Little Alexx Blog

Howdy and hello. This is 26! January has been a month dedicated to… me.

After probably the busiest semester of my entire life, working 60+ hours a week, teaching, tutoring, completing my own schooling, social time, and traveling, I realized I have been sorely neglecting the one person in my life who really needs attention… me. I after final exams in the beginning of December, I took much needed time off, deleted my email from my phone, didn’t look at my computer once, and had a much needed month and half off, doing absolutely nothing but relaxing, traveling, and reading.

After finals, to say I was burnt out was an understatement. My body decided it was going to shut down on me, after I was sick for about a month, but continued to work through it (why oh why do I do this to myself???) I ended up taking an extended weekend off due to having the flu and bronciatis. Ben was a trooper, because my cough was terrifying in the middle of the night. He takes the best care of me, but we realized last night that in the time we have been together, he has never been sick… whereas I think I am sick once a month? Anyways, this year was back to Pennsylvania for Christmas and boy was it sweet. This was my 2nd Christmas with Ben’s family and friends and it was honestly such a joy being with everyone. I am so incredibly blessed to be apart of a family who loves me as much as I love them. It’s always been on my mind, knowing that the man I was going to be with, we had to get along with each others family. And while my family has adopted Ben as their honorary brother, son, and grandson, I have always wanted a beautiful extended family as well. I just am blessed. Truly.

Ben and I are constantly traveling, and knowing that this upcoming year is going to be full of continually on the go (the next 6 months are going to be insane) it was very important to us that we take some intentional time to ourselves. Ben and I had a staycation to ring in our New Year this year. While Charleston was pretty much deserted due to everyone out of town, we took the time to enjoy each other, deep clean the house, (we got a new bed!!!!) and just really slow it down a bit. It was everything we needed and more. I never knew that I would be so lucky to find that my boyfriend was also my best friend.

My birthday was kicked off early, with Ben surprising me with an amazing dinner out to the new resturan here in town, Southbound. From being greeted at the door with bubbles and a rose, the entire visit was lovely. We sat on the swing on the porch, a fun little twist on summer living, snuggled under blankets and a heater (it was absolutely perfect, and that’s saying something because I am always cold), a few different courses of such gorgeously presented food (their menu changes daily). I highly suggest visiting for a special occasion or a fun night out. Definitely book a few weeks (or months!) early, because it fills up quick.

Since we like to travel somewhere every year for my birthday, my Honey wanted to make it extra special by throwing me a birthday dinner party with some close friends at home. The theme was Breakfast for Dinner, and everyone wore their pajamas. It was perfect. If you know me at all, my favorite outfit to wear is my robe, fuzzy socks, and slippers. So, the excuse to party at HOME in my PAJAMAS??? Brilliant. The decorations were impeccable, of course pink. Ben cooked up a storm and it was perfect. The night was full of games and fun and I am lucky to have the friends I do in my life gathering around me to celebrate.

Honey bear also had a few surprises up his sleeve this year for my birthday, with a trip to Exuma, in the Bahamas. When I tell you this man loves taking me on trips, this man LOVES taking me on trips. And I love going on them!!! Since the beginning, our third date was to Puerto Rico, I am incredibly blessed and lucky to have Ben. It was exactly what we needed, in our villa, sitting by the pool overlooking the clear blue water of the ocean for 8 days. The weather was perfect, the vibes were immaculate, and I wore nothing but a swimsuit (and sunscreen) the entire time.

I think one of the biggest things that really just, made me soak it all in was the Bahamian culture. Ben knows I am a history freak, so of course I had to look it all up. But I am also a huge believer that even with doing the research, you can’t really get a full grasp of what a place is like and who the people are until you actually go and experience it yourself. I think that is why I love history as much as I do, because I was blessed with a mother who wanted me to have those life experiences. My childhood was filled with real life travels to foreign places, meeting new people, and seeing just how different life could be. If I can think back to what I appreciate most in my childhood, it could be that my mother always encouraged me to read and loved taking us everywhere she could. As Ben and I consider how we plan on raising our future family, we put such an emphasis on constantly going to new places, that it is a no brainer to us that we will travel and show our kids a beautiful world as well. An example of me seeing first hand a culture that is very different from one that we are living in, was when we were on a friend’s boat while in the Bahamas. The water was so clear, the sun was shining, I could have stayed like that forever. Tides had changed and due to storms, there was a sandbar in a location that was not always there. We got stuck on a sandbar. UH-OH! It’s okay, I ate fresh conch and played in the water, I was a happy camper honestly. However, we were going to have to wait until the tides changed to get the boat out, which wasn’t going to happen until after dark… when the bugs would come out… In the Bahamas, there is an unspoken rule that if there is a boat stuck, it was your duty to help get them out. No man was left behind. A smaller boat came, with a man we didn’t know, but knew we could trust. He picked us up and took us to another boat, with a man we also didn’t know, but who took care of us. So, as we were being saved, call me an ultra romantic, the sun was setting over the beautiful clear water, the large boat chugging along, wind making our hair fly all around, I remember looking back to the Captain and his son, and having a moment in which tears came to my eyes. Don’t get me wrong, we would have survived out there, and the tide was about to change in a few hours, but the fact was, as I watched them and their proud faces take us back to the docks, that there are good people out there. People who didn’t know us from Adam, but still came to our rescue. They showed us the scenic route, and were just good. Good people, man. I worry in this life that we are so worried about ourselves and what we look like and our image on the internet, that we forget to look around us at the beauty that is human life. That’s the whole point of this. Having those moments where you get a little choked up, of feeling lucky, and in awe, and appreciative. I have those moments during teaching, during tutoring when they get it. It’s that lightbulb, it’s the look on someone’s face when they get it. I wish I had taken a picture of the captain and his son. His son was a younger looking version of him, and as they both stood driving the boat towards the sun, towards safety, I felt safe. I felt lucky. I felt like I was looking at the goodness of humanity right in the face. As someone who fears the future at times, it was a moment that proved me wrong.

I think pictures may do it more justice than I can, but it was my first time to visit and definitely won’t be my last. While I have been to some really gorgeous places in my life, the water and the sand was just to die for. It was absolutely perfect. We arrived back in Charleston and I felt like a breath of fresh air. I began my spring semester last week and am ready to kick ass and take names for the next few months. I have yet to put away my suitcase, as I will be needing it every single month for the next six months.

I’d like to get back to blogging. I think I have become more private on my socials, due to me having my position at the college but honestly, I miss blogging. I miss ranting over something that may or may not actually matter in the long run, but dang, I sure do love going back and reading what 23 year old Alexandra was so worried about, and what 22 year Alexandra was upset by, or what 21 year old Alexandra was interested in, or who 20 year old Alexandra thought was right or wrong. At 26, I feel as though I have lived 15 different lives since beginning this blog. Did I want to be a resturant critic? Did I want to be a poet? Did I want to be a travel blogger? Who knows! There is still time for some change!!

As of now, I do know this: I am Alexandra, a 26 year old college professor. I finish my second masters this year and begin working with clients in April. I get to travel and explore new places. I live with the love of my life and our dog Hemingway. I wish to embrace the romanticized version of my life and instead of starting out my sentences saying “I have to do this……” I wish to change it to “I get to do this….” I am lucky to be where I am, living in Charleston, right down from the beach, in a home that makes me want to cry sometimes because it has become my haven and safe place. Speaking of crying, I cry quite a bit. I love going on hot girl walks and enjoy reading fantasy books about faeries and dragons and vampires. I love falling asleep holding hands with Ben. I love to take baths. I love a cup of coffee in the morning and a cup of tea at night. I love going to therapy, even though it can be really hard sometimes. I really love where my life is leading. I feel like I am living out the goals I set for myself 5 years ago, and look forward to reaching my goals in the next 5 years. Because I haven’t posted since April, here are a few pictures to sum up my year❤️

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H438vR88l9U

blessings, a