coming soon

as of right now, we are in our last day of the Memphis trip with 140ish eighth and ninth grade crazies. tonight, I will be driving the black burb for the last time **praises** for the long haul back to northwest Arkansas. no doubt, we have had our ups and downs on this trip, but for the most part it has been a blast serving alongside our incredible students and leaders. the picture above is from 4 years ago when I was a leader on the Memphis trip. this is me and one of my bests about mid-week. what our faces are saying: exhausted, kids be cray, get me out of this gym, & I need veggies. 

here are some things you have to look forward to in the next week: Memphis in pictures, traveling yoga, & favorite things {spring}. see y'all then!

{yoga} lately

some things I am currently learning: 1. I am strong enough to get up in a forearm stand **arm muscles for once in my life** 2. trying things that I don't think I am capable of helps tear down walls, & 3. confidence is more beautiful than anything else.

this past week in class there was a fraction of the normal amount of people. this can only mean one thing: we will have room to practice inversions. being relatively new to having arm muscles, I tend to shy away from anything that would expose this weakness, BUT that day was different. there was a light inside me that made me try this seemingly unachievable feat. I kicked up a few times by myself into a forearm stand (the arm balance that uses the most shoulder muscles, which I'm not convinced I have yet). then the instructor came over to offer a little support, and it happened. yes, he helped me balance out, but then he let go. and I didn't fall!! who is this person?!

it's moments like these that remind me to try new things because you will never know how strong you are until you take the first step, and you actually might surprise yourself!

**this week is going to be all kinds of messed up, but I promise a {week}end update from Memphis is coming**

the old black burb

no, the title of this post is not a typo. this is what I will be driving this coming week for the spring break mission trip I am leading. why is this a big deal? 1. because it clearly is the coolest vehicle going on the trip. 2. my whole 8th grade cell group will fit in it. 3. I have to tow a trailer behind it. **insert wide-eyed emoji here** 4. did I mention there will be a trailer in tow behind this thing??? 5. the front seat is a bench seat. yes, my cool factor just went WAY up.

a little about the trip: there are 174 people going (leaders included) on this 8th & 9th grade mission trip **translation: no sleep, crazed little peoples, & sassy pants all week**. we are going to Memphis to partner with Memphis Athletic Ministries in their gyms for the week. this is our 5th or 6th year going and is by far my fav trip we go on! for a lot of these kids, it's their first out-of-comfort-zone trip they go on. it is so fun to watch them grow over the week that we are there and then for a while after they get back!

we are leaving today & won't be back for another week. things you can look forward to when we get back: great pictures, great stories, & great memories. see ya in a week!

freedom

it is amazing to me that freedom and peace that can come after a crazy week of confusion and frustration. in the past week I have found out three pieces of information that have given me immense peace about my decision to go to Regent: 1. I may have found a place to live/roommate for this fall **insert fist pumps, leg kicks & shimmies** 2. they found an incredible replacement for me at my current job! she is gonna kill it!! 3. there has been a chain holding me back for way too long that was just unlocked and ditched this afternoon **can I get an amen?!**

there is literally nothing holding me back from feeling great about this decision & start this next stage of life in Virginia! literally when #3 happened this afternoon I wanted to yell, laugh, jump, & leap... but I guess that's not super socially acceptable especially while in walmart :)

and to top it all off, I got a free travel mug from the new Walmart to-go convenient store this morning. yay for kicking off this spring break mission trip with 140-ish junior high kids off right!!

[reading] lately

I can officially add another book to my "been there, read that" list: bossypants by Tina Fey. you know those books where you laugh out loud and make a fool of yourself in front of your roommates, yeah that's this book. it was a great, easy, relaxing read that was definitely much needed right after finishing generous justice and while reading reason for God. there were several times I thought **oh gosh, this woman reads my mind!** because I've literally had those exact thoughts before. ok, maybe not as funny as the way she wrote them, but same idea :)

the next book I have begun is the classic, Jane Eyre. I am so excited to read this book because it's one of those classics about women just like my absolute fav, pride and prejudice. after that, I will start on my "to read [for law school]" list that I've been putting off **gotta start somewhere, right**

here's to killin' goals & takin' names!

weekend update

this weekend was full. my brother's girlfriend, tiffany (known to Haitians as stifani), stayed with me from last Wednesday through Saturday evening. time with Tiff is always refueling, especially when it consists of: celebrating pi day, avoiding working out but eventually caving for a brisk uphill walk, food adventures, pillow talks, and waking up in the middle of the night to her sleep talking. oh yeah, and I guess we hung out with my brother too.

this past Friday, the rest of my families came in town, including my "god-family". I am the oldest of 4 kids in my family. one boy, three girls. when the kaigs come in town, we add three more godsisters to the mix + tiffany... and well, that makes for one glorious time! we toured the you of a on Saturday for one of my sisters & two of my godsisters which was so fun to show off the number one school in my heart. **woo pig** other things we did: ate great food, walk, played nerts, showed them my "manrepeller" dance moves, ate great food, laughed, ate great food, crystal bridges... oh, and we ate great food. **might have gained a few lb's this weekend...worth.it**

clear eyes. full hearts [& bellies]. can't lose.

the inevitable

there is a reason I don't love to make decisions. I have peace about it one minute and then something happens that makes me totally rethink that decision. it's inevitable & it makes me uneasy. these are times when I have to remind myself of why I had peace about this decision in the first place, but sometimes that doesn't cut it.

there are too many variables to consider in big decisions, and sometimes you just don't wait to think through them all. if I hadn't already committed, right now I'd be even more of a mess than I was a few weeks ago living in the unknown. one of my partners in my current job will most likely be moving out of state for a different job. that throws a huge wrench into my decision making process because I was counting on him to be the consistency that our students need. even still, I have to trust that God loves these students even more than I do and will take care of them throughout all of the crazy change. another wrench: I received an email yesterday from one of my other law school choices with quite a large scholarship offer. **woof** what am I supposed to do with that?! good thing I didn't really love the school when I went to visit I guess? wrench number three: the school that offered the scholarship is most likely where an old beau of mine will end up for the next five-ish years. why is that a factor? well, let's just blame this one on the fact that men's minds are like waffles & women's minds are like spaghetti.

men can compartmentalize everything, just like those little squares in waffles. women think more like spaghetti... all of the things muddle together and get tangled up. it can make us crazy at times, but it also can be of great benefit because some factors really should be considered alongside each other. the key is to figure out which noodles should be mixed together and which shouldn't. wrench number three is a noodle that just needs to get thrown out... maybe that's the tester one you throw on the ceiling to make sure it's done or maybe the one that inevitably gets stuck in the pan when plating your spaghetti. either way, it's not going on the plate, or bowl, or whatever you choose to eat spaghetti off of tonight. so here's to being a crazy mess & leaving some noodles behind.

**ps I am still excited about Virginia**

yoga love

this is one of my happy places. before my first yoga class, I was under the impression that it was just a bunch of hippies doing stretches and talking about "letting the sun's energy radiate through your body"... as someone who is plagued by a logic-based mindset, you might see how this would be a turn off. when I made my goal of "splits by twenty-five" I knew I was going to need more help than simply the stretching routines I found on pinterest. let me tell you how badly I needed this help: I couldn't even touch my toes while doing a forward bend. **true story, yikes!!**

this is when I found yoga. after the first class, I was absolutely hooked. I began going to all the classes I could, buying a membership to a yoga studio, and finding an "online yoga studio" in yogaglo. the reason I dove in was because of the healing way we looked at things. the yoga instructors that I enjoy taking from emphasize the anatomy and physiology of the poses while reminding me that it's also about accepting where I am today. this resonated with me through all of the change that is happening in my life, I could always come back to my mat. I can go to a class, and we will end with that glorious shavasana. each class I get a little more flexible and can go deeper into poses. it builds confidence and acceptance at the same time, which for me have not been an easy thing to build in the past.

through yoga I have learned many valuable life lessons, and one of the most important things that it has taught me is: don't knock it 'til you try it!

letting things go

one thing I love about being a single twenty-something is the freedom to make crazy decisions. a couple of my girlfriends are in the same boat as me right now. we all are pretty independent. we all have dreams. we all want to have a new adventure. one of them is moving to Chicago in august, one is moving to Denver in august, and I am moving to Virginia Beach in august. all three of us have taken the plunge into this next adventure, and we often get together to discuss the excitement and scariness of this decision.

the nuance of going somewhere new can be intoxicating and terrifying at the same time. it would be easier for the three of us to make a decision based on comforts, old beaus that come back around, money, etc. that would be way easier and way more comfortable, but something that I have learned is that growth isn't easy. growing is actually quite challenging, and therefore, is rarely found in comfort zones. comfort zones are actually crippling of growth because they encourage us to stay the same, comfortable. this is an idea that I cling to whenever the anxious thoughts about change and uncertainty come to mind because it gives me courage to face these thoughts... don't get me wrong, I am by no means always brave. there are many nights lately where I have broken down under all the pressure and uncertainty that august brings, but in those nights I am so thankful for company, chocolate, and a great bottle of wine. after all, wine is cheaper than therapy, darling.

weekend update

freshly painted nails. reading. cleaning. organizing. laundry. writing. these are the things good weekends are made of. these are also things that I have not had the time to do over the past month, so this weekend of "normalcy" has been a breath of fresh air! to top it all off, I've had not one, but TWO girls nights with friends I haven't gotten to catch up with in what seems like months! how did I get to a place where this is not a normal rhythm?

some seasons are crazier than others. the past few months have been a whirlwind! visiting all the different schools, trying to compare/contrast, looking up different places to live, keeping up with work, and then I'm supposed to work in a personal life with all of that?? sometimes you just have to duck your head and work until there comes a time like this past weekend where you can just breathe. breathing is an essential part of life. if we always stay in that head-ducked-hard-working mode with no refueling breaks, we burn out and crash hard. so, here's to a refueling weekend to refresh us for the next crazy season!

committing

well, it's official. I will be attending Regent University School of Law beginning this fall. **insert shocked face emoji here** this is really happening. I am going to law school. what?!?! this past week since being in Virginia Beach has been full of an unexplainable peace. honestly, I didn't know this would ever come. committing to a school was overwhelming. what if I chose the wrong one? what if I'm making a terrible mistake? what if...? I was experiencing commitment issues for the third time in my life. that sounds dramatic, but honestly I was in panic mode. then came Regent Law and peace. 

it has been quite a crazy ride from deciding to take the LSAT, actually taking it, filling out applications, getting in to a few schools, visiting all the programs, and now getting to the point where I have made the decision. wasn't it just yesterday that I was sitting at the kitchen table with my dad talking with him about the idea of going to law school?? I am so looking forward to this next adventure and all that it brings! new state to learn and love. new people to meet. new friends to make. a lot of new things to study and learn. new stage of life. new adventures. new beginnings. new chapter.

coming soon: weekend update, more questions, letting things go & what I'm reading now

{how to} stretch that closet

my first "style icon" was my daycare teacher. everyday, she would walk into class totally rocking a side pony-tail... it was perfect. she was the coolest, so naturally I wanted to be just like her. this was the first time I can remember begging my mom to do something to give me a different look... little did I know that it was the 90's and a side pony-tail was so last decade. no matter, I thought I was the coolest because I looked just like my hip teacher. the second was my eighth grade basketball coach, Coach Kally Carter. her clothes came straight from banana republic... wide-leg trousers. neutrals. great shoes. classy. yes, I was that girl who dreamed of wearing pencil skirts & suits from junior high. **strange, I know**

anyways, my style today has morphed into this boho-chic/simplistic/classy/a-lil-sassy thing... I guess there really is no way to actually define it. but I kinda like it that way! my absolute favorite thing is putting together new outfits with pieces that I already own. in fact, I've made it a rule that in order to buy a new article of clothing, I have to imagine it in three different outfits. this just helps me 1. save money **always a good thing** and 2. get creative & make sure I'll actually wear it. how many times have I bought a shirt & come back only to wear it once & it sit in my closet forever because I can't think of a different way to wear it??? **too many times** this rule has saved me many a time from impulse buys that I'll definitely regret later!

three fav shoes: 1. grey-khaki booties, 2. camel pointed-toe pumps, & 3. piper's sandals.
three fav shirts: 1. chambray long sleeve, 2. all my piko tops, 3. Target men's flannels
fav jeans: Lucky Lola Skinnies

things I'm looking forward to: dressing for a new career... finally getting to live that dream of my 8th grade self & wearing classy office wear from Banana Republic :)

what's in a name

"what's in a name?", right? to be honest, coming up with a name for this blog was a big deterrent from me beginning to write. it's like writer's block from the very beginning, which can't be a good sign, can it??

on my twenty-fourth birthday, one of my roommates asked me if I had any goals for this next year. I had never thought of doing goals to reach before I got to the next birthday instead of the traditional "new year's resolutions", but I loved the idea of it! over the next few days I asked myself, "what am I going to set out to do before twenty-five?" these are the goals I came up with: read more, be spontaneous, and become more flexible. the best goal-achievers will tell you that those 3 goals are literally the worst because they aren't quantifiable. SO... here's how they materialized into something I could actually measure: read one book per month (12 total) by 25, say yes to things that scare me in this 24th year, AND do the splits by 25 **hence, the blog title**

so, here is my journey to achieve these goals and many others that come up along the way... as of today, here is where I stand:

• books I've read since last May 12: Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, The Search for Significance, The Reason for God, Generous Justice, Follow Me, What Alice Forgot, Gospel in Life ... I may have a little catching up to do. studying for the LSAT is my excuse for a lot of that time ;)
• yes to things that scare me: took the LSAT, applied to law school, began this blog, & gave a talk for the first time at work (in front of 400+ students)
• splits: I started practicing yoga last summer & I love it!!! still not quite to this one thanks to tight hip flexors & hammies, but I'll keep ya posted!

one thing yoga has taught me is that it's not about the fact that you can do something, it's about learning along the way. it's about embracing where you are right now & looking forward at the same time. so this is me, embracing the journey.

weekend update

this past weekend, I went on my last law school visit. Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA was definitely the "last, but not least"... the campus was absolutely beautiful, even though the weather was not the best. every building, every courtyard, and every foyer looked like a page from a Jane Austen book. my mom and I cherished our time together while exploring all this city and campus had to offer. one of the rules my mom has always had while traveling is that we must eat locally. growing up I did not really love that rule, but after living in Northwest Arkansas for a handful of years I have grown to appreciate, love, and even prefer to eat at any local joint. we found some great places, but I am looking forward to exploring this area even more one day! **maybe soon**

each person that I met on the campus was loving and supportive. there was one lady in particular that sold me, though. her name is Kathleen McKee. she is known by many as "Professor Mom" at Regent, is a self-proclaimed chatty-Kathy, and is incredibly passionate about her job. upon reading her very impressive resume, I was a little nervous to meet this woman... to quote Elizabeth from Pride & Prejudice, "she certainly would be a most fearsome thing to behold." this is exactly how I felt walking into my meeting Friday afternoon, but upon meeting Professor McKee, all those intimidating thoughts melted. her warmth and passion exudes from her as she tells stories of what she is so passionate about, the law and helping others through legal aid. what's funny is that our meeting was supposed to be only thirty minutes, but ended up being an hour as we exchanged stories of our passions, which seemed to align quite well. I couldn't help but thinking "I have got to be around this woman" throughout that meeting, a thought that has continued to stay with me. I'm not sure if this was their plan in having Professor McKee as my last meeting before leaving Regent's law school, but it was well played that is for certain. **can you guess where my heart is leaning?!**

coming soon: what's in a name (behind the blog), how to stretch your wardrobe (without breaking the bank), & my final decision for this next adventure (law school edition)