Hello! 

Today I wanted to talk to y'all about something that's been weighing on my heart lately....showing up. 

I can't tell you how many times I have missed out on an experience, not done something I really wanted to do, didn't finish a project, missed an opportunity to serve someone else, etc. because I was too scared to even show up. I would talk myself out of doing something before I even started because I didn't want to look like an idiot, I didn't know anyone else who would be there, I was worried what other people would think, I didn't believe I was qualified enough, the circumstances weren't perfect, blah, blah, blah. 

I had a laundry list of excuses why I shouldn't or couldn't do something and honestly each and every one of them was a load of bull. You know how I discovered this? A few months ago I invited one of my good friends to go to the Barnes & Noble Book Club with me at my local store. I told her I would pick her up at 6:30 PM so we would make it on time for the meeting at 7 PM. It had been a particularly long day and I accidentally overslept my nap alarm. When I woke up I was 15 minutes late picking up my friend! I sped off to her house and we make it to Barnes & Noble...late. 

As we head up the escalator I can hear the group already discussing the book. Y'all, I panicked. I turned to my friend and said, "Amanda, we're running 15 minutes late and we don't know anybody and what if they think we're the worst people in the world because we showed up late and we've never been here before? Maybe we should just go home."

She looked me in the eyes and said, "Kelsie, that's ridiculous. We're going." And that was that. Thanks to Amanda I went and sat at that table and had a grand old time talking to a group of strangers about books. Nobody was mean, nobody gave us a hard time for being late, and we ended up going to the next meeting we had such a good experience. 

Y'all I almost missed this experience because I was too afraid to show up. I have had countless moments since then where I thought about not showing up to something new, something different, something a little scary, something I didn't feel qualified for--but I did. Let me tell you not one of those times did I regret showing up. I found a new favorite restaurant, made some new friends, got a promotion at work, took my blogging to a new level...and all because I simply showed up. 

I once read that showing up to something is 50% of the battle--my friends, I think showing up is 75% of the battle. So let's show up--for each other, for ourselves, to that new club, to the new restaurant, to as much as we can. Kick your excuses to the curb and show up! I promise you won't regret it. 

Until Next Time, Kelsie

Ladies Weekend At Disney

Hi there! This past weekend I had the opportunity to spend time with my mom and youngest sister at Disney. They knew it was going to be a tough weekend for me due to some personal circumstances so they took it upon themselves to treat me to a girls' weekender! Seriously my family is just the sweetest. 

We left Friday morning for Anaheim but took our sweet time getting there. Our family loves road trips--Every time we take one we have to stop at at least 18,000 gas stations to check out the unique snacks, silly souvenirs, and of course use the restrooms because we consume WAY too much soda along the way! This trip I even convinced everyone to stop at the Kate Spade Outlet and I found the most darling, sparkly bag. 

Back to the point. Friday night we spent hanging out at Downtown Disney. It was my first time back at the parks after the renovation of World of Disney so we had a blast checking out the new store and all the new goodies! It was transition weekend too so that meant we had half Halloween decor and half Christmas decor. It was heaven y'all!

Of course no trip to Downtown Disney is complete without at least one churro! My latest obsession is this Fruity Pebble Churro. It's the greatest thing I have ever tasted. 

Saturday it was time to head to the parks. This time around we did California Adventure. We usually do Disneyland but my Mom had never been to CA Adventure so we thought it would be a good change of pace. 

Side note--go to the parks on transition weekends. The weekend between Halloween ending and Christmas starting the parks are considerably less busy. No joke the max amount of time we waited in line was 20 minutes!

Also...MaxPass is 10/10 worth the $10 investment. Trust me. 

California Adventure is building their new Marvel themed area and I literally cannot wait. Your girl loves her some Marvel. 

I was so excited to show my mom and sister the Monsters Inc. ride but we ended up getting stuck in the bathrooms with Sully! 

I just adore Pixar Pier. Everything is so detailed and themed and amazing. 

These lemon flavored soft serves are the bees knees. 

Do you see us over there screaming? We were so not prepared haha. I had to convince my mom to get on but it actually ended up being one of her favorite rides! 

The Pixar Pal-A-Round was by far the scariest ride we went on. We made the mistake of getting the swinging gondola and girl, we were terrified. We would all do it again though haha. 

Well, that's all folks! 

Until Next Time, Kelsie

The Stand | Arcadia

Hey what's up, hello! Today I had the opportunity to go to one of my FAVORITE local eateries called The Stand Arcadia. What is The Stand? Girl, let me tell you.

The Stand is this adorable little burger shack in the heart of Phoenix, AZ. They keep their menu simple (burger, fries, shakes) and knock the flavor out of the park! My favorite way to enjoy their food is sitting out on the private patio where I can feel the fresh air but don't have to see the street outside. Win-win. 

If you're feeling extra lazy, are in a hurry, or you just want to interact with the least amount of people possible (can I get an amen?) The Stand also has a drive-thru window! Really though--tell me where else you can roll up to the drive-thru and get a burger that looks as good as this bad boy right here? 

Last, but certainly not least, we need to talk about the banana shake. Oh. My. Gosh. My family is from Washington, where you can go to any fast food joint and have about 50 different shake options any time of year. In Arizona, that's just not the case. Your options here typically consist of chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla. So when I saw banana on the menu I flipped out! Then I actually tried the shake....Holy crap. It is hands down the BEST banana shake I have ever had. Creamy, thick while still being liquid enough to drink through a straw, the perfect amount of real banana chunks--heaven y'all. 

 So there you have it. I freakin' love this place and if you are ever in Phoenix you must check it out!

Until Next Time, Kelsie

Cut The Crap

Hello! I realize it's been a while since my last post. Life has been nothing short of chaotic for me this past month or so and honestly I just needed the time to breathe and pull myself back together (Yay mental health!).

I recently had a conversation with a good friend of mine that honestly really pissed me off. I totally appreciate it now, but man did it hit me hard. I had been venting to him about various things going on in my life and at the end of it all he told me--"What's wrong with you? You have every opportunity right at your feet and you're doing nothing about it!" Ouch. 

Of course my natural response was to get upset and defend myself by saying, "Well, I don't want to take any opportunities that I can't fully commit to because I'm not sure what I want to do." He follows up with, "Well, what's your passion?" And you know what folks? I couldn't answer that! Not because I don't know what it is, I have an inkling--but because I was too scared to open myself up and be vulnerable with my dreams. 

So I went home that night and did some serious soul-searching and came to this conclusion--It's time to cut the crap! I have spent way too much time being paralyzed by fear. Fear of commitment, fear of vulnerability, fear of judgement, fear of not being good at something right out of the gate, fear of everything really! No more. 

Life is too short to be wasting any of it by not being 100% authentic to who we are and what we want. By no means am I saying that we need have everything figured out right this moment--but what I am saying is if you don't know what your passion is, find it. Try all the things, talk to all the people, volunteer, meditate, read, soak in as many experiences as you can until you find the thing that sets you on fire. If you know what your passion is, chase it. Sign up for seminars, reach out to people who inspire you, seek knowledge, read, talk about your dream and try to make it real. If you're hiding behind fear and excuses, fix it. Even the tiniest step in the right direction is still a step. 

So shoutout to the friend who gave me the swift kick in the face that I needed to cut the crap. 

Until Next Time, Kelsie

Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation

Aloha! From beautiful (if not extremely too humid) Kona, Hawaii!

One of the very first excursions we took upon arriving on The Big Island was a trip up the Volcanoe to a quaint little coffee farm called Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation.

If you have never been to Kona it is important to note that Coffee grown and harvested in Kona is a big deal! Coffee shops on every corner boast “100% Kona Coffee” and “Peaberry” is most definitely a thing.

Anywho, at Mountain Thunder they do FREE tours on the hour of their operation where they grow, harvest, roast, package, and sell their 100% Kona Coffee. Our little group arrived early and we were able to wander the gift shop that offers free samples of coffee, tea, spices, body products, and chocolate covered beans all of which are grown and made on site! I definitely picked up a couple of goodies to bring home!

There were also several personal touches added around the property to make you feel right at home. Including this adorable kitty who refused to move from that spot the entire 2 hours we were there!

At 11 o’clock on the dot our tour guide arrives and brings our international group (we had folks as far as Israel and Norway join us) up to speed on what a coffee plant looks like, what peaberries are, the process from plant to beverage, and even gave us an up close look at the roasting machine!

At the end of the tour there was an optional nature walk down into the actual farm which was totally worth the $10 group fee! We were given a booklet that pointed out unique features of the trail including several lava tubes and native plant life. At the end of the trail is a giant patio where you can sit and picnic or just admire the view of the fields. It only a tiny bit looks like you’re standing in a field of marijuana.

All together Mountain Thunder was an incredible experience and the hospitality displayed was simply wonderful.

Until Next Time, Kelsie

A Dangerous Business

Hello! Welcome to A Dangerous Business! 

If you know me at all you know that I am first and foremost a Lord of the Rings fanatic--Thus, the title of this blog. If you came here hoping for advice on working in a chemical plant or insight into how not to break your neck acting as someone else's stunt double, I'm sorry to disappoint. The true purpose of this blog is based in the heart of this quote from JRR Tolkien's The Fellowship of The Ring. 

Sure, I may not be stepping out into a world filled with dragons, elves, Hobbits, evil wizards, or omnipotent rings, but going out into our world is filled with just as many adventures, perils, thrills, and joys as any other! Life is a wild ride filled with twists and turns at every corner! 

Which brings us to my blog. I plan to fill it up with all the adventures I stumble upon as well as all the random things I discover and love along the way! (I hoard books, makeup, planners, and Scentsy wax like Smaug does his treasure.) 

So here's to documenting the journey--Unexpected though it is. 

Until Next Time, Kelsie