The Musings of A Wandriously Flawed Introvert

If you know me, you know that I only use my PTO for adventures outside of the state I live in. This past week, however, the stress became too much to handle and decided last minute to take Friday off for mental health. And with my day off, I visited some places I've been wanting to go for quite some time. 1) My day started with a pick me up movie known as "Mamma Mia." The good laughs started out the day on a happy note. 2) After the movie, I headed outdoors to take a walk. My apartment complex is large enough to get a good 30 - 45 minute walk in and I was even able to check my mail on the way back. 3) Some of my DVDs were due back at the library so that was my first stop. I love having a library that rents out movies. It costs me nothing and if I am proactive, they will already have the movies in the hold section for me to pick up. 4) From there, I head to True Flavors Diner & Catering . I sat at the countertop bar that overlooked the kitchen. And since yo

July was a long money month. There were five weekends and five Mondays. Thankfully, I ended up staying within my means and even had some extra money to put into my travel fund. Best Purchases 1) New bathing suit at Target. I've never worn a bikini before and was in an "I don't care what people think" mood so I bought a bikini! I wear it every time I go to the pool or beach now! 2) Trashcan at Costco. Yes that was one of my best purchases. I'm picky in that I wanted stainless steel with a closeable lid. Do you know those things cost at least $50 if not more...even at Wal-Mart? Well, Costco had an eco-friendly, motion sensor stainless steel for $30. It went home with me that day! Regrettable Purchases 1) Blackfinn Pub - I spent $9.00 on a glass of wine when I could have bought a whole bottle of the same wine for the same price at Total Wine. I was quite the active little introvert during July, however, a lot of the activities included meals which made meal

Have you all ever read The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman? If you haven't, you should and if you are single, you should read The Five Love Languages for Singles. Anyway, my primary love languages are quality time and words of affirmation. About a month ago, two very important people in my life told me "You are good people, Jess." And immediately my love bucket was filled up. Because I, like a lot of us, often times think that I am a failure at life, friendships, job, etc. And if you are anything like me, I typically only hear feedback from the parts of life I am not doing well in and very seldom hear about the things I am doing well. Even friends are quick to point out the flaws but not acknowledge the good things. So when someone dares utter "I miss you. I'm excited to see (or hang out) with you. I enjoyed spending time with you. You've had a good heart change. I'm proud of you. I appreciate you. You are a good friend. I'm glad we're frie

A few weeks ago, I was talking with my childhood friend and she asked me what I love about myself. At the time, I couldn't answer her. That's a tough question to answer. As the weekend came up, I did my normal grocery shopping trip and made some food for the week. You know what I noticed? I absolutely love grocery shopping, cooking and having good food in my refrigerator to eat. That is one of those things I love about myself and I love taking care of other people through feeding them. Want to know what I made? Well of course you do! 1) Paleo Sausage Gravy I actually made this recipe two weeks in row. The first week, I poured it over white potatoes. This week, I poured it over scrambled eggs. Either way is absolutely delicious! I also suggested doubling the recipe if you want to last for more than two meals. 2) Spicy Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry YUM! And so healthy. I would double it next time so I can freeze half of it! 3) Paleo Shepherd's Pie Very good. I would have n

A few weeks ago, I wrote about not having internet . When I told a friend about this, she suggested we log out of Facebook for the month of June and spend more time being intentional in our lives. Needing to change some habits, I was in as my mental state needed a break from constant connection. Admittedly, I didn't know if I could do it. However, as the days passed, the easier it became to stay off and my mental state became better too. Here's why: 1) Comparison When scrolling through the highlight reels of my newsfeed, I always compared my life to the highlight reels of everyone else's lives. They have better, more fun jobs. They have so many more friends. They always did such fun things. They took better, more frequent vacations. They were never lonely and bored. They have more money to do fun things. You know what though?! We absolutely cannot compare our lives to others, especially with what we see on Facebook or Instagram. Everyone struggles with something. No o

Welcome to the new 1st Monday of the month blog series where I discuss money from the previous month. I'll talk about good purchases, regrettable purchases, how much I was able to pay down in debt (if any) and other money talk. Join me on the ride! June was a slightly expensive month and I knew it would be so I put money away. I moved in June and spent $100 on that. I also did not own several important things needed for living so I had to purchase those (about $100). My close friend came into town and helped me decorate (she is so good at it. Definitely could be an interior designer). I absolutely love the way she took my decor and needed to buy some things (about $250). I was also asked to go to Chicago the first weekend in October and the thought of spending money stressed me out. I knew I was going to choose to go, just wasn't yet ready to pay for it. That's when I remembered my Delta SkyMiles ! I absolutely love Delta. My favorite airline and I got a huge mileage bo

Last week was your average week. Work was normal. I got to go on some errands for my sales people which is always nice to leave the office for a bit. Nothing super exciting was happening but I was happy nonetheless. Until about 3am Friday morning when I was woken up with stabbing pains coursing through my stomach. And it lasted for hours. Instead of going to work when my alarm went off, I went to urgent care. And urgent care sent me to the ER. Where I was for the remainder of the day being rehydrated. Gracious, I don't even want to see the medical bills from this. But I'm also slightly curious about how much one bag of IV fluids cost! I can guarantee you my deductible was met and then co-insurance kicks in at whopping 40%. 40%! Enough to make someone bankrupt in one ER visit. How I wish our medical system didn't cost so much. My inner personal financeur kicks in right about now giving myself a good pat on the back. Because if it wasn't for my HSA account and emerg

Last weekend I moved into an apartment that more than doubled what I was paying in rent. To be honest, I had a really good deal and unfortunately had to give it up. I'm *almost* living paycheck to paycheck. By *almost* I mean I have to be very careful about any extra spending.  One thing not in my budget: internet connection. Call me crazy but let me just tell you something: internet is not a necessity, it is a luxury. It is not necessary to put yourself through such financial strain. Much of the first world, however, cannot fathom living without an internet connection or *gasp* Netflix. Though many people in the US and other countries cannot afford such a luxury when they are struggling to eat each day.  Instead of getting lost in the world wide web and Netflix, there are so many other things to do. Read books (that you check out from the library of course). Go outside for a walk or hike. Connect with friends and family. Have a dinner party. Host game night. Rest. Enjoy the

Over the holiday weekend, I moved out of a room I rented in a townhouse. I lived there longer than I've lived anywhere else (aside from parent's house). It was also my first time living with roommates (outside of college). That experience taught me a lot. I am thankful for that season of my life and I'll be honest and say I am so thankful it is over. My lessons: 1) Compromise Ah yes. That word. No one I know likes it however, it is so important for the workplace and any relationship and especially a living arrangement. I want one thing, a roommate wants another, we reach an agreement all can live with. Done. It really is that easy when you think of others and don't act so selfishly. Last week while packing, they wanted to pack the whole kitchen seven days before moving. I did not since I still had to eat. We came to a compromise in that everything but a few glasses and bowls were packed. We both won. 2) Communication In order to get along with others, communicatio

"Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body." ~1 Corinthians 6:19-20~ Y'all, I'm going to be honest. I had a totally different blog scheduled for today but I got so convicted by today's Bible verse of the day and needed to write about it. Ever since I can remember, I've struggled with weight. Growing up, my family did not think too much about the food and what it can do to you. We didn't have to. That was before food became very industrialized so things that are horrible for you now weren't as bad back then. And kids did not sit for hours and hours on end. Our parents made us go outside to play which meant always exercising.  As I grew up, I discovered food made me feel better when I didn't know how to process what I was feeling and I became an emotional

I've never liked wearing lipstick. Because the minute you drink or eat something, you have to reapply. So it's just makes sense to me to not waste my money on it. But I always looked so much more put together when wearing lipstick. There had to be an alternative right? Enter Lipsense ! When Emily added me to her group, I thought there's no way a lipstick exists that actually stays on. Reluctantly, I tried it and guess what y'all?! It stays on through my breakfast, coffee, excessive water drinking and eating. I'm so in love and I feel so much more confident. In this picture, I got brave and mixed colors. It's two layers of Roseberry, one layer of Pink Champagne with glossy gloss! I look hot and felt like it too! Let's also talk about this scarf! I made it! When I was in DC a few weeks ago, I met up with Amanda and she took me to her favorite yarn shoppe, Fibre Space . Yarn for days but I found this gorgeous skein ( Yowza by Miss Babs ) and had to have it

One of my close friends lives way too far away in the Tri State area of Pennsylvania. We talked about meeting up somewhere about half for each of us and it was decided DC would be a good spot. I call it a whirlwind because I was only there for about 36 hours. As a very bad blogger, I didn't take any pictures. Don't hurt me...it's nice to just be in the moment without looking at it from your phone screen! Alas, the details of my adventure. Accommodations: Courtyard Arlington Rosslyn Excellent place and easily accessible from the interstate! Parking is available at this hotel and was relatively inexpensive considering we were very close to the heart of DC. There is a cafe with small breakfast items and sandwiches and most importantly, Starbucks coffee. The hotel also has a marketplace to pick up food and other sundries. The staff was beyond exceptional and happily answered everyone of my twenty questions as well as chit chatted about random life things. It's only

You know those things that are good for your soul? Well, I just did a whirlwind weekend of soul "full" things and it was so necessary and good for my well being. These things just make me a better version of myself. My soul food includes: Changes of scenery (in this case, DC) Traveling Meeting online friends in real life Spending quality time with life-giving friends who live far away! Mass transportation/walking (ie: not driving!) What fills your heart and is good for your soul?

You know that interview question that you always seem to get asked, "What are your plans for the next 5 years?" Always that or some variation. I very much dislike that question and think interviewers should strike it from their questionnaire. Most of the time, I don't know what my plans are for next week let alone 5 years from now. I know where I'd like to be but that doesn't matter. "Every day of my life was recorded in Your book. Every moment was laid out, before a single day has passed." Psalm 139:16 (NLT) The question above doesn't matter because God holds my future in His hands and has since before I was born. What I am doing an hour from now was preplanned by God when He set the world in motion and all I need to do is have faith and trust. Being intentional also helps because He also gave us choice. :) With that said though, He knows what decision we will make and guides us to that decision, even the terrible ones. Because He uses even o

Recently, my company went through open enrollment. For the last 2 years, they have offered an HSA plan and seeing as how I never use medical benefits, I decided this was my cheapest option. And since I never go to the doctor, I opted out of contributing any money to my HSA fund last year. When it came time to opt in this year, I started doing my research and discovered HSA funds could be used for chiropractic services (which I go to regularly), dentist appointments (since I don't have dental insurance), glasses and contacts (which I use) and a host of other things. I also discovered that unlike a flex spending card, these funds roll over from year to year if you don't use them AND you can invest the money left in the HSA. And can I just remind you THESE ARE PRE-TAX DOLLARS. So I could've been using money that the government hasn't touched in order to pay for things I use regularly. And then I wouldn't have to budget for any of it. Cue me figuratively kicking mysel

$3,000 is what a night out ice skating cost me. Yes you read that correctly. In high school, one of my classmates nicknamed me graceful because I always used to trip over my feet or not pick up my feet when I walked and therefore kicked stuff and fell quite often. I thought I had outgrown that nickname until one wintery evening in January 2016 when I went ice skating with some friends. The ice was not smooth and I was not familiar with wearing hockey skates. On the 6th or 7th fall that night, I threw my left hand down to catch myself and heard + felt the loudest crack. My wrist had broken. I knew it immediately when I couldn't put any pressure on it without screaming bloody murder. The picture above is what I had to wear for 5 days and I had a Carolina blue cast for another 4.5 weeks after. Thankfully, I am right handed. However, you never truly understand how much you use your non dominant hand until you suddenly can't use it anymore. Those 5.5 weeks were full of ups/do

Imagine getting off work on Friday night (after 4 weeks of work crazy) wanting nothing more than to go home and practice some self-care (for me that looks like cooking a nice meal and being introverted). You go to the grocery store and get the makings for a new recipe (and spend less than $30!!). When you get home, a roommate has been there and cooked something leaving all the dirty dishes in the sink, pans on the stove and messes on the counters. Yes, this happened to me recently. It was one of those weeks at work. I was definitely craving normalcy after 3 short work weeks due to the holidays and then an ice storm that trapped people indoors for 3 days. Friday night led to no plans except to just cook a nice meal and relax. After going to the grocery store, I walked in the kitchen and it is almost destroyed. A roommate had cooked something that used a lot of pans and dishes. Instead of cleaning up the mess, she left it there and left for her Friday night plans. Imagine my extreme

2016 was hard on so many levels...not just for me, but for a lot of people I know and in our nation in general. In the midst of the darkness, a lot of good happened and I learned a lot about people. The thing I noticed most is that people are resilient. Very, very resilient. Especially those people who know Who makes our plans and is in ultimate control. What I've discovered is how encouraging it is to see how people handle tough situations. Makes me appreciate them even more in the good times. So even though this year was hard, it was still beautiful because people are beautiful and authenticity comes out in the most unexpected ways. Let's make a point to search for the beauty in our most painful situations...even if it is in hindsight. May we all listen a little better, love a little harder, laugh a little louder and dance a little longer!

“Change is the only constant.” How true a statement that is, especially in today’s world. Thanks to social media and technology, we are all chasing happiness and the next big thing (whatever that looks like for you). We struggle to find our joy and contentment. With this past year came a lot of disruption in what I like...consistency. A lot of change. External change. Internal change. Good friends moved. Others got married. Still others received job promotions or new jobs. People bought houses. Relationships began and others ended. Favorite co-workers moved on. Then there’s the internal change. The change you can feel all the way down to your bones. The kind that can be incredibly painful, yet worth it and the kind that only those people closest to you can see. You start changing your toxic behaviors after you say enough to the bottomless pit of darkness. A lot of times, we can’t see the internal change within ourselves. Many times this year, I felt left behind, stuck, going nowhere. A

So much beauty can be found in the mundane, in the day to day. Observe your routine day. Notice the people and things around you. The big moments are amazing and unforgettable and I think we put too much  .  emphasis on the BIG. It’s in the mundane that the most precious memories are made. Life is in sitting on your friend’s couch laughing at each other’s ridiculous word plays, it’s in driving 2.5 hours one way to spend 3.5 hours with your very best friend, it’s in doing life tog ether, it’s in the spontaneous phone calls from long distance friends, it’s in dinner parties and Friday night movie nights, it’s in grabbing the fancy camera and documenting some life, it’s in paying for airfares to go visit with the people who mean the most to you, it’s in being so broken that you finally let someone in, it’s in encouraging people, it’s in learning how to repair relationships rather than just tossing them aside, it’s in listening to people say “I’m here for you” and finding out who actually