"Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye." H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Dear soul mate, 

I don't know if we've yet to meet, or if you'll ever even read this, but I have something to say:

I've been waiting for you for a while now, and I think about you often. I can't wait to for our journey to falling in love. 

Here are a few ways to steal my heart:

• Please respect me, and I'll return the favor. 
• Open my car door once and I'll swoon. 
• I hope the moon stops you in your tracks. It sure does me. 
• Challenge me. Really. 
• Be spontaneous.
• Even if I say I hate surprises, I really love them.
• Use your creativity.  
• Let me pick up the tab sometimes. 
• Look at me like no one else does. Especially when I'm not looking. 
• Love my family.
• Tell me the truth.
• Make decisions with me-- not against me. 
• Love me unconditionally. 
• Encourage me. 
• Cheer me up when I'm feeling blue. 
• Appreciate me and the things I do. I know I will you. 
• Try new things.
• Be silly with me. 
• I hope adventure is your middle name. 
• Cook with me. 
• If the time comes along, and we have a family of our own, love my body even more than before. 
• Tell me I'm beautiful-- even at my worst. 
• Don't always let me win.
• When we argue, and I'm being stubborn, please be patient. 
• Be in touch spiritually, physically, emotionally. 
• Experience things with me-- from nights in with pizza and Netflix to traveling around the world, I want to share my life with you.
• Be faithful. 
• Try your hardest to keep your promises.
• Laugh with me; cry with me. 
• Stay by my side through hardships. 
• Tell everyone about me. 
• Work hard. 
• Make memories, and cherish them.
• Share. 
• Most of all, be you-- the best you, you can be, and I'll love you forever. 

Any type of day with you, is a day I would like to spend. We won't always be young, but I hope we have the carefree kinda love. I wanna explore new heights with you. I want something magical-- unknown to anyone else. 

"My thoughts of you are movie clips too perfect to be true. We're moving in slow motion under peerless skies of blue; I picture you in moments too good to be true-- too exquisite to be exist. This is how I know I've found someone I cannot miss."

 Tabitha

"We have to live life with a sense of urgency so not a minute is wasted." Les Brown

I died a couple weeks ago. 

Well, not really.. But everyone thought I had. I must say it's odd watching the news and hearing your name/age/location mentioned alongside a fatal accident. In fact, I was covered in chill bumps. 

I did learn a few things from the experience, though. 

More people know/like you than you think. I cannot tell you how many people called, texted, messaged, ran up to me crying in Walmart, and hugged me. Holy moly. Sadly, I didn't know half of them. And maybe I'm cynical, but a lot of the ones I didn't know were totally attention-seekers. Ugh.

You never know when life's gonna end. That poor girl was only twenty years old. Twenty. TWENTY. That's 1/4 of a lifespan gone in a flash. What did she really have the opportunity to do? Did she marry, have children, travel, move somewhere new and exciting, stay out all night, see the stars on top of a mountain? I hope so. I hope she did the things in life that made her happy. I hope she reached the maximum level of happiness her young body could hold. I hope that someday she and her loved ones are reunited. I hope she had no regrets. Rest in peace, sweet girl. 

But I cannot help but think: If I had died, would I have regrets? 

HELL YES.

I'd regret never apologizing to those I've wronged. 

I'd regret the times I rationalized terrible things with ideals based on fantasy. 

I'd regret not ordering dessert.

I'd regret letting myself be used. 

Not climbing to the top of the mountain. 

Not buying that cute pair of shoes.

Not taking a gamble. 

Not letting go. 

Not crying when I really need to. 

Not trusting in others.

Not taking in all of the time and love from friends and family.

Not chasing my dreams to my fullest ability.

Not taking a leap.

Not taking every opportunity. 

Not helping others more.

I could die tomorrow. I could end up six feet under. Worm food. Fertilizer. And what would I have to show for it? What would they write in my obituary? 

I challenge you all to do the same. What more could you do to change your life?

-Tabitha

"You're only here for a short visit. Don't hurry, don't worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way." Walter Hagen

Today, I met a friend's beautiful, new baby girl, and all I could think about was how quickly life goes by. Maybe I'm a broken record, but I can't stress how important it is to enjoy what we have left. We are born, we blink, and then it's the end. 

Stop and:
smell the roses
drink a second cup of coffee
spend that $200 to see your favorite band
take a wrong turn
dance in the rain
shock yourself
do something nice for a stranger
pick some wildflowers
have a second slice
take a pottery class
sit down to have a cold beer
make a memory
plan a trip, 

because who knows when you'll have the next chance. 

Likewise, we need to stop worrying how long we will actually be around.. (Though, we should always be aware)

Life is such a beautiful journey, and it's up to us how full our scrapbook will be. Do you have your camera ready?



Some fitness news:
I completed the first day of my CrossFit challenge! I certainly surprised myself! Tomorrow will be rough... The day 2 workout includes: running 1/2 mile and 50 squats (3 times)!


Luckily, I've made a pretty awesome playlist... Here are a few songs!

1. Take a Walk - Passion Pit
2. Applause - Lady Gaga 
3. Blue Orchid - the White Stripes
4. Tighten Up - the Black Keys
5. 1901 - Phoenix
6. Hang Loose - Alabama Shakes
7. Wake Up - Arcade Fire
8. 40 Day Dream - Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
9. Get Some - Lykke Li
10. Heads Will Roll -  Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Make tomorrow stellar, 

-Tabitha

"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." Jack London

Hey, y'all!

I'll be starting a CrossFit 30-Day challenge tomorrow!

Here's the first week!

Day 1: 10 push-ups, 10 sit-ups, 10 air squats (5 rounds)
Day 2: Run 1/2 mile, 25 (or 50 if you can) air squats (3 rounds)
Day 3: 20 lunges, 10 push-ups (5 rounds)
Day 4: Longer run (or whatever it is that you like to do–biking, swimming, etc), *Add-on: 1 minute front plank, and 1 minute plank on each side
Day 5: Rest day!
Day 6: 50-100 jumping jacks, 25 air squats, 20 push-ups, for time (keep a record of your time.)
Day 7: Run 1 mile for time

You can find the full month here:

http://www.lifemadefull.com/30-day-at-home-crossfit-challenge-workouts/ 

If you're a CrossFit newbie like me, there are tons of videos provided on the website for the lingo, exercises, etc!

Also, I had my first day at work today. I think I'm gonna like it a lot. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to transfer once I'm on the west coast! 

I haven't been this happy for so long. The feeling of working toward a goal is so inspiring. I want to live the rest of my life inspired. And I know that's up to me. I may not have all the secrets, or the meaning for life completely buckled down, but I do know this: I am in charge of my destiny. 

We get so stuck in the who's, or what's, or when's, or why's, and how's, that we forget to live. We forget to stop and take a breath of fresh air, or admire a sunrise or sunset, and saddest of all, we forget to be thankful for what we have. 

Yeah, the possessions and "stuff" we have are great: however, we have the greatest gift of all.. LIFE!

You're alive. Yes, you. So start living. 

I'm 20 years old. Roughly a quarter of my life is over, and you better bet the last part is gonna rock. 

Here's to life.

Here's to love. 

Here's living.

-Tabitha

"I've got a theory that if you give 100% all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end." Larry Bird

We owe it to ourselves to be the best people that we can be. We have all of these dreams, and goals, bucket lists that reach the stars, and ideals foe our lives. Why not actually work to earn them, instead of keeping out heads in the clouds??!

You want to lose weight? LOSE IT! 

You want to go on a trip? DO IT!

You want that promotion? ASK FOR IT!

Life is so short. Are we just gonna sit around and wait for good things to happen? I want more excitement. Let's get up!

In that news, I should state that I just received a call for a job offer: I start tomorrow! Looks like my money situation is gonna work out for the move! Time to start saving...

Also, I believe my mom and I are going to start a gym membership. Ask anyone, I am so proud of my own body, so self image has nothing to do with this. I just want to be the best me for as long as I can. If that means working out to improve my health, so be it! 

My goals to better myself:

1. Continue my water drinking habits- I drink like a fish. Maybe more. But its so great for you skin, and cleansing. 
2. Eat healthier- I've always had a knack for eating well, but there's always room for improvement. No more sugary drinks, desserts, late-night snacking, carb-loading, etc.
3. Exercise more- While I already walk my dog, and hike often, I need to start getting my heart rate up. Cardio, baby!
4. Meditate- I haven't been taking the time to reflect on my day. I think it's a great way to relax your mind before bed.
5. Moisturize- I've been doing this for a while already, but I figured I add it for extra motivation. Might as well give the skin I love a little boost!
6. Soak up the sun- (with sunblock of course) the sun has so many benefits, like vitamin D, but let's admit it, it also just makes us happy!

Portland isn't gonna know what hit it. Time to unleash the best me!

Stay tuned for updates!

-Tabitha

"I want to have fun. It's a beautiful life. You learn, you win, you lose, but you get up." Nas

Life is beautiful. 

I cannot say that enough. With every second--with every breath-- I am thankful for my life. I have been blessed beyond belief, truly. Sometimes a certain song, or a quote in a movie, a beautiful sunset, or an act of kindness just touches my soul and reminds me that I am certainly lucky to be alive. 

I don't want to waste one moment!

I've taken it upon myself to spend as much time with friends and family as possible before the move. I spent the day with my mom and aunt. We had a blast. While venturing around, I learned something new abut myself: without hesitation, I press my face against the car glass like a child every time I pass across the New River Gorge. There's something about being up there. On top of the world. 

I also noticed that when together, my mom and aunt have this child-like presence. They laugh carry on; they have fun and they don't care who's watching. 

And lastly, I noticed Rigby-- no matter how long I leave him locked in the bathroom while away (don't worry, I leave food, water, toys, his bed, bone, etc)-- he still greets me with the happiest, puppy-like expression. No grudges. 

So why don't we live everyday like that? Children obviously know where it's at. They get up early to play the day away, they have no worries, they don't let the opinions or wrong doing of other's get in their way, they are not prone to thoughts of inequality, race, or gender, they just live. 

After a while we will start to love others who have wronged us, because life is too short to have hat in out hearts. We'll learn patience, for good things happen to those who wait. All-in-all happiness is where we find it rarely where we seek it. 

Signing off for now to look at the stars, 

-Tabitha

“A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.” George Moore

I was born and raised in a little town in the mountains of central West Virginia. It's a beautiful place full of opportunities for outdoor recreation: hiking, kayaking, hunting, fishing, and a ton more.  Though, I didn't always think this: 
I used to HATE where I lived. There isn't much to do apart from outdoor activities here, to be honest. My town-- with roughly 1,000 residents-- had a couple bars, a skating rink, a stop light, a couple stores, and a gas station. Mind you, I had yet to take up any interest in anything outdoors (that didn't come until I was in my last year of high school).
I always thought that somehow, somewhere fate messed up. I thought that I was supposed to live in New York City, or somewhere similar. That wasn't the case. I just felt like I was supposed to do something big.

Luckily, the adventure bug bit me. Like I said before, I started hiking my senior year of high school. It happened sort of randomly, actually. It had been a terrible winter and I just wanted fresh air, so I laced up my boots and hit the trails. Making it to the top of that mountain was so liberating. It was the feeling I had been missing all along. 

I didn't lose my big time dreams, though. I attended college for fashion design the following fall. The college thing was okay.. but I loved the new environment. I was 30 minutes from Morgantown (home of WVU- a huge party school), walking distance from tons of stuff, hiking galore, and there were malls within 15 miles each direction. This was the change of pace I needed. I loved going to the acoustic sets at local coffee shops, trying food from little cafes, hitting up bars for rock shows, etc. I slowly started falling in love with my state.  

I will miss my home, truly. But I need to follow adventure. Who knows? Maybe I'll be back someday. Maybe, I realize West Virginia is where I belong. Or maybe, I'll fall in love with Portland the same way I fell in love with my home state. 

To ease my feelings of homesickness, I've decided to make a West Virginia bucket list of some old and some new things I want to accomplish in the year until my departure.

1. White water raft the New River
2. See shows at Mountain Stage- Charleston and Morgantown
3. Eat my fill of Black Bear Burrito in Morgantown, Tudor's, Secret Sandwich Society in Fayetteville, and Joe n Throw in Fairmont before I leave. 
4. Have tea at the Greenbrier 
5. Go to an Appalachian Power game in Charleston
6. Go to a WVU game and sing my heart out to Country Roads
7. Do the catwalk under New River Gorge
8. Check out the cool bookstore I used to visit as a kid in Pocahontas County
9. Hike at sunrise
10. Camping trip with friends (and marshmallows) 
11. Have a beer at: 123 Pleasant St. (my favorite bar) in Morgantown, Big Timber Brewing Co. in Elkins, SSS in Fayetteville, Joe N Throw in Fairmont, and Wheeling Brewing Co in Wheeling after my 21st birthday.
12. Hike to the tallest point in WV, Spruce Knob
13. Visit the Festival of Lights in Wheeling at Oglebay
14. Visit the Roadkill Cook-Off and other local fairs and festivals
15. See the World's Largest Tea Cup
16. Get a WV tattoo 

tattoo sketch

I'm sure my list will grow the closer I get to moving, but I think this is a good start! 

Montani Semper Liberi

-Tabitha