New Kitty Pics!!!

It's been a while since I've added pictures to my "Meow" tab.  JJKitty is officially getting older, but he is still the sweetest thing ever.  Here's a little taste of the updates you'll see on my kitty page...  :)

My Elephant Bruise is Gone :(

Last summer in Thailand I was lucky enough to have a baby elephant step on my foot! It was the cutest thing, well kind of. This was the smallest elephant I had ever seen, and after being around older elephants for weeks this was the smallest one yet! We were so excited! This one was only 20 days old. They are so playful at that age and like to run around at full speed! This one was tied up, and I approached it toward the end of the rope, but as I bent down it playfully ran at me and halfway knocked me over and stepped on my foot! Ouch! 

Actually it wasn't that bad, nothing was broken. But I remember thinking "WOW that was a lot heavier than I expected!" I looked down and my foot was red. I laughed and somewhat limped away in surprise. This photo was literally taken one second before all that happened. 

So the point of this article is the bruise that was left on my left big toe toenail.  I think it has finally faded away. :(  When I first noticed the bruise I thought "OH MY GOD it makes my toes look ugly!" It took me a while to get used to, but eventually it was a pleasant reminder that always put a smile on my face. It reminded me of Thailand, it reminded me of peace, it reminded me of freedom, it reminded me of nature, it reminded me of the simple things. I would look down at my toes months later, and smile.  

It's funny the first few months I kept my toenails painted to cover it up. When it started to fade I was more open to it, and now that it's gone I'm sad. Isn't it crazy how that works. 

Almost exactly one year later. Throwback Thursday for real. Bye Bye toe bruise. It's been real. #tbt

Nature & Dog Walks

The weather this week has been so beautiful! I'm so lucky to have the ability to walk my Mom's dog, Stallone. He is such a sweet being! Having a dog is so awesome, it's such a a great reason to get out and exercise!

Getting outside is good for the soul. Actually being in nature in general is good for the soul. I read an article recently that said being out in nature, and just touching a tree can bring many health benefits. You know the term "tree huggers" exists for a reason. ;)

It works. It really does. Getting out in nature is so easy. All you have to do is go outside and sit on your front porch, actually sit in the grass! Go for a walk. Sit on the sidewalk and strum your fingers through the grass. Who cares if anyone is watching! Every time I walk Stallone I make a point to feel and hug trees and put my fingers on as much nature as I can. 

I just had the most wonderful day outside this week, I got some exercise and I got a little tan! GO NATURE!

When is the last time you've hugged a tree?

New Animal Pics!

I've added a few new animal pics to my MEOW page!  Check em out!  :)

Volunteer Thailand!

I've added a tab above, "VOLUNTEER THAILAND" that details my two week volunteer trip through various parts of Thailand.  Please check it out to find out about my encounters with elephants, tigers, monkeys and even a baby leopard!  You'll also read about my first Buddhist Temple experience!  ENJOY!

I Will Miss Them!!

In three days I will be flying out to Southeast Asia for four months. This was my last weekend in town so I decided to spend some quality time with friends and family.  

My friends are so awesome and I will miss them dearly. Special thanks and shout out to my BFF of 15 years for throwing me an awesome party and cookout! I had a blast!!!!

Getting out on and in the water was also a must. Water makes me happy.

There are so many things that I am going to miss. My goddaughter saying more amazing words and sentences. My nephew will soon start talking more as well. There are also so many friends that live out of town that I didn't get a chance to see.  I really hope my moms dog doesn't pass while I am gone. But rather than focusing on the negative I like to focus on the positive....

It's pretty amazing what you can accomplish on your own, if you can take just one step outside the box, or one leap of faith, you'd be surprised what you find yourself getting into. :) This journey is just another chapter in my amazing book. I'm so thankful for all of my friends and loved ones who have been able to touch others' hearts. It is through kindness, friendship and giving that truly radiates positive waves, slowly changing this planet into a happier place. 

Backpacking in three days OMG!!!!!!  :)

Saying BYE to my kitty JJ : (

Sometimes there are just no words, or more so too many words..

 

 

This weekend I will be taking my baby, my cat JJ of 10 years to his new home. Since I've decided to go backpacking I needed to find a good place for him to go. Luckily my brother's amazing girlfriend's parents said they would keep him. I am so thrilled that I know he is going to loving happy people that will appreciate JJ for everything that he is.

 

 

I've actually had to leave JJ before, only once. After college I moved to Atlanta and one of my best friends let me stay with her for the first month so I could get on my feet. She already had a cat so I didn't want to bring JJ and we all be on top of each other. So I left him at my moms. When I came back to my moms 4 to 6 weeks later, I was so excited and envisioning the moment and I could embrace JJ once again. I remember going up the stairs, calling his name and waiting for his head to pop around a corner. When I finally saw him and picked him up, he actually looked right past me! I was so sad! I just thought he would stare at me in my eyes and meow or smile or something! LOL. Geez a need a boyfriend fast! 

 

Anyway, I felt so extremely guilty for leaving him for those weeks. But luckily my mom had another cat and a dog so I'm sure he was entertained! This time around however I'll be gone for a lot longer. And I don't think there are any other animals where he is going. But the good thing is, I know what happy and loving people these folks are, and I know he's going to a safe place.

 

As if I don't have enough pictures under my MEOW tab above, I'm going to add more here. This man has been in my life for 10 years and seen some VERY interesting things, and has been there to support me through all of that, even a bite or two every now and then. They say a pet might only be here for a part of your life, but to them, you are their whole life.

 

 

 

 

How Cute Is This!!!

Below is a video of a FOX being petted!  I'm sure it's in some zoo or animal habitat of some sort.  But I have never seen a fox like this before!  I had NO idea that they wag their tails like dogs when they are happy!  Are they in the dog family??  LOL Maybe!  I just thought this was the cutest video ever and had to share!  Check it out!!  Yes, of course there is going to be 20 seconds of a commercial first, but I PROMISE it's worth the wait!  :)

http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/living/2014/02/13/orig-distraction-what-the-fox-says.nuneatonwildlife-co-uk&hpt=hp_c3&from_homepage=yes&video_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F#/video/living/2014/02/13/orig-distraction-what-the-fox-says.nuneatonwildlife-co-uk