Thoughts about Memorial Day Weekend, AKA MDW

So friends, we are on the brink of one of my favorite weekends of the year, MDW! I love this weekend because it’s such a great begining and marker for the summer. Each year this is the time that signifies so many important things, the start of summer, white pants season, the beach and long summer nights and weekends. Last time I blogged about MDW, was 2010 and I was making a get-a-way from NYC back to upstate. Now that I live in upstate, I’m making another get-a-way to Cape Cod.

I can’t wait to spend the next 72 hours with some of my favorite lady Barons, looking at the ocean, drinking and hanging out. The older that I have gotten and the more I have moved around, the more I appreciate this type of a weekend. A weekend with people that you are so comfortable with that you never have to explain yourself with, you can just be who you are and never worry about it. There is something about people that you have known your whole life. When you see them it makes you feel like you are whole again, like the pieces of you are still in tact, and that the person that made you who you are is still inside you somehwere.

I’m going to be enjoying this wonderful QT with my girls, most likely with a drink in my hand, a banging 90′s mix cd and some hot pink nail polish!

Wishing everyone a fun and safe MDW! And in the words of my wise aunt, be safe and have fun, but if you are going to be crazy, just don’t get caught!

xoxo
Baron

Thought about Making it Work

I stole the title of this post from the brilliant Tim Gun, whose famous words are always, “Make it work.” Well Mr. Gun, I will be making it work, so thank you. Yesterday I had a conversation about how having a weird day sometimes throws off your game, but you really have to make it work. Regardless if you are in Africa, Rochester, New York, or anywhere else, your life is about making choices everyday that make it work for you.

I often think about how to make my life look exactly like I want it to. And that’s the problem, my life doesn’t need to “look” any certain way, I just have to enjoy it. I have decided since this semester just ended that I will make more of an effort to stop worrying about things that don’t matter and that I can’t control. The best people are the happiest people. I intend to really explore all the hobbies I have been thinking about. I’m taking golf lessons, I’m doing pilates with my Madre and I’m also going train for a race, I’m not sure if it will be a 5k or 10k, but it will be something.

I was reminded just how lucky I am again this morning when I received a 2 line email from probably my favorite person in world and I felt thankful that I lead a life with these people in it. I couldn’t be more lucky than I am to have the friends I have, the family I have and the world I have build around myself. That’s the thing about life, sometimes you need to just stop sweating the small stuff. And sometimes you just need a reminder of just how great yours is.

And mine is wonderful.
xoxo
Baron

Thoughts about Choosing to just be Awesome

This weekend we celebrated another lovely wedding of one of my best friends from college. It also marked my first trip back to San Diego since I left in June. I will admit that I was nervous while sitting on the horribly LONG ride from JFK to San Diego. I was so excited to see everyone, but I was nervous that going back to a place that I felt so unhappy would in turn make me feel weird or unhappy again.

However, when I got there I noticed a lot of what I had missed before, and I didn’t feel weird or bad at all, I felt awesome. I was there to celebrate one of my friends starting a new chapter in her life, I was in a sunny, warm weather, I was with some of my favorite people in the world and most importantly, I’m in a good place in my life right now.

Often I talk about choosing to be happy. Choosing to feel good about something instead of bad. And that’s just what I did this weekend. I just decided to feel awesome about everything we were doing, and it turns out I didn’t have to work too hard at it, since it was awesome.

Outside of thinking my body will never recover from lack of sleep, overwhelming amounts of vodka sodas, junk food, and long plane rides, I find that this is one of the best weekends I’ve had in a long time.

Here’s to being awesome!

xoxo
Baron

Thoughts about Siblings

So it’s been a while since we did a cheesy post, and you know what, it’s time. Today is my older sister’s birthday and while celebrating today for her, I got to thinking about siblings. I was just talking with my parents about this. As we get older, I find that most people either are incredibly close with their siblings or they have drifted apart for whatever reason. I find this so sad. I know my parents could never understand if my sister and I weren’t close, but we are, so it’s always been a none issue.

I guess the point of all this rambling is that I feel so lucky that I have a partner in crime no matter what happens in this world. I have a person that never judges me, always supports me, always helps me, makes fun of me when I deserve it, talks to me, respects me, trusts me and has taught me a lot about the type of person I want to be. I will always have someone to call when the world pushes me down or when the I get the best news. I have a built in fashion consultant that always tells me when my outfits are ugly, will endlessly talk to me about my gym routine and my hair color. There are VERY few people in the wold that will do this for you and enjoy it, so folks, I’ll say this be grateful for your siblings. You are made from the same genes and they are the closest thing you have to yourself. How wonderful and crazy is that? So cherish them.

So happy birthday to my incredible sister, I’m so very lucky to have you.

xoxo
Baron

Thoughts about Self Motivation

Here in upstate New York we find ourselves in the most beautiful spring weather. Usually, we don’t get this until the end of April or May. So you would naturally think this would make me feel more motivated than normal. And you would be wrong. For some reason I have been struggling in a BIG way these past few weeks with self motivating. I can’t really put my finger on what the issue is. I also can’t pinpoint this to one area of my life.

I have been struggling at work, school, at the gym (basically not going), with that I’ve been eating, how I’ve been sleeping, and how I’ve been spending my time. So, what friends is the problem? I’m not really sure. I feel fine, happy in fact. But the more and more I can’t get motivated my happy feeling is slowly but surely slipping away. And it seems no matter how much I want to get myself together, I just can’t seem to do it.

I guess this isn’t really a thought provoking post, it’s more of a post to try and pretend that I can keep myself accountable to something. Summer is coming up quickly and I don’t really have the luxury of not doing what I’m supposed to be doing, body, school, work or otherwise.

Maybe the warm weather will cure what’s ailing me.

xoxo
Baron

Thoughts about Confirmation

No friends, I don’t mean the Catholic kind of confirmation, and by the way one of my best Baron friend’s mom STILL blames me for her not being confirmed…but that’s a story for another day.

Last week was a stressful week for many reasons, the main one being that I was teaching my first lesson. Granted, it was to a bunch of grad students, but still that almost makes it more scary, kids aren’t going to be critiquing you after class. On top of that, I have started working in a school and my grad program is now in full swing. And you know what? Even with the stress, the crazy schedule, and the overwhelming panic about getting all my work done, I still KNOW I made the right choice.

It’s a really nice feeling for someone that constantly worries about her future to know that at this point in time, I have 100% done the right thing. I love teaching. I love being in a classroom. I love learning about it. I even love some of the dumb busy work that comes with it. For the first time in a long time I feel that sense of calm when all the pieces are starting to fit together. I like my grad school, I like the new friends I have been making ( and I of course still adore my old ones), I like my weight loss progress and I like the daily grind of my life.

I think that’s all we can really ask for, at least it’s all I can. So friends, it’s nice to have a little self confirmation. I hope you do too.

xoxo
Baron

PS I aced that lesson!

Thoughts about Funks

Well blog friends, this morning I woke up in an unexplainable funk. This weekend hasn’t been anything out of the ordinary, my life has hasn’t really been anything out of the ordinary lately and yet today I had that weird, nagging feeling all day.

While most people explain this as just PMS, or girly mood swings, I’m pretty sure that’s not what we are dealing with. Sure, I get moody, but that’s usually only triggered by something real. So what do you when you find yourself in a funk and you just aren’t sure why?

I’ll tell you what you SHOULDN’T do. You shouldn’t go on Facebook and look at what everyone else is doing, wearing, dating and living and judge yourself against it. You shouldn’t feel bad about not hearing from a guy you met at the bar that you didn’t even like. You shouldn’t feel bad about being overwhelmed by grad school. And you most definitely shouldn’t stay in your house all day and ready books about things always working out.

But unfortunately for me. This is exactly what I did all day today. And while I’m pretty sure I’m no worse off, I’m sure as hell not better either. I guess we can chalk this up to an off day. And perhaps, I should not over think it too much. But let’s be real, if I wasn’t over thinking I probably won’t be breathing either.

So I guess friends all you can do when you are in a funk is to be kind to yourself and not try and torture yourself all day. Hopefully you are more successful than I am.

xoxox
Baron

Thoughts about being Impressive

So here we find ourselves on yet another Sunday night thinking about how much we don’t want tomorrow to be Monday and also about the events of our weekend. I am always plagued by this on Sundays. As we know I have a bad habit of thinking a lot about things and when it comes to going out there is always A LOT to think about.

So let me break down my Friday night for you all, since I know you care like, a lot. So here’s the back story, since I moved back home I have been making lots of great new friends and I have settled into my life here and decided it’s time I get out there into the dating pool, so I asked my girlfriends if they knew of anyone awesome and single that would perhaps be a good match for me. Flash forward to last weekend, I met the new guy they thought would be a good match and talk to him at the bar in a casual setting. And let me be clear, he has NO idea about this “set up.” Ok great, and then this past Friday we also bump into him at the bar. Again, we have a good conversation and talk a lot.

Now here is the problem. I just met the boy, I don’t know if I could be really interested in him and I’m sure he feels the same about me. However, I feel the need to be impressive when I meet someone new, even if I hate them. I know we all do this. We all talk a big game when we meet new people. I 100 percent act like the sarcastic over the top person I am, but I guess it’s more I care that this person likes me, even if I don’t like them. But as I was laying in bed Saturday morning, I kept thinking about why I care and how much it doesn’t and shouldn’t matter at all what people think of you, if you like who you are. And let’s be real, I love the person I am. Granted this situation lends it self perfectly to this problem. Like I have no idea how this whole thing is going to play out and to be honest, it doesn’t matter.

However, finding out why I think I need to be impressive does need to be figured out. I know we all want to be liked, it’s human nature, but is this a girl thing? Do girls do this when they meet guys? I’m not sure, and I’m not sure it’s all bad. But like anything else in life if you do something and it leaves not feeling great about yourself, then you should stop doing it. This habit of mine makes me feel lame, which means we need to add it to the list of things to work on in 2012.

Writing it out doesn’t really do it justice, but I hope you guys get my drift. Perhaps in a effort to put my money where my mouth is, I’ll actively try not to do that this weekend. It doesn’t really change my behavior per say, but I will work on my mindset while talking to new people.

Here’s to being unimpressive this week!

xoxox
Baron

Thoughts about New Year…New You

I actually hate myself for writing that title, but you know what, that’s what the post is about, so let’s all move on. Happy 2012 friends! Given the fact that I rang in the New Year in Manhattan, I have been doing some serious thinking about the past, present and future of my life. I say this like that’s not what I do almost daily because I’m neurotic. But I digress. So, while spending a lovely weekend in the city, I came to realize a few things that I failed to see before.

1. Being with my friends and family in the same city, is by far the thing that influences my happiest most.
2. There are a lot of great things about New York that I was too quick to judge or too whiney to notice.
3. I miss my life there.
4. There is about a 95% chance I would like to move back.

Now, while this seems semi counterproductive to what I have been saying and doing for the past year, I decided I don’t really care. I needed to go to San Diego to know what I wanted. I needed to come home and go to school to have the career I wanted. And maybe when I’m done with school, I will have to go back to New York to have the life I want. Who knows, but what I do know is this year in 2012, I’m going to make a better effort to think less and do more. And to feel great about it.

I spend so much time worrying and thinking about what I want my life to look like, that sometimes I miss what is right in front of me. Clearly, I’m never going to be the kind of person that doesn’t self reflect, but I want to be the kind of person that only does it when I need to.

So this year, I don’t have any resolutions, but I have decided to make some serious life style changes, and I’m pretty excited about it. I also expect you all to keep me honest, so if my posts start to fall apart, please feel free to comment.

Happy 2012 folks, let’s make it a good one!

xoxo
Baron

Thoughts about Making Memories

Hi friends! I know that it’s been AGES since I last posted, but things always get crazy with the holidays and the end of the semester. So this holiday season I have been thinking a lot about memories. Everyone has holiday traditions and recalls memories of holidays past with their families. When we spend time with our friends, I’m never thinking “this will make a great memory” but when I stop and look around I realize we are making memories.

Ok let me back up. The Thursday before Christmas, I had the pleasure of celebrating my best friend of college’s bachlorette party. In short, the night was perfect. The food, the company, the bar, the laughs, and of course the dresses! As I looked back on the night, I realized we are going to remember this moment forever. We are going to talk about this party and this night for the rest of the years of our friendship. What a strange and kind of overwhelming feeling, in a good way of course. I could not have asked for a better night and or course I hope the bride-to-be felt the same.

I guess I just love memories, I love making them, I love talking about them and I love having a life that gives me so many great ones.

So friends, I hope everyone had a wonderful and peaceful holiday, filled of memories for the future!

xoxo
Baron