a year to remember

A year is a long time, yet it isn't.

I remember very clearly how unsettled I felt at the end of last year. Things weren't going as I had planned, and I wasn't happy. I tore my room apart, wanting a new start and thinking that I needed to start the transformation by bringing a different vibe to the place I called home.

I wanted to be surrounded by inspiration. I printed out my favorite poems, tacking them to my wall. I took down every photograph and replaced it with my own drawings. I had forgotten how much I loved to draw. I tried to quit gcmag, but after a lot of deliberation and encouragement from Jess, I decided to stay and do things a little differently.

I changed my priorities. I took chances. On people. On things in my life.

I went to Georgia, NYC, Washington, made unforgettable memories with so many people, and sometimes I still feel like I accomplished nothing. Here I am at the end of 2014, and some of the things I wanted most didn't work out.

If I push all the chaos to the side for a moment and allow myself to become introspective, a calm comes over me. The things that happen to me, the choices I make will come and pass. They will take me somewhere. To where - I don't know, but I have to trust that the pieces of my life that I perceive as wrinkles, will somehow iron out.

This year was beyond my expectations. I am so grateful. I just hope to start this year with a similar view - to make decisions for me, to keep the inspiration flowing, and to keep my mind and heart open to the possibilities life offers.

Here's an overload of pictures that show just how much joy this year brought me:

GEORGIA

In February, I traveled to Savannah, Ga. with the Central Michigan University Sigma Tau Delta chapter. Many of my peers presented papers and poetry, and I sat in on seminars about English and interacted with literature-loving friends. We also took some time to explore the history of the area and soak in some much needed sunshine.

NEW YORK CITY

 The Grand Central Magazine editors had the opportunity to go to NYC for a media conference. They had a little bit of everything there: seminars for editorial, PR, advertising, lit mags, photography, etc. We spent an afternoon in Central Park, got on the subway to find the best pizza in NYC and ended up in a scary part of town, and did some touristy things. I also lost my phone.

MY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

My birthday was literally the best. I don't like to do much for my birthdays, but my roommates talked me into a party. My roomies and I had themed parties for almost every occasion, so this was no exception. My birthday was casino-themed, hence the glasses, and red/black attire. We danced ALL night, and I hope everyone had just as much fun as I did.

One of the biggest surprises of the day was when I opened a present from Benj. It was a signed book of poetry by Aimee Nezhukumatathil! It meant so much to me because I told  him that she had written my favorite poem called "Small Murders." I feel like no one would remember something like that (especially with such a long and uncommon last name), but he remembered and reached out to her to write a special birthday message, which is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. I was also super surprised when I realized that later in the year I would be going to see Lana Del Rey with Jas and Lauren!

GRAND CENTRAL MAGAZINE

Being an editor for Grand Central Magazine had it's ups and downs, but I am so thankful for the experience. I met some amazing people who I can truly call friends. A huge shout out to the campus life crew who made my job fun and exciting with all their fresh article ideas. Miss you all.

GRADUATION

I graduated! Yes, we might've done a huge photo shoot (sorry, Matt), but it was a big occasion for Megan, Jas, and I. After our ceremonies, Jas, my fam, and I went to Cops & Doughnuts in Clare. They had a mug shot poster, and we couldn't resist snapping a few pics.

SOME OF THE MOST AMAZING PEOPLE EVER

Where do I even start? I have such great memories with each and every person in these pictures. From roomie love, to getting all gussied up for the military ball, to working with Ed on his book and going to  his wedding, to becoming even closer to muh girl Jess, to amazing adventures with Benj. Thankful for all of you!

SUMMER

This summer I spent a lot of time looking for a job. It wasn't a super successful venture, but I did get the internship at YES! The summer consisted of sanding, priming, and painting my grandma's garage - and it took forever. We also did a lot of blueberry and cherry picking in the orchards around her house. I played mom for a week and it was a lot of fun spending so much time with Isaac and Chloe. In July, I watched a miracle happen - baby Elijah was brought into the world. Before Benj shipped off to China, we went to Dow Gardens, the beach, and failed miserably at trying to pitch a tent. I also got to kiss my sweet dog, Bo, for the last time.

WASHINGTON

At the end of September, my parents and I flew to Washington. I started at YES! Magazine on Bainbridge Island as an online reporting intern at the beginning of October. You can read about some of my adventures in Washington here, here, here, and here. Although I was in Michigan for Christmas, I am back in Washington to begin the new year.

I have three more months at YES! Magazine. I suspect that this year will be full of changes and struggles as I transition into full-blown adulthood (finding a career, starting to build a life for myself), but I'm ready to conquer it. Hopefully.

Happy New Year everyone.

Merry Christmas

My mom says I'm grumpy on Christmas mornings. I probably have the "I'm still half asleep. Why do I have to be up this early" look on my face, and my attitude probably matches. When I asked my dad on Christmas Eve what time we had to be up in the morning and he replied with 7 a.m., I laughed saying we should move it back a few hours. That's just not how it works in our house though.

When I was a child, I would try to stay up as late as I could, waiting to hear the hooves of reindeer on the roof. I would wake up in the middle of the night and skitter into the living room to peek in my stocking and see if Santa had brought me the one big thing I had wished for. It was always sitting on the couch, unwrapped.

I guess over the years my eagerness to be up on Christmas morning has declined, but it's still such a magical day. I get to watch the faces of my family light up as they open the presents they didn't expect or are excited to receive.

It's tradition that my Spears side of the family comes over for breakfast. And let me tell ya, it's a feast. We have bacon, sausage, eggs, cinnamon rolls, potatoes, and my favorite - a huge assortment of fruit. I look forward to, not only the delicious breakfast, but the company of my cousins that I don't get to see very often.

On the Schultz side, we get together whenever it is convenient for everyone. The last couple years we have been extending our party out to friends and relations beyond my aunts and cousins. That's what's so great about the holiday season - we get to catch up with the people we love.

First of all, I'm supporting CMU. Second of all, I was so excited to get my favorite Disney movie Sleeping Beauty. Third, yes, I'm grumpy.

I guess my dad and mom had gone to a pawn shop and she set her eyes on an antique stove that was in the shop. My dad said she was "raving about it." He logged it in his memory and went back to get it for her for Christmas. I'm not sure where she's going to put it, but take note all you men out there. Listen to your woman and you'll make her very happy.

My daddy unwrapping the gift I got him: a memory foam neck pillow. He hurt his shoulder awhile ago and has been sleeping in the chair every night. Hope this helps a bit.

Mom, dad, me, and grandma making Christmas breakfast.

My mom is a master decorator (did you see her table at Thanksgiving?). My brother's place card was held by a wizard...I mean Santa.

All workin' in the kitchen. I'm cutting apples for our fruit platter, my dad is cooking sausage, and my mom is flipping the bacon. Teamwork!

This is only a small portion of my mom's Christmas village. The first picture is also of her village.

My mom and I don't know how to take a good picture.

A row of angels looking over us.

My cousin smiling beautifully, and her fiance, Jordan.

My place card was a sled. Isn't everything at the table just so cute?

Me, my cousin Autumn, and Jill (aka the other Autumn). Funny story. My mom texted my cousin, Nick, to tell him about Christmas plans. He said he was bringing Autumn (his sister), his girlfriend, and his dog. My mom thought he meant his girlfriend's name was Autumn, so she put that name on her place setting and her gift. Come to find out, her name is Jill. Whoops.

Nick and his dog. This is an 80 lb puppy and runs so crazy. He also got on the table and had a few bites of cinnamon roll. I don't blame him, they were really good.

The table centerpiece.

My Sadie girl. She was looking at those squirrels running around outside. As you can see, there was no snow. It was basically the same weather as Seattle.

Colton and I. He was giving my grandma a lecture about not taking pictures with flash (preach!) and he told me to take a pic with him to show grandma. I asked if we could take a pic with his really good camera and he refused. Later he said that if I didn't make such a big deal about taking a picture with him, he would do it. I wasn't making a big deal about it (at first). I never win.

I brought this Bainbridge Island ferry ornament home to put on our tree. It even has little cars on it.

My brother showing my Aunt Cheri some stuff on her camera.

Steph and Claire. That little girl is getting so big.

Little miss Chloe was all cuddles at the Schultz Christmas party. My aunt took a pic of Chloe, Isaac (her brother) and I all cuddling on a very comfortable chair, but my dad missed the photo op. Love them.

Hope everyone had an amazing holiday, too.

Part IV: Breathtaking mountain range + red and blue flashing lights

After touring around Seattle for a few days, we jumped on the ferry to Bainbridge Island - my home for the next six months (well, three now since I'm such a procrastinator and haven't uploaded all of this trip yet). I wanted to look around and get a feel for the town before I officially moved there.

So we drove through the city, trying to figure out where the ferry was. It was a little complicated because they were starting construction on the waterfront. When we finally found the entrance, we were guided to a line of cars where we would wait for the ferry to return.

We got out of our rental car, and what was the first thing my dad saw? A Michigan State license plate cover. Being the social man that he is, he approaches the vehicle and starts a conversation with the woman inside. Come to find out, there is a Michigan State community on the island (which I haven't actually found).

It didn't take long for the boat to arrive, so we got back in our car, drove on the ferry, and took the 30 minute ride to the island. When we made it to Bainbridge, my first impression was that it was cute little town with a homey vibe. There was a farmers market taking place and people flooded the wonderful little shops along the main street. We stopped for lunch at a little cafe, then wandered around until we found the house where I would be living.

Our day was far from over though. We planned to get to Port Angeles that day, so we headed North over the bridge. This was the first time we got to see Washington's wilderness. I have to admit that I dozed off a little bit, but let me assure you, I was fully awake when a certain incident involving my dad happened.

We were driving, watching the trees go by and seeing the mountains get bigger as we approached. We were getting really close to Port Angeles and were driving on a road that looked similar to a expressway in Michigan. As we are cruising, the SUV-type vehicle in front of us puts on their brakes, so my dad gets over and passes them. A few seconds later, I see red and blue lights reflecting and as I look behind, I see the lights of a cop car.

My dad pulls over, saying genuinely that they must've gotten a call and need to get by. He was wrong. They were pulling him over. Although the road looked like an expressway, the speed limit was not 70 mph. The police officer did his usual questioning of how fast he was going and my dad apologized. The cop let him off, but every 5 seconds, I saw my dad peeking in his rearview mirror and then back to the speedometer. It was kinda funny.

We made it to Port Angeles in the evening and took a ride up to Hurricane Ridge. It was beautiful. We saw two families of deer, and a bunny. When we are at national parks, we stop a gazillion times as we drive up the mountain so we can see all the gorgeous views of the mountains, rivers, and landscapes. At a certain point on the way up, we were above the clouds and fog hovered in the mountains below us. It was majestic and one of my favorite parts of the trip.

The ferry to Bainbridge is ready for us to board.

Welcome to the island.

Last year at Central Michigan University, I attended the annual pow wow. There were a bunch of tribes that created all the music for the dance competition. They had amazing food and I didn't want to leave because I was so entranced by the event. Since then, I've been really interested in the culture, so I made my dad stop at this reservation so I could look at the beautiful totem poles.

I actually had the honor of talking to a First Nations master carver for an article that should be coming out this week at yesmagazine.org, so look out for it on the website. It was such a great experience learning about him, his art, and just chatting about life in general.

Going up to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park.

Los padres.

This duo was walking around in the road. I was so scared they were going to get hit by a car.

Above the clouds. This picture doesn't do the scene justice.

Look at those mountains.

Breathtaking.

The first snow on Bainbridge + Seattle sunsets

Snow has finally arrived on Bainbridge Island. I was very surprised when, through my blinds, I saw white dusting the leaves outside my window. I had been unusually cold when I went to bed Friday, but I thought nothing of snow! The snow and cold weather made it seem a little more like the holidays.

It was Small Business Saturday, so I walked downtown to find that Winslow had no power. There were a bunch of people, so most of the shops were open, just working with the sunlight shining through the windows and making sales the old fashion way.

I decided to take a trip over to Seattle and the waves were so big. The boat was swaying, and I was trying to breathe deep and not let the motion sickness get to me. I started walking downtown and looking in shops, but of course made it over to Pike Place, which was crowded. Santa was taking present orders, and carolers sang Christmas songs.

I snapped a picture of the beautiful sunset behind Pike Place.

My camera doesn't like to take pictures in the dark, but this was on the way back to Bainbridge while I was on the ferry. I have yet to be on the ferris wheel. I'll check it off soon though, don't you worry.

Seattle lights 'a shinin'

Blizzards and Gizzards: Thanksgiving from Michigan

Like I said here, my mom is a decorator/holiday event extraordinaire, and she sent me some pics from her Thanksgiving table. I had to share because it looks wonderful.

I saw her ideas brewing on Pinterest with every Thanksgiving pin, like this adorable cornucopia made with sugar cones and stuffed with candy to make a holiday-themed place card. Don't miss the other details like the jute around the silverware.

My mom has been talking about amber glass for years and she finally found some goblets and other dishes on one of our antique/flea market adventures.

We might have a jello addiction at our house. Every year we make jello eggs and jello-beans for Easter. While I was away at college, my mom would send me jello molds for every holiday, and now she has found a jello turkey!

Thanks, dad, for teasing me! My parents sent this pic with the message at the bottom. Sorry for the vegetarians out there, but turkey skin is so delicious - moist, juicy, kinda crunchy, the most flavorful part of the turkey.

When I was little, my dad's side of the family would get together for Thanksgiving dinner. I would see my grandma sneak away to the kitchen and steal pieces of the skin. Now every year when I hear the electric knife start, it's my cue to wander into the kitchen for a piece of skin. It's kind of like my me and my dad's tradition because when I get there, my dad has left a pile for me.

I keep hearing that it's snowing a lot in Michigan, but it just goes in one ear and out the other because it's always snowy in Michigan. I guess I should have realized that it was bad when numerous people said they went in the ditch, but it didn't hit me until I looked at this picture of my backyard.

Washington is warm and rainy. When I look at all that snow, I'm not sure I'm ready for blizzard weather three weeks. But I have to admit, it does look like a beautiful winter wonderland.

Thanksgiving in a Box

I came home one night and found a big package on my doorstep. When I went to pick it up, it was unbelievably heavy. I was thinking "what the heck is in here?"

When I opened it, I found Thanksgiving in a box. Everything was there: canned turkey (I'm hesitant), ingredients to my favorite cranberry dish (has cranberries, apples, pineapple, walnuts, raspberry jello), stuffing mix, a sweet potato, a winter squash from our garden, and more.

I was very surprised, but then again my mom is known for her decorations, parties, and she has sent me wonderful packages in the past. She and my dad always think of me - from letters (or packages) for every holiday I spend away from them, to simple "I love yous," to always supporting me in my decisions (well, for the most part).

Although I'm thankful for a lot, I'm thankful for them the most.

While all of you are stuffing your faces full of turkey (or tofurkey), make sure to let the people in your life know that you are grateful for them. I will be spending my Thanksgiving in Washington with my roommates, but I will be sending my love to Michigan.