Radvent- Pride

I am excited about this prompt because I love my city...the second part is a little harder but thats okay.  I think its a lovely prompt all the same.  I am from Reno, Nevada.  Most people around here "can't wait to get out" but I think everyone feels that way about their hometown until they leave it.  I moved from Kansas to Nevada when I was 3 so my major milestones- friends, school, etc. all happen here.  Since my dad and the majority of my family stayed in KS, I went there a lot throughout my life however all throughout my teenage-hood, I dreamed of 'getting out of Reno' and going to Kansas where everrrryyyything would be better.  Well, I did it- I left- and it was new, and fun, and I enjoyed it.  Mostly though, it taught me how much I liked being from Nevada.  

My favorite thing about living here is the outdoor recreation.  We have Lake Tahoe along with many other lakes all less than an hour away, we are surrounded by mountains (literally, Reno is in a bowl) that allow hiking, snowboarding, camping, and whatever else you like to do with mountains.  We experience all four seasons (without humidity!), and we are right next to California.  

To compensate for the second part which I am not going to do cauuuuse I don't want to, I'll post some pictures of my favorite places in beautiful Reno.

My favorite Beach at Tahoe.  Where else can you be in a bikini
and still see snow? (From my iphone)

View from my favorite ski resort.  Looking over Tahoe.
(From my iphone)

The River in Downtown Reno.

☮♡Nicole

Radvent + a Project

If it hasn't become noticeable, I am trying to involve myself if blog projects so that I can expand my reader base.  As I talked about in my creativity radvent post, I am very shy about sharing my ideas and thoughts with other people but I think these projects may help me with that.  

A blog called Yours and Theirs is doing a series where each week you are prompted to take a picture of something ordinary.  I like it because it makes you notice the small things that may be looked over on a daily basis.  Participants of this project are supposed to email in their photos to be displayed on the yours and theirs blog but I think I'm going to skip that step. Hopefully, since its weekly, I'll be able to keep up on it better that the daily radvent.  I'm a week behind on this project so I'll upload both "yours and theirs" pics today.

And speaking of Radvent...

I think the topic of yesterday's radvent carries over quite nicely to this one because I feel like creativity and performance go hand in hand.  It's hard to preform something that isn't your own.  The topic asks a hard question; are you the audience or the director of your show that is life?  I think right now, I'm the paid actress.  I make my own choices but they are al guided by my job, my parents, my boyfriend, etc.  If I were the director, I could (not saying I would) just pick up and leave without a thought.  As of now, my career choice, my major, my relationship, and everything else is under a constant surveillance to ensure that I don't make any mistakes- and those words of caution that I choose to ignore are criticized.  So, yes, I am the actress of my show.  

Right now, I preform in my job, which I love more than anything.  Currently, I'd say it's my biggest stage. It's my own. While of course I have a boss and customers to satisfy, I get to run my portion of the studio the way I want to.  It is something my parents have not done, I am an important factor in the business, and all of the families like me.  I get to go there everyday and joke around with kids, parents, and my coworkers, do something that I find to be meaningful, and be myself.  I'd say I'm very much in my element when I go to work every day (all in slippers and ninja pants, I may add).  

Week 1: The view from a window in your house.

I am dog-sitting at my parents house for a part of this week which works out for this topic because its much prettier here than it is at my little apartment.  

Weeks 2: A recent gift you've been given. 

First of all, I don't understand why this is the topic for week 2 seeing as Christmas is so close.  I mean who really receives gifts two weeks before Christmas?! This should be the day after Christmas topic.  But enough judgment upon the week 2 topic...Here is a beautiful bouquet of flowers that my wonderful Jakob bought me before our Ice Skating date last week.  Go ahead, be jealous of our cuteness!

☮♡Nicole

Radvent and Other Life Things.

Good news world- my roommate situation worked out.  I am trying to be optimistic but I'm also a bit nervous because I don't know the girl who is moving in with me in 2 weeks.  I met her through a mutual friend and she just so happened to be looking for a new apartment.  Luckily, I'm easy going but on the other hand, I'm not very assertive.  I'm sure things will work out.  I didn't know my current roomie before living with her either.  Just gotta stay positive!!

Next on the agenda for discussing my life...finals are next week and I couldn't be more excited to be done with this semester.  I just want to dedicate myself to my job, my family, and my snowboard for the next month.  Now if it would only snow...I think this is the longest that this town has ever gone without it.

Now onto my radvent.  I have not been keeping up on it but thats okay.  As long as I do one each day that I blog this month, I will feel accomplished in it.  So here it is...creativity (or my lack thereof).

I do not consider myself to be creative at all.  In fact, I believe my lack of creativity to be one of my biggest downfalls because I feel like it limits me.  I'm scared that it will limit me as a teacher someday because I won't be able to make things fun enough.  It even holds me back now in my martial arts training and job.  I am currently a 1st degree black belt and in order to get a 2nd degree you have to make up your own creative form and perform it multiple times to different people.  That creative form is the only reason I  haven't gone for my next black belt.  Pathetic right?  

I think a lot of this lack of creativity comes purely from the fear of sharing what I create.  Because I was made fu of for so much of my life, I am comfortable observing others and living quietly.  For example, this blog...almost no one I know reads it because I don't want anyone I know to have a window into my life or see how I think or what I have to say.  Its a challenge I need to overcome it eventually so that I may feel more freedom of myself.  

☮♡Nicole

Venting and Radvent

Things have just been wayy too stressful lately.  More than anything, its my roommate issues.  My current one gave me one month notice (over Thanksgiving, Finals, and Xmas) that she was leaving with very little concern of what happened to me so I found a roommate, she bailed.  Found another roommmate, that didn't work out.  Found a really perfect roommate, she bailed yesterday.  So now I have two weeks left (one being finals week and the next being christmas) to have a lease signed or I have to move and I just really don't want to because my little condo is sooo perfect for me and Bentley.  Selfish people suck..let me tell you.  I currently have 2 very tentative ideas so hopefully one of those works out.  But enough about my poor, poor life.  Here is my Radvent Day 8.

HomeBody & Boyfriend Addicted:  One of my absolute biggest comfort zones that I am scared I will never be able to break is the fact that I would choose being at home or being with my boyfriend over almost anything. It really limits me on making friends and experiencing the 'college life.'  A perfect Friday or Saturday night for me consists of going on a walk with B, going to dinner or coffee with Jake, and then watching a movie and smoking hookah with my boyy and my puppy. Am I lame or what?! On the off chance that Jake isn't available, I usually just head over to my parents' house.  So yes, my biggest comfort zones are my home and my boyfriend.  If either one of my 2 possible roommate offers works out though, this will change because both of them have lives and want me to have one too.  

I hope you all have a beautiful, happy day.  I am going to stare at my phone all day in hopes that someone wants to live with me!

(until work, where we are throwing a Christmas Party for the kids..yay)

☮♡Nicole

Radvent!

I am a little late on this but the past week has just been absolutely nuts and I barely even had the chance to breathe.  But anyway, for the second year in a row Princess Lasertron started a blog journaling project called Radvent for the month of December that makes you think and reflect on your past year,  From what I have heard it is a bit of a challenge some days to talk about the topics but that is the point.  

So with no further a do, I will start with day 7 since days 1-6 took place during my hell week.  Btw- I am already going to admit to myself and to my readers that I will more than likely miss a day or a few but its the thought that counts, right?

Unfortunately, I have never had much opportunity to travel (outside of the states),  however, if you have read any of my about me, you know that traveling is one of my major life goals.  Out of all the states that I have been to, I do not think that I have learned anything unforgettable; most of traveling is for family or history education (D.C.).  I will post some pictures from the places I have been in order to compensate for the lack of "unforgettable life lessons."  I promise though, someday I'll get to Africa, India, and Germany and I'm sure those adventures will change my life.  

Washington DC  2008

Boston, MA  2010

New York, NY  2010

Hawaii (a few times)

Kansas (at least every 6 months since I was 5)

Now finally for the last part of the Radvent challenge today... if I could only have one bag to live out of I would packkkkk...hmmm.... I guess it would depend on where I was going but since I want to go to Africa I'll base it on that:   Jeans, rain jacket, a few plain tees, north face jacket, tennis shoes, flip flops, knee length shorts, toothbrush, a sewing kit, a sleeping bag, and some sweatpants.  I figure I could buy/barter some more clothes and supplies once I arrive to wherever I'm heading.

☮♡Nicole