Holding the Sun

My co-worker shared this with me earlier this week. Enjoy!

Radio Silence is Over.

I'm back. Again. In a nut shell...

1. 

Being a teacher has turned my life upside down. In a good way. :) I successfully completed my first year as an adjunct instructor! Woot. 

2. 

I turned into an adult over night. I go to sleep early, I wake up early... What the...? Adulthood bites.

3. 

I'm making serious head-way on my student loans. Who knew paying bills would take priority over having fun? Adulthood bites.

4. 

I can pay bills... And still have fun. So, number 3 is voided, sort of. 

5. 

I went to Vegas last weekend. Yeah, number 3 is definitely voided.

6. 

I'm doing a little bit more traveling. My "East Coast Tour" commences in August.

7. 

Pending completion of #6, planning of my "East Asia Tour" will begin.

8. 

I get to see Miss Kate anytime I want. (She's gotten so big!!)

9. 

I've returned to leisure reading, and it feels so good. 

Recently finished... The Alchemist, Hector and the Search for Happiness, The Hunger Games Triology, Tinkers, Eat Pray Love (yes, again, and interestingly, it served as increased motivation to execute #7)

Currently reading... Ape House (Thanks, Ma!), Life of Pi, One Thousand Gifts (Thanks, Nicole!)

10. 

I joined a book club, a LEGIT book club. Holler at that community involvement. 

11. 

I got a tan. 

12. 

I did not become a PhD student this year, as planned. And it hurt, a lot. 

13. 

I experienced many things I always knew, but never *felt,* if that makes sense?

Standby for more. :)

Photoshopping is FUN!

Thanks, Nicole, for sharing such cool things! Last week she posted this website, Rollip. It's a website embracing the dynamism of photographs. Pick any feature you want, and upload. Naturally, I had some fun... :)

Pay It Forward Day

Ch-ch-ch-check it out! I think it's great; I just wish we didn't need a time of year to be giving.

Crafty Cutter

I do believe I've posted about this young woman before... But look how amazing these are...

Check them out here.

Attention Dancing Queens!

By Dr. Scholl's...

Santa Barbara

So my application to the University of California, Santa Barbara is officially complete. I'm shipping it off next week after tying up a few loose ends.

Oooh, well hello pretty!

(photo via ucsb.edu)

Haunted House Weekend!

People who say, "I'm too old for that" are absolutely out of their minds! I'm gonna hang onto my childhood forever. 

This past weekend, I went to a Haunted House with some pals, and it was the MOST FUN. (Plus, Kristin had a coupon! Yay for cheap fun!) Not gonna like, I planned to be brave...

Fail.

I'm 25 now...

Therefore get an excellent discount on car insurance. Welcome to adulthood, Lauren.

Flower headband

I'm obsessed. It's very... Princess Cleopatra, isn't it? And really - isn't Miss Kate just adorbs?

I'm employed.

(photo via ffffound.com)

Officially.

I'm an adjunct instructor at Mesa Community College, teaching Developmental Math and tutoring Psychology. AMAZING. Adulthood = scary and exciting!

30 days

Where in the world have I been for 30 days? Welp, it's been a roller coaster.

I made it to the APA (American Psychological Association) Convention. PHENOM! I love Psychology! AmyJane and I presented our poster, "The relationship between verbal aggression and internalizing symptoms." I know, so grown-up of us! We wanna go back... The next convention is in D.C. next August. It's happening.

And, while I was in San Diego with AmyJane for APA, I met up with Sam... 

Helped AmyJane celebrate her bachelorette... 

And frolicked around L.A. with Miss Katrina!

Finally, we met up with Mama Meyer and Kirk in DisneyLand... 

Whewww!!

In addition to all these shenanigans, I've been celebrating birthdays... Job hunting... And applying to PhD programs. 

More updates to come!

Online Dating

(photo via ffffound.com) 

Crazy, exciting, or crazy exciting? 

Where is Matt??

My dear friend AmyJane sent this over to me this afternoon! I just love it!! This guy Matt traveled all over the world and created a record of his destinations, in a very sweet and creative way. Check it out!



*Update!! Visit his website: wherethehellismatt.com and sign up to be in one of his videos! (I totes did!) So cool! :)

Photo Sesh

Jeff Ambrose is so stinkin' talented! Check out the photos from my graduation photo session... Thanks, Jeff! :)

See more of his work, and more of me (duh!), at jsambrose.com. 

The Move

Moving across the country is quite a task. A rather exhausting one. It took weeks and weeks of planning and anxiety. I decided to sell all my furniture, ship a couple of dozen boxes back to Phoenix, and finally - migrate west by plane. The shenanigans of organizing this were absolutely ridiculous, including the movement of *heavy* boxes out of the city and into the cargo center at JFK, the sale of all of my furniture (yep, all of it!), and the tying of loose ends with my lovely shoebox apartment. And I must say, I simply could not have done it without the assistance of my dear mother. Bless her heart for putting up with my stress attacks and anxious remarks. She drove the cargo van in and out of the city with grace.

(My dear mother, helping me ship a few bigger pieces to Phoenix.)

Everything arrived in one piece at Phoenix Sky Harbor (for the most part), and we were able to get everything home in one trip with the cargo van. While driving my boxes to the cargo center in Queens, NY, I remember thinking, "I want today and tomorrow to be over." Now, it is... And, it's weird. 

Phoenix

Indeed I just graduated, and I'm getting a lot of "What's next, Lauren??" and "Find a job yet??" and even a few "The real world is scary! Are you ready??"

So, what is next? Here's the story...

After careful consideration, I've decided to move back to Phoenix. Pause for reaction.

I've mentioned it in blogs here and there, and perhaps alluded to my excitement for returning to my hometown. The truth is, I miss it.

Yes, I love, love, love Manhattan. I have developed a sincere passion for this big city lifestyle. But, I'm ready for something else. Will I find it in Phoenix? Maybe. But, I know I've looked for it here, and I haven't found it. The next year will give me the opportunity to seek some field experience, now that I've completed my degree. And, I'd like to obtain my PhD one day, but the reality is... Money is a bit tight and it would be wise to spend my summer making a genuine investment in my future, that is studying for the GRE (Yikes!) and writing phenomenal letters to schools. And even better - spending some quality time with my family and friends. I miss my dear Miss Kate, my wonderful Sister, my supportive parents, and my lovely friends. I'm ready to make Phoenix a home, even if it's a temporary transition to something else. Sure, I've gotten some grief from some pals here in NYC, like I'm giving up on this lifestyle, like I couldn't hack it, like I disliked it all along... They joke, of course. But, the reality is... I did succeed here. I'm not giving up, simply moving along, heading in another direction.

So, I have a wicked to-do while I'm home! I still have four crazy weeks left in New York City. I've got some research to wrap up, and a few tasks to take care of. Naturally, I plan to make the very most of my final days in the city, embracing the grace and charm of this city. But, here are a few things on my mind...

1. Eat at Pita Pit with my gal pals. 

2. Shop at the H & M in Scottsdale with my Sister (Cha! There are H & M's in NYC, but I'd like to dig into a little big city shopping as a desert rat.)

3. Central Coast Wine Tour. 'Nuff said. 

4. Dance. Dance. Dance. 

5. Take an Aqua Zumba Class

6. Canoodle with my Mom, Sister, and Baby Kate

7. Go swimming. In a swimming pool. While it's 100 degrees outside. 

8. Cosmic Bingo! My friend Kristin piqued my interest yesterday. 

9. Drive. A car. With the windows down.

10. Get a good haircut. (I really only trust my hairdresser in Phoenix. Snobbish? No, just selective.)

11. Eat at Postino with Brie.

12. Do the Scottsdale Art Walk.

13. Go on a hot air balloon ride.

14. Go Salt River Tubing.

15. Find a job? Whoa, how did *finding a job* make it on this list?

16. Visit the Cave Creek Thieves Market. Have you ever heard of this??

17. Visit First Friday in Downtown Phoenix, hosted by ArtLink

18. Go Bowling. 

19. Join the gym again. Amen. 

20. Surround myself with family and friends. 

The City Got Smaller

 (photo via dablogter.blogspot.com)

Alright, while having a conversation with my friends Aaron, Alix, and Rachael recently, we were discussing our adventures in the city. They, too, are heading out after graduation (5 days!). By chance, I had walked by a restaurant they had just walked into. I called their names and they were surprised to see me standing there, just as I was surprised to see them standing there. Small freakin' world! We bantered back and forth and then decided I would return for a beer after running a few errands. So, this encounter sparked our conversation.


When I first moved out to New York, two years ago, I was nervous to go outside. I looked out my window and there was his whole world bustling below me. I had no idea what street was in front of me, no idea which way was South, North, etc. I didn't even know where the nearest grocery store was, and I was starvinggg! The city seemed like this huge pond with big fish everywhere, and I, a new little fish, was uber nervous to jump in.

But, I did. I quickly became acquainted with my neighborhood, and finally figured out where a grocery store was. (Psh!) I started visiting the sites uptown and downtown. I started getting involved with extracurricular activities. I started seeing my friends randomly on the street. And it was then that I noticed, the city got smaller. Ahh, perhaps it's more appropriate to say this little fish got bigger...

Business Cards

(photo via themandatepress.com)

Mm, perhaps it's just a bit too soon to be considering my own business cards (still several weeks until graduation, and this young lady doesn't even have a job yet!), but I cannot cannot cannot resist these fancy cards by The Mandate Press. I'm not sure if it's the style, or maybe because they use an Original Heidelberg for printing - but the idea of having my name printed on a card all professional-like gets me very giddy and excited!

Note to self: Get a job, an awesome one... So the position title will look cooler on the business cards.

Firefighters :)

I have an obsession with firefighters. And, my friends know it. Bless their hearts, as we walk down the street, they pause patiently as the big red trucks drive by. I stop, wave sheepishly, they wave sweetly back. They know they're studs, and they play into it. My dear friend Katie sent this photo over to me last week with a tag: "Just for you, Lauren!" Ahh, thank you, Katie. You know the way to my heart.

So, what do you think... Inappropriate to ogle over the attractive firefighters of New York City? Am I falling into that stereotype... Like those men who whistle and holler at women who walk down the street... I'll admit, I've called myself shallow and insensitive, and I could easily stop my innocent flirting... (I mean really, I wave, wink, and flip my hair...) So really, is there a double standard when it comes to behavior like this? Is it more or less appropriate for men and women to play into this?