Feeling… little bouts of anxiety here and there. I’m still not fully myself, but I’m getting there. Little by little, this new life will start feeling less scary.

Reading… Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. At 477 pages, this one is going to take me a while.

Happy… that my grandma is recovering well from her surgery on Thursday. I was so glad to see her on Saturday and am hoping that her tests today go well and she can finally start eating actual food. (Because she lost a lung, there’s a chance she could aspirate when swallowing, so she’s been on an NPO diet (i.e., she cannot eat or drink anything orally). She’s been getting potassium and sugar through an IV, but can’t even have a sip of water! Poor lady.

Listening to… some new podcasts, including Magic Lessons, Real Talk Radio, and Hidden Brain.

Anticipating… my hair appointment on Friday. Hair appointments make me so happy. They are relaxing and I always leave with cute hair. Yay!

Watching… all of my favorite TV shows! I love premiere season. Some new ones I’m trying: Life in Pieces, Quantico, Scream Queens, The Grinder, and Code Black.

Planning… some goals to accomplish in the last quarter of 2015. I can’t believe we’re nearing the end of this year! I have enjoyed this year, but I want to end it with a bang – so I’m setting some big goals to accomplish.

Wondering… if my stuffy nose has anything to do with my acid reflux. I was on 40 mg of generic Prilosec for 30 days, and after 30 days, I bumped down to 20 mg (per doctor’s orders). But then I wound up with a stuffy nose. It feels suspiciously how I felt when I had a sore throat for a month (no symptoms, hurt the most when I woke up, etc.) I couldn’t find much information on my theory, but I bumped myself back up to 40 mg yesterday and… no stuffy nose. Coincidence? I don’t know, but I’m going to continue and see what happens.

Waiting… for my new iPhone to arrive! I’ve been hemming and hawing over getting a new phone, but finally decided to bite the bullet and do it. I’ve had this current phone for over two years now and for something I use as much as I use my phone, a new one is just a good idea. I can’t wait for it to arrive!

Frustrated… by my lack of motivation when it comes to healthy eating and exercise. I know part of it is due to feeling sad and dealing with anxiety and panic attacks, and I’ve just been trying to take it easy and get lots of sleep. But I also know that eating better and exercising will only help my anxiety and get me on the path to feeling better. Must try harder!

Loving… kind people checking in on me, Dr. Pepper, a new beautiful pool to enjoy, Football Sundays, and salted caramel mochas.

What are you currently reading, anticipating, and frustrated by?

Feeling… a lot less stressed than I was last week. Last week, I was feeling very overwhelmed and I thought it was due to knowing my mom would be away for more than a week, but I think it had more to do with the wedding and making sure everything went perfectly for my mom. (Not that she was putting any pressure on me… it was my own perfectionist tendencies, I guess!) Once the wedding was over, I felt all my anxiety go away, and have been feeling very good this week! Three cheers to that!

Reading… What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty. It’s a ridiculously long novel, nearly 500 pages, so it’s slow going. I love Moriarty’s novels, but I do wish they weren’t so long! I think this book will end up being my least favorite of hers, but it’s still pretty good.

Watching… The League! I had a friend implore me to start watching this since I’ve been in my own fantasy football league for a few years now and she thought I would relate to it. And I love it! I’m halfway through season 2, and it can be a bit crass and silly, but it’s fun and lighthearted and just what I need right now.

Anticipating… seeing Joe Machi this weekend. I followed his journey on Last Comic Standing last year, and I was hoping he would win. I’m going with some girlfriends and I just can’t wait!

Listening to… a slew of new podcasts. I need to do a follow-up post to my post on my favorite podcasts because I have added so many more shows to my feed (I listen to around 27!) and my favorites have definitely changed. My most recent favorite is been The Shepod.

Planning… on trying out You Need a Budget. I loved San’s full review of the software, and it sounds like something that could be super useful to me. I hate talking about it, but I am not the best manager of my money and I really want to get better. I haven’t had much success using sites like Mint.com, but hopefully, YNAB will be different!

Wondering… what life is going to be like in a month or two. It’s hard to fathom how much my life is going to change when I finally move out. I can be very dependent on my mom, but I’m also very independent at the same time. Which probably doesn’t make sense. I’m worried about how my anxiety will be affected by the move, but I’m also really, really ready to shake up my life and make a big change.

Grateful… for my grandma. I learned last week that my grandma is 1 in 7. What does that mean? Well, stage IV colon cancer patients have a 1 in 7 chance of living past five years. My grandma was diagnosed in 2008. And though the cancer has returned three times since her initial diagnosis, she’s managed to kick its butt each time. This time around has been much more difficult on her, but the lady is a fighter. She’s incredible.

Wanting… a new bed. I was hoping to buy a new bed before my move, but it probably won’t happen. But this is a purchase I want to make very soon! I want to go to an actual furniture store (not IKEA!) and buy an actual adult bed and an actual adult mattress. No more hand-me-downs!

Loving… fresh flowers at home, tiny ice cream cones, the Colorfy app, group texts with my coworkers, snuggles with Dutch, and rainy afternoons.

What are you currently reading, anticipating, and grateful for?

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?