I'm just a quirky girl living in the complex world (of my mind)

Hello everyone! My name is Lindsay. I am excited to be a part of this community exchanging new ideas and perspectives. I love to write, take pictures, and have a diverse range of interests, so this seems like a perfect place to connect and be heard as well. So needless to say, I am pumped to be here.

On April 23, I celebrated my golden birthday! Which means I am 23. Which means it has been a over a year since my graduation from James Madison University. It's crazy- I can't believe it. The Snapchat caption on this was "why is there a box on my head?" I'm not sure where that caption went, I liked it.

My degree was in Health Sciences with a concentration in Public Health Education, and minors in Substance Abuse Prevention and Creative Writing. At JMU, I did a lot of health education/promotion work, as I led an organization that raises awareness on issues such as body image, healthy relationships, alcohol safety, safer sex, and bystander intervention. I definitely have a heart for encouraging individuals to thrive in all areas of their health.

When I was fifteen, I developed an eating disorder called orthorexia nervosa, otherwise known as the 'fixation on righteous eating'. And that changed everything for me. I had to come face to face with my own brokenness for the first time. Through my struggle with orthorexia, I came to know God and experienced His healing and grace in a time of complete darkness, when all seemed to be hopeless. Since then, I have battled continuous anxiety, depression, and disordered eating behaviors- but am ultimately grateful for the way God has been able to use my story to pour into the lives of others. Currently I work as a Recovery Support Specialist at a non-profit that serves individuals with mental disorders and substance use disorders. In my role, I get to facilitate groups on all different wellness topics in which clients can openly express their ideas and experiences. But most of all, I just have the opportunity to love on these clients all day every day. I pray every morning that clients' interactions would allow them to see their worth and offer them encouragement and hope.

So incredibly grateful that I get to wake up every morning and go to a job that I am excited about and is so meaningful to me.

ALSO before I stop rambling about my passion for all things mental health: this is a picture of me and my good friend Sara wearing purple for a campaign to raise awareness for eating disorders. It is very important to me to participate in events such as National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) Walks, and I am also an active member on the NEDA Forums.

My other life goal is to write all the books. I've been a writer for as long as I remember. Growing up when the other kids were outside playing, I was hiding in my room creating stories. Somehow, my first e-book recently came out in April. Honestly I am still in denial that it happened. But in case you didn't get it from the writer hiding in my room deal, I am very introverted. Like very very introverted. Which is not the same thing as shy or anti-social, I might add. It just means I gain my energy from within and need quite a lot of solitude in order to recharge. My Myers-Briggs personality type, INFJ, is actually the rarest as only 1% of the population are characterized by this type. There are so many complexities, idiosyncrasies, and layers to the INFJ which you can guarantee I will get more into next time. There is literally nothing I get more excited about than discussing Myers Briggs- so naturally I had to write about the INFJ life for my first e-book. If you are at all interested in the topic, feel free to check it out :)

One of the greatest sources of joy in my life is my rabbit Lily! I was given her as a gift for my birthday in April 2016. From an ex. The relationship fell apart shortly after, but I got the most incredible bunny out of the whole thing. It's funny because I had never been much of an animal person at all. Upon seeing Lily I was like "I guess I'll take a rabbit." The rest is history. She is mellow and spends a lot of the afternoon resting. At night though... she is hopping everywhere, running laps and doing binkies. She enjoys chewing on old books, playing with her toys, and sometimes participates in 'bunny bowling.' Lily also loves loves loves fruit- especially pears, apples, and strawberries.

A snapshot from my first day meeting her and choosing her out of the pack(?) of bunnies. She was just a ball of floof back then!

Lily has sure grown since then:

What a silly rabbit!

There's more where that comes from. I am sure you will see MANY bunny posts from me.

Another one of my greatest loves is pop-punk music. The band All Time Low is what really pulled me into the genre- I have since fallen in love with more and more bands. And gone to more and more concerts. My boyfriend and I recently traveled four hours to Pittsburgh on a whim to go to a show I was dying to see. The picture below is me with one of my more recent favorite bands As It Is. They were incredible live and it was so worth it. Warped Tour aka the BEST day all year is in 13 days!!!!!!! In case you haven't been able to tell, I'm a typical INFJ full of contradictions. I am so introverted, yet my life revolves around surrounding myself with people and helping them to grow. Long for solitude, yet adore the atmosphere of a concert because I connect so deeply with the music. It's the INFJ way. Ya'll are probably like who is this girl already. It's just fun being a walking contradiction. More interesting that way. If you see a blonde Jesus-loving girl wearing pink at Warped tour, come say hey!

I value my relationships a lot. Here are some pictures of a few of the most important people in my life-

()
This is Sara; we met through our Intervarsity small group in our freshman year of college and before you know it were getting coffee once a week sharing our lives. She became my INFJ soulmmate and sister. We were roommates for junior and senior year of college. This picture was taken on a road trip on the way to our third roommate's wedding in April.
()
This is Rachel aka Shubs; we met in high school and bonded over our love for reading similar books, watching similar TV shows, and similar taste in stationery. Even though we lived 7 minutes from each other, we began mailing letters back and forth- and years later, we still write back and forth regularly. In this photo, we were catching up over Panera and Barnes & Noble, where we bought packs of note-cards to split because we couldn't decide which we wanted to get. #typical

This is Leslie; we met in gym class in 7th grade I'm pretty sure and stayed tight despite being separated for high school. She has played an instrumental role in providing spiritual support as I began and have continued my walk with the Lord. In this picture we were at an epic worship concert with Elevation Worship and Lauren Daigle!

You've already met Sara, but I had to include her here because she is my person. We began meeting for lunch regularly mid-way through college and ever since, have been there for each other through so much life and so many struggles. Sara and I have been able to bond over our battle with eating disorders, as well as highly valuing authenticity and living transparent lives. She lives in Charlottesville now, but this picture is from her last visit where she brought her new dog Oakley and I got to meet him!

This was a bit of a throw-back since we never take photos, but here you go- from left to right, me, Annie, & Allison. We have been a trio since elementary school and have spanned the decades. Every summer we go to the beach with our mothers for a vacation we like to call "Beach Babes Weekend"- this photo is from Beach Babes several years ago. These girls know me, challenge me, and are always there for me. My relationships with them means so much to me.

Adam is my most recent close friend but I definitely had to mention him. We met through a support group for eating/exercise/body image concerns I started in January. The group has failed in certain ways (though we're trying to revive it). Regardless, I met Adam through it. He knows all of me and does not judge me, he is one of the most kind and compassionate people I know. So grateful to have him in my life and that we are able to offer each other the space to just be who we are. He is such a blessing in my life.

I could go on to introduce you to so many more individuals, but that would literally take all night. I am fortunate to have so many close friends. And I also have an absolutely wonderful boyfriend named Joey!

Our first picture together:

We recently celebrated 1 year of dating with a picnic in the park <3 He is so wonderful. He makes me laugh and fills me with joy. Joey and I have such incredible times together. He shows me grace I don't deserve every day, which I am in awe of.

I am also very close with my mother. We recently went on a day trip to New York City! Because I am OBSESSED with the TV show How I Met Your Mother. Another one of my obsessions uncovered. We went to see the Broadway show Waitress, then visit McGees Pub, the inspiration for the MacLaren's (the bar on the show). Crossed that one off the bucket list, which was exciting!

Hmm... what else should I tell ya'll? I bake. A lot. Whenever I say that my therapist questions the meaning of bake. I am expressing that I make sugary treats on the regular(: Recently I've been all about these "slutty brownies"- brownie batter with chocolate chip cookie dough and Oreo. Some other specialties of mine are my chocolate chip banana bread (pictured below as well), snickerdoodles, and oreo dirt pudding. Stay tuned for more baking posts as well!

A few more things before I run out of steam (sorry Steemit).

-Scrapbooking and working on my bullet journaling are some of my favorite pastimes. Pictures to come soon!

-Ending point: it is imperative to note that I am a coffee fan. That is an understatement. All I do is sit in coffee shops. The majority of my days look like a cappuccino and notebook. Or most days anyway.

Thank you all so much for reading all of the messy parts that are my life. I am excited to be here & look forward to getting to know ya'll!

Always,
Lindsay