It was one of those months where I felt I needed at least 25 hours in a day to accomplish everything. My school schedule has been incredibly taxing and left little room to breathe. Fortunately, I had some fun and restful moments throughout the month including the Jonas Brothers concert (!) and a weekend retreat. In all my spare time (jokes), I’ve been toiling away at my next big project, which is set to launch in October. Eep! Here’s my top 5 for the month of September:
1. Weekend retreat
I felt like a sleepwalking zombie for the majority of the month and while I was excited for a weekend retreat, I was stressed about everything that needed to get done beforehand. I took a full 48 hours off from homework, which is something I haven’t done all semester. The retreat pushed my reset button and refreshed me so that I could do my work once I returned. 10/10 recommend taking a break, spending time with friends, having a crafternoon and reflecting on faith.
2. Big project ’bouta drop
I’ve published two books, but hear me out: this is my biggest project yet. I’ve been toiling away on this secret project since the summer and had several people test it out. People ask me all the time how they can budget and save for travel, and out of that desire to share what I’ve done, I created this project. I will announce it later in October, but if you want to be first to know, I’m giving my email subscribers early access!
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In the meantime, if you’re looking for some quick ways to maximize your travel fund, I have just the post for you.
3. Jonas Brothers concert
Y’all. I’m a changed woman after attending the Jonas Brothers’ Happiness Begins Tour. All of sixth-grader Kristin’s dreams came true, and it was better than I ever could have imagined. I had a Jonas Brothers’ fan club in middle school, and I was president, duh. There were newsletters, contests, Sharpie-ed trading cards I scented with lotion and eep, fan fiction. I still have posters of them on my door. This is a no-shame zone, thank you very much.
They sold specialty cocktails at the venue, and at least in St. Louis, it was the Lovebug: a concoction of coconut rum, cranberry juice, orange juice and lemon-lime soda. I spent $50 on a tie-dye lime green t-shirt, which I’m sure was meant to be ironic, and although it hurt a bit to fork over so much for something that probably cost $3 to make, I can’t say I regret the decision. Joe, if you’re reading this, it was a magical night. To my sisters and my fan club VP and secretary with whom I reunited for this evening, I don’t apologize for the calorie-burning screaming and flailing-arm dance moves.
4. Making travel smoother
This month on Round Trip, I focused on very practical advice when it comes to planning a trip. Whether it was my post on my favorite travel apps or my Q&A with my friend who quit her job to travel the world with her husband, this month’s content is chock full of helpful tips and tricks as you’re planning your next adventure. Maybe you don’t have any upcoming trips but are looking to redecorate or find some new blog post ideas.
5. Spontaneity
Noun: not in Kristin’s vocabulary
But also something she’s working on. Especially when I’m under a lot of stress, I’m not one to procrastinate; I’m one to bury myself in my room and toil away, for better and for worse. But we all need breaks, and I’m growing in allowing myself to have breaks. I’d planned out a night of homework, but the roommates suggested a late-night run to Target this past week. I’m learning and reminding myself that relationships are more important than accomplishments and to-do lists. For this Enneagram 3-gal with an achiever’s soul, this is hard to apply when it feels as if your task list is a mile long, but it’s a lesson worth learning.
