Update on Life

Theres been some definite highs in my life over the past few weeks.

1. Significant haircut complete. After growing my hair out for two years, I decided enough is enough. I cut about 8 inches off and I'm happily sporting a long bob that lands right above my shoulders. I also have bangs That give it a more sophisticated, yet fun look. I had Lizzie dye my hair dark brown too.  New look for a new chapter!

2. Move to New York solidified. I'll officially be paying rent in New York on December 1 and will be moving shortly thereafter. Exciting stuff! The apartment is near Columbia in the neighborhood I formerly lived in. Lots of vibrancy, great running paths around the Columbia campus and in Central, Riverside and Morningside parks, yummy food (106 Amsterdarm is my personal favorite) and great hole-in-the-wall neighborhood bars.

3. First General Exam down. 3 to go! In order to get my Master's degree, I have to complete and pass three tests in addition to coursework. I finished the first one on Friday (12 page essay) and will finish the other two within the next 3 weeks. This explains why I haven't been blogging as much! Sad, but true. On the bright side, I'm 33.3% done.

4. With the cooler weather coming around, running outside has finally recommenced. I probably ran about 6 miles this week. It's not a huge amount yet, but I'm antsy to make that number higher. Running in Vibram FiveFingers? Yes! Win!  Also, I started going to weekly Pilates with my mom which is enjoyable.

5. Speaking of wins, LSU beat West Virginia! LSU played a great game against West Virginia last night and is now the #1 team in college football. The best part though was watching the game with my grandparents. They are hilarious! I haven't laughed so hard (other than when watching Bridesmaids) in awhile.

With all of the good things going on, I also say that there have been some lows, too. There haven't been any specific events that I can think of (other than my mutt Mollie defluffing a couch cushion), but I've been feeling pretty stressed. It's definitely natural given the excessive amount of responsibilities I've got going on right now, but the thing is this...i enjoy all of these responsibilities. I love my classes, I enjoy my job, my puppy is adorable, and I'm excited to move, but the combination of everything has just produced some residual stress.  I need to focus harder on remembering to enjoy everything in life as it comes.

Here's my game plan to do so...

- Make time to run, do yoga and blog regularly.
- When it's time to relax, RELAX. No multitasking.
- Clean for 10 minutes each day. I'm not a fan of mess and clutter, so quick cleaning sessions should offset this.
- Make time for the people I love. This always puts everything into perspective.

Happy Sunday, all. Hope you have a relaxing day and Geaux Saints!