Shout outs

Hey all, I'm CC from Fork in the Road and I'll be your hostess for the day. The lovely Ashley was lucky enough to score a business trip and is living it up working hard in NYC as we speak. In lieu of a week with no postings, she asked a few bloggers to fill in for her in her absence so here I am. :)

As much as I really want to discuss my usual favorite topics, (my obsession with fall and how Texas sucks for not having one, and my annoyance with my job), I'm not going to. And I'm not going to discuss politics, or quarter-life crises. Or how much I miss college, my (non-existent) dating life and lack of funds. All of course, are favorite topics of us 20-something bloggers – trust me, I'm completely guilty of them all. Nothing wrong with that because that's what we know right now. Those are our life stories to be told. And those stories can be so heart-breakingly familiar, relatable and oh-so-hilarious. I love to tell them, and I love to read them.

But honestly right now, I'm bored of all of my typical 20-something experiences that I usually roll out with pleasure. Oh don't get me wrong, I'm still tired from working two jobs, and bored with my "career" if you could call it that, and I'm still poor. And single. And I really (really!) do miss college. And I just might be going through a quarter-life crises. Which is why I'm going to start off this week with a little list. I'm sick of being all moan-y and complain-y, so this morning, I'm going to give a shout out to all of the things that are AWESOME in my life. I got this fun idea from Rachel over at Viva and I thought it was such a great way to start my day and get me thinking about all of the fabulous things in my life that make me smile.

Shout outs to life:

1. Having air in my lungs, a roof over my head, clothes on my back, food in my stomach and a job to pay the bills.
2. My AMAZINGLY supportive and loving friends that make me laugh
3. My loving family
4. Have a ridiculously comfy and cozy bed to snuggle in
5. Being 100% healthy.
6. Having a faithful and spiritual life. It keeps me grounded.
7. Having a family that allowed me to think for myself as I developed a spiritual mind and for not forcing me into any sort of religious mold.
8. Living in a city that has almost everything. Good culture, good food, good shopping.
9. Having the desire to learn. Having had the privilege to go to college.
10. Living a life full of hope.
11. Having dear friends all over the country that allow me to visit whenever I need a change of pace. Extra shout out to my pals in Denver and Providence. Thanks for living in awesome and gorgeous places!
12. My wanderlust soul. It makes life interesting. One can only imagine where I'll end up next. And in 20 years.
13. Having a loving heart. I LOVE to love!
14. Living in a country where I'm free. And where I'm allowed to express myself as a woman.
15. Books, magazines, newspapers, blogs and all outlets of the written word. I love to read and I love to (attempt) to write.
16. Fall and Spring, the two BEST seasons that make me so happy
17. Diet Coke.
18. The ability to hike and bike and experience/enjoy nature at its finest
19. Having a dreamer's mind. I dream and I dream big. Pair that up with all of my hope and I've always got something to look forward to.
20. The will and ability to live, laugh, and love. These are the true joys of life and I'm blessed to share these abilities with my amazing friends and family.

What are the shout outs in your life? What makes you smile? Just something to think about when things seem rough or not as they should be.