Monthly Archives: January 2018

Ocean Isle Beach

This weekend’s adventure not only took us to Ocean Isle Beach, NC, but also Myrtle Beach, SC!
We got to Ocean Isle Friday night and I had no clue just how close to the beach and ocean we were. You could hear the ocean, and little to my knowledge, my sweet boyfriend got us an ocean view. We stayed at a place called Islanders Inn. It came equipped with a medium sized flat screen, microwave, coffeemaker, a small fridge, and 2 sinks (one was for a kitchenette like area). The room had a queen bed as well as a pull out bed for only $82 which was pretty good. The balcony gave an amazing view of the ocean. It was gorgeous! It was almost scary, you know? Just this free-flowing thing. It’s so expansive and brings you down to earth. You relax for once because your life and problems just seem so minimal compared to the strength and beauty of the ocean. Just breathtaking.

In the morning we watched the sunrise along the pier and then went back to sleep; We had been up late doing homework. When we finally woke up we walked along the beach and took some video footage for our vlog here. We ended up collecting shells, and I touched seafoam for the first time. It seemed so magical as I went for it, but I regretted picking it up haha. My hands were sandy and dirty, so I wiped it on my jeans and my lovely boyfriend. As this was going on, I had turned my back to the ocean, which is a no-no considering the last time at the beach we both almost drowned, and that’s when the sea level increased and drenched out shoes. So with our wet and sandy shoes and shells in hand, we started walking away. We ending up seeing all of one bird, who was absolutely adorable. Have you ever seen that Pixar short “Piper”? That’s the kind of bird it was. We tried to follow it because we’re weird, but it flew away. Now that I think about it there were a few crows for some reason. Spooked!


We ended up having breakfast at a little place called DRIFT. We shared an acai bowl and salmon sandwich, both of which were really good. I had never had salmon like that or had the opportunity to try acai despite the craze for both in the recent years.

After brunch, we proceded to Myrtle Beach with the intention of going to their children’s museum. I’m an Illinois girl, so I had high expectations compared to both the Chicago and Indianapolis Children’s Museums. I was disappointed. When we drove up it seemed generally run down and only one story. I’m sure little kids would enjoy it, but I don’t think we would have so we didn’t even get out.

We had seen a pottery sign around the corner, which gave us the idea to go to a pottery painting shop. We ended up going to a place called “Harry the Potter”. We spent around 3 or 4 hours there!! We both decided on mugs that were $20 each. I took the aesthetic route, painting mine with cacti, while the bf ended up on the Spongebob meme route.

After painting, we were literally starving and ended up at Simply Southern Smokehouse. The food was really good and for the price, pretty good too. The owner was active in helping people out and taking their dishes. He was also extremely energetic! EXTREMELY. Birthdays were celebrated with two verses of happy birthday along with a custom balloon hat…no matter your age. He loudly sang “This Little Light of Mine”, clapping his hands hard like he was in church. He even gave a small child a little truck he had. It was in the package like he waited for moments like these to make a child happy. He was sweet and a little crazy, and he made great food.

We went back to the hotel and in the morning it was drizzling and foggy, so when I woke up in the morning attempting to see the sunrise, there really wasn’t anything to see. We left around 11 and had one more stop, the Bagel Dock Cafe. Their cream cheese selection was so beautiful! Strawberry, Sundried Tomato, Scallion, etc. They looked amazing, with fresh ingredients! Too bad I didn’t see the selection until after I finished my order, but there’ll be a next time. Despite that, my bagel was really good. Salmon and cream cheese with tomato and red onions on an everything bagel. Simple and delicious. My bf has a bad habit of picking either something identical or similar to my order, so he got a bacon and cream cheese on an everything bagel. We both admit it was good, but it was bacon. It wasn’t anything new or special, so he ordered The Godfather on Asiago. It contained Ham, Salami, Turkey, and Tomato with cream cheese I believe. It was good. We enjoyed it. 

Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t the best, but we still had a really good time. More of our trip was based on food rather than the things we did. We struggle with that part, but then again, it makes everything cheaper for us. We’ll get better at it though.

2018 Goals

My Goals to Kick 2018’s Butt

1. Reach 130 Pounds

Losing weight has been one of my biggest goals in life. I know weight is not everything, but to me, it’s a big part of how I want to live. It isn’t just about the weight, it’s about what comes along with it. Losing weight will make me feel more comfortable in my skin. The measures that I’m going to take to reach this goal will make me healthier. I’m going to drink more water, eat more fruits and vegetables and less processed foods, exercise at least 30 minutes a day, and get more sleep every night. All of this I know will change my life for the better. Hopefully, not only will I be smaller, but stronger, have healthier skin, more energy, a better memory, and much more.

2. Read at least 12 books besides required material

I use to read so much, but over the years my attention span has shortened, and my enjoyment of books has declined. I couldn’t seem to find books that sparked my interest, or rather I couldn’t get myself to read long enough to spark any investment. I crave books though. They are magical. That was and always will be what books are to me, but I’ve discovered more. More and more I’ve seen the possibilities that can come from reading nonfiction as well. There is more than just fantasy and living in the dreams that stories create, I can really learn things that I can apply to my life to make it better. So here I am ready to start with the first 12 books on this list of 35 Books That Will Make You A Better Person.
Every single day I wake up I feel like a failure. There are plenty reasons as to why I feel like this, but the main one is believing that there must be some shortcut. The thing is, no matter how hard you try to believe that, it won’t become true. Maybe…just maybe a door opens. No. A window. Maybe a window will crack slightly open to success, but the chances of that happening to any of us are virtually slim to none. Sorry to break it to you, but here are a few reasons why success has not yet come to you.

3. Make at least $500 from a new business venture

I have so many business Ideas, but I’m young. I really don’t have enough money to really start a big business venture out of nowhere, but I can start small. $500 of profit isn’t bad for a year.

4. Have at least $5000 in my bank account by the end of the semester

As already stated, I’m a broke college kid. I have goals that need money, including start-ups, getting married, having a child, going to medical school, starting a non-profit, owning a home and a farm. I want to be able to provide, and I will have to with lots of money in the next 5 years. I also want to take a gap year after college, which might consist of a lot of traveling. I’ll be budgeting my money better by keeping up to date with coupons, using apps to help save and keep track of receipts, working more and getting down to business, and putting money into savings.

5. Try/Join at least one new thing

This semester I want to get more involved in something. I really don’t have any good friends back at school. I don’t mind it, but I want to have something that is just mine. I like to be by myself, but It isn’t what I need. Sometimes I drag myself out of the house and actually enjoy it, so if I have something that does this, It’ll be really beneficial for me. So this year I’m joining the boxing club at my university. They have training sessions 2x a week for newbies. It’s $60, so that’ll be an investment in the motivation to keep me going. This will be good for my physical and emotional health. This will be my thing, and maybe I’ll meet some people.