30 by 30

Being a blogger can be really rough sometimes. You pour a lot of your heart and soul into what you have to say, and then you push it out for thousands of people to read, or in my case like ten people to read. Focusing on education and educational issues has been time-consuming and draining. And I'm pretty sure no one even cared anyways. So this blog is doing a little change up. I will still write a few things about teaching, education, and the all that crap. 

So in 445 days, I turn 30. As I was thinking about this milestone moment in my life, I came up with a list of things I have always wanted to do. I will call it my 30 by 30 list. 

Some of the things on this list are really ambitious, and I might not accomplish all of them, but this more about the journey that I will be taking. What I find most interesting is that really only one of the things on this list relates to my career. I'm totally okay with this. 

These are in no particular order, I just put them in some form of a list. Some of these are specific, and some are pretty general. As I accomplish a thing on a list, I will write about it. Again, it this is not about accomplishing everything on the list but the journey that it will take me one. If I do accomplish everything on the list, amazeballs. This is going to fun. This is going to be challenging. This is going to hard. This is going to be joyous, and this is going to be best year ever. 

1. Complete a 5k without having to walk. 

2. See the West Coast.

3. Go on a solo trip to Europe.

4. Pay down some debt.

5. Run the OKC Memorial Half Marathon.

6. Go to Boston.

7. Go on a super cool hiking/camping trip.

8. Read all the Sherlock Holmes books...or at least listen to them on Audible.

9. Take a Slo-Mo jumping video in Times Square.

10. See the Grand Canyon.

11. See a glacier.

12. Go skydiving.

13. Move into a house.

14. Beach trip anywhere (I have done this before lots of times, but I could always go for more beach times).

15. Go to Canada.

16. Attend a national conference of some kind.

17. Spa trip with my besties.

18. Try new foods from another culture.

19. Buy my parents something cool.

20. Have a pen pal.

21. Go to a legit wine tasting at a real winery. 

22. Get another tattoo. 

23. Go to an NFL game.

24. Have a smash cake photo shoot.

25. Record some songs.

26. Go camping at a music festival.

27. Meet the Hanson brothers.

28. Ride a camel.

29. Have Hershey compete in an agility contest.

30. Go change the world. 

35 Years Later

On June 6, 1982, in a small church with no air conditioning in Arkansas, Willam Bradley Loyd, and Janet Lynn Flanders became husband and wife. They, later on, went on to have the coolest daughter ever, but this isn't about me!

My parents have been through highs and lows. They raised three kids, and in a few short weeks will have all of them out of their house. They have stood by each other and been there for each other through career changes, caring for aging parents, the time they gave me Benadryl and talked for like fourteen hours straight, Taylor breaking his face on a railroad tie, Philip, and his learning disabilities, and well...me. I was a handful.

They have provided my brothers and I a great example of what marriage should be and should like. They have loved each other faithfully, and they have had a lot of fun along the way.

I feel like the key to their marriage's success has been the fact that they both snore like freight trains. So it doesn't bother them at all!
 
To Mom and Dad: Happy 35th Wedding Anniversary. Thanks for getting married in that sweltering church in the beautiful Dynasty like wedding gown. I can't wait to write about your 40th, 45th, and 50th Wedding Anniversaries! *Also please remember that Taylor and Philip did not do something heartfelt and awesome like write you blog. They may have stayed home with your dogs while you were on your special getaway a trip, but I delivered in the emotional "Oh my gosh, my kid is so amazing" department.

I love you so much and thank you for every concert you attended, every Nutcracker performance and rehearsal you were at, helping every time I moved (which I promise you won't have to help with this time), and for loving me even when I am a loud and talkative extrovert, and it is killing your introvert vibe.

Love,
Meghan aka Meggie aka Baby Girl aka Megaroony aka Werido

Keep Breathing

High School Seniors, current College Students, and College Graduations,

This is one of the most exciting times in your life. It can also be one of the scariest times in your life as well. Many of you are embarking on a journey that you planned, but for many of you, it is nowhere close.

We each have our journey, our own story that we are creating and telling. Your story will be different from your family and from your friends, the most important thing, stay true to your own story.

You will have huge successes, celebrate and reflect upon them, it is okay to brag a little, but not too much. Those successes will have a lasting impact on your life, but what you might not believe is how some of your failures will be some of the best motivators for your life.

My sophomore year of college I had to take College Algebra. Math is not my thing, it has never been my thing. I visited with my professor (seriously do that), got some tutors, and I was still going to fail. I was ready to let that one class completely derail my plans of becoming a Choir teacher. I kept trying, but it still wasn't enough. I spent my summer retaking that class. But that one failure, it became a huge motivator for me. I learned about my resilience, about my own ability to keep breathing. Because sometimes that is all we can do.

You will be challenged, you will be pushed to your limits, but you keep breathing. You may change your major, you may not even have a job in a field that is even related to your major, or you may six years down the road find a new dream job.

Yes, it will be exciting, and it will be scary, but you keep breathing. I am starting a new chapter in my career, and it is exciting but it is scary, and sometimes I all I can do is remind myself to keep breathing.

There will be nay-sayers and haters, there will be people that will work to keep you down, but you keep breathing.

Go change the world, and when it is hard just remember that sometimes all you can do is keep breathing, you will be great and amazing.