Kirsten's Rules of Travel.

No, this is not necessarily my recommendations of how YOU should or shouldn't travel by air. But I've been blessed to fly often and these things have made my travel experiences...well, more awesome. 

1) Don't check a bag. Plain and simple. You will someday have a bad experience with airlines either losing, stealing from, or ruining your bags. I GUARANTEE it. 

I use a duffel bag and a backpack (right before boarding I stuff my purse into the backpack). 

I know this one doesn't work for everyone, but I'm fairly low maintenence when it comes to packing, and I really don't want to deal with the drama when the airline loses your bag. Because eventually they will. 

2) Don't try to be sneaky. Put EVERY liquid in your ziplock bag. Yes, sometimes you get away with it...but sometimes they make you open up your entire bag and the whole security line has a front row seat to your, um, well...you know. 

3) Bring an empty reusable water bottle (think: nalgene). Because who wants to pay $5 for water after security. Plus you feel like more of a savvy traveler. 

4) Bring snacks. Snacks = happiness.

5) Smile at people. Everyone is usually a little (or a lot) stressed in airports. Be extra patient and nice, especially to the airport staff.  They get yelled at a lot by those crazy travelers who have had their bags lost. 

6) Nap on the plane, because you don't need to be productive 24/7. And if you get motion sick, Dramamine is amazing. And it makes the napping easier ;)

7) Print your boarding pass. The electronic version on your phone can sometimes be really annoying and not work. And that's just embarassing. 

8) Always use an airline that flies Boeing, because...Josh says so. 

Okay, that's all I got. It's boarding time. 

One Minute inside my Mind.

What did I eat for breakfast? Oh yeah, eggs. That's decent, right? I wonder why my head hurts.

Maybe its because I didn't drink coffee.  But hey, I'm doing good.  1 day with coffee, 2 days without. 
I wonder if coffee really stains your teeth? I don't know. I can't forget to call ahead of time to order whitening stuff from dentist before wedding.

I should have gone to the gym this morning.  I'm way too jittery and I haven't even had coffee.  Maybe I'll run after work.  But then I have to shower and get re-ready.  So annoying. Or maybe I'll just wear yoga pants tonight.  That works. Okay I'll run after work. Maybe I should have coffee. No, it stains your teeth.  WHO CARES? It's not that bad. Fight through.

I hope our tablecloth linens we are using for wedding from the church aren't too stained.  I need to check all of those soon. What if they are stained? Should I just hide it? Or rent new ones? [Should I even be blogging this?]

Oh and I still need to cut all our table runners.  Hmm I wonder how many people we could fit to those tables, 8 or 10? I need to start putting together seating charts....wow, people are really bad at RSVP'ing.  But I don't think I've ever RSVPd on time one day in my life.  Which reminds me....*Texts in my RSVP 2 weeks late for a baby shower tomorrow afternoon*.

128 people so far....Darn it succulents, you need to multiply faster.  Maybe each family will get one instead of each person, that works right? Or does that look bad? WEDDING ETIQUITTE google search...

Oh well, we will break the rules if we have to, people will still love us, right? 

I hope our house loan closing papers go through quick...what if we don't close on time. Omg that is going to be SO ANNOYING.  I leave for MN on Thursday. I can't be ditching my own bachelorette party, "Sorry ladies, I need to run to a bank and find a notary so I can sign these documents..."

 I don't even have a dress yet for the Bachelorette party....SHOPPING DAY. But when...hmm...

Wow, I'm hungry. 

OH MY GOODNESS I CANT WAIT TO SEE ALL MY MINNESOTA PEOPLE!!!! I leave on Thursday...THURSDAY!

But seriously, what if we don't close on the house on time and I have to sign papers on Thursday...

Kirsten, stop worrying.  It's fine.  God's got it. Now put your cell phone down, your driving.

*Throws phone into back seat.*

I think I need a vacation. 

Tall Girl Problems

Yes, I know a girl isn't supposed to complain about being tall. But this is my blog so I do what I want. 

:) 

Tall Girl Problems: Take One. 

Shopping at the mall yesterday for a bridal shower dress. The cutesy "just above the knee" dresses are WAY above the knee dresses. Or maybe they should be called "just barely below the butt dresses." (Too far?) Not exactly a good choice for playing games and opening presents next to grandma and church ladies. Or ever? 

"So try a maxi dress!" You say. 

Nope. Yes, maxi dresses are usually great for the tall and thin, but most of them at the stores I can afford are awkwardly just barely too short. Like, shin length. Hmm. Again, Nope. 

The thing is, I'm not even THAT tall. About 5'10 barefoot. 

Don't even get me started on jeans. But seriously. Don't. 

Now shoes...they have pros and cons. Yes, I'll just say it, tall girls usually have bigger feet. The pro: cheap shoes at the Outlet malls because they always have my size (9.5-10). 

The cons: cute girly shoes are NEVER as cute in a size 10. And while they say heels make tall girls look more model-esque, they also make me tower over my fiancé and any other friends I may be with, which just makes me feel like some sort of freakish monster. 

All main-stream (aka affordable) clothing stores are built for shorter, average height girls. It's okay, I get that, there are more of them. But having to go to the stores that have "tall" sizes and spend $90 on WORK jeans (that will just get dirty and quickly ruined...I work in a warehouse) just so they touch my shoes so I can maintain some sort of dignity....is a bit ridiculous. 

Side note: Even American Eagle "tall" sizes...are too short. 

But I guess it just gives me all the more reason to live in athletic clothes and capris. And write a Tall Girl Problems blog. 

So I never did buy a dress at the mall yesterday. Instead, after 2 hours of searching I left and immediately texted my friend, who is just as tall as me, with WAY more fashion sense, and raided her closet. 

Tall Girl for the win. 

The Pursuit of Minimalism.

Minimalism.

When I used to hear that word, I would think: People ditching all modern conveniences to live in the woods surviving on cans of beans. Or: Boring art where someone takes a picture of a single stemmed flower, off centered, and in black and white.

In all reality I never gave minimalism or the lifestyle that goes with it much thought at all.  But then I began seeking a calm life. Being so busy all the time stressed me out and caused my survival mode self to kick in--which works for awhile, but after too long I just collapse into a pile of crabby, sleep deprived and sick-of-people Kirsten.  Which just isn't fun for anyone.

So I calmed it down.  I realigned my priorities.  I also realigned my perception of what I HAD to do versus what I was blessed to be ABLE do.  But that really only took me so far. I felt much more, well, calm...but something was still not quite right.

Then I made the mental shift from seeking a calm life to a simple life.  The words were appealing to me, but the practical side of it was lost on me. 

In the midst of all of this we are planning a wedding.  All of the "big stuff" was figured out in the first two weeks.  Then came the stressful part for me: The little details.  The fluff.  The pretty stuff.  The lights, the tulle, the flowers, the cute signs, the coordinating colors, the theme (classy and sophisticated or burlap and mason jars?), the wedding stationery, the ahhhhhhhh!! 

I like the thought of lots of details but I would have to enlist way too many other peoples' ideas to figure them all out. And then it wouldn't look much like "our" wedding anymore.  I don't want this whole process to be 7 months of stress and crafts and paint and glitter and endless thrift store shopping and fights with parents over budgets or decor. Because that's not us.

We just want a fun, happy, wedding with all our favorite people there. 

But maybe a little bit of pretty, too. 

So after one freak out moment of looking at one-too-many Instagram wedding accounts...I Pinterest searched "Minimalist wedding".  (I'm also actively working on lessening my social-media-ness, I promise!)

The page loaded.  No crazy extravagance or outrageously cute details or...burlap. 

And my spirit was happy.

*Disclaimer* Of course I ooh and ahh at everyone else's pretty weddings with lots of details and cute rustic burlap and pallet art and mason jars with ribbons.  And I SO ADMIRE YOU ALL.

But at that very moment, minimalism won my heart. 
It just made sense to me at my very core. 

Because really, this all went way beyond wedding planning, I found the website Becoming Minimalist and -I'm only slightly exaggerating here- my eyes were opened.
(Of course I'll never go too extreme with it, I like having more than 3 outfits in my closet.  But I do love the basic idea.)

And no mom, I haven't joined a cult.

For my current life, personality, and even in regards to my relationship with Christ...it all made so much sense. 

Minimalism isn't directly tied to living a Christian lifestyle, but it certainly lines up well with it!

One of the big ones is not getting caught up in the pursuit of material things. All the time spent shopping for, cleaning, organizing, fixing, storing, and replacing those things is now freed up to spend more time building relationships and meaningful experiences.

That's just the tip of the iceberg, and obviously I know its not for everyone.

But as much as I think mason jar and burlap wedding are adorable...they aren't for everyone either :)

Sometimes, I drive myself crazy.

Sometimes, I drive myself crazy.

Like, I really just annoy myself. 

These crazy head games.  These endless pity parties.  This irrational fear.  This prideful spirit.  This annoying attitude.  This selfish heart.

Uffda, I'm setting this blog post up well, aren't I... 

I usually blame it all on still dealing with my relocation moves.  And for real, they were tough.  And for real still ARE tough. Tougher than I'd like to admit.  Tougher than I ever realized going into them.  And as a sidenote, also tough on the bank account.  I just sat and did my first Dave Ramsey monthly cash flow budget....yikes.  I'm now a little bit less upset about my lack of "Oh my goodness I NEED this new dress" mentality.  If I had that mentality I'd undoubtedly be forced to live in a cardboard box. Unfortunately that means I still wear clothes I had in high school....please don't tell anyone. 

But at least I'm paying every single bill, on time, and have no credit card debt.  Right? Right.

Okay back on track, where was I? Oh yes, about how I annoy myself.

I am an over-thinker by nature.

With that, I completely over-analyze myself...case in point: this blog post. And multiple annoying texts I've sent to Josh randomly when my brain was about to explode...because if I don't write it out, I don't process it very well.  I haven't been blogging much lately, so guess who gets the written-out-over-analysis? Sorry, Josh. Thanks for putting up with this for over 2 years.  And still putting a ring on it.  I love you.

Traci Adamson Photography, everybody.  She's amazing. 

And one of my bestest MN friends :)

But today was a turning point.  Because guess what I did on my way to work this morning?

Prayed about it.

Hmm...shocking, right?  I turned off the radio and vented to God.  Then at about the I5/hwy 18 interchange, I confessed to this sin.  Because it is a total lack of trust and faith that God is in control.

He obviously has me here for a reason.  (And truly I have never, ever, once regretted the moves.  I've just had a hard time processing them.)

But then I gave it back to Him and I said He needed to really help me healthily deal with all of this because I was annoying myself so badly that it was starting to make me into someone I didn't want to be.  Of course I'll always be an over-analyzer, but after this prayer I very quickly was given the ability to rationally think through my bottom line issue:

I miss my family, I miss my MN friends, I obviously have realized that I am now engaged to a man who lives here in WA and we will most likely live here for many, many years.  I have been fighting all of this because I feel like my identity is so rooted in MN...that my family and long-time friends are the only ones who TRULY know me...that I have begun to believe this lie that I cannot truly be Kirsten in Washington.  That I can't raise my future family the way I'm supposed to because they might not play hockey in the backyard like I've always imagined. 

But this morning all of this was shattered and I was given this very obvious explanation:

Of course I can. 

Of course I can be Kirsten in Washington because this is where I live now.

 

Hiking last weekend--Lake Serene.  A lake on top of a mountain!

 

This is EXACTLY how God has always planned my life since before I was even created!

Of course this is where I will raise my future family because I KNOW Josh is the man I am supposed to marry.  And he has an awesome job here...and there aren't 8+ months of brutal winter here.

Minnesota was my starting point, Denver was my stepping stone to meet Josh and really grow as an independent person, but they both have developed me into the person I am becoming to live in Washington.  To soon get married, to continue having adventures, to then settle down a bit, to raise a family, all while continuing to learn how to fully trust God with this beautiful life He's given me. 

So today I let go of these irrational thoughts and fears and prideful stubbornness. I stop over-thinking my life here, I let go of my childhood assumptions of how I would live my adult life,  and I start planning how to get an ice rink to stay frozen in my backyard in 40+ degree winters.

 

Running for her.

I just finished a 17 mile training run. 

And I think it was the hardest--and most emotional--one yet. 

The first 13ish were actually pretty good and uneventful. And because running gives you LOTS of time to think, I was planning on writing a blog post about my training so far. What hurts, what feels strong, my strategies of eating along the way, water intake, etc. etc. 

But then I hit mile 14. 

Up until today, 14 miles has been my longest run ever so far. 

I still had 3 miles to go. It was in those last three, painful miles, that I realized this whole marathon training thing is way bigger than me. 

It simply wasn't just about me anymore. It wasn't about my training, my discipline (or sometimes lack thereof), my strength--mentally and physically. 

I am also aware at this point it really isn't even healthy anymore. My knees and hips are fighting me. The hours of pounding on the pavement is getting to them. 

No, it really isn't about me anymore. If it was, I would probably have quit by now. 

At mile 14, with 3 miles still to go, I suddenly knew it was all about her. 

I don't know her name. I don't know what village she lives in. But I do know she has to walk miles every single day to get water--dirty, yucky water--for her family. I know she most likely cannot go to school because of this chore she has been given. 

As I ran today, my small water bottle I was carrying felt heavier with each step. Although there were only a few ounces of water left in it, it became such an annoying burden. 

Then I was reminded again of her. How her frail little body has to carry multiple gallons of water for miles, every single day. How she doesn't have a choice. How she can't just say, "eh, I don't feel like it today" or she and her family would quickly die of thirst. 

The last three miles contained some of the most "real" moments I've experienced. I felt the most alive. I felt a lot of pain, both in my body and in my heart. But I knew I couldn't quit now. 

I've had 3 generous people give donations already to provide almost 4 people in Africa with clean water for life! 

It costs $50 to provide 1 person with clean water for life through World Vision's water program. My goal is for 26 people to have clean water.  26 "hers" to not have to spend a majority of her day and life fetching water. 1 person for every mile I run on June 21st. 

I run in faith that every step--whether joyful or a little painful--will be worth it. 

Because she's worth it. 

-------------------------------------------

If you want to partner with me in this goal, here's the link!! 

https://teamworldvision.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donate.start&destination=P&participantID=1220

Just over a month left to go! Also--prayers for my body to hold up would be appreciated as well ;) 

Planning.

I'm pretty laid back. 

I always have been. Even in high school I rarely, if ever, had drama. I've always been told I'm very level headed and low maintenence. 

Josh is very laid-back too. 

And now we're wedding planning. 

After the initial excitement of being engaged, I was sort of terrified. I thought SURELY this will be something that will bring out the opposite characteristics in us, especially knowing how stressful it all can be. 

Oh, and we are trying to buy a house. And I'm training for a marathon. And it's almost summer. And josh works a lot of overtime and softballs a lot. 

But nope. If anything, we've maybe been TOO laid back with everything (Doesn't mean I'm not personally stressed at times, more on that later). This translated into us having chosen a date, venue, photographer, cake/cupcake maker, DJ, bridesmaid dresses, and wedding colors less than a week after engagement. It has resulted in probably 75% or more of our wedding being planned (besides the logistical details) as of today, just over a month into engagement. And we actually feel like we are taking our time! 

I almost said yes to the dress within the first hour of the very first place I looked..but that was when I had my only bridezilla-ish moment so far: I was about to buy the dress, so the moms and grandma started snapping pictures. I saw one of the pictures and HATED how the dress looked in it. The lady was already writing up my paperwork. They kept snapping pictures. I suddenly hated the dress. Still more pictures. Get me out of this dress!!! Bridal staff was surrounding me, trying to adjust the dress to look better. Made it worse. More pictures. SERIOUSLY. Get me out of here!!!!!!

I literally almost had a panic attack. 

I actually might have. 

Then I had lunch. 

And Kirsten was back to normal. 

Found "The Dress" at the next shop :) 

Side note: It's probably just me, but are veils creepy to anyone else!? I'm not sure if some bridal horror movie scarred me for life, or some recurring childhood nightmare, (and actually, I do think they're pretty on OTHER brides!) but the thought of personally wearing one on my head is just creepy. So that is one thing I adamantly refuse to wear on my wedding day. Not that they're ugly or anything, just...I don't know. 

But seriously, gives me chills. 

Okay so anyway, besides the dress, we have made quick, easy decisions on most of the planning. Shop around a bit--Do we like it? Can we afford it? Yes? Then book it. Order it. Plan it. Done. 

Next! 

I know myself and know I get easily stressed out with too many options, because I'm really not that picky, and so I know I'd be happy with any of them! So how do I choose? 

Quickly. That's how. 

Once a decision is made, I'm just giddy. One step closer to the day I get to marry Josh! 

And be done with wedding planning! ;) 

So really. At this rate our entire wedding will be planned by the end of the month, and the wedding isn't until October! What will we do for the rest of our engagement!? 

Enjoy it!!!!!