You are now leaving Oxford.

A map of home: from etsy.

On May 5, 2012, I came upon a milestone. I crossed a stage, moved a tassel, threw my cap in the air and shook the dean's hand. Then I carried my diploma back to a folding chair and smiled to myself. I did it. We did it.

We did it: all four thousand and some of my graduating classmates.

We did it: I mark the half way point for my family's collective college career.

We did it: late nights, early mornings, thousands of pages of paper, hundreds of pens, two dorm rooms, two apartments, eighty odd credit hours, eight semesters, countless interviews, unbearable exams.. we did it.

And on May 8th I packed up, moved out and drove down 27 to home, no longer a Miami student- but an alum. I am starting a new chapter of my life. Oxford was good to me, it will always have my heart. But it is time to say goodbye.

Cheers to a new adventure.

Life is either..

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."

About seven minutes after I clocked into work this morning, my boss came over to say that I would present my semester-long project to management at two o'clock this afternoon. After I agreed, and expressed my excitement, I emailed my mother to express my anxiety. I had not even begun to prepare the powerpoint yet. I was expecting another three weeks.

And she told me, "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."

How very true that statement is. If there are no adventures to mark your life, how do you mark it? If there are no magical moments, than what is it? With graduation so close, it is easy for me to feel anxious about my undetermined future. But life truly is nothing without its daring adventures. And it is time to set sail and find my next magical simplicity. 

A little late... Easter Colors

I meant to wish you all the Happiest of Easters- but I myself was enjoying the magic too much to get online!

These flowers traveled between my feet for an hour on the way to Dayton. We wanted to decorate my grandmother's house with a lot of color for a favorite holiday.

Happy Easter my darlings, I hope you are celebrating with sweet treats and lots of color!

93 million miles from the sun

(It's a little long, skip to 3:16 if you want to hear a shorter intro).

Jason Mraz has a new single available. And it is stunning.

As a job searching, very anxious, increasingly nostalgic senior- this song speaks to me personally. I almost was brought to tears as I listened to it. I've pasted the lyrics, but that does not do this piece justice. If you feel at all like I do, a little hesitant about stepping into the real world, take a listen.

Love you, always.

93 million miles from the Sun, people get ready get ready, 'cause here it comes 
it's a light, a beautiful light, over the horizon in to your eyes 
Oh, my my how beautiful, oh my beautiful mother 
She told me, "Son in life you're gonna go far, and if you do it right you'll love where you are
Just know, that wherever you go, you can always come back home."

240 thousand miles from the Moon, you've come a long way to belong here,

To share this view of the night, a glorious night, over the horizon is another bright sky
Oh, my my how beautiful, oh my irrefutable father,
He told me, "Son in life it may seem dark, but the absence of the light is a necessary part.
Just know, that wherever you go, know you're never alone, you can always come back home."

Every road is a slippery slope
There is always a hand you can hold on to.
Looking deeper through the telescope
You can see that the home's inside of you.

Just know, that wherever you go, on no you're never alone, you can always get back home.

93 million miles from the sun, people get ready cause here it comes 
it's a light, a beautiful light, over the horizon into your eyes.

Shaemus the Leprechaun

Hearts, stars and horseshoes; clovers and blue moons; pots of gold and rainbows; and the red balloon!

I am currently enjoying a bowl of Lucky Charms and a splash of green milk.  Shaemus the leprechaun somehow snuck into my apartment this morning- as he has done every St. Patrick's day for over a decade- and delivered breakfast.

This is my favorite holiday of the year- I hope yours is as magical as mine!