Just Another Part of the Hardy Party

From oldest to youngest

Growing up in a big family actually sucks….said no one ever. Lies, I am sure someone somewhere hated their experience growing up in a big family but not this girl. Sure, there were times where you could swear we were in a WWE match up but there were also times where we had an entire kickball team made up entirely of siblings. Overall, there were so many more pros to growing up in a big family than there were cons and I am excited to share with you what growing up in a big family taught me.

There is so much I learned from growing up in a big family and I wouldn't trade those experiences for the world. I learned what it means to share, to lead, to follow, to be open, social, outgoing, and what it means to also be independent. Although I always had someone to depend on my siblings taught me what it meant to be independent, not just another Hardy in the world, my siblings made me ready for the world.

18 Struggles I Would Never Take Back

My siblings taught me how to work for the things I want in life. Life isn't easy growing up in a big family, it is full of hand me downs and at times living in your siblings shadows. But, in the end those moments are totally worth it. Because I never grew up with the ability to receive hand outs (not knocking those who have) I learned early on what it meant to work hard for the things I want in this life and I developed a fierce appreciation for the things I was able to acquire.

My siblings taught me how to be a leader. At times you are constantly living in your siblings shadows. "Hardy, are you so and  so? YES, yes I am." You learn to torch your own paths while learning from your sibling's footsteps. More importantly my siblings taught me how to be a team player. Growing up in a large family you learn very quickly what it means to compromise. Things don't/can't always go your way and every person has a unique skill to bring to the table. My siblings taught me how to embrace skills from others and encourage their leadership outside of my own.

All six of us have very different personalities and learning to adjust to each personality taught us life lessons we will forever appreciate. You encounter so many different types of people in the world and sometimes that is a hard adjustment to make. Growing up with a mini melting pot of my own taught me how to be open, social, welcoming, and accepting of the differences each person brought to the table. I can't preach enough on how this skill helped me with my first two absolutely evil college roommates.

The Sibling Effects We All Know To Be True

My siblings taught me what it means to be vulnerable yet strong. I can't imagine the issues my parent's dealt with on a daily basis growing up. They had six very different personalities each bringing their own drama and looking back there were a lot of times where we had to deal with our own issues. Our parents were very good at picking their battles, they knew when to step in and when to let us learn on our own. From the times they stepped back they taught us how to work out our problems with each other developing crucial communication skills, and they taught us how to be strong even when we felt our worlds were "falling apart".

Oddly, my siblings taught me how to be okay alone. Growing up with a lot of siblings you often times struggle to find yourself in alone time. Nothing is ever quiet, and you are never alone. Growing up I never knew what it meant to appreciate the silence and although I fully appreciate the noise I now understand the beauty that is moments of silence. This oddly also increased a drive for me to move far away on my own. I adore my siblings but growing up without the experience of ever being alone increased a drive for me to embark on adventures where I found myself the most vulnerable and I love that they taught me that.

And one of the most important lessons my siblings taught me was to never give up. One of the best things about being on the younger end of the sibling spectrum is that I got to learn from my siblings mistakes and their successes. I have loved nothing more than watching them continuously pursue and succeed at their dreams. The road hasn't been easy for any of us but watching them spring forth with resilience has taught me the true definition of never give up.

There are so many other things my siblings taught me and these are just a few. From never falling short of having someone to play with to growing older and having someone to laugh with my siblings taught me overall that growing up in a big family is hands down the best thing ever.

Top 5 Reasons To Travel While You Don't Have It Together

It is hard to discover our passions in life especially when we are still working on discovering ourselves. As a 26 year old I often times find myself asking what the hell am I supposed to be doing in this life? Here I am in my final semester of my Master’s program, traveling the world, and working full time and I still don’t feel like I have it all together. I mean, do we ever feel like we have it together at this age?

Probably not, but sometimes being young and not having it together is the best time to travel and here is why. 

1).  It teaches you about yourself and the way you view the world around you. I love the journey that is life and all of the adventures that come with it. Adventures, good or bad, teach us more about ourselves and the way in which we view life in the world. Traveling for me is a way to get lost in the world but be found in myself. What I mean with this is traveling is a way I can put myself at complete vulnerability and learn so many things about myself I never even knew existed at the same time of learning the world around me.

Olga Mecking couldn't have said it better in her blog Don't Travel to Find Yourself, she states, "Traveling can be life-changing, educational, mind-opening and it can actually lead to self discovery. In fact, I know that it will definitely lead to self-discovery because that's what traveling does".

2). It teaches you about the world around you. One of the most beautiful things about traveling is that at the same time of discovering yourself you can discover the world that is other cultures and become aware of some very important worldly issues. 

Adam London from the Huffington Post said it best in his blog Travel While You are Young,

"Traveling will change you like little else can. It will put you in places that will force you to care for issues that are bigger than you. You will begin to understand that the world is both very large and very small. You will have a newfound respect for pain and suffering, having seen that two-thirds of humanity struggle to simply get a meal each day. While you're still young, get cultured. Get to know the world and the magnificent people that fill it. The world is a stunning place, full of outstanding works of art. See it."

3). It can help you discover your purpose in life. Most of us aren't born discovering our purpose in life and a lot of us spend time working to discover that purpose. Traveling can be the perfect guide to discovering your purpose by creating various life experiences you may not encounter on an every day basis. 

Norbert couldn't have stated it better in his piece, 9 Reasons To Travel While You're Young, 

"Traveling when young can be a great platform to diversify your experience early in life and to discover what is your purpose in life.  Each country, each city, even each restaurant you might visit is an opportunity to experiment something different.  It is better to realize your true desires and potential early in life rather than realize them when you think it’s too late."

4).  It teaches you your limits and how to push past them. Traveling will test your patience, it will try your fears, and it will make you question your decisions. But, in the end the reward from the risks can be the greatest reward of your life. You learn so much about your mental limits and how to push pasts them. 

That your comfort zone is only an illusion. It’s really not a matter of breaking it; it’s realizing it was only ever in your head to begin with.

5). It teaches you to enjoy every moment as if it is your last. Growing old is not a guarantee and unfortunately tomorrow is not promised. Embarking on new adventures is a way to embrace life and live it to the fullest each day. 

Absolutely couldn't have closed this blog with a better quote from Sarah Hansen, she captivates the entire reason for traveling while you're young by stating,

"I think a lot of young people put off traveling because they want to be responsible, work hard, get married, have kids, and build up a life. However, I think it’s a mistake to put off traveling in exchange for the belief that you can do it when you retire and have more time. While I certainly plan to continue to travel after I retire, I also realize I am not guaranteed old age. If something happens and I don’t live to see my forties, fifties, or sixties, I will have no regrets. I have experienced the world to the best of my ability by taking every opportunity presented to me to see all of this gorgeous planet that I can. Traveling has made me the person that I am, and I’m so grateful that I have plenty of years left with this version of me to continue the adventure."

But Who Exactly Is David Bowie?

Who exactly is David Bowie? Not exactly a question I can answer for you directly off hand. For some of us “millennials” we weren’t blessed with knowing the person that is David Bowie. Ask me who Justin Bieber is, I can tell you his life story, ask me who Kim Kardashian is, I will tell you 25 reasons never to ask that question again. But David Bowie… who? Was he famous for acting?

I know the name but I couldn’t tell you much about his history. Sad? I know. Staring at his picture blankly trying to remember just one song….nothing. Sorry universe, in some way I feel like I am letting you down and honestly, I will be the first to admit I should probably know more. I understand he was a creative genius, creating some of the world’s most iconic hits. But why, for the life of me can’t I think of a single thing about this man?

We can all do a google search on David Bowie and discover the journey that was his life and the pathways he torched. But, what I found the most interesting were the things that were discovered behind the bold words of his bibliography. The things about him that spoke to me specifically and although these things may not have touched the universe, they touched the universe that is in me.

So finally, to the 10 most interesting (to me) facts about David Bowie that the world may or may not know. Not only did these facts teach me about David, they taught me about life and the way that we live it in general.

1). David was married to Iman for more than 23 years, but for David it was love at first sight. He is quoted saying he, “was naming the children the first night we met”.

Because who doesn’t want a man who knows what he wants from the first night? Seems to me, he was the type of person who had his sh*t together, one we all strive to be. Reading about their love recreated a belief in me that true love does in fact…..exist. And the privacy they kept between them was refreshing in more ways than one.

You can read more on their love story here, http://www.eonline.com/news/730322/inside-david-bowie-and-iman-s-enduring-love-story .

He found great achievements in the smallest of things and found happiness in the simplest of things that we often take for granted each day:

2). When asked what his greatest achievement was David answered, “discovering morning”.

3). When asked what is his idea of perfect happiness David answered simply, “Reading”.

David taught me that in life it is okay to be selfish, especially when it comes to your dreams stating,

4). “All my big mistakes are when I try to second-guess or please an audience. My work is always stronger when I get very selfish about it.”

He also taught me that there is beauty in the unknown journeys of life, and that we are not alone in not knowing the direction of our lives but we can be hopeful that it will be great.

5). David stated, “I don’t know where I’m going from here but I promise it won’t be boring.”

More of David’s quotes can be found here, http://elitedaily.com/entertainment/david-bowie-quotes-music/1342895/

One of the seemingly most charitable things about David was his ability to keep things light. Some of the answers to David’s famous Vanity Fair personality test proved this trait to be true.

More of those questions can be found here, http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/01/david-bowie-proust-questionnaire

6). When asked what is greatest fear in life is he replied, “Converting kilometers to miles” because anyone who has traveled to Europe without being the best at math knows this struggle.

7). When asked what quality he likes the most in a woman David replied, “The ability to burp on command”. So, Iman did you live up to this quality?

8). When asked what is greatest regret was, David responded, “That I never wore bell bottoms”. WHAT?

9) And finally, when asked what historical figure he identifies with the most he responded, “Santa Claus”. Believable considering all things he gifted to the world.

But the thing that inspired me the most and the thing that I related to the most about David was his viewpoint on misery in life. David is quoted stating,

10). “Living in fear” is the lowest depth of misery in this life.

Because he was known to live boldly and inspired others to do so, this to me was the quote for the books.

To recap, David was one inspirational figure, truly cutting edge for his time. But, he contributed so much to the world outside of his music. He taught us about the importance of love, the appreciation of the simple things in life, the highs and lows of the journeys in life, but most importantly the importance of remaining light and bold in all aspects of our lives.

So David, even though I didn’t know much about your music, thank you for your contributions to the world, musically and intellectually.  

The WanderFull Life

Hanauma Bay, Hawaii 

Let’s say I never imagined myself to be where I am at merely 26 years old. World traveler, event planner, and a fierce adventurer loving the simple things in life. Looking back, I grew up in a town in Georgia called Peachtree City. It was the new town on the block, instead of cars we drove golf carts, literal golf carts, EVERYWHERE. We were very much the “ish”, or so we thought. In reality, this place was and still is an absolute bubble. A bubble that I love but like all other bubbles it has its issues.

I grew up one of seven siblings but was blessed with a childhood beyond measure. I was raised by parents who very much instilled a dream big and chase hard mentality. I was a headstrong child giving my parents a run for their money and I am a head strong adult still giving my parents a run for their money. But, the greatest thing they could have ever taught me was how to have faith in Jesus and to always remain humble.

The bubble popped for me when I decided to head up the east coast to attend college. Unlike some of my fellow graduates I wanted to discover life way outside the bubble. Landing at Salisbury University I had no idea what I was in for. Never visiting the University prior to orientation I took a huge risk. That risk ended up being the greatest reward of my life.

Can't you tell by the excitement? 

I met some of the best and some of the worst friends I could ever meet at this University. I had my first major heartbreak and I failed my first class. I switched my major about 450 times and cried equally as much about my “hard” college life. All the things of a typical college student but I was all about SU and I will forever cherish my college memories.

I became employed by the Student University Center my second semester of freshman year and this became the moment I will never forget. Brian Lind and Austin Hayes are two names that will forever mean the world to me. They changed my life for the better. I don’t know that they know how much they mean to me but it’s a lot. I had not a single clue of the direction I wanted to go in in life and I let them know that about 3000 times each. I cried with them, laughed with them, and discovered myself with them.

Salisbury University,
Guerrieri University Center

To them, I might have been just an employee, but to me, they were my inspiration. They had a level of professionalism and drive I really learned from. I made mistakes and got corrected but most importantly I got supported and rewarded for the things I was doing right. And even more important than that, they saw something in me and they simply just gave me a chance.

This chance opened every door to my current career and I could not be more thankful for that.  Growing up I was insecure about how strong willed and determined I was and how much I wanted but didn’t know how to be a leader. Discovering myself in that as a child was difficult. But, at this job known to them or not, they taught me how to take that drive and apply it in a professional manner. They provided me with leadership experience and really taught me firsthand about the real world.

So here I am almost 4 years later my first “real” job as an event specialist thinking back about the journey to this point. All of those experiences both good and bad taught me the true meaning of living life to the fullest and taking one day at a time. For me, living life to the fullest means chasing my dreams- personal and career wise, traveling as much as humanly and financially possible, and opting to go on every adventure I come across. Big or small I set a dream and I determine to chase it. And one day, I hope as Brian and Austin did for me, I hope to turn around and help someone else chase and reach their dreams. And that passion is what drives me in life. My only hope for all is that they have a wanderfull life filled with lots of cool experiences.