The Happiness of Pursuit: A Book to Inspire You to Dream

Through Blogging for Books I was given a free copy of The Happiness of Pursuit by Chris Guillebeau in exchange for an honest review.

As a young woman who is always seeking adventure, I was instantly drawn to this book. Chris Guillebeau tells tales of his own journey to visit every country in the world, as well as the tales of others' adventures - a man who vowed to silence, a teenager who decided to live at sea, and a woman who devoted her life to bird watching.

The author makes a point to say that not one person's quest is bigger than another's. Seeing the most species of birds is just as admirable as sailing across the sea. The common thread is that the quest is their passion, their life.

What are you passionate about? What am I? Is there anything that I would give up money, time, even friends and family for? This book really made me think. It made me realize what I value, and what I don't.

Another thing I love about this book is that he ends each chapter with some tips to helping you find a realistic, admirable pursuit.

Chris Guillebeau also tells stories of failures, setbacks, and mistakes. Because that's life. And you can't go on a great pursuit without stumbling a couple times. He keeps the book real. He makes me feel as if I can do something great, too.

I would recommend this book to anyone. I think the variety of his stories is appealing to readers of all ages and walks of life. I would definitely recommend this book to those with an adventurous soul, who are looking to embark on a great journey.

One thing that bothered me about this book comes from my Christian worldview. If I have thousands of dollars to spend on traveling or on the hobby of my choice, wouldn't it be better to do something worthwhile with that money, instead of checking things off your pursuit's to-do list? After traveling to Haiti several times, I have seen extreme poverty. I can't blow all my money on things that I want to accomplish or pursue. My conscious won't let me. I know that I am bias, but I think that some pursuits are foolish and selfish.

Overall, this book was definitely inspiring and I would recommend it to anyone.

Christmas Break Goals

As of this morning, I am officially done with this semester! As an education major, I have finished all of my undergrad classes. Next semester I will be student teaching in the second grade. It was be the craziest, busiest, hardest semester of my life, so I am looking forward to a fun Christmas break beforehand.

One thing I hate is being bored. I also hate making lists. As a future teacher, I've been trying to get more organized and make more lists. Now that my Christmas break has begun, I decided to make a list of things I am looking forward to doing over the next month.

1. Read
I have loads of books that I have collected from thrift stores and yard sales all throughout the semester. I'm excited to finally have time to read all of them. They include the entire Narnia series by C.S. Lewis, some books by my favorite author Jodi Picoult, and classic children's novels that I've never read, such as Holes by Louis Sachar.

2. Learn to Crochet 
Or knit. But since my mom only knows how to crochet, I'll probably learn from her. I'd love to actually do something productive over break and make something. And I could make gifts for my friends' upcoming birthdays!

3. Watch Netflix
Yes, maybe this is somewhat unproductive, but I STILL haven't seen season 3 of Sherlock Holmes with Benedict Cumberbatch. I'm excited to have plenty of time to binge watch.

4. Roadtrip
This is my first time without a job over Christmas break. Even with the things listed above, I know I'll still be bored. I already have a couple of roadtrips planned to visit friends. I'm excited to hang out with friends without worrying about studying or leaving in time to get to my next class. We can actually relax and chill.

5. Cook
My family and I are all vegan. While I'm the only one gluten free, I know that our pantry will be packed with foods that I can eat. During the school year, I find it hard to cook a lot on my college kid budget. At home, since we already have a ton of healthy ingredients, it will be so easy to try the recipes that I've been collecting all semester.

What are some of your Christmas break goals?