Welcome back and thanks for reading (mom)! 

Being at home recovering from back surgery has given me a lot of time. Time to ice and rest and make to do lists. To reflect upon my goals for the year and years to come. Some of that time for reflection is what motivated me to start this blog.

But before we get into that, let’s back up a little bit.

I’m Candice. I have a master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from Northern Illinois University and I am a pediatric SLP. Initially, I wanted to be a teacher, and before that a ballerina, but I felt more of a connection to one on one intervention, specifically with the special needs population. I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago with two loving parents and a younger sister. She is now living her best life in L.A. with her husband. My parents retired and moved to Wisconsin. Leaving me, all alone, in the suburbs of Chicago. Just kidding. I’m fine, okay? I met my fiance, Tim, a little over a year and a half ago and it’s been bliss ever since. Fast forward to today, and I’m living in our new home, planning for our wedding in July and writing this blog.

Height was my main focus- the frustration of finding appropriate clothing and shoes and some of the social and emotional obstacles I encountered while growing up, but the "happiness" part has equal weight. And that is a journey everyone goes on- figuring out what brings you happiness, how do you find it, harness it?

Not too long ago, someone asked me, "What are your hobbies?" It took me way too long to answer. My initial reaction has always been "volleyball," but I haven't played in a long time and for a while in college it was more of a duty than something that brought me happiness. Working out? I love high intensity workouts. A good sweat is something I need to be "me," but I haven't been able to do that in months. So, what do I do? I read, I watch Netflix, see friends. I work. 

I love my work. Being an SLP is truly my calling in life. But it's not a hobby (that’s why it’s called “work,” right?). And there are times I need relief from the toll any job can take on you. 

So in 2019, “the year of self exploration,” as I’m calling it, I’m going to tackle that question.

So far, I’ve started teaching myself calligraphy. Right now it’s me figuring out the proper angle to hold the pen. It's not pretty yet, but it is so calming. I can lose myself for a few hours practicing the swoop of an "S" and the curl of a "C" sometimes snagging, but mostly gliding, across the paper. It is certainly teaching me patience and bringing me a bit of zen. In March, I’m taking a class through Dabble- if you haven’t “Dabbled” yet, you really should. I took a painting with coffee class through them as well. Also on my list; floral design!

This year, I want to practice more self-love. Like I said earlier, high intensity workouts have always been my jam. Moving forward, I want to explore the benefits of pilates and yoga. I’ve been working on deep breathing, a 1-minute a day hobby; and I can’t wait to see the benefits of combining it with movement. My body works so hard to carry my tall frame up and around and down, I need to nurture it!

Blogging so far has been a great way to channel my energy and re-introduce me to my creative side. I’ve already learned so much about photo editing and content creation and my eyes have been opened to a world of really strong women, athletes, entrepreneurs and artists, some of whom just happen to be tall like me. I’ve been given so much love and support and I hope to give some of that love back through this blog. I’m excited for you to follow along as I share a bit of myself and my experiences.

Cheers to height and happiness,

Candice