Fall

Happy Thanksgiving From Shanghai!

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Happy Thanksgiving from Shanghai! Life lately has been a lot of fun, very busy writing midterm reports and of course funny because what is life without humor. A few days ago I was at a museum with a friend and sat down only to be bombarded by Australian high school students who after learning that I was American proceeded to interrogate me about the news. “What do you think of Donald Trump and gun control” was the first thing out of their mouth. Nice to meet you guys too! It was actually a very interesting conversation. They were on a six week trip, spending two weeks in China and then the other four in Israel as they went to a Jewish prep school in Australia.

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Life Lately

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“You change your life by changing your heart.”

-Max Lucado

I haven’t done a type of this post as often as I would like to; however there is no better time to start than the present! Life lately has been fairly wonderful. I know I have said this before…but there is something about this time of the year that is so magical, but with that magic also comes a lot of change.

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Fall Feels: Pumpkin Baking

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(Photo is of some chocolate chip oatmeal pumpkin cookies that I made…will post the recipe soon)

“I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion” 
-Henry David Thoreau

Hey ya’ll!

I just got back from a trip to New York City (will share later) and had a great time soaking in the East Coast and hanging out with some of the absolute best friends in the world. It was a wonderful few days of break and I am happy to be back in Boulder and in my cozy apartment. Being in New York made me miss my kitchen (as NYC kitchens are basically like a mini cubicle) and reminded me of all the delicious pumpkin baking I have been doing and can’t wait to keep doing! Baking is so much more simple than people make it and as long as you have the basics down, some intuition and put lots of joy (and sugar and butter) into whatever you make…it usually turns out. And if doesn’t, you still give it to your friends and they still smile. Or don’t have tastebuds.

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Turning Over a New Leaf

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“I am so glad that I live in a world with Octobers”

-Anne of Green Gables 

I will keep repeating this for a long time…but October is my absolute favorite month and fall is my favorite time of the year. It is filled with pumpkin spice and everything nice and has some of the most gorgeous scenery. It is a very nurturing time of the year that I like to especially spend with friends and family, soaking in the fall leaves and new cycle as everything turns over. There is also something that seems to be in the air; a magical and whimsical wind that brings a smile to my face. This summer has been magical in its own right; starting off with such a personal transformation that was the best possible thing to happen to me. It transitioned to a fun month of new people, places and experiences that gave me lots of perspective on not only my life, but the infinite world we all live in. And as August crept up on me, I returned to school. This year had a very special energy like no other and set the tone for what I hope to be the best year yet. And as the weeks have gone and time has passed, I feel at peace more than I have in a while. Despite the ups and downs, the doubts and revelations we all have, I feel settled and am relishing in the ability to stay somewhere.

It turns out that staying is quite the adventure…

Happy October!

-Kaila

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Dawn to Dusk: Living Magic

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Life is a series of events that none of us are ever fully prepared to experience. But we do. And that is the beauty and tragedy in it all. None of us can plan for anything when we can’t predict the future. We can only live in the now and make conscious decisions that move us to a positive future. As I catch up on the last few weeks of posts, I thought I would start by sharing one of the greatest set of days; the kind of day that you can’t plan for and just say yes to because you know that it is fleeting, magical and rare.

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Turning Over a New Leaf: Falling and Flying in Fall

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There is always something special going on in the universe during this time of the year. It is an immense time of change from an environmental perspective with the earth shedding its layers from the growth of the spring and summer. It is also a time of change from a personal perspective as a student as well. No matter what year a student is in school, adjusting back into the semester after the initial excitement from the beginning dies down is a major transition. I don’t think we as humans give each other enough credit for how we cope with everything going on. It’s okay and sometimes mandatory to be extra kind to ourselves and sleep another hour, have one more piece of chocolate or sit outside a little longer and ignore the lists we all have sitting on our desks and counters.

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The Open Road: Adventure Updates

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Lately in life I have been lost in the world (as opposed to school). I have been far too distracted and interested in the world (and less in my reading) and can’t seem to stop moving; its as though I have an endless adventurous twitch in my body that won’t let me sit still. I had an amazing weekend and went on countless adventures, mostly by myself which was kind of perfect. I think a lot of people have a huge fear of being by themselves, solo and alone. I think there’s no better way than to be my yourself; we all are stuck with ourselves our entire lives, so you might as well learn to enjoy it.

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Life is About Pushing Yourself…and Enjoying the Change of Seasons

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Simply said, life is about pushing yourself. It is. We are only able to on this earth for so long and while we are all here, we might as well push ourselves mentally, physically, spiritually and in every other facet to never stop changing, learning and evolving. I had an extraordinary weekend starting with dinner and Pearl Street with my friend Amy on Friday, taking first year students on a sunrise hike on Saturday morning (which is my job…amazing that I get paid to do what I love), getting a ticket to see the Dalai Lama and an amazing evening in Macky Auditorium at the Tedx Talk Boulder. The Ted Talk was one of the most inspiring events I have ever been to and one day here’s hoping that I will be giving one! Big shoutout to Trace Bundy who performed at the event and absolutely blew me away. Youtube him. He is a musical genius and I felt so emotionally connected to his performance; nothing short of earth shattering.

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