adventure 2 of 30: sailing san diego bay.

where we went: san diego bay

the details: over the past couple weeks, i've been lucky enough to go sailing a couple times in the san diego bay.  i adore sailing.  it's probably one of my favorite things to do.  when a. & i were dating, we'd go sailing quite frequently and more often than not, would encounter a few adventures along the way.  

while sailing isn't a new adventure for me, it's something we haven't done together in over 8 years.  crazy.  so getting back into a boat, getting in sync with the ropes, the rules of the bay, & just overall sailing required a bit of a refresher.  but like riding a bike, it came back quickly.  

in true san diego spirit, we had awesome weather for both of our sails.  one day was a bit colder & the other had a little less wind, but either way, the sun was shining & the san diego bay looked nothing less than glorious.

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in an effort to spend more time doing what i love, i'm attempting to go on 30 different adventures over the course of 2013.

if you'd like to join me or interested to know more, you can follow my progress here.

this is adventure 2 of 30

a checkered knit blanket.

i'm new to knitting blankets.  actually, i'm still relatively new to knitting so this is officially knitted project number 3 (here's 1 and 2) since i picked up this hobby late last year.  i chose to knit this blanket for my niece and unlike my first knit blanket, i wanted to attempt the checkerboard knit.

much like the first blanket, i used the garter stitch and didn't have a specific color pattern, i just knit each color randomly and once i started on the last two rows, finally began paying attention to color placement so no two colors would be side by side.  while i love the randomness, i'm certain if i started with a pattern, i would have saved myself a lot of frustration near the end of the project.

i began knitting this blanket shortly before christmas, got really excited how it was turning out, then started getting nervous about how i would ultimately pull the blanket together, lost motivation to finish, and finally, regained the determination to pull through and wrap up this bright blanket.  as you can tell, it was quite the process.

and while i didn't enjoy knitting the blanket as much as i did the first one, i actually loved bringing it together.  ironically, sewing the sides of each piece together turned out to be my favorite part.  & honestly, i just love how this turned out.  so much in fact that i'll be making one for a. & i to enjoy as well.

currently.

currently, life is good.
currently, we're sleeping on an air mattress with no furniture except a couple folding tables, chairs and recently purchased lamps.
currently, we're loving it.
currently, we've set up a tent in our room for movie watching and to otherwise entertain our nephew.
currently, we're exploring san diego by air & sea.  both sights completely rock.
currently, i'm catching up with old friends and it's as though our time apart never was.  friendship is awesome.  i love it, and them.
currently, we're waking up with the sun.  ready to take on the day and our new jobs.  
currently, we're loving the gloomy weather & rainy days.  it's making our hearts sing.
currently, we're eating in.  every night.  and while we only have one pot and pan to our name, we're enjoying the process and the creativity that limited supplies bring.
currently, i've begun project life.  it's taken me a while to get into this process- but i know now it's something i'm going to love.
currently, the final touches on the last of the road trip blankets have begun.  this one has taken far too long to finish, but i think it's beautiful nonetheless.
currently, we're living minimally and happily with very little to complain about.  again, life is good.

progress.

a. & i are taking a lot of steps forward.  we moved to san diego, are living close to family, found a new place to call home, and are completely overwhelmed with all the happiness this change has brought us.  however, there's one avenue of my life that's not only stagnant but is seemingly moving backward, my career.

it's not that i want a fantastic, high-powered job.  i'd be happy with anything thought-provoking and challenging within the event industry.  a job that i could use the skills i've worked so hard to acquire and build over the last 8 years.  

i'm well aware this is just a stage, and i'm slowly coming to terms with it.  & as i network through the job i have currently, i'm certain i'll look back on this time as a humbling growth opportunity.  but that doesn't make it any less frustrating.  so for right now, i'm doing my best to swallow my pride and just enjoy having a job. 

while i can't but help feeling as though i'm stepping backwards, i have to remember i am moving forward...slowly sure, but forward all the same.  i'm putting myself out into this new, tough job market and doing my best to make a new name & new reputation for myself.  i'm sure in time, the path i'm forging now will lead me to an career opportunity i'm nothing less than passionate about.

ps. photo is by yours truly & i found the quote via pinterest.  i couldn't find a source, so if you happen to know who said this, please let me know so i can be sure to credit them!  

january goals// update.

earlier this month i chose to make january a month of growing consistent.  a month of routine & a month of baby steps.  and it's working for me.

for the past 3 weeks i've actively tried to stay as consistent as possible.  i'm waking up and moving.  i'm getting into the habit of blogging a few posts at once- not once a day- and that has kept this space consistent as well.  i'm consciously making an effort to consistently stay connected with friends and family near and far.  all and all, it's been wonderful.

not having a place to call our own for most of this month made staying consistent much more challenging than i would have hoped.  but regardless, i committed to the routine and made it work.  now that we have a place to call our own (more on this later), it's been so easy.  i'm feeling inspired and creative.  ready to take on each day and dreaming up & designing of our new little home.

also, in regard to my secondary goals, here's how things are summing up:

1. simplify our life- definitely not as hard as it sounds.  we've moved into a place much smaller than the one we had and will have to pair down our life significantly.  but while we're waiting for our stuff to arrive- we're living as we did before.  with the bare minimum & a lot of creativity.
2. stretch daily- i'm doing this more often than not (either through yoga or stretching before (or after) a workout).  i love it & on days i forget to stretch, i notice a huge difference.
3. read one book- almost done with this one!  i joined a book club, so the pressure of finishing & having an enjoyable book to read, has made this rather easy.
4. organize all blog components-  my favorite thus far.  i'm organizing all my old photos and getting them onto a hard drive.  i'm getting rid of many of the pictures i'll never use (or thought i'd blog but didn't), making sure posts have all their pictures and as mentioned above- organizing blog posts weeks at a time instead of days.
5. volunteer- last one on my list.  i'm looking into a few volunteer opportunities here & plan to participate in something over the weekend.

with a week left, i'm feeling really good about my commitments for the month.  i'm excited to end on a high note and continue this enthusiasm into february.