adventures // hiking in the poconos

ah. yesterday we went on a sort of nature walk in two different areas. i say nature walk, but people here call it a hike (where i live, hikes entail rough trails and/or lots of big rocks to climb over). it was absolutely breath taking. 

to someone who is from the east coast, the views were probably not as spectacular. however, to me the scenery was starkly different than what im used to. 

the walls of trees along the roads, leaves of varying oranges and reds carpeting the ground, cool air and cloudy skies, streams and pretty bridges of stone and wood. not at all what i see at home, therefore all the more exciting. the feeling of everything is different, which i think makes it more enjoyable. while being in the comfort of your hometown is nice, adventure takes place when we leave and travel. 

im thankful for this opportunity to see all these beautiful things with people i love. though they drive me crazy sometimes, im blessed to have them. 

for more photos of the poconos, check out Still Adventure

thoughts // a quick update

hello, all! i know ive been gone for a few weeks. ive been traveling with my fmaily, as i told you. and while many hours have been spent sitting in the car, blogging has been quite difficult. i havent been pleased with anything i began to write, and writing daily about the trip seemed like a forced task. i cant write what isnt in my heart! but i have dearly missed writing here. 

in fact, i have missed home quite greatly. of course, traveling the Eastern United States is an exciting, amazing venture, but the unsettled-ness is getting hard to deal with. living out of a messy suitcase, wearing the same clothes everyday, sleeping in hotels (sometimes infested with giant crickets that get in the car with you on the way through texas), constantly being with strangers, staying in their home and making conversation, always eating out. it's fun, but it can get old.

dont think im not enjoying the trip! i am enjoying it greatly (minus riding in the car with my family for 4 days straight on some weekends, and not being in a real gym regularly). 

last week we staying in florida (ahh yes! humid, hot florida!) with my aunt and cousins. this was wonderful because i hadn't seen my cousin for about 13 years, so i hardly knew them. it was also fun because my cousin lifts, and we were able to go to the gym and lift heavy every day i was there! hashtag amazing. i hadnt been in the gym for 8 days, which is the longest i have gone all year. after 3 days of heavy workouts i was extremely sore! unfortunately, i lost a lot of strength in those 8 days. i wasnt able to lift my usual heavy weights, which discouraged me. however, this week i am regrouping and looking to the bright side. as soon as i get home im going to work my butt off! 

this week, we are in the Pocono mountains at a beautiful resort a dear friend lent to my family. oh my, the foliage is breathtaking! its such a beautiful place to be this time of year. it is nice to actually have a place to completely settle in for a few days. a place where i can wear my ugliest sweatpants and not care. today we are going hiking by some falls, and i will have pictures for you. 

last night i was able to write some workouts that will enable me to use the measly selection of dumbbells they provide at the "fitness center". i am trying my best not to lose all of my gainz. 

ill be back soon with lots of pictures of Autumn in the Poconos. you can keep up with my adventure on instagram as well! 

now to finish my cup of coffee and explore! 

thoughts // leaving

im searching deep inside to figure out why i dont feel excited for this amazing trip that i leave on with my family in less than 2 days. instead im full of emotion, sitting here at my work desk wanting to cry. it isnt as if my job is terribly fun, or that i dont want to travel (i do i do i do!). i guess i have this heavy cloud of  "where are my gainz going to be when i return?" and fear that someone (who will remain nameless) is gonna forget me.
the gainz part of my worry seems silly. but that is something so important to me, and i have worked incredibly hard this year to make the progress that ive made. i dont want to it be thrown out the window because of a 7 week trip. especially since i have put in a lot of work to reach my bench press goal of 135 lbs. i dont want to lose all my strength to a trip. (rip kaydee's gainz).

im going to miss my friends.

i know when im in the car, ill be excited, but right now i cant get past the sad part.

its only seven weeks! i keep telling myself. it will fly so quickly, ill be home before i know it.

embrace the change, the adventure. take it in completely, and worry about everything else when the big adventure ends. 

 

ill write all about the trip (i hope). and i have an adventure along with a september playlist coming, as soon as i find the time to finish them. for now, im gonna think about packing and work on getting excited.

Playlist // September

this past weekend was busy and full of fun and laughter. my best friend i took a short little adventure before i left for a while, and it was amazing. 

this week is full to the brim of catching up on homework, training, and preparing to leave my safe and comfortable place for a while. if i think too much the stress makes me cringe. 

i can feel it creep up my back and encompass my being, making me want to avoid everything and lay in bed. i think im excited for the trip, but the preparation is overshadowing the excitement. soon we'll be driving down the long road to texas and ill only be thinking of the adventure that awaits. i plan on regularly updating here about the trip, i want to catalog this last adventure of my childhood. (i say that because it's the last big trip i'll be on with my parents and sister, for next fall i'll be living away and on my own). i also have pictures from this weekend that i will put up sometime soon.

until my schedule gets a little less busy, here is september's playlist that i kind of put together on the spot.

i had three sticky notes on my desk at work on which i wrote down the names of songs that came on pandora that i enjoyed. a few days ago i got tired of seeing them on my desk so i formed them into a spotify playlist and i havent wanted to stop listening to it. ( i have only so i dont start to hate it too soon).

i have drank my cup of coffee, so here it is.

 

FINGER ELEVEN | // PARALYZER

 this one is here because it sounds like it cant decide if its chill rock music, or more intense. i wait for it to get crazy it never quite hits that certain level of intensity (like five finger death punch intense). and the lyrics are interesting too. lisen.

WALK THE MOON | // JENNY

this song, oh this song this song this song!!!!  so feel, much good. it isnt particularly feel-y but the sound of this song sends butterflies to my stomach. it makes me want to dance on the drive home. i absolutely adore the sound of his voice, something about it just makes me smile. 

DEORRO | // FIVE HOURS

this one is all about focus. it's so mesmerizing. when i hear it i wish i could here it more. i wanna feel the vibration of the base drop. it pulls me in and the only thing i want to do is listen. there is something about electronic music that lights my fire.

TOVE LO | // HABITS (STAY HIGH) {HIPPIE SABOTAGE REMIX}

i found this song last year and it was okay. then i found this remix last year, and everything was amazing. typically remixes arent my favorite, this remix however, is infinitely better than the original. just as the previous song, it's mesmerizing. but it also hits right in the deep feels.

TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB | // WHAT YOU KNOW

this one hasnt had a deep and significant impact on my life. i just really really dig. listen to it 

HINDER | // BETTER THAN ME

    so many reasons why this song is on the september playlist. 1) his voice is strikingly similar to john l cooper of skillet (whose voice i have been in love with since the ripe age of 14) 2) the feels 3) the feels. the lyrics in this song break my heart. how down on himself he is without her, telling her that she deserves a better man. i wanna give him a hug and tell him that he isnt such a bad guy after all. 

AEROSMITH | // DREAM ON

classical beautiful. thats it. 

ARCTIC MONKEYS | // DO I WANNA KNOW 

nothing in particular, just a really fantastic song

JET | // ARE YOU GONNNA BE MY GIRL

yes. yes i will indeed be your girl. this song makes me wish i had dancing shoes and someone to dance with. i la la love this jam so much. i wish i could see it performed live, and then he calls me up stage and we pull off an amazing dance together and then we get married. (i dont even know his name or what he looks like but i will be his girl.)

X AMBASSADORS | // UNSTEADY // SHINING

unsteady. this song is full of feels. i wish i had a better word for it. it reaches to the depths of one's heart and touches the deepest emotion you possess. it represents that cry inside of all of us that, although we may not have experience the lyrics exactly, we ourselves have felt in some uncertain time in our life. bravo. 

shining. it has a completely different sound and message. it brings hope. and now that i think about it, it correlates perfectly with the previous song. in times of unsteadiness, she's his shining star. his ray of hope. 

these are just a few of many! im putting together the october playlist and it should be up this week. im sorry this one took so long! i meant to get this up weeks ago but i forgot about it and got busy with traveling and advenutring! here it is though. enjoy!