a tidbit - take it or leave it

TODAY'S TOPIC IS...
Pass on some useful advice or information you learned and always remembered.


I just recently finished watching the whole series of My Name is Earl on Netflix. GREAT SHOW. The macro storyline is all about karma. Karma is Earl's god. Well, karma is kind of my god too. This post isn't about to get into religious discussions because that isn't today's topic (nor a topic I have plans to cover anytime soon) but I will preface this with that I am not a God fearing woman, I am a karma fearing woman.

Growing up I did not have a bad childhood, we struggled and I started learning life lessons young. I believed in karma before I knew what karma even was. It wasn't until my dad remarried that this 'little tidbit' was pushed into the forefront of my mind. She used to constantly tout "What goes around comes around". Needless to say when the JT song came out, I was all about that shit. lol. She came into our family around the time I was just starting high school (she is no longer part of our family). I'm not sure why this one stuck, maybe it was because my dad didn't teach by giving us quote-like wisdom bits. I learned by experience, by listening to stories, by seeing others make mistakes. I figured out that I didn't have to experience it first hand to learn a lesson. Maybe she just said it too much, I'm not sure but it stuck. I think that fact that I could look back on past experiences and see karma cleaning things up made it easier to hold onto. Sure enough, those who did us wrong always got their just desserts and if they hadn't yet, they would.

Now I know what you are probably thinking... "Hannah, everyone has heard that saying time and time again. Was it really necessary to write an entire blog post about it?"

Probably not.

I probably could have talked about numerous things. I wouldn't have been myself though if I didn't write about karma. My Facebook about me page has always said one thing, "Karma is a bitch. Watch your back." It's been at least 5 years. It's just been that piece of advice I've always remembered. I'm not trying to tell you to fear karma because while that statement makes a point, it isn't entirely true. I fear a lot of things, karma isn't one. Karma isn't my god. The universe is. Mother Nature is. Life's little wonders are. Karma is that easy statement, that constant fall back, and that albeit corny, old as time saying that has always proved to have my back.

James has a shirt with a Japanese proverb on it that is something he has always lived by, "If you sit by the river long enough, you will see the body of your enemy float by." Same theory, different words. Chances are you have your own version of it too. I'd love to hear it if you do. Leave a comment if you feel like sharing :)

xoxohannah
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my dream sabbatical

TODAY'S TOPIC IS...
If you could take three months off from your current life and do anything in the world, what would you do?

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Honestly, any sabbatical I take would seem utterly boring from the outside but I suspect that many people may feel that way when they think about their own. If I could do anything I would have a small cabin that I could live in, fix up, and practice hobby after hobby. It doesn't need to be expansive, just some open floor plans and bare bones. It could be in just about any country as long as it was in the hills, mountains, water, or all three or any combination thereof. I would love to walk out the front door or look out the window and just be in awe of the world around me.

I would spend my days working on the home, gardening, cooking, baking, creating everything from watercolor art to furniture, and more than my fair share of time taking photos. I would have Abe and James there (obvs lol) and he would have an office to write in and Abe would play frisbee in the forest or on the beach. It would be amazing to have friends and family near to come together for dinner parties in the evening. Honestly, I would just want to get away from the hustle and bustle to connect with my soul, connect with the peace in nature, and wake up everyday knowing that money, politics, and unnecessary drama can't bring me down.

I had a great conversation with my dad at some point over the past year about how I would love to build a life in the middle of nowhere. I wanted to create only the relationships and stresses I wanted without the pressure of the world telling me to fight my way to the top, climb the corporate ladder, or bleed my knuckles to the bone trying to be what everyone else thinks my success should look like. His response was simple, chuckle-worthy, and as always, perfect... "Now you understand the 60s." I am my father's daughter :)

xoxohannah

i hail from...

This month I will be following along and posting with Blogtember hosted by Jenny over at Story of My Life.
If you are a new reader, WELCOME! Thank you for coming by. You are starting off on a goodie :)

TODAY'S TOPIC...
Describe where or what you come from. The people, the places, and/or the factors that make up who you are.


I hail from a little place called Las Vegas. I was born and raised in a city that was constantly changing and growing. I can tell you so many stories from my childhood growing up on railroad tracks that are now overpasses and ranch style homes with horses that are now track developments. I can tell you stories about all the great spots to get away from the madness that is Sin City, the best mexican food in town, and show you both what it is known for and what it isn't. Being from Las Vegas is a big part of who I am but so is my family or, as you will learn, my lack thereof.



I was very fortunate to have been born from two healthy parents with good genes and lots of love. I have an amazing younger brother who is smarter than anyone realizes and could be the next Steve Jobs if he really wanted to. (Big sister gloat, sorry I'm not sorry!) By all accounts my life was set to be pretty normal, until it wasn't. The funny thing is... nothing about my life feels un-normal. What was two healthy parents became one when my mom walked out on the three of us and took my oldest stepbrother with (she went on to have 3 more kids - that's 6 total - but that is a story for another time). To make a long story short, real life came early and while I grew up really young I think it taught me how to be both a responsible person and a fun-loving dork regardless of my age.

Not knowing 50% of my relatives meant that I always had a really small family. Growing up we were the 3 Musketeers - my dad, brother, and myself. Is it any wonder I was a tomboy? haha Beyond that was a short trip over the hump to Pahrump (yes, that is a real place and something said by Las Vegans) where my dad's parents lived. Many summers, spring breaks, and weekends were spent at their house building forts, getting yelled at for laughing too loud, and later in the years... for fighting too much. Those were the good ol' days until I turned 16 and I really began to understand people the way I thought I always had. When my grandfather passed away it was a door that couldn't be closed. True colors started to show.

I quickly realized that I was who I was because I was raised by my dad in a single parent household and the life experiences that happened as a result. It wouldn't be for a couple more years when my mom's side of the family found me through Facebook and the course of events from age 18-24 that I would really understand that my dad wasn't just the best single parent on the planet but probably the most amazing human being I'll ever know.

My dad taught me that breaking the cycle is possible, that you can overcome pretty much anything, that budget shopping is a way of life to be learned young, and that no matter how many people are in your family that there is no limit to love. I grew up one of the most provocative cities in the world having to face life younger than most and grew up to be a responsible, well-rounded, level-headed, smart, sassy, and all around decent human being. You are where you come from. You are who you come from. But you can also be who you would want your kids to come from. That is really what my dad taught me.

xoxohannah


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