a rainy kind of mood

fall has finally arrived to us down here, it seems. i was barely able to pop out for some pictures before the rain started coming down hard! i'm so excited to be able to bundle up in cozy sweaters, and i can't seem to take this one off- i even wore it to bed the other night!

outfit // sweater: urban outfitters // top: gap // jeans: target // belt: thrifted //boots: steve madden // necklace: forever 21

and a detail picture of my birdie locket:

i've been having a bit of a hard few weeks, and i feel the rainy weather is a perfect reflection of how i've been feeling lately. it's also a good excuse for me to stay inside with some books and tea. while i have made a few friends here, i've really been struggling with feeling lonely and missing my old familiar surroundings. i never used to consider myself to be shy, but as i've gotten older, i've become much more introverted and reserved, and i feel like i'm having a harder time making friends here than i had anticipated. in my classes, we are constantly being pushed to "live outside our comfort zone," which is exactly what i'm doing, i suppose, but it's hard to train my mind into thinking that this is "good" rather than just "uncomfortable." i've started keeping a journal to keep track of my thinking and reflections throughout the program so far, and i know that i'm still just adjusting to the move and being new here, and that it will pass, and that in the end, all of this will be a learning experience for me.

some positive notes: i only have one week left of my shopping ban! also, today i had to go to petsmart to get some cat food for amelie, and i got to pet a pug puppy, which was by far the highlight of my day! :)