A February in Spain

Buenas!


Shores of Malaga.

I have been in Spain for a month, and every day that I wake up in this marvelous country, God presents me with another reason that I am here. I am so glad He gave me the courage to make this move and do the right thing for my mind, soul, and body, despite certain discouragement and questioning I endured in the process. I live and work with the most vibrant, kind characters, and they each bless my life in a unique way. Everyone I have met has been welcoming, inquisitive, and charming; except for one grouchy bus driver, but I’ll try to let that go. I try something new each week; from zip lining to snowboarding, to new foods and new rituals, to simply exercising Spanish at the pharmacy. I step outside of my comfort zone on the daily, and I’m in love with the feeling. Now that the sap is outta the way, let’s get down to business!



I managed to catch a rainbow at Park Guell! Barcelona

Since being here I have visited several Spanish cities and towns and driven through approximately 20 provinces! - Malaga, duh, this is where I live, Antequera for ziplining, Barcelona, where I can totally see myself living, and historic Madrid. I've also visited Andorra, a small country between France and Spain in the Pyrenees Mountains. I spent time in the capital, Andorra La Vella and small town El Tarter for snowboarding.



Apartment balconies above Chanel Barcelona.

 The orange trees that I rave about smell like heaven, and the ocean that I can see from my street looks like heaven, so in other words Malaga is basically heaven. Our house is located right between the mountains and the ocean. Since the climate is fantastic, spatially there is an ambiguous relationship between indoors and outdoors. Everyone has a patio or balcony or both. It would be a sacrilege to waste this sunshine and air that is a mixture of the sea and the mountains. Even in the cities that experience colder temps, there are plenty of terraces, rooftop gardens, balconies, and sun rooms!

 

Flexing my Spanish skills in Madrid.

As I’m sure you can imagine, it’s very strange at first being in a country very far from your own; where you don’t quite fluently speak the language; where you go to breakfast by yourself and order a green tea, or you think you order a green tea, and the waitress stares at you as if you spoke Swahili instead of Spanish.

I must be a comedian when I speak Spanish to these people because when a person tries to speak in English to me, it’s downright hilarious. I don’t mean that condescendingly at all. If I’m being condescending then I’m also being self-deprecating.

 

I must take better food photos in the future! Pictured: a fried feast.

If you follow me on Instagram, you have probably noticed here in Spain I eat quite well. ;) Homemade Nutella, fresh seafood, Spanish honey, baskets full of bread, or my favorite traditional dishes, paella or the Spanish omelette! The food is definitely irresistible. My palette has already changed here because I have suddenly developed a penchant for olives. I hated them before! Since I am in the olive-producing region of Spain, I must finally be eating “real” olives. The produce is mostly sourced from right outside the city, so it is also just as fresh as the pescado and mariscos! (fish and seafood)

I quite adore and favor Barcelona if you can't tell!

I could write endlessly about the goodness and beauty of this country and its people! Until I reach that point, my February blog post will have to suffice. Moving thousands of miles away from home has showed me how small the world truly is. <3 p="">

Spain: FAQs

Good day, friends. I understand that my imminent plans are a little off-the-wall and that many people have questions about my trip. I answer at least five of these questions three times a day hahaha. Feast your eyes upon my honest answers, and get pumped for many beach photos!

If you read any of this, make sure you cover the last point, most important point. iheartyou.

My future home!

Where are you going?
I am headed to Málaga, a coastal town in Southern Spain. It is part of the Costa del Sol (coast of the sun) and Andalucía, the southwestern Andalusian region of Spain. Its "lowest" temperatures occur in winter, January-February, and it never gets colder than 40 degrees Fahrenheit (even temps in the forties are very rare). Its warmest months are July and August, and temps range from 85-95 degrees Fahrenheit. Year-round, rainfall is at a minimum, hence Costa del Sol. It is mostly sunny with temps hovering around 65 degrees most of the year. For example, even though it is winter there now, it is 66 degrees today. The coldest day this week will be 61 degrees. This makes my packing job much easier! I plan on traveling all over Spain and visiting other countries while I am based in Europe. I will be there approximately 6 months.

When are you leaving?
January 27th. I'm flying out of Chicago in the evening to Madrid.
Pro tip: Flying from major city to major city is literally a price cut in half. I'm still saving hundreds of dollars even when I factor in gas money and train tickets.

When are you coming back?
July 13th.

What are you doing in Spain?
I'm going to be an au pair for a family who works for the Spanish government. They are both my host family and my employers. I will live with them and teach their children how to speak English.

What is an au pair?
This is copied straight from Wikipedia: "An au pair (plural: au pairs) is a domestic assistant from a foreign country working for, and living as part of, a host family. Typically, au pairs take on a share of the family's responsibility for childcare as well as some housework, and receive a monetary allowance for personal use. Au pair schemes are subject to government restrictions which specify an age range usually from mid-late teens to mid to late twenties; some countries explicitly limit the scheme to females."

I will exclusively provide childcare. I signed a contract with the family, so this is pretty offish. It's not a free-for-all, and it's not dangerous. If I hate it or if they hate me (which will not happen), I am allowed to give 2-weeks notice, like a regular job, and then peace on out. My responsibilities will include seeing the children off to school, after-school snacks and activities, and helping put them to bed, all while improving their ability to communicate in English. The children are 9 and 5 (twins). The family is so, so kind. I love them already!

Do you get paid?
Unless you're my BFF or my mom, I find this question to be pretty rude. What's it to ya?

What about your job?
I quit my full-time job as an operations manager for a financial group. The position is decent and Columbus is fabulous, but I was not happy with that lifestyle. I still write for Hellogiggles and Salty Running! Yay for freelancing!

Do you speak Spanish?
Yes. I am very good at reading Spanish, but I am only an intermediate speaker. I will be taking classes in Spanish to improve my skills!

What about your apartment?
When I moved into my one-bedroom apartment in the summer I signed a short term lease, unsure of what I wanted to do. My lease conveniently ends this month, and I will no longer be tied to an apartment.

What made you decide to do this?
I've been looking for a big change for a long time. I just couldn't find the right change. I knew that my job was no longer satisfying, and I wanted something new. When 2014 ended, I had thought I wanted to go to graduate school to study English/Literaure. I was scheduled to take the GRE the week after Papaw died, and I knew I wasn't ready, especially after that emotional blow. I rescheduled for March, and I knew I would be missing all the 2015 deadlines. This caused me to re-evaluate the decision to go back to school, and I knew that I wasn't ready for that either. I wasn't 100% sold on a Ph.D., and I was using grad school as a crutch to leave my job. I spent most of 2015 applying to new full-time jobs. I applied to many positions that I thought I would enjoy-- in Columbus and beyond. I tried to intern at an interior design firm in New Orleans. I interviewed at a running company. I was a candidate for the NBC Page Program for months. I was a candidate so long, that I was convinced I would get it. The program is prestigious and the interview process is tedious, but I had faith. My dreams of working as a page for Saturday Night Live came crashing down with a rejection letter in November. I'm not ashamed or embarrassed of any of these rejections because they directed me to a place that I want to be. While waiting for word from NBC, I decided to take my fate into my own hands. I became tired of waiting for others to decide whether or not I get to do this or get that; whether or not I am worthy to work with them. I got tired of waiting for other people to make up their minds. So I made up my own! Life is a waiting game, and I am not a patient person. If I got the job, I would be thrilled. I would be poor as hell living in NYC, but so be it. It would be an amazing experience. I also decided that if I didn't get the job, that I was going back to Europe. Equally, if not more amazing. I've been looking to go back to Europe long term for awhile. And this is it. I'm going to make one of my dreams come true.

Runner on the beach in Málaga.

How did you find out about this?
A writer at Hellogiggles wrote about traveling as an alternative to college right after high school graduation. Obviously I missed that mark. I have a B.S. in Architecture already! But one of the affordable ways to travel was to become an au pair. So here we are!

What are you doing when you get back?
I dunno. Your guess is as good as mine. This concern is part of the American way-- always having a plan. It's exhausting. I'm going to live in the moment in Europe and not worry about the end of the six-months. I'll cross those bridges when I get to them. Unless you plan on hiring me, I don't care to hear your opinion to be quite honest. If you do plan on hiring me, I'll send you my resume. ;)

Will you be out of the boot by the time you leave?
YES omg, yes. Thank goodness. My fracture is healing, and I will be out of this stupid boot very soon. I will still be unable to run for 4-7 more weeks, but swimming, biking, and yoga will be back on the table shortly!

What are you packing?
Another post to come on how to build and pack a capsule wardrobe! :) In that post I will also cover pre-departure details that people think of at the last minute, such as medication, contacts, etc. I'm going to start a new travel blog, so my packing post will be shared on that platform! While I'm at it, I'll also write about the Visa application process.

How can I contact you?
Technology is fan-freaking-tastic. Apps like WhatsApp and FaceTime prevent a dire need for an international phone plan. If you have WiFi, you can contact people in other countries free of charge. WhatsApp essentially works like a text message. You download the app and add contacts. Then you message the contacts through the app just like a text message! There is also Facebook messenger, Skype, and FaceTime. All you need is WiFi!

But, Jamie, I love you so much, and I will miss you. Can we Skype?
Of course! Let me know if you want my Skype name, and I'll send it to you.

Where should we send your mail?
This is important!!!!!! I no longer have an address in Columbus, since I am leaving my apartment. I'll give you my home address in Southern Ohio if you need it. Message me privately for it!

Won't you get homesick?
No kidding. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not a complete stone-cold beeatch. I love my family and friends from the bottom of my heart, and I mean that genuinely. But sometimes you gotta bite the bullet if you want to have a real adventure. I'll be back soon enough! It will fly by for all parties involved. I promise! To end this, I'll quote Drake in Nicki Minaj's "Moment 4 Life." "Everybody dies, but not everybody lives." xoxoxo

Sugar is Not the Devil

I would like to preface this narrative by saying that I am an endurance athlete, and between training and off-seasons, I run approximately 80-115 miles a month. I have also been treated for an eating disorder. This week Oiselle, the women’s running company, shared an article by The Spectator about the dangers of clean eating. This is my experience as an athlete, and I thank Oiselle for bringing this topic to the forefront! Link to Spectator article: http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2015/12/clean-food-is-a-dangerous-fad/

I have essentially always been a vegetarian. When I was a child, I would throw down with my mom if she tried to make me eat a pork chop. The act of ordering a burger at a restaurant, or ribs or steak at a steakhouse, never appealed to me. It’s a texture thing, and I also have problems with eating stuff that once had a face and a heart. Ugh. Anyway, I recently made my vegetarian status official. And… I sort of became a vegan. On accident.

In the summer, I got a little bored with food, so I started following some local food bloggers to spice up my diet—more specifically, health conscious food bloggers. The Instagram posts of their bright, fruity oatmeal bowls looked so glamorous. Their superfood salads looked fit for a queen. I was hooked. I wanted to be part of their pretty sugar-free worlds. I was both entertained and stunned when their posts of a singular banana on a whitewashed, well-lit surface garnered hundreds of likes. I mean, it’s a dang banana. That’s when I finally realized I had bought into a cult.  

It started with some innocent muffins. They were made with all raw ingredients, and quite frankly, this recipe satisfied that voice of my eating disorder that still lingers inside. Raw. Guilt free. Dairy free. Gluten free. Wait. Since when couldn’t I have gluten or dairy??

It felt good, so I started making more recipes each week. It was time-consuming as I made each dish from scratch. Suddenly I was replacing my whole milk with almond milk. I was baking with coconut milk and coconut flour. (I was basically trying to be a coconut.) I bought $5 medjool dates to sweeten some bullshit paleo snack bars instead of using the raw sugar I already had in my cabinet. I made my own salad dressing from hemp seed, orange juice, and olive oil. (honestly I’m surprised oil made it into the recipe)

That’s right. I let some food bloggers who know nothing about my intense, active lifestyle, to swindle me into not eating dairy, sugar, or carbs. I bought into their cult-- their glowing social media presence-- to become an unhealthy disciple of this false lifestyle. I was in it for the glamor of it.

Over time I had unintentionally adapted a vegan diet, and since I’m not a vegan, I wasn’t taking any vitamins to supplement my diet. My iron, calcium, and protein levels were down for the count, and I got a nice lecture from my doctor about that. Which is nightmarish when you’ve already struggled with an eating disorder. In a nutshell, I was running 100 miles a month and consuming minimal amounts of fat and sugar and very little protein. (Don’t worry, carbs, I would never give you up!) It wasn’t about the calories. It was about the content and whether or not what I was eating was raw, or “clean.” Eating disorders manifest from obsessive behaviors, and I was obsessing over “bad” and “good” foods. I was at the point where I was having my tea and coffee with no sugar or cream because that wasn’t “clean.” I would only eat cream-less soups and drink soy lattes. I cut milk out of my diet for absolutely no reason other than paranoia about “clean eating.”

Believe it or not, when you’re an athlete, you actually need sugar, carbs, and fat!!

I understand that there are people who benefit from removing certain products from their diet. Do you know why? Because they have a diagnosed medical condition that prevents them from eating such things. One of my friends has Crohn’s disease and must closely monitor her diet. Another has Celiac’s disease, and another is lactose intolerant. They have actual, diagnosed medical conditions that prevent them from consuming certain either gluten or dairy. As for me, I was obnoxiously amending my diet because I religiously read healthy food blogs, whose writers communicated false information; whose writers made me feel like what I was doing was bad.

In the past I have mocked this fad, writing Facebook statuses such as, “Had Bottle Caps and Lucky Charms for dinner. #cleaneating” because I could see through the bullshit. So how did I end up in my vegan, paleo, sugar-free, gluten-free disastrous diet nightmare?

I realized I was wasting money on half of these ingredients when I had to throw them away at the end of the week when they spoiled. I live by myself, and no one else I’m associated with gives a shit about paleo snack bars. I wasted money on some frozen spinach when I tried to make some “green” blueberry chocolate smoothie, and it was freaking disgusting. One sip and I denounced green smoothie-making. I’ll have my Lucky Charms back, thanks. And also I love sweet tea and ice cream. Like the sweetest, most southern sweet tea. Those are two of my greatest loves in life.

I had a great balance going on until I became hypnotized by some pretty social media accounts, and ironically, blogs. (Since I am a blogger myself lolz). I'm still a vegetarian, but I happily consume gluten, dairy, and sugar again. Beware, my friends, especially my athletic friends. Clean eating is a mirage. Sugar is not the devil.

What I Read in 2015

PSA from The Peace Mobile: After publishing my 14th post of 2015 last week, I noticed that in 2014 I also published 14 posts. 14 is a nice, even number, but I think I need to give TPM a little more love throughout the year! 14 posts is barely 1 post a month. I can do better than that! Like it or not, expect more posts from TPM in 2016! Without further ado, here is my 2015 book review!

I read 12 books this year, which is not a whole lot, but it's more than I've read since before college! (In college, no one reads for fun. Yikes.) I've been balancing my hours as a part-time contributing writer and a full-time operations manager to rekindle my love for literature, making it a priority to read more this year, especially the latter half. An easy way to tell that I've been reading (re: sarcasm) is by looking at my Instagram account, where I unintentionally documented my favorite lines, chapter titles, and book art. Which sort of inspired this review! I tried a lot of new things in 2015. This year I read a lot of well-known authors, but also experimented with poetry and audiobooks for the first time. I may not seem very critical, but it's because I was wowed by almost every book I read. There were only a couple books that didn't impress me. I made my own scale too, for your entertainment. You're welcome.

5 - Out-fricking-standing! //  Code for... Riveting; wept when I finished it; contained either valuable life lesson(s) or a crazy good plot.
4 - So good! // Code for... Entertaining, easy read, with like-able characters!
3 - I gave it my best shot. // Code for... It had its good, possibly great moments, but they were too short-lived. I  had to try really hard to be interested.
2 - Not for me // Code for... Maybe for someone else.
1 - No, thanks. // Code for... NO.

Other ratings:
LOL - the obvious, laugh out loud.
LMAO - Freakin' funnier than an lol, an LMAO label means the author is probably a comedian.
actual tears (of sadness) - I cried actual tears.
Totes relatable - The author was speaking my language.
Beautiful AF - (v. pretty prose or poetry)
WTF? - Can't believe the book went there.

Yes Please by Amy Poehler
5 - LMAO, actual tears, totes relatable
In case you've lived under a rock the past year, you should know Amy Poehler released a book in late 2014. I got my hands on it and devoured it in January, and I've been hungry ever since. Although I would classify this as a memoir, it's also non-fiction-y and self help guide-ish. She has sound advice on love, self-love, and probably my favorite, career. She tells fascinating tales from her days at Second City and Saturday Night Live. She tells us about her philosophy on raising children. She throws some sexist a-holes under the bus, which was particularly satisfying. Overall, Amy teaches her readers (by example!) to embrace their own weird selves.

An infamous IG post from my favorite chapter.

"You have to care about your work but not about the result. You have to care about how good you are and how good you feel, but not about how good people think you are or how good people think you look."  - Amy Poehler, my mother            

One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories by B.J. Novak
3 - LMAO
I gave this a 3 because it took me forever to read. Because I wasn't super interested. I tried, I really did. I love Novak as a TV writer, so I assumed that love would translate to books as well. Comprised of many short stories, the book did make me laugh several times, and Novak thinks in a quirky, profound way that most humans don't. Although that element was refreshing, each story was so short that I could not become fully invested. This one took me the better part of 2015 to reach the last page. Sorry, B.J. I still love you.
Favorite snippet:

This gets me every time.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed
5 - LOL, actual tears, totes relatable, beautiful AF
Cheryl Strayed is my newest hero and everything I wish to be as a writer. She is raw, hilarious, deep, sharp, and her stories are worthy of screen adaptation. Thanks to that particular screen adaptation, many people know the story of Wild. SPOILER ALERT: Strayed, wracked with grief, hikes the Pacific Crest Trail on her own, a feat for anyone, but particularly a young person, alone, with no hiking experience whatsoever. I felt like Strayed was telling her story directly to me-- this could be because I listened to the audiobook, ;) I held my breath when she encountered difficulty or terror on the trail. I laughed when she made a fool of herself. I cried when she finished. This is my go-to recommendation for any woman looking for her "Wild moment," which I consider the moment she drops everything and does what she needs to survive this life.

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
4 - LMAO
It's a bfd (big f deal) when a book makes me laugh out loud, MORE THAN ONCE. I listened to this audiobook, mostly while running, and giggled all over the track. Sedaris reflects upon his past; as a closeted gay child; a cocaine addict doing lines of dust off whichever surface he could find dust on when he ran out of coke; as a lover living in France with his partner. Each essay was vastly different, but equally as hilarious. Everyone needs a little Sedaris in their lives at least one time. I recommend the audiobooks too because Sedaris himself reads his work, and his diction is fantastic.

The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
1
Nope. Nope, and more nope. Such a disappointment. I thought I would love this since I loved Gatsby, but I despised all the characters. They were lazy, gluttonous, and completely worthless when it came to advancing the plot. They bickered with each other non-stop. They were whiny. They were annoying. I made it 3/4 of the way through and surrendered. I couldn't take any more! Sorry, Fitzgerald lovers. This isn't his best work.

The Vacationers by Emma Straub
4 - LOL, totes relatable
I am always mesmerized by writers who juggle the points of view of several characters, and Straub killed it. She was surprising too, because the closer we got to the climax, the more viewpoints she included. She crescendo-decrescendos if we're talking in musical terms. (I don't know the literary term for this). She started with the sole members of the Post family, added Lawrence and Charlie, finally Carmen, Joan, and Gemma, then whittled it back down to the Post family members. I related most to the character Sylvia because she is closest to me in age, but I had no trouble reading the other characters. Watch out for Bobby. He is a big, dumb player. And so is Joan. Give Jim a chance, though. The story was like a tasteful gossip column. It was juicy, and also a really quick read. I read at least 100 pages during commercial breaks during ABC Family's HP Weekend. Considering the setting of the book (the Spanish islands), this is either a great vacation read (imagine that) or a nice, warm story to get lost in during the bitter, winter months!

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
5 - WTF
In a good way. This book was hard to put down. Alas, I read it on my lunch break over the course of two weeks. When I finished, in a Panera, completely slack-jawed, I kind of felt like I needed therapy. The plot twisted and turned, and terrified me several times. Like, I was afraid to be in my own apartment. There isn't much I can say that won't give it away. So go read it!


All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
5 - actual tears, beautiful AF
Brilliant. Breathtaking. Heartbreaking. Most beautiful prose I've read in a long time. This book is a 2015 Pulitzer Prize winner in fiction! Every single detail, from dreams and landscapes to radios and war machines, was described with gorgeous but concise vocabulary. This is a very unusual love story set in WWII Europe, told over the course of many years and by many characters, organized in short chapters. I could barely tear my eyes away from the pages. I only wish Doerr had some mercy upon a couple of characters. I have an infatuation with WWII, so I recommend this novel to anyone with the same taste for historical fiction.

Another basic IG post.

We'll Always Have Paris by Jennifer Coburn
4 - LOL, totes relatable, actual tears
As a fellow writer with an obsession with European travels, I had experienced many of the same situations Coburn describes in this mother/daughter memoir. Coburn is the nervous type, and this translates well into self-deprecation and humor. That's the basis of the whole book; she is afraid of dying young, so she takes her daughter on long European vacations in case her time is cut short (aka We'll always have paris).

Blue Iris by Mary Oliver
poetry - 4 - beautiful AF
This was my first real dance with poetry. I read this and American Primitive before bed, a few poems each night, in hopes that Oliver's lovely words would send me sweet dreams. Oliver manages to take the most minute details from nature and spins them into magical, poetic tales. I was studying poetry because I decided I wanted to try it myself. Oliver was a great teacher, and I managed to churn out a few pieces, inspired by her style, and one was featured in a poetry forum, where I was referred to as a "poet" for the first time. I will always read Mary Oliver lovingly, knowing she was a huge inspiration for my own work, but I think anyone who enjoys reading should definitely give her books a try.

My favorite poem was Sunflowers, and here is an excerpt:
Come with me
into the field of sunflowers.
Their faces are burnished disks,
their dry spines 

creak like ship masts,
their green leaves,
so heavy and many,
fill all day with the sticky 

sugars of the sun.

American Primitive by Mary Oliver
poetry - 4 beautiful AF
I admire Oliver's poetry because she uses stunning language and writes brilliant lines and gestures, but does not waste a single word. One of my biggest pet peeves in writing is when an author uses big, fluffy words to try to sound fancy. "Do or do not. There is no try."

Heartburn by Nora Ephron
2 - LOL
I know Ephron is regarded as the ultimate feminist writer, but this was my first time reading her and I couldn't get into this one. I hope Meryl Streep and other fans can forgive me. The main character annoyed the hell out of me, and I found her to be a ditsy fool. I wanted to scream into the book at her. Which is unfortunate since this one is loosely based on Ephron's life. She did manage to make me laugh, usually in disbelief. I will definitely give her another chance in 2016!

Honorable Mention // Lenny Letter by Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner and contributors
This is not a book. If it was a book, I would give it a 5. It is a feminist e-newsletter facilitated by the ladies listed above. I've been a subscriber since day one, which was only a few months ago, and I read these religiously. They feature mostly essays and excerpts- fiction, poetry, politics, and interviews with powerful women we should know about. I promise, if you subscribe, they will cover something you care about. At some point. ;) I personally try to care about a lot of things, even when they do not pertain to me, because, that's like, how equality works and stuff. Go to http://www.lennyletter.com/ to subscribe. 'Tis free!

I had a pretty damn good 2015 reading year, considering there was only 1 book that disgusted me, and a couple that were sub-par, in my opinion. But you know what they say about opinions... The rest was quality material. *~no ragrets~*

Do you have any suggestions for 2016 reading material? Come at me, bro. (I call everyone bro)

To the Woman Who Taught Me to Play Piano

For Sharon Hawley

Dear piano teacher,

You meant so much to me in my childhood, but even more so to me as an adult. In my ever-changing home life, you were my constant. As I moved from house to house and switched schools, your home, your patience, and your love was always the same. I needed that, and I thank you.

It never occurred to me until recently, but I could read music before I could read my own native English, and that I owe to you. To this day, twenty years later, I remember my first piano lesson. You showed me the keys, and when you finished, I asked you, “But where are H, I, and J?” You laughed, delighted at my innocence. In your house I began as a 4’ tall 5 year old with no interest in the keys, and I grew in every way to a lanky 18-year-old with a vast love and adoration for music.

Dear piano teacher, I thank you for giving me lessons, even when my family had forgotten to pay you for weeks. Your graciousness taught me more than you will ever know. You trusted my family, and you always gave us a chance to pay you the following week. And when we finally caught up, it seemed that we were behind again. But you didn’t care about money. You wanted to give me a musical education despite anyone’s finances.

Thank you for having faith in my talent when I was eleven but played with the skill level of a 7-year-old. Thank you for your patience during those rocky years. It was because of your faith in me, that merely two years after that,  at thirteen I played at the level of someone much older. At recitals, I was your intro, playing simplified versions of the greats for years. It seemed like I was never going to improve. And then seemingly overnight I became the finale, taking the place of all your students I had looked up to before. Sometimes you let me arrange my own pieces, and again your faith in my creativity meant the world to me. I thought it was so cool when you let me combine a Broadway tune with a Christmas piece and let me call it “Christmas Explosion.” It was so quirky, and I have a feeling that not many other teachers would have allowed me to do something so outlandish.

Thank you for treating me like your own when you had no obligation to do so. Thank you for all the rides home from school, the ice cream stops before lessons, the Christmas gifts and birthday cards. Thank you for teaching me to read music; to play my favorite instrument of all. Music is a universallanguage. Music is love. And you taught me that. I love you.

Sincerely,

Your student always

The Peace Mobile Is Moving to Spain!

Pending Visa approval, I will be a resident of southern Spain from late January through early July in 2016!

The last two years I've given a "prediction" of the next year to come. In 2013 I said that 2014 would be a game-changer, and it was. Many events, both beautiful and devastating impacted my life and changed my point of view in a multitude of ways. In 2014 I said that 2015 would be the year of execution. In 2014 I did a lot of organizing and planning, and in 2015 I did a lot of achieving. I picked up two paid writing gigs and moved into an apartment on my own, without roommates, for the first time ever. I got a raise at my current job, and I completed 3 half marathons in three different states plus my first long-distance relay. Personally and professionally I made strides toward the life I wish to live.

I have a feeling that 2016 is going to be just phenomenal. I have so many goals to achieve. I want to see a new continent (Africa!), visit Portugal, Italy, Morocco, and Ireland for the first time, run a race in a new country, become fluent in Spanish, give full-time writing a heavy push, be a bridesmaid for the first time (actually, this one is inevitable, so the goal is to be a good one), be a better global citizen. I am out of breath just trying to fathom it all.

I feel that all my successes and all my failures have lead me to this decision. I will be a nanny for my absolutely gorgeous and endearing host family. A large part of my job will be teaching their young children how to speak English. Teaching, in any form, is an honor, and I know how important my role will be in their lives. In turn, I know how much more they will influence my life. I will also be attending class at a Spanish university, and I start class on my 25th birthday. I can't think of a better way to start my next year of life. In addition, my host city has a marathon in April, and you bet your sweetness that I'll be running it.

Leaving will be difficult. There are so many people I love. No one wants to up and leave their family and friends, but I know I am in the perfect time of my life for this opportunity. I am as unattached as they come right now. And six months really isn't that long in the grand scheme of things.

When I return in midsummer, I will have a fresh, blank canvas to start with, and for once I am happy to have no plans. I feel like the weight of trying to be successful has worn me down for so long, and now instead of aiming for success, I am aiming for happiness. Which is a success in itself.

Time Management Tips from a Busy Bee

I am a writer and a runner with a full-time job. I work 40 hours a week, run 4-5 days a week, write for two websites plus my own blog, and I serve on several volunteer committees throughout the year. In the last few months I've had to learn to be extra efficient since I have so many tasks weighing on me on a daily basis.

1. Make a to-do list, but on a macro scale.
I learned the hard way in architecture school that if I made an elaborate to-do list with specific deadlines, I stressed myself out more. I usually missed the deadlines, throwing off the elaborate schedule; therefore, I wasted time writing and worrying about the darn thing. It's easier to write a weekly list to write down tasks that need to be tackled at some point in the week instead of taking on every possible detail at one time.

2. Plan. Plan. Plan.
Similar to the macro to-do list, plan what you'd like to accomplish monthly, and break it down. For example, I'm not currently signed up to run any races, but I'd still like to maintain around 75 miles a month. That's around 19 miles a week. Thanks to that planning, I have a grasp on what I should do on a weekly basis to accomplish that. For another example, I am terrible about eating out every day of the week. When I take time to plan out a week's worth of food, I'm prepared and I save time worrying about that food and I save money! I say this as I eat a cookie for dinner. ;) We can't always manage time perfectly.

3. Weekends are everything.
Long run. Yoga. Meal plan/prep. Nap. Catch up on TV. Do laundry. Clean. Write all the words.
Take one of these weekend days and do something excessively that you cannot do on a weekday.

4. Keep your creativity in check. (And all will fall into place)
To be a better writer, I need to be a better reader. This fall I finally went to get a library card (after living in Columbus for six years) and I've been taking full advantage of it. I listen to audiobooks while I cook and run, and I read on my lunch breaks and sometimes before bed. I will say that since I've put an effort into consuming more literature, my creativity has been more consistent. This goes for all creative types. Make room for observing the art of others, and art will come to you; thus making your (artistic) job easier.

5. Take advantage of lunch breaks.
I mentioned before that I've been reading on my lunch breaks, and that's a great creative escape from the daily grind. I mean, it's a treat. A dose of lit right in the middle of the workday?! Yes, please. But I also use lunch breaks to grocery shop, schedule appointments, go to said appointments, and sometimes work on one of my assignments for a site. I'm lucky because my place of employment is in an area of town where I am able to achieve all these tasks during the work day, which always saves a little time.

6. Try to maintain a clean living space.
This is what you come home to after working hard, and for some of us, we have to continue to work hard in our home space. When my house is a wreck, it's easy for my mind to become a wreck too, making it hard for me to focus and accomplish anything. My house is by no means a spotless temple for creativity, but I cannot handle a pigsty. (Like pigs are cute and all, but since when do pigs write books and stuff?)

6. GTF away from your phone! (At least once a day!)
This one is hard for me because I feel a certain dependency on my phone for my job(s). I am constantly checking and replying to email, keeping notes, managing the schedules and plans I mentioned, and of course, running Instagram for a few organizations! But when I am able to escape my phone for an hour or so, usually while I'm running, I feel so freakin' refreshed afterward! And much less overwhelmed.

7. Don't be hard on yourself, and take necessary breaks.
I am my own worst critic. The worst. I have learned to let go when I don't quite accomplish every little task on my list. I often stay up into the night writing or working, but sometimes I crash at 10:30 (this is extremely early in my world lol). Sometimes, even when a deadline is pressing, I have to take a whole evening off because I can't stand to be in my house. And that's okay.

8. Be critical
On the other hand, if you're really pressed for time, be critical of what is beneficial to your time management. For example, there are no photos in this post! Ya'll can do without a couple pictures. ;) Happy reading and best of lucky, busy bees!