My 1001 Days are Over

I can't believe it, but it has snuck up on me: my 1001 days ended on January 19, 2016. While I didn't accomplish everything on my list, I'm still pretty proud of the things I DID finish. A year ago, I wrote about the things I accomplished in 2014, and here's what I've been able to cross off since then:

Run an obstacle race

My husband and I participated in an obstacle/mud race held in Auburn, AL. I wrote about my experience and what I learned from the race here.

A photo posted by Kalyn (@kalynlouise23) on Mar 21, 2015 at 9:48am PDT

Grow my own vegetables

Last year, we planted jalepenos, banana peppers, and habanero peppers and they grew successfully. This year we want to plant potatoes, romaine lettuce, squash, and of course more peppers.

Buy a house

We closed on our first house together on December 4th, 2015. We refinished our kitchen cabinets right away and have several more renovations to work on throughout the year.

Give a handmade gift

I've given several hand made gifts over the past year, but my favorite was the ring dish I created using this tutorial. I made several for myself, of course.

Make my own Christmas cards

A photo posted by Kalyn (@kalynlouise23) on Dec 10, 2015 at 2:59pm PST

I did a little "humblebrag" post on being pleasantly surprised with the results of taking our own photos a few months ago. I turned a few of them into our Christmas cards.

Host a dinner party

We love having people over for dinner! I've said before that my love language is cooking/serving food - I can't get enough of it! My goal for 2016 is to have monthly dinner parties at our new house.

Make Ice cream from scratch

We borrowed an ice cream maker from my inlaws and made ice cream a couple times last year. I'm a HUGE ice-cream fan, so I definitely have plans of making it again this year!

Watch a play at a local theater

There is a theater just down the road from our new house, and over the summer (before we moved) I went several times with a girlfriend to watch some plays. My favorite was a western-themed dinner show!

Watch a Cirque du Soleil show

We watched Zumanity when we went to Las Vegas in September.

Decorate for a holiday

I have been trying to decorate for ALL the holidays. Last year wasn't a big year for décor because I knew we'd be moving but this year it's on like Donkey Kong.

Set a savings goal

In 2014 we set a savings goal to put a down payment on a house - we were able to reach it and actually have some money left over after we bought our house! This year our savings will go toward more travel - our plan is to go back to Canada this summer and next year we will go to Europe.

Buy a piece of original art

For our first anniversary in October, I had our vows written by Brooks in her beautiful calligraphy/handwriting. Best purchase ever! I also recently purchased an original watercolor painting of my wedding bouquet, but it isn't completed yet. I seriously can't wait to get it.

Go kayaking

We went over the summer with a group of friends and then again when we were in Canada. I love any kind of water activities so this will definitely be happening again this summer.

Carve pumpkins for Halloween

This was so much fun - I felt just like a kid again.

Visit 10 new places.

I didn't cover new places last year, so here's everywhere I've been over the past two years:

-New Orleans, LA

-Charlotte, NC

-Greenville, SC

-Cinnamon Beach, FL

-Orlando, FL

-Las Vegas, NV

-Jekyll Island, GA

-Banff, AB, Canada

-Shuswap Lake, BC, Canada

-Oak Mountain in Birmingham, AL

-Sugar Mountain, NC

I didn't think I'd reach my goal, but we thankfully were able to have a lot of opportunities to travel recently and hopefully we will make it to ten new places in 2016!

The past 1001 days have included a whirlwind of life changes for me - including moving, marriage, pets, and new jobs. When I created this list of goals, a thousand days seemed like it would take forever, but time has really flown. If or when I do decide to make a new list of goals (maybe thirty before thirty?) I think I will try to set some more realistic ones rather than silly things like graffiti a bathroom stall.

Looking back, the past three years have been more than wonderful, and of course I can't wait to see what the next ones have in store!

Have you ever set a massive list of goals for yourself like 101 things in 1001 days? How successful were you in crossing them off?

50 Questions to Free Your Mind: Part 4

As part of my 101 goals in 1001 days, I am answering 50 questions to free my mind in 10-question segments. Be sure to check out parts one, two, and three. 
To be honest, I have kinda pushed my 101 goals aside and basically forgotten about them. I'm not sure why, because I like the idea of always striving to accomplish something. So I'm easing back into my goals with another segment of these 50 questions.
31. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive? I feel like I am passionate every day about many things. I am passionate about my job, I love being a nurse and I love helping people. I am passionate in my relationships, with God, my family, and my boyfriend. I try to be a passionate blogger. A few days ago, I mentioned in my monthly goals that I wanted to be a "better blogger" and I am striving every day to do just that, by being passionate about it.
32. If not now, then when? As I said, I feel like I'm passionate every day.
33. If you haven't achieved it yet, what do you have to lose? I don't understand the question? Achieved what? Happiness? I feel like I am a generally happy person.
34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever? No, sorry, I don't think so.
35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars? Because that's what people do when they disagree... they fight. And even though "religion" supports love, it is a love acted out by humans who are sinners, not saints.
36. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil? For this answer I'll refer to one of my favorite Harry Potter characters who said, "The world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters [evil]. We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on, that's who we really are." (Sirius Black, Order of the Phoenix)
37. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job? No, absolutely not. I've had this discussion with Derek, that even if we were to win several million (aka the lottery) we still wouldn't quit our jobs. Of course, it's a moot point with Derek anyway since he'd rather me be a housewife, but we won't touch that subject today.
38. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing? Well are we talking about work as in my job, or work as in just things I have to do? I sometimes consider blogging "work." Or one could consider gardening, cooking, or mowing the grass work. All of those are things I don't mind doing, so if that's what we're talking about then I'd love to fill my days doing those things.
39. Do you feel like you've lived this day a hundred times before? In a way, yes. As humans, our days are usually repetitive: wake up, go to the gym, go to work, come home, eat, do hobby, sleep. However, not each day is exactly the same, and I feel like we should strive to take away something new from each day we live.
40. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in? I feel like these questions are trying to be too deep for their own good, however, I recently ventured into the blog design realm without a clue as to how it would turn out, and I am loving it so far.

Dear Kalyn,

Dear teenage Kalyn,

You are 16. This does not mean you are an adult. This does not mean you are capable of making grown up, rational decisions on your own. I don't even know why I'm telling you this, by now you're rolling your eyes and slamming the door in my face (you better watch out, you'll be missing that door one day).

(sorry for the terrible photo quality)

First I want to talk to you about the guy you meet at church camp. We'll call him "S." S is a really super cool guy and he introduces you to fun new music and tells you that you're pretty. Which is all really sweet, but this does not mean you are "in love" with him. Seriously. Don't cry all the way home from church camp, people will make fun of you. Don't spend hours and hours on the phone with him, it will just run your cell phone bill into the $300's. Which is a lot of money to you. After that I'm not sure what happens. You start your sophomore year of high school. Get a crush on this other guy but he blows you off and you get over it. Very chic of you do not pine over him like you did S.

My BFFL to this day

Even though you make pretty poor decisions when it comes to dating boys and the way you talk to your parents, you do pretty good in the friend department. You'll keep this one around for a while. Also, I should tell you now, the side bangs don't really ever work out for you like they do for this chick. And you keep that necklace (as one of your only accessories) until your 22.

Seriously, what is up with that cheesy smile?

While we're on the subject of fashion. Don't  do that thing where you wear a tank/spaghetti strap shirt over a regular shirt. Its only cool for about a month and when you are 23 and going through old pictures for a blog post (yes, you have a blog) you are going to wonder what the hell you were thinking. Also, don't cut your hair off while you have a perm. Actually, just don't get the perm. Your hair is already curly.

During a pep rally. Spot the tomboy! 

Even though you hate your life right now and "no one understands you" you are going to grow out of that get over it. Your senior year ends up being a blast, and then you go off to college (no its not the one you're planning on now), make some bad decisions and learn from most of them. You make some great friends, and some not so great ones. You start to realize that maybe your parents aren't so clueless after all.

After winning "best actress" for the lead role in my senior play.

In conclusion, remember that your life right now is not a terrible one. There is no need for yelling at teachers or trying to run away from home (you'll regret that later). High school is only for two more years, and you end up surviving (and coming out on top, I might add). You've still got some rough patches ahead of you, but as long as you keep your head on straight, you'll end up being okay.

Sincerely,

23 year old Kalyn

50 Questions to Free Your Mind: Part 3

As part of my 101 goals in 1001 days, I am answering 50 Questions that will Free Your Mind in 10-Question segments. Be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2.

21. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?
Why can't I be a joyful genius??

22. Why are you, you?
Because that is the way God created me to be.

23. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?
I would like to think so. I always try to be there for my friends when they are in need, and I try to keep in touch with my friends that I don't see often

24. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you?
Losing touch with a friend that lives close. Because I have friends that have moved away (or I have moved away from) and we are still close. Distance doesn't necessarily have to change a friendship.

25. What are you most grateful for?
My family and loved ones, my health, having a God that loves me, despite my flaws and imperfections.

26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories or never be able to make new ones?
This is a sad situation either way, but if I had to choose, I would lose all of my old memories to be able to make new ones. You have to always look forward, not back.

27. Is it possible to know the truth without challenging it first?
Yes.

28. Has your greatest fear ever came true?
Getting dumped in a vat of roaches? No, thank goodness.

29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? Does it really matter now?
In a way yes. I remember being upset about a certain situation/person and those feelings and that situation helped shape me into the person I am today.

30. What is your happiest childhood memory? What makes it so special?
More so a combination of memories. All of the times we went camping on the beach, with no phones, internet, or connection to the world. Just miles and miles of sand and ocean, and us. Together as a family with our closest friends. Just being together.

Its Monday, you know what that means!

Hey there lovelies! I so love seeing new faces and there have been quite a few around these parts  over the last few weeks, so welcome to my slice of internet, I hope you stay for a while! This weekend, I was actually able to have a little fun although I can't really remember too much of what I did. I just got home after working 16 hours and my brain is having a hard time functioning at the moment. I know it went something like this:

Friday I started the day at the gym, per usual and then drove the hour to Greenville to empty my bank account on pick up my school books. But, on the bright side I got to visit with one of my favorite people in the whole world and catch up a little over lunch before we're bombarded with school. (We're both going back to school to get our RN)

(This isn't us in Greenville but this is how excited I am to get to see her every week again)

 

Saturday I took a half day at work, and my boss decided it would be better for me to take the whole day in exchange for working 16 hours today. You bet I jumped on that offer. Since I was off, I got to go with Derek to his company picnic at the Montgomery Zoo. Which was totally awesome. Free food + a day a the zoo + meeting my love's co-workers = a pretty great Saturday afternoon. The baby giraffe from last summer was all grown up, so this time we didn't see the point in paying money to feed them.

We still had a great time though. Some guy ended up actually sticking his hand in the Jaguar cage aaaannndd... he got bitten. Ambulances and sirens everywhere. His girlfriend/old lady was actually angry at the Zoo people for her boyfriend being stupid enough to stick his hand in a cage with a jaguar.

Saturday night we met up with some friends of ours and went to an oyster bar where I actually drank the first beer I've drank in a million years (I seriously can't remember my last one...) since I've been on this lime-a-rita kick lately. It was heavenly. We ventured downtown to a music festival along the riverwalk and ended up doing more people-watching than band-listening but had a good time despite the rain.

Sunday I worked 16 hours. The end.

Happy Monday! Be sure to link your shenanies up with Sami and Meg so I can go read about them!

50 questions to free your mind: Part 2

First, and most importantly because I forgot yesterday, HAPPY NURSES WEEK to all of my fellow nurses and future nurses. Give yourself a pat on the back for being awesome!

 

True story.

 

Free ice cream yesterday at work for nursing appreciation. Sooo yummy.

 

As part of my 101 goals in 1001 days, I am answering 50 Questions that will Free Your Mind in 10-Question segments. To read Part 1 click here.

11. You're having lunch with three people you respect and admire. They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. The criticism is distasteful an unjustified. What do you do?
Defend my friend, of course. If their criticism is unjustified, then I will definitely put them in their place (in a respectful way) and let them know that it is NOT okay to talk about that person in front of me.

12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?
I'm not really understanding why I'm offering advice to a newborn... but lets roll with it. I would tell them to do what makes them happy. To pray about the big decisions and to always do what they feel is right in their hearts.

13. Would you break the law to save a loved one?
Save their life? Duh. To save them from getting into trouble, for something they did? Nah.. I'm a big believer in paying your dues and suffering consequences you bring upon yourself. Sorry 'bout it.

14. Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?
I suppose so. I can't think of anything specific, but I think everyone thinks most ideas are crazy...until they work.

15. What's something you know you do differently than most people?
The way I eat reeses cups. I pick off the thick chocolate from the edges and just eat the center. Everyone that has seen me do this thinks I'm crazy. But I don't like the chocolate part as much as I like the peanut butter part.

16. How come the things that make you happy don't make everyone happy?
Because we all have our own personal preferences. I like my tea cold and sweet, some people like it hot and lemony. That's what makes this world a beautiful place. Everyone has their own likes, dislikes, opinions, and things that they love.

17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What's holding you back?
I really want very much to travel. I've started a list of places I want to go and I plan on eventually going to all of them. As for what's holding me back, mainly money. The fact that we're working on getting approved to buy a house. And that I'm going back to school. There are a lot of things. And I'm okay with waiting. They say that good things come to those who wait. Or patience is a virtue.

18. Are you holding on to something you need to let go of?
I can't think of anything in particular...

19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?
Florida. Because I pretty much lived there most of my life. Because there's a beach. The winters are mild. I also wouldn't mind South Carolina.

20. Do you push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?
Sometimes I do. No I don't really believe it makes the elevator faster. But most elevators won't shut the doors unless a button has been pressed.

101 goals in 1001 days

My first mountain biking adventure

I can't believe I survived 8 miles on a mountain bike trail!

Swayback Bridge Trail in Wetumpka, AL

 

As I mentioned Monday, I went on my first mountain biking adventure on Saturday. When we left to get the bikes I was a mix of emotions. Was I going to like it? Was I going to be good? Will I fall? But mostly I was excited. Excited to be trying something new, something that Derek enjoys and something that we can hopefully begin to do together on a regular basis.

 

A little after mile 2

 

The answers to those questions, yes I did like it, no I'm not very good (yet), and yes I did fall. A lot. My first fall wasn't bad. Derek thought it was pretty funny though. I let him know that it was not okay to laugh at me. I knew that he knew he stepped in doo doo when he said "Hey, you wanna stop and take  a picture?" Boy knows the way to my heart...

 

The trail went right along the edge of Lake Jordan for a while

 

At this point Derek is in front of me yelling "Don't fall here, or you'll go in the lake!" Thanks babe, lots of help.

 

We rode for a total of approximately 8 miles. The longest trail would have been about 12 miles but we didn't finish the second loop because I was tired and both of our booties hurt like heck. Derek was surprised I even finished 8 miles, since this was a pretty tough trail. We rode through several parts of the trail with names like "Devil's Driveway," "Bastards loop," "The Elevator," and "The zipper."

 

Devil's Driveway

 

Then there were options for crazy people experienced bikers to ride on these kinds of things:

Logs that were flattened with a chain saw. No thanks.

 

 To the left of that big curve was another log that had been flattened. It was all of 8 inches wide.

 

My knees after the ride.

 

Even though my heart ended up in my stomach on most down hills, and I fell several times, aaand I think I now have some mild poison ivy, this is something I could definitely see myself getting used to and doing on a regular basis. I'm proud of myself for getting back on after falling and not getting too discouraged (there were definitely some moments of frustration) and never quitting. It's a great form of physical activity (just ask my legs) and it's fun. And this is technically the first thing I get to cross off my 101 in 1001 list which is even better, since I wasn't planning or expecting to do it so soon.

 

To view the full list of 101 goals in 1001 days, click here.



 

Linking up with Shanna and Robin.

50 Questions to Free Your Mind: Part 1

Hey there pretties! A few days ago I started a list of 101 goals to complete in 1001 days. I have seen a lot of other bloggers with these lists of goals and decided it would be something fun to try to finish. Don't worry, I plan on posting the complete list in a few days. But for now I'm going to work on one of the goals, which is to answer the 50 Questions that will Free Your Mind. I decided to do it in segments because these are some pretty deep questions.

According to the website, there are no wrong or right answers to any of these questions. They are merely questions that are supposed to get you thinking.

1. How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?
Starting out tough. I don't really understand exactly what this question is asking but I'll give it my best shot. A lot of people are surprised when I tell them my age, as in they think I'm older (I get anywhere from 25 to 28) than I really am. Also, I feel like I act a lot older than a lot of people my age. I've graduated college, have a stable career, and am working on buying my own home. So if I had to pin a number on it, I would say 25. I don't know.

2. Which is worse, failing or never trying?
I feel like I should answer never trying. I mean it seems like the right answer, right? But I have failed, and the feeling of failure is absolutely devastating and I would never wish it on anyone. And if you never did it in the first place, then you wouldn't know that feeling. But if you lived like that, would you ever get anywhere in life? Probably not. So I guess what really matters is that if you do fail, you have to try again. Get back up, brush ya shoulders off, and do tha dang thing.

3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don't like and like so many things we don't do?
I think we do things that we don't enjoy because we all have responsibilities. Whether it's picking our dog's poop up or going to work every day, if we didn't do these things then the world would be pretty crappy, if you ask me. As for liking things we don't do? I can't really answer that. I think we all have things that we would love to do but really don't have the time or money to do. I think life is about finding a balance in doing the things we have to do, so that we are able to do the things we want to do.

4. When it's all said and done, will you have said more than you've done?
Yes, unfortunately so. I hate to admit it, but there are things that I've said I will do, that just haven't happened. Sometimes it's because I'm being lazy, and sometimes its because that certain thing is just impossible to do. I think everyone has said or will say more than they do. And I think that's okay.

5. What is the one thing you'd most like to change about the world.
The economy? Poverty? Hate? Can we make it easier to travel? Can we all have the same currency? Can there be just one language? Can't we all just get along?

6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?
Definitely spending time with people I love. Whether we're just sitting around "being" together, or doing something fun, like vacationing, playing sports, shopping, there is nothing that beats spending time with awesome people.

7. Are you doing what you believe in or are you settling for what you are doing?
If I were to live the rest of my life exactly the way I'm living it now, then yes, I would be settling. But I have oh so many plans for my future, and I know that this moment is just a temporary phase. I mean, I'm starting school again in less than one month (eeep!) and I'm saving to buy a house, and so much more, I know I won't be settling and I'll get everything I want/deserve/work for.

8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?
Uhhh... well shoot that means my life is already half way over. So screw the better job, the dream house, and whatnot and let me travel! Haha but really, I don't know... that is such a tough question.

9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?
I feel like I have controlled pretty much all of my life. I never had the kind of parents that "pushed" me into making decisions I didn't want to do (or maybe I was just so stubborn that I was going to do what I wanted either way) but all of the decisions I have made about my life have been my own, and I have been the one to deal with the consequences of the bad ones I have made, and I have been the one to learn from those bad decisions and learn to make the right ones. With any decision, however,  there is a lot of prayer, and asking for advice from my loved ones to help me in choosing what is best for me and my future.

10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?
I would like to think that I am more worried about doing the right thing. If we all did the wrong things the right way, aren't they still the wrong things? Does that make sense? My brain hurts.

Whoo those were some doozies. But they did definitely get my gears a-turnin' and got me thinking some pretty deep thoughts. I hope all of my answers made sense, sometimes it's hard to put feelings into words and whatnot.