I can go the distance

This weekend, I completed my first half marathon, and I am so incredibly proud of myself. I believe that the Disney Princess Half Marathon was the perfect first long distance run experience that I could have had. And best of all, I got to run it with one of my best friends, and fellow Disney enthusiast, Kate.

We had to wake up really early in order to get to the corrals on time. Kate and I quickly got dressed and headed out to catch the 4AM bus from our hotel. When we got there, we checked my bags and started the trek into the corrals. There were so many different costumes- I loved seeing everyone’s creative renderings of Disney Characters. There were the princesses, of course, but there were also villains and Prince Charmings. My favorite costumes were the couples – I saw Cinderella with Prince Charming, Rapunzel with Flynn Rider, and even Belle with the Beast.
Besides the thousands of amazing outfits that there were to see, it was also fun to have characters along the course that we could stop and take pictures with. We got to see the princes, a couple of the princesses, toy soldiers, and Minnie cheering us past the finish line. Another area that I really liked was the kite flyers with “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” playing along with them. There was even a Frozen themed area around mile 9 with Let it Go blasting. We got the chance to run through part of Epcot, as well as down Main Street and through Cinderella’s castle in Magic Kingdom.
The most amazing part of this half marathon was how inspiring it was. There were people of all ages and athletic ability who were just doing their best. One of my favorite people that I ran by was a woman who had a sign that said “Bad back and knees, but 54 years of determination.” Runners were cheering each other on— on the loop back, the faster runners were shouting words of encouragement to the people at the beginning of the course. I loved the Cheer Squads, who were holding up signs and giving constant encouragement. Towards the end of the race, I was running low on energy and I could feel myself slowing down. That was when one of the people in the crowds yelled “Come on Princess Jasmine, you are almost there!” It gave me the extra pep in my step to finish strong.

Some other highlights:
-Fireworks to start of the race
-Crossing the finish line with Kate
=Finally getting my medal and getting sprinkled with fairy dust
-The girl with the sign that said: “Dear Stranger, I am so proud of you”
-Having little girls tugging at their mom’s pants saying “Look, mom! It’s Princess Jasmine!” TWICE
-Photo ops with Genie
-Wearing my medal and having complete strangers come up to congratulate me

I have been running for a little while now, but I never thought I would be able to do a half marathon. Without counting in the lines for the photo ops and stops to take pictures, I completed in about 2:34, which is a lot faster than I thought I would be able to. Even though I could barely walk around yesterday and today, it was all worth it. Every mile was hard work, but it was magical.

I am so thankful to everyone who supported me. I am so thankful for all you for giving me the determination to keep going. Until next year, RunDisney!!

Jasmine and Genie

We are wearing these medals all month.

Kisses from Magic Kingdom

The Greatest Show on Earth

Two nights ago, Alec and I went to the Barnum & Bailey’s + Ringling Brothers Circus as it came through Philadelphia. It was a really fun show, and it was a really fun date. I made a quick video of the clips that I had taken during the show– the quality is a little off since I was too excited to keep the camera still.

Song: Spectrum by Florence + the Machine

Thoughts, Catal…

Thoughts, Catalogued.

Know that all of us are running the same triathlon, falling down at the same moments. And when you think of closing your computer or putting that book down or calling yourself [INSERT SELF-ESTEEM KRYPTONITE], envision all the people who have given up at this exact moment, and think of them laying there on the curb of life, and think of what they could have done if they’d stayed the course.

It’s no secret that I love browsing through thought catalog. While there are many great posts on the site, there are those precious few that  inspire you to give yourself a push in the right direction. 13 Ways to Stop Yourself from Giving Up was just that for me. It was just a little reminder to keep pushing on- you’ll never succeed if you never try. 

50 in 2

I can’t believe that January is already more than half over. It seems that time just flies by so quickly. This week has been good- I can’t believe that my half marathon is only 5 weeks away! I’ve been mostly focusing on training, and most of my small talk for this week is centered around running. But a few things that happened this week that made me happy:

• My new laptop decal came in- now my computer has personality!
• I’ve run 50 miles this month so far (In two weeks!) I am pretty active, but this is a record for me.
• Trying my hand at slots and winning at the push of a button!
• My new lenses that make phone-ograpy more fun!
• Mini nailpolishes= manicures galore
• Insane discounts at the craft store.
• Catching up with old friends

I love mini- sized beauty products

Frozen treats in the winter

Bling ring & new paper

Attempting to keep a 5 year resolution!

Gambler in a fishbowl

fiery sky

Fresh

Happy 2014!

For my resolution, I have decided that I am going to try to blog more. When I was younger, I was an avid journal-keeper. I even had journals that I kept between my friends, and we would pass it back and forth. I even had the obligatory LiveJournal, where I graced the world with more of my deep insights. While these journals were unnecessarily  dramatic ( most 15-year-olds perceive their daily lives as a reality show), it was nice that I had a keepsake of my daily life, however insignificant. When I decided to start a blog, I wanted to have something that would remind me of where I’d been. So my goal for this year is try to make a post every week, and try to take some pictures that capture my day- to -day life. Since it’s just the beginning of the year, and I haven’t abandoned any of my resolutions yet, I managed to take photos every day this week! So here are some snaps of my first week!

pretty lights

Remnants of Christmas

Jan 1: In the city for the Mummer’s Parade

Jan 2: Pho dates are perfect for chilly afternoons

Jan 3: Tea tastes better in cute mugs. FACT.

Jan 4: Experimenting with different photo apps

Jan 5: Sunsets never get old.

Jan 6: Chilly days call for chili

Looking Back, Moving Forward

I have always loved the idea of New Years. Everyone is still in the holiday spirit, and there is a general sense of renewal in the air. However, my search for a fantastic way to bring in the new year has previously ended in disappointment. Somehow New Years Eve never quite lived up to  my expectations. Last year, I decided to start a new tradition. Every time something happened that made me happy, I wrote it down and stashed it in a jar. Whether it was reuniting with my family and friends, going somewhere new, or even finishing a good book, my Jar of Joy has amassed quite a collection (I’m still working on a less cheesy name). I have just looked through all my little pieces of paper, and 2013 has been such a wonderful ride. From graduation to my move up north, I have had a lot of positive changes in my life. Looking back on these little snippets of the past year has helped me focus on the fact that it doesn’t really matter how you ring in the new year, but what you make of the 365 days that lie ahead. And while 2013 has been a fantastic year, I welcome 2014 with open arms. I hope everyone has a wonderful New Years Eve, and may 2014 bring you prosperity and happiness!

Holi- one of my favorite festivals

Bourbon Street with Becca & Alec

Graduation!!

Spending the summer with two of the greatest people

Classy evenings with Alec

Christmaslight Serenade

love ya

Love you guys so much

Dream Team Santa Stumble

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

As a person who has lived her whole life in either the tropics of the Caribbean or in the nearly constant humidity of Florida, I will be the first to admit that snowfall makes me feel like a little kid all over again. While I did get to see some snowfall in Nashville, (which was greeted with much enthusiasm), this is the first time that I got to witness real snow. Plus, without the stress of exams to keep me indoors, I had the  chance to go out and partake in winter festivities. At night, I drank hot chocolate and watched the flurries outside. I also made a snow angel, threw my first snowball, and even shoveled the driveway with giddy joy. While I’m sure that the general excitement will eventually wear off (though probably not for a while), I am going to relish in the fact that this is my first Christmas that feels exactly like I thought it would.

And it begins!

Everything looks prettier dusted in white

Chilly, but happy!

Wintery skies

Sunny and bright

Sunflares & shoveling

The cathedral

Winter wonderland

Autumn through my iPhone

I can’t get enough of fall. With daylight savings shortening the days, I have even trying to get out and enjoy the sunshine as much as possible. I feel like I constantly have my phone out while walking around- I have close to a hundred tree pictures alone. These are some of my favorites  that I snapped this week:

The trees are slowly starting to lose their leaves

A fiery tree

The cathedral- so majestic

Basically the prettiest road around.

Life Lately

I have not been the most consistent blogger, but hopefully now that I have an  app, I’ll have more on-the-go posts. Life up north has been wonderful. While I do miss the luxury of going to the beach in October (or just not having to wear a coat every time I step out), I do love the unmistakable feeling of autumn. From the assortment of yellows, oranges and reds in the leaves to the crisp air, I feel like I’m in a whole different world. I’ve been taking every opportunity to indulge in pumpkin-flavored treats, and explore this beautiful city. Here are some snippets of my life :

such a cutie

Peddler’s Village toy store

first signs of fall

such beautiful glass

Taking an adventure into the Jurassic times

I have a slight obsession with museums

Philly Skyline on a perfect day

Enjoying a post- run swing in the park

I can’t get enough of these sunsets.

Sweet Summertime: Drum Circle

I have been the worst about keeping up my blog. Following the demise of my beloved Macbook, I didn’t want to go through the hassle of finding another program to import pictures etc. However, with summer coming to a close and in the midst of my move, I thought it would be fun to do a recap of some of the things I did these past couple of months.

First I’ll start with the drum circle. It is probably one of the strangest SRQ traditions, and most visitors don’t really understand. I’m not even sure if people from here understand it either.  Basically a group of people gather on the beach with their bongo drums and they play until way after the sun goes down. Sometimes there are fire dancers and hula-hoopers, but the people without drums usually just dance.   Going to the drum circle has been a tradition of sorts between my friends and me. Usually we just go to see the insanely buff old man who dances with a fedora and feather in hand, but we have been known to actually take part in the dancing. Kate, Varsha, Michelle, and I kicked off our summer reunion by a drum circle escapade- hair chalk, face paint and glow sticks in hand. While we didn’t really realize how short Wednesday night sessions are, we still had a really good time.

All painted up and ready to go

the sky at dusk is so pretty

Even though they didn’t glow, our bubble wands were a good investment

The dream team

How similar we are will never cease to amaze me