School, Badseed, and Christopher Elbow

Today is Saturday and I have forgotten what the weekends mean when you are in school. (I've spent my day sleeping in and reading blogs. Although, I did vacuum the floor!) As I said in my last post, things are going well and I am enjoying my schedule and classes. Everything seems to be coming into place for now, which is more than I can say about the past year and a half. However, something I am realizing, one of those "life lessons" as my mom and my grandma call them, is that just because things are going right, does not mean they go right in the ways we had wanted or expected.

Yesterday, I went to the advising office to get a technicality fixed on my transcript. Afterwards, I asked the woman if I was still okay to graduate next December. Surprised that I had even thought that as a possibility, she said, "No...let me put it this way. You have to have 120 credit hours to graduate. At the end of this school year, you will have 63." This was a little heartbreaking for me and I wished that they would have pointed this out to me the past six times I met with them this year. I had expected that Sean and I were going to leave the country and teach abroad right after I finished school. It felt like all of our plans were shredded to pieces and the thought of staying in school much longer made me sad. I kept my cool and luckily the woman was very sweet and understanding. She helped me stay positive and we worked out some possibilities for the next years.

Immediately after the meeting, I called Sean. I laughed in a frustrated way and told him that we were going to have to stay in Kansas City for two more years. But he was very sweet. He told me that it is okay and reminded me that we like Kansas City a lot. He said he figured it might take me a little longer to finish and that's completely fine, no problem. Because he and I know that we do love Kansas City. So this is what we are working through right now. We are throwing around a lot of plans and ideas at the moment, and I will share them within the next few months when we are able to figure them out more completely.

Sean worked early yesterday morning and ran errands while I went to classes. We had so much time together later in the day and since this is the first Friday in a lifetime that we've both been free, we decided to go to our favorite farmer's market in the Crossroads.
It's called, Badseed and they have the best selection of vegetables, fruits, organic baked goods and pastries, meats, cosmetics and soaps! We were really in luck yesterday since there was a lot of variety and great things to choose from. Eventually, we ended up getting some peppers, potatoes, eggs, spinach bread (nope, I didn't leave out a comma...it's spinach bread! Yum!), a chocolate chip cookie, and the most delicious pears! I highly recommend this place if you live in the Kansas City area! (They also accept food stamps if you have them!)

Afterwards, we walked a little farther down to a chocolate shop called, Christopher Elbow. We've had his chocolates before, but we'd never been to the actual shop which was exciting. The door is large and glass, and the interior is so light and clean-looking. The way the sun came through the front of the store and onto the chocolates was breath-taking. So, just some idea about CE's chocolates; they're super famous in Kansas City. Everyone knows about them and it's like, you haven't experienced KC if you haven't tried CE. Also, they are ridiculously beautiful and very expensive. $2.00 for a piece. That being said, the flavors are amazing and they are definitely worth the price. They really aren't kinds of chocolates you want to wolf down in a couple seconds. The flavors are everything. And hey! Want to try some but you don't live in Kansas City? It's cool, you can order some online.

Here are some photos of Badseed and Christpher Elbow's Chocolates!

Badseed is an indoor thing for the most part. Farmers from around KC come in with their best stuff every Friday from 4-9 and sell their goods. It's really awesome because some people will sell vegetables they grew themselves while others have breads and pastries they made from scratch! We really love Badseed!

Love these colors! August through October is the best time for harvesting!

Sean picks out some veggies!

I decided to get an organic chocolate chip cookie and Sean got the spinach/cheese bread.

Eggplants!

"Best damn veggies in the world!"

Our beautiful pears! They're really yummy too!

Christopher Elbow's Chocolates shop! 

I'd pay $85 for a 48-piece box of Christopher Elbow chocolates. 

These are the ones we got! I can't remember the flavors of them all but the red-ish one is Strawberry Balsamic, the coconut looking one is Coconut and some other stuff, the bottom right is Dark, Dark Chocolate, one of them is Coffee, another is called Persia, and I can't remember the last one.

Happy End of Summer!!

Back-to-School, Fall, and Coffee Shops

Yesterday was the first day of classes and it went fairly well, aside from the disgusting heat and what felt like child on my back all day. (Never again will I bring my math and German textbooks on the same day.) I feel really good about my schedule and my classes this semester, and I don't think I could have asked for better after my year-long break from school. Despite this, I realize how big my workload will be for the next few months. My three anthropology courses are really heavy with reading and writing essays; I think I have maybe twelve to fifteen essays to write and eleven books (plus many scholarly articles) to read. Luckily, I do much better on essays than I do on tests, but I can imagine that after about the fourth essay, I will be sick of it.

Fortunately, right now I am pretty happy. I do wish that fall would come sooner. I miss everything about the season: the cool, crisp air; the layers of clothes and my favorite scarves and jackets; the smell of dead leaves burning in the distance and cinnamon candles and baked goods; the holidays; and hot tea in my favorite big mug. Fall is like the pregame to my favorite month December. It's the time that Sean and I remember our first meeting three years ago and the cold nights that we spent together, walking around our small college town, talking and exchanging the first of many kisses and falling in love. Fall is a magical time, and it's hard to remember and notice that when our lives are filled with the everyday stresses of school and work and maintaining a household and other responsibilities. My goal this fall is to stop when I can and breathe. I want to find joy and excitement in the little things fall offers and I want to spend more meaningful moments with Sean and the ones I love.

Although it is still very hot and will be for another few weeks, I have begun doing what I can to create meaningful experiences with Sean. A new coffee shop opened near our apartment and Sean loves coffee and anything bitter, so we decided to stop by today on our walk home. It is so exciting to have a one so close now as the nearest one is almost twenty-five blocks away. If you're in the Kansas City/UMKC area, you should definitely check it out! The shop is called, Crow's Coffee and it is located 51st and Brookside Blvd. We really liked it and the character it adds to the community! I love that the interior is so rustic and modest, and I can definitely see it becoming a neighborhood favorite for us and pretty much any UMKC student.

I am taking German and teaching Sean what I learn as I go along. It's really fun talking to him about the phonetics and structures of languages. He has a great interest in linguistics and etymology so having him to help and make funny jokes about it keeps me interested.
I really hope that I can become fluent in German and live in a German-speaking country at some point. I think Austria or Poland would be wonderful, but we would be happy with Germany as well. So, I am taking my German class very seriously.

Anyway, I hope everyone's week is going well. I know a lot of schools have already begun, so I hope everyone has a fun and productive semester, or season if you're not in school.

I took this on my walk home from my evening class yesterday. I love taking pictures during the Golden Hour. They always turn out beautiful.

This is the drink Sean chose to get from Crow's Coffee. It's called  a Gibraltar (or Cortado in the rest of the world) which, according to Wikipedia, it's an espresso cut with warm milk. Sean is always wanting to try new things at restaurants and cafes so that's what this was for him. He tells me it was a success.  

Crow's Coffee! I really love the brick wall, exposed ceiling, the counter-tops, the decorated lights, the concrete floors, and pretty much everything in this place! I can't wait to come in for some tea or hot chocolate this fall and winter! 

I got an iced coffee with caramel! It was super delicious and we were really surprised that our drinks together was only $6! Take that Starbucks!

I made this board of German words and phrases that Sean and I can use together. I like the idea of having something we can see in our apartment to help us remember, so hopefully it works! 

Lately

I am glad that this week is nearly over and that classes are beginning on Monday. I have been out of school for almost a year, and I actually miss it. Not only that, but I am looking forward to starting so that I can get done. Sean is graduating this May which was my original graduation time, but since I took a break, it looks like I will be done the fall after. So only one more year! We really want to move abroad right after I finish which I really look forward to. But for right now, we are here in good ol' Kansas City. 

Sean took me clothes shopping for school earlier this week which I thought was very nice of him. I just got a few things, but they will last me for quite a while, I think. It was nice spending the day with Sean again. I think we spent nearly four hours at the mall just looking at clothes. One thing I love about Sean is that he really likes shopping for clothes. He likes trying on new styles and colors and we give each other feedback about what we like and don't like about the outfits we choose. I don't think very many guys are like that about clothes, so I am very grateful that Sean is. 

Last night, we went out with a friend that we hadn't seen in a while. It was a successful night and I think everyone had a good time. We don't go out very often, but I don't mind it when we do. I rarely drink when we go out; in fact, I only had water last night, but I enjoy the conversation and watching my friends choose their next drinks. After the bar, Sean and I went to Steak and Shake before heading home. But unfortunately I don't have any pictures from last night. I really need to get better about taking photos. I think I just always feel weird about it. I am also really bad because I get caught up in the experience and I forget. Hardly a problem for most as that is something they want to do more of, but when you're out to record your experiences, it's not too great. 

We didn't come home until 5 in the morning so I ended up sleeping until 3 pm. I did, however, receive a call from the job I applied for and I got it, so that is pretty exciting. I am also really glad that I won't be starting until September 2nd as next week my focuses will be on school and getting into the swing of things again. So it seems that everything is working out for right now. 

Here are some photos from this week.

Such a babe!

I got these black pants from H&M that look kind of like leggings but they are a thicker material, so I can wear them with regular tops!

Sean's been bringing home this soda from work and it tastes so good! I love it way better (ha!) than regular Dr. Pepper!

I've been practicing on my ukulele a lot more lately. I've learned about three or four songs and it is getting easier and easier to learn new chords.

I bought this succulent from Trader Joe's! He loves just chillin' in the bathroom and looking out the window!

Four Mile Run Fun

Sean worked all day yesterday so I dropped him off and took the car to visit my mom up north. She lives in a small town just 30 minutes or so from the city and I always enjoy going up there since it is where she and the rest of my family grew up. 

We had a nice day together watching The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, exchanging thoughts and ideas on Downton Abbey's upcoming season, and giving her morkie (a yorkie/maltese mix) Lily a bath. 

Mom received some real Alaskan fish from some coworkers so she made us fish, spicy mayo, avocado, and tomato sandwiches with a side of homemade onion rings. It was all really yummy, and I was glad to have my mom's cooking again. 

At around 7:30, I decided to go on my run. I try to take advantage of running in different surroundings when I can because it keeps me interested, so I brought my shoes and clothes to go on the trail by my mom's house. The trail is very pretty. It winds between open fields and forest and you can always see deer and cardinals and other wildlife out there. I had no idea, but apparently they built a hiking trail in the forest. I told Sean that next time we visit my mom, we should try it out. We love hiking! 

I am familiar enough with the trail from years of riding bikes with my grandparents (they lived down the street from Mom for twenty years before recently selling their house and moving to the lake) so I knew what it looked like and how long it was.
Only, maybe not completely. I thought there was a turn off point where after a mile or so, you could head back home but maybe I missed it? Or maybe it just doesn't exist anymore? Because about two and a half miles in, I realized that there was no turn off and I was stuck on the trail until the end...which is nearly five miles. 

I hit my wall at about three miles but I kept going, probably faster than normal actually, because it was getting dark and I started hearing weird sounds coming from the forest. I spent the 'run' only actually running a little under half the time. At this point, I can run for about a minute and half before my chest and my sides begin to punish me and then I stop for a minute to recover before running again.
But despite all that, it was still great fun. In the end, I did 4.63 miles in 1 hour and 27 minutes. I know that's probably pretty long for only four and a half miles, but this is coming from someone who never ever ran before just three or four weeks ago, so I am pretty proud of my progress. 

Poor Lily...she's so ugly when she's wet, it's cute.  

Yes, that is deer poking his head up through the field plants! There were a whole bunch of them just sitting out there, munching away.

Kaleigh

Inspiration and Minimalism

Sean has been working a lot lately while I've been at home, taking in the last days before school begins again. As much as I have wanted to just continue my business selling things and live off of that, Sean simply doesn't make enough on his own for us to afford this apartment. So we've decided that I should go back to work and have my business on the side for now. I had an interview at a retail store last Wednesday and I am hoping to hear back about it since it pays well and I think I would enjoy the environment.

School begins in a week and I am very much looking forward to it. This is Sean's last year and my last full year as I plan on graduating next December. I am not looking forward to all the papers and studying, but I will be glad to begin the year so I can sooner finish it.

I've been in a kind of rut lately with who I am and where I think things are going for me. Learning to ignore negativity and be better because of it is a hard lesson to learn, but I think I am getting there. I have found inspiration in a number of places including a blog called Les Jours Contents by Lisa Horan and I am finding her and her boyfriend's adventures to be something of an awakening for me. They're living Sean's and my dream of traveling the world and up until very recently, I had almost given up on that dream. I love Lisa's writing and the way she talks about their experiences everyday, even if she is sharing how they stayed indoors all day and watched movies together. It make me feel like I can write more and be happy with what I write. I feel like I can talk about things and not feel like I need to put on a show that isn't me in order to entertain. This, I am thankful for.
Another source of inspiration for me lately has come from my thoughts on leading a more minimal lifestyle. I have always loved the idea of living out my backpack, but I am far too sentimental to throw everything away. I've been spending a lot of my time at home rearranging and sorting through all of our things. Our front door is lined with bags upon bags and boxes of things we are selling or giving away, and since I went through everything, our apartment has felt so much clearer and spacious. I feel like my anxieties are slowly drifting away, and as soon as we get everything in order, I will be free.

Something that was very difficult to do was get rid my craft supplies. I now have about four boxes, containing about 90 percent of my supplies: stickers, scrapbooking paper, stamps, and all sorts of things to give away. I made the decision to get rid of them because one, they took up too much space, and two, despite how much a really loved and used them, I felt that relying on stickers and washi tape to decorate my journals, or whatever project, was cheating myself out of creating with my own talents. I feel like I need to rely more on drawing, writing, and pasting things I find than just making it look pretty with some stickers. 

I am trying very hard these days to get myself up and out of this place I've been for the two or three years. I know that I can be better and I will do everything I can to make sense of that. 

I found this on Pinterest and I think it is so true.

 Both of these photos below depict the mess in my craft/work space. It was kind of a feat to get everything picked through and organized, but I finally finished, for now.

After...

Slowly, things are coming together.

"It is surprising how contented one can be with nothing definite-- only a sense of existence." -Henry David Thoreau

Kaleigh

Week at Truman Lake

I spent the last week at my grandparents' house at Truman Lake in Warsaw, Missouri. Sean and I have been going through some tough times since a person in his immediate family passed away very suddenly. The week before last was a long and difficult week so getting down to the lake was very helpful. Unfortunately, Sean could not come along so it was just me and my grandparents.

The house was built by my great-grandparents Dean and Barbara in the 1980s. I would go there a lot as a child and spend days to weeks with them. It was my favorite place to be. When my grandma Barbara died when I was sixteen, there was a lot of talk about selling the house and having my grandpa move closer to their daughter, my grandma Debbie, but after a few years Grandma Debbie and Grandpa Carl decided it would be best to sell their home and move in with Grandpa Dean at the lake. Now all three of them live there together and they really love it. The house looks better than it ever has and part of that is because Sean and I are getting married there in October.
But I think my grandma takes a lot of pride in keeping up her mother's house.

The peace and quiet there was really perfect. I spent a lot of time reading and helping to get ready for my Grandpa Dean's brother's 90th birthday party.
I just wanted to share some photos of my week at my favorite place in the world.

Happy August!