it's the little things

I totally feel like I've been neglecting my blog.  Twitter has kind of taken over my "social media" life...add me @brookeiam.  It's kind of ridiculous actually.  Tumblr's another addicting one.  It's just so easy.  Therefore, I'm making a vow to myself and to my followers to blog more.  Wow...I almost put a hashtag (#) before "blog", like I would have done on twitter.   This is terribly amazing, haha.

I just don't know what to write on my blog anymore! So to get back in the swing of things, here is a beautiful quote that I reblogged on my tumblr (brookeiam.tumblr.com).

"Better by far to simply try and be good and courageous and bold and to make a difference, not change the world exactly, but the bit around you.  Cherish your friends, stay true to your principles, live passionately and fully, and well, experience new things.  Love and be loved, if you ever get the chance."

--David Nichols (From: "One Day")

so high

I've been feeling high lately.  It's weird...at certain points throughout the day, I either feel really focused or light-headed (in a good way).  I think it's just the fact that I'm happy.  

This is Kelcy and Nick.....but it's the best picture I have
of California that I've taken this summer.

I'm literally (and now I understand where the expression comes from) high on life.

Reasons why I'm high:

This extended vacation/living situation in LA.

The sweater or no sweater weather.

The mini kitchen Kelcy and I are actually utilizing.

Guilty pleasures: Teen Wolf, The Bachelorette, Pretty Little Liars.

The amazing feeling of not being lonely when it would be so easy to be lonely after moving to a new place.

The excitement of finding a new house in AZ for this year.

The excitement of not knowing where I'll be living in Milan.

The incredible realization that I will be in Milan in 74 days.

21 on MONDAY.

Seeing everyone we left behind in Arizona on Wednesday!!!! 

who wants to go to Paris?!

I do!!  Well actually, I'd like to win for my sister and best friend.  I will be studying abroad in Milan this Fall, and Kelcy wanted to make a trip to Paris before meeting up with me in Italy.  This giveaway would be perfect!!  Thanks to Oh Happy Day :)  

Click on the link below the Eiffel Tower to enter for yourselves!! :)

http://ohhappyday.com/2011/06/goes-to-paris

a typical "monday"

I never really understood why people hated Mondays so much.  Until today.  Today I had possibly my first EVER bad Monday.

This is my wow-today-wasn't-the-greatest-day-ever-and-I'm-a-bit-disappointed-with-myself face.

Why am I so bummed?  Well first off, I went to Bristol Farms for lunch.  Usually I get an amazing caprese panini with balsamic vinegar, toasted.  But today, I thought to myself, "Hey, I'm not that hungry so I'm just going to get some mashed potatoes and steamed veggies, it'll def be cheaper than my $8 panini."  I get to the register, and the nice man asks me for $14 dollars.  I could have gone to Chipotle 2 times and gotten a drink both times.  Or I could have gotten two of those glorious paninis.  Oh well, at least I switched up my diet.

Then, it's time for me to help put together an IKEA bed for the models apartment.  I guess you need screwdrivers to put IKEA items together.  And it doesn't make it any easier when you lose the spare key to the models apartment.  (Let's just say this was probably the stupidest thing I could have done as an intern at l.a. models. )  Needless to say, I got another key, but my punishment was putting the bed together by myself.  And now my forearms are swollen like I just went rockclimbing and it looks as though my hands are bleeding from the inside. It's a lot easier to put an IKEA bed together with an electric screwdriver, FYI, do that and you won't end up like me.

Enough complaining, I don't need to workout today because that was enough.  And I did get my check today.  It put a smile on my face, because it will pay for the parking violation I got on Saturday.

i had a dream

My favorite song right now...I basically have it on repeat.

3 words

I

LOVE

CALIFORNIA

More ramblings coming soon...sorry I've been MIA!  I am back :)

nice thought

I'm going through my little "blog <3" folder on my desktop.  I found a little note that I must have dragged in there from someone's tumblr.  It's a sweet thought, and I truly wonder how many people are able to honestly do the following:

When I'm older and my daughter asks who my first love was, I don't want to have to pull out the old photo album.  I want to be able to point across the room and say, 

"He's sitting right over there."

the classic wave

College.  There are sooo many people that fill the campus.  And even though we like to pretend that we don't...sometimes you purposefully look into your phone or look the other direction to avoid small-talk with someone you know or once knew.  For the past few weeks, I've tried to promise myself not to commit this social silence.  

Today, however, it backfired.  I was walking to my first class with Kelcy, and I saw a girl that looked identical to this girl named Emily that I knew in high school.  I smiled at her from perhaps 30 feet away, and she looked down and away.  As she came closer, I was still sure it was Emily.  I mean it had to be....it looked just like her.  So here we are, three feet apart, and I wave the biggest wave I've waved in awhile.  And paired with that wave?  A high-pitched, "Hiiiii Emily!!!".  The girl gave me the most awkward smile I've ever seen...but at least she smiled.  

I have no eyes because my eye makeup
looks horrible right now. Shhhh.

I turned to Kelcy.

Me: Oh my gosh...that wasn't Emily was it?

Kelcy: No...hahahaha.  I thought maybe she was a girl in your group.

Me: But she looked just like Emily!

Kelcy: mmmm kind of? That's embarrassing.

Just beware before you speak out.  And more importantly, maybe don't wave so ecstatically when you see someone you think you know.

i like to tumble

I'm over school right now.

So what do I do with my free time instead of studying??

I get a tumblr of course.  

I think you should all make one, and then follow me.

Or just follow me now, because blogger's cool like that and let's you follow tumblrs.

that someone

"Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around.

You tell them things that you've never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. 

You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. 

When something wonderful happens, you can't wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement.  

They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. 

Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. 

There is never any pressure, jealousy, or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around.

You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are.  

The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song, or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever.

Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it's like being young again. 

Colors seem brighter and more brilliant.  Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn't exist at all.

A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day's work and always brings a smile to your face. 

In their presence, there's no need for continuous conversation, but you find you're quite content in just having them nearby.

Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you.

You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do.  

Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind, or even a storm cloud on the horizon.

You open your heart knowing that there's a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible.

You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that's so real it scares you.

You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. 

Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. 

Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life."

{via}

--Bob Marley

reality check

Today it kicked in that I'm really leaving for this summer.  And then leaving some more for the Fall semester.  My work now knows that my last day is April 30.  My mom's looking at booking hotels for May 1st when we go check out the apartment that we want to put a hold on.  It's just coming up so fast.  

I feel like my dad thinks Kelcy and I are going for the wrong reason-- to party, or what not.  But we're going because this summer is a fantastic opportunity for our futures.  Why else would we leave everyone we love and everything we've ever known?  Especially since I'm going to be gone for the whole Fall semester...you would think that I would want to spend as much time as I could at HOME.  But I want to grow--and that's what I'll be doing for the next seven months.  

I'm just going to live the next 29 days or so to the fullest.  I'm nervous, excited, scared, sad, happy, concerned, skeptical, curious, and ecstatic about the next seven months of my life.  I finally feel like I'm becoming me.  By picking myself up from everything I've ever known, all I will have to rely on is who I am.  And I'm confident that Kelcy and I will be just fine.  We can do anything we put our minds to, especially when we're together.

{guest blogging today!}

Hello, lovelies!!

Please, please, please head on over to one of my favorite blogs!

It's called "All Kinds of Complicated" and it's put together by a girl I'm fastly becoming friends with, Kai!

Kelcy and I were both able to do guest posts for her while she was away in San Francisco, so please check it out! And follow her! She's amazing, hilarious, and so beautiful.