Being Thankful

I know I say this all the time but life has been crazy lately. School and work are keeping me extremely busy. But I have to admit that I love my life and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's been a weird weekend and I haven't really been in the best mood. Other than the few minutes following a miraculous win by Auburn (War Eagle!), I have just not been feeling it the past few days. No reason in particular, I just didn't feel all that great. So in times like that, I have to remind myself of all the amazing things I have in my life and forget about the rest. I like to view the glass as half full. So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I decided to sit down and come up with a few things I am thankful for. Sometimes you just need a little reminder. So, in no particular order, here it goes :)

1. BEING ALIVE. People tend to overlook this. But as a cancer survivor, I am thankful everyday to have another minute on this planet.

2. MY FRIENDS. Even on my worst day (or days) they are always there backing me up. They know me and understand me and love me.

3. HAVING HAIR. I complain about it all the time because I hate it short and the curls have a mind of their own. But I am thankful to at least have some hair now and not be bald.

4. MY FAMILY. I simply don't know where I would be without them.

5. GOOD MUSIC. Even when I am in a terrible mood or having a really bad day, the right song can always make me feel better. Always.

6. BEING MYSELF. I can be extremely shy and awkward until you know me (then I probably talk TOO much) which I sometimes really dislike about myself. But at the end of the day, I know who I am and what I want and I try to be genuine. And I am proud of that. Besides, being quiet sometimes just means that I'm that much more of a good listener than most and I think before I speak :)

7. AUBURN. This one is in the spirit of yesterday's game. WAR EAGLE!

8. OWNING MY OWN PLACE. I like being independent and I'm proud of the fact that I own something so big. Also, I fall in love with my condo all over again every time I walk in :)

(This is from when I moved in. I still need a lot of furniture though. But I can be a tad indecisive.)

9. MY COWORKERS. I love my job. And my coworkers are like my family. Nursing isn't an easy profession and there is no way I would make it without an amazing group of people by my side. 

10. CHRISTMAS BREAK BEING JUST AROUND THE CORNER. I am a nerd and like to read a lot. And I have a huge pile of books I plan to read over the break. And I couldn't be more excited about it.

Well there you have it! People spend the whole month of November remembering what they are thankful for. But I think we should remember to do this year round, not just for a month. At least that's my opinion on the matter :) I have to remind myself of this everyday but I always feel better when I think about the great things I have in my life. 

Hair Problems

I think I have officially reached the point where having short hair is starting to bother me. I miss my long hair! It is growing super fast though. And it's dark and curly. Although I think the curls will fall out and it will lighten up the longer it gets. I guess what bothers me is that it is at the point where I can't do a thing with it. I have a horrid cowlick right in the front so I either have to wear a headband or pin it back with some bobby pins. Honestly, it was easier being bald than having short hair. At least then I could just throw on a wig or a scarf and go. Now I actually have to take time in the morning to do something with it. I still wear a wig when I feel like getting dressed up and going out. I think I rock the short hairdo pretty well but I just feel more girly and more like myself with long hair.

To be honest, it's probably about time for a haircut. I have had it shaped up in the back a time or two by a friend but never had it properly cut. After having no hair for so long, the thought of having anyone actually cut some of the length off gives me serious anxiety.

This was taken on my one year survivor anniversary :) As you can see, I have to wear a headband or pin it back to keep my cowlick in check.

Researching how long it takes to grow back to a decent length has become sort of a hobby of mine. I take biotin to help speed up the process and I recently learned about a shampoo product called Nioxin which is supposed to help so I plan on getting that to try out. I recently came across a blog where the author did an amazing job of documenting every part of her hair regrowth journey, pictures included. You can check it out at chiagal.com if you are interested. She also had the chemo curl!