I have spent this entire week on cover letters and job applications, a tedious but incredibly interesting endeavor. After tons of research, 4 completed applications, and 4 more cover letters I have noticed some trends.

Lately everything seems to be screaming WEST COAST at me. Some of the most exciting (but not all!) Residence Life positions I'm seeing are on the West Coast, people keep asking me about it, I'm reading books about people in Oregon, following new twitter friends that are there, and so on and so forth. So I decided to put together a quick list of reasons why I obviously will end up on the West Coast again at some point in my life. This post is heavy on the awesome and light on the depth, I hope you'll forgive me.

First off... THIS ridiculously adorable love story . Who doesn't love little old men in love?

Second... THIS

and THIS

and THIS

Plus there's the beer... and the wine... and more wine... and the blueberry picking and farmer's markets .

There's also a ton of amazing student affairs professionals working on the west coast who daily inform my choices, my positivity, and my research interests. I hope I get to meet some of them in real life at NASPA this year!

And finally, there is Macklemore. Seattle born and bred and an incredible lyricist. If you have a few minutes I highly suggest you watch the videos I've embedded and explore some of his other work. They are really well done. The first is pretty much my theme song.

♥ Jessa

After much consideration of the many wonderful things that 2013 will probably bring, and the inevitable accompanying challenges, I have come upon a word that I think will help me continue to grow.

I know that I have been going though this great transformation - I am incredibly proud of the ways in which I have come to know myself. As I embark on a new professional journey and find my first full time job as a student affairs professional it will be a challenge to continue to be the new me. Instead of losing myself in my work, as the old Jessa might have done, I want to ensure that I am continuing to be completely present. I want to consciously appraise the way my values affect my work and the way my work affects my values, I want to continue to learn more about myself and my wants and my needs. I need to continue with periodic reflections so that I can continue to grow. And perhaps most challenging for a vocal extravert I need to be able to stay quiet so that I can learn from the people around me.

Selah is a word found in the Hebrew bible. Its meaning has not been pinpointed exactly but the general consensus is that it means to pause, to reflect, and to consider the meaning of what has come directly before it. It can also mean the connection between two things, understanding a cause and effect relationship, and understanding the past as you move forward into the future. For the purposes of my #oneword2013 it will mean all of those things. I will use this word to help me stay rooted in everything I have learned as I move forward. It will help me to stop, to pause, before i speak or leap (hopefully). I am so incredibly excited to see what 2013 will bring.

Selah ♥ Jessa

I wrote this entry before an incredibly lazy/crazy week of vacation. Please forgive me for not posting sooner, but maybe it is appropriate because Tuesday I will be posting my #oneword2013.

Yesterday was the Winter Solstice and the Yule Celebration. It is a time to celebrate the returning of the sun, the returning of the light, and to both reflect on the past year and set goals for the new year. I like to reflect on Yule and set new goals on New Years Eve, to give myself time to percolate. ☺ Here is just one of many reflections.

My #oneword2012 was fulfill . I chose that word for so many reasons, foremost of which that I was incredibly overwhelmed. The first year of graduate school in my program was kicking my butt, I was working way too many hours at Santa Fe, taking on a formal practicum, and applying/interviewing for summer internships. I had just failed at my first gardening endeavor, my to-do list was growing, and I hadn’t even touched so many of the homeowner projects that I wanted to.

Fulfill to me means understanding your roles and your own hopes for those roles, and then making it happen. It means being wholly present in your role and accomplishing everything you expected of yourself. It also means taking on only those roles that you can handle and making sure that each opportunity you do commit to fulfills you.

My #oneword2012 helped me to cut back. I did not garden in the Spring, there was no way I could have handled it on my own. I cut back on my extra hours at Santa Fe and started developing sustainable ways that I could empower student leaders to shoulder some of the work. In the summer, I was able to embrace my #oneword even more because my colleagues truly role modeled balance and being present. I didn’t feel guilty for switching my hours around for adventures, partly because I knew it was important and partly because everyone at Pacific encouraged me to. And even this fall, if an opportunity hasn’t really lit a fire in my heart I’ve let it pass. Even more importantly, even when an opportunity did excite me but I thought I couldn’t excel in it because of time or stress (like Conduct Committee), I didn’t pursue it.

My #oneword2012 also encouraged me to think about all of the roles I’ve committed to and set goals within each one. My garden is so much happier this fall than it was last fall because I set realistic goals that I knew I could fulfill and was open about how much help I would need. Wayne and I spend time together and go on weekend trips because we know that it fulfills our need for couple time. Just this week we have been working on a much-needed update to the (teeny tiny) master bathroom to fulfill our roles as homeowners and to help us love our house even more. I also think I’m a better friend, with more intentional conversations and phone calls.

Some things didn’t go the way I planned, however. I still have a Thank You card and box sitting in my car to send to Pacific University (EDIT: It has been sent now). I never made it to Nashville to see my little and her not so new anymore baby (EDIT: But I did see her and meet the baby while in South Florida!). My Etsy shop is not booming or even updated and one of my research projects hasn’t gained legs yet. This doesn’t discourage me so much, though, because I’ve made so many great strides.

Each bit of progress makes me feel SO GOOD. Right now, sitting here reflecting on 2012, I feel fulfilled deep down in my heart. I feel relaxed, proud of my continuous personal development, and proud of my accomplishments.

♥ Jessa

We are strange folk. We laugh at and love some pretty weird things. I suppose that is OK if your life is full of laughter in some way, right?

I have strange friends too, which is pretty perfect. I have been really enjoying my sometimes quick and often silly Skype dates with my little. Now if the other littles would just get on board! Casey! Denise! I want to Skype with you! Also, can you believe these people are making this big adult step and getting married?! I can't wait.

I have two posts in my brain that need to find a way to make it into the computer. The first is about blogging while job hunting, or any social media while job hunting. The second is about the Tough Mudder. I know that I owe all of you who don't speak to me on a regular basis an explanation about what we did and why. Maybe Wayne should write that one. In the meantime, here's a teaser pic. In every picture they took of me I am smiling so I must have loved it, right?

Wayne had a apocalypse countdown on the television when I left for work today. Maybe we should live extra riotously tonight so that when we wake up tomorrow and the world hasn't ended we can get back to remodeling the bathroom. :)

Happy Holidays! ♥ Jessa