Stocking up on Undies

As mentioned in my previous blog post, I am headed to Europe this summer for three weeks. I will be seeing many different cities in eight different countries in those three weeks and am beyond excited. I have never been to Europe before or traveled alone so this is a big deal for me. My airline tickets are booked and the trip is now paid in full so there is no looking back now. Only forward. And I guess that's the best way to live life anyway.

Although I am super psyched for this trip, I am very nervous as well. As per my usual fashion, there is always some anxiety to go with everything. (Working on this. And getting better actually.) On a trip so long and so far away, of course there are the usual concerns of the language barrier, getting lost, not seeing everything I want to see in such a short time, etc... And then there are the not-so-normal concerns that cross my mind. Of course I am not going to let any of these ruin this trip of a lifetime, so I am open to any and all suggestions to alleviate any stress related to any of these. With that being said, here are some of the worries I already have about my upcoming Europe trip.

1) Laundry. This is by far my biggest cause of anxiety for this trip. (#firstworldproblems, huh?) 24 days. 1 suitcase. Summer heat and humidity. This adds up to sweaty, smelly clothes day after day. I can't go out and buy a completely new Europe wardrobe with outfits for each day. That would be silly. (But if I could afford it I probably would.) I also know Europe is not basketball shorts-tank top (my go-to summer attire) friendly for walking around so I will have to mostly wear dresses. This is totally fine also. Those who know me, know I have plenty of those. (Some might say too many.) Since I will be in a different hotel pretty much every night, I don't know if I will have time to send them for the laundry service. (But if I can, I most def will.) I do plan to take a shampoo size bottle of detergent and handwash and hang some stuff every few days, but I can't do this with everything. I am not one for re-wearing clothes that are unwashed, but I may have to get over that. I will however, stock up on extra underwear and bras. That's for damn sure.

Over-YOLO-ing?

I'm sure you have seen and heard the phrase YOLO ad nauseum in recent months. According to Drake, you can thank him for it because he "invented" it. His song "The Motto" is basically an ode to it. (See video below) He kind of started this whole YOLO thing with the song and it's caught on. Even though sometimes people mock this phrase, I respect it and need to start following it a bit more. I mean, really, you do only live once.

Sometimes you have to take life by the balls and stop waiting around. I am sick of waiting for people to do stuff with. (Especially vacations.) If I want to spend the money and/or my time and do something that interests me, then I need to step up and just do it. By myself. And for myself. If I can't do things for myself, who can I do them for? And I actually really do enjoy doing things alone so I don't see what the big deal is anyway.

I want this to sound the least pathetic as possible, but what am I holding on to all of my savings for right now? I don't have a boyfriend or even any prospects to spend money on. I'm not planning a wedding. I have no intention of buying a condo in NYC anytime soon. And I don't have a child. Therefore, what am I being so thrifty for at my still youngish age? I am a very responsible woman who deserves to live it up once in a while. And before any of the above things happen, I need to enjoy the little youth I have left in my life and have some fun. YOLO, right? What am I waiting for exactly?

Impossible is Nothing

What inspires you? Is it people doing something they thought they could never do? Is it something that has never been done before? Is it overcoming odds? Making a comeback that no one ever thought was possible? Is it achieving a goal you or no one thought was ever going to happen?
 
There is a lot that inspires me. In fact, I am a huge sucker for inspirational stories, especially involving sports and weight loss. I love them. They motivate me, get me excited, and give me hope. They prove that as one of my favorite Adidas advertisements states "Impossible is Nothing." Goosebumps.

Everyone loves a feel good story. They show the good in the world and fuel positivity. And what's not to like about that?

Here are three videos you MUST see. None of them are super new, but ones that I have viewed again recently and yet still bring tears to my eyes. I can watch them over and over again and still be amazed.  Warning: You may want some Kleenex. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Best. Shows. Ever.

As I have stated numerous times before, I love TV. And I watch a lot of it. It's no secret. Sometimes there is just not enough time in the day or enough room on the DVR to watch everything. Rough life, right?

I am pretty much also an equal opportunist when it comes to TV genres. Yes, I love my reality TV, but I also watch dramas and comedies as well. I can get just as excited to watch the trashiest show on TV followed up by the season's best drama. That's just the way I roll. Over the past few years, there have been many that I follow through and through and some that I just couldn't stick with. Then there were those that I picked up along the way and had to marathon-watch from the beginning to catch up. (Always a fun rainy day/weekend activity.) With all that being said, here is, in my opinion, some of the best shows on television. Ever.

1) The Wire. Cops + War on drugs + Streets of Baltimore= Best TV show ever. Period. The Wire premiered on HBO in 2002 but I never watched it. I had heard so much incredible stuff about it so had to get my hands on it. I borrowed the full series from a friend last year and basically watched all 5 seasons in less than 4 weeks. I was on a mission and I couldn't stop. It was so freaking good. It zeroed in on real world problems in a very realistic manner. Seasons 1 and 4 were by far my favorite. I have since purchased the series myself and watched it again. (This time I did it in 5 weeks though.)

Sidenote: This show makes crush hard on tough ass drug dealers. Attractive. Wealthy. Powerful. I mean, WTF? They do illegal things like selling drugs and murdering people yet I still want to "hit it." What's my problem?