AUGUST FAVES '17

August was a pretty eventful month for me. I got to experience a truly once-in-a-lifetime event: the solar eclipse in a total totality zone (unless I decided to quit my job and become an eclipse chaser, I will likely never experience that again). We woke up early to hike up to the top of a hill outside of town to watch it. It was a totally indescribable feeling as the world grew dark and cold. You could feel the moment the sun was completely covered. It felt... different.

Eerie. 

I'd say it was weirdly calm, but I was surrounded by people clapping and cheering so that doesn't seem entirely accurate. In August I started what has turned into one of my more interesting projects: 100 Days Sober. While I have a few personal goals I'm working on during my many days sober (such as establishing a habit of waking up early), my main goal is to help raise awareness to the social struggles people face when sober in an alcohol dominated culture and the black-and-white way we view alcoholism in our society. Yep, I went dry starting August first. I co-hosted a very boozy tiki party in my backyard, went on a family hiking / over-night camping trip, and experienced my first real car accident (someone smashed their car into mine, crunching the driver's side in a way so that the door on my beloved mini cooper wouldn't open)—all without the aid of alcohol. (Keep an eye out for future videos and a blog post about my experience going 100 Days Sober in November). And this month my career took a major step: In addition to having my blog heading in a direction I am really excited for, and launching my YouTube channel, I accepted a full-time position as a copywriter in an advertising agency. Parting with my freelance career is bittersweet. I've loved being a freelancer (as I wrote in a previous blog). But I'm also really excited about the projects I'll be working on and the people I'll be working with at the agency (steady paycheck doesn't hurt either.) As I reflect on all the ways my life has changed in August, I leave you with this: A video, of all the small things from August that make me happy. Because small things can make all the difference.