Adjusting… to the real world after a wonderful cruise! I plan on fully recapping my vacation in the coming weeks, so stay tuned! It was definitely a… memorable… time. (How’s that for a teaser?!) Yesterday was my first full day back at work in 12 days and it was a good day! I got some work done and it felt good to be back to normal. And I missed all my coworkers! You know you work with good people when you actually look forward to work and seeing them again after a long time off.

Reading… The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. I’ve never read this novel because I heard it’s sad and I just don’t like reading sad animal novels! But so many people have recommended it to me, and I figured I should read it (especially now, while Dutch is healthy and I can hug and kiss him every time I get sad while reading, ha!) So far, I can’t get enough of it and it’s making my dog lover heart so happy.

Watching… Revenge! I stopped watching the show early in the season, but I kept recording the episodes on my DVR. I just didn’t love the start of the new season, so I put off watching it. Then I heard that this season was the last season (which I’m happy about… I think it’s the right decision as there’s not much more they can do with this kind of show without the plot getting too crazy), so I decided I needed to have a Revenge binge! Plus, all my shows are currently on summer hiatus so there’s not much else to watch right now.

Recovering from… a sprained ankle. During my zip-lining excursion in Puerto Rico, I turned my ankle on a particularly treacherous hiking portion. It happened about halfway through the excursion and put a bit of a damper on the experience. When I got back home, I went to a walk-in clinic to get my foot and ankle x-rayed to make sure it wasn’t broken (which happened the last time I went hiking. I am done hiking for the foreseeable future, is what I’m saying.) Luckily, it is only sprained, so I didn’t need an air cast or walking boot. Very happy about that! All I’m really doing now is wearing a brace and trying to stay off it as much as possible. Luckily, it doesn’t hurt anymore… it’s just a little annoying to walk on.

Anticipating… my upcoming move. I am really excited to settle on a place and to start the process of moving. I don’t necessarily hate to move (I always love having a new home to organize and a new place to explore), but it can be very stressful and is just a lot of work. And it’s so costly! Especially since I have to factor in a pet fee, which can range from $250 to $500! But I am excited to move out and have a place of my own. And to move in with someone I get along with SO well (and whom I just seriously love and adore!)

Wishing… for another vacation! I have such wanderlust. I’m hoping to take a trip to Asheville later this year and maybe somewhere else? Hopefully, but I also have an upcoming move to pay for so time will tell!

Grateful… for my mom. I mean, I am always grateful for her because she is honestly the best. But she has been overwhelmingly awesome in the aftermath of my injury. She was perfectly fine with us taking it super easy the last two days of the cruise, drove the entire way home from Miami (without complaint!), and even did all the laundry when we got home. I am so grateful for her and her selfless love for me.

Reminiscing… about all the wonderful experiences of my cruise. Swimming in the clear blue waters of the Bahamas, driving a speed boat through the Caribbean Sea, snorkeling in a private cove in St. Thomas, zip lining in Puerto Rico. It was an incredible time and I feel so, so lucky that I have the means to experience all of this. I sacrifice in order to do so, but I also know it’s a blessing, too.

Loving… being back to normal life. Vacations are so much fun, but I also really, really love my normal life. I remember a time when I hated my normal life and would always feel so, so sad when vacations ended and I had to go back to the monotony. It’s good to have built a life that is enjoyable and makes me happy. Nothing can compare to being on vacation, but real life feels good, too.

feeling happy and so darn satisfied with my life right now

anticipating my upcoming cruise (33 days!)

obsessively researching the stops on our cruise and what we’ll do while we’re in port

reading A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra

thinking about my spring/summer capsule wardrobe and what pieces I need to make it complete

finished with apartment hunting – we looked at 13 apartment communities, so I think we were plenty thorough

happy with my workouts lately – lots of cardio intervals on the stationary bike & elliptical at the gym and strength training; I am sore and sweaty following each workout, which feels so good

writing for one hour each morning on the weekends

planning to take a social media/blogging break sometime this summer

using a cash budget system effectively this month

hoping to take two more vacations this year (North Carolina and a short weekend cruise)

cleaning off my makeup each night using makeup removal wipes + cleanser and moisturizer, in the hopes this clears up my skin (it seems to be doing the trick)

wanting to dive back into the online dating world (I needed a break from it all, but I think it’s time to get back out there)

working on my blog a ton, so I can launch my new blog theme sooner rather than later

watching Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

preparing my workload so being gone for a week next month doesn’t put me too far behind (and very thankful that April is 4.5 weeks long, so I can finish up my April deadlines early, and get started on my May deadlines in April!)

wondering if I should get a waterproof case for my point-and-shoot camera for taking pictures underwater during my snorkeling excursion

What are you currently reading, anticipating, and planning?

Feeling… incredibly sore. On Saturday morning, I did a 10-minute leg workout and it. kicked. my. butt. My quads and hamstrings have been so sore since that workout! DOMS at its finest. I haven’t felt this kind of sore from exercise in a really long time so, as much as it hurts, it also feels really good. After my Savannah race, I’m going to get back to focusing on strength training, along with different kinds of cardio, because I really just love it.

Worried… about Dutch. If you follow me on social media, you know he had a bit of a rough week. After picking him up from PetSmart, where he got a bath and nail trim, I noticed Dutch was walking funny and seemed to be having trouble putting weight on his left leg. I knew something was definitely wrong when he couldn’t run up our stairs. (He always runs up the stairs!) Luckily, he was already scheduled to have his comprehensive exam (and his annual teeth cleaning), so when we took him in, we mentioned the problem with his leg, and they took x-rays of his legs and spine. Thankfully, nothing wrong appeared on the x-rays, so the vet believes he just has a pinched nerve. What a relief! He’s on an anti-inflammatory and a muscle/joint supplement, and limited exercise, so let’s hope he gets better soon.

Reading… The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion. It’s the sequel to The Rosie Project, which I read last year. I’m almost finished with it and I just love it. I love Don Tillman so much.

Anticipating… Savannah! I am not worried about the 5k… I know I can finish and I want to just have a good time, not worry so much about striving for having the best race ever, but just enjoy being in Savannah and running through the historic district. And I am just excited about a fun weekend in my favorite city with my favorite person.

Organizing… the categories on my blog, in preparation for launching a new blog theme in the coming weeks. This wound up being a much bigger project than I originally imagined. I had over 100 categories! (This is not a joke!) Most of them either had just a few blog posts or zero, so I’ve been trying to redo the way I tag my posts and categorize them so it feels a bit less messy. I spent hours on this project this past weekend and still didn’t get it all done. Eek.

Planning… to move in with my friend Bri! Yes, yes, yes! I am so excited about this. I thought I would never, ever want to have a roommate again, but Bri and I get along so well and she’s the only person I would consider doing this with. (Plus, apartment costs are expensive and I’ve been really stressing about how I was going to afford everything.) We’ve talked budgets, move-in dates, and apartment must-have’s (hers is a washer/dryer in unit; mine is a pet-friendly community and a gym). She adores Dutch and can’t wait to have him with us. And I’m just thrilled! This is exactly what I wanted and I’m pinching myself that I get to be her roommate. 🙂 We’re going to look at our first two apartments on Friday afternoon – woohoo!

Searching… for the perfect eyebrow tool. I have really light and thin eyebrows… they practically disappear if I don’t use an eyebrow pencil to darken them. (Funny thing is my eyebrows used to be brown just a few years ago! Now they are blonde.) I’ve tried basically all the drugstore brands and none of them do what I need them to do, so I’m thinking I may need to try a pricier option. On my list, either ULTA’s Brow Expert or Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Bold Brow Kit. Or maybe I just need to dye my eyebrows…

Wanting… to spend more time on my fiction novel. I haven’t even opened the document since late August, and I am missing stretching my creative muscles. Luckily, my writing partner and I are meeting up on Friday to work on our novels! I am so excited!

Wishing… my soda cravings would just go away. It’s been almost three weeks, and I’m still craving it like crazy. I mean, it’s not terrible. I can resist it. But I just wish I didn’t have them at all, you know? I think it’s all about reframing my thoughts and habits, and the more I resist, the stronger I become. Deep breaths. I can do this!

Loving… “springing forward,” Trader Joe’s, days when running feels fun, The Voice, a clean bill of health from Dutch’s exam, lady dates, new office supplies, and baking therapy.

What are you currently reading, anticipating, and loving?

Feeling… a little anxious about running. It hasn’t been the best running week for me, which makes me feel really nervous about my race at the end of March. I know, I know. I have plenty of time, but I’m really not in 5k shape just yet. And I just want every week to be a roses & butterflies running week! Why can’t it be that way? Meh.

Reading… Yes Please by Amy Poehler. I’m only about 25% in, but I love it so far. I have such a crazy girl crush on Amy, and I think it will only expand the more I read her book.

Writing… for a really fun freelance project. I can’t say much about it, but it’s been a really interesting process so far and a good way to stretch my writing muscles in a totally different way.

Listening to… Taylor Swift’s 1989 and nope, I am not sorry about it. I even bought the album on iTunes, something I have never done, because she took all her music off Spotify, so I had to. Well played, Swifty.

Watching… Parenthood, currently. Last night was the series finale, but I’m still about four episodes behind. I’m not ready for this TV show to end! Why does it have to end? It makes no sense. I’m super bummed. What other show is going to make me sob hard with each episode?

Excited about… taking my seventh cruise in May! Yep – that’s right. My mom and I have booked another cruise. After our first cruise in May of 2011, we promised one another we would try our hardest to take one cruise a year and we have done that! This will mark five years in a row of us taking a cruise in May. This year, we’re taking a 7-day cruise out of Miami. It travels to Half Moon Cay (Carnival’s private island in the Bahamas), St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, and Grand Turk. For the past two years, we’ve taken short 5-day cruises, so I am stoked for a longer cruise. Only 106 days and counting!

Playing… Trivia Crack. It’s an obsession. And I’m not especially good at it. So it makes me feel like a moron sometimes. But it’s fun! And educational! And I’m learning so much useless trivia!

Buying… new pants because nothing is fitting me anymore! In the best way – I’ve lost 10 lbs since December and it must all be in my waist and hips because my pants are not fitting me right anymore. I splurged on a pair of exercise capris (I tend to budget shop for those, but slapped down $50 on a pair of Nike running capris), as well as a pair of Old Navy skinny jeans. (I was able to go two sizes down in those! Wahoo!)

Thinking about… bangs. I have a hair appointment coming up in the next few weeks and I was scrolling through Pinterest last night and found this cut. I want it and I know I shouldn’t get it because BANGS AND ME ARE NOT A GOOD FIT. But it’s cute! And fun! And someone talk me out of this!

Loving… the #brosbeingbasic Instagram account, researching excursions for my upcoming cruise, when Dutch snuggles against me so perfectly while I’m writing, dark chocolate covered pomegranates, and girl talk.

What are you currently reading, excited about, and loving?

Feeling… insanely happy. There’s no other word to describe it. I am in this state of blissfulness and excitement about my life and the things that are unfolding. And it’s Christmastime. There’s no better time of year, in my opinion!

Reading… The Time Traveler’s Wife. Can you believe I’ve never read this book before? It’s slow going for me, just because I haven’t been making time for reading like I normally do (weird, right?), but I’m really enjoying it when I do carve out some time to sit and read. It’s so well-written!

Watching… not a ton of stuff, lately. (Are you sensing a theme here?) I do have dozens of Christmas movies taped that are taking up space on my DVR. I need to watch them! The only Christmas movie I’ve watched so far is A Boyfriend for Christmas (one of my favorite Christmas movies!) Also, I realized this the other day: I have never seen Home Alone. I laid this bombshell on someone and I swear he almost passed out from the shock. Why have I never seen Home Alone??? I must remedy that this Christmas season!

Anticipating… Christmas morning! Is there anything like Christmas morning? No, there is not. It’s my favorite day of the year!

Listening to… Christmas music! I may not be doing great with watching Christmas movies, but I am doing a great job at listening to Christmas music! I’m actually super behind on my podcast listening because all I want to do is listen to Christmas music. And I think Pentatonix’s version of “Mary, Did You Know?” is outstanding and a much listen/watch. Ugh, they are so good!

Planning… to finish up my Christmas shopping on Friday. I’m mostly finished, but not quite. I think I can knock it out completely on Friday afternoon, which will feel wonderful!

Losing… weight without really trying too hard. Ha! I haven’t had much of an appetite lately, so food has become very uninteresting to me. I’m basically just eating to eat, which is an entirely new phenomenon for me. I’m not too worried about not having an appetite, but I dearly hope it comes back soon. But hey! Yay for pants fitting better and not feeling like a slave to my appetite anymore. (I lost four and a half pounds last week WITHOUT TRYING. Go me?)

Falling behind… on Holiday Council work. I still haven’t even done the first worksheet! I’m thinking I might carve out some time on Thursday evening to make some peppermint hot cocoa and snuggle into bed with my worksheets, listen to the calls, and get back on track.

Realizing… that I am most certainly the opposite of a movie buff. Do you know how many movies I haven’t seen that just about everyone has? A list, of sorts: Jaws, Home Alone (as mentioned above!), The Goonies, Top Gun, Braveheart, The Patriot, and many, many others. I’m just not a movie person, I guess!

Loving… scented candles, my coworkers and the fun we have throughout the day, Christmas lights, productive work days, chilly mornings, tinted lip balm, and SeaWorld adventures.

What are you currently reading and anticipating?