Heather Habits, ed. 23 v.6

Yes! I'm finally writing again! ..Aaah, I know what you're thinking, "Thank Heavens, I was waiting for a Heather life update all week!" Hah, I wish! This most certainly is not the case, even if it is fun to entertain the idea. What I choose to write about may be (on rare occasions) interesting, but I'm fairly certain that the only 2 people who actually read this blog are simply bored.

Anyway, becoming a real person (person with a job) has been a real challenge for me in some ways. Besides the obvious difficulties of transitioning from a full-time student to a workaholic, I've been struggling to find the balance between maintaining a social lifestyle and tackling work head-on. In order to do this, I need to practice some healthy habits. Yoga? Gardening? Brick-laying? This being said, I should mention that I'm still in the actual process of forming these habits..

One activity that I've gotten increasingly more excited about is writing! I used to keep a journal everyday until almost a year ago when I became bored with it. Writing had always been an avenue to unwind at the end of the day; however it had turned into a mandatory activity for school. My schoolwork encompassed writing multiple papers a quarter. I would have to follow a strict formula that included a thesis and paragraphs filled with facts to prove my argument. In essence, my writing was only an argument for a grade. I began to not like writing because of this. It was a frustrating time.

Today, writing is becoming a great way to spend my time. Whether my subject of choice is leprechauns or personal aspirations for 2010..creativity is always involved. Hundreds of thoughts go through our heads every day. It is so refreshing to point some of those out and discuss! I can think of so many topics to write about just this moment, but will spare you my crazy thoughts for today...and perhaps bring them up tomorrow.

Another habit which is definitely necessary is the act of challenging ourselves! I'm not talking about stressing yourself out to the point of consuming a pound of sugar, getting 4 hours of sleep, or neglecting yourself from having some fun. I'm thinking more along the lines of doing something that scares you. For example, yesterday I had a long chat with a good friend of mine who was on the brink of calling a boy she likes. There were obvious reasons not to do it, pride being the most important. Yet, I gave her the advice to call because it was the choice she would less likely make. "Who knows what could happen!?"


Today at work, I decided to do something that scared me rather unexpectedly. I discovered that one of the tables that I was serving had a number of Italians sitting at it. Instead of shyly mentioning that I love everything Italian and that I've been to Italy many times (blah blah), I attempted to take the next step. I spoke to them in their native tongue. I felt like such an idiot at first...and honestly throughout most of the entire time (1o seconds). They laughed and smiled and tried to make me feel good about my feeble attempts. However, when I walked away I was actually smiling too. I was damn proud of the efforts I had just put in. Point being, it is a good thing to take a chance and do something you feel uncomfortable doing. This is how we all grow. Bitch-slap that feeling in the face, and become a better person in the process (ironic, maybe?)

P.S. I just had to include a pic of Italy..how could I not?