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Houston Is Home (?)

March 21, 2015
Post-Grad
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Houston, TX. It’s where I currently reside, and at least for a little bit. But everyone here knows how I feel about Houston, but it’s possible that it’s making its way into my heart. Maybe.

My birth certificate says that I was born in this city, but if you asked me about it- I wouldn’t know much. I don’t know what 59 or 288 leads to, where you can get good breakfast tacos, or what East Downtown is. But slowly and surely, I’m learning these things. And I guess it’s part of this whole process of transition and finding community around where you live. Right? I’ve been toying around with this blog post for a couple of months, because I felt like I was going through some sort of identity crisis. Where am I from? Where do I call home? Am I a Houstonian now? How long does it take for a person to feel comfortable in their city? And what do you do if you don’t feel community and find your place?

Nonetheless, however long I’m here, I’ll be searching my way into good, local coffee shops, stores with cool things, places to share a craft beer with friends*, and places that can match Pieous or Counter Cafe. We’ll see. It’s a new adventure (of sorts). Give me your recommendations!

*Fortunately, I’ve found that this is not hard. #bless Recently visited and recommend: 8th Wonder Brewery, Karbach Brewing Co., Hay Merchant, Cottonwood, and Petrol Station. If there’s something that Houston is doing right I’ve learned, it’s probably providing craft beer. Probably. But can you get some Austin Beerworks and Live Oak?

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The food here is delicious /// Cottonwood

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Focus: A Byproduct of Running

February 25, 2014
Half-Marathon Training/Running
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focus

Today I’m not talking about running per se, but a byproduct of it: focus. In this age of being constantly plugged in, I find it incredibly easy to get distracted. From school to social life to media- there is such a multitude of outlets that are available to us, sometimes I find it hard to grasp the limiting outlets that people once had (or did not have).

There is a saying that I see floating in the running realm about how running teaches you a lot about yourself. I believe this to be true. Going hand-in-hand with the concept of focus, when I go run, it’s about me… and me. I decide my pace, my music…I decide when to trick myself into running further than I want, and I decide when I have to stop. Running, like most things, is largely mental, but I fail to say that I have focus in other things aside from running.

And focus is not an easy concept I gained by any means, I used to run and only think about everything else aside from running. This habit failed me as the distractions took away from reserving the energy I needed to keep going. After a while (after a long while for me), I started to zero in on what was in front of me, instead of shooting my energy into everything outside of it.

Funny anecdote that relates to focus: I started running again, and it’s hard. My favorite part about Texas winter was running because it’s cold, but not unbearable (some days are unbearable, but I thrive in those 40 to 45 degree temps). So on that note, I am not used to, nor do I thrive in the 65 to 70 degree temps- I actually feel like I’m dying. When I don’t have access to water? You might find me dry heaving on Town Lake from exhaustion.

ANYWAY, when I went running, it was me, myself and I. No dilly dallying thoughts, I have to focus…on making it to the other side. Literally. When you run Town Lake, there are no short cuts, you have to keep going until you come back to Point A. It’s miserable, but it keeps me accountable for mileage. While I wish that I could tell people the dreams and ideas I get on my runs, I actually only think about where the next water station might be or how much further I have or praying that I don’t get a cramp when I’m halfway on East side.1

Focus. Clear the mechanism. See how far you can go.

1. Was that funny? It’s not? Whoops, watch this. My apologies, I’m working on it.

I have thoughts: School Edition.

January 14, 2014
Fact, Half-Marathon Training/Running
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Here at Thu, Texas, we like to please. I promise you won’t regret reading this, if you do, oops.

I had some thoughts, as per usual. But today it’s about SCHOOL:

  1. It’s my last days of undergrad. You heard it here first. FROM ME. I know many people are probably getting flooded by Facebook statuses, Tweets, & Instagrams of the bittersweet “omg it’s my last First Day!” posts. Sorry, it means something. Or something.
  2. Experience-based learning should be implemented across the board. My Spanish 4 class has a cultural-research/service-project component. Granted, it’s going to take time and commitment. I might end up hating it…but I might end up loving it. I’m going to think the latter, positive thoughts. “Volunteer more,” is on my list too! It’s like they knew.
  3. All advertising professors are, for lack of better words, smart asses. Take a look below. These are from my syllabi. “For reals” and seriously, what a wonderful concept Spring Break is (I will miss it). You don’t see that on a cellular biology syllabus…or maybe I’m wrong, I’ve never taken cellular biology.

    adv

    “For reals.”

  4. 9 AM is too early for almost-bike accidents…and Spanish. My first day, I almost died twice when I was in two different situations where a transportation device pulled out on me. Obviously, if I went up against the van, they win every time. And it seemed like the cyclist didn’t understand the concept of looking both ways. I yelled at her. Sorry not sorry, be more educated so I don’t get another concussion. Spanish, look at #1. Also, I will undoubtedly need coffee for class.
  5. Sidebar: I am over running, help me please. I’m going to talk about running, because now that I have a new school schedule, I have to figure out how I’m going to incorporate training. The Austin Half is in roughly a month. SHIT. I know I wrote about motivation, but as I expressed, it’s hard to keep yourself motivated. I’m in a [figurative] valley right now, wanting to stay there because running uphill is stupid.

Stay tuned to read how a 22-year-old-almost-graduate journeys her way through her newest endeavor: job searching. Suggestions welcomed.