The Sound of Settling

Some girls crave a night out with the girls after a hard day. Others need to buy something pretty to make them feel better about life. Still others turn to food as a way to fill the void and make them feel a little less stressed.

I've tried all of these methods.

But I forgot how much simply being out in nature comforts me.

Moving back to Santa Barbara has been really good, but really hard at the same time. I don't have time to feel lonely, so that's not the issue. As soon as I moved back, I took on three jobs, joined two different gyms and have been trying to manage keeping straight A's in my courses.

So far, it has been mostly easy. But then there are days like today. Days when I should be driving to the airport to board a plane and land in Seattle to spend my birthday weekend with the love of my life and my wonderful parents.

Then the storm hits and I spend the morning skipping class to try to figure out how to fix the damage that is a cancelled flight followed by another cancelled flight. It makes me anxious and upset. I easily could have spent the morning in bed watching Bones and feeling sorry for myself. Instead, I put on my shorts and walked out the door.

It was perfect weather and the sky was clear. I hiked 11 miles in the backcountry of Santa Barbara and I feel so much more relaxed.

My friend's husband is a neurosurgeon. He is in the process of writing a book about the brain and how nature influences your intelligence.

I truly think exploring a new trail or seeing a new sight is exhilarating and therapeutic to me.

I encourage you to find that thing that calms you down and helps you reanalyze your life and how good we have it. I can fret about not being able to spend the evening with my boyfriend, but ultimately, I am able to see him eventually. Some people are not as fortunate; they are stolen from their families, lose a loved one to cancer or live on a different continent.

Remember where you are and how good your life really is. Don't settle for feeling bad about your day. Turn your frown upside down and find a way to spend some time doing the things that make you that irrisistable, one-of-a-kind beauty.

That's all.

(Drops the mic)