Olympic Man Candy ;)

Here are just a few reasons why I love the Summer Olympic Games ;)

 Ryan Lochte: FAVE

YUM!! (wipes drool from face)

Obviously I love it for the sports, it is all the best ones! Swimming, rowing, track& field are my favorites.

I asked my roommate, her bf and my sister a question as we were watching the Olympics last night: Would you rather be unattractive and an Olympic Athlete (like gold medal winner) or stay at your same level of attractiveness and be a normal person? My roommate and her bf automatically said stay the same attractiveness, that they really had no interest in becoming an Olympic athlete. My sister and I agreed we would rather be ugly and a great athlete. It got me thinking about what drives people. I guess competition, athleticism and recognition drive my sister and I, while attractiveness drives others. Not that either one is wrong, it is just an interesting comparison.

Which would you choose?!?

PS Dear Missy Franklin, You are my idol. I would give anything to be 17 years old, 6'1" and a swimming phenom. Keep it up!

Bachelorette Recap--Finale!!!

Finally, someone that I want wins on this show! After being disappointed by Ben Flajnik last season, and not thinking Emily deserved another chance to be on the show, and not thinking any of the guys were cute, I take it all back! I love Emily, I quickly fell in love w Jef and Arie. I loved Jef almost from the start, after I got over the hair and the one "f" ;) He is so cute and sweet and my heart melted at pretty much everything he had to say, like when he asked her in the library, something along the lines of "I really like you, and I was wondering if maybe you wanted to get a dog" or when he ran back and got the little Ricki puppet. I just thought he was good for her, and so cute and I may have shed a tear during their proposal :) I am not the girl that always loves love (sometimes I make barfing sounds), but I really want them to work out. Hi, my name is Amanda and I am a reality tv-aholic and I am obsessed with the Bachelor and Bachelorette. So sue me!

Euro Trip 2012

Next Thursday I am off to Spain, Austria, Switzerland and Germany. I CANT WAITTTT!!!! I haven't taken a real vacation in forever, and it has been 5 years since I have been to Europe! I am so excited to go back, explore new places and have a fantastic time. I get excited every time I think about it!!! I believe that Europe feeds my soul, that I left my heart in Florence 5 years ago, and there is something so magical about getting out of the fast lane that we live in, and to be part of something so foreign and new. This is what experiences are made of, humbling situations, separated from the hustle and bustle, just soaking it all in. I can't wait to soak up rays on the beach in Spain, drink beer in Germany, feel the hills that are alive with the sounds of music in Austria, and marvel at the mountains in Switzerland :) I may go start packing right now!

Looking Back....

Do you ever look back on your life 2 years ago, 5 years ago, 10 years ago and think about how you were "back then"? I have been doing that more often lately, and sometimes when I think about the person I was 5 years ago, or 2 years ago, I feel like I wouldn't recognize that girl anymore. I look back on the decisions that I have made, why I made them, what my mindset was at the time, and the way I reacted to things, and shake my head. For a really long time I don't think I was confident enough in myself to make my own decisions, or I made decisions hastily without thinking. I cringe when I think of some of the decisions I made, and get sad when I think of things that could have gone differently.But I believe things happen for a reason. But sometimes I lose faith in the reasons, faith in my ability to make decisions and faith in myself. It's frustrating and eye opening at the same time, because I am recognizing where I have made mistakes before and I am slowly teaching myself not to make those mistakes again. For me, I am an impulsive, impatient and passionate person, and my reactions sometimes reflect that, as for my decisions in the past that I now wish I could have maybe made a different decision. This insight seems to be a blessing and a curse. Now that I have gotten to thinking about it, I over analyze EVERYTHING! Every decision, reaction, encounter etc, and it gives me anxiety. My impatience is fighting to escape my "grown up" mindset, and doesn't want to wait for things to fall into place. I am working towards trusting the process, enjoying the little moments that you look back on and smile, and to embrace those as precious jewels. Moments like seeing a double rainbow a few hours after telling my friend I thought they were a sign from people above (Thanks Nana), a good conversation with a friend that opened my eyes to some things, the excitement of seeing my sister after 5 months, talking to my grandpa on the phone, just to tell him I was thinking about him, the Carrie Underwood song that makes me think of  Nana. Things that make my heart swell with love and gratitude, and I am working towards using that mentality to convince myself that my life has played out and will play out according to the plan, to stop worrying about where and when, stop comparing myself to others for whom things seem to automatically fall into place, and to soak up every experience I possibly can, good or bad. And just to smile :)

Because most of my infinite wisdom comes from  Pinterest, Friends, Mean Girls or Sex and the City, listen to the ever-wise Carrie Bradshaw:

 

"Maybe our mistakes are what make our fate. Without them, what would shape our lives? Perhaps if we never veered off course, we wouldn't fall in love, or have babies, or be who we are. After all, seasons change. So do cities. People come into your life and people go. But it's comforting to know the ones you love are always in your heart. And if you're very lucky, a plane ride away."

Weekend Update ATL Style

Here I am, back in Huntsville, AL after a weekend in the ATL (as the locals call it). I am in Huntsville for work for 2 weeks, and my friend met me in ATL for the weekend, and her friend came down for the night on Friday. It was supposed to be rainy all weekend, but it was hot and sunny so we got to do some outside stuff :) J and I arrived at the same time, but A got stuck at work and didn't get there until almost midnight. So J and I changed and headed to a bar down the street. .6 miles down the street to be exact, but we paid $12 for a cab that drove us not even a mile, and he lied to us and said all downtown cabs are $12. They aren't. We got ripped off. FAIL. So we had a few beers and some snacks and waited for A to get there. Once we did we went out in Buckhead and met some nice southern gentleman. Then we came back and devoured a box of cheez-its before passing out. Saturday J had to get up to drive to a wedding in Alabama (hoppin place right? Wrong) So A and I got ready and headed out to the Flying Biscuit, home of the best grits in the world!!! After stuffing ourselves, we were going to go to World of Coke, but it was super crowded and we couldn't find parking, so we met up with some of A's friends at a gigantic food truck festival. It sounded like a good idea at the time, but after waiting 2 HOURS in line for some so-so asian style tacos, and getting sunburned, we were all pissed, hot and tired. We hung out in the shade chatting for a while, and then trudged home. We sat on the couch and watched Food Network, picked up some takeout and enjoyed fried pickles, nachoes and pinot grigio and more food network. Then I had a marathon session of taking flying leaps onto the cushy hotel bed while A tried to get a picture of it. We ended up with several bad pictures, one hilarious video, and I have a sore ankle. We passed out early and lazed around this morning. We grabbed brunch at a bakery nearby and then visited world of coke. We took pictures with the Olympic Torch, which was cool, tasted some gross sodas in the tasting center, and then went into sugar comas from all the soda. Then I hopped on the road back to H-Town, winding around the most dizzying country backroads you will ever see. I did see some beautiful mountains and rivers and lakes along the way, but I felt really dizzy from all the turns. I rocked out to some music, took some funny pics, and now I am relaxing, about to tackle more of my book or Glee season 2, I haven't decided which yet :) Great Weekend!

Happy 4th of July!

I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing 4th of July! I spent the day at my roommate's parents lake house and we had a GREAT day going out on the boat, having a few drinks, eating some delicious food and watching fireworks. I love a vacation from work in the middle of the week, but it was rough getting up for work this morning!