Look at me go, putting my thoughts into action. It’s been a while – an eternity really. I mean, it’s safe to say that this Wino is a completely different girl than the one you’ve known before. I’m older…and wiser? That one is most certainly up for debate. While you guys were busy living your lives, without a Wino in sight – I was busy turning 30…2, and basically taking life by the horns.

Taking life by the horns, now that’s an interesting phrase. Honestly, it just came to mind – so I went with it. But, I decided to look it up – because why the hell not? Stay with me – you’re about to go on an adventure through my creative thought process. This could get messy.

While on Google, making sure that I actually got the saying correct, I found this quote – “Take life by the horns, conquer your fears, and live your life as a daring adventure.” And to that I say, YAAASSSS girl. Because, you see…that is the head space that I am currently in, but it took a damn long time to get here. Let’s dig a little deeper, and pull this quote apart piece by piece. Guys, this is where my college education comes into play, so let me live. I paid for it, okay?

According to UrbanDictionary.com, an extremely creditable source if you ask me – taking (or grabbing) life by the horns means to be a mover and a shaker. Man, don’t I hear that. If you’re not a mover, and/or a shaker are you even living? I think not. I’ve been doing my share of moving and shaking lately, and I say both literally and figuratively. About a few months ago, I did some moving – out of my parents house…and in my career. I also did some shaking…at my friend’s wedding. #DanceMachineQueen. Positive and healthy steps for sure, but I’d like to explore the figurative end of this a little more.

Let’s look at moving as moving forward. Something that is certainly easier said than done. Have you missed my clique style of writing? I know I have. Anyway, for me – moving forward in life was nearly impossible for a while. I could easily blame it on other people. In fact, I totally did. But, that was part of the problem – not taking responsibility for being in my own way. Happiness and self acceptance takes work, especially when anxiety decides to make an appearance. And, if you let those negative thoughts take over – they have to power to literally cripple you in your tracks. For a long time, they did for me – until I decided to move. Some may say that I leaped, but I had to. To get out of your own way, you need to move in whichever direction you have to to find the beautiful things in life that make you shine the way you’re meant to. Trust me, it’s a liberating feeling. You should try it some time.

Alright, it’s time to shake things up. And by that, I mean in life. Shake, and do it in whichever way you can. Shake it up, shake it off (I see you, Taylor.) – get creative about it. Shaking life up can be an altering experience – mostly because you’ll find that you can surprise even yourself. Trying new things is scary, but what isn’t? Going out of your comfort zone may not be easy, but do you want to be in a constant state of FOMO for the rest of your existence? Nope. Imagine if while you’re stuck in your bubble fearing the thought of missing out that you actually do. Shake it off, and get moving. There’s so much fun to be had on the other side.

Now that we’ve conquered one fear, let’s try and tackle the rest. One of the greatest American Philosophers of our generation, Britney Jean Spears, once said – “I go through life like a karate kid.” A statement that I have since learned to live by. If you are about to try something new, and fear starts to take over – karate chop that shit right in the face. That may not be the classiest and/or the most mature way to put it, but I don’t see any adults here.

Well, I think I pretty much nailed that piece of the quote. So, let’s move on…

If you know me, then you know that adventures are my favorite. Those adventures involve drinking wine, finding the right people (or person) to drink wine with, and maybe even going to a paint class where you can also drink wine. Just kidding, sometimes I like to go on hikes too. I also went to a Yankee game recently and sat in the rain for like two hours, and didn’t complain once. How adventurous am I? As for living life as a daring adventure, that – my friends, takes some soul searching. When it comes down to it, I think it all ties into fear – and how we choose to let it define us. In the past year, I’ve learned that if you want something in life, and for yourself – it is up to you to go get it. You may be lucky enough to get some help and support along the way, but it is up to you to follow through and make it happen – no one else can do that for you.

Adulthood is a funny thing. It may even be safe to say that we are all glorified kids just trying to fake our way through each day one beautiful mistake at a time. We go through the motions because that is what is expected of us, but that doesn’t mean we always know what we’re doing. And you know what? That’s more than okay. If you find the strength to truly believe in yourself, and how badass you really are – you’re going to be just fine.

Now that we’ve moved, and also did some shaking – I think we’ve earned the right to sit down for a minute. While making moves in the right direction is extremely beneficial, let’s not forget that taking time to reflect, and live in the moment is just as important for your mental health, and overall well-being. Yesterday, I sat outside and watched the sunset – like all the way through… with no social media besides some good tunes to set the scene, and wine – obviously. Call me cheesy (It wouldn’t be the first time.), but that ish was magical. I mean it. Nowadays, our attention spans are the size of a pea, maybe even a grain of sand. Blame it on the iPhone, the social media scroll, or the need to capture and post every single thing that we do in life. Whatever it may be, being present isn’t as easy as it used to be – and that is a fact. With that said, I encourage anyone who reads this (Thank you) to take some time for yourself today – and go be present with the world in its truest form. You won’t regret it.

Well, I think that’s it for me. I sincerely hope that inspiration continues to run through me, and I post again sometime in the next year…because this was fun.