Anything about Everything

  Whew - we made it! It's finally the end of what we can all agree was a dumpster fire of a year.  As we enter 2021 with a lot of uncertainty, I hope you are proud of yourself for finishing this year. It started off okay - I mean we had 2 solid months of real life before things started to shut down right in front of us.  2020 wasn't all bad. If you know me personally, you know that I am someone who thrives off being busy and constantly moving around. This year really forced me to slow down, to embrace the fact that I am not in control of a lot, and to be present. As hard as this year has been, I am forever grateful for it. It was a year I didn't know I needed.  I know I posted about it earlier this year - how the best investment you can make is in yourself - and I firmly stand by that. I am someone who carries a lot of burdens  (some aren't even mine.. how kind!) and this year allowed me to step back and process a lot of the burdens and trauma in my life. I gave...

  Once I got myself out of the trainwreck that was part 1 of my online dating - I started talking to someone else. It just kind of happened - I had no intention of getting back on the dating horse just yet. I needed to process the CF that had occurred the month prior - but something told me to give this one a shot. We messaged back and forth daily, and the conversation never went stale. I had hope - or so I thought.  The only reason I know what the date was when I saw him - is because it was literally the day after earth shut down in March... March 14th. We met up for drinks and joked about how messy the world got (looking back that may not have been the best way to look at things). The conversation was great in person, and he was SUPER handsome. He had everything I'd hoped for in a guy - good looks, great job, loves dogs, military background... HI HOW YOU?! He walked me to my car afterwards, and goes "How would you feel about a hug, given the current climate and such?" I...

  As I mentioned on my Instagram story a few weeks back - I am doing a series of posts talking about my online dating experiences. Buckle in - this is going to get funny, weird, and everything in between!  For this first installment, let's look at how 2020 started!  **DISCLAIMER: This is in no way to bash the person he is, nor is it an attempt to hurt his reputation. It IS, however, a retelling of one of the weirdest times of the year before COVID-19 decided to take over). I have been very open about my online dating adventures - this is no different. In fact, I think this takes the cake for a serious  WTF  situation. Buckle in folks... this is a real trip!  I am a self proclaimed true crime junkie. I will watch any and all documentaries, Dateline on NBC is one of my guilt pleasures, and I will read true crime books until my eyes cross. I am intrigued by how the brain works, the reasoning behind why things happen, and what drives people to such extremes....

If you are a human with access to Disney Plus, you are very aware of the newest addition this month - the Broadway production of Hamilton.  I was never really into the idea, even as a history nerd, and where tickets were so difficult to get, I just couldn't understand why there was such a draw to this show. He wasn't even president!  Well.. I have eaten crow and am now obsessed with the show and all the little nuances that go with it. I have been listening to the soundtrack nonstop (yeah, that was a reference...), and often find myself singing something from the show throughout the day.  I am honestly blown away by the incredible work that Lin-Manuel Miranda put into this production and the way it is portrayed. From the cast selection to the music, the set to the costumes - it's a serious stroke of genius. The show is centered around Alexander Hamilton (I am not going to summarize it.. do yourself a favor and sit down for 2 hours and 40 minutes and ENJOY IT!), and his dem...

The final part to this two part saga is upon us! This doesn't have to do with why I chose to blog, though.  This has everything to do with WHY I chose to partner with another Network Marketing company.  Before you roll your eyes - just hear me out.  If you know me on a personal level, you know I was once a part of a direct sales company that got a bad rep. The products never changed, but the culture sure did. I quietly removed myself from a group of people who cared more about what I looked like than who I was. I had a bad taste in my mouth - and wanted nothing to do with the industry ever again. I felt like an outcast every time I was around these people, and it honestly made me question everything. Firmly against doing anything with direct sales, I started to roll my eyes when I saw people posting about their side hustles or their success. I was trained to believe that only the top earners in the company could gain anything - that everyone else just had to hope. I wante...

As a lifelong Backstreet Boys fan... whenever I hear that statement, I often finish with "Ain't nothin' but a heartache" - even as I wrote this I sang it to myself. That's not what this is about!  I am often asked why I chose to go into blogging. My response is always very simple - I want to make a difference in the world by sharing my truth. Sharing how I view things, and open up a dialogue that will allow for conversations we may not necessarily have otherwise. I want to share everything with the world, in a reserved manner. I want to create a community where we can be ourselves and stand united, even if we have varying opinions.  I have wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I wanted to be a high school history teacher who spent her summers writing novels. Blogging is as close as I will get to writing a book at the moment, but I have not written that dream off yet. Teaching, however, took a huge backseat when I went for my master's...

Podcasts appear to become increasingly more popular, especially through this quarantine time. I never saw myself as a podcast person a few years ago - but now, I can't get enough! I saw them as an extension of Talk Radio - and I canNOT stand it. My granddaddy used to love listening to talk radio, and as a child I wanted nothing more than to listen to the local pop station. There are so many out there - and can fit any niche in life. You just have to peruse wherever you listen to music and see what's available. Personally, I use Spotify. I have a premium account and have more music and podcasts saved in my account than the length of my lifespan!  But in all honesty - podcasts are a GREAT way to learn, develop yourself, and in some cases, escape reality.  True Crime As a true crime junky - I am a sucker for any conversation around unsolved murders or serial killers. I have NO shame in that.. my roommate and I are always on the hunt for a good true crime documentary.  The fi...