People are Cool.

 My nervous decent into Miami

So no matter what you think or how much people tell you the opposite...people are actually very cool.  Now, I have to admit, I was one of those people.  I do not like small talk, I'm not big on schmoozing nor am I any good at it, and I have a very hard time introducing myself first, and if you know me, you know that's an understatement.  (Why, you say, did I join the Peace Corps then?  Fair question, well that's a story for another day)  So after months of anxiety and worry, I've finally come to the day that I have to meet 30 plus new people, make friends fast because I'm basically spending the next two years with them.  Just the thought of this made my my stomach turn and palms sweat...until I actually had to do it.  Well, surprise, surprise, like most everything else in life, the thought and build up to it was so much worse than it actually was...I arrived at our staging event this morning, where all the future Peace Corps Volunteers that are serving in Jamaica meet to go over some information and paperwork.  Well, to my absolute delight and peace of mind, I like them, they are all super great!  And I think some of them even like me back!  We are such a diverse and interesting group, from all ages (22-60 something?) and from all over the country (Hawaii to Maine), I feel so lucky and happy (and relieved) to be grouped with these 30 people. (There are 31 of us total that are heading over to Jamaica tomorrow, in case you were wondering)  So bottom line, yet another example of why I do NOT need to be so nervous/worried/anxious about everything else that's coming up, because things work will themselves out, and most-likely, for the best.

Thankful for today:
All my new Peace Corps friends!
All my friends at home that I love and will talk to soon! (Thank you so much for your unbelievable support these past few weeks, you have all surprised and amazed me by how much you care - you know who you are and I love you!)

One step forward, two steps back...

...to laugh at yourself.  Yet another really, really, really important lesson that I (and you, if you want to keep your sanity, or insanity, whatever your fancy) must remember.

A very smart person recently shared some simple wisdom with me the other day, which is to take a step back and laugh at yourself.  At the time, I was like, yah, sure, duh.  Like, I don't need anyone to remind me of that, I already know and find humor in all situations!  No, I don't.  I do need the reminder.  Which is why I'm writing it down here, so we all can remember.

For example: (oh yes, there is a fun story that goes along with my little words of wisdom!)  Today, I was crossing the street in Ballston, (oh, Arlington and your poorly-marked one way streets, 7-way intersections and non-blinker-using drivers) mind you, I was crossing at a crosswalk, where cars are supposed to stop for you, but not only that, it was a 3-way intersection with all-way stop signs.  As I started to cross, a car decides to speed up towards the stop sign, fail to stop, and almost (and when I say almost, I mean not even close) run me over!  I promptly yelled out to the car and his passengers, luckily the windows were down so they could hear my little fit of crosswalk rage, "STOP SIGN", pointing and rolling my eyes up towards the sign...well, you can imagine my fury when he just kept on speeding away!!  How dare he disobey the rules of the road!  And, c'mon, the simplest one of them all!  One that 2-years olds (and I know this for a fact) even know the meaning of!  A giant red octagon means STOP!  HELLO!! (can you hear that sarcastic tone in my voice?!?)  Well, I threw one more evil eye his way, just to make sure he could see how enraged I was (like, if I had a milkshake, it would have been all over his back window à la Election) and stormed away through the street, huffing and puffing, fully ready to pull out my phone to dial up the traffic police and....wait a minute...could this...could this be one of those step back and laugh at myself sort of situations??  Maybe, just maybe...

So needless to say, did I need to get that upset about some stupid driver who can't read a stop sign?  No.  And it's not my job to point out such obviousness, especially since he will probably get what's coming to him in the form of some blue lights flashing in his rear view.  No, not my problem at all, so here I am taking a step back and laughing at myself.  Please feel free to laugh along with me (or at me).


Things I'm thankful for today:
People who are smart and make me smarter
Free gym
Easy workout
Beach camping
No work this week
Nice weather
People who are funny and make me laugh!

Have a thankful day!

Great(ful) Day!

No witty stories here today folks, just getting straight to the punchline...

Things I'm thankful for today:
DOPO night tonight with some wonderful ladies
Making my favorite summer drink
Double header softball game, I'm working on my swing
Last day of work tomorrow
Cleaned up my room
Figured out my flight back from home without spending a fortune
That I'm NOT on the bachelorette - just watched the last episode where the dude was a total d-bag
Good food
Nice bike ride today
I finally posted pictures
Great friends
Fun ladies night last night
My team girls, their parents and my other coaches - they threw me a party last night! So sweet!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!  Life is wonderful :)

Don't forget to comment and tell me what you are thankful for today!!

Woe Is Me!!

So apparently the need to wallow in our own self-hatred doesn't build over a lifetime of dysfunctional family problems, bad decisions and abuse, it starts at a much earlier age....like 4, for example.

I found this out today, when the 4-year-old that I regularly nanny for had some seriously hilarious yet perspective-inducing things to say after waking him from his impromptu and restricted nap. (He's getting close to 5 and his mom doesn't want him napping otherwise he won't fall asleep when its bedtime.  So when I went to put the other one down, which took a while, the older one promptly laid down on the couch under a blanket and passed out.) He started whining and crying, which was to be expected, but the after about 10 minutes of this, I ask him what he wants to do.  Does he want to play legos? (his favorite thing) Go outside? (maybe second favorite)  No, no, no, he'll have none of that. So as he's lying dramatically on the ground with his arm draped across his forehead, he says to me, "Miss Courtney, I dont want you to do anything that will make me happy.  Miss Courtney, I'm just going to do nothing, don't try to do anything I like. I don't want to be happy." Oh vey! Whoa is me and my little 4-year-old self!

To see a small child act like a broke, recently dumped, living-in-his-parents-basement-30-year-old is truly a sight to see, but the best part about it was, I can without a doubt say I felt like this, maybe, no less than 5000 times in my adult life, where nothing and no one in the world could make me happy and life was not worth living, over, I'm sure, nothing more than being woken up from my nap.  I couldn't help but laugh at him, and think to myself, no, it does not get any better, my little grasshopper, no and it never will, not until you can see for yourself the humor in the situation.  Until you realize that the terrible horrible life-ending fill-in-the-blank-moment that's happening right now is not the end of the world.  Thank you, young 4-year-old, to help me remember this very important lesson, especially when I'm about to embark on one of the craziest adventures of my life.  This "advice" will be my savior when I'm no doubt feeling like that in Jamaica next month, and probably for the next 27 months.  But alas, no one can expect a 4 year old to realize, let alone understand, this perspective on life; good thing for a short attention span....at the moment he's is very happily playing outside, without a care in the world  :)

God bless me with a short attention span.  Amen.


Thankful for today:
Got out of work early
Going to a free movie tonight (kinda, using my expired livingsocial deal)
Yummy food last night
Ice Cream Sandwiches
Biking
Air Conditioning
My friends <3

Get your "secret" on, post a comment to tell me what you are thankful for today!

28 Days

A little less actually, but that made a better title.  I'm leaving in 25 days!  It's going soooo slow and sooo fast all at the same time, how does that happen?  I'm thinking it has something to do with the time space continuum, or the flux capacitor or maybe H.G. Wells...

Thankful for today -
I still have 3 weeks to enjoy all my friends and the things I love in the States
Only one more week of work!  Whoo hoo
Sold some stuff on craigslist
Beautiful outside
Delicious shrimp pasta lunch that I made myself
No work until Monday!
Ropes course tomorrow :)
I'm finally setting up blog for public consumption, you're welcome.

Thanks you thank you thank you!