Getting to Know Me

Hello! I guess I'll begin my first blog by introducing and sharing a bit about myself, not everything though because this one would go on forever and duh, what else would I have to write about in the future? Obviously my name is Jessica. I am 31 years young, however, because I do suffer from Graves Disease (which I'll delve deeper into in a future blog), I feel a lot older like nearly elderly on my worst days lol. I love animals, nearly all kinds but especially dogs. I have 4 of them, a family of them actually as well as a cat and a bunny. I'm sure they will come up a lot because they are a huge part of me and who I am. My mom always said I'd have a lot of animals or work with the elderly. I have worked with the elderly before and still love to visit them, especially with our dogs when we can. I'll tell you about how awesome they are sometime. My favorite color is green, favorite color combo is green with blue, and sometimes even mixed with purple. My favorite number is 7, probably because I was born at 7:07 and weighed 7lbs, 7oz (no joke lol). I love to cook when my eyes aren't bothering me, especially pastries. My favorite food is sushi, but really am a food eclectic. I love trying different foods, especially Italian & Indian. Oh, I love Lunchables for real, will even eat them cold, each time I eat them I feel like a kid again, same with mac & cheese lol! What else?! Oh, I am also a music eclectic. I love pretty much all styles of music literally except for some of the newer country. I'm more of an old school country music lover for sure. Jeff, my boyfriend of going on 15 years now, is pretty much the same. We can listen to anything from Bach, Beethoven or Chopin, to Fats Waller, Bille Holiday & Louis Armstrong to the Shins, The Fray and the Lumineers, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams Sr & Jr, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Who, Bob Dylan, Metallica, Linkin Park, Gotye, and really so much more! I mean literally the list is endless. Music is an escape for me in many ways, it can be very relaxing and especially now since I have severe Thyroid Eve Disease mixed  with Graves Disease & constant double vision, music is a good friend of mine. Anytime I need to be cheered up, music, my friend is right there, when I'm happy and want to celebrate, again, music is there for me. It puts everything in perspective for you and to so many can be an outlet. And to some, it's the air in which we breathe.
I live and have grown up actually minutes away from Kings Island, a popular Amusement & Water Park in Ohio. What can I say about living in Ohio?! Hmm...the best way I can put it, there are moments where I want to move away, get away, escape even to explore other options & experiences (with Jeff, of course), to a place a bit more exciting, different. There are several places we have considered, sometimes seriously. I think at times, Jeff wants to leave just as much, if not more, especially if it were to be in Chicago or New York, he loves it there like literally lol. Yet then there are the times when I want and am grateful to be here, love the fact that Ohio is what it is, a bit smaller, more recluse and spread out, I loved growing up so close to Kings Island that we practically lived there, and the fact that everyone knew each other in our small town (which depending on how small-minded certain people were, that wasn't always a good thing). However, here, I get to be close to my family and the many friends I have made through my life & also in the past few years. I have met & know so many amazing people, I know not only would I miss them but they would probably miss me too. You can't go through life, as crazy as it can be at times, without good family & friends, and a good support system. I'm fortunate enough to say I have that, although it sure took me long enough to realize just what I had. And despite all the heartache and pain I have been through, leaving will not change what's in the past or current situations either. One of my many favorite quotes is "You can begin to live the moment you begin to cease worrying about things beyond your control." So with the help of a few very amazing individuals who have came across my path nearly two years ago (I will talk about in a future blog), I finally decided to start accepting & appreciating everything for what it was. We literally cannot control anything except for our own actions, and how we react to circumstances. I know at the end of the day I don't want to have any regrets. I want to know that I took everything with pride, and turned what I can of the constant criticism I get for the way I look or act due to Graves Disease, into a positive. Possibly turn it into a learning and growing experience, not only for others but myself as well. I know that each day is filled with possibilities and can bring joy, laughter, pain, tears, and so many other emotions we're not even aware of at time, yet still I also know that I am grateful to be here, to be alive and happy. For that, I couldn't ask for anything else. When you really think about it, everybody suffers in their own way. Sometimes you can see it clearly, sometimes at a glance, others not at all. When you can actually grasp that concept, you can appreciate the miraculous life in which you have that God so graciously bestowed upon us. How beautiful is that?! That someone with this great power loved us so much to give us this life, and the choice to live how we want. Sure there are laws and rules in which we must abide, but when you think of the big picture and think of just how much we can do when we set our minds to it, especially with some great individuals backing you there is not a single doubt in my mind that life is truly the greatest gift. Home and family/friends being the next which brings me to my point. Appreciate what you have and don't waste a second from savoring in what and who you love. And always believe in yourself. Carpe Diem, Seize the Day. :))