I'll always love you, New York

I've had a great long weekend in the city. I should be in the airport right now boarding my flight, but it was cancelled, and I was put on the next one out. So instead of all that, I'm still in my friends' apartment. I feel this happens to me a lot on my flights home from New York. I've had a great time, but I'm ready to be home now.


Here's what I've been listening to on my walks through Central Park: Ryan Adams' "New York, New York."

Oscar Wilde Thursday

"I never travel without my diary. One must always have something sensational to read on the train."  

-Oscar Wilde (The Importance of Being Earnest)

This quote felt appropriate for today because am in New York for a long weekend! 


I actually brought my latest issue of Runner's World for the plane ride (rather than my journal) because I need some training inspiration. My marathon is just several weeks away! Eek. Good thing my magazine totally pumped me up for some Central Park runs while I'm here.

Oscar Wilde Thursday

"You can never be overdressed or overeducated."
— Oscar Wilde

My granddad is coming to town this weekend! 
And so are his wife and my dad's siblings! 
For a big birthday celebration for my dad and his youngest sister! 


I'm so excited. This quote just made me think of Granddad and Carla. :)

Sweet sleep

Let me first say that this will not become a puppy blog. I promise. But today's post is somewhat related to my pup.


This was Riley's sixth night sleeping in her crate, and it was the first time she didn't whine when I put her to bed, or in the middle of the night or very early in the morning. That means I slept my first night through in almost a week, too, and it was awesome.

She has no problem sleeping in the car.

So here's what I'm thinking about that... Earlier last night, I was talking to some girls about how I was feeling overwhelmed with everything and sometimes doubting that I could handle this. It felt so good to hear how each of them had made it through to the other side with raising their puppies. I know it wasn't easy for them, and it won't be easy for me, but it's going to get better. At the end of the night I felt comforted and truly believed all would work out.


Over the past several days, I've been thinking about this verse: 

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." --Mark 11:24

Believing I will get what I need is calming. While I didn't expect immediate results with my pup, and I don't expect immediate results in anything, it shows how when you do believe something will come to you, it can come sooner than you think. So the sooner you believe it's coming to you, the sooner you can receive.

One less lonely girl, Part 2

I want to follow-up yesterday's post with a shout out to the Animal Protection Society of Durham. They are a great animal shelter, and I totally recommend visiting them if you're looking to add a furry friend to your family.


Someone from the shelter even runs a blog called Bull City Dogs. I didn't actually find that blog until I'd already been out there and adopted my pup, but it's pretty fun to look through. My girl and two others from her litter (out of a total of 6) were actually highlighted on the blog (though I noticed the post was published after I'd already paid a deposit on her, which is interesting, but I hope it got more people into the shelter regardless...). Also, when I picked her up, three of them were being taken home as well. That made me so happy to see.


Anyways, yay animal shelters and the people who work and volunteer there! Thanks for taking care of my girl until we found each other.

Hi there!

Playing with her new favorite toy: a balled up paper bag.

One less lonely girl

That's right. I am quoting from a Justin Bieber song of the same name because it's been running in my head all week as I think about the new addition to my family. (She's little, so she's allowed to have Bieber fever.)

I've had my hands full the past several days because I've adopted a 10-week-old puppy! I imagine I have a lot to learn from her. Patience will be the number one thing! I am so happy to have her, but my life has changed dramatically in ways I actually had thought of... but when you're thinking of how things will be and how they are when they actually play out in reality is so much more intense.


I imagine I feel how a new mom does. I'm tired and nervous and overwhelmed. But happy too! I haven't been up on a Saturday at 6:45 in a long time, but it's what we did today, and I bet it's what we'll do tomorrow. Though it wasn't my choice of timing, I did get a lot more done today since I was up so early.


I am so thankful to have a great support system. My mom came over today and watched the Tar Heels play Clemson with me but also kept her eye on my pup so I could get some work done.


Anyways, I hope to mesh my new puppy routine with my pre-puppy routine. I already miss playing guitar.

I love a good rivalry

I'm talking about one of the best college rivalries (if not rivalries in general) around.


UNC versus Dook. 
Tonight. 
Cannot wait for some Tar Heel domination and to see the start of Kendall Marshall, Harrison Barnes and Reggie Bullock being 4-0 in Cameron Indoor, just like Hansbrough.

Oscar Wilde Thursday and Happy Chinese New Year

"We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities."

--Oscar Wilde

Even though I collectively slept almost nine hours last night, I have a headache and my eyes feel kind of stingy like they do when I am suffering from a lack of sleep. 

It's because I interrupted that sleep at 2:50 a.m. so I could get up to order an iPhone. 

Yup, I was one of those people. I was texting with my friend Rach last night, who has an iPhone by the way, and when I told her Verizon changed their midnight ordering to 3 a.m. and that I still planned on getting it, she made some sort of reference to me being a crazy person. You're the one who wants to play games with me, love! (Seriously, I want to play them with you too. Cannot wait.)

I just wanted to make sure they didn't sell out. I obviously have no idea how large their iPhone inventory is, but I had to get mine. I had it in my head for a couple weeks I wanted it, so that was that. Getting up in the middle of the night to order something from my own home was way better than getting up in the middle of the night to camp out in front of a store next week.

So anyways, I thought Oscar Wilde's quote today was fitting. What else have I bought because I felt I had to have it? Well, I don't want to make a list. But I do own a lot of things that seem so necessary but aren't at all. I certainly enjoy them, but I also know I'd survive without them. I also know I am blessed that I can have these things.

I'm going to take this opportunity to point out that I have gotten up in the middle of the night for non-material things. When I studied abroad in Thailand, only about a handful of my group chose to wake up around 3 a.m. so we could get in a car and drive to see the sun rise in Khao Yai National Park. That's the kind of thing you can never do again, so it balances out the iPhone thing right?

I partly bring up Thailand because I lived in Bangkok in 2005 and was there for the Chinese New Year when it became the Year of the Rooster... and today is also the Chinese New Year... so Happy Chinese New Year!


Even though it was Thailand, there was still a crazy celebration. I remember it being so packed downtown with beautiful bright red lanterns and delicious food and people mashed up against each other looking so happy.

In this photo, I'm wearing my Chinese New Year shirt. The man I bought it from told me it says "good luck." This photo was not taken in Bangkok (can you tell by the Indiana Jones-style bridge?) but also in Khao Yai National Park where I saw that sun rise.

Happy Year of the Rabbit! According to a quick Google search, the Rabbit brings a year for catching your breath and calming your nerves. A good goal for this year is creating a safe, peaceful lifestyle. I can't help but feel a little creeped out by this (in a good way) because that is totally my goal for this year (and, well, forever).

"Rabbit rabbit"

I love this tradition. Though there are several variations (didn't know that until I just looked it up), I grew up with this little superstition. On the first day of every month, it is considered good luck for the rest of that month if the first words you speak that day are, "Rabbit rabbit." I feel like one of my parents told me it was also good luck to say it while going down the stairs backwards. I have some distinct memories of doing this on stairs that were on the side of my house where I grew up.


I rarely remember to say "rabbit rabbit," but I did today! I think it's because I was very aware that a new month was coming when I fell asleep last night. I have a lot of fun things lined up for February, so I am excited for it to be a little lucky as well.