Monday Night Crafts With the Girls: My Perfect Plan to Make Friends

I need to join a yoga class or a book club or something equally as social so I can make friends. I feel as though I am in that awkward stage of life where making friends is difficult if I don't already have them.

I am no longer in school, seeing the same people every day. I am no longer on a sports team where I can bond with the other girls during practices and games. I work an 8-5 job with engineers as old as my parents, so my chances of making lasting friendships at work are slim to none. Now, don't get me wrong. There are many people I adore and consider friends that are much older than me, but I would like to meet people who are similar in age and enjoy similar activities (and who don't mind hearing me complain about life every now and then).

The fact of the matter is, if someone asked me who my best friend was, I wouldn't know what to say. I don't have an answer to that. If someone asked me who I hang out with most frequently, I still wouldn't know what to say. I don't hang out much. I am not complaining by any means, I just think it's time to branch out and make some friends. Some that can hopefully put up with me, because apparently its a task.

On my 21st birthday, everyone except my boyfriend bailed. Who does that? We had plans to form two teams and complete a drinking scavenger hunt down town, moving from bar to bar. However, I ended up ringing in the legal years with my boyfriend, his roommate, and his roommates two friends who decided to join us last minute. Yippee! It actually turned out to be a great night, but it would have also been neat to stick to the plan and be surrounded by people I already know.

So, it's either the fact that they can't put up with me or I am simply incapable of making and keeping close friends; unless of course that friend is 800 miles away in the middle of no where. I met that friend on a whirlwind weekend during the chaos of her wedding planning and we just fit together like two long lost puzzle pieces. Sometimes it works out that way - you just immediately click with someone. And then sometimes that friend tells you that they live in Missoula, Montana and won't be able to hang out but twice a year. It happens, trust me.

That being said, I have come up with the perfect plan to make friends: Monday Night Crafts with the Girls. Unfortunately that doesn't create some awesome acronym we can use to describe our group like we did back when we were in high school. No big deal though. I have a feeling we will get by without needing an acronym.

But seriously, am I the only one who thinks this would be totally fun?

We can sit around and craft away while we sip our wine and talk about whatever is on our minds. Not to mention, every female I know has a Pinterest board full of projects they wish they had the time to complete but with the Girls Craft Nights we will all be making time! We can finally cross some of those items of our Pinterest bucket list and enjoy good company while doing it. I know I have some craft items still in my closet that were never completed.

I hope I don't sound like a crazy lady who really has 16 cats and is about to go start talking to her other-self any minute...

hahaha

Seriously, I think this is a solid plan!

Backpacking Alone: My Thoughts on the Subject a Month Before I Leave

Planning a trip like this has been an adventure in it's own. After going through all of the planning and preparing I can't imagine the things I will experience actually being there. Throughout the course of the preparation, I have planned to make this trip happen with four different groups, totaling about six or eight people. Now, I am just about five weeks out and all of those plans have failed for one reason or another. The result? I will be backpacking through Europe alone. I am both nervous and excited at the same time but I know that this trip is not going to be postponed because of lack of friends available to accompany me. What an adventure this has turned into!

I am into the purchasing and packing stage of this trip and it's making me a little anxious. I have my backpack already, courtesy of my parents and their thoughtful graduation gift, and I love it! It is purple  with teal accents and has all of the pockets, clips and hooks I will ever need! Oh, and it is about half my size. It is bigger than I would realistically need but then again, it is me I am talking about. I need room to bring home souvenirs and gifts.. and maybe a few bottles of wine! ;) 

Here is the backpack:

Packing this thing is going to be interesting. The sales associate who helped me at REI gave me some tips as far as where to put specific items and heavy items but overall I feel like it is going to be an unorganized mess after the first few days.

I am trying to put together a checklist of items I will need to purchase and bring with me so I don't forget anything. However, I feel that it is inevitable and I will end up forgetting something. I just hope it isn't something important. Forgetting something I will absolutely need is on my list of reasons I am nervous. If I am alone that means I can't borrow any items from friends. I will also need to navigate my way to the place where I can find the items I need...alone. Oh boy. So that brings me to my lists (I am a list person if you couldn't already tell).
Reasons Why I am Nervous:

1. I will be alone - Duh
2. I might get bored and start talking to myself - a legitimate fear
3. I might get lost - with current technology this is a little less likely, however still possible
4. I might forget something important 
5. There is the possibility of being pick-pocketed or having my things stolen - you best believe I will be attached to my backpack and all of my stuff at all times!

Reasons Why I am Excited:

1. I have only been out of the country on a spur of the moment trip to Canada so my Dad could grab some Cuban Cigars - that's right, my Dad is a rebel!
2. I will finally get to do what I have wanted to do for so long!
3. I will be able to experience the culture and atmosphere of about eight different countries
4. The places I will be able to visit and the things I will be able to see are going to give me unforgettable experiences and memories.
5. Food. Oh man am I excited for the food. 
6. Meeting new people - I have always loved just listening to the stories of others and I can't wait to talk to random people from each country and hear about their lives. Whether it be a quick story about their journey to the coffee shop that morning or the story of how they met the love of their life 50 years ago, I am excited to hear stories. 
7. This trip will be a true test of my individuality and I am excited to push my boundaries.
8. Trains. I have never been on a train so I can't wait to try it. This will be a trip of "firsts!"
9. Green land! Coming from Nevada, it is rare to see an area full of colors and life so I can't wait to photograph the beautiful scenery. 
10. This will be a fantastic opportunity to blog about my experiences. Writing is what I do and what I love and I can't wait to document this trip for everyone to experience with me! 

Clearly there are more reasons to be excited than to be nervous and some aren't even on the list yet! For those of you who are worried for me - thank you. Someone needs to be! I promise I will take all necessary precautions to be as safe as I possibly can on this adventure of a lifetime! All of the right people will have my itenerary and I will be calling my parents with each new leg of the trip to update them on my travels and where I plan to go next. 

One thing I learned during this experience so far is that you can't depend on other people to experience life. You must experience it for yourself. I am going to do just that in about five weeks! 

Check back for more updates leading up to my trip and the stories and experiences that I record while I am there! 

xoxo

Things I've Learned from Talking with Family and Friends

We have all experienced rough times where we seek advice and comfort from those around us. Have you ever experienced 6 different directions of advice on the same subject? I have. Sometimes I leave those conversations feeling even more lost than before. However, I have learned a few important things through personal experience and conversations with family and friends that I believe are worth sharing.

1. When it comes to your heart, no one but yourself can give you the answers.
     Seek out as much advice as you can but don't rely solely on what others have to say. I can't express how helpful some of my friends and family members have been just through expression of words and opinions. Sometimes you need to hear about a situation from other people to get an outside perspective. However, like I said earlier, it is important to listen to yourself as well. Don't lose yourself and your own thoughts in the midst of everyone else's. No one knows your heart the way you do, so it's nearly impossible for someone to tell you how you feel and be more accurate than the way you perceive it to be. To be simple, take advice from others and use it to aid in your own decisions, not make them for you.

2. If you hold yourself back from someone or something based on the opinions of others, you might be missing out on something your heart and soul truly need to experience.
     This is similar to the above mentioned lesson but takes it a step further. If you make decisions based on what other people tell you, you are bound to miss out on something. Whether that be something fun, adventurous, life-enriching, loving, embarrassing, humbling, or other, you are going to miss out if you live your life by the standards of another person. I have recently listened to a lot of different people who gave me advice about future endeavors and although I appreciate it, it seems as though a lot of those people forgot that I have to experience life for myself rather than through the lens of another life. Similarly to the advice I received, I am now offering some of my own, so please take it as you will but make your own decisions in the end.

3. Just like excuses, opinions are like ass holes, everyone's got one and often times they are shared with us whether we like it or not (the opinions, not the ass holes).
     Is there really any more that needs to be said about this? I am currently sharing opinions with you just as you are currently forming your own opinions about what I have shared and maybe even about me? Who knows? The lesson to be learned here is to not take what others say as the end-all-be-all. Make sure your final decisions are based on your own opinions, thoughts, experiences, hopes, dreams, goals, and... well you get what I am trying to say.

Welcome advice from others (it might help you more than you think) but make your own decisions.

One of my favorite things to do is talk to other people and listen to their stories (strangers and friends alike). You can learn a lot by doing just that (I mean, clearly, just look at my list above!).

Until next time..

xoxo