Hiya, I’m Jenny! I love pancakes, photography, sarcasm, lists, and people. Usually I make my home in Colorado, but this past year went on a grand adventure in Scotland to study, eat shortbread, and chase down a bunch of sheep. If you need another blog to get hooked on feel free to check out mine, www.jennystoecker.com, and follow me on Instagram.

1. Travel

 

The fact that I can get on an airplane and be in an entirely different country in the same day blows my mind. To me, travel is a reminder that there’s a great big world outside my little bubble and boy is it beautiful.

 2. Celebrating Failure 

 

I don’t know a lot of people who enjoy failure. I for one would much rather succeed, but I’ve been learning that there is beauty in celebrating things that don’t go my way. I’ve been loving this lyric from The Oh Hellos “… and the sun, it does not cause us to grow, it is the rain that will strengthen your soul, and it will make you whole.” So, I’m figuring out how to celebrate seasons of rain because I know they will lead to growth in the long run. (Also yes, my celebrations often involve ice cream or and churros…)

3. Sunsets 

I tried to go with something a little less cliché, but I just kept coming back to this. This past year I moved over four thousand miles from home and became a sunset junky. In the midst of unknowns, the consistency (and beauty) of the sunset made me feel comfortable. It reminds me that whatever happens today, the sun will set and rise afresh, bringing with it new opportunities.

4. Winter 

I lived in Edinburgh, Scotland this past year. In the winter it gets light at 9am and dark at 3pm and in the summer it gets light at 4am and dark at 11pm. When I first moved there I, being a Colorado girl through and through, was worried about the lack of sunshine that comes with the winter. That is until one of my professors said something that changed my mindset. “These seasons are just like one big breath in and out. Summer is full of hustle and bustle, whereas winter is a time to recharge (and drink a lot of hot chocolate).” From then on, I have never appreciated winter more. Which conveniently plays into my final reflection of beauty…

 5. Time 

 

I love schedules and to do lists and I don’t love excessive blank spaces in my planner. However, I’m learning that having the time to process, recharge, and dream big is a beautiful gift that in the past I’ve been too busy to experience.

 

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