On #Huddle14, happiness, and that moment of "wow."

There I was in the middle of the dance floor at Senor Frogs. Surrounded by new friends who had spent the last two days inspiring me, smiling in a moment of reflection and realization, with some overplayed pop song (that I can't remember, but can guarantee I totally love) in the background.

This past weekend, I had the incredible opportunity to attend CAMPUSPEAK Huddle in Orlando, Florida. Some of you may know that I've joined the CAMPUSPEAK family as an Interactive Workshops facilitator. This past weekend was an opportunity to be trained on the workshops I will be facilitating, attend breakout sessions, and interact with other CAMPUSPEAK facilitators and speakers.

So anyways, we were at Senor Frogs, enjoying each other's company, and I just had this moment of "wow."

One year ago, I worked for a company that I believed in, but in a role that bored me. I wasn't challenged, and I wasn't growing, and I had absolutely no idea how I was going to get out. My passion had drained, I stopped working out as much, and I'd come home and binge watch old TV series on Netflix (not a terrible idea, just not a super great every night activity). There I was, making enough money to live comfortably and do the things I loved, and I wasn't doing them. I was existing, not thriving, and I was unhappy.

If you had asked June 2013 Jen where she would be in exactly one year, the answer would not have been "Surrounded by some of the most inspiring people I have ever met, pursuing my passion, and impacting lives." No way. 

And yet, here I am. It is June 2014, and I am happy. Genuinely, authentically, happy. 

What I have learned in the last year is that we have complete control over our own lives. Sure, we don't necessarily have control over what happens to us, but we always have control over how we choose to react. We control how we view our situation. And we control whether or not we remain complacent or if we do something about it.

So there I was in Orlando, surrounded by people who inspire me and people who have been my mentors since I was an undergraduate, and it hit me. My life right now is remarkably different from my life one year ago, and in ways I never could have imagined. Somehow, through a year of choices - some super significant, and some not as much - I have ended up here. My choices determine my life -- I am in complete control of designing it to be exactly how I want it to be. And how freaking cool is that?

I am in my mid-twenties (and other recent realizations)

You may have inferred from my recent lack of posts that a lot of things have been going on in my life outside of this blog. Things like realizing that I am in my mid-twenties, don't have a career path set in stone, and being a little bit worried that I am totally not worried about it.

When I was ten, I wanted to be a lawyer. I wanted to be a lawyer, in fact, until the night before my Constitutional Law final exam during my sophomore year of college. I had this 3 AM-Diet Coke jitter-fueled realization that if I had seriously wanted to be a lawyer, I wouldn't have been cramming because I would have been studying the material all year long.

What's more, I realized that at 25, I wanted to have a life of balance. I didn't want to be fresh out of law school, working 16-18 hour days, and staring down a mountain of debt. What I wanted when I grew up was to be happy, healthy, and balanced.

Try putting that down as a career ambition: happy, healthy, balanced.

Most people have told me that it makes me sound like I have no idea what I want to do with my life. I disagree. I think understanding that life is about more than just a career is a good start to knowing what you want to do with your life. I also think that most twenty-somethings are a lot like me: semi-blindly pursuing a passion, a dream, or an interest and hoping with everything they've got that they're moving in the right direction. Not many people at age 24 know exactly what the rest of their lives will look like.

To put it in football speak (go dawgs), my twenties feel like mostly Hail Mary's, and not a whole lot of rushing for small yardage.

But, honestly, what's the point in playing small ball? If there ever was a time to go big, it's now. Your twenties are a time to fervently and unapologetically pursue whatever makes you come alive at the moment because your twenties are (seriously) all about you.

So here I am, in my mid-twenties, and (to answer your question about what is going on in my life) I just quit my day job. I quit because it was a great opportunity with a fantastic company but it was not the best fit for me. Because even though I don't know exactly what I want to do, I do know exactly who I want to be and how I want to live, and I know that I deserve to be happy, healthy, and balanced.

And because my mid-twenties is just as good a time as any to start all over again. Only this time, with more yoga, running, and laughter. And probably just a few more stumbles along the way.

Some things never change

I used to hate flying. I was terrified of planes, didn't like the stress that came with airport security checkpoints, and really didn't like spending $4 for a bottle of water.

In fact, on my first flight to Alabama as a CDC, I nearly had a breakdown because we only arrived 50 minutes before our flight took off (the horror!). We made that plane, and throughout the rest of the year, I navigated canceled flights, long security lines, and getting to the airport with under an hour until my flight.

Somewhere along the tens of thousands of miles I traveled, airports became my "me" place. They were where I treated myself to Starbucks, caught up on blogs, watched Hulu, worked on reports. And planes, the things I used to be the most afraid of, became my place to enjoy a good book or write thank you notes.

The airports and planes were my routine. In a year where I felt like nothing was constant, the traveling was something that never changed.

So here I am now, sitting in the Jacksonville Airport, with my first flight delayed and a pretty good chance that I'll miss both my booked connection and the back-up connection that my new Delta agent friend Kareem just helped me get on, and I'm at peace. I don't know if I'm going to be sleeping in my bed or on an airport bench tonight, but I feel pretty okay.

Nearly two years later, I am sitting here, catching up on blogs, drinking an Iced Passion Tea, and smiling because even though so much is different about my life and who I am, some things never change.

Missing my 26+2

Well, after a two week hiatus, I finally found my way back to the Bikram room last night. It was pretty rough, and I felt nauseous for most of the class.

Somehow, it is now 8 am and I am already back from my daily 26+2. As in, I got up at 5:30 this morning to get my daily sweat on.

Over the last two weeks, I've really put my practice on the back burner because I was doing other fitness activities. What a poor choice.

Yoga is something special. It combines mind and body, and helps you achieve complete health. Even after just two classes, I've realized how much I've missed my "me" time. I think it's important to have time alone with your thoughts and yourself, and yoga gives you that opportunity.

Anyways, I am definitely looking forward to being more diligent about my practice, and I kind of like waking up early and getting my sweat on in the morning. It got my day going this morning, and I am now enjoying some delicious four ingredient pancakes (2 egg whites + mashed banana + cinnamon + vanilla) and blogging for you fine people -- all before work!

Good morning!

New year, first post.

2012 was a weird year.

It was full of moments where I thought the year was never going to end, and full of moments that made me wish it never would.

It was full of firsts: my first marathon, my first trip to the Northwest, my first Miss America Organization title, my first Orioles playoff experience, my first heartbreak.

I lived out of a suitcase, took up boxing and Bikram yoga, coached 18 elementary schoolers, maintained this blog.

I learned the path to happiness is found in making the decision each day to be happy, to let things unfold as they are meant to, and that sometimes, you have to choose to do what is best for you.

Despite a rocky start, 2012 ended up being a year that I will tell my future kids about, and one that taught me a whole lot about myself.

2013 is a year which I hope will be full of friendship, laughter, and continuing to pursue my passions. It is one that I hope will be defined by the impact I make in the lives of others.

Happy New Year, ya’ll. Here’s to new beginnings, new opportunities, and lots of joy.

My only political post: Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know tonight was the last presidential debate. And to be honest, I have never been so excited for a television series to end. Seriously.

Ya'll, I used to enjoy politics. I studied political science in college, and at one point in my life, I dreamed of running for President. I loved politics because, like philosophy, it was an area that had no right or wrong answers. Politics, unlike hard science, is about balancing opinions. I was drawn to study political science because it centered around compromise and listening to the viewpoints of others. For me, politics were about listening to others talk about their beliefs and learning about how they formed their opinions. If you listen closely enough, a person's views tell their life story, because their views are built from their life experiences, circumstances, and situations.

But this election? This election has nothing to do with anything that made me fall in love with the study of politics. This election has everything to do with "big manning" your opponent, and nothing to do with coming up with solutions to our problems. I can't watch TV, listen to the radio, or go on Facebook without hearing a negative political ad or seeing a friend belittle another friend because they have a different opinion.

In case you forgot, our freedom to think, feel, and say what we want is what makes this country so great. We all have different life experiences and situations that have shaped our views into what they are. Further, we all have different issue priorities. The presence of many different opinions does not mean that some are wrong or even that some are more right than others, it simply means that we are unique individuals who have come to different conclusions about how we want our country run.

Are there uneducated voters? Absolutely. There are uneducated voters who will show up to vote for each candidate. But to make generalizations about people simply because they will vote for a different candidate than you will is both heartbreaking and ridiculous.

Here is what I know: the men who are running for President both care deeply about the United States of America. They both want what they believe is best for this country and for you, the American citizen. Whether or not you agree with their plans and ideas is up to you, and I encourage you to get out and vote for the candidate that best aligns with you on whatever you deem to be the most important issues. Instead of bashing the other side, the other candidate, the other voters, learn to agree to disagree. Embrace the fact that this country is beautiful and special because we have the ability to make our own choices and form our own opinions from all of the information available.

Because as we tear down each other and tear down each candidate, we further divide our country. We take this election from one in which we are choosing between two men who care about the future of this country to one where we are choosing between the lesser of the two evils.

And while you're at it, research your local congressional candidates as well. Vote for the person who best represents you, and the one who will work across the aisle to get things moving again. Because without a Congress that will compromise to move forward, neither Presidential candidate will be able to forward any of their long-winded promises.

That's all I've got. You've got two weeks to get yourself educated, and a whole lifetime to work towards making politics more of a conversation and less of a fight. November 6th is a very important day, and I hope all of you take the time to make your voice heard.

I’m going to Miss Virginia!!

Yesterday, after meeting and competing with 12 other amazing women from all over the state of Virginia, I was given an incredible opportunity by being crowned Miss Greater Springfield 2013.

Over the next year, I will work to promote both the Children’s Miracle Network and my own personal platform, Start the Conversation, which encourages young women to begin talking about disordered eating. I am hoping to spend my year speaking to high school and college students and encouraging them to work with each other to rebuild a healthy relationship with food.

And, I’ll have the chance to compete to become Miss Virginia.

It still hasn’t hit me yet, and I’ve had several moments today where I turn to my parents and just reiterate “I’m going to Miss Virginia.”

If you are interested in donating to the Children’s Miracle Network, please go here. Your donation will directly benefit children, and will help me reach my goal of raising at least $350 for Miss Virginia.

The "church of sweat"

In my free time, I prefer to read other healthy living blogs instead of being normal and watching TV, mostly because sometimes I come across some really interesting articles.

Like this one from Lululemon's blog.

It's about this new sect of people who are finding something spiritual through their sweat sessions, whether they practice yoga or run or whatever. Now, I'm not sure if it's really "new," persay, since I'm pretty sure people have been finding something higher through yoga, dance, surfing, etc, for a long time, but I love that it's something that we're starting to talk about.

I find that I almost always have some sort of self-realization, inner-peace-finding moment during my 90 minutes in the Bikram room, and more often than not during longer runs. I think that in our over-stimulated world, these times that you set aside for yourself to be away from technology and others and to just be inside your own head are really hard to come by. Of course you're going to find some sort of deeper meaning, because that time is time that you are allowing yourself to focus on your thoughts, your breath, your life.

There's something inherently spiritual about yoga; I think it's the fact that it forces you to be in the moment, to focus on the now. Being forced to listen to your breath and your heartbeat is some sort of reminder that this is your life, and you're living it. Right now, no do-overs.

More than that, I've found that exercise has made me more grateful for the little things -- the cool towel at the end of a hot yoga session, the breeze during a long run, water after a tough workout.

Obviously the "church of sweat" isn't a replacement for a real church experience, but they serve different, yet similiar, purposes. It's like one of my geography professors used to talk about -- if you want to find God, you can go to a church or you can go to the top of a mountain and watch the sun rise. Both make you appreciate life more fully, find a deeper connection, and believe in something bigger than yourself, and honestly, isn't that the whole point?

What's inspiring me this week

As usual, from Pinterest:

If today is a bad day, just listen to Maura, go take a nap, and get over it :)

Lunch today included an ENTIRE CUCUMBER.

As I had mentioned in an earlier post, I met with a nutritionist at my boxing gym last week. She explained that after analyzing my body composition, activity level, and fitness goal (competing in Miss Virginia USA in November!), I’d be receiving a personal nutrition plan via email. I spent all day Thursday (the day I was supposed to receive it) refreshing my inbox – I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to receive an email, it felt like Christmas! Finally, on Thursday night I received my plan.

I chose to meet with a nutritionist because I was having trouble eating enough calories worth of healthy, wholesome food to supplement my activity level – I really just had no idea how to do it! Her plan has me eating 1800 calories a day, with the majority of my calories coming from healthy fats and protein. It has me eating clean – lots of veggies, lean protein, oatmeal, etc – through 5-6 meals a day. It is a plan that is sustainable, especially since it comes in this handy Excel spreadsheet that lets me make substitutions if I don’t want to eat whatever is on the plan for the day.

Yesterday I got to go grocery shopping (one of my favorite things to do!), and got everything I’ll need for the next week or two for $50 – thanks to Safeway’s Just For U program, I was able to save over $25!

 

What I bought:

Proteins: 3 dozen eggs (cheaper than buying cartons of egg whites!), turkey, tilapia, boneless skinless chicken breast, tuna, plain 0% fat Greek yogurt, walnuts

Grains: (I already had brown rice and quinoa at home) Quick cooking oatmeal, whole grain waffles (not clean, but allowed!)

Produce: Bananas, apples, strawberries, spinach, broccoli, cucumbers, green peppers, frozen broccoli, canned green beans

So today is day two of following her plan, and I’m actually finding it hard to eat everything I’m supposed to be eating. For my second meal today, for example, I had chicken, brown rice, AN ENTIRE CUCUMBER, and walnuts. And that’s just one meal!

I’ll be sure to keep you all updated on how it’s going, and to share any tasty recipes I come up with (be on the lookout for a post about how to not get bored with egg whites).

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

What's inspiring me this week

Thanks Kasey for reminding me that I haven't done one of these posts in a while! Here's what's inspiring me from Pinterest this week:

My abs are starting to show and it is very confusing.

Some crazy things have been happening in my life recently. Well, one crazy thing really. Over the last few days, while staring at myself during Bikram class (that's what you're supposed to do, I'm not narcissistic, I promise), I have begun to notice something strange going on in the general area of my abs. Something resembling the outline of a six pack? Like real athletes have? It's all very confusing.

You see, I've never had toned abs, and I've certainly never had a six pack.Not in high school when I was cheering and playing softball, not during the last time I was competing in swimsuit pageants, never. It is almost surreal, and probably the second greatest thing to happen since I started this whole yoga-boxing-running-lifting journey (number one is that my arms are getting toned. I really used to hate my arms, but that's a different story for a different time).

At first I thought I was imagining it (hence why this is the first time I've mentioned it), but sure enough, over the last week, I keep seeing the beginnings of six pack showing up.

I had a trainer once (hi Kyle!) who told me that it's 70% nutrition. Now, I've had some pretty awesome results, especially in the fitness/strength department, with exercising alone, but I really haven't been serious about my nutrition. But now that I'm starting to see results from my workouts, I really think trying to clean up my diet (not diet, clean up what I'm eating, period) might be what I need.

My boxing gym is pretty great, and I have a free appointment scheduled with a nutritionist on Tuesday. I'm really excited to discuss my goals with her and see what guidance she has for me. I think it's going to be tricky, because I really need to be sure I'm eating enough calories, especially with marathon training starting.

Sidenote: by the end of tonight, I'll have another tab on the top that's a daily log of my workouts. I typically record them on a paper calendar, but I figure I'll share them with you too!

Spine-strengthening series.

There's a period at the end of this title because that's how I feel about spine-strengthening series. I have so much hate towards it that I don't even feel like completing the thought. It's a set of four postures that I literally dread every time I go to Bikram.

I hate it so much because it hurts so bad. Which is apparently proof that I need it the most, but whatever. All I know is that when my first sweet savasana is over, I've got fifteen minutes of suffering ahead of me.

Spine-strengthening series is supposed to hurt. It's suppose to work every part of your spine, making you stronger and releasing toxins. It starts with cobra, moves on to locust, then full locust, then finishes with bow pose, which works every segment of your spine. I hate spine-strengthening series because it's the only segment of Bikram that is ALWAYS difficult for me. It really never feels easier.

Inevitably, I always end up sitting out at least one set of one of the postures. Typically, it's locust, because my arms being under my body is super uncomfortable. Today, however, I challenged myself to complete the entire series.

It wasn't easy; I cringed a lot and I forgot to keep my breath steady, but I finished the entire series without sitting out any of the postures. It still hurt, and I was still really happy when it was done, but I completed it, and sometimes that's the most important part.

I often find myself reflecting on Bikram as mirroring life. Over the last week, I've had a lot of tough classes, including a few where it was an accomplishment just to stay in the room for the entire ninety minutes. In fact, one class, I felt like I was going to be sick from about twenty minutes in onward. I must have looked crazy miserable, because the teacher came up to let me know that I "didn't have to be a hero" and that I could leave the room if I wanted to.

Life doesn't work like that.

Life is full of challenges, hard times, whatever, all of which are a heck of a lot more difficult than 90 minutes in the hot room. And you know what? You can't just quit. You can't just say "you know what, I don't feel like it today." You stick it out, you ride out the lows, and you get yourself back to the highs. Slowly, maybe cringing, but you get yourself out of the ruts that life throws at you.

And just like in spine-strengthening (which I still hate), you stick it out and it makes you stronger.

What's inspiring me this week

Some of my favorite pins from pinterest this week:

An update on some goals

Some of you may have checked out my goals page. If you haven't, you should! Anyways, today's post is an update on two of those goals.

Two of them focus on my love for graphic design - a passion I picked up as layout editor for my high school newspaper, and one that I've been able to use throughout college. They are:

• Take an InDesign and Photoshop class
• Pursue my passion by starting a small invitation/stationary design business

Earlier this week, I officially enrolled in a design class through Northern Virginia Community College. It's one of six classes I'm interested in taking through NOVA in order to gain more education/experience with graphic design. I start the course in May, and I couldn't be more excited.

I've also started my online portfolio. Right now it only contains a little bit of work, since a lot of my work is saved on a different computer. You should go check it out though, and I'll keep it updated as I take on more projects. Like it says, I'm available to do any freelance work :) The address is: jengilbert.carbonmade.com

I'm in Boulder, Colorado this week, and I absolutely love it. I got to go to the Celestial Seasonings tea factory today, and it was a really neat experience! I think Boulder is really one of the coolest places I've ever visited, and I'm looking forward to another few days here.

On turning 23

Since it's my birthday (tomorrow), you get a baby picture:



Admit it, I was a cutie. Also a red-head; true life.

 When I was in college, it felt like everyone was always looking towards being 21. Then, once you hit 21, everyone just assumed everything was downhill from there.

I don't get that. Why are we so afraid of getting older?

My year as a 22 year old has been a wonderful one; I've had so many new experiences, from graduating college to falling in love to having my first job, and visiting so many new states. I've become mostly financially independent, been responsible about putting aside money, started thinking about my future. I've discovered new talents and reaffirmed old passions. Being 22 has been pretty awesome.

I have no doubt that 23 will be even better.

I have this theory that life only gets better as it goes on. College was a wonderful time in my life, but when I finished, I approached it as starting a new chapter, rather than looking back on what I would be giving up. Growing up means that you begin learning from mistakes, start settling into who you are as a person, and finally start to figure out what you value, and what's important to you.

Twenty-three. It's going to be a fantastic year for me, full of learning, loving, being happy, experiencing new things. I am looking forward to settling somewhere for a little bit, finding my own place, continuing to maintain old friendships and creating new ones. It's going to be a year of staying healthy, finding balance, and changing lives. I have big plans for this year, let me tell you.

Plans like: thinking about graduate school, taking the GRE, visiting even more major league parks, finishing my first full marathon, running another half, starting and finishing P90X, volunteering more, joining a yoga studio, becoming a better cook.. the list goes on and on.

Growing up actually feels pretty good.

Playing catch up

The number one thing I have learned in the last four months since I've blogged? I am terrible with keeping up with a blog. Perhaps I will be better in the New Year?

How have I been in the last four months? What have I been up to? Let's see...

• In the last four months, I have visited 12 states: Alabama, Pennsylvania, Michigan, California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Minnesota, Georgia, Virginia, New York, and New Jersey.
• I lived out of a suitcase, took over 20 planes, and interacted with thousands of collegians as a CDC for Delta Gamma
• Despite eating out for nearly every meal and working out sporadically, I magically lost 15 pounds
• I saw two different college football games at Penn State and Michigan, and watched the SEC championship in the mountains of Georgia
• I learned a lot about myself. Things like: I should have tried eggplant a lot sooner, Mexican food is my weakness, sometimes I need alone time, I am always more capable than I think I am, and even though I thought I would hate it, I really love yoga

It's a little over a week until the New Year, and I've already come up with a few resolutions. I admit, I am typically pretty subpar at keeping up with my resolutions. Perhaps writing about them will help me hold myself accountable? Especially since I have some pretty BIG plans for this year, and I plan on using this blog as a way to monitor my progress :)

1. Run my first marathon - my goal is to run the Marine Corps Marathon with my dad on October 30th, 2012.
2. Run at least two half marathons, including the US Half Marathon in San Francisco on April 8th, 2012.
3. Get hired! I plan on moving back to Athens, GA at the end of my term as a CDC, and I need to find a job that I enjoy doing.
4. Visit so many places that I've never been as I complete my year as a CDC -- I'll be going to Montana, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Illinois, and New Mexico! Not to mention my plans to travel to San Francisco for a weekend by myself to explore the city!
5. Be better with keeping up with friends while on the road - whether it is calling, skyping, emailing, or snail mail, I want to work on maintaining the relationships in my life.

I think that's all for now. Thanks for keeping up with me, and Happy Christmas Eve!