what happened? i think my new self ate my old self!

     so this is what i looked like starting college...can you believe it?! even then, like most young women, i wasn't happy with my body. i was always more curvy and athletic than most other girls, but man what i wouldn't give to look like that again! 

     since the start of college in 2005 i've gained around 80 pounds. 80. that's like an 8 with a 0 after it. so much for freshman 15 huh? i guess i turned it into a freshman 15, sophomore 15, junior 15, senior 15! 

     i've also been in a wonderful relationship for almost 3 years and when i'm comfortable with someone, i forget about watching my figure. so since i started dating my darling i've gained about 40 pounds. who knew love was so grand?!

     anyway, what brought this on was channel surfing and landing on vh1's "40 most slim downed celebs." i was like man, i always say i need to start doing something about my weight because although i think i'm beautiful, i'm not happy. 

     so what do i do? i really have no will power when it comes to food. i've always, ALWAYS eaten whatever i wanted. i remember i'd have a lunch packed in high school and eat all of it and then proceed to go get a large fry with 2 rolls and bar-b-q sauce (the sauce was made from scratch in our cafeteria and it was to die for). well if you've ever met me, you know i'm one of the pickiest eaters. i love carbs. i love starch. i love sweets. despite popular belief, i have expanded my horizons since high school. i started eating and liking salad. i also eat more chicken. i've never really cared for any sort of meat besides maybe a hot dog, so this is a revelation. 

      so i'll start trying to make more wise decisions when it comes to food. that can be resolution number 1.

     this is what i look like now. i'm not hard on the eyes, but i don't feel good about how i've let myself go. so what happened if i ate what i wanted then and still eat what i want now? well, i did dance for 14 years, cheerleading for 5 and had a membership at the ymca. i used to love exercise. now i think i've gotten to the point that i feel like i look ridiculous if i try to. "i'm just too fat," i tell myself, "no one wants to see a fat girl exercising."

     well news flash kara, GET OVER IT. quit complaining and making excuses and take life by the reins. nothing's ever going to just change on it's own.

     so i'll start making an effort to exercise. that's resolution number 2.

      now...i mentioned i'm in this wonderful loving relationship. i know alex loves me no matter what, but right now he's got a whole lot to love and we'd both be happier living a healthier lifestyle. i know we're going to get married one day and like all other women, i do not want to be a fat bride. i see us getting married in the next year or two so now is the time to take action. hey, maybe i'd get a ring if i have a skinnier finger to put it on, lol :)

     so include others in my new lifestyle and use the support as motivation. that makes resolution number 3. 

     

     moving right along...after this wedding business...we're going to have kids one day; probably about 5 or so years from now. i need to be fit for my children. i need to be healthy to even have kids in the first place. 

     there's so many health issues in my family. diabetes, heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc! well you think those factors lurking around the corner would whip my butt in gear. and you're right. i'm healthy now, but if i keep up my current lifestyle there's no way i'll make it without suffering from one, some, or all of these.

     i love my mom, but i have to break this cycle. she never wanted me to be this way. she lived her whole life being overweight and didn't want me to know what it was like. so i'm approaching 24 and i have to make the change NOW. i'm young and i can do it!

     so i will break the cycle and be a healthy example for my family now and in the future. definitely resolution number 4.

     alright, well that gives me some plans to put into motion! if you too are overweight or maybe you just want to make yourself a better you, join me in keeping the faith and fighting for what you want and what you deserve.

Hello Lover

HI! it's me again :)

Sooooo it's almost July now and this will be my last hot summer in the grand state of Texas (as far as I know)! Alex, Dakota & I are moving to Charlotte, NC in August and I'm so thrilled! No real reason for the big change besides wanting a big change. I know, doesn't really sound like me and I still have people constantly asking me "are you REALLY moving?" The answer is YES! I graduated over a year ago now and have been working as the assistant manager for Avenue since the end of July. I just want to explore a new place and new opportunities. I'm only 23 years young, not married, no kids, and no awesome job in the field I wish to be in....so why not uproot my entire life and try something new?! I'm afraid if I don't do it now it'll never happen. Carpe diem!

The perks of moving to Charlotte:
1. we can be only a few hours away from Alex's family
2. I have an aunt that lives there
3. that aunt may be able to get me some sort of job at the Charlotte Observer since she, at one time, was a head hancho for them
4. Alex predominately grew up there so he knows the area
5. it's beautiful! I fell in love when I visited during Christmas 09
6. I get to visit surrounding areas, which are places I've never been! ie Virgina, Washington DC, South Carolina, beautiful beaches

Charlotte's downfall(s):
1. away from my family
2. away from everyone else I know

But I plan on actually making an effort to form friendships there. I haven't done so well with keeping up with the ones here. It's so funny thinking about it...in college my best friend lived a couple blocks away but I always seemed "too busy" to do anything and now my friends live in places like Tyler and Dallas and Fort Worth and Austin. I definitely have to make the effort to see them before I move. Not that I'll never be back in Texas, but I'd definitely rather drive 4 hours instead of 24. Anyway, the point is I need to be a better friend. And in a lot of ways this moving will be a fresh start. A clean slate. No one knows me. That's exciting!

Well, I guess that's enough of an update for now. Less than 2 more weeks of work left then I need to get packing....

hey, remember me?

HI! so post graduation life is stressful and busy!

First, Alex & I vacationed to Florida for a week--which was a blast!

Then, I found a job working for Kingsland Blvd Animal Clinic...
Then, I found ANOTHER job working for Avenue.

Yay, 2 jobs is...a lot of fun? :| I'm excited to be working and making money to pay bills like a real person. Hopefully it'll get narrowed down to 1 soon. Avenue wants to make me the Assistant Manager but I haven't been presented the offer yet as far as salary goes.

Alex & I signed a lease on our first house together on Monday and the house is ours as of Friday! Moving isn't too fun but I'm so excited to have such an amazing house with such an amazing man :)

My mom's having surgery next week. I hope everything goes smoothly and she's up and running again in no time with minimal back and hip pain. Surgery can be a scary thing and it's even scarier knowing I can't be there to take care of her as much as I would like with living an hour away and working 2 jobs, but I'll do what I can! Love you Mom.

pitty party for 1, please

howdy! so i've had a terrible, awful, no good, very bad week so far...and it's only Tuesday! lol...oh well.

everything bad has been happening, so i know good things are coming my way soon.

on Sunday we had a short rehearsal before my theatre performance...apparently there was a screw sticking up out of the floor that gashed my leg open & i bled everywhere...fun

on Monday i got hit by a lady pulling out of an ordering stall at Sonic. then when i got home with my food, i smashed my toe underneath a leg of my bed.

today i realized a local establishment charged my credit card with an amount that is not mine AND the lovely ladies who were supposed to be taking over my apartment lease backed out. backed out 4 days before they were supposed to move in.

so fun, fun, fun! hopefully this just means i'm gonna ace all my last finals and have an awesome graduation and move. and maybe, just maybe, get a stellar job after Alex and i vacation!

anyway, i can't change the things that have happened so far this week, but i will keep smiling and hope that it ends well :)

1 week till graduation!

i graduate next saturday!!! i'm super excited, but i don't think i'll realize i'm done with school until it's the end of august when i would normally head back for the fall semester. well, and hopefully by that time i'll have some super cool, awesome, fantastic job.

i'm really excited to move in with my best friend & my wonderful dog :)

threats

so, if you haven't heard...

yesterday there were signs found in the early morning hours around campus and at my apartment complex. they read as follows:

"10 people will be shot & killed today at -----" -at my apartment complex
"a shooting will occur today and students will DIE" -on campus

i found out about the threats on my way to my first class at 9:30 when my best friend called me. i got a chill and my eyes started to tear. you can only imagine looking over your shoulder every where you go.

the threats were made on the 2nd anniversary of virginia tech and apparently monday marks the anniversary of columbine. scary.

what bothered me most about this was besides the police, rangers, fbi, etc that were swarming the school, i seemed to be the only one concerned. people in my classes were saying things like "oh please, there were threats made every day at my high school." okay, well i've never been anywhere where there was a threat..and HELLO, it's a THREAT!

i'm very glad to be alive. and i'm very glad for my friends and family. i love you all!

so far they've had a couple of leads, but found nothing. i hope they can confirm it was a prank soon so i can rest easy. i don't want any tragedies. AND i'm only 29 days from graduation. now i can't wish to get out of here fast enough!

keep me in your prayers.

hippity hoppity, easter's on it's way

so i'm really excited to head back to my homes wednesday. i say homes because i'm spending the weekdays at my mom's and weekend at alex's. the agenda? well...

• relaxing
• probably packing some things up from my mom's either to sell in a garage sale or move over to alex's
• dog races on thursday...haven't been since i've been legal
• nick time
• sunday brunch with my family & alex -which includes game time!
• i'd really like to dye some eggs :)

it's going to be a nice week. hopefully i won't spend too much time thinking about all the work that lies ahead when i return. lots of projects and finals and work. i've put together a women's health awareness week for april 20-24 and now the psych club would like me to organize a violence awareness event for the proceeding week. i decided i'd make a really great event coordinator. what do you think?

i'm going to be one of those people who really appreciates their job; whatever it is. i'm not the type of person to do work that i'm not proud of. i'm just curious as to where the chips will really fall. as of today, pr people usually start out making around $52,000. if i'm just an administrative assistant, i'd make around $30,000, but if i specialize in public affairs or human resources they generally make $56,000. if i'm a pr manager, they make $82,000, directors make on average $126,000 & executives bank about $170,000! i know i'll have to start at the bottom and work my way up the ladder, but in the end i'd really like to own my own pr firm. we'll see i guess.

anyway, happy early easter! i hope the easter bunny brings you lots of good things.