Summer is HERE, which means I can finally start my reading list…. Follow me on Instagram @Aves_J (Taken with instagram)
Some Blissful Thinking
CULINARY ADVENTURE ♥WORLD TRAVELER ♥ PHOTOGRAPHYFill your paper with the breathings of your heart. ~William Wordsworth
Some lessons I have learned while getting back into running here on the sunny beaches of San Diego…
Lesson One: Five reasons to run in a sports bra:
One: Creates confidence- and shows it!
Two: Improves posture as you hold yourself upright
Three: Prompts you to clench your abs, giving you a bonus workout
Four: Tan. Lines.
Five: The old ladies are doing it, so why aren’t the young ones?!
Get out there and run! Preferably on a beach, but anywhere with a good path and some sunshine will do.
1 week ago - 
7
7Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don’t know how to replenish it’s source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings.
Anais Nin
(Source: kari-shma, via quote-book)
I finally finished my research papers. Now, quick mental vacation before powering through finals! I am anxiously looking forward to the first stress-free week of summer- nothing but beach, sun, and best friends.
1 week ago - 3
3Oh Mom, where do I begin? To say you are “the best mother on earth” is not only cliché, it is a total understatement. All my successes are a direct result of your constant encouragement, guidance, and love. I cannot thank you enough for all you have done-and continue to do- for our family and for me. You have selflessly devoted so much of your time and energy to us, and we are all more than grateful- Oakley and Star included! I can tell that they sure love all the pets, walkies, and cubes of cheese that “accidentally” fall on to the floor when you whip up your delicious dinners…
Mom, you truly are an exceptional lady. You are a fantastic role model, exuding compassion and grace, loving us unconditionally. The way you live out Christ’s love inspires me to live a kinder, gentler life. Your daily doses of encouragement flow so freely and I know I can count on you for anything, and I appreciate your support as I chase my dreams and set out on my own path. Not to mention you sure never fail to make me laugh with your goofiness! While I wish I could be there to celebrate your special day, I know you are in good company with the rest of the family and I will see you in a few short weeks! Happy Mother’s Day, I love you!
Beach livin’
2 weeks ago - 4
4
Running is a big question mark that’s there each and every day. It asks you, ‘Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?’
- Peter Maher, Canadian marathon runner
Today, what started as a little run to blow off some steam ended up bringing me eight miles closer to my goal of completing a half-marathon and triathlon this year. Running is the best therapy- it invites your mind to dump out all its problems, dropping them mile after mile on the pavement behind you until all that is left is clarity, motivation, and true appreciation for living and breathing. Gotta love those endorphins…
3 weeks ago - 2
2
On Tuesday, I had the privilege of hearing Tim O’ Brien, author of The Things They Carried, speak here at USD. I read his novel back in my sophomore year of high school and still remember certain chapters as clear as day. Many of my English courses here at USD draw from his ability to use significant detail to create concrete characters and beautifully depict the horrors of war.
During the talk, he spoke about his own experience in Vietnam. It was these experiences that he drew upon in order to write his stories; however, he claimed that The Things They Carried remains a fiction novel. Fiction in this sense was something much more to him than a simple genre. He explained that fiction granted him the ability to tell his truth. With it, one can go beyond what happened in real life. The story has no boundaries though its roots lie in human experience. According to Tim, “fiction allows us to reach beyond the world we live in to the world of our imagination and the world of our hearts”.
When Tim was lying in a slime-filled ditch in Vietnam, humans screaming and dying all around him, he made a pledge that if he got out alive, he was going to bare witness to the atrocities of war, but mostly to life. He left that ditch a writer. Tim’s beautiful and loving description of writing made me nearly tear up as he explained a passion I find so unexplainable: the power of a story. Stories can heal, stories can transport us into new worlds and new ways of thinking, and stories can transform our lives. They engage us in a way nothing else can- when you pick up a book, you are there. Throughout his talk, I was inspired and motivated to continue whole-heartedly down the path of my dream: to be a writer.
Thank you, Tim O’Brien
3 weeks ago - 3
3
