Tag: life

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Fabulous living

50 Questions

Hi All! I love reading other blogs and learning about others through Q&A’s. I found this Q&A through Laura. She always posts about her cute baby, fitness, and lifestyle. I picked my favorite questions and answered them myself.

A little bit about me!
  1. When are you most inspired? 
    When I’m driving or working out is when I get the best ideas!
  2. If you could teach one subject in school what would it be? 
    English, I love reading and writing and would love to teach!
  3. What’s your favorite beverage?
    Water or the occasional lemonade in the summer.
  4. What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received? 
    Anything about how I have changed as I have gotten older and more confident in myself.
  5. What is your favorite birthday cake?
    Chocolate with raspberry! 
  6. What is one thing you still have from your childhood? 
    American Girl Dolls, special stuffed animals, and favorite books
  7. Window or aisle seat?
    As much as I love looking out of the window, I want the freedom with the aisle.
  8. What does creativity mean to you? 
    Being able to express myself how I want
  9. What is your favorite holiday? 
    Christmas-l love spending time with family and all the gift giving 
  10. What’s heavily played on your music playlist right now?
    SO much country!! It has been my go-to music this summer, give me all the Dan and Shay, Thomas Rhett, and Luke Combs!
  11. Must have purse item? 
    Cell Phone
  12. What did you want to be when you grew up when you were 12? 
    Growing up I always wanted to be a teacher!!!
  13. What is something you will not be doing in ten years? 
    Being in school!
  14. What is an important life lesson for someone to learn? 
    Be yourself and don’t worry about what others will say. 
  15. How do you start your day? 
    Journaling and working out!
  16. Would you ever live anywhere besides PA?
    Yes! I would love to move to someplace new
maybe New York? I have no idea what the future holds which is exciting and nerve racking!
  17. What is your favorite dessert?  
     Warm chocolate chip cookies
or brownies
I love anything sweet!
  18. It’s brunch! What do you eat? 
    Waffles with fruit!
  19. Where was the best vacation you’ve ever taken? 
    Loved visiting Rome this past year and anywhere with my family.
  20. What is a book you are planning on reading? 
    Can’t wait for Emily Ley’s new book to come out in November!!
  21. What did you read most recently?
    A Reporter’s Life: Peter Jennings– my full summer book review is coming soon!
  22. What’s a city you wish to visit? 
    Paris, France!
  23.  Heels or flats? 
    Heels
  24. Where does one go on a perfect road trip? 
    Anywhere near the water.
  25. What do you do on a rainy day? 
    Read, watch movies, bake.
  26. What’s your favorite exercise? 
    I love going for walks or jogging
I hate running
  27. What was your worst subject in school? 
    Math
  28. What is your spirit animal?
    Elephant
  29. What do you usually eat for breakfast? 
    Toast with fruit or on the weekend, eggs with fruit, sometimes cheerios
all depends on my mood.
  30. What do you usually eat for dinner? 
    A type of chicken with some type of vegatables. 
  31. Cooking or Baking? 
    I love baking and want to start cooking more.
  32. Favorite baked good? 
    Chocolate Chip Cookies
  33. What is something you wish you could be good at? 
    Not getting overwhelmed all the time
  34. Skiing or Surfing? 
    Skiing!
  35. How do you manage stress?
    Making a list of to do’s or talking it out with someone.
  36. What do you do to relax? 
    Read, catch up on movies or tv shows.
  37.  Favorite snack?
    Popcorn,  pretzels, chocolate. 
  38. Favorite fashion trend of all time? 
    Wedges-comfortable and cute!
  39. What is your current favorite piece of clothing that you own? 
    I have been loving my white jean jacket!
  40. Shoes or Bags? 
    Bags!!!
  41. Television show you’ve binged on recently? 
    Outlander
  42.  Who do you turn to when you’re sad? 
    My mom/ my best friends
  43.  What is your biggest strength? 
    I am super organized
  44.  What is your biggest weakness? 
    Saying no
I always overcommit 
  45.  What are 3 words to describe living in PA? 
    rain, snow, home
  46.  Cutest thing on planet earth?
    Dogs-especially my furbaby!!
  47.  Favorite color? 
    Red
  48.  Favorite time of day? 
    Early morning —I always get more done in the morning and like how quiet it is.
  49.  What’s your guilty pleasure? 
    Reality tv
  50.  Favorite band? 
    All about Thomas Rhett right now

Well that was fun! Pick a few questions and answer them about yourself below!! Have a fabulous week!

Categories
Fabulous living

Friends, Friends, Friends!!!

Hey guys!

Happy Tuesday and an early happy Fourth of July! The Fourth is one of my favorite summer activities. Not only is it a day for seeing family, eating delicious food, and being outside in the sun, but it’s a day to celebrate our country!

This past week has been such a whirlwind filled with so many wonderful moments and memories that I loved making. 

Let’s recap!

On Wednesday to Friday my best friend, Bailey, from college came to visit. This was one of the first times a college friend came to visit me, since I live further away from school. During her visit, we did so many things.  

Look who’s here!!!

We started the mini vacay with a drive around my hometown and the happy hour by the bay. 

Beautiful weather for her visit!

We then headed to the beach to listen to live music at sunset. After the live music we headed to get some ice cream before heading back to my house for a cook out. We relaxed for the rest of the night and caught up. 

Sun setting at the beach

We got up bright and early on Thursday morning and headed out for a morning run. It was great to get a workout in, to start the day. 

Hello Morning Run!

We then came back to my house and got ready for a day out in the sun. We got lunch at Sara’s, an iconic diner in my hometown.

Introducing her to Sara’s!

We then went kayaking, which was my first time going out, but so much fun! 

After spending time on the water, we went to the beach, we tanned, relaxed, went in the water and even took a nap. 

ALL the beach vibes!
Beach vibes

After spending all day out in the sun, we went back to my house and relaxed. I just started watching Outlander and am obsessed!

We ate dinner and then went out for the night, which was so much fun!

  • The bay at night

We eased into Friday by going for a hike and then coming back for breakfast before she had to head back to Pittsburgh. 

Hiking before she had to head back to Pittsburgh

I am so thankful for our friendship and her visit. It was so good to be a tourist in my own hometown. We are already planning our next adventure! Much love Bailey!

Thanks for a great visit!!!

After she left on Friday, I quickly had to switch gears since I was going away for the weekend with my high school Madeline to visit our friend Ryan in Buffalo!

REUNITED

We left early Saturday morning and made the journey up to Buffalo. 

Buffalo bound

Once we arrived in New York, Ryan gave us a tour of Buffalo, from his college, Canisius, to downtown Buffalo and the canal side. It was so nice to get a look into his world. 

Checking out his school

We went to the Terrace for lunch, the food was delicious, and the view was even better.

Lunch with my favorite high school pals
Beautiful view

After walking around the city, we relaxed until we went out to dinner at Duff’s and had some of their famous wings. They didn’t disappoint. We hung out and played some games before calling it a night. 

Did someone say Buffalo Chicken Wings?!

Before, Madeline and I left Buffalo we got brunch at Pano’s, a delicious place that was in downtown Buffalo. It was delicious and so filling. 

I love these people

I was so glad to have made the trip to Buffalo and spend some quality time with my high school friends. 

Thanks for being some of my best friends!

These past few days have truly reminded me how lucky I am to have such good, fun, and supportive friends. From high school to college, we all get by with a little help from our friends!

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Fabulous living

Fall Semester Recap

What a semester it has been. That has been my catch phrase these past few months. Finals are over, I am home for a well-deserved break and I’m taking the time to reflect on this past semester. I was excited for the new semester to start back in August, I had interesting classes lined up to take, I was looking forward to spending time with friends and last year, I really felt that I had found my place and I was looking forward to growing more. For the most part, all those things came through. I certainly grew more this semester. This semester definitely tested me, I took on a heavier course load (18 credits) , took on a few more leadership roles (with clubs and Honor Societies and leading meetings) , got more involved with my school, and started a new job (I both work study for a professor and tutor). However, I quickly learned a new balance with all the new stuff going on and I really managed to get into a good routine that worked for me, I also made sure to take care of myself too. I managed to get all my classes done, work in, and still managed to have a social life. 

This was my reaction when I realized how much I took on
yep, I may have taken on too much. 

A few highlights of this semester include lots of fun memories, from inside jokes with classmates in classes, late nights at work, dinners out with friends, early mornings at the gym followed by breakfast, movie nights, staff bonding events, nights out in the city, and so many more. 

Staff photos with Sharon to kick off the semester


Early morning trips to the gym
An Ed Sheeran concert in the middle of the semester was much needed
This is how I spent most of this semester, work, work, work
Early morning walks to class
Trips to fall fests
Halloween Dances
More Halloween festivities
I seriously don’t know where I would be without this girl. We may have met through work but she has become one of my closest friends, and yes, I have no idea what I’m going to do once she graduates.
Another one of the many things I did this semester was help work on our news program at school
One of us was working and the other one was supposed to be doing homework…yet we still managed to hang out on a Friday night
Light Up Night in downtown with the best
I think this describes our friendship and semester in a nutshell


Well that wraps up my semester. I learned a lot, made so many memories, grew more confident as a person and with my decisions and really did my best to be social and step out of my comfort zone. Through my time in college, I have learned that it’s most important to take advantage of every opportunity, make memories, and step outside of your comfort zone. Next semester will be different as many of my friends will be graduating, studying abroad, or student teaching. It will be different but I am up for the challenge. I’ll have another look for you on Thursday, then I will be taking next Tuesday off for Christmas. Have a great weekend. 

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Fabulous living

Summer Internship

Hi All!

I hope you had a great weekend. I just got back from a packed full summer vacation. It was great to be off the radar for a while, but now it’s back to business and school mode is in full effect!

Today I am sharing what I’ve been up to this summer. As you know, I have pretty busy working between my internship and summer job. I couldn’t have asked for a better summer internship. I interned at one of my local news stations. As a communication major, there are so many areas to work in. For several years, i have had an interest in journalism and the news. As my graduation gets closer and closer I thought it would be a good idea see if working in the media is something I would want to dedicate my career to.

View from the control room, watching the magic happen

Last January, I spent a day shadowing the news station and loved it. I learned about internship opportunities and by the middle of January I had my summer internship lined up.

Flash forward to May, I was home for less than 48 hours and I was already starting my internship. I worked two days a week from 9:30-5:30. I was able to set my own schedule. I loved going to my internship every day and learned so much.

Practicing my reporting

There is no set “day in the life” as a reporter. Every day is different and new things are constantly going on.  When you walk in, you get assigned a story and by 5:00 that night when the news airs, the story is done. There is always a deadline to meet. Most reporters told me they want the days to go by slower not faster. That’s one of the things I liked so much about my internship. Through the two months i was there, i learned about reporting, producing, editing, and anchoring.

Practicing my anchoring

My internship included shadowing different reporters every day, conducting a few interviews, watching that editing of news packages get done, and  my favorite part, writing and editing my own stories. I even got to practice  anchoring too. I worked with producers putting in commands for the rundown, I got to help write stories with reporters. When it came to editing, a few of the photographers let me help edit the news packages, and then the anchors gave me tips on how on how to anchor best.

Covering a stand off, after doing a story on beach erosion, every day is truly different

This was a hands in experience, I got to help cover several different types of stories, from a stand-off with the Police, a murder, the mayor’s weekly news conferences, a political figure’s death, beach erosion, a cancelled concert, and the death of an inmate on work release. These were just a few of my favorite ones. I got to meet so many people from different walks of life and I learned so much about the city I have called home for the last 20 years.

Getting behind the camera

After completing my time at the news station, i am certain that this is the field I want to go in after graduating. It would be even more special if I could come back home and work for the same news station.

Getting in front of the camera too

I couldn’t have asked for a better summer or experience. I learned so much and i loved going to work every day to see what it’s really like being a news reporter. Hopefully, you can see me on air one day and just not online. Haha!!!
Happy Tuesday!

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Fabulous living

When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Gets Going

We have all had those bad days where nothing goes right, we spill our coffee, our hair gets majorly messed up, or we forget a deadline; it seems like it’s never going to get better. Have you been there? Yep, me too. Whether it’s about school work, work-work, or family drama. We have all gotten to a point where we need to just stop and let go, whether it’s going for a long drive,taking a short walk, or even having a good cry. We all have experienced our moment’s of weakness.

A few weeks back, I was not having a good day, after not getting a good night’s sleep and different  new projects getting put on my plate at work, and nothing going my way. I gave a good cry for myself. I allowed myself 10 minutes and then I knew I had to keep moving forward. These projects weren’t going to get themselves done and just because things weren’t going my way doesn’t mean it will be like that forever. So after a minor breakdown, I still had a full list of things to get done. So, what did I do?

I dried my eyes, reapplied mascara and got back to work. Yes, nothing seemed to be going my way so I decided to let go of everything, but I realized I had to keep moving forward and get stuff done.

We all have those horrible days when we see no light at the end of the tunnel. Whether it’s working an extended shift, not doing too great after midterms, or your boss making you work overtime. Yes, you can get upset, but you have to get up and get back to work.

I know this may seem a bit more personal of a post, but I think this is something that we all deal with, we may not all handle it the same way, yet, we all break down and eventually need to get back up.

So the next time you lose it for a few minutes, dry your eyes and reapply your mascara.

XOXO


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Fabulous living

Making Time for Friends in the Summer

Summer can be a very busy time, between work, getting enough sleep, and getting used to a new routine, it can be hard to see those close to you.

I am very fortunate that I live at home in the summer. I love spending time and doing things with my family. We always try to eat dinner together every night, and we spend our weekends and weeknights doing things together. I love spending time with my family.

However, I often find myself not spending a lot of time with my friends. I live about two hours from most of my friends from college, so I don’t often see them, luckily, I am still close to a few friends from high school who I try to see frequently. Most of the times our work schedules don’t line up, we have other commitments going on or we live far apart. I have been very good about trying to see friends in the summer, which I am proud of. Here are a few things I’ve learned about making time to see your friends in the summer.

  • Don’t just say it, Do It!

When school is winding down, you may catch yourself saying, “we have to see each other this summer!”, but does it happen? We often get caught up in our busy lives that we forget about others. If you truly want to see someone, make it happen. Due to my friends from college living so far away, I know I’m not going to see all of them, but maybe I can try seeing one or two.  A few weeks ago, I was in need of some girl time with one of my close friends from college, Olivia. We both found a day we were free and met up to get lunch and go shopping. Rather than me driving two hours to her or vice versa. We met halfway for both of us. It worked out perfectly. We got to visit, grab lunch, scored some sales, but most importantly, just catch up. I’m so glad we did something rather than just saying we were and not follow through.

Much needed retail therapy

  • A few hours is better than nothing

I have a few close friends from high school who I try to see often in the summer and on breaks. However, we all work different times and schedules, so it can be hard for all of us to get together for a long time. We find it works best for us to just grab dinner, ice cream or brunch for a few hours rather than try to find a full day to spend together. We try to also get together for big events. For example, my family and I throw a fourth July party and my close friends are always invited. It’s a great time to see each other and celebrate.

Fourth of July spent with my favorites

  • Be Spontaneous

Yes, it’s great to plan ahead when you are seeing someone from out of town, but also be spontaneous with your outings. My close friend and I both work downtown in the summer. We both had the same lunch break and met up for lunch downtown. It was unexpected and yet, so fun. My other friend was free for dinner so him and I just went to grab something quick. Even if you can’t get your whole group of friends together, it is good just to catch up with one rather than none.

Grabbing lunch with my girl downtown

Grabbing dinner with my high school bud

I think most college students can relate to not seeing their friends or family as much as they want in the summer. What do you struggle with? Spending more time at home with family or out with friends? Let’s Discuss!!

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Fabulous living

One Year Reflection

1 year, 365 days, 52 weeks, and 104 blog posts later
what a year it has been.

This has been a year of joy, happiness, learning, love, and new experiences.

The idea to start a blog came to me over a year ago. After a long first year of college, I wanted to do something for myself through the summer. That came in the form of the birth of Elspeth’s Day by Day. I spent the first few weeks of my summer vacation researching how to start a blog and reading lots of blogs. I decided to give it a try for the summer AND I LOVED IT. I loved the idea of not only practicing my writing by blogging every week, but I loved the idea of sharing things that I have learned through life. Whether it was fashion, organizing, fitness or even the difficult things in life like battling homesickness or being independent. It is a great feeling to be open with your struggles and have others say they my post helped them through something. It is a very humbling experience. I have loved it all. This blog has been a great creative outlet for me especially during the school year, whenever I needed a break from the stressers of college, this was the perfect channel.

A huge thank you to all of you for reading and sharing and commenting on my blog. I appreciate your support so much. Whether you have been an avid reader since Day 1 or you are reading this for the first time today, thank you for your time and attention. It means so much to me. I never thought I would make it a year, but I did it and it has been a joy the whole time. I can’t wait to see what the new year holds, new ideas, new posts and new content. Season 2 is coming soon!!!

Thank you again for all the love and support this year! If there is anything you want to see on here during this next year of blogging, please let me know in the comments below!

XOXO

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Fabulous living

Let’s Get Real: Homesickness

Hello All!

Today’s post is going to be a bit more on the serious side. Besides, showing you the latest trends and how to organize areas in your home, I like to be real and honest about what life as a college students is truly like. So, we are getting real about homesickness. What a fun topic for a Tuesday. In all seriousness, let’s get real.

Before I started college, almost two years ago, I was worried about being homesick. Many family and friends had assured me I would be so busy I wouldn’t be able to get homesick, or it would go away after a month, someone had even told me that by Fall break I wouldn’t even want to come home because I would be loving school so much.

They were all wrong.

Yes, I was enjoying school, and I was making friends and I was most certainly busy, but that didn’t change the fact that I was homesick. There would be times when I was lonely, or I craved a homecooked meal or I wished I was back in my own room. But, I didn’t let that stop me from enjoying college life. Christmas rolled around, and I was told that I wouldn’t want to be home for a whole month and I would soon get bored and I would be thrilled when I could go back to school.

Nope, it was still hard going back.

Spring semester brought more hope and more experiences. But I still had my moments of weakness and some tears. Once May rolled around, I was so proud of myself for making it through a full year. I thought, if I could accomplish that I could do anything.

A few months later, Year Two rolled around. It brought new experiences, new friends, new challenges and new beginnings. I didn’t get homesick as much, mostly when I was getting dropped off from being back home from a break. I had gotten used to falling back into my routines at home, it was hard to get adjusted back at school. There were times when I was overwhelmed and stressed and wanted a break from school and just to be home, but I had to push through. That’s the thing about homesickness, you can take a bad situation and make it better.

How can you handle those moments of weakness and homesickness?

  • Have a good cry (yes, we all need a good cry to let ourselves go and feel all our emotions that we keep buried deep within.)
  • Take that time to be alone but not too long, make plans to go out with a friend to grab dinner or go to study.
  • Share how you are feeling. It may be uncomfortable, but who knows you may find someone who feels the same way and doesn’t know who to talk to about it. You can be there to help each other through it.

Homesickness is different for everyone, others don’t have it all, some only have it until their first fall break, but for few like myself, it never goes away. As I close on my second year of college, I still have my moments where I am homesick. I don’t let that dictate my life. I push through the pain, sometimes I cry, sometimes I watch my latest binge show, sometimes a phone call homes helps. But, I carry on, and I keep on living life. As i look back on the past two years, I don’t remember being homesick or sad but rather the joy, the laughter, and the memories that came with friends and family.

Whether you are a first-time college student leaving home for the first time or you are gearing up to start your first job in the new world, we all miss home, it just means you feel so much love from home that it’s hard to be without it.

Until next time,

Elspeth

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Fabulous living

10 Fun Facts about ME!

Welcome! Welcome!

For those who have followed my blogs for months or whether this is your first time stopping by, I’m going to share some fun facts about myself.

– I am sophomore in college. I am majoring in Communication with a minor in Creative Writing. I plan to graduate in 3 and a half years

.

-Following graduation my “dream job” is to work in broadcast journalism. I’ve grown up watching the news from local, to national, and entertainment. I hope to follow in the footsteps of some of my favorite journalists.

Fun friday night working on a project for one of my favorite classes. Could this be the start of a career?

-I am a morning person. I like to get up early and I feel most productive in the early hours. On the other hand, I get very tired by night so I’m not a party animal. This is one of the harder aspects of my job since I work late hours.

6:15 the alarm goes off and it’s time to start the day. Rise and shine

-I am fortunate to live in a place where I get to experience all four seasons. Spring is my favorite season, I love the smell of grass, fresh cut flowers, and it doesn’t hurt that my birthday is in Spring either.

One of my favorite pastimes is watching the sunset

-I love to read. As a young girl I was always happiest with a book. As I have grown older, I love to read autobiographies and memoirs. Some of my favorite books I’ve read are: Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes, Going off Script by Giuliana Rancic, and Sisters First by Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush. As an avid book lover, I prefer the hard or soft cover rather than reading them online.

-I love movies. Romantic comedies are my favorite genre. I always love a good ending but some of my favorite ends are the ones that are most unexpected.

-Besides watching movies, I am also a lover of tv. I’m a die hard TGIT fan-thank you Shonda Rhimes, This is Us has been my latest obsession, and SEAL TEAM is my freshmen favorite series

Thursdays 8:00-11:00 (ABC)

Tuesdays at 9:00 (NBC)

Wednesdays at 9:00 (CBS)

-One of my favorite things to do when I’m home is to shop, whether am looking for something in particular or I’m just window shopping. I love to shop. You can most likely catch me at Marshalls, Home Goods or Francesca’s.

-I am an avid dog lover. I have three dogs at home and I am constantly counting down when I can see them when I’m at school. My youngest dog, who I still think of as a puppy is one of my greatest joys.

My two older dogs. They are brother and sister

I still picture him as a 6 pound pup but he has certainly grown

-Lastly, I couldn’t go through this crazy experience we call life, if it wasn’t for the support of my family. My family and I are very close, we share lots of laughs, and smiles whenever we are together. They truly are my biggest supporters.

FAM BAM

And that’s a wrap! 10 (fun) facts about myself. I hope you learned something new about me or it was a bit of a refresher for you. What’s one fun fact about yourself? Let me know in the comments below!

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Fabulous living

Finding Happiness Every Day

We have all had those days when it’s gloomy outside, our outfit isn’t working, we over commit and we are left with nothing but stress. We let everything pile up around us until we are left completely overwhelmed. I may not be able to change the weather or help free your schedule but I can show you where to find happiness every day. These are five easy ways where I find happiness in every day life. We are all humans and mistakes happen and some days are harder than others, but it’s important to remember to stand up again and keep moving forward. I hope this helps you find some happiness in your lives.

  1.  Play Good Music. Blast your favorite   Pandora station and dance around. Put on some soothing music when you just need a break. When I really need a pickup up, this is my favorite Pandora station. Sometimes we just need to let go and let God take over.

    My favorite station
  2. Talk to a friend. Whether it’s your best friend or your mom (or if that’s the same person), stop the texting and have a phone call or Face Time session. Talk about your latest tv show you both are watching or what’s going on in your lives, or even plan an activity. Whatever you talk about it will take you mind off what you are stressing about. Reminisce and relive your favorite moments.

    Friends always make things better
  3. Read a book. Sometimes we need to step away from everything, even technology. Pick a up book you keep telling yourself you are going to read but haven’t started yet. Get lost in a world besides your own. Flip through your favorite magazine. Do something for you.

    My next read
  4. Go for a Walk. Step away from your stressful day and just spend time thinking and being one with nature. Let your mind wander and then come back to the task with a fresh set of eyes. We all feel happier after spending some time with our own quiet thoughts.

    Beautiful morning walk
  5. Do something you love! Whether it’s eating your favorite snack, grabbing lunch with a girlfriend, or catching up with your favorite show. Take that time and do something you will feel relaxed and happy with.

    Smiling is the easiest way to spread happiness

Well, there you have it. When I am in a rut, I turn my frustrations into joy. To leave you with a quote on the Tuesday. “What’s broken can be mended. What’s hurt can be healed. And no matter how dark it gets, the sun’s gonna rise again.” -Meredith Grey