Wayne and I have been going on a lot of adventures this fall. Maybe Oregon put a little bit more Riotous into our Living – inspired us to get back to what truly makes us happy. Maybe the semester is just easier: my job is less demanding, my classes are less intense, and my priorities are changing. Whatever it is, I’m grateful.

First it was a weekend trip to Orlando to meet up with a friend of his (and new friend of mine). Then, a 4 night cruise/trip to the Bahamas for my beautiful friend Elena’s wedding. And just this past weekend we spent the night in the Tampa area with our new friends Nicole and Schirriah and their adorable babe. The laundry pile is stacked high and the living room needs a deep clean but I am happy and relaxed (albeit sick).

First and last pictures were taken by the talented Gilbert Rodriguez. I can't wait to see more of the moments he captured. The rest were taken on Wayne's camera phone. :)

♥ Jessa

This has truly ben a year of proving to myself that I can do anything. I've written before about how graduate school seems to be all about both transition and challenge. This has been true in so many different areas of my life - I've struggled with my own identity, defining what is most salient for me and confronting my own experiences and biases with privilege and oppression.I've also struggled intellectually - these courses are challenging me to critically think in new ways about context . I've even struggled in my personal life - defining my values, ethics, and goals.

But it's also challenged me physically . Seven months ago I tore the muscles in my thighs . There were so many times during the next few months where i was terrified - that my sense of normalcy was shaken, that I might not regain full use of my legs, that I had damaged my body forever. There were so many times in physical therapy that I thought I simply wouldn't make it through. Looking back, those same types of moments pepper my entire existence - giving up on something simply because I didn't think I could do it.

Now... I've accomplished so much that I was terrified to do - both before and at that time. We swam and rode bikes and ran and now I am so much stronger - in so many ways. The perfect example of this is the mud run that Wayne and I just did.

I was terrified - and to be fair, I'm still terrified of the December Tough Mudder - I thought that I would fail at this hard care. I thought I would emerge defeated, muddy, and/or wounded at the end. Honestly, the worst possible ending was hurting my legs again.

That is not what happened. (Also, take a look at that smile on Wayne's face!)

I was fine, I was strong, I was both encouraged and encouraging. I gave people boosts and got a leg up but I powered through the obstacles and came out energized (I type that in disbelief - STILL). We finished as a team, which was wonderful.

So now I know who I am. I am a warrior . A powerful, intelligent woman who fights demons and emerges BETTER, VALIDATED, and AWESOME.

♥ Jessa

I love working on a college campus. One of the things that I missed the most in my various jobs between undergrad and grad school was being around people who were interested in learning new things. Personal and professional development is something that I care deeply about, I love learning and trying new things and I love being around people with those similar values.

The thing about a college campus is that every time you turn around there is an opportunity to learn more or do something new and the offerings are so diverse! On Thursday I was able to attend a lecture on Harry Potter and the Law where fabulous potter nerds debated how modern political actions are reflected in the books. We talked about the lack of family law, interesting privacy law changes from book to book, and several criminal law proceedings and idiosyncrasies. A few hours later I was able to attend a training for T.A.s on how to create a syllabus - where I learned a great deal, got some examples, and felt extraordinarily out of place. :)

And finally, on Friday I was able to participate in Gator Allies 2.0 - the second installment of a training that is designed to allow us participants to eventually host sessions on LGBT awareness and issues.

In just two days I did all of that - learned new things and interacted with new people. For free. Isn't that amazing!?!

♥ Jessa

You can tell that school has started up again in full force because I haven't been posting quite as much. This is also probably related to the fact that I found a new graduate assistantship and started 2.5 weeks ago. :) I'm so incredibly happy with where I'm at and I'm learning so many new things that just fuel my passion for reaching my end goal.

This post is just an amalgamation of things that I've recently enjoyed in my quest to maintain the work/life balance that my amazing colleagues at Pacific taught me this summer. Things and people that make me happy and that help me maintain sanity in the middle of a million tasks and expectations.

The new garden is in and thriving. Special thanks to the gentlemen at Alachua County Feed and Seed for helping me figure a few things out and not being angry when I spilt all of my beautiful plants on you. (Seriously, who does that? I'm such a clutz!) In this garden there are now tomatoes, broccolis, cabbages, romaine lettuces, and carrots. I've also got some starter trays set up with acorn squash, cucumbers, and sugar snap peas. Starter trays are used to let the little seeds grow into toddler plants before you take up garden space. That way you know which seeds are going to be successful ahead of time and can avoid one plant choking out another.

My new nail polish color. I'm in love.

Sunday brunches with awesome people.

Roommate snuggles. How many people can fit on one couch?

Seriously, who wouldn't love this. Unfortunately I have to be at work by 8 most mornings so I don't get as many thunder snuggles as I used to.

Florida storms beat Oregon rain hands down. I love listening to the rain hit the roof and watching the lightning.

It feels like it's game night every night around here. Even tonight, while I was reading Higher Education Case Law the roommates were playing Munchkin.

Show me what you have been enjoying recently!

♥ Jessa

In our first week of Counseling class we were given an interesting assignment. Each one of us needed to conceptualize a book based on our lives. We needed the cover, the title, the genre, and the names of all of the chapters. It seemed a little silly to many of us at first, but I think that after we came together to share the results of our creativity and reflection, most of us had recognized the value. Our professor has been giving us a number of reflective activities that are opening us up. This past summer it finally clicked for me, I recognized the value of all of these reflective assignments our professors have given us and began to apply my reflection to my life, both professionally and personally. This assignment brought to the surface many emotions for many people - I'd like to share with you mine.

My primary emotion during this activity was happiness . I realized as I looked through old pictures and reflected on the different times of my life that the one common theme; the one thread that tied it all together was LOVE. I remember the hard things, some extraordinarily difficult times that shook me to my core. I even remember some things or people who changed my value system in a negative way, people I had to recover from slowly. But each of these times, without doubt, what I remember most is having someone beside me who truly loved me. I am so lucky, so incredibly lucky, to have always been surrounded by honest, true, not always easy LOVE . People who are smarter than me and braver than me and stronger than me who aren't afraid to tell their friends when they're right and wrong, people I probably don't deserve to have in my life, my rocks. My mother, my Rachel, my ladies, sometimes their moms, a boyfriend or two, Wayne. These people created me with their love, carefully gave me all the best parts of them without worrying if I'd break it or lose it.

I'm the happiest I've ever been in my entire life, so I'm certain that I'm looking at this all through a different lens than ever before. But that doesn't change the fact that it's true. I'm fulfilled now. I am who and where I am because of you. My past, my present, my future. I can only hope to give as much love in my lifetime as I have received.

I just wanted to share that. :) Being reflective and self aware is helping me to be happier it seems.

♥ Jessa