hello ONE.

did you know that by taking this pill it can
reverse the effects of AIDS
and did you know that it only costs 40 cents?



it's really quite crazy how blessed i am.
how i know that i don't have to worry about
having food. yet, there's so many others that do,
and they need help.



it's so awesome to be apart of a generation
that will see the end of AIDS.
how awesome.
i can't wait for the day when it will
be cancer too.

support ONE.

hello lanterns.

this weekend i checked another thing off of my bucket list.

light lanterns and float them up into the night sky.

it was honestly just as cool as i thought it would be,

and just as cool as it looked in the movie tangled.

as it lifted off, so fast it floated into the sky.

and then just like that, before we knew it, it was a small

glimmer in the distance. 

it's crazy how vast and spacious this galaxy is.

and so incredible at the same time.

hello exploration.

i need to get out of america. 

i'm in need of it.

craving.

wanting.

costa rica. peru. ecuador. south africa. greece. thailand. india. 

australia. nicaragua. chile. italy. spain. egypt. israel. maldives. 

iceland. philippines. new zealand. fiji. germany. tahiti. marshall 

islands. uruguay. ireland. china.

i want to go. 

i want to see.

i want to learn.

i want to eat.

i want to explore. 

i want to serve.

i want to live.

hello free serenity.

somehow this picture seems to describe how i'm feeling.. 

and the last few days..

but in a weird way?

does that even make sense?

no... i guess it doesn't quite make sense if you're reading this.

goodness, i am weird.

i think it's time for bed.

xoxo

L

hello lately.

i've been terrible at updating, so i figured i'd share with you all

some pictures from my time here lately via instagram. 

 lazy days at the backyard house

laie point sunsets

lots of puppy lovin'

the waikiki strip

runs on the beach

6am sunrises 

crystal clear water

good friends 

and a lot of beautiful beach days

all my love,

xoxo

L

hello facebook.

or should i say goodbye?
that's right.
a few days ago i took a very brave step and pressed
that little button on facebook that says,
deactivate.
and what a relief it has been ever since.
i needed to do it.
i needed to get away from past drama.
i needed to move forward with my life.
i needed to focus on the present.
i needed to spend some time on myself
& the things in life that are more important than a social network.
maybe i'll be back, maybe i won't.
but as for right now, i am quite content and happy
without that addiction.
i guess that means i should be more on top of my
blogging now that i don't have fb, right?
i'll work on it.
promise.
just trying to get into the swing of
school,
beach,
service,
& life.

xoxo
L

hello help.

hello blackest of nights.

life back on the island is oh so swell.
with the first week of classes down, i think
i've finally got a handle on it all. i'm proud
to report to you all that i have been working
on my new years resolutions a lot. one
of which is to meditate daily. i must say, i've found
so much joy in this. my lovely friend natalia and
i have gotten into the routine of working out and
ending the night meditating. we go to her back yard


























and sit on the grass that over looks the ocean.
i close my eyes, sit, and allow peace to overcome me.
without fail, every time i open my eyes and i see
the beauty of the stars above, i cannot
help but think i am in a dream. looking out
and seeing nothing but black darkness. the sky and
ocean look to be one. i don't know why, but
it just amazes me. there's so much out there.
i feel so small when i think about the greatness
of this earth. gods creation really is magnificent.
one day i want to set sail in a boat and just keep
going. just see what's out there.

hello twenty.

i am back on the island and celebrated the first day of school. 

along with that celebration came the celebration of me getting old.

tonight i blew out my twenty candles and wanted to cry as i said goodbye to my teen years. 

they were so grand. and now i'm feeling ancient. 

but i'm looking forward for what this new year and new decade have in store for me. 

thank you year 19, you taught me a lot. 

20, can't wait :)

hello hawaii 5-0

so remember that time when i talked about my 15 minutes of fame?

well the time has come and the episode that i was an extra for in Hawaii 5-0 aired tonight! 

it was crazy seeing how we spent 8 hours of filming time on the beach party scene and yet it lasted a grand total of like 15 seconds. i could never be an actress.. to tiring haha. 

well i took some pictures with my phone. bad quality, sorry. but here is proof that i was actually on tv! 

alright, see that big guys head in the front? and then a little of the girls face behind him? well i'm the girl behind her! haha that tiny face that you can't even see bc of the quality of this photo. that speck is me :)

 i'm the girl on the right in plaid, hugging my best friend rachel! (we were supposed to be crying and really sad bc our really good friend was murdered)

i know this is so minor... but i'm so excited about it! it was so awesome to see all the behind the scene stuff that goes into these types of productions. plus, i got paid for it, no complaining here.

looks like i can check be on tv off of my bucket list :)

xoxo 

L

hello new year.

happy new year from the peach drop in downtown atlanta, to wherever you may be :)

xoxo

L

hello 2012.

last year i made new year resolutions... let's take a look.

1. stay in touch with best friends (i can sort of check this off?)

2. get in shape (mmm...half way check this off)

3. write in journal every day (epic fail. wrote in it like 5 times)

4. don't go to a funeral or know someone to die (unfortunately can't check this off)

5. learn to surf (fail)

6. figure out what i want to do with my life (YAYY! somewhat check!)

7. meet new friends (most definitely made some new best friends, check!)

8. do what makes me happy (this is always a work in progress) 

so looks like i didn't do too hot last year... and to be honest, i completely forgot about all the resolutions that i wrote down until about a week ago. so with the new year, that means...

time for new resolutions.

1. write in a journal regularly
2. work out daily
3. read the entire bible
4. spend 20 mins meditating every day
5. let go of anger
6. volunteer every week
7. be better at calling friends back home
8. read more books
9. get straight A's
10. travel to a new place
11. find happiness again
12. actually accomplish my new years resolutions

12 new resolutions for 2012. 

bring in the new year. 

i'm hopping for the best & only wish the best to you too!

hello friday.

in honor of the last friday of 2011. 

thank goodness. 

hello 2011.

with 2012 coming up, it brought me back to reflect upon the last year.. let's take a look

January

i blew out my 19 candles in hawaii with my roommates and celebrated turning another year older. 

i also met my new roommate, rachel. who has become my best friend.

February

spent my valentines day with 20 of my girl friends, our tv, and the bachelor. 

evacuated for a tsunami warning and i about had a heart attack.

partied with neelam for a week when she came out to visit.

March

enjoyed the adventures of hawaii and meeting new friends. 

and seeing mike, the situation, from jersey shore.

April

i said goodbye to my first year of college, amazing new friends, and hawaii.

i said hello to summer, amazing old friends, and georgia.

May

spent party hopping around to younger friends graduation parties, job searching, and the start of braves games.

June

enjoyed a matt & kim concert, began my job at a daycare center,
and created an epic tradition of monday night dessert and game night with my friends.
oh.. and more braves games.

July

i got my heart broken in the most awful way any person could. 

August

my sister and hayden came to georgia for a few weeks.

i said goodbye to my friends as they headed back for college.

i also said goodbye to my wonderful job at the daycare center, and the wonderful kids that saved my life this summer.

September

said goodbye to georgia and alohaaa to hawaii.

October

filled with halloween festivities and dressing up as a dog, biker chick, and a greek goddess.

November

donated blood for the first time, helped with the hunger banquet and invisible children, and fed the homeless.
rooted for edward in breaking dawn and put my gratitude forward on thanksgiving. 

December

spent my time at several surf competitions... when i should have been studying for finals. 

said goodbye to hawaii, spent time in idaho, then utah, and finally home to georgia.

it's been quite the year. unfortunately 2011 will not go down as the best year ever for me.
but at least it gives me hope for 2012 to be so much better.
i am praying that this next year is the best one yet. 

new year. new chances. new people. new hope. 

hello one day.

tonight i stayed in with my sweet parents.

we snuggled up on the couch and turned on a movie.

drank some hot chocolate and called it a

good time. the movie we watched? 

life in a day.

super great and i highly recommend it. it's all about

video submissions from different people around the world,

all filming their daily life on one day. july 24th, 2010.

and so this movie got me thinking. . .
i think everyone is guilty of lacking an understanding for

other cultures. and once we can understand it, there will

be peace. i honestly believe that. but people don't care

to understand and learn. and that's why there is so much

conflict in our world. 

i want to understand. i want to learn. i want to travel and

explore. gain the knowledge. i want to live deep. 

i want to help. i want to serve. i want to be at peace

with myself. and help others too find peace. 

xoxo

L