A little announcement...

A lot has happened since my last post 7 months ago. I took a little hiatus to focus on a very big undertaking in my life, which was applying to doctoral programs in psychology, a feat that consumed me since about Summer of 2015 until the past few weeks.

The undertaking that was applying to grad school is finally over. The long months of studying, researching programs, writing and rewriting (and rewriting and rewriting) statements of purpose,  flying all of the country for full-day interviews, waiting for acceptance offers, negotiating financial aid packets and agonizing over the choice have finally come to an end. I knew going into this process that it would take a lot of work, but I couldn't fathom the physical and mental endurance it would take. The application process tested me mentally, but ultimately allowed me the opportunity to take stock of what I have learned and channel that towards my future goals.

Joy.

Like everyone else in the country, I've been glued to my TV/Laptop/Twitter account this week watching, listening and reading the coverage of Pope Francis' Inaugural visit to the U.S. I think I've talked to every person I could possibly know about Pope Francis in the coming months, and I reached a point where I couldn't keep my cool when talking about him, even at work.

Quote form Evangelii Gaudium Chapter One

"More than by fear of going astray, my hope is that we will be moved by the fear of remaining shut up within structures which give us a false sense of security, within rules that make us harsh judges, within habits with make us feel safe, while at our door people are starving and Jesus does not tire of saying to us: 'Give them something to eat' (Mark 6:37) "

Pope Francis

Time to step outside our comfort zone.

Asparagus, Bacon, Corn and Sweet Potato Skillet

I love when beautiful things come about by piecing together pre-existing parts you never thought belonged together. I realized on Thursday that I had a half a bunch of asparagus and a sweet potato that I needed to cook before they went bad, so to Pinterest I flew! I did a quick search for asparagus and sweet potato and found this amazing recipe off of Barefeet in the Kitchen! It is super quick, super simple and so delicious! I was amazed by how much flavor was in this simple dish! Enjoy!