Goodbye 2018!

Life consists of finding ways to live a little better, a little happier..kinda like a fish in a Brita. You'll have to read this to understand.

Yes, yes that is a fish in a Brita to your right, and his name is Brock. As a 1st year RA this year, I had the opportunity to get a free fish. You see, Brock was one of my resident's fish. He wanted one because he looked up online that beta fishes could be trained. He wanted Brock to be able to follow his finger whenever he commanded him to, & you can guess how that worked out. On top of that, my resident never owned a fish before.

So... Bella, another RA and my best friend, informed him on what the resident would need to buy in order to take care of Brock. Brock had a beautiful fish tank with ships and planes and multicolored rocks in his tank. However, after a couple of days, my resident said that Brock was stinking up his room...yes, because that was the thing that was making a boy’s dorm room stink. Before I know it, Brock is up in my room for a temporary period so that my resident can have a break...it kinda felt like childcare or divorce arrangements...except for the fact that the other parent never picked him up. Bella and I decided to care for Brock who we very much fell in love with.
However, after cleaning his tank, we must have hit the tank on the bottom because the tank left a huge puddle on my desk when I came back from the library. I quickly cleaned up the mess, and did the first thing I could think of: transfer Brock to my Brita. I was so upset that I could be so careless to crack Brock's home. But the thing is, Brock didn't seem to mind. In fact, he seemed happier. I made sure to put his favorite ship in the tank, the one he likes to hide under at night, and the fish swam around, happy as a camper. Using a Brita as a fish tank didn't only grow on me as very aesthetically pleasing, but it also made cleaning Brock's tank so much easier! All I had to do was pour water through the Brita, and filtered water swarmed into the tank.
Back to the point, sometimes life happens and you have to make ends meet. This might mean doing something that is a lil' out of the ordinary, and using something that may not necessarily be intended for that purpose. But until you try, you never know that this change could have been for the better.

This Christmas, I decided to stay at TCU (pic of TCU Frog Fountain on right, Christmas Day). My parents and I had a little bit of a fall out this summer, and going home was not only unwelcome, but also not even on my mind. My parents and I are all good now, but we learned that we thrive better in different places. Not spending Christmas at home with family is very non-traditional in the US, and may seem lonely or pitying, but I could let you know that this was one of the best Christmases ever. It was a time of deep reflection on the 2018 year, a time of establishing a new family in my new communities-the Cyclestar family, at Cyclebar, at Lululemon, and in the Fort Worth community; it was also a time to reconsider my priorities in my walk of faith this upcoming year. I got to spend my Christmas with someone who works in Student Development Services, and I was welcomed in to the family with open arms.

So just because something may seem a little strange, different, or nontraditional doesn't mean that it's wrong. It might even be more right than ever. Be brave. Stay true to what you know works for you. And don't be afraid to make home out of a Brita.

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This Year has been a rollercoaster! A fun one full of new loops, challenges, highs & lows! Recap of the ride that really did feel like a blink of an eye: ​

​ 1) Finding home within the RA Community, especially Foster :)

​2) Left TCU Spin, but will forever be in my heart. 

3) Cyclestar Community! Finding home with instructors that consistently motivate me to be the best version of myself <3

4) Cyclebar Community! Although I am an instructor now, I still love working as a CBXer (desk educator) because of the tight knit community of coworkers I have :))

​ 5) Rider Community!  That's the best part of Cyclebar-the community we create with our riders.  #riderLOVE

​6) Lululemon Community-can I just say positive people?! We may not make an income with all the goodies that we are tempted to buy, but it's the community that keeps me thriving! Much love! #luluLOVE

​ 7) Here's to Old & New Best Friends :)

​ 8) Fake family pics, but true friends for sure! Yes, these family photos are definitely keepers

​9) Probably should throw in my actual family somewhere...yes, saved the best for last (did not forget at all)

​10) and the best best BEST for last, jumping photos from the year. 2018, you've been a blast! #gottaBLAST

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​​Bye, 2018! You've been so good to me!

​Here's to new adventures this upcoming year. ​​