20 Going on 21

So I’m turning 21 on Tuesday...where did the time go? I remember being younger and wondering what my life would be like when I was 21 - where I would be, what I’d look like, if I’d have a boyfriend, what career I would be headed towards...

Where am I at now? I’m in college, always being told I look just like my mom, single, and I have no idea what career I’m headed towards. And you know what? I am so happy. 

I’m happy because I have been blessed beyond measure. Not with money, nice things, or anything else people might use to measure success in a material world. But I have been blessed with the things I think matter most: an amazing family, a handful of great friends, and opportunity. Some of the greatest people I know are those that have raised me and grown up alongside me. My family is the most important thing to me in my life. They have helped shape me into the woman I am today by instilling in me my core values, such as integrity, hard work, compassion, kindness, and most importantly, love. Friends have come and gone, but there still remain a few people who I am so thankful for, some I’ve known for a while and others I’ve met more recently. These friends are not only always down to have fun and be silly, but they really care about me, and we know we’ve got each others’ backs. As far as my college career, every day I am grateful to be where I’m at, and to be in the position where I can enhance my education and use it as a tool to make a positive difference in the world. Growing up I planned to be a doctor, but recently I made the decision that career wasn’t the right path for me. However, I still have direction in that I know that whatever I end up doing, I want to help people somehow and make the world a better place, while also having a family of my own. The possibilities with that are endless!

21 years down, and it’s been a crazy, fun, awesome adventure. I’ve had my ups, and I’ve definitely had my downs. But what I’m most proud of about myself is that I’ve never given up. I’ve always sought to stay true to the positive, loving, happy person I am. I’m extremely excited for what lies ahead, and am confident that I will continue to grow during the trials. Right now, I just want to soak everything in around me and live life to the fullest every moment I’m given. I want to work hard and embrace the opportunity I have with my education, so that one day I can inspire people by showing that with hard work and perseverance, anything is possible. And most importantly, I want to keep loving the people around me and enjoying this great, big, beautiful world. Thank you all so much for steppin’ along this journey with me so far, can’t wait to see what new adventures are to come my way as a 21-year-old. Happy Birthday to me! God bless.

Love, 

Vanessa

All You Need is Love

Valentine's Day is the day of the year dedicated to celebrating love, which I think is wonderful. However, I also think love is something that should be celebrated every single day of our lives, because it is love that makes life beautiful and meaningful. Love is so important to us, yet at the same time, I think it’s something too easily taken for granted. There are so many different acts of love we receive on a daily basis, it’s up to us to not let them pass by unnoticed. The love we receive from our parents and grandparents - how amazingly selfless and unconditional it is. Even when it’s tough love, it’s to help shape us into strong individuals. The love from our siblings - maybe they drive us crazy sometimes, but we can always count on them to make us smile. The love from our friends - the people that we share our craziest, silliest, and best moments with. They’re always there to be happy for us during good times and to pick us up when we’re down.

Let’s do our best every day to remember that love is the greatest of all gifts. The kind of gift that we need to give and receive as much as possible in our lifetime. Whether we’re having the greatest day of our lives, feeling blue, or anywhere in between, we must always surround ourselves with people we love. Because when we have love, we experience the absolute best of what life has to offer. In the words of my all-time favorite band, “All you need is love.” Have a great week everyone! God bless.

Love,

Vanessa

The Heart of an Olympian

The 2014 Winter Olympics have officially begun in Sochi! I don’t know about you, but I always feel so inspired after watching these amazing athletes from all over the world excel in their professions. As I was watching Jamie Anderson soak up her victory for the U.S. on the podium, I thought of how amazing the feeling is you get when you accomplish your goals. How hard these people have trained to make it to where they are today, how disciplined they have to be, and how badly they must want it. I think the main idea we should all take from this is one word: persistence. Sure, it’s easy to quit something when you experience failure, such as when a snowboarder falls and breaks her ankle - how easy it would be to just stop. But my question is this: if everything in life worth having was easy to get, what would be the worth in obtaining it? We may not be olympians, but we all have gifts. Maybe it’s the natural tendency to empathize with people, or the comprehension needed to make medicine to save lives, or the ability to inspire and motivate others. Or maybe it’s just being the best version of yourself that you can possibly be: mother, father, daughter, son, brother, sister, friend, companion, student, worker. I think it’s when we live up to our capabilities and always strive to be better than we were yesterday that we can achieve great things. 

As I watch these athletes exhibit their talent they have been working on their whole lives, I remind myself of the beauty in pushing yourself to reach your goals. Although it’s definitely hard to do amidst inevitable setbacks along the way, I’ve come to realize that’s what makes life interesting. Enjoy watching the olympics everyone, go USA! God bless.

Love, 

Vanessa

Super Bowl XLVIII

Hey everyone!

For me, Super Bowl Sunday always turns out to be a really fun day. Even when my team doesn’t make it to the big game (like this year), I still always have a great time because it’s an opportunity to get together with my favorite people - family and friends. My mom will usually make her famous chili beans and I’ll help make the 7-layer dip for our viewing party at my grandma’s house. This year, I ended up going over a friend’s apartment to watch it while we ate leftovers from the night before. Although the game wasn’t particularly exciting, as the Seahawks pretty much dominated the Broncos, we still had a good time. Besides the football and the company, one of the other things I always look forward to during the Super Bowl is the commercials. Everyone sticks around during the breaks to see which companies will put on the best ads. They usually seem to be pretty well thought out and bring around a good laugh from everybody. 

Anyways, I love Super Bowl Sunday because no matter what the situation, whether my team is in it or not, or whether I’m with family or friends, it’s a way for me to forget about all my worries and get into the game. This past week was pretty hectic, as I’m sure was for many other people as well. But that’s one of the cool things about sports. It provides a way for people to sit back, relax, and just enjoy each other’s company. This is why I love football. Have a great week everyone! God bless.

Love, 

Vanessa