Anticipation

Once upon a time, a young Marta read the Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. One chapter that is forever imprinted in my memory (cause guys, that series was really good) was one that began with a ramble about the very important differences between the feelings ‘anxious’ and ‘anticipation’. I am an anxious person, which tends to mean dreading future events and what-ifs. But lately, I have been an anticipatory person, which means looking forward to future events and what-ifs. Basically, anxious=uh oh and anticipation=sometimes uh oh, but also possibly something awesome.

I am packing up for a month-long stay in the capital of the USA. I’ll witness a presidential inauguration (a heated one at that), and I’ll be adventuring to every corner of Virginia when I can. I get to explore a new city and new places. And then, I come back to my last full semester of college. And after that I’ll pursue more and more adventures and my outlook has not been so positive and uplifting as it is now in a long while.

A lot of these positive vibes come from years of growing–and oh do I have so much more growing to do. But with a more grateful, less stringent, more kind, less self-pity perspective comes an attitude toward life that at least for me works really well. I am becoming more excited about my daily activities and less worried about crafting unforgettable adventures for the future. I have begun to believe that right now is just as awesome as anything in the future, and that happiness is not something in the past (reminiscence) or the future (anxiousness), but something we can choose to experience right now.

I am loving where I am, and excited for where I am going!

Marta

Happy Anniversary to Me :)

There is something very special about the connections we build with other souls. Humans are made for that kind of stuff–we like being in touch with our people. It gives us stability and a sense of safety, no matter how rough things might get. Last night, I celebrated two years of loving my significant other. Cue all the warm and fuzzies!

My SO and I are busy people, and especially goal driven; but our favorite goal that we share is building a life together (’cause we are awesome). So, at the end of yesterday, after working all day, I came home to roses everywhere and a ready glass of sangria. We cooked some tasty food and stayed in for the night. I love every moment I can spend with my SO, as he is truly my best friend, accomplice in crime, and adventure buddy.

It’s getting into that holiday season, and while I think we should be loving every moment we get with our loved ones, now is an especially good time to do so. Our friends, our families, the people we love to no end–that is what matters, no matter how busy life gets.

-Marta

Accomplished and Satisfied

This is one of the more stressful weeks of the semester, but today on my drive home I felt giddy. I could not stop smiling for the life of me because I felt far more accomplished and satisfied today than I have for quite some time. I am on top of my homework, my classes are coming to an end, I have a new job that I love, and plans to travel. Overall the different pieces of my life have come together into a blissful picture.

What I am particularly proud of this week is my new writing project, a blog called Feminine Boutique. It is a blog curated by and for badass women, and I am the luckiest girl in the world to work on it with three of my closest friends. So far, people have loved what it has to offer! I am so very excited about where it will go in the future. Check it out here: feminineboutique.com

Life is pretty awesome right now. The pieces of my life that felt strewn all over last week have come together this week. This reminds me that life is a constant flow, in and out of balance. Whatever the case, I want to enjoy this balance while it lasts.

-Marta

 

To the Friend Who Writes

Dear Miti,

Happy birthday!!! Normally, we are friends of handwritten notes and long winded letters, but this time around will have to be the hype Internet version of what we do.

I was trying to figure out what to write today. Whenever I have trouble brainstorming or articulating my thoughts, I come to you. We are always on the same wave length, but sometimes on opposite sides of the wave. When I am struggling, you work out the kinks. When you are struggling, I talk you through it. I really admire our friendship for that. So that is why, since I didn’t know what to write, I wrote this open letter to you.

This blog has been a crazy awesome adventure. We really are writers now–who knew that all we had to do was keep writing to earn that sought after title, ‘writer’. It is an amazing thing, especially considering how much this project alone has been a source of growth and a platform for tranquility amid busy lives. It has even become the very same thing to our readers and friends. We are making waves.

I hope that you get to spend this birthday with good people, and at the very least, good stories. Though it would never top your last birthday, when I came to visit 😉 THAT weekend was seriously fun and story-filled.

Keep being awesome, buddy.

Marta

Surrounded by 15 Year Old Angst

It it my most fearful encounter that I face today, as I am home, eating more food than I should, and wearing the bummiest clothing I have: my house is full of 15 year old boys and girls.

There are remnants of ravaged pizza boxes.

There are far too many half-full soda cans.

There is more sugar than I should ever consume at my disposal.

This… this is my sister’s birthday party. Let’s get supah crazy (i.e. slightly insane and possibly a little nostalgic… nahhhhh).

With my sister’s birthday just days before my birthday, it gets me in a reflective mood. I know that we are always getting older, but it astounds me still to see how much we change over time. When I was my sister’s age, five years ago, I was light years away from where and who I am now. Yesterday, this kind of hit me: we will always be simply wanderers in this life. College makes me feel pretty lost, and for a while, I’ve thought that you have to be ‘found’ in order to find true contentment. But I, of all people, who doesn’t even have a hometown, or some other place to really call home, should have figured that out by now.

We never truly settle, not if we are interested in living out our lives fully and improving ourselves along the way, absorbing whatever life throws our way. There is no moment of being ‘found’, there is only more experience. I feel unsettled sometimes when I can’t really define where I am from, or what exactly my plan is once I’m out of school, but I think that is the most valuable lesson to get out of life: shit happens, crazy awesome shit, and we are always growing and learning and changing with it. Just go with it. Life is about experiencing all the crazy ups and downs it offers. It is about time that I learn to accept that.

-Marta

Time for home.

The week is almost up, and my mind is already slipping into vacation mode. Tomorrow, I get to go home and see the fam and celebrate my little sister’s birthday and relax and eat and cook and… Can you tell I am ready for a little bliss?

I’m not gonna lie, today has been a really good Thursday. I went to class, wrote a paper, went to work, and then out to a diner with my RA staff. It has been such a well-balanced day that I can hardly believe it. I’m surrounded by good vibes, or maybe those are the midterms-are-f’n-over-thank-God vibes. Today has been solid, and having experienced it, I think I know how to structure my days a little better for the future.

Earlier, Miti and I were talking about growing up, and she mentioned that growing up is becoming more yourself. She’s right; every year, I feel a little more like Marta. There’s less angst and confusion, more contentment and focus. It gives me hope for the years to come.

To a good weekend,

-Marta

Spring Break Excitement

Hello, Internet!

It is an anticipation-riddled week, as I only have three more days of classes, and then…ADVENTURE TIME! Can you tell that I am excited?

Shaun (the bae) and I finally settled on our upcoming adventures. At first, it was going to be a trip to the Carolinas, then it was D.C., and now, it is New Hampshire and NYC. We really like to wing it when it comes to travel. I love that I can live that way with someone so important to me.

Even more exciting… I turn 20 next week! Two decades under my belt sounds like so much, but I guess as each decade goes by, they aren’t too big of a deal. But 20 is, like, awesome. It clearly surpasses any and all other decade birthdays. I’m totally not biased.

I’m excited to get a break from routine, get really engaged by the world around me, and truly be able to live in the moment.

-Marta

Nyquil High

Last night, amidst my body fighting a cold and being drugged by over-the-counter medicine, I realized that I speak too many languages. #notreally. Being delirious, in the middle of the night, I woke up thinking in Chinese and Spanish, while somehow managing to speak English. This is very routine when Marta gets sick apparently.

The back-to-school ick and sick came and is finally toning down, taking on the same energy on campus curve–where you start out running everywhere, and slowly fall into a routine. This week, while I have been gross and snot-ridden, I have found my routine, and it does involve taking a break every now and then.

Make time for your academics, your body, and most of all, your soul. Life gets really good when you’re entire being is in sync.

Peace out, and enjoy our new color scheme (courtesy our very own Miti).

-Marta

The Suite Life

Judging by the title of this post, my puntastic little sister appears to have rubbed off on me. I ain’t complaining though; punnery is a fine skill indeed.

Today was a big day for Miti and I–she is flying across the globe to her fabulous new college, and I spent the day moving into my new suite. After a nice, long shower, some shopping, and surfing YouTube, I am finally winding down for the day. There is practically no one on campus, and it’s kind of nice. I like the peace, and I haven’t listened to a single song while here.

It’s the silence before the storm.

I’m nervous to be an RA, a resident assistant. I commuted to school my first year, and I have to learn all the living-on-campus lingo. I live in a hall full of upper-classmen. I often do not blend into the New England culture.

But, I suppose my differences in knowledge and culture make me better suited to the role. I have held many student leader roles in the past. This is the same thing, with a bit more of a challenge. And people are so awesome, and try to be friendly for the most part.

I guess I just have a ton of extra energy and not enough space to put it. I need to throw myself into this new venture, absorb everything I can in the training coming up, and enjoy the ride. I can only do my best, and continue to make my best even better.

-Marta

Back Home and Ready to Go

I finally arrived home last night, after over 15 hours worth of travel time. Life is really good.

There is one thing I can’t understand when it comes to vacation time in the States, or rather, lack thereof. No, I don’t think that we need months of time to get away, but two weeks for every year? That’s crazy.

I may have only been in Spain for two weeks (due to my mom’s short vacation time), but those two weeks were refreshing. I feel new and ready to work and able to think from a different perspective. And I know that having this sort of vacation, this getaway, every three to six months, would be so helpful.

I get restless. I can’t sit still. Don’t take me to the movies, and don’t you dare offer me a cubicle job at a corporate company. I need adventure, and I need my scenery to change. Routine is fatigue-inducing, and change can be, well, world changing. And this is why going to Spain set my mind straight again, and got me back to working hard and playing harder.

Time to prep for the next trip–out West.

-Marta