Hello Spring!

This post is like SEVERAL days late but, better late than never is sometimes my favorite motto.

Can we just have a moment of silence for the fact that the cold nasty disgusting hateful winter weather is behind us..or at least it better be. 

Mother Nature don’t fuck with my heart. 

I will cut a bitch. 

Spring is my absolute favorite time of year…you can just tell that people are READY for winter to be over. Even those people who love snow, cold weather, hot chocolate, snuggles and all that other crap that is great for like…oh I don’t know…one weekend!

It depends where you live, here in RVA it seems like winter starts right around the middle of November and wraps up at the end of February..you get those occasional cold days in early October/November and we certainly get the weirdo cold days in March and into April – Lord knows we have been known to get a snow day or 2 in April. But, overall, St. Patrick’s Day is my light at the end of the tunnel that winter days are behind us.

Spring is the best.

Warm, sunny days, but still chilly at night, so your wardrobe is that perfect mixture of summer and winter. People are stoked because they know the warmer weather is coming and I don’t know about you but RVA is fucking active. People love being outside even if outside means dragging your couch out to Monument Avenue and drinking beer – which involves heavy lifting – so I repeat RVA is fucking active.

RVA is the best of both worlds – I know I am super biased – but you have your downtown area with bars/restaurants, etc but then you have the James River running RIGHT THROUGH downtown. So you get all your river activities, hiking trails, river walks, paths, and most of them walk right past or lead to a bar or brewery – I am onto you Richmond…you’re not a dumb city…you’re not a dumb city at all.

My all time favorite Spring activity is either on a Saturday or Sunday – cause hello Full Time job takes up ALL of my week day life – after crushing a Spin Class at BOHO Cycle Studio (yes, this is a plug!) I grab the BF and the Pup and head to, what I refer to as Riverwalk, but the correct name is the Belle Isle Suspension Bridge downtown. We walk the bridge and the trails that are back there, when the water isn’t too high there are tons of rocks to walk out on and actually lay out on when the weather is warm. 

After hiking, walking, climbing, exploring..let’s be honest a girl is hungry there are tons of restaurants and bars downtown but my favorite place to hit up after hiking near the James is Legend Brewery which has a big porch outside that looks at downtown Richmond. I love the beers, I normally get the flight to taste a little bit of everything and their food is pretty good too!

Don’t get me wrong I have tons of favorite warm weather activities, especially in the Richmond area this is just my most favorite…post to come with MORE spring time activities in RVA :)

Cheers to Spring and Hallelujah! 

Spark.

I recently had a few minor mental breakdowns in the past couple of weeks. Trust me when I say they were minor cause, I have had full blown major earth shattering breakdowns and these were very very minor. 
These aren’t in any sense physically harmful but let me tell you something they are mentally, spiritually, and emotionally exhausting!

Let me explain…do you ever have one of those days..weeks …or maybe you have felt this way your whole life…where nothing seems to be going terribly wrong but you’re just stuck. Maybe your career isn’t as gratifying as it used to be, your favorite workout class has lost its luster, your favorite beer doesn’t taste as good as it used too, or Lord help you, if your bedroom life seems to be suffering. 
Like I said it’s nothing detrimental to your physical or mental state but your emotional state is just blah.

I think I finally figured out what causes this rut. My constant need for more. Hear me out.  I would love to see my friends MORE. I would love to travel MORE. I would love to feel MORE satisfied at work. I would love to try new things MORE. I want to listen to music MORE. I want to spin MORE. I want MORE free time to myself. And I know some people are thinking then just do it, quit whining and make time for these things. 

However, it is so much easier said than done! Do you ever work a full day, didn’t really accomplish that much and then come home and are exhausted…why is that? Where did my energy go? Did my work chair just suck it right out of me??

No. I lost the spark. Your spark is what keeps you going, it is how you thrive. Doing what you love keeps you going. Surrounding yourself with things you love. Negative energy is a real thing. I hate that I am 25 and just learning this. But living, working, or surrounding yourself with negative energy really will suck the life out of you.

My question to you all is how do I get that spark back. Am I just being a whiny millennial? Am I just being a brat cause I don’t have time to sit around listening to music and drinking wine? How do you find the time to keep your spark?

Please don’t take this next comment as preachy, it is more so a reminder to myself, you NEED to find those things to look forward to: finishing a project at work, mastering a new recipe, killing that sprint set in your spin class, whatever makes you happy and encourages you to take it to the next level and not just to slide out of your comfort zone but to full on PUSH you out of your comfort zone.  

In the famous words of Nike..

Just Do It

Cheers to 365!

So I want to give fair warning this is going to be a gushy blog post...they aren't normally, so if this is by chance the first time you are reading this blog please don't let this you deter you from reading my other posts!

Today is just extra special for me!

So today the boyfriend and I are celebrating a one year anniversary...yeah yeah I know most of you just rolled your eyes and are like "okay cool, I've been with my boyfriend for four years" and that is awesome for you guys..that's also because most likely you are a normal human being.

I, however, am not.

One year getaway at Castle Hill Cider in Keswick, VA

I will be the first to admit..I am completely ridiculous. I am moody, whiny, frustrating, and down right stubborn. The amount of times I have been irritated but not even sure why is way too many to count! So for me to not only find someone to tolerate me for up to a year (that isn't family) but is a good looking, smart, determined young man is incredible. And is absolutely 100% something to brag about..and celebrate!!

Let me tell you about this kid, he is something special, real special.

So we met back in February 2015, our first date was one for the books. 

We had brunch at a local spot and the kid could not be outdone. 

You know how on your first date you do the small talk -

Where are you from? 

Do you have any siblings? 

How do you like Richmond? 

What's your favorite color?

..blah blah blah. 

Well we get passed that stuff and we get to the 

Tell me a time you did something crazy

 Tell me your favorite place you have ever traveled

 If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

 Tell me the dumbest thing you have ever done

Well they are typical questions I ask. 

Of course I have my stories already picked out but this kid, out of no where has to top every answer I have. He's done something crazier, he's done more of it, he's been further away..GOD it was irritating. I was done. 

I was like no way, this kid is a showoff. 

Turns out his confidence, need for adventure, and life experience is one of his most attractive qualities!

Well fast forward a few months and several MUCH better dates, he asked me to be his girlfriend! Want to hear how ridiculous I am...I even gave him 24 hours to back out of it!!

Well thankfully, neither of us backed out and 365 days later here we are :)

This post isn't just to inform you all that I am celebrating a one year anniversary..cause lord knows that is lame... but it is more of a huge thank you to the boyfriend for all the incredible adventures, the hand holding & shoulder to cry on, the love & support, the push when I needed it, the laughs, and the journey that has been this past year.

Cheers to 365!