. After I gym, I come home and shower and plan my outfit unless it is already planned. 

I know, I plan my outfits, I plan everything, I have to otherwise I go insane and I double book and it's bad.

Then I decide what to have for breakfast. Sometimes after the gym I go to Starbucks and get an Iced Coffee, other times I will just make it at home. All depends on the day and my mood.

Once I get ready, I grab my lunch and had out the door to go sit in morning traffic. I know. Welcome to LA. For lunch, I normally meal prep so I can just grab it out of the fridge and head to work.

But, that is enough of my morning schedule! Here are some snapshots form my weekend!

Friday motivation!

A little behind the scenes from work on Friday!

Saturday lunch date

Sunday morning inspiration

Yummy yummy salmon salad for lunch Sunday

Meal Prep!

What's your daily routine? Do you need to have a routine?

Closing Time

Closing time
Open all the doors and let you out into the world...

It's crazy how much can change in a day. And if that much can change in a day, it's even crazier to process and truly realize how much changes in a week, in a month, and in a year.

I can full heartedly say that I am a completely different person than I was a year ago, a month ago, a week ago, and yes, a day ago.

Closing time
You don't have to go home but you can't stay here...

This last week was a bumpy one; the best way I could accurately describe it is a weather backlash from the most beautiful bright sunshiny day to a rainstorm.

I have never experienced a bad Wednesday and I usually see hump day as just a little bump in the week followed by a push to Friday. Last week, not so much.


Closing time
Time for you to go out to the places you will be from.

Proof of how much you can change in a day:
Yesterday, I wrote what you just read above. Today, I am in a much better place. I went hiking yesterday and took the longest shower after, feeling so amazing and incredible.... after. In the moment, I wasn't truly enjoying nature, but going back through the photos after I showered, as I was on my couch, watching "House of Cards," I was happy that I had gone on a 3 mile hike to see a waterfall (pictured above.)

But for now, I am still growing. I feel like life is a carnival, and some times it is a slow boat ride and other times it is a crazy roller coaster with harsh turns and flips. But hey, that's just life!

Miley Cyrus is Just Peachy | What is Perfection?

Perfection does not exist. I know. Heart breaking. But, we all know it is true, and we all should have listened to Miley Cyrus when she told us that "everybody makes mistakes, and everybody has those days" because you know what? She has never been so right. (Though I also related to some of her other songs. Now I miss Miley Cyrus.)

It is hard for me to admit that perfection doesn't exist. I am far from a perfectionist, but I also hate making mistakes. Or, I used to. Now I am getting better at loving mistakes, but they aren't really mistakes if you learn from them; rather they are life lessons. I love life lessons. What I don't like is not making people happy.

I am going to use Miley Cyrus again because that will hopefully make this post somewhat more relatable and more light hearted than me just venting about my awful shitty terrible unfortunate mistake life lesson that was today.

When Miley Cyrus was Hannah Montana, she couldn't tell her best friend her other life. She was making millions of fans happy. Getting them up out of their seat to dance, cry at the emotions behind the lyrics, and go all crazy fan girl when they saw that long blonde hair and white leather jacket. Yeah, you know exactly what outfit I am talking about. Regardless, she bailed on her friend at the concert to make her fans happy, ran back out to make her fans happy, and was unable to be in both places at once.

Yes, she ultimately told her friend, Lily? Emily Osmet's character the truth and then they were best friends and happy again, but that isn't how life is always going to work. Miley Cyrus was happy being both Hannah Montana and Miley because she made that choice to keep the two lives separate. She willingly made the choice that that would be how she ran her personal and "work" life, and they would be separate and she would be happy. Her happiness is what then created the happiness in her fans, and the happiness in her friendships.

But, you can't be focusing on other people's happy when you yourself aren't happy, because that is just a dangerous cycle you will be loopholed in, resulting the damaging relationships and friendships. And that really doesn't make anyone happy.

Life lesson today is this: Perfection is not real because everyone's idea of happiness is different. You can think that you just made the best apple pie in the world, and you can win every single apple pie award in the world, and there were still be people out there who don't like apple pie.

Be your own happy. Learn from mistakes. Be your own version of perfection.

How do you do that? Treat every day like it is your birthday, and let the negativity go. You need to cry it out? That helps me! Need to go run a few miles? That doesn't work for me, but exercise makes endorphins, and happy people don't kill their husbands (according to Elle Woods). Find your happy spot, find that moment, that one second in time where you are truly happy and genuinely not phased by the rest of the world and negativity and other people's standards, and go to that when you are stressing over not reaching perfection, because 9 times out of 10, you are already meeting your definition of perfection, and are just beating yourself up over someone else's definition.

Multiply and Blowout

A boy told me to listen to Ed Sheeran today and literally all I've been listening to all day is Ed Sheeran and I forgot how good he is. Hence the name of this blog post. Also, happy National Kiss A Ginger Day. Relatable. Good job, boy. Just kidding he had no idea it was National Kiss A Ginger Day, but told me yesterday was National Step In A Puddle Day...

So that is what I did at work today. Well, only part. I actually worked too. And broke a nail. And almost fell on my face. Lots of fun things.

We're going to talk about boys today. And by we I mean me, and by talk about I mean I'm going to vent and then we will get back to life and more important things that matter. So I guess my first question would be how do you feel about work relationships? I have seen them work and I have seen them fail. Both either extraordinary or awful. But never in between. Please share your stories, because I am actually very interested.
Disclosure - no I am not dating someone from my work. But I am crushing on one form what was a far and now not so far. He sang to me today and I kind of lost it but I am put back together now. Then he told me his favorite days were when he had meetings because he got to see me and walk past my desk. Done. And then I said oh yeah when I'm lucky and get to see you, and he counteracted saying he was the lucky one. Done. Again.

So they talk the talk, but can they walk the walk, while keeping up with me? My thing with guys, just from what I have learned from my past relationships is this:

• It shouldn't be work. Yes relationships take effort, but it shouldn't have to feel like work or like you are forcing it. Because once it is forced it is essentially over.
• It should be organic. This stems back to the work thing, but more importantly that is mutual on both sides, and just feels right. This one is difficult because I have been one in the past to not go with the flow, but really, that is the main way to develop a good relationship. Or that's what I think, at least.
• It needs to be mutual. Feelings, effort, everything.
• Communication is everything. Self explanatory.

This all being said, and the reason this is a topic on the blog today, is that someone asked me if I was dating anyone. And I would be lying if I said no, but I would also be lying if I said yes. Does that make sense? I should add a bullet point that "it shouldn't be complicated" but it most likely will be and we don't live in a perfect world. I hate saying I have a few guys in my back pocket, but that's kind of what it is. I don't like it. I like them each for their own special reasons. But I also love being single. Struggle city in the love department here. But it's okay. We're moving forward.

Work today was a catch up day. I caught up on things I needed to do, things I needed to organize, etc. Necessary, tedious, useful, long. But no complaints, as I ended my day with a complimentary DryBar blowout.

Erasable Pens

Hello, it's me.

I was going to do the whole "blog every day like a journal!" thing but clearly... that didn't work. But I'm not mad, and hopefully you aren't either. I want to be realistic with my postings, and posting over the weekend just was not happening. Plus I didn't really do anything too crazy exciting so it's okay. Today was a whirlwind at work, but first let's back track.

This past weekend was quiet. And it was exactly what I needed. I was able to plan, spend time with family and friends, straighten up, and even plan a weekend getaway! Of course, in my book, the most exciting thing about all of that is my weekend getaway with Rachel, but it isn't for two weekends so I need to contain my excitement.

Today at work, I learned all about patience, understanding, mistakes, and new beginnings.

Woah, where do I work? I bet if you thought about your day at work, you would come across some of those same key words.

Patience: I definitely don't have patience. But, I am learning. I had to be patient with my own work, with my coworkers, and even with a boy I started talking to.

Understanding: I had to take multiple steps back at work today and for all different reasons, which leads me to my third lesson...

Mistakes: We're human. They happen. I made a few today, but it's okay because our lives are very often written in pen or even sharpie. Granted, they aren't always written in pencil, either, but for the most part they are written in those weird erasable pens which don't really work but you can get away with it. It might leave a smudge or two, but that's okay because at least you learned from it.

New beginnings: People enter and leave your life. That's just how it works. If your life was one big coffee shop, it would get pretty boring if the same people stayed there all day every day, not to mention they would get sick of the coffee. It's natural for people to grow apart and others to grow closer, and it's even more natural for you to miss an opportunity that could be right in front of your face.

Happy Monday! Also, shoutout to my first two finished coloring pages from my adult coloring book!

Devil Needs a Schedule

As I sit down to write this post, just as I have the past week, I asked myself "what did today teach me?" But I didn't feel like just typing out my day, so we are going to have a play by play with GIFs from The Devil Wears Prada. Because, why not?

Well, today taught me a lot, and we will go into all of that, but the main thing it taught me is that I am a routine person. I plan things, I wake up, I go to work, I come home, I have a schedule and I enjoy sticking to it.

Today I set my alarm an hour early, to get to work two hours early, since I was leaving 5 hours early. Do you see how today made me realize that I like sticking to a set routine? My breakfast was eaten an hour earlier, my lunch was eaten an hour earlier, and even my dinner (which was frozen yogurt) was eaten earlier. So now, it is 9:30 and I'm hungry but it is too late to eat. It's fine I'm fine. Learn from your mistakes. Right? But in this case I want to grow from them.

Since working a 10-6 job, I haven't made the time to go to the gym. Do I go early in the morning or wait until the after work crowd dies down? That will be my experiment for next week. This week I kept it simple and just worked out at home.

So I was already thrown off this morning, and I also wore boots for the first time all week (sorry Nikes) so it was kind of a weird feeling in general. Getting to work 2 hours early helped a little, but definitely not a lot seeing as I still missed like 3 hours of solid work time, but it's okay, tomorrow is a new day. no stressing.

I had a meeting this morning and some tedious tasks that were just those things that need to be done but no one likes doing the, so once those were finished, my mom told me I needed to leave ASAP and so off I was, while everyone looked at me like "where do you think you're going?"

After leaving work at 1ish, I came home in no traffic, a crazy concept for LA, and took my mom to the dentist. Time just seemed to move at a glacial pace at this point.

I brought my book and read a few pages but kept being distracted my all of the patients coming in and out, the people gushing over Botox, setting up their kids to date in the future, and other receptionist gossip.

So, alas, I ended up watching some Periscope videos, listening to a few podcasts, and just like that my mom was out. This wasn't just a routine teeth cleaning, it was like surgery, but you probably don't need to know that. 

Regardless, we left the dentist to go get frozen yogurt, because what else are you supposed to eat after oral surgery. We walk in and the line to pay is weirdly long. Meaning, all of the people in the store were waiting to pay. Turns out, by the time we got to the register line, they figured out that the register was broken and everyone's fro-yos were free. Which I like weirdly felt bad about, but then again at the same time, free frozen yogurt. 

The rest of my day seems to be a blur. I'm at the point where it's just kind of like "what is free time" and "what do I do with it if it isn't the weekend?" My mom and I watched a movie, that was actually kind of depressing, and by kind of I mean if I saw it in the theatre I would have been one of two extremes: walked out or been super into it. But I wasn't so I just sat there, watched the movie, and enjoyed my frozen yogurt. 

And now? Well, post at home work out, right now I am planning on taking a nice hot shower, and getting a long, solid, night of sleep. And tomorrow, we return to the set schedule. And I cannot wait. 

Are you a routine person? A planner? How do you deal with not knowing what to do with your free time?

Dream Job Turned Reality?

Happy Wednesday! Or Wednesday night, actually. I should probably start planning when these will go up, but there is something extremely calming about writing a blog post right before I go to bed. It allows me to get out all of my thoughts, and really process the day. Then again this post is going about about an hour later than normal because I got kind of carried away coloring in my adult coloring book. Which is still not rated r.

Today was one of the best days I have had in a long time. And I'm sure that I could say that about the past two or three days, but all day today I was genuinely happy. I was also told I was being too loud and too sassy at work today, but that's why I work where I work. Because I can be myself. Speaking of work, I think that that was one of the major reasons I was so incredibly happy. I arrived a few minutes late, not that anyone said anything, because I had to go to Ralph's this morning to get ingredients for a wine milkshake. Yes, you heard me correctly. Wine. Milkshake. We also went out and got burgers in Chinatown for lunch at the "In-n-out twin" (which it is very twin-like, but more expensive... Definitely the Annie rather than the Hallie in the Parent Trap combo, butler and all.)

Today at work I finally felt accepted. My goal kind of for the year I guess, and I am definitely saying goal in the loosest of terms, is to fully accept myself. Now that encompasses all of me so my appearance, my health, my mentality, my emotions, everything. But to finally feel accepted at work is a whole other accomplishment I could have never been more happy to receive. Especially since I was not looking for it.

For those who don't really know much about me, hi, I'm Kathryn. I graduated from USF in May 2015 with a bachelor's degree in Politics and Public Relations. I was undeclared the first two years, thought I found my calling in Politics, and then realized how fun PR could be, and how it would allow me to interact with more people my speed. Politics is great and all, but it has become such a negative atmosphere and so competitive rather than just trying to do the best for the world that I decided it just wasn't doing it for me. Career wise at least. I have no regrets graduating from college with my degree. I learned so much about politics, and was able to learn different views and stances on huge political topics. That was probably my favorite part. Learning about how other people saw the world. Taking that, I then took my very little PR knowledge and tried to make sense of the two of them together. I decided I should go into campaigns. Yet, the more and more I looked into it, and felt a connection to political campaigns, the more and more I realized it wasn't really what I wanted to do. Or at least not right now. Thankfully I had several PR internships in college which allowed me to have an internship at my current job, which then turned into full time position (woot woot!).

And here I am today. Doing something I would have never in a million years considered, loving every second of it, learning things every day, and questioning why I had never thought about doing what I do, because for right now, it is pretty much my dream job. I was over the moon with excitement when they offered me full time, and today, after back to back meetings, and taking photos, and writing articles and blog posts, it all just makes sense.

Growing up, I wanted to be something different every year, but one thing stayed the same: I never wanted to wake up in the morning angry to go to work because I hated my job. No work is perfect, nothing is a "dream" job. Everything has flaws, just like everyone does. Maybe it doesn't pay as much as you need for that perfect apartment, or theres some people you just do not get along with, or you aren't challenged enough. I'm starting to learn though, that when you learn how to improve upon and work past the flaws to thoroughly enjoy the work you put out that you have achieved your dream job, or if you are still not satisfied, it probably isn't the best job for you and you should change that. ASAP. Yet, I feel that I have currently created true happiness with my job. I started my job not only for what the job was, but mainly for the experience. And the experience I have already gained hasn't only been new things to add to my resume, but are also things to add to my day to day life.

Work hard. Set yourself up for nothing but success. See yourself living your dream. I promise you, the things you really truly desire in life are probably things you don't even know exist.

Life is Funny Sometimes

Does anything ever happen in your life where you just kind of have to take a moment to laugh? It wasn't a knock knock joke, or any kind of joke, really, but you just can't help but laugh. I had a lot of those moments today.

I woke up 15 minutes before my alarm, which is personally one of my favorite ways to wake up. I had my outfit pre planned, and knew that I was going to grab breakfast and coffee at Starbucks. El Niño decided to make its grand entrance last night, so I also knew I wasn't going to do my hair, as it would just get ruined in the rain anyways. I had a plan. I was going to get to work early to possibly leave early, I packed a healthy lunch, I brought my planner, and my iPad was fully charged. I was so ready for the day. I even printed out agendas for the meeting I had at 10am for work. 

I did all of this just to realize it was pouring rain and traffic going downtown would be horrible, I dropped my Starbucks breakfast sandwich in my lap while driving, I had cat fur all over my leggings, and when I got out of my car after parking at work, I stepped into a puddle. And this was just the morning. I later realized that I had left my lunch in my car and decided to go get it because it had stopped raining, yet the second I stepped outside it started down pouring. But you know what? I did this all with a huge smile on my face. Because even writing this, I can't help but laugh! Life is funny that way... And I don't know if it was because I "woke up on the right side of the bed" this morning or if the audiobook I am currently listening to is taking a toll and putting my New Year's resolution of being more positive into play, but I love it. 

I can 110% say that I am happier now, and this past week, than I have been in months, and maybe even years. I finally feel happy with myself in most facets, and so why get upset that I stepped in a puddle? It washed my Nikes. Or why worry about dropping my breakfast sandwich? It was just the bread part anyways, who needs the extra carbs. And leaving my lunch in my car? I got more FitBit steps! 

I am slowly starting to realize that life is what you make it, and as cliche as that sounds, I truly believe it. If I wake up in the morning and say I am going to have an awful day, 9 times out of 10 I will have an awful day. What should you do instead? Buy yourself flowers and put them on your work desk. It worked for me!

I used to think I had a second date curse. I have been on several first dates, a few second dates, and it is very rare if I go on a third date. Like my last third date was with my last relationship. It was a serious curse. Key word "was."  If I continue to tell myself I have this curse, I most likely won't have a third date for awhile. Which, I would be totally okay with that seeing as I love being single, but hey, a third date here and there doesn't sound awful.

Another example: today at work I began prepping my blog post for the website tomorrow. It has to deal with a wine milkshake, so I suggested a team outing to in-n-out so that I could take photos of the wine milkshake with an in-n-out burger, because when I think of a milkshake, I think of in-n-out. So, guess what we're doing for lunch tomorrow? Going to in-n-out. Simply because I suggested it, and everyone loved the idea. (Plus, who would ever say no to in-n-out?!) 

What are some things life has thrown at you recently? Have you combatted them, or just let life walk over you?

P.s.: I got some new books today, and I am most excited for my adult coloring book! My dad asked if it was rated R...... No, father, it is just a very intricate and detailed coloring book. Thank.You.Very.Much.