Secret Santa + Other Babblings

This post has been waiting in the wings for almost a week now. I was trying so, so hard to make something significant of it, make it relevant in some way, but I couldn't figure anything out.

I've seen at least a few bloggers write about how they'd unfortunately been getting away from posts they liked to write in lieu of posts that are easy. Instead of writing thoughtful stuff, they'd been doing more and more outfit posts and link roundup posts because they're simpler to put together. Confession: I have the opposite problem. I feel like everything I write has to be something that someone out there will care about reading, especially since I post everything to my personal Facebook and Twitter where I'm followed by family, friends, former coworkers, potential employers, etc. It makes me uncomfortable posting something that I don't feel took any work. I link this blog on my resume, for crying out loud! Everything should be long and insightful and well-crafted, right?!

But then I thought... heck, this is my blog, I'm not Shakespeare, and this has been a week of major life changes. My internship ended, I've been saying goodbye to over a dozen intern friends who I won't be seeing again for the foreseeable future, and in three days I move out of the OTC and begin a 27-hour drive home, where I get to live as an unemployed college graduate. Between trying to spend a last few moments with everyone and mourning the loss of my awesome internship, blogging has been low on the priority list.

So I have some more interesting posts planned out for the coming weeks (and plenty of time to write 'em in), but for right now: Secret Santa! A little un-relevant holiday cheer never hurt anyone, right? ;)

Kym over at Travel Babbles hosted a sort of social media Secret Santa link-up. It's like any other Secret Santa except, y'know, you might not know the person, and all you have to go by is her blog. Daunting, but fun! I bought for Christina at Route Bliss and received a gift from Jenn at Life Begins with J.

Jenn hit the nail on the head! Three sparkly photo albums -- I've been meaning to start printing out my photos for ages and, hello, glitter is the best -- and a giant journal. Seriously, there are 340 pages in that sucker, and it's the size of a textbook! It's perfect motivation to be all writer-y in my newfound endless stretches of free time. :) Thank you, Jenn!

(Also, before I wrap this up: if anyone has any tips on how to survive a days-long road trip through middle America in the dead of winter, lay 'em on me, 'cause I need all the wisdom I can get!)