The Graduate Essentials

Enjoying my new freetime & reminiscing on study abroad 

Enjoying the time between graduation and graduate school is harder than it sounds.  At first, I was in full blown panic mode.  What does an overachiever like me do without a job or classes? I could not let myself find peace with the fact that I am not in control right now.  Slowly, I have come to embrace the fact that right now is not about control.  I have plenty of challenges ahead, this is my time to enjoy the calm.  Being able to catch up with friends, read books, and binge on Netflix is kind of the dream. ;)

After watching the Olympics, I decided I could use this time to try out some new skills.  Seeing teenagers who have already achieved world recognition- I felt slightly unproductive in comparison. Therefore, I have taken up meditation, vegan cooking, and learning about craft beer.  Not exactly as challenging as snowboarding, but quite rewarding regardless.

In all seriousness, I have spent years cultivating knowledge, but very little time cultivating my mind on a deeper level.  To tackle my next adventures, I need to realize my potential through self awareness.  No one ever taught me how to be healthy, brave, and self confident, but those seem like essential skills to have.  Those are the ones I am focusing on now. Meditation has been especially helpful!

Today I want to update you guys on my survival tools for this journey...

Inspiration/Meditation/Passion:

• Check out Gabrielle Bernstein for her take on miracles, meditation, and living life with purpose. Absolutely amazing. http://gabbyb.tv/
• Headspace is a great app for introducing basic meditation into your daily life in small doses. It includes an alarm to remind you to meditate, and "buzzers" with little bits of mindfulness wisdom sent to you as often as you wish. 

Kitchen:

• Trader Joe's Very Cherry Berry Blend- I keep it in the freezer for smoothies or to eat instead of ice cream. It's one of the best tips I ever got.
• Coconut Oil- For cooking veggies, making raw desserts, or used instead of face lotion. This stuff is magical. 
• Spinach- fresh for salads or cooking; frozen for smoothies
• Chocolate powder unsweetened (kind used for baking etc) is my go-to cheap and easy addition to make healthy chocolate desserts. I mix it with coconut oil, sometimes almond flour, or coconut flakes, anything really and drizzle it over fruit. For a bit more sweetness I'll add honey too.

Beer:

• I'm only 21 after all, so here are a few must haves: Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, Big Sky Brewing Moose Drool Brown Ale, Tyranena Sheep Shagger Scotch Ale.