Where I wish I was right now...

Where I actually am

A thought on winter storm Nemo 2013

I honestly can’t believe I’ve been living in Connecticut for over a year now.  It’s almost as crazy to think that I’m coming up on 6 months working at my job.  Add this to the list of things people don’t tell you when you graduate from college: time flies by.  Even the days and hours seem to fly by during the work week as we toil to meet deadlines, plan meetings and get publications to print. I find myself saying, “There really aren’t enough hours in the day.”

I vividly remember the beginning of September and “POOF” now it’s nearly December and we’re counting the days until the holidays arrive. A co-worker put it best when she said, “Every July I say, ‘only 6 months until Christmas’ and it went by so fast I feel like I’m already going to be saying, ‘only 6 months until the 4^th of July!’”

I find myself looking ahead now to a visit to Australia, friends’ weddings, and 25^th birthdays for some. I’m sure I won’t have to “wait” long since time is moving so fast these days.  I know it’s corny, but I feel compelled to throw the famous Ferris Bueller line here: “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Life moves pretty fast, you don’t stop to look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

I guess that’s what this blog is for in the end, a chance to reflect and think about the awesomeness that is the life of a twenty-something.

This is the time in life when people make the “big moves.” One friend is in Colorado already, another in Chicago, and now another is moving half way across the world to Australia! I suppose I made a big move to Connecticut, a place where I knew nothing and almost no one.

With nothing holding us back, this is the perfect time to make such leaps of faith.  Friends are getting engaged, having babies and buying homes now. I thought it would have held off for a few years after college, but it came without warning, and like a ton of bricks.

I’ll bite – this  whole “growing up” thing is kind of fabulous. I’ve had so much fun in the past year that I wouldn’t change a thing. I can’t wait to visit friends in all of these exotic places, learn more at my job, and make new friends as I go.

Watch out for Part 2 – what happens when all these “big moves” means time flying by too fast!

I know I haven’t written in a while and a lot can happen in a three month time frame, so let me catch you up:

• I’ve gotten settled into a new job with the CdLS Foundation as Communications Coordinator. I am truly enjoying my experiences there too! I’m learning and feel like I’m contributing also. It’s very gratifying being a part of something that serves so many people across the country, while doing a job I really enjoy!
• I ran a half marathon! This feel like such a big accomplishment for me. I set the goal, signed up for the race and trained very hard for the months leading up to it. Not only did I manage to finish the race, but I also finished in the time I was hoping for. Many people told me, “Don’t worry about time, just make the goal to finish,” but I really wanted to do well if I was going to run at all! Many people told me running a half marathon/marathon is like child birth – during it you ask yourself, “WHY DID I DO THIS TO MYSELF?” but after a little while, you start to think about maybe wanting to do it again. I’m starting to think about it now…but we’ll see…
  

  Pre Race

• I’ve lost 15 pounds since starting a workout regimen – I’m sure all the running helped quite a bit with this too.

In general, life is pretty darn good!

Now, I can’t help but think, what’s next? If I can tackle all of these challenges and goals, I want to see what else is ready to be done. I know there is money to be saved, more weight to be lost and habits to be broken, but I’m ready for the next adventure. You’ll all just have to wait and see what happens in the coming months and years, but I can promise you, it will be something worth reading about.

Thanks for all your support along the way friends!

This time of year was usually my favorite growing up. The weather is starting to shift from humid heat to the cripness fresh air of Autumn; children are saying good-bye to the glorious days of endless playtime with friends; new backpacks and pencils are being purchased around the country.

Last year, even though I had graduated college, I was still working on campus, and was surrounded by the excitement still. Even traveling for George Mason University as an Admissions Representative, I was in and out of high schools each day.

This year, however, I am not working for a college, I’m not working with high school students, and I don’t even know where the local schools are where I live. I am so removed from the “Back to School” bustle that only commercials on TV remind me that the time of year is upon us.

Having friends that are still in college keeps bringing me back to the excitement of a new school year and I have to admit, I miss it.  I loved moving in to the dorm, setting up my new home for the school year, learning what changes campus had undergone during the summer. It was such a blast!

However, there are certain things that I remind myself of when I start to miss college too much. I’ve compiled a list below:

1) Campus food (the first few weeks, it’s fantastic, but hey, you can only eat so much Taco Bell or bagels)

2) Homework (I get to leave my work, AT work!)

3) Having no money (While I certainly was lucky enough to not have many bills to pay, somehow my money got eaten up by iTunes, the nearby mall, or weekends in DC)

4) Buying Textbooks (Those things were obscenely expensive and too often became doorstops and bed raisers)

5) Internships (While I absolutely loved my internships and was thrilled to have such amazing opportunities in one of the most powerful cities in the world, having a real job is fantastic)

So, yes, I now have bills to pay and a full-time job year round, but I have money enough to do the things I want to do, and am enjoying the work I do day in and day out. As sad as it may seem to not be returning to a college campus, I am even more thouroughly happy to be a gainfully employed adult.

My first half marathon will be one to remember. (I can’t even remember running in a 5k prior to this) I’ll be running not only to get in shape, not only to challenge myself, but also to raise money for the Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) Foundation. 

The CdLS Foundation is a national organization that helps families from around the country to ensure early and accurate diagnosis of CdLS, promote research into the causes and manifestations of the syndrome, and help people with a diagnosis of CdLS, and others with similar characteristics, make informed decisions throughout their lives.

So, this October, I’ll be running in the ING Hartford Half Marathon with hundreds of other people, but the difference between most other runners and Team CdLS is that we are running for so much more. We are running for hope, running on the belief that maybe someday there might be a better way to care for individuals with CdLS and their families.  Perhaps, one day, there might even be a cure. We’re running on a dream.

To support the CdLS Foundation and my run in October, please visit http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/brendashepard/2012-ing-hartford-marathon.  This is a safe, and super easy way to give to this very special cause.  100% of the proceeds to directly to the Foundation.

I’m doing the running, all you have to do is click.

Here’s an easy way to raise money for your favorite cause (mine is the Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) Foundation, so if you’re looking for one to support, I’d love you to join that one!). Just start using Yahoo! powered GoodSearch.com as your search engine and they’ll donate about a penny to your favorite cause every time you do a search!

It’s just like Google, but it gives money back too!

Here’s the web site — http://www.goodsearch.com/. Other sources that have written about GoodSearch are the NY Times, Oprah Magazine, CNN, ABC News and the Wall Street Journal.

If you haven’t seen this music video, you’re definitely missing out.Check out Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt – Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? on Youtube. The video makes me smile from ear to ear and I hope it will do the same for you.  From their snappy clothing, to the unique video setting to the lovely dancing, it will undoubtedly give you at least a little amusement.  As you’ll hear, the two actors made this video to accompany their film 500 Days of Summer – another favorite of mine. If you haven’t seen it, no problem, you’ll still enjoy the video. Enjoy!

While I adore visiting my home in New Hampshire, this did put a tiny damper on my visit initially…shark sightings! The woman in the video said it best though, “the ocean is the animal’s home, and we are just visitors!”

Movies such as “Jaws“ or “Shark Night 3D” are obviously made with the intent to scare us, as we should be when faced with these “jawesome” creatures.  However, it seems as though there has not been much shark-hysteria with this news of sharks in the waters in which we swim during this most treasured vacation time.  This seems like a good sign, knowing that people are versed in some semblance of water safety, oceanic information and common sense.

WHDH photo of Rye Beach, NH

Still, I think I’ll head to my Grandfather’s pool for today instead.

The #1 reason I know I’m actually growing up?  It’s initially not the fact that I’ve finally gotten a full-time job about a year after graduating from college (though it is pretty awesome!), nor is it the pile of bills that I now get the honor of paying on my own. No, I think the one thing that more aptly expresses my “growing up” process, is my ever-expanding food palette!

Oats!

For those who may be thinking, “a full time job seems more appropriate for this milestone,” should understand that as a child and even throughout college, I was extremely picky.  We’re talking sweets, white bread, plain rice, “no, just a plain hamburger, please” picky. So, the prospect of my trying guacamole today at Agave’, with tacos with all the fixings, is quite an accomplishment.

With the increasing research on the benefits of eating healthier, less processed foods, I had little choice but to simply try new foods!  Sure, as a kid I had a slightly different taste in foods anyway, but making such big steps in trying new flavors, new recipes and new food groups entirely, has been a wonderful experience for me, which I plan on continuing.

Any suggestions of your favorite recipes? How about the strangest foods you love, that you think I should try? Leave a comment and let me know!