Enough Small Talk: Here's My Life (Well, Some of it).

Hello! My name is Madison and this is my VERY FIRST blog post. Boy am I nervous about it. I have spent the past few hours mulling over what to talk about in this first post in order to make a good first impression. What do I tell people? What will they find interesting, engaging, or persuasive? What's pertinent and what's downright TMI? After all that wondering and questioning, I have officially taken zero steps towards progress. Until now. Where I have found myself, once again, sitting down to write all of the thoughts in my jumble-y fumble-y head, and treating this blog as simply an extension of my personal journal. Except now its contents are available to the lovely (and lurking) public. I'll try to keep it moderately professional... for now.

Let's start with a bit of background on me. Hi again, it's me, Madison (try not to forget). I'm an amateur copywriter and soon-to-be professional beggar playing the role of an undergraduate English major for, at least, one more year. When people ask me what I plan to do with a degree in English I tell them I'm going to take my liberal arts education (with a concentration in rhetoric and two minors in Ethnic and Women's Studies) straight to law school. Frankly, I only do this to see the look of surprise in their eyes when I say it, but who knows? Maybe I will go to law school, or maybe I'll go to grad school, or maybe I'll stick with the undergrad degree and become a "professional writer." Whatever that means.

The next thing that you should know about me is that I regularly attend therapy, and I have since I was about twelve years old. This is important for two reasons: 1) much of what I will discuss and share in this blog is inspired by the stuff I've learned, and am learning, in therapy, and 2) it's imperative that we engage with our mental well-being to enjoy the world around us. I firmly believe that there is no way to fully enjoy the food you're eating, the music you're listening to, or the beautiful sights you are seeing without truly indulging in caring for your mind. I say "indulging" because it is absolutely a treat and a luxury to take care of such a complex organ—in whatever way you can.

Finally, you should know that I am entirely dedicated to making the grander things in life affordable. I hope you don't find that too surprising; I am a college student after all. But with this money-conscious dedication comes lots of perks for a reader like you (whether you're worried about money or not) because I've got LOADS of tips and tricks for preserving money while enjoying some decadency. Trust me, I've made a summer job's worth of money last the entire school year.

Now we should probably discuss why I started this blog in the first place: to work on being more present in my daily life, to live in the moment, and to enjoy every salty, sweet, bitter, or breathtaking taste of life that I get. Boom. That's the goal. But what's the journey? How am I going to turn all that metaphorical stuff into physical actions? Good questions, how very convenient of you to ask! I will be accomplishing my goals by taking time to plan, prepare, picture, and enjoy the foods, activities, and thoughts I want to share with you! Even by simply setting aside time in my day to strategize the next meal I'm going to make I am one step closer to savoring every part of my day. And in doing all that work on myself and my life, I hope to encourage and empower some of you to do it too!

There you go. A bit about me and a bit about this blog. A short, sweet, and not too over-share-y introduction. I'm sure there are a lot more things you want to know, and you better believe there is even more I want to tell you. But, for now, let's stick with the basics and bask in the promise of future adventures to be had.

Enjoy your day, and eat cake!

Sincerely,

Madison Rhe

Freshman year (of college) me holed up in a dorm room and eating a huge slice of pizza