Life Update Through Photography

So I apologize for the lack of blog updates. But honestly, I've been busy. I haven't really been thinking about spending time in front of my computer post-work hours. And to also be honest, I don't miss spending time with social media in my face either. What I do miss is seeing my friend's faces and big life updates. But I'll get caught up late April. And if it's super big, I'll still find out personally, which is always better anyway!

I have appreciated the letters, cards, e-mails, phone calls, and packages I have received from friends and family so far. I am blessed to have you all in my life! All are being returned now. Thanks for going out of your way to stay connected to me.

Here are some pictures I've taken lately. Enjoy!

 Part of a dinner I made recently. Spinach and feta stuffed shells. I topped it all with homemade vodka sauce from scratch and mozzarella! A great combination. 

 A picture from the pre-race at Bristol Motor Speedway. I bought tickets to this month's Sprint Cup race for Tom for Valentine's Day. It was under rain delay for most of the day, but we were able to stick around to see the entire 500 laps!

 A outside the track after the race was over at night.

 A plant sitting in the window sill. I just saw this yesterday morning and thought it looked pretty cool with the sun rising behind it. 

 The dog of a friend, Christina, during an evening hike at Buffalo Mountain Park in Johnson City. Thank goodness for spring weather! I sure hope the snow is gone for good.

 View of the mountains from the top of Buffalo Mountain. This is mostly a view of Unicoi County, TN. 

A little sweaty at the peak of the mountain. I am just grateful for the chance to get out and see just a sliver of the beauty God has provided for us in this world we live in!

Laura's Birthday Dinner Photos

A rustic themed dinner, mason jars and all.

 While Tom was tending to the beef tenderloin on the grill, veggies we prepped and sautéed. 

 Cooking utensils galore!

 Friends and flowers.

 We enjoyed microbrews and wines in our mason jars. 

 Laughing friends while Laura opens up a present. 

 Freckles and Mr. Boots cuddle up at the end of the night. 

Happy 23rd Birthday to my lovely roommate, Laura! 

The Rocky Start

Well, I have made it a few days successfully. By successfully, I mean I haven't decided to reverse my decision to not use Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram yet. Yet. 

So, I do know I won't give up. It will be hard, and has been hard already, but it will be really good for me. I have told a few people about my decision to give up social media and instead write a blog about my experience, and some say "Isn't a Blog social media, too?". It is. But my intension was to give up things that distract me from living in the moment, not necessarily every social media platform. So for all those still curious as to why I am choosing to blog when it is still a form a social media, this is a better way for me to reflect and to hold myself accountable for actually staying off Faceback and such. And if you are reading this blog, it means you actually care about my reflections. More than half of my friends on Facebook don't really care about the things I reflect about via my "facebook status". So thank you for caring :)

Today is my roommate's birthday (Happy B-Day, Laura!). Last night a group of us went out to dinner to celebrate. I made the choice to leave my phone at home instead of bringing it with me to the restaurant. This may seem simple and not a very big deal, but for me as someone who uses her phone as comfort and security for NO reason, it was. No one else who could be texting me would be more important in those few hours than Laura and the friends I was surrounded by in that moment. I didn't need to have my phone there to Instagram a picture of my Blackberry Sangria to a bunch of people who don't really care that I ordered a blackberry sangria but would "like" my photo anyway, because that's what you do. You "like" your friend's photos because it's a method of still saying you're still up-to-date with their life and really know what's going on. I "like" my friends' photos all the time, but sometimes, it's simply because I miss them, and I want to acknowledge that I'm still here and I'm noticing things about their life. 

Since I'm not around to "like" my friends' posts for awhile, I can't wait to actually get caught up with some people by hearing their voice and reading their direct words to me. I have phone calls scheduled, home addresses exchanged, e-mails back and forth, and more going on with so many important people to me. Most of which would never have happened without me backing out of social media for awhile, so for that, I am thankful and excited. I hope this continues even past my 40 days without Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. And I also this helps to inspire my friends to not necessarily give up their social media platforms, but find more genuine ways to stay close to friends far away as well. Pen Pals are fun so far!

It's a beautiful weekend here in Tennessee! It's going to be 65 and sunny today, so I'm hoping to get outside and take a few pictures. I'll share them with you here! And if you are still stuck in the frozen tundra up north, there's no better way to stay in touch than to visit. 

“What day is it?"
"It's today," squeaked Piglet.
"My favorite day," said Pooh. 
― A.A. Milne

The Reasoning

I'd be lying if I said I was good at living in the moment.

I'm a perfect example of why people say our generation is too tied to technology, and specifically, social media. I'm the one that pulls up my internet browser, and immediately starts to type "www.faceb...", and then I realize I just checked my news feed 3 minutes ago and nothing will have changed. I'm the one that as soon as I get even slightly bored during a group conversation, I'll whip my phone out and scroll through my Twitter feed. Maybe they'll think I just got an important e-mail. It's okay. I'm the one that wakes up, and before I even get out of bed, I've got to check and see what pictures people posted to Instagram last night. And for the most part, I barely know some of these people, but MAN does that dinner they made last night look good. This is why I have decided to give these habits up for lent. My passwords for my three most used forms of social media, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, will be changed for the entire season of lent. I recognize that this is only 40 days, but for someone who spends too much time on these platforms daily, it will be a big change.

My goal is that after these 40 days, I will have a new view, and a new appreciation for living in the moment. I don't think social media is necessarily bad. It does wonderful things, such as helping us to stay connected to old friends and family far away. But it also does some things that I feel have a negative affect one me, and many others in my generation. I can't be the only one who sees someone's life accomplishment on Facebook and immediately compare my life and where I am to that particular person. I'll see someone's political status or comment and immediately judge them as a person (just because someone believes in something different than you doesn't make them a bad person). I'll be envious of someone's wardrobe, weight-loss success, vacation margarita, home decor, etc, that I see them post on Instagram. If only I could afford those shoes. I always preach that we as unique individuals need to love ourselves for who we are and what makes us different, but I don't always live up to it. You can believe in something, but unless you're practicing what you are preaching, it does no good. You can believe in God, but if you don't live by His example, what difference does it make?

Here are some things I want to be better at during this social media-free time:

1. Communication in person, and long distance, that's direct and genuine - call me! e-mail me! write me!
2. My job - it's a busy time around these parts
3. Planning for the future - GRE studying, grad school prep, etc
4. Cooking - something I already love. I love to make my own recipes, and I'll share my successes here!
5. Going outside - it's almost spring in Tennessee!
6. Being crafty - yes, I am still staying on Pinterest during this time, mostly for craft inspiration
7. Praying - every time I want to log into social media but can't, I will pray instead
8. Reading - I have so many books on my "to read" list
9. Photography - I have a beautiful camera I don't use enough, great photos to be posted here!

Bookmark this blog and share with friends when you read a post that you enjoy. I won't be on Facebook to post all my new entries, so you will just have to come back here and check it out from time to time. Maybe this idea is dumb, but I figured a Blog would be a good way to keep me motivated during this time. See you all on the other side - I promise I will "like" all of your new profile pictures on April 20th.