Life After Graduation: 10 Things I've Learned in Year 1 of Post Grad Life

Hi All!

When looking for a topic to write on, I was given the advice to write about what I know. So I thought what better than to write about things I have learned this past year. I cannot believe that it has actually been a almost year since I have been out of college. It feels like yesterday that I got dressed in my cap and gown and jumped around at Camp Randall with 6,000 of my fellow Badgers as we celebrated going to the greatest school in the world (only a little bias). The day I graduated college will forever be one of the most bittersweet moments of my life.

Graduation is a roller coaster of emotions that is exhausting and exhilarating all at the same time. You are gleaming with pride that you actually did it, celebrating that fact that there no more homework or cram sessions in your future, a feeling of real sadness to leave it all behind and sometime paralyzing fear of the unknown future you're about to embark on. All at the same time. It is emotionally exhausting. The roller coaster doesn't last long and soon you will get a hang of this whole "being an adult" thing you've been preparing for your entire life.

I'm here to tell you that there is life after college and it doesn't suck as much as I thought it would. I definitely miss some things about college and my life, but there are also things that I love about being on my own and becoming a real adult.

So, without further ado, here are the top 10 most important things I have come to learn about life after college.

1. Student loan debt is a bitch.

I apologize for the bluntness of this statement, but there really is no other way to describe the ball and chain that I will be carrying around for many years to come. Every month I see a nice chunk of my paycheck just float away into the oblivion that is my student loan balance. I hope that you are unlike me and you do not have the black cloud of debt following you around, but if you are like me, just know that it is going to be ok and that you are not alone. The Institute of College Access and Success reports that 7 out of 10 students graduating in 2013 left school with almost $30,000 worth of debt. This is a staggering number of students and it sucks that this is a reality so many of us face, but it is what it is and you have to keep moving forward. You invested in yourself by going to college and getting a good job and now it is time to pay off that investment. There are many tools out there for people with student loan debt, but my biggest tip for conquering student loan debt? Budgeting.

2. Budgeting is a necessity.

Setting up a realistic budget is absolutely crucial. Worrying about money is incredibly exhausting and something that can basically be avoided by making and sticking to a budget. You may have been lucky enough to have received help from your parents when in college: grocery help here, covering your cell phone bill there. Life after college is really the time to becoming self-sufficient and start covering these expenses on your own. Rent is expensive. Bills are expensive. Life in general is expensive. I know the new Kate Spade bag is amazing and you can finally afford to splurge once in a while, but the trick to financial success really is living within (or sometimes even below) your means. Trust me, I know this is easier said than done, but you're already going to be stressed out with all of the life changes occurring around you so eliminating financial stress from that equation will make your life that much easier. Once you get a job and figure out how much you are taking home every paycheck, its time to sit down and really set up a budget. Make sure you are covering all of your bills before deciding how much you are willing to spend on going out to the bars or on iced coffee this month. I swear by Mint.com as a way to keep track of all of your spending while setting up a monthly budget (stay tuned for a post all about Mint and how to use the site to your advantage).

3. Searching for jobs is no fun.

Word to those college seniors about to graduate without a job set up yet: finding a job sucks but it's going to be ok. Finding your first job out of college is terrifying. How do you know that you're making the right decision? How much money should you ask for? What the heck is up with health insurance and how do I decide how much coverage I need? What do you wear to an interview? What do I say when I have no idea how to answer a question? In all honestly, you probably won't have the answers to all of those questions. I spent countless hours looking online for jobs last summer. I probably have at least 15 different versions of my resume saved and ready to go along with 50+ cover letters written. Finding a job became a full time job in itself. After awhile, I was happy when I would get a reply for a company telling me that the position had been filled or that they chose a more qualified candidate because it meant that they at least took time out of their days to let me know that I could finally breath and continue on my hunt. I looked up and had 2-3 answers for every interview question under the sun. Moral of the story? Keep chugging along and the right job with come along.

4. Real world dating is fun.

It is also scary, but that is part of what makes it fun. Right out of college dating is super chill and relaxed (at least in my experience). You meet some one (where exactly you do that is a great question and one that I am still working on figuring out myself), go out for a couple of drinks and if you like each other you go out again. If not, then you don't. Its usually drama-free and you move onto the next one if it doesn't work out. You get a feel for what you like and what you don't like and are looking for someone you could potentially spend the rest of your life with. Sure, you will probably have to kiss a couple of frogs before meeting "the one", but that's part of the fun. How do you really know what you want without knowing what you don't want? Bad date stories are great over a bottle of wine with your best friend whom will laugh in your face and pour you another glass. You are young and hot. Have fun with it.

5. Living alone is actually amazing.

If there is one thing I have loved most about life after graduation it is living alone. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved my college roommates and wouldn't take any of it back, but there is just something great about having your own space that is amazing. Everything in my apartment belongs to me. I can be a slob and not do the dishes for a week if I want. I can walk around naked in the middle of the day if I want. It is incredibly liberating and I love it. It is going to take someone pretty great (or some increased financial stress because living alone gets expensiveeee) for me to go back to having a roommate.

6. Its ok to relive the glory days every once in a while.

No one said you have to shrivel up and get boring after college. You can absolutely still go out and have one to many drinks from time to time. You can still make decisions you may regret in the morning. You can still be a little reckless from time to time. You can still go back to your old stomping grounds and have a little fun. That being said, all of this should be done in moderation after college. Drinking 4 nights a week was fun and all in college, but now that's called alcoholism and irresponsibility and no one wants either of those.You don't have to completely close the door on your college days just yet. College was a time where you figured out who you were. There is nothing wrong with revisiting that time every once in awhile. Moderation is key.

7. Its amazing how much weight you lose when you stop drinking so heavily.

Going off of #6. Moderation will do wonders. Seriously.

8. Its time to update your wardrobe.

By this time in your life, you should have your fashion figured out. You should know what looks good on you and your body and what you should stay away from. There is nothing wrong with taking some chances, but filling your closet with some staples is key. You are a young professional and should be dressing as such. No more tushy hanging out of the bottom of your shorts or crop tops in the middle of the day. Take that big girl paycheck and go buy a nice blazer and some neutral colored shoes and embrace your inner young professional.

9. College is not the end of the road.

If anything, it was only the beginning. Everyone tells you that college is the best four years of your life. If you did it right, they probably were pretty awesome, but life after college can still be great. For example, real life means a real job with real money to do things with. More money than you ever had in college. Change is scary but inevitable. Although also terrifying, there is also something so exciting about not knowing what the next year is going to hold for you. This is the time to explore and live and be the person you worked so hard to find during college.

10. Don't be so hard on yourself.

This one is the most important. You're doing the best you can. Nobody has their life completely figured out at 23. Just keep chugging along and life will fall into place along the way.



So as you post your #tbt photos as you look back on your time in college, just remember that life does move on and that it can be as great as you want it to be.

A Weekend in Paradise

Hi There!

First of all, I am so bummed I haven't been able to write in the past month. Work and life have been crazy and some days I barely find time to feed myself let alone write. I hope to make more time for blogging because it really is something I enjoy and is a good break from the hustle and bustle.

Because I have been working so hard lately, I decided to treat myself to a long girls weekend in Miami Beach with one of my best friends. She just finished up her accounting internship and a vaca was definitely needed by the both of us.

Thursday was a busy day for me filled with a full day of work in the lab followed by a trip to Madison to recruit at a STEM career fair before heading down to Chicago to meet Sarah. By the time I arrived it was a little after 11pm and we had to be awake by 230am to make our 5am flight. Needless to say, I was beat by the time we got on the plane but we were excited and eager to get into the sunshine and warmth of Miami.

We arrived at 945am Miami time to 80 degree weather and loads of sunshine. Luckily, our hotel provided a luggage check so we could go out and venture without having to lug around our bags. We were off to grab some Huevos Rancheros at Maxine's before heading to the beach. To our surprise, it is apparently common for a restaurant to add 18% gratuity to every check (definitely something to be aware of when traveling to Miami). After eating, we ventured to the beach where we were greeted by palm trees and white sand beaches.

We spent most of our time on the beach lounging in beach chairs reading and soaking in the sun. I honestly wouldn't have had it any other way. One of the best parts about the trip was that we didn't make any real plans and were just able to relax. It was exactly what the doctor ordered.

When the sun was too hot to handle, we would take a dip into the ocean. The turquoise water was cool enough to be refreshing but warm enough to swim in. Basically, it was perfection.

We washed up at our hotel and made our way out for some dinner on Lincoln Ave. Another thing I loved about Miami was all the outdoor seating. I don't think we ate a single meal inside while we were there.

Although more expensive than I am used to in Milwaukee, all the food was amazingly fresh.

We then just walked around Lincoln taking in the people and the atmosphere (and took a few selfies along the way).

I didn't have much in terms of hair products because of just packing a carry-on.The humidity was not kind to me.

Our days basically just consisted of the same basic routine of beaching and then sight seeing and eating. There were hundreds on hundreds of chairs and umbrellas where our fellow sun lovers from all over the world also relaxed. Side note: bathing suit fashion is very different across the world. We say lots of exposed man thighs and lady tooshies on the beach. It was a little different than what we were used to.

Our last day was spent by the hotel pool. We had to check out by 11am but stuck around until around 7pm for our 930pm flight. We stayed at the Dorchester. It was a cute little boutique hotel that screamed classic Miami. We took one last walk on the beach before heading back to the Midwest.

Random notes on Miami:

• Everybody smokes. A lot. Everywhere. Since everything is outside, people are free to smoke basically wherever. It was not really what we were used to and not something I really liked. It wasn't a deal breaker, as we just excused ourselves from areas where it was too much to handle, but it was just something I definitely noticed. 
• Fashion is very different. Woman are pretty open about not wearing the proper, if any, undergarments and I saw a whole lot more of a whole lot of women than I ever expected to. 
• Personal space? Not really a thing. People would basically walk right into you and were not shy about expressing themselves even if it meant getting very, very close to you.   
• Miami is a very progressive city that is very open-minded and accepting. Not to our prior knowledge, this past weekend was Pridefest in Miami. There were parties and music and spirits flowing and everyone seemed so happy to be themselves and be in Miami. Everyone around just seemed very accepting of everyone around them regardless of sexual orientation, race and nationality, or language spoken, which was particularly nice to see. 

All in all, it was a great weekend and exactly what I needed to recharge after a busy couple of months at work. I feel recharged and ready to take on the world! I highly recommend Miami to anyone who wants a great combo of fun and relaxation.

A Girls's Guide to March Madness

Hi Ladies!

Coming from a college sports fanatic, I am bursting at the seems with excitement about the most magical time of the year! March Madness (aka the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament) is one of my favorite times for sports! The thrill of healthy competition is in the air and I am soaking it all in. Now I know there are plenty of other ladies out there that are just as excited as I am about the craziness that is the next four weeks or so, but I also know there are plenty out there that don't know the difference between a slam dunk and a full court press. For these women, March Madness is a time in which boyfriends and husbands all circle around the TV, drink copious amounts of beer, and get way too upset over Cinderellas and bracket busters. So what's all the fuss about? This post is directed specifically towards you ladies out there who don't particularly follow college basketball and want to take their rightful place on the couch next to their male counterparts (or those who just want to learn what all the hype is about and keep up in conversation around the company water cooler).

Don't know a thing about filling out a bracket? You have come to the right place. I don't know ESPN is going to be calling me up for my expert opinion anytime soon, but I do think I have a better grasp on the Madness than the average American woman. So let's start with the basics:

What is March Madness?

March Madness is the nickname given to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. It begins on Selection Sunday (which took place on March 15th this year) and ends with cutting down the nets at the National Championship Game (scheduled for April 6th this year). From the first tip-off on March 19th to the last tick of the clock on April 6th, there are 63 games to be played. That is 2520 minutes (not including any overtime played) full of talent, passion, and excitement. There are sure to be some upsets and maybe even the rise of a Cinderella. Any given game a top contender can fall and an unexpected star can arise. If that isn't exciting, I don't know what is!

What is a bracket?

In general, a bracket is a break down of a series of games played by various teams. In the NCAA bracket 64 teams are broken up into four different regions (Midwest, East, West, and South). There are 16 different teams within each region, each ranked #1-16 (also referred to as their seed) from best to worst. No one know exactly the reasoning behind the committees seeding decisions, but a number of different criteria are looked at before the final field is set (such as a team's strength of schedule, number of wins, etc). According to Wikipedia, there are  9,223,372,036,854,775,808 different outcomes that can occur, which makes the chances of making the perfect bracket pretty near impossible (not that that stops anyone from trying).

How does the tournament work?

The NCAA tournament is a single-elimination tournament. This means after a team loses, they are out of the competition. To win the championship, the team must win all 6 games they play. The tournament is broken down into rounds:

• Round 1: The first 4 games played are for either an #11 or #16 seed position in the tournament. In these games, the lowest four at-large teams and the lowest four automatic bid teams play. A team receives an automatic bid if they win their respective conference championship.These games happen earlier in the week. The 4 winners of these games then play their matched opponent in the second round.
• Round 2: This round is also known as the round of 64. In this round there are 32 games in just 36 hours! These games occur on the Thursday and Friday following Selection Sunday.
• Round 3: Since only half of the teams from the previous round move onto this round, this round is known as the round of 32. Teams that won in the round of 64 play in 16 games in 32 hours! These games are played on Saturday and Sunday. 
• Round 4: This round is known as the Sweet Sixteen, as there are only 16 teams remaining after round 3. This year these games are held on March 26th and 27th.
• Round 5: This round is known as the Elite Eight. These games are between the final two teams from each region. These games are held on March 28th and 29th this year. 
• Round 6: The semifinal game, also know as the coveted Final Four round. At this point, the winners from the Widwest and West regions play as well as the winners from the East and South for a chance to play in the national championship game. Both games are held on April 4th.
• Round 7: The National Championship. The one for all the marbles. This game is held on April 6th, 2015.

Why should I even participate in a bracket challenge?

ESPN is estimating 70 million people will fill out a bracket over the next few days. MSNBC reports that approximately $9 billion dollars is likely to be wagered during this year's tournament. What does this mean for you? This means that chances are, you know someone who is filling out a bracket and who is going to win some cash come April. Who says it has to be the alpha male of your office? Wouldn't it be fun if this year you got to watch the men squirm with annoyance as the dark horse blonde swept them all away? I think so. Don't tell ESPN I said this, but a big key to a successful bracket is pure dumb luck (part of what makes it so fun). Fill out a bracket. It's easy, pretty cheap (if not free), and you could end up winning a lot of money.

How do I even begin to fill out a bracket? 

It is actually a lot easier than it looks. Depending on how much effort you want to put into it, filling out a bracket takes about 5 minutes. For those who want to make educated guesses, it will take a little longer. There is tons of information out about team stats, bracket trends, and even expert predictions. In fact, there is an entire science dedicated to the study of the bracket (cleverly deemed Bracketology). Don't care to look into the stats? That's fine, too! You can pick a fun theme to follow or just pick randomly.

No matter how you select your teams, I encourage you to give it a try! Join a bracket pool and win some money in the end or simply earn bragging rights with your friends for a whole year. March Madness is no longer just for the guys. If you do decide to participate, make sure to get your brackets in by this Thursday, March 19th. I'll be posting my official bracket when I finish it later this week (I'm one of those that spend a ton of time looking at stats and am trying to make the perfect bracket) so stay tuned to see my top picks! Will Kentucky make history and go 40-0? Or will a team finally be able to stop the wildcats and cut down the coveted nets on April 6th? Only time will tell! Buckle your seat belts and get set for a crazy couple of weeks!

Hump Day Hot List

Hey There!

Welcome to what I anticipate being one of my favorite weekly posts: Hump Day Hot List! This is the post to check out what I am most obsessed with or things that are making this week just a little bit better.


One// Lauren Conrad LC for Kohls: The Cinderella Collection

I am OBSESSED with this collection. The floral prints and ladylike feel to every piece in this collection is just beyond perfect. I am so happy it is finally getting warm enough for me to bust these pieces out in Milwaukee. The two pieces she is modeling in the photo are two of my absolute favorites! Check out her entire Cinderella collection here and let me know if you are just as obsessed with it as I am! Once again, Lauren proves she can do no wrong in my book.

Picture taken from LaurenConrad.com Pinterest page.

Two// The Wisconsin Badgers Men's Basketball Team

First of all, I am always obsessed with anything Wisconsin Badgers. Some people have told me that my love for the Badgers will subside with the more time that passes since my graduation from UW, but I just find this really hard to believe. I anticipate quite a few posts about my obsession with my alma mater and the different sports teams affiliated. Lately, I have been glued to the TV every time the men's basketball team is playing (hellooooo Nigel Hayes). Not only are they currently ranked #6 in the nation, but they are entering the B1G Tournament this weekend as the #1 seed and clear favorite. Oh, and they also basically swept the B1G regular season awards Monday night with awards in Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, and a couple other all-conference awards. I am SO excited to announce that I will be attending the championship game this weekend at the United Center in Chicago. If you're as interested in this weekend's tournement as I am (which is pretty unlikely, I admit) you can find out more information here. Stay tuned for an update on what is chalking up to be a fabulous girls weekend with my momma.

Picture gathered from Badgermbb Instagram account.

Three// Reconnecting with old friends

When I was growing up, my family was moving all the time because my dad was in the US Navy. Every 3 years or so we would pack up our lives and move on to the next adventure. It was always hard leaving friends but time proved that the real friends you acquired along the way were the ones that you still had 6months after a move. I had one friend when my dad was stationed in Groton, Connecticut that I instantly connected with. We met in 2nd grade and were basically inseparable until we both moved across the country (her to Hawaii and me to Michigan, totally not fair). After the move, we continued to stay in touch through letters and the occasional phone call. After a while there was less communication, but we were entering the era of social media. Although we didn't talk nearly as much, we also kept tabs on one another. Neither of us really ever forgot the other and it was clear that we still had so much in common, even after 10+ years of not seeing each other. We recently reconnected and are planning a trip to Boston this summer where we will reunite for the first time since 2004. I am so excited about this and can't wait to catch up with her. Friendship is an amazing treasure and is even more rare when you can continue a friendship over so many life milestones apart. Keep an eye out for a post all about this trip coming this summer!

Four// Nike Running App 

I have been motivated to start running again lately because of the beautiful spring weather we are experiencing. Just when I begin to think we are never going to see the end of winter, Mother Nature pleasantly surprises me. I have always wanted to run a half marathon, just to say my body was able to accomplish such a thing. I am hoping (pending I can actually keep up with this running thing) to run my first one by the end of this summer. This app is keeping me motivated by tracking my runs for me. It is incredibly simple to set up and use and it 100% free. You can tell it if you are running inside on a treadmill or outside and on what terrain. It tracks your distance, maps out your route, and even keeps track of your speed at all points during your run. You can set and track goals with customized plans for all experience levels to train for all sorts of distances. It also provides audio feedback during your run, a feature I personally like. You can find out more information about the app and its capabilities here. Overall, it is the best running app I have used and I can't wait to see where this running adventure takes me! Do you have any favorite workout apps that keep you going?

An actual screenshot from my phone.
I'm just getting started!

Five// Broccoli

I remember hating broccoli when I was a child. My mom recalls that I was convinced I was eating the trees of imaginary little people and I refused to eat them. Luckily, I got older and wiser and am not a broccoli-fanatic. I can eat several bunches in one sitting and not think twice about it. I have a killer recipe for roasted broccoli that also contributes to my latest obsession (keep an eye out for that soon). Tonight I had this roasted broccoli and brown rice bowl for dinner after my workout. It was exactly what I needed to feel rejuvenated and satisfy my hunger. I can't wait for it to continue to get warmer out so I can purchase these little trees of goodness at my local farmers market.

Happy hump day!

One Girl's Mushy Bananas...

... is now her office's breakfasting pleasure.


Hello There!

Try as I might, I somehow can never finish a whole bunch of bananas myself before they become too ripe and mushy for my liking. As a child, I was never a big fan of the texture of a banana. It was only recently I have warmed up to them because of how good they are for you and even now, they have to be the perfect ripeness for me to play along. That being said, I try to buy a bunch every time I go grocery shopping. I'll have one for breakfast every once in a while and particularly love what they do to my morning smoothies, but I can never seem to finish them. Once again, I found myself in the same predicament this past weekend and was determined to find good use for them. So where did I look? Pinterest, of course! I looked around and came across a recipe for some banana bread from Twenty63, a blog written by a lady named Dawn (check her and her adorable blog out here). The recipe seemed easy enough so I gave it a try.

Ingredients:

--1/2 a stick of butter, softened

-- 2 large eggs

-- 2-3 ripe (mushy) bananas

-- 2/3 cup granulated sugar

-- 1 1/3 cup flour (I used whole wheat for a little bit of health)

-- A pinch of salt

-- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

-- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

-- Optional: nuts, chocolate chips, etc (I added some fresh blueberries I had in my fridge)

-- Optional x2: 2 tablespoons of chia seeds (I added this for an extra punch of protein)

Preparation:

-- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
-- Grease either 1 regular loaf or 2 small loaf pans and set aside
-- Peel and mush up bananas with a fork in one bowl, try to get a nice puree free of as many lumps as possible
-- Soften butter by putting in microwave for 15-30 seconds, keep an eye on this to avoid melting the butter, add this to the bowl with the banana puree
--Add the sugar and eggs to this same bowl with the bananas, mix thoroughly ensuring to break up all of the eggs
-- Combine dry ingredients in another bowl
-- Pour the contents of the banana bowl into the dry ingredients
-- Mix the contents together until one, unified batter is formed
-- Fold in chocolate chips or other optional add-ins
-- Pour batter into greased pan
-- I sprinkled a few extra blueberries on top for good measure
-- Bake for 35-50 minutes, using the toothpick method to ensure bread is done all the way through
-- Slice and enjoy!

Truthfully, I have never been a huge fan of banana bread. That is, until I tried this recipe. What really got me was the amazing smells that were coming from my kitchen as I lay in bed binge-watching House of Cards (I'm obsessed). The bread was a satisfying and relatively healthy snack that was also absolutely delicious. What wasn't devoured by myself was cut into slices and brought into work the next morning. Needless to say I was pretty popular come Monday morning. 

I have heard of some other great things you can do with mushy, overripe bananas (mostly that involve freezing them) and I look forward to trying them out in the future (stay tuned for more recipes to come)!

Happy baking!

Shopping at Target: the 5 Stages of Grief

Happy Friday!

Today I thought I would run a couple errands during my lunch break rather than checking Facebook aimlessly for an hour. I decided to run to Target to grab a few things. I perused around a bit and then before I knew it, I was walking out with the few things on my list along with 3 new tops, some cute office supplies, and random nick knacks for my apartment. Did I NEED the new tops, gold stapler, and a ceramic bird? Probably not. Not that that seems to matter when I walk into Target. Its like it has this weird power over me (and most women) that makes me disregard all price tags and thoughts of necessity. I wish I could say that this was a rare occurrence, but this happens to me more than I would like to admit. I recall one trip to target in which I went in with the intent of merely buying some orange juice, was in the store for literally 8 minutes tops and bought 5 new sweaters. I was just a tornado with a lack of self-control. Oh, and did I mention that I forgot the orange juice? At least I did pick up the items I originally went in for this trip. Little victories.

Picture from Target's Pinterest page.

Shopping at Target as described by the 5 stages of grief:

Stage 1: Denial

When I first walk into the store, I am focused. "Come on, Stephanie. Eye on the prize. You can do this." Denial at its finest. I am denying the fact that I am weak and trying to instill some self-control. Then I see it. The woman's department is the first thing anyone sees when the walk in. It doesn't take long before my denial goes out the window. I know I'm in trouble.

Stage 2: Anger

"Why do they do this to me?! Don't they know I am trying to save up money for that trip to Cabo?! Haven't they taken enough of my money over the years?!"I begin resenting everything. At this point, I know that I am done for and that it is only a  Rationally, I know that the cute swim suits on sale aren't to blame, but displacing the blame on an adorable neon sting bikini top make me feel slightly better for the sins about to be committed on my wallet.

Stage 3: Bargaining 

"Oh my goodness. I NEED this swim suit top. I'm already going on vacation so I might as well look good on it. This sweater is only 19.98?! That's like nothing. I have to get it. It's on sale. I wear shoes. I already have nude and beige heels, but I don't have taupe! I need taupe. So I'll have to give up going for bloodies tomorrow. No big deal. [2 second pause] But I love bloodies. I'll just get both." I begin trying to convince myself that I need things that I probably don't really need. But Target Stephanie doesn't care. To Target Stephanie, I need all the things. Don't even get me started on the home goods department.

Stage 4: Depression 

As I am checking out, it hits me. The total keeps going up and before I know it, I've spent over $100. Easy. I swipe my debit card and all of the high I acquired while finding so many hidden treasures has evaporated into a depression fueled by my disappointment in my lack of self-control. I pout all the way home like a naughty puppy that just peed on the carpet again.

Stage 5: Acceptance

I have made it home and make it up to my apartment. I unload all of my impulse buys and examine each. "Why was I so upset before? This stuff is great. I love Target." Usually after this I realize that I have forgotten the real thing I went to Target for in the first place and the entire process repeats itself like clockwork.

First and Foremost

Welcome to what I hope is the beginning of a very exciting journey.

Before we get into everything, I suppose introductions are in order. My name is Stephanie and I am a 23 year old recent college graduate working in Milwaukee, WI (insert comment about never ending winer here) as a microbiologist. I worked very hard in college (go Badgers!) and am so grateful to be able to use my degree on a daily basis. That is one of the various reasons I decided to start this endeavor: for an adventure! I've created this blog to not only share the things that I love, but to hopefully learn a little about myself and a little slice of the world along the way. Somedays my life feels a little boring: up at 6am for a workout (not every day, but I'm trying!), work by 8am, a day of hard work, the uneventful commute home to my new, swanky apartment (in the works) for the night. I am hoping this blog will help break up the mundaneness of my daily life and introduce me to new opportunities. I am so blessed for the people and opportunities I already have in my life and just want to make the most of every second.

Feel free to follow me on social media and comment below with any constructive feedback! I would love any help I can get!

I can't wait to see where this adventure takes me and hope you follow me on this journey through my new, ever-developing, adult life in a brand new city!