My Becoming Journey: Week Two

My entries from this week seemed to have a theme. I am not sure if they all will, but I got lucky this time. My first entries centered around goals, both achieved and future. The latter entries were focused on the home, both past and present. These two topics go very well together as where we come from can influence not only where we go, but our goals. These were very interesting topics to reflect on and made me a bit sentimental. 

January 3, 2020

Describe your proudest moment in the fullest detail possible.

(Source: Kelsey Darling)

My proudest moment was in May of 2019 when I finally got to walk the stage for my college graduation. I had always thought it would have happen much sooner in my life, and for a Bachelors, not an Associates, but life had other plans. I had already completed my AA of English, but because I finished it in December, and I would not be able to walk until the following May when I was already working on my second degree, I decided to wait until finishing my AS of Business. But walking was very important to me. I had given up on a Bachelors, at least for the foreseeable future, so I knew this walk was important. I bought a special dress, my parents bought me some gorgeous mother of pearl studs, but none of it compared to wearing the cap and gown. My entire family was there, even my grandpa who was 96 at the time. For a little bit, I felt weird. I was one of the oldest people graduating and it was hard for me to not be self conscious. But by the time I was being lined up and waiting for them to call my name, it didn't matter. I had come back to finish my education, something that was extremely hard, and now I would have two degrees under my belt. I no longer cared that I was 10 years older than these other students. I proudly walked across the stage, moved my tassel to the opposite side, and then met my family who were waiting with flowers and hugs. Afterwards, we went to lunch at a delicious Mexican restaurant to celebrate my graduation and Mother's Day. Education is one thing that no one can take away from you. It was not the path I thought I would take, but I made it to the end and I am still proud of this.

January 5, 2020

What do you want? List ten things you want for yourself. For each item, write one simple step toward making that wish come true.

1. I want to be healthier - I will accomplish this by doing yoga two to four times a week.
2. I want to communicate my feelings better - I will accomplish this by not holding in when I am frustrated, angry, confused, etc.
3. I want to be better about writing reviews - I will accomplish this by writing the review within 24 hours of finishing the book.
4. I want to be a better friend - I will accomplish this by reaching out on a more regular basis.
5. I want to be financially stable - I will accomplish this by paying down debt.
6. I want to make more meals at home - I will accomplish this by trying one new recipe a week.
7. I want to do better at my job - I will accomplish this by making and sticking to a schedule.
8. I want to write a book - I will accomplish this by writing out the plot.
9. I want to be a better home keeper - I will accomplish this by tidying daily.
10. I want to travel more - I will accomplish this by making a timeline of when I want to go to places.

January 6, 2020

Describe your childhood home. What are some of the details that stand out the most? What made your home different from your friends' homes?

I grew up in a four bed-two bath home with my parents and, for the first few years of my life, one of my brothers before he moved to college. My parents began more major renovations in the early 2000s, bringing the house out of the 80s. My mom was really big on decorating the rooms in the house and making it a home. Within reason, my parents let me decorate my room how I liked. The house was older than most of my friends houses, but along with having a larger yard, it felt like it had more personality and heart than some of my friends homes. Despite what my mom might say, it also felt cleaner. Yes, there was clutter, but never what like I had seen in some homes. Mostly, it was inviting. My parents were (and are) the cool parents, and not in the way of Regina George's mom, but legitimately cool, making it the house to hang out at. I loved it then, and still do.

January 7, 2020

Describe your home today. How is it different from your friends' homes? What do you about it the most?

(Source: Kelsey Darling)

My current home is an apartment, so while I have tried to make it as homey as possible, it still feels temporary. I have decorated all the rooms - as much as you can in an apartment - in mine and Taylor's style. It's a one bedroom, one bath, so between two grown adults, two cats, our video games, and my books, it is quite cozy. This will hopefully be remedied in May when our lease is up, but that will be another rental. I cannot wait to have a home of my own. Compared to our friends, I would say it is quite similar in coziness and decoration. Some of our friends own/rent houses or have roommates, but I would say they are all filled with love. My favorite part of our current place though is the patio and that it looks out over the canal. It is very picturesque and peaceful. I have not been able to spend enough time on the patio, but I love the time I get to spend there, and I would spend all day and night there if I could. It is the place I have taken the most time to decorate (why is outdoor furniture so stupid expensive), and it is not as complete as I would like, but I love it nonetheless.

January 9, 2020

Where we come from has such a strong effect on the person we are. Describe the neighborhood you grew up in. What was special about it? What was challenging? How did it shape who you are today?

The neighborhood I grew up in was a small one. We lived outside city limits; the houses were built in the 80's on larger lots with lots of space. There were quite a few houses with kids, but the houses being so spread out, it wasn't the easiest for younger kids to go more than a couple houses away without supervision (or at least I wasn't allowed to go more than a few houses). The town I grew up in was small, at the time. I didn't appreciate the location as a child, but it was close enough to the city for food and shopping variety, but far enough away from the city to be quaint. Until I moved away for college, I had a decent knowledge of what was going on around the town, and always appreciated the friendliness that people showed each other around town.This gave me an appreciation for small town hospitality, something I try to take with me no matter where I go.

If you would like to have your own Becoming journey, you can purchase a copy of the journal at Amazon or your favorite bookstore!