About "Being All You Can Be"

I think just about everyone has heard that slogan before. Parents and teachers have preached it since the wee days of kindergarten. They may not always phrase it the same, but it works out to being the best version of you that you can be. As I've recently shared, this fall I've taken on quite a bit of 'extracurricular' tasks all at once. Right now, I'm trying to find a nice balance between them all, and I feel a bit like a tight-rope walker, wearing a blindfold and carrying a stack of fine China on my head!

I know that I have to let go of the idea of perfection, but it's hard to convince yourself of that when you feel like you have so much to prove (even if it's only to yourself). I want to be the best mother and wife I can be. That means volunteering in the schools and baking cookies for work. It means the house doesn't stay dirty, the laundry doesn't pile, and there's always a plan for dinner (which always includes a leafy green). I want to be the best rookie coach I can be. That means I'm always fun, but I teach them so much. I never have to raise my voice or give them "the look". They never leave upset with me and they feel comfortable enough to tell me about the little boys in class. I want to be the best student I can be. That means I never skip a reading assignment. I never roll my eyes at the basic things we're learning. I always finish well before the weekly deadline, and I always get 'A's'. I want to be the best blogger I can be. That means I always have witty things to say, my pictures are flawless, and I never use a comma splice. I want to be the best friend I can be. That means I'm always helpful and I never say no. I'll always be up for coffee anytime--I'll never be too busy. I want to be the best tenant I can be. I will not complain about the smell of mold. Or how long it's taking to get it fixed. Or that I cannot stand the current construction zone called our house. I want to be the best landlord I can be. That means I won't bang my head against the table when changing a light switch is considered "emergency maintenance" and costs $130.

I will always try to be the best me that I can be. But I am all of these things, and I need to learn that I will not be the BEST at them all. Only some of these things are vitally important to me. I will be the best mother and wife I can be. I will try to always be a great friend. The rest, I'll settle for being mildly awesome at.

Now that you know I'm certifiably crazy, please reassure my nutty side that I'm not the only one (right? RIGHT?!) Do ever feel like you're trying to 'prove something' to yourself or the world? About being a parent or a spouse or just a person in general?

Our Travel Wish List

When we found out we were moving to Europe, my eyes got big and my dreams got bigger. Instead of my travel wish list being "gee I hope I get to leave the East Coast someday", it's turned into something I think even Rick Steves would be proud of!

Here is a (sure to be incomplete) list of the places Josh and I hope to visit during our stay in Europe-in no particular order.

Germany:

•   Munich 
•   Stuttgart-October 2014
•   Nüremberg
•   Berlin-August 2013 (but would like to go again)
•   Any many other cities and towns in between

France:

•   Paris-July 2013 and July 2014 {Must go again for Disneyland Paris}
•   Normandy
•   Strasbourg

The Netherlands

•   Tulip Festival
•   Amsterdam

Luxembourg

Austria:

•    Salzburg
•    Vienna-Josh has been, but the rest of us haven't

Italy:

•   Lake Como
•   Rome
•   Piza
•   Venice
•   Florence
•   Verona

Belgium:

•   Brussels-February 2014
•   Bruges
•   Antwerp

Greece:

•   Athens-Josh has been, but the rest of us haven't
•   Santorini

Czech Republic:

•   Prague

Turkey:

•   Istanbul--Josh has been twice, but the rest of us haven't

Poland:

•   Krakow

Switzerland:

•   Zermatt
•   Zürich
•   Bern

Hungary:

•   Budapest

Croatia:

•   Dubrovnik
•   Split

Spain:

•   Barcelona
•   Madrid

United Kingdom: 

•   London--April 2014
•   Glasgow

Ireland:

•   Dublin

Of course, we probably won't get to see ALL of this list, and this is by no means all inclusive. These were just the places we could think of off the tops of our heads and with my limited geographical knowledge. How does this list look? Pretty achievable, right? Any places we MUST see? Recommendations for booking travel like cruises, cheap lodging, or airfare sites?

20 Things You Might Not Know About Me

1. I am the most under traveled military brat you've ever met. Both my parents were in the Air Force growing up, yet I've only lived in four places my whole life, including Germany.

 2. One of those four places was Baltimore, Maryland, where I was born and lived for a few years. I don't even think I really remember it. I only really remember visiting my grandmother for summers and watching Nick at Night. That's where I learned to appreciate I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched!

3. If I ever tell a story about when I was little, I guarantee it happened 'when I was six'. Apparently that was my most memorable year and very eventful.

4. My very first favorite color was "sea foam green". An odd choice for a little kid, but I had the mega pack of crayons, and that's the color I was drawn to. (pun intended) My dad made fun of me for it, if I recall.

5. My very favorite color now is teal-if you didn't know this one, I'm kind of shocked! Just about everything I own is in one shade of teal or another.

6. I am the oldest of four girls. If you ever see my dad, buy him a beer. Or ear plugs. The poor guy deserves it- even the dog is a girl.

 7. *mush alert* Speaking of dad.... My dad is one of the coolest guys I know. We weren't always close, but I'm really not sure what I'd do without him! So in short, MY DAD IS COOLER THAN YOUR DAD. "Don't be hatin'..."

8. If you know me personally, you probably know that I'm not really one for mush. I'm not a hugger/kisser/public hand-holder. It's not that I don't love you, I just don't want to touch you. Go take this quiz to find out your "love language". When I took it, it confirmed that I am indeed NOT a physical type person. I get my affection from words, so the 'sticks and stones' rule does not apply. Words CAN hurt me.

9. I have an extreme[ly close to dangerous] love of John Mayer. And I've tormented shared it with my family so much that one kid loves him, one kid hates him, and one kid plays "John Mayer" as a game.

10. I'm scared of the dark. Not that I think there are monsters or anything, I just get scared when I can't see. I feel like I'm blind. Therefore, I sleep with a light on in the hall. Ask Josh how much I freak out when he turns it off!

11. A few years ago (like 2006ish), I got Shingles. As in the elderly people's chicken pox type thing. It was hideous. But now that I've learned of other non-elderly people who've had it, I don't feel as bad.

12. A few years after that, I also had Bell's Palsy. The symptoms were all explainable at the time, so I had no clue when I went to work and kept getting strange looks. I thought I had severely pulled a muscle in my face. {{Can we all just take a moment to think about how dumb that sounds right now?}} I worked an entire day with one half of my face drooping down, looking like I'd had a stroke. It wasn't until I went to the restroom and saw in a mirror that I saw there was a problem. Also, since my boss waited until the END of my day to tell me she thought I'd had a stroke, I was blissfully unaware for hours. Please people, speak up if you see something wrong.

13. Because of #12,  I sometimes cannot close one eye all the way. I've only noticed in the shower when I get soap in it, but I've had multiple people confirm that I sometimes sleep with one eye open. No sneaking up on me!

14. On my second attempt at college, I received my certification in Legal Assisting. Number of times I've actually used that? 0.

15. I'm a work in progress. I haven't quite decided what I want to be when I grow up. Any ideas would be appreciated. Here's what I know: it can't be anything sales based. I'm horrible at trying to  sell things to people who don't want it. Also, I look like a kid. That doesn't help my credibility.

16. I read a lot, but the books I read are generally works of fiction. Distopia, Shopaholics, and teenage vampires. Yup, that about sums it up. I know I'm well into my 30's, but I swear I have Peter Pan Syndrome!

17. When I get into something, I get all the way into it. I learn as much about it as I can. I pretty much obsess over it. Especially if it's something I've tried and wasn't that good at. It's like I compete with myself. I hate to fail at something, and I will try, try, try until I can at least say it didn't beat me.

18. I am a super procrastinator. I know this and I cannot stop even when I try really, really hard. I personally work a little better when I have that extra pressure on me. I need to stop, though, because it's a trait I don't want to pass on to my kids. If they leave it to me, I wait until the night before to help with projects, which really isn't a good idea.

19. I have a horrible diet that consists of mostly sugar, fat, and any other super unhealthy food you can think of. I'm working on it.

20. I am neither a morning person nor night owl. Catch me midday, when I'm at my best!