the path to awesome

The world needs you to stop being boring. Everyone can be boring. But you are gooder than that...

Being in your early 20's is confusing and difficult as you try to adjust to the real world and figure out what you want to do. I've been struggling with this for the past 6+ months, and in all honesty it's been really really hard. Growing up I had these high hopes that I would live in New York working for some high end magazine, or living in Africa helping starving children, but here I find myself working at 8 to 6 job in front of a computer, doing something I'm no longer passionate about, and giving in to all the negative energy and skepticism that pollutes my every day. But you know what? I think it's about time that changes...

This video was an eye opener (and absolutely hilarious too!) and really hit home for me. Seriously, some of his key points were just like, DUH, it makes so much sense. "What will you create that will make the world awesome? Nothing if you keep sitting there!"

I really do need to stop sitting there, waiting for life to happen, and instead  need to grab every opportunity in front of me, make a change, and choose a path that will lead to awesome. And that path hurt, I might make a mistake and have to turn back, but I would rather choose the path that makes me happy than the one that is expected of me. I may or may not start watching this video every morning with the with hope of recharging my outlook, because really, I WAS made to be awesome, and it's about time I stop crying and start dancing.

Thank you Kid President. You are awesome. 

This is life people! You got air coming through you nose, you got a heart beat. That means it's time to do something!

What if there really were two paths? I wanna be on the one that leads to awesome. 

Don't stop believing, unless your dream is stupid, then get a different dream. 

If life really is a game, are we on the same team? 

I took the road less traveled... it hurt man!! 

Create something that will make the world awesome. 

We got work to do- we can cry about it or we can dance about it.

You were made to be awesome. 

Anna Overload

WARNING: You are about to be overwhelmed by an amazing amount of information about me. Read at your own risk. 

Last week Miss Felicia from A Flower of the Sky and Miss Kimberly from Kimberly's Quest nominated me for the Liebster Award! THANK YOU! Leibster means "favorite" in German, and the Leibster award is nominated to bloggers with less than 200 followers. I'm excited to participate because (1) I'm so grateful for the nominations from these lovely ladies, and (2) I thought it would be fun to tell you guys a little bit more about myself. Thank you so much Felicia and Kimberly- make sure you go check them out! Here's how it works: 

1)  Each person must list 11 things about themselves.

2)  Answer the 11 questions that the tagger has set for you plus you MUST create 11 questions of  your own for the 11 people you will nominate with this award, which brings me to rule 3.

3)  Choose up to 11 bloggers linking them to your post.

4)  Go to their page and inform them of the nomination.

5)  Absolutely NO tag backs.

6)  Remember to ONLY tag bloggers with less than 200 followers

Hi, I'm Anna. Nice to meet you.
-I am extremely good at painting my nails but I'm too impatient to wait for them to dry.
-One of my favorite things to do is to curl up with a good book and spend the afternoon reading.
-My favorite summertime foods are watermelon and lemonade.
-I don't have a favorite color, but I do like coral and teal a whole lot.
-I make about 5 lists a day, ranging from to-do lists to bucket lists to shopping wish lists, and love crossing things off of them.
-I can spread my toes apart REALLY far (I normally wouldn't think this is weird except Jack gets freaked out by them so something must be odd about it).
-I have a thing for ivy covered buildings and yellow fall leaves.
-A good song can cheer me up from any bad mood.
-If I don't eat every couple of hours I turn into a grouch-a-rama (think Hulk minus the greenness).
-I have a thing for zombie/vampire/tween books. I can't tell ya why. 
-I wish more than anything that I had a good singing voice.

Twenty Two Questions

If you could be any animal what would you be?

I'm not one to go all Kristen Bell over an animal, however, I think it would be pretty awesome to be a cat. Who doesn't like to lay in the sun all day?? Either that or a bird, because being able to fly would be pretty much the coolest thing ever. 

What is your favorite flower?
I love sunflowers. Something about their bright yellow color and how they remind me of summer makes me so so happy. 

What is your current favorite band?
My spotify has recently been taken over my Of Monsters and Men. I love boy-and-girl duets and I'm SO excited to see them at Outsidelands this year!

If you could meet anyone famous, who would it be and why?

Zooey Deschanel. Seriously obsessed with her. I follow her on instagram and creepily like every picture and think we are best friends. Either Zooey or Ryan Gosling, but he doesn't count as a celebrity, he's at more of a God-like level. 

What is your favorite season and why?

Definitely fall. I love the changing leaves and cool, brisk weather. But I also love winter and Christmastime and days reading by the fire. And spring is the best with pretty flowers and fun pastel colors. But then summer is pretty much the best too. Love me some cutoffs, fireworks and beach days. :)

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I'd love to have traveled at least part of the world and pursued my hobby of photography. I'd love to live in a cute little house in Marin County and drive my kids to soccer practice and make dinner for my loving husband. But, I know that life can throw you curve balls, so hopefully in 10 years I will at least be happy, content, and have no regrets. 

What is a quote you live by?

One of my all time favorite quotes is from a Mary Oliver poem called Summer Day: "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" It makes me think and question everything I do, in a good way.

What is your astrology sign?

I'm an Aries, baby! WooWOO! And I'm constantly reminded of that because my mom loves to call/ email/ text me my horoscope. 

What is your favorite dessert?

Anything with sugar and/or chocolate involved. Seriously, I have the biggest sweet tooth and love all things sugary. However, if I had to pick one, I'd say to say this. Love me some funfetti. 

What did you do this past weekend? 
I saw these cuties, tried to figure out my new iphone, enjoyed the gorgeous weather, started to pack up my apartment!

If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Anything by Ken Follet. Probably Pillars of the Earth. 

What's your favorite color?
If I had to pick, coral. Mainly because I love these pants so much. 

Spring or Fall?
Fall. Allergies always get me in the spring. 

Share your best birthday memory!

Having Justin Bieber at my birthday last year was pretty awesome.

Would you rather bake cookies or cook steak?
Cookies. Definitely cookies. 

What was the name of your first pet?
We had a cat that came with our house (you can imagine what a great cat he was) and we called him Blacky-whitey... even though he was definitely grey. 

What is your favorite board game?
I'm an all star Monopoly player. 

What movie to you most relate to?
In high school I wanted more than anything to be in Empire Records, so I'm not sure if I relate most to it but I sure as heck wish I lived it. 

On vacation do you go camping or stay in a hotel?
Usually a hotel, but I loveeee camping.

What is your favourite burger topping?
Call me boring, but I love me some ketchup.

One word to describe your day.
CrazilyandChaoticallyPerfect (that's one word, right? :) 

I Nominate YOU
Cozy Socks and Polka Dots /// Musings /// On The Adventure /// Beauty & the Feast /// Gypsy in Jasper/// "Mrs." in the Making /// Clever but Cute /// The Lovely Things Are /// [ad-ven-cher] /// Rays of Purple /// the littlest corner

No worries if you guys don't want to participate, I just wanted to let you all know that I think your blogs are rocking!!

Riddle Me This:
1. If you could travel anywhere in the world, right now, where would it be?

2. What is your favorite childhood summer memory?
3. What's one think you are most proud of from the past year?

4. What's your favorite thing to do to wind down after a long day?

5. Who was your first celebrity crush?

6. What's your favorite song of the moment?
7. If you could wish upon a star, what would you wish for?
8. What's your favorite piece of clothing that you own?
9. If you could be one celebrity for a day, who would you be?
10. Chocolate or Veggies?
11. What would be the first thing you'd do if you won the lottery?

Annndddd here are some pretty pictures to make you happy since I just crushed your brain with so many words:

HAPPY HUMP DAY! Only 2 more days till the weekend!

Daddy's Girl

Happy Father's Day to the best father in the whole world!

Thank you for teaching me how to be a caring and compassionate friend, and for teaching me that not being in the "best friend club" of the week isn't the worst thing to happen, even though it usually seems like it at the time.

Thank you for always supporting my dreams and inspiring me to dedicate myself to what I'm passionate about.

Thank you for letting me make my own mistakes, and being there to rub my back and assure me it will be okay when I fail.

Thank you for teaching me how to work hard and for dedicating your life to making sure we are happy and safe. I hope to someday be able to mirror that selflessness with my own children.

And not the mention, you are the worlds best rock out back up air guitar player I've ever seen.

Rock on, paps. Love you to the tippy top of the sky and back one hundred million billion times. 

photographs & memories {the arrival of the gremlin aka my little sister}

Why hello there. I thought I'd start a new little feature on Thursdays to spice up the end of the week and help you guys fit together the puzzle that is my life. It's going to be called "Throwback" and it will feature a photograph from my past (either one I've taken or of me or one that I just love) and will include a little memory associated with it. Get it guys? It's a photograph.. with a memory.. I'm so clever. So, to start it off, I thought it would only be fitting to start from the beginning, with one of my first memories from when I was a weee child.

These two cuties are me and my sister just after she was born. Aren't we just precious?? (That helmet of a hair cut just really suited me). Now, I love my sister so much and would do anything for her, but apparently back in the day I wasn't her biggest fan (if you couldn't tell by my completed skeptical facial expression).

I have one memory in particular from the day she was born where I'm sitting in the hospital room on my aunt's lap and everyone is crowding around my mom and this pile of blankets in her arms and I don't like it. Not one bit. I was used to being the center of attention and did not like that my parents weren't paying attention to me. Yeah okay, it was cool that they gave me an awesome new thermos with rainbows on it and a sweet new shirt that said "big sister", but I needed hugs and attention too! So, I crawled up on the bed, looked down at the little gremlin in my mom's arms, and said " Mom, can we bring her back to where she came from? I want to go home." Of course all the adults giggled and patted my head, but I didn't get it. I actually wanted to return this thing and go home with my mommy and my daddy.

When we finally did go home, one of my mom's friends had decorated the front of our house with baby decorations and there was the cooooolest little ornament handing from a string that was a little baby bear in a baby carriage. I wanted it. Badly. My dad came over and pulled it off the tree for me and told me I could have it, but only if I took good care of it. He then explained that I had a new little sister, and just like the baby carriage and the little bear, I had to take care of her as well. I don't think it hit me until a while later that this new baby was actually going to be staying with us and we couldn't return her, but I do remember later playing with her and rolling the carriage over her blankets realizing that maybe she wasn't that bad to have around. 

my one wild and precious life

"tell me world. what should I do?"

One of my favorite and most thought provoking quote is from Mary Oliver's poem Summer Thought.

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

Oh, how I wish I could tell you! But unfortunately I have been blessed with a wild and crazy spirit that wants to experience ever aspect of life there is to experience, and therefore, I feel like I will never be able to decide what I want to do with my life. One day I want to be a successful business woman working downtown, then the next I decide I want to be an artist and work at a cafe to support myself, then the next day I want to sell everything I own to travel the world and work for a humanitarian organization. Come on mind, make a decision! What I do know is that I want to be happy {that's a pretty easy one} and I know I want to do something everyday that challenges me both creativity and intellectually. I'm at a career fork in the road right now and I need to choose a path to take. But which one??

I have always known that I have a passion for teaching (hence, my minor in Education) but the horrible job market has deterred me from following this career path. Lucky for me, the nonprofit I work for (Junior Achievement) provides financial literacy programs for K-12th grade students and I have been able to teach some of our programs in the classroom. I have always taught 1st grade, mainly because 6 year olds are pretty dang cute and just want to play and hold your hand, but last week I was asked to teach a 4th grade class. I'll admit, I was a little bit nervous because 4th graders can be challenging, but my time with this amazing class only solidified my desire to become a teacher. I had the best morning with these kids, teaching them about how to start a business and creating one of our own, and I walked away with an incredible high and feeling of self worth. There really isn't any better feeling than helping someone learn and grow, and watching that lightbulb go off when something clicks. Not to mention they kids were adorable and so much fun to be around. My favorite part:

Teacher: Ok everyone, it's time for Ms. Marks to leave

Students: {groaning} Oh man! Noooo! 

One Student: Ms. Marks, will you be coming back next week?

Me: Sadly no, but I wish I could!

Student: Me too. You are the best! Will you sign my notebook?

That's right, I'm pretty much a celebrity. Handing out autographs left and right. 

So, moral of this story is that I think I need to follow my heart and do what I love and what I'm good at. I can dream all day about becoming a professional photographer or a hip graphic designer or a super successful business woman, but when it comes down to it, I know that I will always be waiting to fill that void of incompleteness that I know will only be filled by being a teacher. I know it will be a hard and challenging road, but in the end I've been dreaming about this for years and know it is was I was meant to do. And hey, maybe I can still be a photographer or graphic designer on the side, right? One perk of being a teacher- you get summers off!!

3 things I wish I knew more about

yes, i know we are awesome at making funny faces

1. The Giants. We went to a game last night and had a blast, but I really don't know as much as I wish I did about all the players. I know there are about 5 different players that have animals as nicknames ( panda, baby giraffe, ect.) and I know the main players ( love me some crazy beard and bright blue eyes, Brian Wilson) but besides that I'm kinda in the dark. Jack and my first date back in high school was to a Giants game and he tried to teach me all the players, but things have changed so much over the years so I feel like I need to learn them all over again!

2. Graphic Design. This is definitely my flavor of the week this week- I think being a graphic designer would be the coolest job!! There is so much room for creativity and I feel like there are always jobs out there for graphic designers. Thoughts?? Is this true?

3. Hair. I've worn my hair the same way for the past 23 years ( let be real, when I was 1 my hair wasn't the way it is now), and I am so bored with it! I wish I knew how to style it to make it look like perfect Gisele hair, but no matter how hard I try it will not curl, stay, or cooperate with anything I try to do besides wear it down. Today I did a nice little twisty ponytail dooda and I felt like I was 5, but hey, it's something new. And right now me and my hair need some change.

24

This weekend I turned 24. It's not much different from 23 expect it sounds old. Very old. Like "I should have my life together and know what I'm doing" old. But I don't and I'm kind of okay with that. I just keep hoping that things will fall into place ( hopefully sooner rather than later...) but for now I'm going to ride the carefree and jolly train for a while longer. But check back in when I turn 25 because I'm pretty sure I'll spend the entire day crying and reminding my friends how much better life was when we was when we were younger.

Oh yeah, and Justin Beiber surprised my on my birthday by stopping by the office. And I wore a tutu all day. Yep, definitely not 24 in spirit yet...

cake and friends and fun and party buses and tutu and and birthday flowers and breakfast brunches and HUNGER GAMES and facials and relaxing spa days by the pool