Gratitude Day 16: The Song

Good morning and welcome back to day 16 of the 30 days of gratitude challenge! If you can't tell already, today's theme is about a specific song that has inspired me. This theme is tough because there isn't just one specific song that has inspired me, there's been loads! I love pretty much every type of music and any song that has a good dance vibe to it definitely gets me moving! I love listening to music whether I'm writing a blog post or I'm working out. My dad toured around the U.S. in a country western band in the 80's and I grew up with headphones on all the time as a kid. I used to sing also in my room and belt out songs, I really got into it, but unfortunately I can't sing. 

One song that I really like listening to is a song my brother told me about from Coldplay called Fix You. If I'm ever feeling down or sad about something that's going on this song makes me realize that everything will be okay in the end and that everything takes time. Bad times come and go but going through the bad times make us that much stronger. I really love the lyrics because to me they mean that there's always a light at the end of the tunnel no matter what situation you're going through. I'm thankful to always have this song to put me in a better mood!

I'm thankful for piano music because there's something very calming about it. I seem to like a song better if I hear a piano somewhere in the background. If you've never heard of The Piano Guys, they do a lot of renditions of popular songs on the piano and it sounds so beautiful, I would suggest looking them up if you're also a lover of piano music. I would really love to one day learn how to play the piano too!

What kind of songs have had an influence on your life? I think music can help a lot of people with what they may be going through. I find that it helps me clear my mind if I put my headphones on and it's a good distraction to have. Music will always be one of my loves.

Until tomorrow,

Ashley

Gratitude Day 15: The Trip

Welcome back to day 15 of the 30 Days of Gratitude challenge! We are officially halfway through with the challenge now but I've been enjoying being thankful everyday so far! Today's theme is a trip and what was my most memorable one and why. Being from the U.S. we unfortunately don't get a whole month of vacation time like here in England, but it depends on where you work. I was working full time and did get 1-2 weeks paid vacation so that was nice. I haven't had a lot of opportunity to travel but when I do I really enjoy it! 

I am very thankful for the first time that I came to visit England back in 2011 and I am proud to say that I did it by myself! I was visiting my then boyfriend at the time (yes, we had a long distance relationship) and I got to see where he lived and fell in love with England as a whole. I can't believe that was 5 years ago already and I was 24 years old! I can not recommend enough that you should try and venture out of your comfort zone in your twenties because it makes you know that you can handle more than you think you can. I only visited for a week but it was such a fun trip and I'm so glad that I did it! It was my first time travelling out of the U.S. and it was very exciting to to be able to come and see all of the history behind England as well. This trip meant a lot to me because it was the start of a something great!

I can't wait to have even more trips that are unforgettable and it's always lovely being able to get away for a little while and escape reality. Thank you for joining me for today's gratitude theme! Feel free to leave a comment telling me you're favorite trip that you've taken!

Until tomorrow,

Ashley

Gratitude Day 14: Dreams

Good afternoon and happy Wednesday to you all! I hope you are enjoying my gratitude challenge so far, I know I am! Today is day 14 (already!) and as you can tell the theme is all about my dreams and why they are important to me. 

I look at dreams as aspirations and goals that I have set for myself. Dreams are a wonderful thing to have because without them we wouldn't have anything to look forward to. I am the type of person that gets really excited when I have something coming up and if it doesn't end up happening I get so bummed out. New things are thrilling for me whether it's going to a place I've never visited or something as simple as a new outfit, etc. I think the key word is *NEW*. A new occurrence that will be happening to make a change in your daily routine. This is why I love having things to look forward to!

One of my dreams is to be able to run my own business instead of working for someone else! I'm in the planning mode of a business that I want to start soon so I can work my own hours and earn a wonderful reputation around my town. Why not work for yourself right? I'm thankful to have found the inspiration to come up with different ideas.

Another dream of mine is to be able to explore the world and share the experience with my husband! I want to be able to learn about other cultures and to be able to fully relax mentally and physically!  To be able to have the opportunity to do that would be something that I'd be so grateful for!

My dream list is really never ending! Make sure that when you have a certain dream or goal that you do anything in order to make it come true! If you put hard work into it, then it will only be a matter of time before you start seeing the benefits. Life is too short, so why not try to achieve as much as possible? Think about what dreams you have and start making them into a reality!

Dare to dream!

Ashley

Gratitude Day 13: Gifts

Hello everyone and happy Tuesday! I hope you're all having a wonderful day so far and are able to enjoy the lovely weather we're having (if you're from the UK). Today's theme from the 30 days of gratitude is a certain gift that I have cherished and why?

When you think of gifts, most of the time you would assume that it's some sort of item that you have received, but there's all sorts of gifts that someone can give you: love, affection, time, and it doesn't have to be something of value either. I think the best gifts of all are priceless really. Doing something special for someone that shows that you put a lot of effort into something, like a candlelit dinner, are some of the best and thoughtful gifts!

When it comes to a gift I'm thankful for, it would have to be when I got proposed to by my husband in 2013. I really didn't think that it was going to happen in the end but I'm very happy that it did. My husband and I were visiting a castle and I was really excited to actually see a castle for the first time that I didn't realize he would actually propose to me in one of them! It was a beautiful day and I remember there being a lot of school kids on a trip there because he got down on one knee and kind of had to rush his words because we heard them coming up the stairs and didn't want an audience, but it was really sweet and an emotional moment for me. It's not about getting a ring at all and I really mean that when I say it. I love the meaning behind why you get married in the first place. I believe that as long as you both work hard at it each and everyday, marriage can be a beautiful thing! 

Bodiam Castle East Sussex, England

I'm thankful for my husband! He has been the greatest gift to me so far because there's not many men out there like him. He's definitely not perfect but I appreciate him for the person that he is.  I am so happy and excited now that we are married to start a life together and make our house a home! 

Have a wonderful day!

Ashley

Why I'm thankful for my routine!

Hello and welcome to day 12 of my 30 days of gratitude challenge! Today's reason to be thankful is my daily routine. I must be honest, finding random things that I'm thankful about is a little hard sometimes because they are things you take for granted. It helps to find things to be grateful for in life because it makes you look on the brighter side. 

One thing I always used to hate was the same old boring routine on a day to day basis. You get up, work, come home, have dinner, then go to bed and it's like a continuous cycle. For me, I love mixing up what I'm doing or else I would probably go insane. My routine for the past year does not consist of working, unfortunately. since I am waiting for my longer length visa. 

I am thankful to not have to set my alarm clock on a daily basis and have to be stuck in traffic at 9 AM. 

I am thankful to learn what being a housewife is all about and planning how to decorate our home!

I am thankful to be able to blog more because if I was working, I probably wouldn't be able to blog as often.

I am thankful that every day is different for me and I don't know from one day to the next what is going to happen, and I like that!

So there you have it, my routine at the moment is pretty nonexistent but after working a lot in the past 5-10 years I look at it as having a well deserved break. I'm ready to start having a busy routine again! Working, possibly going to the gym again, and maybe even starting a little family of my own? What is your daily routine like? Do you wish you had less things to worry about on a daily basis?

Until tomorrow!

Ashley

Gratitude Day 11: Knowledge

"An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest"- Benjamin Franklin

Welcome to day 11 of the 30 days of gratitude challenge! Today's theme is all about knowledge. I believe knowledge is power and the more you know and learn, the better off you'll become both mentally and financially down the road. I believe that if you put your mind to doing something you can easily achieve anything! 

I see myself as being a fairly smart person as a whole. There's a wide range of ways that you can be smart, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have to attend the most expensive universities to gain the best knowledge. I believe that you can gain knowledge and wisdom simply by having a good teacher, such as a parent or relative or even a friend. I love learning new things and I'm thankful to continue learning things everyday!

I'm thankful to have had the chance to further my education and attend a community college. I studied at this college because I wanted to push myself in order to get my associates degree in the end, and I did! It's not the most expensive college but I didn't care, since I was the one that paid for most of it. I am proud of myself for attending and not dropping out because a big percentage of undergrads drop out which is quite sad really. 

Graduation day, 2011

I would love to attend school again, I think it would be so fun to study somewhere in England! I have also taken a year course online and got a pharmacy technician certificate from it. It was a pretty hard course in the end and I would recommend attending the actual courses rather than study a course online that is really complex. I still am a little unsure what I want as a career, but I'm hoping to get into a nursing program one day. I love helping and caring for people, and I think people in need of help need to be better looked after. 

What does knowledge mean to you? Are you happy with how much you have learned so far? Is there anything that you'd like to learn more about? Thank you for reading today's #30bbdaysofgratitude them of knowledge! Look out for my post tomorrow! 

Have a lovely Sunday!

Ashley

Gratitude Day 10: Nature

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Good morning everyone and hope you are having a lovely Saturday so far! Today I'll be discussing why I'm thankful for all that nature has to offer! I love this theme because I'm definitely an outdoorsy person and love exploring new places! I appreciate the little things like a beautiful sunset or a lovely view of the ocean, really it just makes me pretty happy!  I'm actually obsessed with nature reserves as well. It's fun to just walk and listen to the birds chirping and seeing the different trees and flowers. I promise I'm not weird, I just love going for walks.

Sunsets can be one of the most beautiful things that nature has to offer and I'm so thankful to be able to witness them. There's something so pretty about the different colors from the sun that all seem to fuse together as it sets. I always seem to catch it at the right time and I just have to take a picture of it. Here are a few from my collection.

East Sussex, UK

Wells, Maine U.S.A

Wells, Maine U.S.A

Wells, Maine U.S.A



I'm thankful for the beauty of nature itself! I love the ocean or even going to a lake because I have some good childhood memories at lakes. There's something very peaceful about going to the beach and listening to the sound of the waves crashing. I could never see myself not living by the coast because I've been growing up near it for all of my life so it's what I'm used to. You can't beat going for a swim when it get's very hot in the summer time.

Lovell, Maine U.S.A

Footbridge Beach, Ogunquit, Maine U.S.A

I'm thankful to love hiking and exploring different trails and nature reserves. If your a nature person I feel like this is a given. I have only hiked up a mountain twice and it's so much fun and challenging, but once you reach the top the view is worth it!  

White Mountains, New Hampshire, U.S.A

White Mountains, New Hampshire, U.S.A

White Mountains, New Hampshire U.S.A

Acadia National Park,, Maine U.S.A

As you can tell I really enjoyed today's theme and I'm sorry it's so long. I love living in England and I can't wait to explore around more here but I do miss things from back home as well. Exploring the outdoors really makes you appreciate and be thankful for all that nature has to offer. I would love to hear your stories about nature too! Do you love the outdoors? Thank you for reading!

Until tomorrow,

Ashley