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Tag: life

October 14, 2019October 14, 2019 Blog by Brosh

A League of Their Own: Visiting the Home of the Rockford Peaches

August 26, 2019October 14, 2019 Blog by Brosh

A John Hughes Movie Location Tour of Chicago’s North Shore

August 14, 2019August 27, 2019 Blog by Brosh

Vogue’s 73 Questions With Ambrosia Maddox

May 30, 2019May 30, 2019 Blog by Brosh

Outdoor Movie Night at Wrigley Field: The Breakfast Club

May 9, 2019August 14, 2019 Blog by Brosh

3 Places to Watch Outdoor Movies in Chicago This Summer

February 19, 2019August 27, 2019 Blog by Brosh

Quitting My 9-To-5 to Teach Abroad and Travel the World

February 7, 2019August 27, 2019 Blog by Brosh

19 Things You Didn’t Know About Chinese New Year

January 25, 2019January 25, 2019 Blog by Brosh

The 2018 BIG Holiday Blog

January 22, 2019February 5, 2019 Blog by Brosh

How To: Build a Self-Care Space

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13 sleeps until Christmas! I’m not ready for all of the lights to go away in a few short weeks. It feels like Thanksgiving was just two minutes ago (because it actually was). Anyway, enjoy my dinner view.🎄

I love a good Grump Tree and they’re back at @traderjoes ! For some reason these cute little plants remind me of the Grinch. It’s because they’re green, isn’t it? 😉🎄

I can’t believe there are only 20 days left of the year and this decade! I never knew 365 days, let alone 10 years, could fly by so quickly. I’m going to reflect on some of my favorite adventures for the next three weeks as well as making my list of goals and travel plans for 2020. Here’s cousin Sophia during my August visit to Arizona! It was my first time out West and I could hardly believe all of the cacti plants everywhere. So naturally, I had to snap a photo of her with a cactus. 🌵👧🏻💕

Love exists in all of life’s magical moments. My favorite thing about love is that it cannot be seen, and yet, it is visible everywhere. Love can be seen in a hug, sharing, growing together, laughing together, cooking for someone, caring, giving, being present, remembering someone for always, and so much more. My favorite thing about love is that it shines in so many forms. Whether it’s marriage, parenthood, friendship, dating, or simply being neighborly, love continues to be omnipresent. @raycayebelize @southwestair and @thebucketlistfamily please select me for a trip to Belize, so I can bring along two of my friends or family members. We would love the chance to explore a new country, love a new destination, love the local people, and love the culture. There is so much waiting to be loved in Belize, and we would LOVE to be the people who get to embrace this new adventure with our whole hearts. ❤️ #BucketListChristmas

Living with kindness is engraved into the foundation of who I am. Ultimately, I live kindly by giving and by being present. When you show up for people, it becomes who you are. I am supportive of my family in their activities and dreams. I “adopt” children from nearby underserved communities during the holidays to buy them gifts. I hold the door for people. I support local events like the Chicago Marathon and the Special Olympics Rubber Duck Derby. I have purchased food for homeless families that I’ve seen sleeping on the sidewalks of downtown Chicago. I visit my cousins and take them to the park to play. I respect all people and all cultures, no matter where I go. I donate books to my local little free library. I purchase duffel bags for foster children and fill them with comfort items so they don’t have to use a trash bag when they’re moved from home to home. These are a few examples of how I live kindly. Overall, I share my light with others and I am present for people. People just want to be acknowledged and feel seen, and I see them. #BucketListChristmas @AndBeyondMnemba @thebucketlistfamily

Life is a gift and it’s important to be grateful. I wake up everyday and that, in itself, is a reason to be thankful. Even the small, everyday experiences should be appreciated, because nothing in life is ever promised. So, what am I thankful for? The opportunity to live the faith of my choosing; my education; friends who believe in me; the kindness of strangers; my health; travel; the opportunity to work; clean water; the chance to serve. animals; warm summer days; a roof over my head; my family; second chances; having food on the table; and celebrations. I have a lot to be thankful for, and I am very grateful. Some of things that I am grateful for, like my education, come with the cost of student loans, but I wouldn’t trade in my education for anything. It has helped create my view of the world and life itself. Yes, it’s difficult to be saddled with student loan payments, but the bright side is that I am a more educated version of myself because I went to school. There’s always a way to see the glass half full. I express my gratitude by putting good out into the universe — I’m honest, I say ‘thank you’, I’m helpful to others, and I give to strangers. I try to put as much good out into the universe as I can, because you never know when someone needs their prayers or wishes answered; and if I can be the conductor for an answer to a prayer or a dream, I can think of no better use of my time. #BucketListChristmas @princessbermuda @thebucketlistfamily

This is my kitchen. At first glance, this photo looks like any other kitchen; but in actuality, it is so much more than that. This photograph symbolizes my ongoing effort to practice better ocean conservation. By no means am I anywhere near perfect when it comes to ocean conservation, but even on my worst day as a conservationist, I am still doing better than when I wasn’t making any effort at all. As seen in the upper left corner, I use a reusable cloth lunch bag instead of single-use plastic bags. My cabinets hold reusable containers to carry food, so I’m not cycling through plastic Ziplock bags every week. I carry canvas bags to the supermarket to bring home my items instead of taking plastic bags from the store; and I use reusable kitchen towels instead of paper towels. I only buy as much food that I will need for any given week in order to prevent waste; and I use a Yeti tumbler everyday instead of plastic cups or plastic straws. Basically, I make a conscious effort to try and avoid utilizing single-use plastics. I’m only one person, but all it takes it one person, plus one other person, plus one other person, and so on in order to eventually make a big change. I’m a drop in the ocean of conservation, but with all of the other people working to make their own positive environmental changes, we will be an ocean of plastic-free change soon enough. #BucketListChristmas @discoversoneva @thebucketlistfamily

In a world where social media allows so much instant access and opens the opportunity for comparison, true joy is being at peace with your life. ••• I believe joy means appreciating the story that I’m living, and I do that everyday. I find joy in the nooks and crannies of life’s foundation. You know, the little things. ••• There are so many things I find to be joyful, but here are a few examples: seeing a place for the very first time; hearing my little cousins laugh as I spin them on a swing; giving my time; little free libraries; exploring a city after a snowstorm; carrying on family traditions; finishing a race; learning something new; passing forth knowledge; a crowd cheering in celebration; seeing my little cousin’s face when she saw grass for the first time (she’s from Arizona!) ••• Joy is everywhere, all of the time. It’s woven into the fabric of life. It exists in the small details and the big, obvious happy times. Even in the difficult moments, it’s there. You just have to remember to look. ••• @solitudemountain and @thebucketlistfamily please give my friends, family, and me the chance to add to our joyful experiences by selecting us for the winter wonderland in Utah. 🎿❤️ #BucketListChristmas

Breakfast for dinner is always a good idea. Especially since every night this week has involved working late + the winds are howling off of Lake Michigan, so warm foods are needed. 10SP for this plate on blue plan. ☀️🌙

I am nominating my friend, Danielle Goodwin, for the 12 Days of Bucket List Christmas’s Friends Getaway Package. • Danielle and I became friends while studying at the University of Southern Indiana. There was a day when she was sick with a cold, and I brought her Sprite and other trinkets to help her feel better. That was almost eight years ago. We’ve been friends ever since; and it all started with a soda. • Danielle embodies every characteristic synonymous with being a friend. She cares about me, a lot. To be friends with her means being loved by her with her entire heart. When I moved to Eastern Europe to volunteer with the Peace Corps, she organized a farewell party for me, and she had everyone write letters for me to read for the entire first year of my trip! It was one of the most thoughtful gestures anyone has ever done for me; and I kept every letter. • She moved to South Carolina a few years ago, and I moved to Chicago. She flew to Chicago to celebrate my birthday with me; and I flew to South Carolina to stand by her side at her wedding. We travel back and forth to see each other several times each year, and sometimes we meet in the middle. • We chat throughout the day and Danielle always asks “how is your day?” We live roughly 1,000 miles apart, but she cares to know about my life, and she makes me feel seen. That’s what a friend does, they see you. I mean REALLY see you. When you’re having a bad day or a great moment of celebration, a friend is someone by your side going through the motions of life’s ups and downs with you. Danielle and I do that for each other. • In 2016, I moved to China to teach English, and Danielle was living in South Carolina. We still talked everyday, even with a 12 hour time difference. One day, she told me what a terrible day she had at work. It made her sad, but talking about it helped. After we finished talking, I ordered her favorite Chicago treat, Garrett’s Popcorn, to be delivered to her house. I was living in China, but while residing in the USA, I would always bring Garrett’s Popcorn to our visits. It brightened her day to have it even though I was in Asia at the time. >>>POST IS CONTINUED IN COMMENTS

The bravest thing I have ever done is move to China by myself. I did not know anyone when I moved to China; and I also did not speak the language. I moved to China to teach English as a foreign language, and it was the adventure of a lifetime. Teaching in front of hundreds of students, trying new foods, making new friends, visiting new cities, learning a new language, experiencing a new culture, all of the greatest adventures existed outside of my comfort zone and within two seconds of life-changing bravery. Every time I stepped outside of my circle of familiarity, two more seconds of insane bravery presented itself as an opportunity for a new experience — and I took it! Please watch my video for the full story! @FijiVacations and @thebucketlistfamily please allow me two more seconds of life-changing bravery by selecting me to visit the Cook Islands. I would love the opportunity to introduce a lifelong friend to her own version of two more seconds of bravery while we experience the Cook Islands and soak in everything it has to offer! 🌞 #BucketListChristmas

Our first family Christmas party of the year’s video is up on my YouTube channel. Feel free to click the link in my bio to catch a glimpse of the way we kick off jingle bell season every year! ❤️🎅🏽🎄

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