50 thoughts I have while driving.

I have this weird relationship with driving.

At first, I hated it.

I was so excited to learn how to drive.

This was it..my road to freedom.

Or so I thought.

I passed the actual driving test on the very first try.

But failed the computer test the first time.

And second.

And third.

And fourth.

And fifth.

After the fifth they make you wait a certain amount of time before you take it again.

What can I say….I hate taking tests.

During that fun little waiting period in between test, Janelle and I got into a car accident.

It completely ruined driving for me.

So I swore it off completely.

My sister had her license, so why did I need mine?

Fast forward to the day I turned eighteen.

At that age our DMV allows you to just walk in and get your license if you’ve passed the driving test but not the computer test.

I finally had my license.

But refused to drive still.

It was a slow process, driving again.

I didn’t really start driving again until the summer of 2010.

Until I hit a parked car and swore it off again.

I think I started really driving after college.

I had a different job than my sister and basically had to drive.

It wasn’t even until this last September that I drove myself to a new city.

Don’t take this the wrong way.

I am a fine driver.

I just had a strained relationship with it.

I love it now though, for the most part.

We just got off to a rocky start.

Our relationship is like an old married couple.

We fight, and bicker all the time.

But at the end of the day we love each other.

I decided to document our daily commute together to give you all a glimpse into our relationship.

I hope it’s something you can relate to on a spiritual level.

50 thoughts I have while driving.

1. Why are you so cold?? Seriously let’s turn that heat UP!
2. Okay okay calm down it doesn’t need to be that hot.
3. Ughhh nothings on this station this morning.
4. Or this one..
5. Or this one..
6. I give up! I’ll settle with commercials.
7. Now the real question is, do I want coffee?
8. I mean I’m tired….and it sounds delicious.
9. COFFEE IT IS!!
10. Oh god why is the music so loud?
11. It’s 6:15 in morning calm it down folks.
12. Oh god stop yelling….just give me my coffee.
13. Thank you…now let me leave.
14. Mmmmm nectar of the gods.
15. This light…you’ll be the death of me.
16. If only I could turn left on this red.
17. But something about the “law” makes it illegal.
18. Rules rules.
19. FINALLY.
20. No no no don’t use your turning signal it’s fine.
21. Oh I see you’re waiting until the middle of your turn to use your turning signal…makes sense.
22. I swear I always hit so many red lights.
23. Oooo I like this song.
24. Can they see me dancing? No..perfect!!
25. Woah my straw works as a microphone…BOOM!!
26. Oh green light…whoops!
27. Pay attention Megan.
28. What is the speed limit? 35?
29. WHY ARE WE GOING 25??
30. Oh that’s right the speed limit is a suggestion..I forgot..silly me!!
31. Please turn please turn please turn.
32. YESSSS!! BE GONE PEASANT!!
33. (Insert self made car acceleration noises.)
34. HERE I GO AGAIN ON MY OWNNNNNN.
35. GOING DOWN THE ONLY ROAD I’VE EVER KNOWNNNN.
36. Cop.
37. Cop cop cop.
38. Was I going that fast?
39. I couldn’t have been.
40. I’ll just slowly take my foot off of the gas.
41. Oh he’s gone…
42. PHEW!!
43. Good thing I’m almost to work.
44. Stay green stay green..
45. Woohoo made it!!
46. Just gotta use my turning signal like the good little driver that I am.
47. Almost there.
48. Speed bump.
49. Always forget about the speed bumps.
50. Anddd were here…Thanks little buddy..be back soon!

❤

Impermanence.

I usually post story times on Thursdays.

And I want to keep doing that.

But yesterday was different.

So naturally I had to write about it.

It wasn’t the best day.

And it wasn’t the worst day ever.

It just wasn’t great.

And in typical Megan fashion, I took things personally.

When in reality it wasn’t on me.

I was pretty bummed out all day.

You know how those days go?

You spill your coffee.

Get a rude email at work.

Someone says something mean to you.

You run into traffic.

All of the small things that can add up make everything seem worse than it actually is.

That’s how yesterday went.

And most of this week for that matter.

I was super frustrated.

I feel like I’m a good person for the most part.

I use my turning signal, hold the door open for people, and I don’t do anything illegal.

The one “bad” habit I have is drinking too much coffee.

That or swearing as much as I do.

But that’s it.

I’ve always believed in Karma.

Because I had to give myself that reassurance that people who did bad things would have bad things happen to them in return.

It just made me feel better.

With that being said, I get frustrated when bad things happen to good people.

It doesn’t make sense.

Are you supposed to learn some giant life lesson?

Is it going to direct you down this new magical path in life.

Is it all a part of something bigger than we can possibly understand.

I just couldn’t wrap my mind around how all of these bad things were happening to me, small, but bad nonetheless.

What about Karma?

Wasn’t it supposed to help me out?

Didn’t it have my back?

As much as I tried to figure out why these bad things were happening to me, I just couldn’t find an answer

I did however, found a solution to it yesterday.

A temporary fix if you will.

I came across this word that was new to me.

Impermanence.

I saw the word described in a paragraph.

Life is always changing and I drift easily through those changes, good and bad. As I drift through hard times, I can take comfort in knowing that I will leave them behind. As I drift away from good times I can take comfort in knowing that more will come my way. 

It’s beautiful really.

Life is always changing, we have no control over it.

And we have to accept that.

Good things will happen, and bad things will happen.

But they’ll always be happening.

As we experience those hard times we should take comfort.

Comfort in knowing that eventually you will leave them behind.

And most importantly in my opinion, that as the good times come and go, you can take comfort in knowing that more are going to come.

I think that’s harder than going through the bad times.

Watching the good times go.

Graduating from college.

Watching your children move out.

Sending your best friend off to move across the Country.

It’s still hard.

Seeing something that you’ve loved so much change and becoming different.

Taking comfort that you once knew, with something that was a constant in your life, and watching it change.

Wondering if things will ever be the same.

But knowing that no matter what, more good things will come your way.

I took this yesterday and really let it sit with me.

In the peak of my bad day, this hit me so incredibly hard.

And hits me even more as I write this now, reflecting on it all.

I told myself over and over again.

I will eventually leave these bad days behind.

And it helped, believe it or not.

Saying this over and over again made the negative thoughts escape.

I think if you believe in something so much, you can create it.

Even if it’s just a thought.

If you believe in something enough, it’ll happen.

The bad days will be left behind.

And those good days that you love so much, will too be left behind.

But they’ll be back.

Just different.

This gave me comfort yesterday.

Comfort when I was having a bad day.

And I hope that it can help you as well.

That no matter what might be going wrong, big or small, that it will be left behind.

That it’ll be just a memory.

Something that happened to you.

But that you can take comfort in knowing that it’s gone.

And because of it, you’re stronger the next time around.

❤

Megans Movie Guide

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while now, you probably know about my love for television shows.

I’m that person that can talk about a show so much that you’ll spend the entire time trying to think of ways to escape the conversation.

Even though I’m a self proclaimed tv addict, it all started with movies.

I only really watched the Disney Channel growing up, so my family had to culture me somehow.

On the weekends we would watch movies together.

It was my favorite thing about Saturday nights.

Bundling up on the couch with a blanket while we all watched a movie, usually of my dad’s choice.

I learned to really appreciate Denzel Washington and Adam Sandler movies.

Whenever I was bored growing up, I would just stumble on some random channel and watch whatever movie was on.

Even though I’m currently working on watching 52 movies, I’ve seen some good ones in my opinion.

And I’m a firm believer that there’s a movie for every occasion.

There are movies for those nights where you’re questioning all of your life choices.

Those movies to watch when you just want to laugh at the world.

And movies to watch when you need to forget about your heartache.

Heck, right now I want to curl up with a blanket and some coffee and watch Pretty in Pink but I won’t do that.

#dedication.

Instead, I’ve created a few categories of different moods one might be in and some movies to go along with that mood.

Since I’m working on my movie resume, these may not apply to everyone.

But if you find yourself bored on a Saturday night and needing a movie recommendation, I gotchu girl.

Or boy.

When you want those romantic feels.
1. Crazy Stupid Love
2. 500 days of summer
3. How to lose a guy in 10 days
4. When Harry Met Sally
5. Sleepless in Seattle

When you literally want to laugh out loud.
1. Step Brothers
2. Old School
3. White Chicks
4. Billy Madison
5. Just friends

When you feel like you have no idea what you’re doing with your life.
1. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
2. Forrest Gump
3. The Breakfast Club
4. Silver Linings Playbook
5. The Spectacular Now

When you want to be all “aweee” but also all “lol”.
1. The Ugly Truth
2. 10 Things I Hate About You
3. Friends With Benefits
4. Sixteen Candles
5. Knocked Up

To make you feel like a badass.
1. Man on Fire
2. Top Gun
3. Taken
4. John Q

When you want to feel like kid again.
1. Frozen
2. UP
3. The Lion King
4. The Incredibles
5. Inside Out

When you have nothing to do all day (or weekend).
1.  All of the Harry Potter movies

 If you don’t know what kind of movie to watch.
1. Easy-A
2. Pretty in Pink
3. There’s Something About Mary
4. Elf
5. Mean Girls

When you can’t sleep at night.
1. 27 Dresses
2. 13 Going on 30
3. Love Actually
4. Fever Pitch
5. The Intern

There you go!

No need to thank me, the pleasure is all mine.

Just remember, when it’s a rainy day outside.

Or when you can’t seem to fall asleep.

I’ve got you covered.

Also, I have a feeling this list might change once I’ve finished my 52 movie challenge.

I’ll keep you posted.

❤

101 thoughts while shopping at Target.

I have a few favorite places.

That bring me so much joy and happiness.

Places where I can guarantee I’ll have a great time.

That have made memories that’ll last a lifetime.

Dodger Stadium.

Minto Brown Park.

New York City.

The Beach at the Mandalay Bay in Vegas.

My College Track.

Out of all of my favorite places there’s always one that will stand out.

One that can cure my loneliness, a broken heart, or my absolute boredom.

Target.

Yes you read that correctly.

Target will always have my heart.

I think it started freshman year in College up in Portland.

Janelle and I didn’t have our car up at school and we ran out of coffee quite often.

Since we drank more coffee than Lorelai and Rory Gilmore combined.

The Target was less than a mile away and there was a walking path that led straight to it.

It became our little place.

Fast forward to age 28 where I just go to Target because I’m bored.

#sorrynotsorry

But it’s true.

Where my fellow Target addicts at?!

I thought it would be great to document the thoughts that occur in my mind while shopping at this little slice of heaven.

Some thoughts that I’m sure many of my fellow Target connoisseurs might appreciate.

101 thoughts while shopping at Target.

1. Did I lock my car? Wait where are my keys?
2. Oh there they are.
3. Car Honk
4. Okay NOW it’s locked.
5. Remember you only need q tips and dog food.
6. DON’T FORGET.
7. I know you…
8. Hmm do I need a shopping cart or a basket.
9. The shopping carts are all wet..a basket it is.
10. Oh how I love the dollar spot.
11. These little lights are 3 dollars?! Heck yeah I need battery operated lights. Thanks Target!
12. Wait cardigans are only 20 dollars? I’ll get two!!
13. Megan..you can’t get two black ones though..you already have a couple black ones at home..but they go with everything..
14. Live a little..add some color to your life Megan…
15. Gray it is!!
16. You little frugal fiend you.
17. These are the cutest little PJ’s!!
18. But you sleep in sweats and old t-shirts Megan do you need PJ’s?
19. Yes because if I have cute PJ’s I’ll wear them more often…duh.
20. PJ’s it is!!
21. ooooo the movie section.
22. Such cheap little movies.
23. Easy-A..that’s a classic! Yes Please!
24. There’s Something About  Mary? I love that movie! Just buy it Megan, you don’t actually own it.
25. BOOM..movie.
26. CD’s?! No one buys CD’s anymore..silly target.
27. But they do read!!
28. Another Young Adult coming of age book…get in my little basket you!
29. I should have gotten a cart.
30. Valentine’s day candy is on sale?? I mean..I do love peanut butter cups shaped like hearts..obviously…who doesn’t.
31. Yessssss the wine section.
32. This Moscato is heavy though.
33. It’ll be ok, I’ll just consider this my workout for the day.
34. Insert arm curls with basket.
35. Do I need more coffee?
36. Yes!
37. Good thing it’s by the wine.
38. Target it’s like you had me in mind when you created your aisles.
39. You’re the only one that gets me sometimes Target.
40. CANDLES!!
41. This one smells like boys cologne, we have a winner!
42. Definitely should have gotten a cart.
43. Okay Megan stay on course..get back to the food..
44. But they have throw blankets!
45. FOCUS!!
46. Oh no the freezer section..
47. Should have brought a sweater.
48. Why am I always cold?
49. Oh Ben and Jerry’s is two for six dollars?!
50. I’ll just buy Jason some and that way I have to buy myself some.
51. Good logic Megan.
52. You’re so smart.
53. Now remember Megan you needed q tips…get away from the food.
54. Hmmm beauty products where you at girl?
55. Oooo I love these face masks..two dollars? I’ll take 3!
56. Where are those q tips at??
57. I swear they hide them from me.
58. Trying to be difficult now are we target?
59. Why you gotta do me like that?
60. After all we’ve been through together?!
61. FOUND THEM.
62. God WHY didn’t I get a basket.
63. Almost done though, almost.
64. Wait I’m out of mascara.
65. I’ll just get one real quick.
66. New spring nail polishes? Yes please!
67. What are those over there?
68. Five dollar coffee mugs with cute little sayings?!
69. YESSSSSS.
70. I’ll take two!!
71. Keep walking Megan…we’re almost done!!
72. At least you got your steps in today.
73. Look at you go.
74. Wait I’m out of post it notes..I’ll just grab a couple!
75. Wow so many sharpie colors..I need these!!
76. Do I need a greeting card?
77. I mean my brothers birthday is coming up soon.
78. Megan it’s in April.
79. Yes but the beginning of April.
80. You’ll be happy that you bought it now.
81. Boom done!
82. Now was there anything else I needed..
83. Nope!
84. Self check out it is!
85. I’m way too awkward for an actual cashier.
86. Drive safe…you too? We’re not going through that again.
87. I’m just so efficient at this anyways.
88. Better than any cashier honestly.
89. 120 Dollars?!
90. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN??!!
91. Oh well Megan…just don’t take as many trips to Target this month.
92. Laughs out loud.
93. At least try, okay?
94. God I hope I don’t drop this wine.
95. I really needed a cart about now.
96. Target should invent little robots to carry your ridiculously heavy bags out to your car for you.
97. Wait…where are my keys…
98. Oh found them!!
99. Okay let’s just get everything in here…there we go…
100. What a good trip!!
101. OH MY GOD I FORGOT DOG FOOD!!

❤

Top 10 Taylor Swift Songs

If you don’t like Taylor Swift, I want to preface this by saying sorry. I’ve written over 1500 words on my favorite Taylor songs and I have no regrets.

I was first introduced to Taylor Swift when I was a junior in High School. I was 16 and she was 16. Her songs were my life, and I related to each and every word. I was so amazed.

There was someone out there who was singing my life, the words in my head and the feelings in my heart, sung by someone my age.

I related to everything.

Every two years, in the heart of fall, she would release an album that continued to grow with me. There was always a song for every moment in my life.

If I had just gotten dumped, there was a song that could capture every teardrop I wasted crying over it.

If I met a boy who drove me crazy, that I was madly in love with the thought of them and the possibility of what could be, there was a song for that.

If I had just turned 22 and needed an anthem, there was a song for that.

Taylor just got me.

I think we all have that artist, who we can always relate to, or who makes us feel a certain way.

Taylor will always be that for me.

So I decided to write my fun day post about my top Taylor songs.

Yeah you heard me, a whole blog post about my top 10 Taylor Swift songs.

She’s a big deal.

So here it goes people, you’ve been warned.

I don’t take this stuff lightly.

1. Picture to Burn- Taylor Swift – This song brings back one of my favorite memories growing up. I had just broken up with the boy I was dating my senior year in High School. It was a bad breakup and I quickly realized that he was such a waste of time. I was driving to school with my sister after getting coffee, while we were listening to our favorite country music radio station. The DJ’s were talking about ringtones and wanted people to call in and let them know what their ringtones were and why. Mine just so happened to be Picture to Burn, for obvious reasons. I thought it would be hilarious to call them up, and sure enough someone answered on the other end. They asked me what my ringtone was and why. The guy loved it and asked me if they could put me on the radio, my heart sunk. I was so nervous. Next thing I know I’m talking to the radio station DJ’s that I listened to every morning. I told them that my boyfriend, who was two years younger than me, left me for someone else. They proceeded to bash him and told me I deserved someone my own age. Seriously the coolest thing for a heartbroken seventeen year old.

   Favorite Line: I realized you love yourself more than you could ever love me.

2. The Way I Loved You- Fearless – I feel like this song doesn’t get enough love with Taylor Swift fans, or swifties if you will, some of you may not even know what it is. The song compares two relationships, one is perfect and polished and everything you think you want. While the next is crazy, emotional, and exhausting. It’s that relationship that drives you insane but you love it at the same time. I liked a boy who did this to me, until the point where it wasn’t good for either of us. I remember listening to this song over and over again during that summer. Comparing this relationship to my last and replaying things in my head. To me this song shows something that’s real for a lot of people. Getting in those relationships that you know you shouldn’t be in, but for some reason you love the madness, you love how crazy it makes you and how it’s not easy.

   Favorite Line: It’s a roller coaster kind of love, and I never knew I could feel that much.

3. Sparks Fly- Speak Now – Oh how I love this song. Honestly, it’s number one in my book. Back in the day when you downloaded music from sketchy sites I found this weird recording of Taylor Swift singing a song called Sparks Fly. I loved it, but the quality was so bad that I couldn’t hear much of what she was saying. This was super early in her career just after her first album. I would listen to it all the time. When I saw the track list for her third album a few years later I freaked out, I couldn’t believe it. The song I admired for so long was finally going to be here, in all it’s beauty. I remember playing it whenever I was crushing on someone. Thinking about everything they did that captivated me and consumed my every thought. I can still see the car dance party sessions with my sister singing our hearts out to this song.

   Favorite Line: I’m captivated by you baby like a firework show.

4. Enchanted- Speak Now- I love this song. How she sings about the feeling of meeting someone for the first time and not knowing what to do with yourself. You feel a connection and can’t stop yourself from thinking about them late at night. It represents that fantasy of stealing glances with someone from across the other room and suddenly you’re thinking about what you might do on your first date. How your mind rushes with excitement, fear, and hope that one day this might lead to something magical.

   Favorite Line: The lingering question kept me up, 2 AM who do you love.

5. Last Kiss – Speak Now – The Speak Now album came out fall of 2010, I was a Junior in College. I was dating someone who in the end really didn’t care. He didn’t believe in love the way I did, and he didn’t believe in us the way I did. I think I had built it up in my head to be more than it could have actually been. I wanted it to last so bad. After we broke up I would just pop in my headphones and listen to this song on repeat. Not only was it a sad song about breaking up and going on with the rest of your life without each other, but it meant more for me. It reminded me that here I was making this sad song about him. I was still thinking about him, while he wasn’t doing the same. He wasn’t heartbroken. One of the last lines of the songs says “you can plan for a change in the weather or time, but I never planned on you changing your mind.” This part always hits me so hard, how someone can just change their mind and decide that they don’t care anymore. And how, in that moment you decide, you don’t care either.

   Favorite Line: All that I know is I don’t know, how to be something you miss.

6. All Too Well – Red – I lied when I said speak now is my favorite, this song is my favorite. I don’t care how lame it sounds,  but this song gives me goosebumps. It reminds me of fall and starting over. How love falls apart and picks itself back up. How you can be so angry and hurt from someone and want to tell them more than anything. That they hurt you, and broke you, but you remember it, you’ll never forget it and you’re stronger because of it. That they might have broken you for that second in time but you’ll be ok. That you don’t need them anymore.

   Favorite Line: And you call me up again just to break me like a promise, so casually cruel in the name of being honest.

7. Wonderland – 1989 – This is another song that I feel like doesn’t get enough love. It plays off of Alice In Wonderland a little and sounds almost whimsical at first. The more you listen the more you realize that it’a about a relationship that goes wrong suddenly. How at first you’re in your own little world, and suddenly you realize there are people watching, whispering, and wanting to have a say in your relationship. I’ve definitely felt like this in a relationship once, and certain people around us wanted to try and get involved in it. I remember one time specifically in College, I was dating someone for about a year and one of our “friends” told him one night that I was a terrible person and there was no reason he should be dating me. Those type of people make it hard, they make you think you can continue on in your relationship when you clearly can’t.

   Favorite Line: And we pretended it would last forever.

8. Dancing With Our Hands Tied – Reputation – I had waited so long for this album and I loved it right away. The whole thing is mature and it doesn’t seem like Taylor’s trying too hard. Dancing with Our Hands Tied is all about being in that relationship where you’re so consumed with the person that you don’t realize everything that’s holding it back. You want nothing more than to be with them but everything else is telling you that it won’t work. How you’re with each other together in impossible circumstances. But I mainly love it because when Ian and I have dance parties, this is one of his favorites.

   Favorite Line: I’d kiss you as the lights went down, swaying as the room burnt down.

9. New Years Day – Reputation – After all of the other songs on the reputation album, I was not ready for this one. It’s so sweet, so subtle, and captures a relationship perfectly. In the age of hookups and tinder dates it almost makes you feel not normal for being with your now husband for four and a half years, or being completely content with the relationship you’re in. How life can happen and be wonderful, with your best friend by your side. That you’re not quite sure how it’ll go but it’s worth it with someone you love by your side.

   Favorite Line: Don’t read the last page.

10. Teardrops On My Guitar- Taylor Swift – This was the original t swift song for me. I remember listening to it in high school when I liked someone who had no idea I existed. Completely hopeless and besides myself. I feel like every girl who loves Taylor Swift had their “teardrops on my guitar” moment. When they were so madly in love with the thought of someone who they felt like they could never have.

    Favorite Line: I wonder if he knows he’s all I think about at night.

There you have it folks, 1772 words on my love for Taylor Swift and my favorite songs.

If you made it this far, you da real mvp.

I just love everything about her.

How her words are forever engraved in my mind.

I grew up right along side her and her songs.

And you bet I’ll be rocking out at her Reputation tour this May.

See you then Tswizzle.

P.S I’ve linked the songs below if you want to give them a listen.

You’re welcome.

❤

Top 10 Taylor Swift Songs.

 

27 things I loved about being 27.

If you know me at all, you’ll know that I love my birthday.

Seriously.

The countdown has been on since New Years.

I wish I could tell you it’s because of some sentimental reason.

But I just love my birthday, and I love that I get to share it with my best friend.

It’s always been one of my favorite days of the year, besides Christmas.

As you get older, some may say it looses its spark.

That once you turn 21 every birthday after that sucks.

Don’t believe them.

Each and every birthday after is what you make it.

If you don’t care about your birthday, don’t care.

But if you want to be treated like a queen put that crown on.

Its what you want it to be.

For instance, I turn 28 on Thursday.

I’m two years away from 30..don’t panic Megan..DONT PANIC.

And I think my birthday is just as special as when I was younger.

It’s your day to accept your awesomeness.

Told you I loved birthdays.

I’ve been trying to think of a birthday blog post, something to summarize how awesome my 27th year was.

Although I couldn’t tell you 27 life lessons I learned while being 27, I can definitely highlight 27 things about this year.

Seriously.

27 was a great year.

And I think you should always leave one year with positive thoughts, in hope that the next year will be just as great if not better.

So I bring you my early birthday present,

27 things that I loved about being 27.

1. That the dodgers made it to the World Series.

2. My amazing nephew Cam.

3. Deciding to dye my hair brown again.

4. My hurdle crew.

5. When I learned to let the negative people go.

6. Every single milestone that Ian hit; crawling, getting his teeth, walking, saying mama and dada. The list goes on people.

7. Realizing how capable I am.

8. Crossing another baseball stadium off of my list.

9. Ian taking his first trip to California.

10. That McKay finally got their new turf.

11. Seeing two of the kids I use to coach running in college.

12. Taking my family pictures.

13. Dressing up as the power rangers for Halloween.

14. Leaving my old job at the hospital.

15. Starting my new job at McKay.

16. Taking Ian to his first college football game, even though it was an Oregon State game.

17. Running my first race in three years and placing first in my age group.

18. Watching the people I love change for the better.

19. My dads awesome surprise birthday party.

20. Our multiple beach trip with our friends and their families.

21. Getting my new tattoo.

22. Taylor Swift releasing her new album “Reputation.”

23. Deciding to watch every episode of Will and Grace.

24. The LANY concert that I love so much.

25. Getting my nose pierced.

26. One of my hurdlers getting 5th in the 110’s at the district Track meet.

27. Finding out that New Girl got one more season.

There you have it.

Honestly I’ll admit, the last six or so we’re hard to think of. I had to look at the pictures on my phone and try to remember what happened.

But the first 20 or so just came to me, as fast as I could type them.

The things that truly made me smile this year.

And not everything has to be some sentimental life lesson about finding yourself.

It can be as easy as finding a new tv show you liked, or realizing a local coffee shop serves pumpkin lattes all year round.

The small things make up the big picture.

The memories you had.

The lessons you may have learned.

The things that made you smile.

Those are what make up your year.

I hope 28 brings me half as much joy as 27 brought me.

I hope its filled with more concerts, baseball games, and memories of my little boy.

This will be a great year, I can feel it.

❤

That time I started to believe in myself.

Let’s go back to 2008 shall we?

I was 18 and about to compete in my 3000 meter run at the district track meet.

Ya see..I was fast.

My freshman year in high school I was one of the fastest freshman in our district, not to mention one of the fastest overall for distance running in my town.

Sophomore year I surprised myself.

I got second at our district meet in the 3000 when I came in ranked in the bottom half of the top ten.

I got to go to the state track meet as a sophomore which was a big deal.

Junior year I was awful.

I’m just going to say it.

I went from running an 11:02 in the 3000 to an 11:37 the very next year, from 2nd place to 7th at the district meet in one years time.

I wasn’t myself.

I spent most of my time with someone who told me I wasn’t that good.

That my sister was better than me.

That track was a waste of time.

That I wasn’t going to go to college for it so why try.

I started to believe all of those things.

I made excuses.

I gave up.

I didn’t believe in myself.

But lets not dwell too much on that, that person isn’t worth any more words on this post.

It wasn’t until the summer of 2007 when I got rid of that person in my life and decided to get myself back.

I looked forward to every single practice.

I was motivated to be better.

I had a hard cross country season in the fall but arguably my best throughout my four years.

I worked my butt off to get back to where I was at the end of my sophomore year.

Back to when I was excited.

Eager.

Fierce.

I wanted nothing more than to find this girl and get her back.

To show her that she was the fire she needed to spark this desire to be better.

That winter was full of training, and so was the spring,  leading up to my last season of running for my high school.

I felt like I wanted it more than anyone.

That I had something to prove.

To show girls who laughed at me the previous year that I was back and better than ever.

Every 3000 meter race I had run that season was faster than any 3000 I ran the year before.

I would sit on the bus on the way to meets and close my eyes.

Picturing the exact moment where I threw my hands up in success after my win.

I could see the headlines, Everetts wins district title.

That’s how bad I wanted it.

I loved getting pumped up before meets, that’s when I discovered my love for rap music.

Lil’ Wayne to be exact.

I would completely zone out and lose myself in the music.

Never show it on the outside.

It became a ritual I would end up using the rest of my racing career.

I would look at myself in the mirror and repeat out loud, it’s mine, I can do it.

I had so much confidence as we neared the end of that track season, until the day finally came.

The day I dreamed about.

The district meet.

I was coming into the meet ranked third I believe, maybe second in the 3000.

My event.

There were three of us who were competing for that title, the rest of the pack was about 15-20 seconds behind us.

I remember shaking when I was putting on my bib number.

Not because I was nervous.

But because I wanted it.

So bad.

I stood on the starting line, my foot twitching like it always did.

I was ready to go.

Then the gun went off.

I ended up getting out to a quick start with one of the girls, we left the other one, and that was the last we saw of her.

We ran the first two laps of the seven and a half lap race toe to toe, and I had no intentions of letting her go.

It wasn’t until the 5th lap when we passed the crowd.

I knew there wasn’t much of the race left and one of us had to make a move.

I whispered to her, let’s do this, and we were off.

We were running faster than I ever thought possible.

Next thing I know it’s the final lap and I have the lead.

I can hear my family cheering.

My mom.

My dad.

My sister.

Everyone was screaming as loud as they could.

I was on the last 100 meter stretch.

I could hear my friends in the stands cheering.

I pushed myself as hard as I possibly could.

And in that moment I had it.

I threw my hands up over my head in complete disbelief.

It was mine.

That moment that I had dreamed of was mine.

I ran over to my sister and gave her the biggest hug imaginable.

I ran a 10:48 and won the district title, I was off to the state meet for a second time.

10:48 was almost a whole minute faster than the year before, and quite the improvement from seventh place.

I’ll never forget how happy I was in that moment.

What I had been working for all season, all four years of high school, was here.

It’s so crazy to me how you can manifest something so much that it becomes attainable.

That if you want something so badly, along with some hard work, you can achieve it.

That’s what I did that year.

I wanted it.

More than anything.

I thought about it.

Dreamed about it.

Pictured it.

That moment was all I thought about and it was mine.

That day I decided to believe in myself changed everything.

It allowed me to see my full potential.

To see that I was worth it.

That I could literally do anything that I wanted to do.

I can honestly say that was the moment.

The moment that I realized what I could do.

The moment I truly started to believe in myself.

❤

 

 

 

 

 

 

I suck at watching movies

Hi I’m Megan and I suck at watching movies.

There I’ve said it.

Phew..

I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders.

Seriously though.

I suck at watching movies.

I’ve seen a good amount of movies in my lifetime, but not a lot.

My family would always watch movies together when I was growing up and when I was in middle school I would go out with my friends and see whatever movie was popular at the time.

But I never saw those movies.

You know those movies.

The ones that leave you tearing up in your seat.

The ones you have nightmares about.

The ones that leave you with the feeling to watch it over and over again.

I just haven’t seen them.

In all honesty I’ve seen a bunch of movies, I just felt like I was missing out.

I would have much rather watched television shows on Netflix then movies any day.

It just didn’t sound like fun to me at the time.

I saw the idea a month or so ago on Facebook.

Someone was going to watch a movie a week for 52 weeks, the length of one full year.

It sounded like a challenge.

I let the idea sit with me for a few days.

What movies would I maybe want to watch?

What movies I might not reach for right away, but people have suggested to me before?

I also wanted to do some research.

I found “movies you must watch before you’re 30″ lists on Pinterest and googled some of the great movies of the last few decades.

I really wanted to make this diverse.

I wanted as many genres as I could.

I even asked the people in my life what movies were important to them.

Jason was eager to jump on board and help me get some ideas.

My mom and dad gave me so many movie titles that I might make another list.

And my brother criticized some of my choices as he does, but he gave me some great ideas as well. Movies I would have never thought of watching.

This list might not seem perfect, but it’s not meant to be.

It wont be a list full of the movies that defined our generation, or the movies that won the most Oscars. These are movies that I felt were important to watch.

Movies that I wanted to watch, and movies that my family suggested.

Every weekend I’m going to stay up a little late and watch a movie that I’ll choose at random.

So far I’ve watched three movies.

At the end of every month I might even write a little piece reviewing the movies I watched for that month.

Who knows.

This is my project and my rules.

I’ll figure it out as it goes.

52 Movies for 52 Weeks.

Big Hero 6
A League of Their Own
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Animal House
Parenthood
The Big Lebowski
The Replacements
Fight Club
Footloose
Good Will Hunting
Dead Poets Society
Apollo 13
In Bruges
The Graduate
Flashdance
Pulp Fiction
The Departed
Inglorious Bastards
Top Gun
E.T
Now and Then
Time Travelers Wife
The Usual Suspects
One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest
Steal Magnolias
Manhattan
Rent
Newsies
The Producers
Officer and a Gentleman
The Holiday
When Harry Met Sally
Breakfast at Tiffanys
Moulon Rouge
Pretty Woman
Notting Hill
Ghost
Silver Linings Playbook
Father of the Brude
Sleepless in Seattle
You’ve Got Mail
Say Anything
The Princess Bride
About a Boy
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Inception
Guardians of the Galaxy
A Few Good Men
Silence of the Lambs
The Italian Job
The Shining
Shawshank Redemption.

I challenge you to watch a new movie.

Open yourself up to the experience.

❤

10 things for people to remember in their late twenties.

I’m quickly approaching it.

My 30’s.

It’s so close but at times still feels so far away.

I can’t believe that in two years I’ll put my twenties behind me.

My college years.

Young adulthood.

Falling in love.

Becoming a mom.

This shit moves fast people.

Life is crazy that ways.

One day you’re counting down the days till you’re 21.

The next you’re complaining about that weird noise your bones make when you walk down the stairs.

The older you get in your twenties the more you wonder.

Am I doing this right?

And if not, why isn’t there some sort of rule book for this?

As someone who has almost two years left of being a twenty something..

(Cue heavy breathing and panicking)

I feel like I have a place to share with the world my experiences.

The things that I find so important to remember as you approach the later end of your twenties.

So here you have it folks,

10 things for people to remember in their late twenties.

1. It’s ok to not have anything to do on a Friday night. You’re not a complete loser if you aren’t out at a club every Friday and Saturday night. The importance of your life doesn’t matter on how many shots you can take at a club or how many random phone numbers you can get. Going out is fine and all, but don’t bring yourself down by comparing your social calendars to those of whoever you follow on Instagram.
2. Eat that doughnut. I should start by saying don’t eat all of the donuts, don’t go crazy or anything, but you don’t always have to turn them down.I always hear people saying “I shouldn’t” when getting offered sweets, but why shouldn’t you? Yes, don’t have a doughnut every day but if it’s Friday and you’ve had a long week, take that frickin doughnut. Live a little. You have the rest of your life to deprive yourself of donuts.
3. Enjoy your birthday. Growing up I remember people telling me to enjoy my 21st birthday, because after that they start going downhill. But they don’t have to. You’re the judge of how you treat your birthday. Remember when you were growing up and you were so excited for your birthday almost as much as Christmas. All you wanted was the attention, balloons, presents, and cake. Your birthday was your day. Why does it have to stop. Approach each birthday with as much joy and excitement as you did when you were growing up, instead of another year older. Everyone enjoys to be happy on their birthday.
4. Make time for your friends. This is probably the one I wish someone would have told me about. I met my best friends in college, and I thought that it would be easy, keeping in touch with them. There’s Facebook and all of that, so of course it’d be easy. But I was so incredibly wrong. You have to initiate it. You have to make the plans and schedule regular time to see them. You get busy in your late twenties, with family, work, and catching up on sleep, it’s easy to forget to talk to your friend for a day or two. Don’t let them slip away, make that time.
5. Get rid of those negative people. If you don’t like someone, you don’t have to act as if you do. If they’ve done nothing but tear you down, take them out of your life. Look around and see if anyone in your life makes you feel like a lesser version of yourself. If they do, guess what? They don’t deserve you.
6. Find something you love to do. For me, it’s this blog. Writing gives me something that is solely mine. This space, my words, the stories I tell, they’re mine. I started this blog at a time in my life when I knew I wanted something that was just for me. Something that I could use to express myself and fill my time. Something that I looked forward to doing. Find something that sets your soul on fire and run with it, and never look back.
7. Like what you like. I was so worried of what people in college thought of me. I would listen to the “cool” music on my ipod in the library in hopes that someone would hear it. I wanted to be liked by everyone so badly that I would just take interest in what everyone else did. It wasn’t until second semester of my senior year when I took my creative writing class, because I wanted to, that I realized you can literally like whatever you want. If you want to take a writing class and no one else you know takes it, then do it. If you love Drake but also Van Morrison, who cares? Like whatever you want, it makes you who you are.
8. Let yourself fall in love. Unless you met the love of your life when you were in High School, there’s a good chance you’re going to fall in love in your twenties. Let yourself do it. Don’t worry about their age or what they do for a living. Don’t worry about how you met or that none of your friends know them. Let yourself fall, completely without a safety net. Don’t hold back in anything you do, especially love. You might get hurt, and that’s ok, it’s part of the process.
9. You might not have your dream job right away. You know that job you dreamed of when you were growing up? That job you always wanted or worked your butt off for in college? Just know, that it might not come right away. If it does, congratulations, I envy you. But if you’re like the rest of us, you won’t find your perfect job straight out of college. Sometimes it takes a few times to get it right. It might not be the job that you thought you would be doing growing up. If it’s that job that you don’t dread going to every day, that job that gives you so much purpose and you can fully say you’re happy with, that’s ok. Don’t stress about it too much early on, it’ll happen.
10. Yon don’t have to be who they want you to be. This one is the most important. There’s this stigma about being a twenty something, especially if you’re in your late twenties. Everywhere you look you see different images of what your life should be like at that age, don’t let that decide who you are. If you’re a married mother of one, awesome. If you live with your cat and your longest relationship is with your How I Met Your Mother binge session that’s ok too. You don’t have to be who they want you to be, you don’t have to have it all figured out. I thought growing up that at this age you were supposed to know everything and have life figured out. I think my life is pretty great, but I don’t by any means have everything figured out. This is your time to find it, to find who you’re going to be.

Your twenties are your time.

Your time to discover who you are.

Your time to make mistakes, friends, and memories.

Your time to not know what in the world you’re doing and knowing that that’s ok.

That you don’t have to have it all figured out.

If you spend your Friday nights writing for your blog discovering a new love for Bruce Springsteen that’s perfectly ok.

In the end were all going through different things and learning lessons for ourselves.

You make the rules for your late twenties are going to go.

No one else.

❤

That time I binge watched all of the Harry Potter movies..

It was the week of the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

I really wanted to see it, but there was a big problem..

I had maybe seen one of the movies.

Or two.

But I didn’t care for them growing up.

All of you Potterheads out there are probably shocked.

Looking back, I was too.

I just had no interest in wizards and magic, I thought that I was too cool for it.

For Christmas one year I remember my grandma got each of us kids a Harry Potter book.

My brother got Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s stone.

I got Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets.

And my sister got Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

I attempted to read them, I really did.

But I didn’t have the attention span for reading.

I couldn’t stay focused.

I thought it was lame.

And I didn’t see any importance in it.

I was never able to read them.

Looking back now, I wish I would have known how much I would love them.

But that’s the great thing.

Even though I didn’t really start watching them until I was 21, it still brought me back to my childhood.

Seeing Hogwarts around the Christmas time still brings me so much joy.

Everything was so magical.

Ok ok, back to the story.

I decided that during the week of the release, I was going to watch every movie.

Because frankly I still didn’t have the patience to read the books.

I instantly fell in love.

Seriously.

It was so magical and whimsical and I had never seen anything like it.

I remember kind of watching the first two movies when I was younger but not really caring.

By the time I got to the third movie this time around, I couldn’t stop.

I couldn’t wait until the next.

I think I really got invested while watching the a Goblet of Fire, seeing how real everything got towards the end really stuck with me.

It was no longer childish, almost as if I was going through the stages of adolescence with the characters.

Things were getting darker and plots started to thicken.

The opening credits were filled with thunder and dark skies.

There was this shift from the good to evil.

You could see it, feel it.

I was emotionally invested.

So much that I was so incredibly angry after I finished the Half Blood Prince, without giving away any spoilers.

I felt like I was betrayed.

I felt lied to.

I was mad.

It was a movie.

Why was I so mad?

Because I was so invested. I was cheering for Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

It was just a movie, but here I was on the edge of my seat yelling at the tv.

I think I finished them all in a couple of days or so, and had to wait a few days before I went to see the Deathly Hallows part 2.

I was just so eager to finish it.

Envious of everyone who had read the books because they knew something I didn’t.

They knew how it ended.

I got to see it in theaters a few days later, and it was better than I imagined.

My favorite scene was in that movie.

My favorite love story.

The reason I want to read the books one day.

To experience that certain part of the series over and over again.

It was one of my better decisions that summer, to watch the movies.

To open myself up to something new that I once looked down on.

I was kind of sad once I finished them, sad that I didn’t get to experience them growing up.

The first book was published when I was 7, and the first movie when I was 11.

I could have given my younger self the gift of Hogwarts.

But then again, I have it now.

It brings out the child in me.

It makes me believe in something truly magical.

How beautiful is it that we can have something, at any age, that makes us feel so young and carefree.

That takes us to an imaginary place.

❤