An Ode to Cleveland

Back in September, I was asked to write a column for The Cleveland Current. I was struggling with what to write about. It was just over a week since the tragic shooting on Delta State's campus had occurred, and in the face of something so devastating, all I could think about was how grateful I was for our community.

Last weekend, I got to witness the opening of GRAMMY Museum Mississippi - the second GRAMMY Museum in the world, only after the original museum in Los Angeles. As I sat on a blanket on the front lawn with one of my friends on the most gorgeous day, sipping a cold beer and watching the insanely talented blues prodigy Kingfish play, I kept thinking "this is the perfect day. I can't believe this is happening less than a mile from my house." And then I thought back to all the other days I've called perfect - the music festivals, art shows, Saturdays I've spent with friends, the night The Weeks played downtown for the Levitt Amp concert, pretty much all the Levitt Amp concerts in general - all times spent in Cleveland. I'm not completely delusional. I know we have our faults, and there are plenty of things I don't love about Cleveland (I'll save those for another post), but for the most part, or for me at least, the good almost always outweighs the bad. Since I'm still on a high from last weekend, I thought I'd share what I wrote back in September, because it's still true - maybe now more than ever. Who knows where life will take me? Maybe I'll live here forever, or maybe I'll pack it all up in a few months for a new adventure. But for right now, there is no place I'd rather be.

xoxo,
JET

An Ode to Cleveland
by: Jordan Thomas
Originally published in The Cleveland Current

“You live where?” It’s a question I get asked more often than you’d think. Friends and fellow classmates of mine from Ole Miss, people I run into while traveling, complete strangers that I strike up random conversations with, and sometimes even fellow Clevelanders all want to know why a twenty-something girl who seemingly could’ve picked up her things and moved anywhere, settled on Cleveland, Mississippi.

When I graduated from Ole Miss in 2009, I wasn’t really sure what my next move should be. Getting a master’s degree had always been a goal of mine, and so I immediately began filling out applications to schools from coast to coast. I had all but decided to go to Belmont University in Nashville when at the last minute on a whim I applied to Delta State University. Once I weighed the cost versus value of getting a Master’s degree in English, I realized Delta State was the best choice. So one hot summer day I drove the familiar Highway 8 from my hometown of Grenada to Cleveland, pulled into the sleepy little campus, and met with my new advisor in the Department of Languages and Literature. I remember thinking how excited I was that I could take a class solely on Jane Austen from one of the leading Jane Austen scholars in the country. It was a sign I had made the right decision.

Growing up, we traveled to Cleveland multiple times a year for softball tournaments, tennis matches, football and basketball games, and even the occasional shopping trip. It was a place that I had been going to my whole life, but I never thought in a million years it was a place I would eventually live. In fact, I actually commuted from Grenada in the beginning because all my classes were at night, and did I really want to move to Cleveland? I honestly thought I would get my Master’s and then move completely out of Mississippi all together. But life has a funny way of putting you exactly where you need to be.

That August, I walked into Kethley Hall for my very first class. I had no idea then that some of my best friends were sitting in that room. As the semester wore on, I quickly became friends with both my classmates and professors. I realized that perhaps I had judged Cleveland too quickly. Perhaps it wasn’t the town I thought I knew growing up. Hearing my classmates talk about the music scene, the abundance of local artists, the lazy Sundays they spent sitting on porches, and the Thursday nights at Po Monkey’s had me wanting to learn more. It was time to make my move to Cleveland.

Four and a half years later and I have never regretted my decision. I have had the opportunity to meet some of the most amazing people, and I have had some pretty awesome experiences. Every time my sister, who lives in Nashville, comes to visit, she can’t get over how much fun she has here, and how nice and welcoming everyone is. Truth be told, I think she’s a little jealous that I get to live here.

There are many things to love about Cleveland. I love that any time I walk into Kroger I’m guaranteed to know at least five people. I love that I can see some of the most insanely talented bands in the country right down the street from my house at Hey Joe’s. I love walking into Delta Meat Market on a Friday for Happy Hour and seeing various social circles share lots of laughter and maybe even a pint or two. I love that I can be involved in a variety of clubs and organizations in the community. I love that Otherfest, one of the best music festivals in the area, brings together a multitude of different people supporting original music for a mere $18 (By the way, Otherfest is October 3!) I love the fact that people my age are truly embracing Cleveland and putting down roots here by opening up small businesses that keep downtown thriving. But most of all, I love that Cleveland has accepted me, a girl from the Hills, as one of her own, and for that I am eternally grateful.

So when people ask me “Why Cleveland?” I just smile and say “You should come visit sometime,” because words could never do her justice. 

I took a sip of the kool-aid

Today I'm dusting off the old blog to talk about something I never thought in a million years I would try.... Crossfit. I'm not gonna lie, I've definitely called Crossfit a cult a time or two. I joked about people "drinking the kool-aid" and I even bought in to some of the articles saying it was just downright dangerous. However, a few of my friends have been crossfitting (I think I just made up that word) for a almost a year now. In real life, they are completely normal, rational human beings. They are not the crazy fitness freaks with bulging muscles who take gym selfies... but they do talk about Crossfit. And, there's no denying they have seen results.

The majority of my exercise routine consists of lots and lots of tennis. It's good cardio, and it's something my friends and I all enjoy. But with the temperature dropping into underage drinking numbers, I haven't hit the courts in a few weeks. My friend, Lisa, has been trying to get some of us to try Crossfit for a while, but until recently I hadn't taken the bait. It just didn't seem like something I'd be interested in. I pictured all these super ripped people lifting ridiculous amounts of weight all while grunting and yelling at each other to push harder. I'm not sure what finally convinced me to try it. Perhaps I was just sick of hearing about it (Sorry Lisa! Still love you!). So I decided to go to one of  the free Saturday classes. I was so anti-Crossfit for so long, that I definitely felt like I was eating crow just by trying it out. But I figured if I hated it, I could finally say once and for all that it wasn't for me.

When I pulled into the parking lot, I got really nervous. I'm not typically one to get intimidated by others, but these people looked like they were in ridiculously good shape. Meanwhile, I can't even do a real push-up. So, I waited for Lisa to get there so we could walk in together.

I don't really know what I was expecting when I walked in, but it definitely wasn't what I saw. It looked like a completely normal work-out room with racks and racks of bars and lots of weights. But other than a couple of torture devices in the corner (read: a massive tractor tire?) it was pretty much an open room.

The first thing we did was run a lap around the parking lot. Did I mention it was 20 degrees outside? I gave Lisa a look and mumbled something like "it's no wonder people call you crossfitters crazy". It. Was. Freezing. But I just tried to focus on not falling. One crossfitter however was not so lucky. She tripped on the uneven pavement, but she got up so quickly I almost missed it. Someone noted that it looked like she was just doing a Burpee. "A what?" I thought. Unfortunately I quickly learned what a burpee is... more on that later.

When we got back inside, we were instructed to form four lines. We then did a serious of exercises such as "high knees" and some other things I can't remember the names for. This I loved, because it reminded me of high school basketball/track practice.

Next, I learned about the white board. The Coach had written four things on the board and above it said 20, 16, 12, 8. He explained that we would do one set of each for 20 reps, then 16, then so on and so forth. "Ok" I thought. "This shouldn't be too bad."

Something you should know about me: I like knowing how many things I have to do before I start. I can not stand workout classes where they don't tell you how many you have to do. I'm not sure why, but that's just the way I operate. I like having a goal in mind.

Lisa and Jamie recommended that I use the training bar which weighed 15 lbs. At first I was offended, but I took their advice. They had been doing this for longer than me. So, the first exercise (and forgive me I don't know any of the terms yet) we held the bar at our chest, and pushed it up. It didn't seems so bad, and I finished it fairly quickly and easily.

Next we had to do burpees. I'm not sure who invented these nasty exercises, but they should be in charge of interrogating prisoners. After just a few of these, I would tell you everything I know just to be able to stop. I think I did the very first one correctly. After that, I had to do a modified version. For those of you who have never experienced a burpee, you are supposed to jump down into a push-up position, do a push-up, jump your feet back into place, and then jump up and clap your hands. It doesn't sound that hard, but I'm here to tell you it is. I had to walk my feet in, instead of jumping (at one point, I was pretty much just wallowing around on the floor trying to get up), which made me feel like a failure. Until I looked around and saw that a lot of people were doing my version.

When I finally squeaked out 20, it was on to squats. These I had no problem with, so I can't really complain here. Last we did sit-ups, but of course not normal sit-ups. Cross-fit sit-ups are not normal, at least not to me. You have to go all the way back, touch your hands to the floor behind your head, and then sit all the way up and touch the floor in front of you. At first, it didn't seem so bad, but the more reps I did, the worse it got.

The set of 16 was a complete blur. By the time I got to the set of 12, my arms were shaking and I could barely lift that training bar. This was the point I thanked Lisa and Jamie for insisting I start out slow. Finally, the last set of 8 came. I was in pain, but knowing I only had to do 8 of each thing made it much easier. When you finish, you're supposed to write your name and time on the board, which we never did. But I'm super competitive and made a mental note that it took us 16 minutes. I looked around and noticed that a lot of people were still going. I felt so accomplished and proud of myself for finishing. I'm not going to lie; it was intense.

So, what were my thoughts on the whole experience? I liked it. I can definitely see why some people think it's crazy, but it reminded me a lot of my workout routine in high school. It wasn't uncommon for our coach to make us to do any of it, except for the burpees. Those belong in the seventh circle of Hell. For people who don't have any experience in a weight room, it could seem pretty daunting. Again, I loved the feeling I had at the end of the class because I felt like I had done something really hard and pushed myself to finish. I would've never done any of that on my own.

The next day, I was pretty sore. It kinda felt like somebody kicked me in the rib cage, but I'm a masochist and felt good about it. I'm one of those people who thinks if you're not really sore, you didn't do much. By Monday, I could barely move. Every muscle in my body ached. It was very uncomfortable, but again it was a good pain. The soreness didn't completely go away until the Thursday after. I'm not sure if this is normal, but I'm pretty weak and out of shape - according to Crossfit standards anyway.

The biggest lesson I learned: don't knock it till you try it. It's definitely not for everyone, but that doesn't mean it's wrong or bad for you. Also, I'm no expert, but I think a lot of the success has to do with the Coaches. The Coaches at the gym in Cleveland were great! They are much more worried about form than you trying to lift more weight than you should. And, I think that 's where some of the negativity surrounding Crossfit comes from. People feel pressured to do more than they feel comfortable doing, or their ego gets the best of them, and they end up hurting themselves. But I never felt pressured to do more than I could do, which is why I think I had a good experience.

So, will I go back? Yes. I plan to go again this Saturday to the open class. I want to try it one more time before I fully commit to it. I've even convinced a few of my friends to try it too! I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

xoxo,
JET

The Modern Southern (Belle) Woman

The other day I was perusing one of my favorite websites, Thought Catalog, when I came across this article. After I read it, I felt the need to write a response. I'd like to point out that I do realize there are characteristics of Southern women. I've read dozens of essays on said characteristics and even enjoyed and agreed with some of them. My problem with this particular article is that the author forces women to choose, and I will not be boxed in. I don't typically like to use my blog to rant, and I actually wrote this several days before I decided to post it. I put it away, but the original article was still bothering me. I'm not sure why I so strongly feel the need to respond, but even if the author never reads this response, it still feels good to get this off my chest. 

Dear Candace Thompson,
Hi! We've never met, but I recently read your article "21 Differences Between A Southern Belle and A Modern Woman" on Thought Catalog. From your intro, I see that we have a lot of things in common. I too am a woman, an adult, college-educated, hard-working and active in my community. I also prioritize family over finances and consider myself to be feminine. So far so good, right?

However, as I continued reading your article, I quickly found our biggest difference: our definition of a "Modern Woman". I had actually not ever thought about this phrase before. After all, if you are a woman living in modern times, are you not a "Modern Woman"? I found myself growing more and more appalled with each "difference" you noted. As a Southern Woman I am deeply offended. Why can't I be both?? Are you that narrow minded that you can't see that a Southern Belle can adapt to the Modern World??

Does the fact that my family is the most important part of my life make me old-fashioned? Is being "not afraid to cook with butter" the opposite of modern? Am I not modern because I believe Cheerleading is a Sport? As a former cheerleader, who once sustained a concussion during a stunt, I KNOW that cheerleading is a sport.

Am I no longer Southern because I believe that women and men should be treated as equals??  My mother and grandmother, who are about as southern as they come, preached to me and my sister growing up that we could do anything we want. Not anything that fits into our specified gender role. ANYTHING WE WANT. Does that mean they're not Southern Belles?

You also noted that Southern Belles "are human and make mistakes like everyone else, but it's important for Southern Belles to always keep a brave face and a strong back for the other people in their lives. They know, especially when they have families, that people depend on them to keep calm in the face of chaos." So, does this mean that Southern Belles don't cry? Or that Modern Women struggle with facing adversity and shrivel into a big ol' crying mess? Because, yes I cry. But I also know what it means to be strong for others. So where does that put me?

My personal favorite was: "When they invite someone over, they always have the best gossip ready. And they know that gossip is an art form." I'm not even sure how to comment on this one other than thanks Candace for making Southern Women seem like a bunch of catty bitches who sit around talking about others all day long. Don't get me wrong, I'm just as guilty of gossiping as any of my fellow Modern Women/Southern Belles, but I don't invite my friends over to my house because I'm armed with a heap of conversation starters that begin with: "Did you see what she was wearing?" Or "have you heard who he's dating?"

So I guess my point in writing to you, Candace, is because I don't understand why you believe that I can't be a Southern Belle and a Modern Woman. Because you feel the need to categorize women into one or the other, you are stifling your gender. Both the South and women in general have come a long way, but you refuse to acknowledge this. It's this type of thinking that makes it okay for an employer to pay a woman less than a man because you, as a woman, don't view men and women as equals. It's this type of thinking that constantly keeps the south from moving forward because you believe that feeling fulfilled with a career makes you anti-southern. And frankly, it's this type of thinking that is dangerous for women. We as women should be empowering each other, not tearing each other down or judging each other because of our life choices.

So, as a Modern Southern Woman, I'd really appreciate it if you would stop seeing me as a stereotype. Because I am so much more than that. I am a Southerner. I am hard-working. I love my family. I am a Christian. I am loyal to a fault. I can be girly. I will never settle. I am in some ways traditional and in other ways modern. I am a woman, and I refuse to be put into a category. I'm far too complex for that. How's that for a walking contradiction?

xoxo,
JET

Rice for days

Hi all!
It's been awhile since I've written on here, and I won't bore you with all my excuses. Instead, I'm going to treat you to a recipe! In an effort to be more frugal, one of my New Year's Resolutions is to cook more at home. Because of my hectic schedule and social tendencies, it's so easy to just pick up some takeout or go to dinner with my friends.

I was scrolling through Pinterest the other day and came across an article I had already pinned: 51 Healthy Weeknight Dinners That'll Make You Feel Great. I don't ever remember reading it so I followed the link. It took me to the ever-trusty Buzzfeed. Seeing as how I stalk Buzzfeed on a daily basis, I have no idea how I missed this article.

It gave some great ideas and even categorized the recipes into categories such as "When you want fish..." and "When you need noodles..." I came across a recipe that made me do a double take: Edamame and Veggie Fried Rice. I followed the link for the recipe and found an AMAZING blog called Poor Girl Eats Well. She has all kinds of tips on how to make it when you're running low on funds. She even includes how much each recipe costs per serving. (This one is only 65 cents a serving!!)

Tonight I gave it a try, and I was very pleased with the results. Check out the recipe below reposted from Poor Girl Eats Well:

*Disclaimer: This is the picture from the original post and the Buzzfeed article. I did not photograph mine!

Edamame & Veggie Fried Brown Rice (makes 4-6 servings; total cost per serving: $0.65)

Ingredients
1-2 T cooking oil
1/3 c chopped yellow onion
2 c cooked brown rice (preferably day old) - Mine was not day old, and it turned out fine!
1 c frozen shelled edamame
1 1/2 c frozen mixed veggies (I used the Asian Stir Fry blend in mine, but regular mixed veggies also work) - I used a Spring Mix that included carrots, asparagus, and squash - Delicious!
3 large eggs, scrambled
2-3 T low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 c chopped green onions

Directions
1.   Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the chopped onion and cook quickly, until fragrant and slightly translucent.  Add the cooked brown rice and cook for about 1-2 minutes, then add the edamame and other frozen veggies.  Cook until the veggies are thawed.

2.  Add the fried egg and soy sauce and mix together well.   Finally, add the chopped green onions and fold them into the rice gently.  Garnish with extra chopped scallions and soy sauce, serve with your favorite protein or on its own, and enjoy!

I think next time I make this, I'll try adding either shrimp or chicken to it, but it was great on it's own. Also, this recipe makes a TON. I'll be having leftovers for a few days, but it was so good I don't mind! I will definitely be trying more of PGEW's recipes in the future, and one day I hope to master her $25 Shopping Cart!

Check out the original post here.

xoxo,
JET

Concrete Jungle Where Dreams are Made Of

Nine years ago, I boarded a plane for New York with my mother, grandmother, two friends, and their mothers. We had been invited to cheer in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and it was my first trip to the Big Apple. We had such a great time sight-seeing and dancing at Herald Square, I knew then that it would not be my last trip. My grandmother even made the comment that she would like to come back with all her girls.

She decided that for her 70th birthday, she wanted to go to NYC. The day after Christmas this year Mimi, my mother, my two aunts, my two cousins, my sister and I headed out for the adventure of a lifetime. We were all so excited, we could barely sleep. And thanks to our flight being moved to 7:00 a.m., we didn't have much time to sleep!

This was my fourth trip to New York, but there was still plenty I hadn't seen. We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn at Times Square. The location was perfect because we were in walking distance to everything, but we were still a couple of blocks away from the noisiness of Times Square.

When we arrived, we checked our luggage with the hotel and off we went. We headed over to Grand Central Station via Subway. Everyone was amazed by the size and the amount of people rushing about to get to their destinations. After a quick lunch, we headed to Rockefeller Center to see the big tree. I couldn't get over the size and the beauty of it! Caroline and I wanted to ice skate, but there were so many people and the line was forever long. We'll save that for next time.

Grand Central Station

Mimi made a friend on the Subway!

Radio City Music Hall

Rockefeller Center!

That night we went to dinner at Ellen's Stardust Diner. My mom, sister, and Mimi had all been there before and said it was something we all had to do. I'm not going to lie, I was not excited about the line outside at first, but we were seated in 30 minutes and got to enjoy the fabulous musical stylings of the singing wait staff. A lot of Broadway stars worked at Ellen's before they got their big breaks. It was so much fun!

Ellen's Stardust Diner

Friday, we got up early and headed to Battery Park to catch the Ferry to the Statue of Liberty. We had tickets for the 9:00 Ferry, but we got there early just in case. We actually were able to leave at 8:30 because the Ferry was full. The Statue of Liberty was AMAZING! I learned a lot that I didn't know about Lady Liberty in the museum, and we even got to go into the Pedestal. Ellen and I took the stairs, which was quite a hike! The view of the NYC skyline was amazing!

After Liberty Island, our Ferry stopped at Ellis Island. It still had extensive damage to it from Hurricane Sandy, so there were a few exhibits that we didn't get to see. But it was still really cool to see where our ancestors came to America. My great-great grandmother came through Ellis Island when she was 15 years old. Knowing that we were standing where she once stood was truly incredible and moving.

Later that day, we went to the Financial District to Check out the 9/11 Memorial. When Ellen and I were there in June, we walked right up and got passes. However due to the sheer volume of people visiting, you had to have advance passes to get in, and passes had to be purchased at St. Paul's Church. People were waiting in line for passes that weren't good for another two hours. With a large group of 9 in the cold weather, there was no way we could wait. We ducked in to Century 21 for a little retail therapy. Century 21 is Mimi's favorite store in NYC and is definitely a must-see. It's a massive, discount department store - they literally have everything! We found some great deals, and then made our way to Ellen's favorite - Chinatown.

My sister is amazing when it comes to Chinatown! She flits from shop to shop wheeling and dealing for everyone in the group. Caroline was following right in her footsteps. It was hilarious, and I never get tired of it! We took a short walk to Little Italy. Everything was lit up and decorated for Christmas - it was beautiful. Aunt Carley was loving it, and quickly decided that this was her favorite part of the city. We had a dinner at Amici II, which was so good. It was very small and quaint, and you could tell it was family owned. It was definitely the best meal of the trip, and I think it's safe to say it was everyone's favorite. We never felt rushed, and the wait staff was super friendly and helpful.

After dinner, I volunteered to go to the Empire State Building with Aunt Tammy, Anna, and Caroline. Even though I've been 3 times now, I still love it! The view is just so magical, I never get tired of it. When we got there, the line started outside. But I reassured them it was worth the wait. Once we got inside, it was really hot, and we kept thinking we would never make it. But we finally did! We took the first elevator bank to the 80th floor. Then we were given the option of waiting 15 more minutes for the second elevator or walking up the six remaining flights of stairs which took roughly 5 minutes. We were so tired of waiting we decided to take the stairs. (And yes, this was my second time to take the stairs that day!) We made it to the stop a little winded but excited. The view at night is so incredible! We had so much fun, but after we made it 3/4 of the way around, Anna's fear of heights got the best of her so we went inside.

Saturday morning, we loaded up on the Double Decker Hop On Hop Off bus Uptown. I know it's super touristy, but it's a great way to see the city. We bundled up and sat up top. Even though I had done it before, I still found it so interesting. The driver took us all through Uptown, around the Park and even through Harlem.

Up top on the Bus!

We got off at the stop in front of the Plaza Hotel, so we could go inside for a quick tour. The Christmas decorations were amazing. We went back outside and jumped in a horse-drawn carriage for a ride through Central Park.

After the bus tour, Mom, Ellen, Caroline, and I took a quick walk through Times Square and hit up Forever 21. Before we knew it, it was time to get ready for our night.

Caroline was so excited to meet the Naked Cowboy.

We had dinner reservations at Angus McIndoe's before seeing Kinky Boots! My grandmother chose Kinky Boots because it had won a lot of Tony's. It did not disappoint! I seriously can't say enough good things about it... I absolutely loved it! The music was great, the storyline was great... it was perfect! After the show, Caroline got Stark Sands' autograph (He was the lead male in the show), and Aunt Carley even snapped a picture of us with him.

Before calling it a night, we headed to Junior's for some cheesecake and hot chocolate.

Sunday morning, we woke up and went to Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was under construction, so it was hard to see all of it, but it was still beautiful. Cardinal Dolan delivered Mass, which was really cool too. Unfortunately when we left, it was pouring down rain, but we ran to Fireside at the Omni Hotel for some brunch. Next we continued walking down 5th Avenue to Tiffany's. I could literally spend hours there.

We visited a few more shops including Macy's and my favorite - H&M before heading back to the hotel. Aunt D is a huge fan of the Real Housewives of New Jersey, and she really wanted to go to the Manzo Brothers restaurant in Hoboken. After a hop, skip, two subway stops, a train, and a cab ride later, we were there. I'm not going to lie, it wasn't my favorite, but it was definitely an adventure! I think my favorite part was Aunt Carley and Caroline striking up a conversation with the Aussies on the train!

I couldn't believe our trip was almost over. Monday morning I woke up early and went to the Museum of Modern Art by myself. I have an obsession with art museums, and I was so excited that I finally got to see my favorite painting, The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh. I have seen the majority of his paintings, and I've even been to his museum in Amsterdam, but I still hadn't seen his masterpiece. It was definitely worth the wait. I stood in awe of how beautiful it was... I seriously didn't want to leave. While there, I also got to see works by Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollack, and Monet.

We said one final goodbye to the city before it was time to leave. It was a once in a lifetime trip that I will never forget. I'm so glad that we got to experience it together with Mimi.

Until next time New York!!
xoxo,
JET

Giving Thanks

With another successful Thanksgiving in the books, I've been reflecting on the many things in my life I am thankful for. I know I am truly blessed, and I don't think I'm nearly as thankful as I should be. Sometimes, it's so easy to focus on the bad. But on this quiet post-Thanksgiving Sunday night, I've decided to stop for a moment and think about all the blessings in my life.

1. My Family

I know everyone says this, but my family is AMAZING! They have always supported me in every decision I've made and in every path I have taken in life. Without them, I most certainly wouldn't be where I am today. I'm soooooo thankful for them!

2. My Friends

Again, I know everyone says this, but I have the BEST friends ever. From my friends that I have known since Kindergarten, to my college friends, grad school friends, post grad friends, and everyone in between, I have been blessed to call some incredible people my friends. Again, a group of people who are always there for me. I consider my friends to be an extension of my family.

3. My Education

It's so easy to take this one for granted, but I am truly grateful for my education. My parents have invested in this from an early age, and I have tried my best to make it worth everyone's while. I have had some awesome teachers who have taught me much more than was on their lesson plan, and that has made all the difference.

4. My Health

This is something I definitely take for granted. Although I don't say it enough, I'm thankful that I have the opportunity to lead an active life. When I think about the many people who can't run or play tennis because of health issues, I realize just how fortunate I am.

5. My Career

I feel so blessed that I have a job that I love going to everyday. I truly love my job and the many people I come in contact with on a daily basis. Delta State is more than a university, it's a family, and I'm so thankful that I was welcomed in with open arms.

This is only a short list of the many things I'm thankful for in my life. I've been afforded so many opportunities, and I have a lot to be thankful for. I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving and that you take time to give thanks for your many blessings.

xoxo,

JET

I love a good makeover

You may or may not have noticed that this blog has been a little dead lately. I have been struggling for inspiration; therefore, making it difficult for me to keep this little project up. I also struggle with the question: does anyone even read this? (Other than my Mom of course - Hi Mom!). This blog started as an outlet for my need to write and explore some of my interests and share them with others who might have the same obsessions as me. I never wanted it to become a chore, so I took a little hiatus.

With that being said, lately, I've really wanted to get back into the blogging world. However, I really HATED how my blog looked. My friend Amber, whose blog After April is awesome, put it best when she said: "It's like your virtual home that people come into." So, thanks to her encouragement I'm back with a new look! It's still a work in progress, but it's a vast improvement on the old design. Be on the lookout for more regular posts. I promise I'll try my best not to be such a slacker!

xoxo,
JET