mindfulness and finding joy

Today on the blog I want to share some resources and practices I've been doing lately that have changed my life. Ever since I discovered Eckhart Tolle's "The Power of Now" a few years ago, I've been introducing new habits into my life to help be more mindful and positive. I've been wanting to share these thoughts on the blog for a while, so I'm excited to finally do it!

hello again

Since the last time we talked, I have finished my job in Yellowstone, attended my best friend's wedding, roadtripped 2000+ miles back home, reunited with my family and friends, and began my last semester of college. It has been exciting and tumultuous and bittersweet and nostaligic and I've never been more thankful for stillness.

It's nice to settle back into a routine after a summer of constant adventuring. I'm looking forward to getting back on this blog, I've missed crafting and sharing my projects with you guys! I have hundreds of photos from this summer to sift through, but when I do I want to create a travel diary to share the highlights.
 
Thanks for sticking around after this summer's hiatus. I can't wait to see what the next few months have in store, and sharing it all with you.

xoJordan

veganism: a life of compassion

I made a lifestyle change and decided to go vegan almost 2 years ago. I never announced it on my blog or throughout social media because I didn't want people to judge me, label me a tree-hugging hippie, or assume I'm going to try to convert them to a vegan diet. I feel like there is such a stigma surrounding the idea of veganism. But the longer I am vegan, the more passionate about it I am becoming. I want to stand up for the rights of animals. I don't want to stay silent on what I believe in.

It is incredibly speciesist for humans to think that they are superior to all other animals. To think that killing another living creature is okay. To protect cats and dogs under laws but to torture pigs and cows. To have buildings specifically designed to kill. When did we become such a violent species?

When I see a burger, I no longer see a delicious meal. I see a tortured and murdered animal. They say you are what you eat, and if you're eating a creature that lived it's whole life in fear and anxiety, you will be consuming that negative energy. If you eat a healthy and bountiful diet of fruits and vegetables and grains that grew in the sunshine, the beauty of your food is going to shine through you.

I want to live a life of kindness and compassion towards all living creatures. I want to live a long and healthy life. I want to live a life of love.

I don't judge people who still chose to eat animal products. I want to educate people so they know the truth about the horrors of factory farms, and can make their own informed decision on what they eat. I truly believe that if everyone understood the horrible things going on industrial agriculture, no one would continue eating animal products.

If you are vegan too, yay! I'd love to know! And if you're considering going vegan but don't know where to start, feel free to email me! I'd love to help you out. And if you've never even thought about veganism, I urge you to do a little research and understand where your food is coming from. I have some resources listed below to get you started!

I want to start another series on my blog about veganism. Posts about anything from transitioning to a vegan diet, to meal ideas, to how to respond to criticism. Let me know what you would like to see a post about!

xoJordan

The documentary that made me want to go vegan

A speech that will make you question your ethics

A documentary explaining veganism from an environmental perspective (also on Netflix!)

A great website for delicious vegan recipes

holiday in the mountains

As I wrote last week, my family and I took a roadtrip to the Ozarks in Arkansas to celebrate Thanksgiving. My grandparents rented a cabin on a mountain and we all drove up there to spend the holiday together. It was so nice to get away from school for a little while and spend quality time with my family. And we were in the mountains so of course we had lots of outdoor adventures! It was absolutely beautiful, so I wanted to share a few photos I took while I was there. I also put together a short film about the trip, at the end of this post!
xoJordan

kittens

We've got some new additions to our family... two adorable kittens! My friend was giving them away and I'm the biggest cat lady so I desperately wanted to keep them myself, but unfortunately I can't have pets where I live. My mom however, decided to adopt them, so now I get to see these little furballs everytime I go home! I got some pictures while they were napping- the only time they're still enough for a photo- so of course I had to share them with you!
xoJordan

why I left social media

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately of who I am and what I want my life to be like. For the longest time I have felt like my mind is just cluttered and I am not living as deliberately as I want to. So a few months ago I made the decision to leave Facebook, and I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. I realized Facebook had become a burden in my life for two reasons:

1. I was using it to attain a false sense of validation
2. I was wasting my time and and filling my mind with useless content

I never considered myself to be one of the people who used Facebook to seek validation, but I was just lying to myself. No, I wasn't posting daily selfies or what I ate for breakfast. I actually wasn't posting much at all. But when I was posting, I realized all I was really wanting was for people to think that I was successful or doing exciting things or friends with cool people. And I would scroll through my newsfeed and feel better about myself when I saw that I was doing "better" than the people I went to high school with or currently in college with. Then I would feel worse about myself if I didn't get so many likes on something or somebody was doing something really awesome that made me regret what I was doing with my life. I was keeping up with the lives of people I didn't even really care about (because only about 10% of my friends list were actual friends). Checking Facebook became a habit and I found myself opening it up anytime I got online, or going to the app on my phone to occupy myself when I was bored. It served me no purpose. It began to bring negativity into my life rather than positivity.

And one particularly rough day, I was just fed up with it. I didn't want to log on and see everyone so happy when I wasn't. I didn't want to be reminded of what I didn't have, or have to use it to prove that my life actually is going well. I didn't want Facebook to control how I felt. And sure I could just stay off of it for a little while,  but the cycle would inevitably start again next time I logged on.

So I left. And decided I wasn't coming back. I deactivated my account so it was like I was never there. I deleted the link on my browser. I erased the app from my phone. And it felt so good. It has been 4 months and I have never once regretted leaving.

The night I deleted Facebook, I almost deleted all my other social media too. But the only other social media I was using were Instagram, Snapchat, and Tumblr (I don't consider my blog social media), and I decided those weren't affecting my life negatively like Facebook was. So I kept them. However, I've recently come to terms with how often I am using them and even if they aren't bringing negativity into my life, I'm still wasting away a huge amount of my time using them each day. And this is causing my mind to feel cluttered once again.

So I decided to try something I never though I could do- I'm not going to use any social media for a week. This includes Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr, Pinterest, Youtube, and other blogs. Basically, I'm only going to use the internet if I need to for school, or if I want to post on here (because if anything, my blog is a very positive thing in my life). I see this as a much needed cleanse for my mind, and I want to see how I feel at the end of a week without social media. I encourage you all to do the same if you too are feeling exhausted with keeping up with social media. If you have any words of wisdom for me, I'd love to hear.

xoJordan

wildness is a necessity

We live in an age where we're constantly connected, plugged into a device, reading status updates and posting pictures of our coffee, responding to texts and commenting on someone's photo. Our minds can never be quiet because we always have something to check, some update to read or message to respond to. Our phones are never more than a few feet away, our laptops always ready to be opened. We're distracted from the beautiful moments in life because we're trying to get the perfect instagram picture. And if we don't, we're disappointed. The beauty of that moment has somehow diminished. We've become chained to our technology, we're living our lives through our screens.

Now don't get me wrong, I love that we have the ability to show our friends the amazing sunset we saw on our way home, I love that I can write a post on my blog and connect with people who have the same interests as me, I think it's incredible that we can make friends with people from all over the world.

But there comes a point when it all just becomes exhausting. Filling our minds with who ate what for breakfast and how many followers we have and why a photo doesn't have a certain number of "likes". We are dissatisfied with our lives and feeling detached from ourselves. And the only cure to this is to turn it all off and get outside.

Nature is rejuvenating. Spending time amongst the trees, by the water, under the golden sun, is the cure for the anxieties and stresses of everyday life. And though it might not make your problems go away, it will clear your mind so you can handle whatever comes your way. Fresh air is good for your spirit, and gives you back the energy your technology has taken from you.

I've been making it my point lately to get outside and refresh my mind. I've been taking days to hike with my friends, going for runs on the trail by the river, sitting under trees to read, and watching the beautiful sunsets that happen every single night. I didn't realize how disconnected I've become with myself until I spent more of my time outside than inside. Life is passing so quickly, I want to make it full of as many beautiful moments as I can. And these moments won't come when I'm staring at a screen.

 I've been leaving my phone at home more often. I've been trying to stop mindlessly scrolling through social media, and just let myself be with my thoughts. I've been figuring out what makes life meaningful.


There is so much out there in the world that you miss by wasting your time inside. We're all going to waste time, but we'll never feel fulfilled by wasting it in front of a screen. Waste your time outside instead.

"Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity".   -John Muir

self portrait series & some things

TO LISTEN
While I am perfecting my autumn playlist (soon to be shared with you), here is some other music I've been listening to recently.
(click the song to listen)
A Place Like This // Majid Jordan
Save Me // Majik
It's Strange // Louis the Child
Warm // SG Lewis
Gold // kiiara
Waiting Too Long // Hippie Sabotage
Swimming Pool // Yuma X

LATELY
Making lists, making plans, making art (or trying to), early mornings, sweaters (even when it's too warm), french press coffee, spending time in the woods, lots of pictures, watching the sunset, being.

SOME WORDS
Document the moments you feel most in love with yourself- what you're wearing, who you're around, what you're doing. Recreate and repeat. //Warsan Shire

Have a beautiful week
xoJordan

getting over a break up

Tried and true, these will help. If I could have a giant sleepover with all of you that would be wonderful. Because boys are dumb and us girls need to stick together, right?

But in all seriousness...

I think we build a little home in the hearts of every person we really care about. And when they close the doors and don't let you in anymore, it hurts. But even when all you've had are storms, one day you will wake up and the sun is shining and it doesn't hurt so much and you realize there are bigger and better things waiting for you then some silly boy who locked you out and didn't know what a beautiful heart he was giving up.

Stay lovely, girls. The world needs love, and needs you to give it.

recent favorites

Today I'm sharing with you guys a few of my recent favorites. To start off, if you follow me on instagram, you might already know that I got my nose pierced! So of course my new jewelry is one of my favorites.


I also got a new set of watercolors, and have enjoyed playing around with them. I have been so busy lately I have not been making time for myself to be creative, so these paints are helping me get back into it.


I've been trying to set a nighttime routine for myself of drinking tea and reading for a little while before I go to bed, to calm my mind and bring a little peace before I sleep. My mom lent me the book "Quiet" by Susan Cain a while ago but life got crazy and I'm just now picking it up again. This book has been helping me feel so understood as an introvert. Also, I've been drinking this St. John's Wort tea that I found at my local health food store, which is especially calming when I'm feeling a bit blue. You can read about the benefits of St. John's Wort tea here.


This is a more personal favorite, but looking through old photos and memories has been bringing me a lot of joy lately.


And finally, planning future adventures is a favorite, because I have something to look forward to and daydream about when I'm working long, tiring days. (Ps. I have a video tutorial for making your very own adventure jar if you'd like one for yourself!)

Sending lots of love to all of you, I hope your week is going great. ♥

Colorado Roadtrip

Four short months ago Dylan found out the exciting news that he landed the job he had been hoping for in the city he had been dreaming about. Fast foward to June, where we packed up his belongings, squeezed ourselves and a dog into his car, and began the 20+ hour drive from Tuscaloosa, AL to Denver, CO.


We drove. And drove. And drove some more. We did the whole trip without stopping overnight. We had good music, a large dog, and each other to keep ourselves going.


The sun began to rise as we drove through Kansas and neared Colorado.


Finally, we reached the border. It was early in the morning but we excitedly pulled over, stretched our legs, and took lots of pictures. As we continued driving, the mountains came into view in front of us. We were in Colorado.


A few hours later, we arrived in Denver at Dylan's new house. We spent the day napping, getting a few new home essentials, and cooked the first meal.


That evening we went downtown, exploring Dylan's new home.


Denver is beautiful. You can be in the middle of the city and look to the horizon and see the snow capped Rocky Mountains surrounding you. For every few blocks of buildings, there is a green park somewhere nearby. There is a perfect mix of the historic beginnings and modern life.


The rest of the week was spent exploring Denver, hiking everywhere, lots of picnic-ing in parks and mountains, eating so much good food, and enjoying the last few days we had with each other.














It was an absolutely beautiful week and I am so grateful I was able to tag along with Dylan for the beginning of this exciting new chapter of his life. Bittersweet goodbyes were said, one last hug in the airport before I traveled back to Tuscaloosa. But only temporary goodbyes, only until next time.



I put together a video of our adventures, a memory of our perfect first week in Colorado.

Follow Dylan on instagram: dylan.mcc

a photo diary

Hello friends, yes I am still alive and well. Thank you all who have kept checking my blog and who sent me such sweet messages these past few months, I've missed you! My life has been so full, I feel like I haven't had a chance to pause and catch my breath. So many adventures, lots of studying, roadtrips and concerts, a few heartaches, but always good company to come along for the ride. My camera stayed in my hands throughout it all, so I put together a photo diary of my life since last time you heard from me.


Photography and hiking on an unusually warm winter day


A spontaneous weekend trip to Atlanta


Walking home after class on a late Monday afternoon


A perfect Valentine's day- picnic-ing, a cheesy dinner, drive-in movie, and a night with good friends


Magic Man concert at a small venue in Nashville


Druid City Arts Festival on a sunny Saturday afternoon


A walk through the arboretum on a warm Spring day


Turning 20 and celebrating with beautiful friends


A wonderful week at the beach to start off the summer


Saying goodbye to Max, who lived a beautiful 15 years with our family

Tame Impala show at the end of Shaky Knees music festival

Roadtripping from Alabama to Colorado with Dylan

I'm so happy to be back and blogging. I just got back from a roadtrip to Colorado, which I can't wait to put a post together about to show you all! Thanks for sticking with me through these crazy few months.

xoxo, Jordan