Monday, September 30, 2013

A Review of Packing Light

Have you ever just felt meh? There's not necessarily anything wrong; in fact, if you were to describe your life to someone, you'd realize just how blessed you were. But despite that, you just feel like you're coasting through life, and you know there has to be something more.

Allison (Ally) Vesterfelt had that same feeling. Her life in Portland, Oregon was perfectly fine; she had a nice roommate who she got along with, a job she enjoyed, and hobbies and friends that made her happy...or so she thought.

When Ally confessed to her friend Sharaya that she had always wanted to take a road trip and visit all 50 states, Sharaya came up with counterarguments to every objection that she had for why it wasn't a wise idea.

What would happen to Ally's routine life when she pared it down to the basics and hit the road? How would she learn to shed her literal and metaphorical baggage in order to live a fuller life and find out who she really was? Most importantly, what would Ally do when she got home and had to return to a "normal" life?

Packing Light came into my life at the perfect time. I've been feeling a little blah lately, and I've been in need of a little shaking up. Although I can't take a cross-country journey like Ally and Sharaya, I can get rid of the physical and spiritual junk that's holding me back from packing light and living a fuller life.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of Packing Light, but all opinions are entirely my own!

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

30 During 30: Month 2 Update (August 17-September 16)

I'm a couple of days behind on this update because it's been a little crazy at work this week.

I'll just be honest; I didn't do so hot from August to September. I don't know if it was because work picked up or what, but it was nothing like the first month. I went on another date night with Will (#18) and had a sushi night with my mom and another female friend (#19). I also determined that I'm not going to work on my website design certification (#30) right now because I could only pay for it by going into debt or really stretching our monthly budget, and it just wasn't worth it to me. Plus, there are a lot of good, free training sites that I can use to gain some skills. But, that's about it. It's a marathon, not a sprint, right?

On another, not-so-good note, I weighed myself one day while at my parents' house and found out that I've gained a good amount of weight during our six months (!) of marriage. So, I've changed my goal 7 from lose 40 pounds to 50. Le sigh. I've decided to participate in Peak 313's 5 week Living and Active Challenge. I'm a couple of days behind on starting this one too, but I'd like to hit the ground running (semi-literally) tomorrow.

Anyone else participating in this one?

Monday, September 9, 2013

Blogtember: September 9

Monday, September 9: Take this short personality test and respond to your results. (at the end, find the detailed profile of your personality account - click "click to view" under "You" and "self awareness and personal growth." You can even google your type and find more info on it!)

Okay, this one surprised me a little until I started reading more about it. I'm an ISFP, which means Introvert, Sensing, Feeling, Perceiving. As you can see below, I don't have strong tendencies in any of the categories


Your Type
ISFP
Introvert(33%)  Sensing(12%)  Feeling(25%)  Perceiving(22)%
  • You have moderate preference of Introversion over Extraversion (33%)
  • You have slight preference of Sensing over Intuition (12%)
  • You have moderate preference of Feeling over Thinking (25%)
  • You have slight preference of Perceiving over Judging (22%)

I fully expected to be an extrovert because I can have conversations with anyone and have never really felt "shy"; however, introversion doesn't necessarily refer to being outgoing. The questions in the test seemed to talk more about how I felt when I was around large crowds, whether I would rather have fewer friends, stay home versus go out, etc. I'm definitely a homebody, and I don't feel energized by large social gatherings, so I think that's where the introversion came in.

I read more about these traits here and here. I think these sites were really insightful into some aspects of my personality, such as why I didn't like taking online classes! Is there anyone reading who actually knows me and would like to comment on my perception versus my actual personality?

Friday, September 6, 2013

Blogtember: September 6

Friday, September 6: A story about a time you were very afraid.

In October 2009, life was going well but busy. I was almost two years into my current career. I was taking professional development classes through an online community college program, and things were moving right along. 

Then my dad's heart decided to stop working correctly.

I lived at home at the time, and I still remember my mom coming into my room around 2 or 3 AM and telling me they were going to the hospital. We didn't know what was going on at the time, but later on, it was revealed that if things hadn't gone the way they did- if the doctor would've sent him home instead of doing this one particular test- then this story (and all of my stories) would have a very different ending. 

During the midst of all of this- heart surgery, my mom staying overnight with him, driving downtown to his hospital- my brother had a massive seizure. So massive, that we had to call 911 the morning it happened and have him taken to another hospital. Neither my mom nor I knew what was going on or how to fix anything. I'd like to say that I prayed and felt peace about the outcome of everything, but I didn't. I was scared. I was stressed. I took it out on my coworkers. I, inexplicably, made batch after batch of mini muffins for my brother and me one night. But, in the end, everything worked out. My dad is healthy. My brother is healthy. The fear is gone, and I am strong. 



Thursday, September 5, 2013

Blogtember: September 5

Thursday, September 5: Pass on some useful advice or information you learned and always remembered. 


Do it now. Seriously. It doesn't matter if "it" means a chore, something fun, or something that's always seemed impossible, just do it. If you can't do it all at once (like I can't just abandon my current life for 3 months and go to the beach like I said I wanted to yesterday...), then break it down into manageable steps. What do you have to do to get there? Work backwards. I could choose where I want to go and when, then figure out how much money it will take to get there, then break that down into steps, etc, etc. But the point is, just do it now. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got something to do...now. 

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Blogtember: September 4

Wednesday, September 4: If you could take three months off from your current life and do anything in the world, what would you do? (bonus points for fun photos from Pinterest, but don't forget to cite the source!)

Source

Just me, the husband, the pup, and a stack of books and magazines. I might not even put on pants the entire time. TMI?

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Blogtember: September 3

Tuesday, Sept. 3: Describe where or what you come from. The people, the places, and/or the factors that make up who you are.


How is it just the first prompt, and I'm already tired of this blogging challenge? I guess I'm tired of describing myself, who I am, where I came from, what shaped me, etc. Truth is, I've been in a rut for a little bit. It's not that anything bad is happening necessarily; it's just that I feel kind of just...there. Maybe it's just because I'm in a routine. Maybe it's work stuff. Maybe it's settling into married life. Maybe it's all of those things or none of those things. Who knows? The point is, I just don't feel like explaining yet again that I'm Amber from Tennessee and all of the other million little details. I love to write and blog, but I'm starting to feel kind of meh about this also. Hopefully the other prompts will inspire me a little more and help me shake this funk.

So, uh, yeah, welcome if you're reading this for the first time. I'll try to dial down the cranky a notch or twenty next time...