Let it rain!

It’s a rainy day in Wilmington.  This means a few things: 1. Golfers are not on the course. 2. Golfers will not be coming in for lunch. 3. I was allowed to leave my lunch shift because we would not need four servers in an empty restaurant.

Ultimately, the rain means I have four hours until I need to be back at work for the dinner shift and I am able to write!

I hope you have had a chance to read my post titled: a day of rest.  If you have, I would love some feedback.  If you have tried the ten steps and have noticed any change in your health or your general well being, I would love to hear about it! 

Today, I want to talk about the rain.  It’s funny how the weather can have a huge affect on our mood.  Coming from Minnesota where it’s cold and snowing for half the year I realized that SAD is not just an emotion.  There is such a thing as Seasonal Affective Disorder.  This disorder suggests that a person with normal health experiences sadness or depression throughout the winter season and is generally happy throughout the summer.  Their mood seems to actually depend on the weather for it’s direction.

I find rain, however, to be a perfect little break.  I love sunny days, but there is something about a rainy day that just makes it seem okay to sit around and do nothing.  When it’s a great day out, you feel the need to use it.  You MUST get out of bed and go to the beach.  You must get out in the yard and do some work.  When it’s snowing, you must get up and shovel.  You must wipe off your car.  When it’s icy, you must watch where you step and be careful driving.  When it’s partly cloudy, you almost wish it would rain so you’d at least know what mood to be in.

When it’s raining, though, you can feel free to sit on the couch and type a post, curl up and watch a movie, sit at your desk without glancing out the window wishing you were out there in the rain.  The rain is our friend.  It visits to give us a little break and a feeling of contentment.  It also gives us rainbows and pretty flowers and healthy grass just for added bonus.  The rain’s way of saying, “Thank you for having me.”

So, today, as it rains and I sit here on my red couch in my little living room listening to the pitter-patter on the roof, I hope we can all take a moment to thank God for the rain.  There’s always been a little osmething about rain that seems spiritual to me.  It’s like God shows His presense to me through water.  The way it washes over you when you shower, swim, or witness the waves.  It’s almost like being baptised over and over again.  So, next time it rains where you are.. go outside and let it pour.  The great thing about water is that what is wet will always dry.

Thats all for today~ got to work on the book.  As always, let me know if you have suggestions for my upcoming best-seller 🙂

Writer’s Block

Well hello!  Long time, no see, poeple.

I must start by telling you a little story about a man we like to call Mr. Holmes.

Mr. Holmes is an 89-year-old man who is the dishwasher in the kitchen at the restaurant where I work.  Every Monday through Friday, Mr. Holmes shows up early, washes dishes, eats his lunch, washes more dishes and then goes home for the day.  This man never complains, always smiles, and is the first person you want to say hi to when you walk into the kitchen.  I am confident in saying he is one of the kindest people I have ever met.  He honestly makes me appreciate my job everyday that I’m there.  Never once have I seen him with a frown or heard anything but a positive word form his mouth.  He is the reason I am not going to say that I work too much to explain why I haven’t written in a while.

I do work often, though, and I will say it hasn’t givin me much time to sit down and write!  Now that I’m typing, I have got to say, I’ve missed this (And I truly think my typing has slowed down!).

Now that I’ve givin my excuse, I have a confession.  Time hasn’t been the only thing keeping me from writing.  I’ve heard the term before but I’ve never really had it happen to me.  Now, sitting at my computer still without an idea, I must say that I have a case of Writer’s Block.  My definition of writer’s block is this: lack of a creative idea that inspires me to sit down and type, sometimes simply a lack of motivation.  A mixture of the two can be deadly to a writer. 

The prescription: Nike’s famous slogan, Just do it.

So, here I am, sitting here writing about not writing, but writing nonetheless.

I’m not sure whether you know that I started my first book around Christmas time.  If you do, you probably assumed I have a lot written.  If you think that, you are unfortunately mistaken.  I have not gotten past the first chapter.  Not to say I don’t have ideas for the main character, Jennifer Rose King, and her best friend Jill, or ideas for the name of her star crossed lover.  Her career is already picked and the plot keeps changing, but the words just are not coming to me (that pesky writer’s block).

I have been thinking lately though about a new book.  It has a pretty good start and the first sentence starts with: “Dear J,  It wasn’t easy.”  I will continue with this one because I’m inspired and in order for you to hear more sneak peaks you’ll have to read future posts.  I will drop little hints about the book in here.  But, if you ask what the book is about I won’t tell 🙂 It’s my little writer’s secret.

I am excited that you’ve read this and I thank you again for visiting me during my freshman year.

P.S. My door is always open if you need a vacation.  Your friend, S

A Day of Rest

I first want to apologize for the lack of updates and thank you again for being with me during my freshman year! 

I have been fortunate to have quite a busy week.  I worked everyday this week except for Friday and any off time I had I spent lying in bed sick with a fever and a stuffy nose.  It is times like those where the kleenex box is intact when I go to sleep, but completely empty when I wake up (with tissues strewn across the floor) that I wish I were home in Minnesota with my mother as my nurse.

It’s funny how the desire to be sick changes with age.  When you’re young you pray you’ll be sick so you won’t have to go to school.  In high school, you dip your thermometer in hot tea so your mom will keep you home on the day of your exam (because one more day to study will make all the difference, right?).  You get to college and being sick is cramping your social life and you think that a cold beer can cure almost anything.  When you’re in your twenties one day of sickness can ruin your week and your paycheck.  As you hit thirty, forty, and fifty you feel like your sickness could be the signs of multiple things and the internet only makes your mind jump to crazy diagnoses.  After that, you pray for perfect health daily as you realize that each morning something else seems to ache or work differently than it had the day before.  You would now go to school all the days you missed just to be able to be healthy for the birth of your grandchild. 

It is funny, though, how we don’t seem to appreciate the fact that our throat is clear or that we can breathe through our nose until we can’t swallow or can’t seem to smell.  When we really think about it, we take one of our greatest gifts: our health, for granted. 

This brings me to my next point.  I think the cause of common illness in our society today is this: lack of rest.  What would I prescribe?  You guessed it!  REST.  I found this week that in working double shifts multiple days in a row, waking up to an alarm every day of the last two weeks, staying up late just to finish the newest Nicholas Sparks novel, pumping my body full of caffeine just to make it through the day, rallying to go out to spend some much needed time with friends… the list goes on… it is easy to forget that our bodies are somewhat like computers or cell phones.  They desperately need to be plugged in at night so they’ll be charged for the morning.

This is where those quiet moments become increasingly important and I think there are 10 things we can do daily that help us to take time to reboot our bodies.

1. The time in the morning where you wake and open your eyes to sunlight with no blaring alarm.  Learn to appreciate that and embrace the day. 

2. Lay in bed for a while, take out your Bible or your favorite book and read for a bit. 

3. Make your bed.  I know it sounds silly, but there is nothing better than getting into a made bed after a long day.  

4. Take long showers, give yourself enough time to relax before a long day in the office or on the job. 

5. When you have time at home, kick your feet back, lean your head back and breathe.  Count to 100.  Learn to appreciate the simple act of inhaling and exhaling. 

6. Before you go to sleep, pull back your covers, fluff your pillows, lay down and think. 

7. Think about all the good things that happened that day.  Take a mental image of one thing from that day you never want to forget (I bet you won’t). 

8. Set a goal for the new day. 

9. Say your thank you’s and your prayers. 

10. The tenth is my own personal favorite, and it is one that I can say confidently has changed my life.

Always go to bed at peace.  Let the sorrows of the day fade away as you realize that they too shall pass, that whatever it is has a reason for it’s existance and that all circumstances are created by Him who has a much better plan for our lives than we ever could.  Remember that each day is a brand new gift that we are incredibly fortunate to be givin and to have gotten through one more is just another success in the story of our lives.  If you did all you could today to be a good person, to honor the one who has given you these opportunities, and to effect the lives of those you love in positive ways, then you deserve a good nights sleep. 

Sleep well and do it on purpose, because tomorrow you will need that energy to be the person you were meant to be no matter what that entails.  Take your moments of rest and in your quiet times remember: even though being sick when you were young may have gotten you out of school.. the days we have on earth are limited and should be lived without a cough.

Thanksgiving is not just a Holiday

First of all, thank you for taking the time to read this post.

Lately, I have been overwhelmed… in a very good way.

Have you ever sat down and listed all the good things that are happening to you?  Or just thought about them in your head?  Then, thought to yourself, “Self, what did you do to deserve all these things?”  I have been overwhelmed lately with the fact that without doing much to deserve the gifts I receive, God continues to fill my lungs with air, my heart with love and my life with opportunity.

Even since I’ve last written, He has provided for me five days I wouldn’t trade for anything.

My parents were in town this past weekend, visiting the place I decided to call home now over a month ago!  At their beach-front hotel, standing on the balcony overlooking the pool deck and watching the Atlantic waves crashing into Wrightsville beach, I found myself in awe of all the experiences God has provided for me.  Simply the fact that I have been able to spend years in Arizona, graduate from a University with minimal debt, and move across the country is an amazing thing.  There are poeple out there who have never been on a plane or don’t have the chance to go to a good school where they can grow and learn.

It is eye-opening to think about all the things I take for granted.  I get emotional when I realize how incredibly fortunate I am to have the things I do.  I believe everything you do should start and end with thanks: your day, your shift at work, your run, your meal, your school year, your golf match, and most of all your prayers.  It is so easy to ask for things, to start a soccer game thinking, “Please help us win”, instead of,”Thank you for this talent and my teammates.”

Spending the weekend with my parents was amazing.  They truly do believe in me.  I am grateful for all they do and i miss them already.  We spent Friday night at a nice dinner on the ocean, Saturday at the beach without a cloud in the sky, Sunday at church followed by a night-time BBQ with great friends and good food, and ended the weekend Monday with a nice brunch at our hotel.  Looking back on everything, I just feel so blessed to be able to have those types of experiences with poeple I care for.  Everything is better when it’s shared with another.

I spent Labor Day, after dropping off my parents, lounging on the couch with 5 great gals, eating greasy food and watching He’s Just Not That Into You.  It’s days like that, where you relax and kick back with a good flick and better company that we should remember how lucky we are to have people in our lives that will love you enough to spend a whole day doing nothing together and be genuinely content.

I awoke Tuesday morning to one of the best days of my life so far: The day I would meet one of my heroes. 

Nicholas Sparks had a book signing for his brand new book “The Last Song” (written about in a previous post).  I drove 2 hours to be there at 10, when it started, to wait in line for 4 hours for 1 minute with the man.  I wrote him a letter explaining that I moved to Wilmington because of his books and that I hope to one day be a novelist who changed someone’s life the way he’s changed mine.  I got pictures with him, as you can see in this post, and he signed my book, “Shannon, Love, Nicholas Sparks.” 

Of course I was shaking as I approached him.  I went in for the hug because I just couldn’t help myself and I walked away thinking that the 6 hour adventure was incredibly worth it for a chance to meet the man who’s writing has taught me more than I learned in years of school.  It is his books that have made me want to be a writer, his stories that give me reason to believe in romance, and his genuine personality that makes me believe you can still be a #1 NY Times best selling author and be a high school track coach and a husband all at the same time.

I will always remember that minute sitting next to him as another time where I was able to give thanks. 

If you take away one thing from this post today let it be this: always start and end with Thank you, no matter what you do.  There is always something in life to be thankful for.

Thank you again for visiting my blog, I am grateful for the chance to share with you.

Trying on Men is like trying on Shoes

I have a husband.  No, I’m not married.  But one day, I am going to be and I will therefore have a husband.  It is kind of like being in 7th grade and knowing what highschool you are going to attend and calling it ‘your’ high school.  It’s already yours because you know it’s going to happen.

I have no doubt in my mind that God has created someone for me.  He is just making him great and super awesome before he’s ready to meet me.  At that time he will fall madly in love with me, sweep me off my feet and put a pretty little (or big) ring on my finger.  We will marry, have children and live happily ever after.

Are you laughing?  If I were you, I’m sure I’d be. 

The truth is, I am single, very single, and I’m not saying I’m disappointed.  I was in relationships for the entirity of my teenage life.  Locked up from 13-19.  I hit 20 and viola: I gained my independence.  I became a person who was happy being me, spending time with friends, learning from poeple and learning about myself.  I became just Shannon in stead of “you know Shannon, ______’s girlfriend?” or “Maybe Shannon and _____ would like to join?” It was a change for me, and not a bad one.  Two years later (and counting), I can confidently say it has been a good thing for my confidence and a booster in my friendships. 

This is not to say that if you are in a relationship that you have traded in your independence, you are insecure, and you have lost all friends.  I am simply relaying to you what I have gained in the two years of being on my own.  Things you very well may be or have and have always been, with or without your significant other.

This does not mean that for the last 2 years I have not been looking.  I have looked. 

I think trying on men is like trying on shoes.  I easily compare it to expensive shoe shopping.  The shoes are cute, yet come with a price.  If you are going to make the investement, you must wear them a lot, treat them nicely and live with a few blisters until you’ve worn them in.  I always walk into a store, try on a cute pair, walk around the store a few times and then decide that the uncertainty of whether or not they’re worth the cost makes me unable to commit.  Cute shoe though, just not fore me.  I’m sure they’ll make someone else very happy.

I’m more a non-commital, $6 dollar Target clearance shoe kind of girl.  You can get them cheap, wear them daily, throw them in your trunk, trek them to the beach, and all the while if you lost them they are easily replacable.  No strings, no commitments, no complications.

One day though, when I’m ready (and my bank account permits) I will take the step and buy the expensive gorgeous shoe that I can’t keep my eyes off of.  They will captivate me and give me no choice but to buy them.  When I first try them on I will feel they’re just perfect, even with my two different sized feet (only 1/2 a size difference, nothing creepy).  It’s yet another Cinderella story. 

As they say, if the shoe fits….  When mine does, I’ll know, and I promise to blog about it.

Until then, all my love is for you guys (and my favorite flippy floppys), coupled with some innocently flirting with some surfers on the beach.  Your freshman out-of-love, S.

Why Wilmington?

If you know me, or even if you don’t know me (unlikely that you would stumble across my blog) you have probably been wondering why I suddenly moved to a small town in North Carolina.

Wilmington is a wonderful place complete with a historical downtown district and its ocean front property on Wrightsville Beach.  It’s an inexpensive place to live and it’s relaxed style of living would draw any recent college grad’s to mark their territory here.

Still, why did Wilmington even enter my mind when thinking about a landing pad? 

Two words, one man: Nicholas Sparks.

You may recognize his name as the author of The Notebook (yes, it was a book first), or Message in a bottle (same thing), or A Walk to Remember (you get the point), Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John, and many more titles you would recognize.  If you love him too, or even if you dont, I feel it is important to tell you that he has a new book coming out on September 8 and you should buy it.  You will not be disappointed.  Guarenteed.  It will be coming out soon on the big screen and you may be disappointed to learn the brunette lead character is played by a blonde actress 😦 I sure was.

I have read every book he’s written, and some over again.  I admit I am a romantic and that I love to read, however, his books are so much more than just an easy romance.  They are all deeper than that.  He tells stories about people, all different kinds, finding love, or losing love.  He tells stories about the tough stuff we hope we never have to face.  He tells them beautiful and genuinely.  These books will make you laugh and cry the same way the movies they’ve turned into have.  He is an inspiration to many and especially those who hope to one day have a best selling novel, or a book that’s made into a film.  He even offers advice to aspiring novelists like me.

Still, why Wilmington? 

Nicholas Sparks and his family live in New Bern, North Carolina (less than 2 hours from here).  He writes his books in Eastern Carolina settings.  Dear John, one of my favorites starts with an entire description of Wilmington, North Carolina.  I read those pages years ago and to this day they’ve drawn me in.  As I read the novel I knew that this was a place I could be happy and begin my career as an aspiring fiction novelist.  You will have to read the book to see why 🙂

I reread the book when I arrived here and it was amazing to see the same places he writes about first-hand.  His new book The Last Song, coming out next Tuesday, will be set in Wilmington as well.

His books inspire me.  His writing motivates me.  I want to be a novelist and he, to me,  is the best role model in that category. 

7 days until the day I get to hear him speak and have him sign one of my books for the first time.  I’m going to write him a letter about how much he’s impacted my life without even knowing it.  I hope one day I can have that effect on a young person. 

I hope this helps you make sense of my move.  I thank you all for taking time to read my blog!  Lots of love from your beach bum.  xo

First day on the job!

Today marks the first day of my serving days at the Country Club of Landfall. 

First off, it is a beautiful club house.  These members are extremely lucky to belong to such a nice place.  When you look outside, you see the gorgeous golf courses and the peoples homes to are lucky enough to live right off the tee box.

The out-look: I now work a double tomorrow, Thursday night, Friday morning, Saturday night and then I’m off for Sunday and Monday.  I’d say that’s not too shabby of a first week!  More to come form the EMPLOYED freshman. xo