5 Things I Want to Change in My Life

There are things I want to more of, and things I want to do less of, I just need to find the willpower to do make it happen.

Going on social media when I’m bored

  Any time I find a minute of free time, I instantly pull out my phone and find myself mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest.  Although these platforms help me support my blog, they’re useless to me when I’m just scrolling through my feed.  A lot of the things I see on there are negative, belittling, discouraging, or just make me feel uncomfortable about my body.

  I did a social detox one month, and my mindset was completely changed.  I found myself a lot happier than I was before, so slowly, I am peeling myself away from social media.  At some point, I will only use it to promote Okami & Co.

Reading more books that teach me about life

  I recently joined a group of women who are all on their fitness journey, coming from different walks of life, and with different challenges.  One of the tasks that I have to do as a coach is to find a book to read, that inspires me and motivates me to do my best.  Right now, I’m working on a book my friend Susanna gifted to me when she visited me in Germany.  It’s called “The Desire Map”.

  So far, I’ve learned that I should be doing things based on how they make me feel.  Do I feel a sense of fulfillment?  Hopefully I do after all of this is done.  Then I will work on other motivational books that can help me cope with all the stress in my life.

Pray more often, not just when I’m in need of help and guidance

  I normally find myself praying when I’m having trouble with something, or I’m in need of guidance.  Rarely do I pray when I’m in a good mood, or when things are going my way.  I find myself asking Him, “why would you let something like this happen?”  instead of thanking Him for everything good.

  I should be more prayerful.  I should be thanking Him for the things He’s given me and the life He’s blessed me with. I don’t find time to go to church as often as I used to, especially since it’s hard to find a church community comparable to the one I had in Germany.  But I will do my best to be a better Christian.

Turn my house into a home with Sean

  When we first arrived in Korea, I didn’t want to do much with the house since we are only here for a year.  By the time we got to 6 months left on the ROK, I started decorating the house.  I put picture frames up, we bought bookshelves and a bed.  We’re really making it more and more homey.  It’s never too late right?

  I’m excited for the time that Sean and I have a home TOGETHER.  One household, one life.  It’ll be an amazing feeling to finally be able to see our lives grow together.

Spend more time making friends, and working to keep them

  I am an introvert at best.  I do not feel comfortable going out and meeting new people.  I don’t do well at holding long conversations unless they’re with my patients.  For some reason, I am much more social when it comes to talking with my patients, but when it comes to making friends, I retreat into my comfort zone.

  I am going out of my way this weekend to meet with ladies from the community.  We are going to talk about our lives, beauty, fashion, and photography.  Then we are going to schedule some photo shoots and have some fun with it.  I hope I can take away some good friendships after this meet up.  It’s way out of my comfort zone, but that’s how you’re supposed to live life right?

International Women: The Future is Female!

There is nothing stronger than a woman who has had to rebuild herself

I was already completely nerve-wrecked to be attending this get together of women. When I walked through the door, I was only expecting a few ladies to be seated around a table having coffee together. I was completely stunned when the entire cafe was full of women from all over the world. My nerves were wired, but I was immediately put at ease when each of them greeted me with a smile and a we went around the room to introduce ourselves.

These ladies really were from all over the place! They were from Italy, USA, New Zealand, France, Colombia, Russia, Thailand, Vietnam, England, and South Korea! It was it’s own little mixing pot of International Women, and what a better way to celebrate Women’s History month!

There is something about women coming together and sharing their experiences, their cultures, and their stories. This large group started out with a few women chatting over coffee, and grew unintentionally into what it is now. These ladies meet at different cafes every Wednesday to share their lives and grow together.

Cosmopolitan Women located here in the little country of South Korea. It’s amazing. I couldn’t help but smile at their laughter and the way they all interacted with each other. There were those who were having serious conversations, and others that were goofing around dancing around and saying hello to everyone.

The intention is to get together whether it be sharing a cup of coffee or exploring Korea and it’s rich culture.

Thank you for having me and sharing your experience with me. I hope to see you all soon again one day! Look at the rest of their photos on their Pixieset Gallery here!

Claim your Fur Mom title!

  Having a four-legged pal is probably one of the best things that you could ever be blessed with. Almost everyone that I know has owned a family dog because their parents bought it for them when they were kids. Now that I am the adult in my house, I am fully responsible for everything that my dog does. At least when you were a kid, all you had to deal with was the fun stuff, like taking the dog out, playing with the dog, feeding the dog, bathing the dog, etc. Since it's only me and my furry girl, I am in charge of her appointments, her documents, buying all of her things, making sure she's well socialized so she doesn't go crazy talking to me all day.

  I know what you're thinking, "this girl is crazy, having a dog is nothing like having a kid." Well, I can't even tell you how to compare the two, because I don't have a kid to compare my dog to. I've taken care of a lot of newborn babies, infants, and toddlers. I know that it's extremely challenging. Being a nanny all throughout college, I know that raising kids is a whole different level of parenting. So maybe it's not like having a human child. I didn't have to push it out of me and go through all the pain of the "beginnings of Motherhood", but there is still a lot of responsibility when owning a furry companion. And if you don't believe me, look at your dog right now and tell me that you don't consider that love pup a big part of your family. (And if you said no, then you sit on a throne of lies.)

Okami going through a mood on her birthday

  Just kidding, not really. Anywho, I brought my dog over from the states and she's finally settling into becoming a European doge. She's not a fan of the busy streets. She's not a fan of the barking dogs around our neighborhood. She's not really a fan of being left alone when I go to work for 13 hours at night. We've both had to make some adjustments. She's tried to run away twice, once from the house and once from the dog park. She didn't eat her first week here, but she's starting to gain her appetite back. And her times for her actual sleep schedule (not her morning, afternoon, and evening naps) were all screwed up.

  Luckily, being on night shift allows me to be with her throughout the day when I'm not terrified to walk in the forest to tucker her out with a 5-mile walk. The only downside to that is that I am sacrificing all of my sleep to tend to my Shiba-baby. No, I know, it's still "not as bad" as having a human child so you can hush now, thanks.

  When my dog has a bad day, I know it because she doesn't listen to me. She gets stubborn, she rebels (ie. runs away very quickly without any regards to moving vehicles.) She'll cry literally all day. And if you've ever heard the yelp of a Shiba, then you might as well think it's a dying child, because it's God awful. She'll get sick. She gets hurt. She needs attention, love, and care just like a child would. But no, she's still not a child, and I get that.

Happy baby Okami

  But I love my dog. I love her like I love babies. And I'm sure when the day comes that I have my own human child, then I'll see what this "big difference" is in Motherhood.  But since that's not an option for me right now, I'm going to keep posting my fur-child photos in her cute little t-shirts, mini doge backpack, and yellow rain jacket. I'm going to complain about my lack of sleep, and all of the messes she makes in the house (which isn't a lot, but this fur, my God... let me tell you my new found relationship with my duster...) I'll always find it hard to leave home without her, and I'm terrified when I place her in the care of others. She's my baby. And if anyone has the balls to tell me that my dog isn't important enough because she isn't a human, then seriously, fuck off. I don't think I've cussed too much on my blog or on my social media posts, but really, fuck off mate. Delete me, do it, cause I don't need that negativity in my life, lol. BYEEEE.