College be like...

Knowledge does not have a stopping point. Never.

I may whine + complain to myself + to others that could really care less during the semester, but I am damn proud to still be in school. Yes, the writing of papers is time consuming, the math problems are indiscernibly difficult, + the amount of work would probably break labor laws, but what is the cost really (besides the thousands of dollars in student loans that you will probably die with)? Knowledge?

When I graduate I will know [how to do] things that I never thought were possible! I will be able to converse, to other human beings, in French. How amazing is that?! The ability to do intense math equations to solve a problem at my [hopefully] future job will just be a pencil jot + a calculator input away. When the time comes + I need to put all my research findings, ideas, + concerns into a thesis/journal/paper about [something] that I have studied + have deep interest about, I will know how to approach it, because I was taught what to do. After I graduate, while I am working at my dream job of choice, when I get hungry I will know how to adapt + spring for the cheapest option there is. Because as a college student you know what it means to scrimp by, and with my dream job of choice, it's not a path for money [trust me]. But I know I will be doing what I love ...and that's what matters.

School is tough.
It. Is. Tough.
There is no easy route. There is no such thing as an "easy way out," that is unless you purposely fail or stupidly go through the entire 4-8 years spending thousands of dollars to just be a D average student. Sure, that would be easy, but I can't imagine that being very rewarding. Though you might be feeling the same way after you graduate, don't have a job, + you're getting the statement for student loans. What I'm getting at is, Do Not Give Up. Please. Trust me, there are more than plenty of times that I have wanted to throw in the towel + just say, "Screw it. I'll just be a stay at home mom."

Pause: There is NOTHING wrong with being a stay at home mom. I did it for 5 years + it was killing me. What may work for you just does not work for me. So, if you are a happy stay at home mom, go on with your bad self...

Let's just say, if I didn't have the man that I have today I would have given up. He pushes me even when I do not want to be pushed, + it is greatly appreciated. He is not just here for me now but always has been. AND. AND. Let me say this. If you want stimulating conversations between you + your spouse do NOT drop out. Keep going. Ever since I have started back to school [I just finished my fourth semester back] Chris + I have had some of the most thought provoking + engaging conversations. It's fantastic!

If you struggle with motivation, keep a list of goals that you want to accomplish through your college journey + what you would like to accomplish after you graduate. What is your dream job? What are you going to do or need to do to obtain that job? 

Keep a journal. I understand that some may think that keeping a journal is something only a teenager would do, but it really does help. When you feel the urge to quit, read through your own words. I'm sure you've felt the same way + you'll see that you got through that impulse + you will make it through the present one as well. 

Make a schedule. If you find that you push off your homework + studying until the last minute create a realistic schedule for your daily routine. Now, we all know you're not going to sit + study for 3 hours of Math, so please, be realistic. Because if you keep it in sensible guidelines you're more than likely to keep to it. 

Search for blogs that pertain to the field that you wish to are working towards. It will keep you informed + encouraged as you work towards that goal. 

Do not get discouraged. If you fail a class do not worry, there is always next semester. It is understandable to be very frustrated + want to possibly cry, but take it to the gym. Punch the sh-t out of a punching bag or run the hell out of that treadmill/trail. You'll feel better + you get a workout in as well. Do not let your grades define who you are. 

School can suck. It can drain you of all that you think you know about yourself, but you learn more about who you are. 

So, at the end of this Spring semester crack open the wine + book the vacation now. You've earned it. 

*Please disregard any grammatical errors. Like I said, I'm learning ;)

-ash-

Wanderlust: Asheville

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all." 

- Oscar Wilde

Daily Dose of Medicine

If you're not in school ...bless your heart. That scary week has come upon us scared students once again, Finals Week. I have my last final tomorrow for French class then I am done until January, and I only have one thing to say about that...

I'm conflicted though. I can't decide what I want to do first? Dive into one of the many books I have to read or clean/decorate the house. You know though, once typed out I think the choice is obvious...

If you've ever studied for finals you know that it is extremely hard to stay focused. Especially if you have wifi signal. We all get this gloomy depressed aura about ourselves, almost like we know we are walking to our death. I know what you may be thinking, "that's a little extreme, is it not?" Well, yes, but that's really how it feels. The world has seemed to make us think that the grade we receive is better than the knowledge that we actually gain from the class. Well, I have some good new for you. Don't worry, if you fail a class, it's not the end of the world. You just take it again. So, breathe...

For all you studious students out there, take a moment + enjoy a chuckle. A little humor goes a long way in a "dark time" :)

Do you think this would cause problems?

This is how to run. For the win!

At least there is a trailer out now. Not much longer...

Bon chance les étudiants! 

May the odds be ever in your favor. 

-ashley

It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas

Is it just me, or did Christmas come very early this year?! Don't get me wrong, I love the holiday season as much as the next person, but  -dang-  People were setting up their trees weeks before Thanksgiving, and of course the malls, as usual, were set up the day after Halloween. It just seemed a little much this year. 

As you know, I am an avid Pinterest-er and I came across something that seemed so fitting...

...but once the last Thanksgiving meal is consumed ...bring on the trees + tinsel! Our family has one tradition really, and that is putting the tree up on Thanksgiving night. It's quite simple, really. Chris lugs down the tree from storage, I fluff the tree (which is just damn torture, really), Bella anxiously waits until it is ready to put on the ornaments, while we watch Christmas Vacation. Because it is NOT Christmas without the Griswold's, and you can take that to the bank! I can't wait for the tradition to come more evolved as Bella grows up + becomes more accustomed in new things (such as hot chocolate). 

We did try + branch from normality this year. We planned on hunting in the backyard for a tree we could use, even if it was a Charlie Brown tree, but alas none were found. Darn. Although I have never had a real tree, I absolutely love the smell of pine. So, if you ever need a gift idea ...get a tree scented candle. 

As it is frustrating that Christmas came so early this year, I would like to send a Christmas kiss to my loving husband that has endured my constant Christmas carols + specials. I'm not completely innocent ...the carols may have started a little earlier than they should have ;)

So, as I sit here, listening to Christmas carols, writing this blog when I should be studying for my French final, I hope you have decked your house out to the bells. String those lights, hang that tinsel, build those wreaths, and drink that hot chocolate (or eggnog for you adults). Watch those movies + specials like there's no tomorrow. I mean, it only comes once a year, right? Enjoy those around you + embrace the holiday spirit as we should...

What movie is a staple for the holidays in your household? Got one that is a must? Let me know! 

ashley

Adulthood

As children, what is the one thing everyone wanted?
To be an adult.

To children, being an adulthood is something that is going to be so cool. Everyone has thought it. "When I'm an adult I'm gonna..."

     - "eat what I want"

     - "go to bed when I want"

     - "do whatever I want to do"

     - "insert your's here"

Everyone had there own form of adulthood dreams. It was something we were built up to look forward to. "What are you going to be when you grow up" is a question every child deals with, and if not on a daily basis. I can remember that the first profession I wanted to do was be a doctor, but then I realized what that actually entailed and I swept that notion under the carpet. In third grade, our Girl Scout troop went to Space Camp and after that I dreamed of being an astronaut. I'm not sure when that dream ended, but it did. Then, there was the dream of Marine Biology.

"I love the beach. I love the ocean. I love marine life. Why not? Wait, you mean there is math involved?! Well, forget that! I'll never be able to do that. I'm terrible at math!"

...and there that dream died and by my own hand none the less.

We are so excited to become an adult but then when we reach adulthood we feel as if we have been conned into some terrible lie. Adulthood is supposed to be fun. We're supposed to be able to go to bed late. Eat whatever or whenever we want. Buy a "toy" if we want to. But that's not how it works. We have to go to bed at a reasonable time for school/work. We can't eat anything we want because we'll get fat and sick. We can't buy that "toy" because we're on a budget.
Once we enter into that glorious time of adulthood, all we want to do is sit back and relax but realistically all we get to do is pay the bills, go to work, pick out classes, fill out financial aid/loan forms, and (dare I say it) clean the house.

To be fair, adulthood isn't all bad. Yes we do have to pay bills, and yes we do have to go to work, but the things we can do are limitless. We can drive. We can travel. We can buy those cool things off the t.v. (everyone does that, right?); we really can do whatever our heart desires, as long as it doesn't break state or federal laws..

The past three weeks have been brutal to my psyche. With taking Biology, Physics, and French, it was too much new material for me to grasp in such a short time. So, I had to make the decision to let Physics go and take it at a more opportune time. As Chris told me as I reached for advice, "Good grades are more important than finishing on time." Do you see why I love this man?! He keeps me sane and supports me through everything. I would be lost and in a padded room without him.

My heart has always been and always will be with the ocean. It's a part of me.
This past Friday, Chris and I went to a lecture series at the Georgia Aquarium called Science on Tap. This month was on Whale Sharks so I just had to go. Dr. Guy Harvey was speaking and showing the beginnings of a documentary that he is working on and I realized something. As I watched the footage of Whale Sharks and Sailfish and my eyes began to water, I realized this is it. This is what it's all about. This is why I'm enduring the academic torture. Dropping my Physics course was hard on my pride, but if it just means an extra step to work with these beauties and save them from harms way, dammit I will gladly take that extra step.

Do NOT walk away from your dreams. Stick with them. Work through the storms and obstacles. If your dream doesn't require your hands to get dirty, ask yourself, is it really worth your time? 

- Ashley

+Embrace the Day+

This week marks the 28th year of me gracing this earth. Yup, it's my birthday.

I have yet gotten to the age where I dread that day, I actually welcome it. Every year I still get a homemade birthday cake, of my choice, from my mom and dad and who doesn't love cake on their birthday?!

Getting older doesn't scare me, at least not yet, as I've been told. The thought and process of getting older is great! With age comes wisdom. I read something funny the other day... "We've all been told that "old" people are wise but you know, stupid people get old too." Being back in school has taught me and shown me how much we take knowledge and intellect for granted, and I refuse to take part in that "fad." I will teach myself something new up until the day that I die. 

The past few months I have come across a few items that I have mentally enlisted on my birthday wish list. Everyone makes a wish list for their birthday, realistic ones and unrealistic ones, and I figured that I would share with you a few items that are definitely on a wish list... 

Who wouldn't want to adopt their own shark?!?

Or their own whale...

Every woman needs a fantastic watch. 

This watch will not only make my wrist look great, but it delivers

100 meals to to children in need

An Ernest Hemingway first edition

A great handbag

And a nice pair of flats

I love birthdays. I love [cup]cake. And I love this birthday dog. 

Don't run away from your birthday. You've survived another year. It may have endured some hard times, but you've grown stronger through those times and I guarantee that the good outweigh the bad. Be thankful for each day that you have for we are not promised tomorrow. 

Love the life you live. Get out there and accomplish your dreams. Go there. Eat that. Drive. Fly. Walk. Experience. Love. Try. 

You never know what you love or like to do if you don't get out there and do it. I have wasted postponed so many years in fear that I couldn't do a career in Marine Biology, and I am currently entering into my third semester back ...without a single failed Math class. Trust me, if I can go through without failing a Math class, you can do anything. I mean it. The only thing holding you back is yourself. 

So, here is to all the birthdays. Try something new on your birthday or plan on completing something before. And don't worry about the cake ...I'll make sure to eat a piece for you. This year is chocolate ;)

Ashley 

Good Medicine

For all of you know, Shark Week took place last week, and if you didn't ...let me give you time to crawl out from under the rock from which you live.
I don't know if you are a yearly viewer but if you are, were you as disappointed as I was?! I mean, for a show that is based upon science, there wasn't very much science. If you follow me on any social media, you saw my frustration with Discovery Channel about creating a mockumentary about Megalodon still existing.
My problem with it was not just that they created lies just to get good ratings but that people are looking to programs such as these for facts. And according to a poll I saw after the first showing, around 79% of people believe he is still around. That is crazy!?! People. If a 50 ft shark is still thriving in the ocean, even if he is deep down in there, don't you think we would see proof of it? And I don't mean terrible CGI images ...Discovery!

This guy.

...he knows what's going on. 

Husband for the win. 

 I love Aaron. And this is so accurate. 

I literally cried when I read this. I just, I can't... :* D

Ashley