A glimpse into the life of . . .

         EMMA HOSKISSON

I grew up with this special lady, and she was practically the fourth sister in my family. We all went to church together, and there weren't very many people our age there. She is creative, quirky and adventurous but also spiritual, philosophical and giant-hearted. I'm very excited to share her thoughts with you today because I relate very much to a lot of the things she's going through - even though she's across the world and doing very different things! Enjoy!

A four-year-old high quality picture of me with Emma and my
sisters during one of my visits to Utah to see them!

Current profession: I'm almost halfway through a year being a jeune fille au pair (nanny) in France. Before I arrived in France I thought I was going to be an au pair, but when I'd tell people here I was an au pair they'd get very confused; then after a second, "Oh! A jeune fille au pair!" which means I'm a young lady and a nanny. France is REALLY into gender.

First job ever: Entrepreneur - I used to sell my stuffed animals to my dad for a quarter.

Dream job: Wouldn't we all like to know! I'm very certain I'd like to have a life where I can have a very large garden and time to can and preserve the food I've grown, and I'd like to share and talk about movies with people. And I'd like to draw on fabric and sell said fabric.

Three words to describe where you're at in life right now: Searching, stretching, learning

What has been your biggest challenge since graduating college, and how did you overcome it (or how are you overcoming it)? The challenge is that I feel I'm searching for something, a way to use my talents that will better the world and give me a sense of fulfillment, but the something is still vague and nebulous. I can't grasp onto it. I was sure I was supposed to have it figured out upon graduating from
college and felt keenly disappointed with myself that I didn't. I've been coming to terms that it will take time to sort through the vague clouds of ideas. Perhaps I don't know myself or the world well enough yet to find what will be good for us. I've been learning (and forgetting and learning again) that I don't need to have the answers now; I should throw myself into the opportunities I am blessed with and just be alive, fully alive. And really, I've had to let go and put all my trust in God. That's how I ended up in France.

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What would you say to someone else (like me) trying to figure out his/her life? Be patient with yourself. Don't be hard on yourself. Just focus on passions you can pursue now and don't let the questions of the future limit your ability to fully participate in and enjoy the present. And don't question yourself too much. I have an immense love for questions, but at times they're destructive. Eventually this will add up into a life you are gloriously happy to have lived. This is what I hope, anyway!

Has living in France changed your perspective on anything?
On a million different little and big things. One of the biggest realizations has been about being courteous. I'm not a particularly discourteous person. I've always tried to be respectful of people and have tried to follow the Golden Rule: love thy neighbor as thyself. And even the bit about love thine enemy. Courtesy seemed like a set of rules superimposed upon the process. I'm finding, though, that the rules of being courteous are providing me ways to react when I'm confused (which is A LOT of the time while living in a foreign country where I'm barely at an intermediate level in the language) or when I'm stressed or sad––all of those times when a fight or flight instinct might kick in, shoving aside ideals of respect and love. Really, I'm learning a lot about love. About showing love and enthusiasm without waiting for someone to love me first.

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What is the hardest part about living in France, and what is your favorite part? Aside from the difficulty of satisfying my super specific peanut butter needs? The hard parts are also part of what I love. Submersing myself in a country and culture that are shaped by a foreign language is an exciting and interesting challenge, but at times I miss being able to have really great conversations full of banter and/or philosophical ideas. The differences in the culture at times leave me feeling lost and alone but at others totally invigorated and delighted. I started off in the south of France at the family's summer home, and at the end of August we drove nine hours north to the home in Paris. We drove past a medieval village! I knew they existed, I've seen them in movies and in TV, but it is still mind-blowing to DRIVE PAST A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE! And it's so blasé to them! Those buildings are older than my country!

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned throughout your 20s so far? To keep a strict bedtime. I'm still fairly terrible at it, but EVERYTHING goes better when I stick to it.

When you are 50 what do you want to be able to look back and say about your life right now?
That I cared for the earth and for people, that I traveled and learned and changed and that I ate well.

Emma eating well

How do you define success?
Being at peace with myself.

Who has been your biggest influence, personally or professionally?
My sister. If I have to pick one person, it will always be my sister. She's wise, kind, gentle, full of love, watches BBC comedies with me, has answers to many of my questions, listens, chastises, encourages and is so patient. I'm always in awe of her and am always encouraged by
her profound love for me.

Two books that have inspired you:
The Oxford History of World Cinema by Geoffrey Nowell-Smith. It was through this textbook and my film history classes that I learned how ridiculously excited I am about this subject. The first day in class I sat on the edge of my seat barely able to breathe for joy. Maybe someday I'll get my masters in film history but though I've researched schools and programs for this and other related fields I just keep getting the feeling that this just isn't the right time for it, if ever. But if life feels bleak, I think on this book and the delight I find in film history, and I'm ready to jump back in.

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Please allow me to cheat and reference a book series, The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. My dad read them to me when I was younger and I've reread them a few times since. It's along the same lines as other fantastical adventure children's series like Chronicles of Narnia, but Prydain has a few things that have always stood out to me. There's an entire book, Taran Wanderer, that digresses from the main story arch of the series. The main character travels around the kingdom hoping to find out who is parents are and what he's worth (he's a commoner in love with a princess). He meets and lives with several different people learning about the way they live their lives and grows to have such profound respect for each person despite how different they may be. SPOILER ALERT: Towards the end of the series there's a great war and Taran's mentor Col dies. Though Col had been a great warrior in his youth and died as a warrior, Taran had learned from him what Col had felt was the most honorable endeavor of his life: the portion he spent on a farm raising Taran. So he made him a makeshift headstone and on it inscribed, "Grower of Turnips." That always strikes me as such a beautiful, tender thing and a true thing to honor in a person. Not that we shouldn't honor soldiers and all those who sacrifice their lives for us in combat, but that Col wished that the world had never needed warriors.

What hobbies and activities do you enjoy in your spare time?
Reading, drawing, cooking, riding bike, imagining whales in unlikely places, asking questions, watching films and doing research on them, people watching, camping, kayaking. (She also blogs! Check it out here.)

What is number one on your bucket list?
It's a tie between hiking in the Alps and seeing some Norwegian fjords. I hope to be able to do both in the next year, but we'll see how it works out!

Favorite ice cream flavor:
My favorite is to have vanilla and mix in chunky peanut butter. I never knew how obsessed I was with pb until I moved to France!

Thank you, Emma!

Friday Favorites

This week Jared and I went to our second KDWB Jingle Ball! Yes, the one featuring MILEY at the end!

 We actually went to a LOT of concerts this year (one of the best parts about living here - I need to remind myself of this as I freeze from November - March). Jared went to even more than I did, but I narrowed down my 5 favorites in case you have the same taste in music as me (so..if you're 15 or 50).

1. TAYLOR SWIFT. Love. her. always. It was my second time seeing her, and I will go to as many of her concerts as I can! She puts on the best actual show of any other act I've seen.

2. The Killers. I'm not sure who loves Brandon Flowers more - me or Jared - but it was amazing to finally be able to see him (them)!

3. Fall Out Boy. I will always love these guys, and I hope they never take a break again!

4. Imagine Dragons. I only knew the two or three songs they had on the radio at the time I went to see them, but I pretty much like everything from Utah so I had to give them a shot, and I was SO impressed! W.o.w.They were amazing live, and it was cool to see the wide variety of people in the audience.

5. Michael Buble. He makes you melt. Period.

I have tickets to just one concert so far next year (and it will be magical), but I am excited to see who tours the area in 2014!

Have a good weekend:)

11 dessert-less days

Today is the 11th day in a row I have not had dessert in any form, from candy to ice cream, eggnog or cookies. I have never gone this long without my favorite food group, but with the way I’ve been eating lately, especially around Thanksgiving, I knew something had to be done.

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I cannot tell you how many times I have tried to go cold turkey or even just cut back on my junk food-loving ways. I’ve never followed through like this before - mostly because I didn’t really have an actual plan in place and I was doing it alone, which meant only I was holding myself accountable, and my self-control is pretty pathetic when food is involved.

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This time I decided to force include Jared in my little scheme, and it has helped immensely. I guess I do better when I can bring people down to my level to suffer with me:)

First of all, this isn’t some temporary attempt to try to lose weight or anything like that. I am trying to make lifestyle changes by developing healthier, realistic habits I can maintain long-term.

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For me, though, getting started on something like this has to be all or nothing. After I realize I’m completely fine without certain things, I am hoping I will learn to treat them as, well, treats, instead of constant staples in my diet. 

However, you’ll notice I won’t be giving up all sugar because for me that would be too extreme – I still need my peanut butter and Greek yogurt – and I will never realistically be able to maintain that. I just don’t want to spend my life counting the grams of sugar in every single thing I put in my mouth.


December is both the best and worst month to do this. Normally between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I am constantly inhaling all kinds of goodies and justifying it because “it’s the holidays!” 
 

This means daily eggnog frozen yogurt as long as it’s available, caramel corn, various baked goods from pumpkin bread to red velvet cupcakes, glasses upon glasses of eggnog and hot chocolate with the works, plus comfort foods like pizza, pasta and all those other yummy white carbs. I am both glad and sad to not be giving in to all of these indulgences.

So, here’s how it works:

Jared and I each set a goal to achieve for each week of the month. It can be giving up a certain food or food group or committing to a daily healthy habit, like drinking a certain amount of water or doing a certain exercise. The next week we choose a different goal, but we have to maintain the goal(s) from the previous week as well.

If we follow through each week, we get a (non-food and inexpensive) reward. If one person does not follow through, not only does he/she not get a reward, the other person gets two.

Three exceptions (because I get to choose the rules and I am weak and love holiday food too much to pass it up completely): Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve – anything goes:)

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Starting Dec. 1 we both gave up desserts. This was much harder for me, but it won’t exactly be a walk in the park for Jared as the month goes on. We both followed through (even after I entered The Cheesecake Factory just to stare at and drool over all of the cheesecakes on display), and we also both chose free, healthy rewards for the week. We haven't had the time to actually receive them yet, but mine will be a nice, long back rub from Jared, and his will be a foot rub from me. I’m pretty sure I'll be getting the better end of that deal.

Starting Dec. 8, I have given up white flour and potatoes.  When I buy bread or tortillas I get whole wheat, but my weaknesses in this area are things like crackers, pizza, burgers with white buns and fries! Don’t worry, though – I got my fill of them last week since I knew it’d be a few weeks until I could have them again. So far, so good for me, but the week’s barely half over. Jared has committed to daily push-ups. I haven’t yet thought of my reward choice yet, but I plan to make it  a good one!

How I’m feeling:

I just want my chocolate fix! 

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If you haven't figured it out by now, yes, you should expect to see something Tina Fey-related in the majority of my posts.

I am going through a lot of gum to keep my mouth busy and make cravings a little less appetizing. It has not been easy, but it honestly hasn’t been as hard as I thought either. It is also very eye-opening to recognize all the times during a single week I would normally indulge in something:

“My favorite ice cream is on sale at Target? I can’t not get it!”

“I need something sweet to round off my dinner – better make some cookies!”

“I’m getting restless sitting at my desk at work – better go wander around the skyway until I find something delicious to devour!”

“ I want something to munch on as I watch TV and dink around on my computer – Reeses peanut butter cups to the rescue!”

I felt a small sense of pride (sad) for not actually giving in to all of these thoughts that pop into my head during any given day. Sure, giving in like this is fine every once in a while, but every day? Habits like that are not setting me up for much of a future, healthwise.

I am also feeling less bloated. You know that icky feeling after you have dessert, or just something dessert-y loaded with empty calories, and you can tell you’re not really full – just big and puffy?  I haven’t had to experience that in 11 days, and it has been nice. I will never be one of those people you want to punch when they say they prefer fruit over a brownie, but I do hope to become the type of person who will make the smarter choice 90…okay, 80 percent of the time.

Now about halfway through this challenge, I can at least say I am enjoying the fun competition between me and Jared and learning more about when and why my weak moments occur and how to make positive changes without feeling deprived. Wish me luck for the rest of the month!

Friday Favorites

Yes, I just plain omitted last week's Favorites since I was preoccupied over the weekend with eating more than anyone should eat in a week, spending time with family, catching up on Revenge and thinking of baby names for the niece or nephew I will be getting this summer!!!!!!!!!!!! (I'm not sure 'getting' is the right word to use there, but I don't know a thing about babies, and apparently I don't know how to talk about them either).

My Thanksgiving contributions - they actually turned out pretty well!
I over-baked the pecan pie bars, but other than that -
not bad:)

Anyway, today I was planning on sharing a couple of the Cyber Monday deals I am impatiently waiting to receive, but I stumbled upon a few other randoms online during the week, so here are six favorite online finds from the week!

1. How am I, of all people, so late to the chocolate party going on here!? Create my own chocolate, choosing from tons of candy, fruit, nuts, etc.? Yes, please! The downside is you can only have up to five add-ins - all the more reason to create multiple bars!

2. This dress from H&M!

I love gray, I love flowers, and I love clothes that can be mixed and matched.This seems to fit into all of that! I ordered it on Monday - half off:)

3. HAPIfork Bluetooth-Enabled Smart Fork

I had never heard of this before, but it looks pretty cool. I used to consider myself a slow eater, but lately I seem to be scarfing everything down as fast as possible. This fork solves that by lighting up and vibrating when you are eating too fast!

4. This sweatshirt from Aerie!
How comfortable does this look!? I had about seven websites open on Monday browsing through clothes from 10 PM to midnight (of course). I didn't end up ordering it, but the more I look at it, the less I think I can resist! 

5. This scarf from Nordstrom!
I like wearing either a solid, basic color like black or gray, or lots of fun colors, and this scarf has plenty of them! There are four color schemes, but I like this the best:

 6. 4GB Walkman Sports MP3 Player
How did I not know about this also?  I don't run with my music at the gym because I feel like it makes me sweat more than usual with the cords and everything going on, and I get all stressed and don't run as well as I should. I also don't like dealing with them while running outside. Problem solved:

Hopefully you like at least some of these as much as I do! Have a good weekend, and stay warm:)

A glimpse into the life of . . .

         ORON STENESH

I sadly do not know this outstanding young man all that well, but I do consider myself an excellent judge of character, and I'm telling you he is really something else - in the very best way.

Oron went to grad school with Jared, and they now work for the same company, so I've had a few run-ins with him (I'm always laughing within 30 seconds), but my first introduction to the life of Oron occurred when I attended a one-man show he performed. I had never been to one before, so I didn't really know to expect, but I was blown away.

I wish I had just a sliver of the amount of creativity it takes to produce one of those. This guy is overflowing with wit, humor and intelligence, and his enthusiasm for just living life is quite inspiring. I'm so glad he agreed to share a little of himself with us!

Current profession: Product Development and Innovation for Optum Health

First job ever: I was a bag boy at a local supermarket in my hometown. Then I moved to deli, which I loved! I had to wear a beret. I sold a lot of Boar's Head meat, which I called the "elite meat" because of its high price point. When I moved to New York City and Boar's Head was the default deli meat, I thought I lived in such a cool place.

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First job after graduating/first 'grown up' job: I was an actor in New York. Went after the dream! I supported myself through musical theatre in New York and tours around the country and internationally. I also worked in various capacities at law firms to help pay the bills. "Non-traditional" to be sure, but I wouldn't change a thing.

Dream job: I am really loving where I'm at right now. I enjoy being a part of building innovative new solutions in healthcare, an industry that is calling out for creative and smart ideas to help solve real problems. It's fun to be a part of the national conversation around healthcare reform and understand more deeply some of the forces at play.

What advice would you give someone interested in pursuing the same (or a similar) profession you have been in or are currently in? My best advice for anyone is to be authentic. I think that being able to bring yourself 100% to work, whatever that means to you, is vital to being successful at your job. You gotta be real. Trying to be what other people expect you to be is not going to be successful in the long term - you've got to own YOU!

Cringeworthy workplace behavior young professionals should never get into the habit of doing: I don't know that I've seen too much cringeworthy workplace behavior - I've been really impressed with the young professionals that I've met. I think a key thing is not letting one's millenial-ness take over and getting really impatient. It's important to strive to be better and seek out opportunities, but I think there is value in getting good at something, putting in time and effort and watching your results take shape. Spending some time and leaving some sweat and tears is a good thing.

What has been the biggest challenge so far in your career path? My biggest challenge has been navigating the big change I made in my career. On the back end of the theatre career, I wanted to make sure that I left New York on my own terms, without regrets, knowing that I did everything I needed to do to feel fulfilled and successful before I made a big move. It required patience, and was sometimes uncomfortable, to give myself the time to know that I was making the right decision. As I transitioned into business, it was challenging to learn how to translate my creative background for the business world.

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What advice do you have for others facing a similar challenge? For me, getting my MBA was a transformative experience. It was an opportunity to take my experience and work history and pair it with classwork, experiential education, networking and a language that forms the basis for the currency of business. I also benefited from the recruiting resources at my business school, which helped to connect me into great local companies.

What advice do you wish you could give your 20-year-old self, career-related or just in general? I think I gave myself good advice at the time. I remember hearing that it was really difficult to make it as an actor. I knew that I needed to pursue that and give myself a fair shot at success. I took that and ran with it and learned a ton along the way. Pivoting toward business in my 30s was just a natural evolution: a conscious choice I made based on knowledge of how the theatre business works and what options and growth would be available to me in the future. I didn't/don't want to live a life with regrets, so I went/go after my dreams, and I'm glad I did/do.

When you are 50 what do you want to be able to look back and say about your life right now? I want to say that I lived my life to its fullest. I want to say that I had great relationships with people, that I was successful, that I took opportunities, that I reasoned, that I explored and that I took chances.

How do you define success? I define success as doing what you say you are going to do and doing it well. I also would say that being happy is an important part of success for me, personally.

Who has been your biggest influence, personally or professionally? My parents are probably my biggest influence. Among other things, I shaped my worldview from theirs and learned about the value of hard work. I also have a network of friends across industries that influence and inspire me with their experiences and achievements.

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What hobbies and activities do you enjoy in your spare time? I enjoy theatre (musicals, cabaret), music (embarrassingly, Top 40), movies (Oscars) and am obsessed with tennis (I don't really play, but I follow it like crazy). 

What is number one on your bucket list? I don't know that I have an official bucket list! I live in the moment. I would, however, love to hit all the tennis Grand Slams...I've been to the US Open, but it would be amazing to go to the Aussie, French and Wimbledon.

Favorite ice cream flavor: Nicollet Ave. Pothole at Sebastian Joe's

Thank you, Oron!