I've Got Sunshine On a Cloudy Day

Am I the only one? Thank God it's MONDAY! I admit it... I like Mondays better than I like Fridays. Ready? Here we go. When I wake up on Monday mornings I feel extremely refreshed after spending a day or two with only a few responsibilities to complete, none of which involve whining teenagers speaking incorrect grammar. Jumping out of bed early on Monday morning comes much easier than jumping out of bed on Thursday, Friday, or even early on a Saturday. After spending many, many hours with my students and coming up with engaging lessons to keep everyone challenged yet not overwhelmed on their particular academic level is downright exhausting, and that doesn't include the staff meetings, planning time, testing, grading, duties, on and on and on and on. By the time I get to Friday, all I can think about is my bed. The thought of happy hour with friends or co-workers comes to mind occasionally, but following that thought is the thought of my sweatpants and hot tea, which is much m

Aside from optimism and positivity, a topic that I enjoy writing about is friendship. One of the most blessed gifts I have in my life is my friends. Near and dear and even far away, and as cliche as it sounds, my friends simply make my life. I am lucky enough to have friends that I adore, friends that have dreams of all sizes and hearts that are larger than life. A good, loyal, unconditionally loving friend is hard to find. I'm blessed to have had a small handful of them since my childhood, and even more blessed to have added to the group once I entered college. My first college friends were the ones that stuck around the longest, and will stick together for life. A revelation of just how luck I am came just ten days ago. My birthday was a surprisingly fun day this year, despite the fact that I wasn't exactly excited to turn 27. I kept it low key, spending a quiet night in with my best friend of all, and visiting friends in New York the next day. However, it turned into a fa

The new year is upon us, January is here with a kind reminder of who she is, and my arms are already sore from shoveling. I am healthy, able, and willing to get outside, to turn my cheeks rosy and to clear the snow away. A snow day Friday is the best kind of snow day. Three holidays have gone by since my last post, the three biggest of the year perhaps. I was surrounded by loved ones, by new faces and old favorites, and even by some through the screen of my iPhone. It is indeed a crazy time of the year. I always believe I'm done with my Christmas shopping rather early, but alas, that's never the case and I'm running out into the wild with the other last minute shoppers. I made sure to take full advantage of my days off from work and spend a little time focusing on myself on the yoga mat. Through the craziness that is the holidays there is a place I can go for instant peace and quiet, for friendly faces and a reminder that it's okay to focus on me and do something sel