Pause.

Hello hello,
Thanksgiving break is here!
Well actually, I’m supposed to have one class tomorrow but my prof practically gave us permission to skip soooo… 😉

I drove home to good ole Magnolia today! I’ve already gotten to see some long lost friends and I’m so happy about it ❤

Ain’t Abbi a beaut? We talked about boys while we drank hot chocolate and then we talked about how old we’re all getting… We met in 6th grade. Almost 10 years ago! What!

Anyway, I’m looking forward to sleeping, running a race on Thanksgiving morning, and then stuffing my face with delicious food.

I have to be back in ATX by Friday afternoon for work, but I don’t mind! Next week is the last week of school and then finals. So I can’t afford to let myself go too much during the break!

You guys seriously have no idea how excited I am for mashed potatoes. SO EXCITED.

I’m feeling like I’m going to take advantage of all this extra time for relaxation and head to sleep pretty soon. I’m a grandma.

Love,
Ju

Sunday Blurb

It’s a beautiful day in ATX.
Happy Sunday Funday!

Go

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about what it means to live.

I think that many of us are very guilty about thinking very linearly. “First I’ll do this until this and then I’ll need to do this and then I’ll finally do that.” And we lead ourselves to believe that all this waiting and procrastination will be worth it in the end. As if there’s some final destination to life.

Well, there’s not. There is no ultimate destination in life. There will always be what ifs, I should’ve…, I wish I had…! There’s a reason why life has a verb form.

Live.

Personally, I’ve never been patient enough for delayed gratification. If I have to wait, I most definitely fill the time with other things I want to do.

So go do.

It’s really simple. And because of that, we analyze it at every possible angle.

But just go do it. DO THE THINGS YOU LOVE TO DO.

Life Goals.

Appreciating Maya

Just appreciating Maya Angelou today.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Coffee Date!

Hi 🙂 happy Wednesday!

Let’s pretend we are having a coffee (or tea or HOT CHOCOLATE) date! We need to catch up.

So, if I was sipping an almond milk latte (with an extra shot):

I’d tell you: The temperature has significantly cooled down here in Austin and the wind has picked up in strength. Ultimately, the weather is beautiful and it feels like fall!

I’d tell you: I have an organic chemistry test tomorrow that I haven’t studied yet for, so I’ll be up late tonight working on that. Nonetheless, I don’t feel too stressed. Life is good. Really really good.

I’d tell you: Today I had running class in the freezing cold, but I felt strong and happy the whole time. (We did 800 sprints… In case you were wondering!) Afterwards, I put on a funky, colorful sweater that I got last year, my favorite pair of jeans, and some riding boots. Then my roommate braided my hair in a fancy way, so I felt like a princess!

🙂

I’d tell you: Also, I was recently inspired by the beautiful, wise, talented, and overall amazing Marissa Stutz to try to disconnect from the amount of time I spend on my phone. Last night I turned off push notifications for all my social media apps and it’s been pretty peaceful. It’s only been a few hours, but I’ve already started to forget about checking all my various accounts. Try it!

I’d tell you: Another random tidbit: Yesterday my roommate and I made a winter vegetable soup in the crockpot and it was so fun to come home to after a long cold day! We don’t have many spices, so it wasn’t as flavorful as can be, but that was easily remedied by eating it with toast slathered with Earth Balance “butter”!

The soup had white potatoes, carrots, sweet potato, red bell pepper, kale, delicata squash, cauliflower, and vegetable broth! I had considered throwing some tofu in there, but in all honesty, I was too lazy to cut up the block. 😉

I’d tell you: My dad is coming to Austin this weekend! We’re going to adventure around and enjoy the weather. (Fathertron, if you’re reading this, make sure to bring warm clothes so that we can play outside.)

I’d tell you: The semester is nearly over! Whaaaaaaat! After this week, we have 2 weeks and 3 days of class left… I’m so looking forward to winter break (helllooooo PORTLAND) but I’m going to miss this semester! I love my classes and my undergraduate assistant position.

I’d tell you: I sent in my resume for an internship, but I’m going to keep what it actually is on the hush for now. Let me just say, it would be AMAZING.

I’d tell you: Marathon training is going swimmingly! Saturday morning is a 13 miler, so cross your fingers I don’t turn into a Popsicle!

I’d tell you: I feel alive with passion as of late. I can’t keep a smile off my face either. It’s the best.

I’d tell you: I really really want to get Malala Yousafzai’s book to read on my way to Portland.

I’d tell you: I’m glad you have spent the time to sit down with me 🙂 and then I’d invite you over to see my apartment because it’s already decorated for Christmas.

If you were sipping your favorite warm beverage, what would you tell me?

Love,
Juliana

Bust A Move

Are you ever just listening to music and want to start busting a move?

I do. ALL. THE. TIME.

It’s actually an amazing feeling!

Go listen to I Bet My Life by Imagine Dragons.

P.S. I raced 70.3 this weekend. It was a world of pain, but also awesome.

Ally.

Hi! Today I gave a presentation in my Identity Development class (for which I am an undergraduate assistant) about LGBTQ Theory.

I was really excited about giving the presentation because I love challenging my way of thinking and I love to get other people out of their comfort zones.

It’s really clear that some of the class was open to the new way of thinking, but many of the students stayed silent because they were against it or they just felt too awkward.

One of the main points of Queer Theory is that unless you identify as LGBTQI, you don’t really understand what it’s like to live in this world.

My professor told us about an Ally Workshop that she had done for her graduate students. In the workshop, it was pointed out that everybody has something that they can “come out” about. Something that perhaps they’ve been ashamed of or just felt was too socially stigmatized to talk about.

As she told us about it, I realized mine.

Although I do not identify as LGBTQI, I am an ally.

I believe in rights for all. End of story. I believe in health as human right, nutrition as a human right, happiness and peace and marriage as a human right. And yet, I’ve never talked as loudly as I could.

I was afraid. Many of the people I grew up with or respected in my hometown do not subscribe to my way of thinking. It was a small, Red, Christian town. Now, I am not saying EVERYBODY was like that. But a grand majority was. I live in Texas.

And although I have my own identity, live in a freethinking city, and am in college: I was still afraid.

I have a blog and a Facebook that links me straight back to that town. But so what?

I DO FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT EVERY SINGLE HUMAN SHOULD HAVE MARRIAGE EQUALITY. I believe that humans are humans and that we have absolutely no right to decide what some humans are or aren’t allowed to do for them.

“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.” ~Dalai Lama

You don’t have to agree with me. That’s fine. But just know that I believe in progress. For everybody.

The world is changing, folks. And it rocks.

Peace Out,

Ju.

Oh Texas

Hello!

TOMORROW IS RACE DAY. And guess what? It’s supposed to be real freaking cold.

I love Texas, but it’s pretty bipolar.

I trained in temps ranging from 80-100 degrees, but all it takes is one little cold snap for racing conditions to look like this:

Thank goodness for wetsuits. And today I’m going to buy a jacket (and possibly pants) for the ride.

This should be fun! 😉