happy days are yours and mine

#100HappyDays

I have been seeing this hashtag float about on various social media outlets and finally decided to look into it yesterday - and I am so HAPPY that I did.

Essentially, it's a movement to challenge us to stop and smell the roses - to take time from our busy schedules and really think about the little moments of beauty in our daily lives. It's so easy to get swept up in the mundane, becoming zombie-like and immune to the little pleasures. This challenge forces you to embrace each day and find the happiness in it for 100 days straight. Sounds easy enough, right?

Wrong.

According to the website, 71% of people who attempted this challenge failed due to "lack of time".

Really? We don't "have the time" to recognize at lease one moment of happiness in each day? That is just sad - and proof that the majority of us can't take our head out of our asses long enough to realize just how lucky we actually have it. Anyone who knows me would say that I'm generally a pretty happy person - but like most, I often get caught up in moaning on about things like how I don't want to go to work or how I should probably lose a few pounds before my next big adventure. In the grand scheme of things, those are some pretty awesome problems. It means that I have a JOB that PAYS me, I have access to delicious FOOD, and I get to take amazing VACATIONS. It's a rough life for me, innit?

So this little blog is my vow to get my head out of my ass for 100 days straight and see the delight in both the big and the small moments.

May it teach to me to be more observant, optimistic, thankful, and HAPPY.


You can follow my daily dose of joy on Instagram - @southerndreamer and I inspire you to join me, friend. Let's get merry!

Peace, Love, and Good Cheer,


Bekah

F-R-I-E-N-D-S

In honor of National Best Friend Day, it seemed like a good time to get chummy with y'all.

You always hear people saying that in your life, you can probably count your true friends on just one hand. I've always found that idea to be really interesting and quite honestly, under par throughout my life. No matter where I've traveled or lived, I have made some truly deep and lasting friendships. I may not talk to them everyday, but I can safely say that I could call on any number of people at any given time and they would be there for me in a flash. My mom always told me how fortunate I am to draw such quality people into my life and as I've gotten older, I now realize just how rare this is for most people.

Friendships come in all forms but what I find most interesting about those I've made in my life is that most of them happened in the most divine or unconventional of ways.

Fate brought me and my absolute best together after we had both come out of disastrously bad relationships (the thank God we dodged that bullet kind) and moved into the same shared apartment. That was ten years ago now and what a wild ride it's been! It's pretty incredible to know a person that truly understands and supports you, will tell you when you're being a complete twit, and can laugh with (or at) you so hard that you both end up breathless and peeing your pants. Soulmate besties!

I've also always been great at long distance and online friendships.

It started as a child. I had a knack for making fast friends in the hotel pool on vacations and loved writing letters back and forth when we would return home. I was a regular little pen pal-er from an early age! I have found that you really get to know people through the written word because there is comfort and openness to it. This transformed as the internet came to the forefront. For starters, I am a loud and proud supporter of online dating - it's the whole reason I met and fell in love with the best friend and most super duper amazingly awesome man in the whole wide world (THANK YOU INTERNET!). I have several close and fabulous pals that all began from simply sharing back and forth on twitter. I am forever grateful to the age of social media and the blogosphere. It has been an essential key to staying in touch with the people that matter most to me and meeting new people from all walks of life. From my wonderfully whacky family and hometown, to my college years spent working in Peanut Hell (Logan's Roadhouse for those not in the know), to international internship programs, year long drunkfests in Austin, grad schooling in London, travel adventures, and a thriving online community -- I have been surrounded and saved by life-changing friendships.

So no matter what type of friend you are to me - new, old, online, school, travel, work, best, family - I am grateful.

I dedicate this classic tune to all of you (because we all know I love any chance to squeeze in something awesomely cheesy and related to my childhood - Zack Attack!!!!).

Peace, Love, and Friends Forever,

Bekah