A New Trick Up My Sleeve

So I've decided that, seeing as how I have every Sunday off with this new job, I will be attempting something new each and every week. Whether it be cooking, baking, crafts, organization, etc., it will be something incredibly new to add to my list of achievements. I began this thought process last weekend, because the "cooking" I choose has to sit for a week before it can be eaten. That's right, you guessed it. Pickles! A lady that I volunteer with at the Jeffco Library gave me a recipe for 5 day Refrigerator Bread and Butter pickles. I've included the recipe!

One of the simplest recipes I've ever had to follow. Chop some onions and cucumbers into thin slices. You'll need a quart mason jar, though I only had 2 pints. Works just the same!

From there, mix all of the spices, sugar, and vinegar into a large mixing bowl. I used the 4 cup measuring bowl because of the convenience of the pour spout.

Stack the cucumbers and onions into the jar(s), pour the liquid mix over everything evenly, and seal them up! I was so anxious to eat them that I had to write the date on the jars so I wasn't tempted to eat them too early. Refrigerate for five days! And let me tell you, some of the best pickles I've ever eaten. Still very crispy, but incredibly flavorful! Something so simple should definitely be attempted by everyone!

 Refrigerator Pickles
Slice 1 onion in quart jar 
Fill jar with thinly sliced, unpeeled cucumbers 
Mix the following in a bowl:
- 1 1/4 teaspoon pickling salt (or Kosher salt) 
- 1 cup vinegar 
- 1 cup sugar 
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed 
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed 
Stir and pour over cucumbers & onions 
Keep refrigerated & let stand for at least five days.

To Love is to Live

I just wanted to say that I'm grateful, but it's not over yet. 


Love has nothing to do with what you are
expecting to get -- only with what you are
expecting to give, which is everything.
  Katherine Hepburn

Deep thoughts, courtesy of the Beach...

I am an adventurer.


Can't be denied, can't be ignored. I am who I am and you can't change me, no matter how hard you try. I need to get out, see the world, see what's happening outside of my true comfort zone. Home will always be home, and it will always be a place to settle in the future, but for now... I need to travel. 


This makes me sound angry, perhaps at someone or something in particular. But the truth is, I'm not angry. I'm disappointed -- in myself. Lack of money, lack of motivation... I'm missing a sense of purpose, I don't have a goal to work toward at the moment. It's frustrating, and I feel like escaping. I need a change of scenery. And I thought this nice vacation to the beach in Florida would help, but I'm struggling. Struggling to keep my head above water, financially, emotionally. Struggling to keep my chin up about the "future". Ugh, the "future". What a big gloomy thing that hovers over me now. I need to end this cycle! I need a reason to get up in the morning!


Truth be told, volunteering at the Library has been one of the greatest things I've done since finishing up school. Better than GoAbroad, better than traveling for work (almost), better than simply dreaming of something exciting to do. But the key word here is "volunteering"...if they would could only pay me. That would be nice. Better than nice; that would be excellent, essentially a dream come true at this point. I've definitely been considering some sort of Master's degree in Library sciences since I've been working there, and it looks a lot more exciting than I could have ever imagined. Plus, as a student in that field, I'd be qualified to become an intern at National Geographic (minus the fact that it's intensely competitive). New life dream? 


Perhaps its just time to turn my feet down a new path, write a new chapter in my book of goals (ones that can be achieved sooner rather than later) and begin to get excited about my life, the "future", again. 


Consider it done. 


-- J

Merry Christmas Cheer

Christmas Eve? Already? How did that happen? The past few weeks have been an absolute blur! Both myself and my sister graduated from college with our BA's in some form of the "Arts and Sciences" category. Elly and I had to move her tiny apartment in a matter of three hours, including the one hour of drive time home, which we succeed in. And then my last week working for GoAbroad, which is incredibly bittersweet. And THEN an epic holiday open house party last night. The gathering of friends and family is always something to look forward to, especially during the holidays. I cannot express my gratitude toward the people in my life, both new friends, old friends, schoolmates, school moms, best friends, and sisters. You have ALL done so much for me as I worked my way through these very bumpy college years. I owe you all more than I can possibly say, but I will do my best to try! Today is a short post, because there are things to do in terms of celebrating, and I'm sure you all feel the same. So, here's to you and yours. Enjoy the holiday season, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. And may your heart's desires be answered.

And.... I'm Back!

Let's start this post with an apology, for a severe lack of writing for the past year.

However, after some glorious changes to my life, I've decided to pick up where I left off, though there are more things to focus on in life than just traveling. Mostly because I'm poor, and traveling is fool's dream right now. So let's put this lack of money and lack of new stamps in my passport behind us, and move forward and embrace the things I do have right now.

Thanksgiving may be over, but there is always time to be grateful for the things in your life that we most often overlook. Lately I've found myself in a funk, feeling frustrated for not having all of the answers I desire at this moment. And if my maturity serves me right, this has led to a severe lack of gratitude for the positive things in my life. I've wasted countless hours playing the "I don't know... What if... I failed..." game, which has resulted in even more hours of regret about the past. But, ugh, enough! The past is done, there's nothing I can do to change it; all I can do it learn from it at this point.

So let's be grateful for the things we have now. Because that's what's important. Those who live for the future never truly live, right? Isn't that what they say? Well something like that I guess. As I've begun to embrace this way of thinking, I notice I've been smiling more. Eating better. Writing more.

Loving More.


In the end, live in the moment. Love those around you, and don't be afraid of yourself. At least, that's what works for me.

Cheers

Travels Just Around the Corner

Two finals down! Thank goodness. Now the only thing standing between me and the end of this semester is one paper and one more exam. Simple stuff! Just lots of studying to do for that exam, a ton of info to remember! That should be no bueno, but I'm willing to do it to keep up my good marks.

And I think my other incentive is the fact that I booked some wonderful travels last night with the girlies! And we leave on friday! Definitely going to be an amazing trip. Three nights in Melbourne, three in Sydney, and three in Adelaide. Feel free to google maps that! Quite the flight pattern, but at incredibly cheap prices. We also managed to score some very cheap hostel prices as well! Now all we need to do is stick with ridiculously cheap food, and I'd say we did pretty well in planning a 10 day trip! Impressive, at least.

I find myself hoping that visits to these three incredibly different cities will help to open my eyes to more of what Australia has to offer. It's impossible for the entire country to be as boring (sometimes) as where I'm living, or as Americanized. I came abroad again to escape America and experience something new! Some new culture that would amaze me with every turn of my head. So far, not quite finding that. Praying I get to find it in the next week. All I've heard about Melbourne is that "Jess, you will love it" which excites me. Sounds like my kind of place! And Sydney, well you can't come to Australia without going to Sydney. That would be like going to New York City and not going to Time Square, or going to Egypt and not seeing the Pyramids. I don't know too much about Adelaide, but I've been assigned by my partners-in-crime to investigate it! Ha ha. Sunniva, Kristen, Kaitlin and I begin the journey late friday night the 6th and return to the Gold Coast on the 15th. I'll be sure to fill in all of the details once I return, unless I can squeeze in a quick update at a hostel internet cafe.

All of that aside, I found out some very sad news the other day. The lecturer for my film class, one of my most favorite teachers I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, always misses class or his office hours. He never told us it was anything but for "personal reasons", occasionally saying he was sick. But I managed to find out that he is actually suffering through his second round of Leukemia. I guess he had it once before, but now it's back. I'm deeply saddened for him! My thoughts are with you, Scott! God speed.

Cheers

Beautiful Sunday Morning Update

Time could not be moving faster if I wanted it to! The semester ends in three weeks time, and then everyone will go their separate ways into the world. This week will definitely be the most stressful of all for me, which I'm not looking forward to. Just hoping everything goes smoothly! I've got two finals, one monday, one tuesday, and a paper due. Plus a few minor homework assignments and studying for another final. And I've got to do it all by thursday at the latest! Me and girlies are leaving for Melbourne on Thursday night for a few days, then to Sydney for a few more days. I must say that I'm most excited for these trips because I've been itching to see a new city for quite some time now.

Nothing else really going on as of right now though... This past week went super fast, and I really think it's only because I've actually been well enough and strong enough to go back to classes. That was an adventure! I feel so far behind, yet at the same time I don't have much to do in order to catch up. I guess just attendance reasons make me feel like I'm missing out so much. But oh well! It'll all be over soon, and hopefully I'll get to feeling better before I have to start the next round of classes.

I had to go to a counseling session this past week in order to get extensions on some of my assignments. Basically, if you can plea your case, they'll give you the extensions for all classes/tests/assignments etc. I really had no interest in talking about other things, but they make you fill out a questionnaire beforehand where you essentially rate aspects of your life on a scale of 1 to 10. Well, I'm not one to lie, so I was as honest as I could be. Little did I know that we were going to discuss the things that had been rated poorly! It wasn't part of the original reason for going, but she suggested that it couldn't hurt to speak about it. And now, I must say, I have had quite a good head on my shoulders the past 48 hours. I'm highly enjoying it! Let's hope it keeps up.

So here I'm sitting, drinking a wonderful cup of English Breakfast Tea, contemplating my life. Again. Nothing new on those lines. There is just too much to do and too much to see, I really need to start cramming it all in. Truly live life to the fullest! And that's what I'm going to do. Starting with trying something new every chance I get. I find that inspirational quotes really do hit home for me sometimes, so I'm definitely going to start living by those as well.

Cheers to life!