Mr. Sunshine Smiles

I wake up as the alarm on my phone chimes to alert me that it’s time to get out from under the blankets, off the couch, and up to the bathroom for shaving, brushing of the teeth, and make-up applying. Yes, I wear make-up. Get over it.

But wait.

I keep forgetting that even though we live in the 21st century and it is November 4th, 2019, there is still a stigma that lives within our society about people being different.

There is still a stigma within our society that has people saying, “guys don’t wear make-up” or “guys shouldn’t like other guys,” or “it’s really weird that you like to wear skinny jeans,” or “stop looking at the legs on that guy.”

To me, it is mind blowing that these questions (along with countless others) are even in the forefront of people’s minds; however, it is the reality that we live in.

Sadly.

Some days, especially this year, I feel like I’m at an extremely high point in my life at certain moments–at the top of the ladder so to speak–and then..

BOOM.

I get knocked off.

Back to the ground. Only to find myself having to start over with climbing again.

However, the difference is that this time around, I don’t have the energy to climb back up.

Anyone who knows me realizes that I’m a giver…I’m a doer for others…and I give, give, give, and do, do, do…and after the clock strikes midnight on December 31st, that will be done.

At least for a few months.

While there are many positive things happening in life–running miles and raising funds to find a cure for pediatric cancer, people reaching out to me randomly to let me know that they have found some type of positivity or enlightenment through posts of mine, and the conversation that my home church is starting to have in order to become a fully welcoming church regardless of sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, skin color, or economic status–all are things that fill my soul with joy.

And with the give, give, give, and do, do, do lifestyle that I have embraced and full-heartedly taken on for as long as I can remember, there have been moments of emotional drainage that have sucked me dry.

So, my friends, that means it is time for me to finally take a step back in life. It is time for me to take serious time for reflection on what is happening both around me and inside of me. It is time for me to take time for myself.

It is time for me to put the give, give, give and do, do, do lifestyle on hold. For more than a hot minute.

This begins the official countdown until we bid farewell to Mr. Sunshine…at least for a few months of 2020.

We can call it what they do in the TV world–a “hiatus.”

Yes…a hiatus. I like the sound of that. An official 2020 hiatus for Mr. Sunshine.

Don’t worry though…the blogs will still happen weekly and I’ll still have email activated for messages along with my phone for calls or texts.

It’s November 4, 2019 in the 21st century and I wake up confused about the society I’m living in because it knocks me off the ladder because I’m “different.”

Do you ever wake up in the morning thinking about who might ostracize you throughout the day or stare with judgment in their eyes?

Do you ever wake up wondering what jerk face butt hole is going to yell an inappropriate comment to your face?

Have you ever had thoughts of hurting yourself because you felt like you weren’t worthy or different?

Have you ever feared for yourself walking home at night to the comfort of your own home?

Well, these aren’t questions that I ask myself.

They are REALITIES that I live.

Every. Single. Day.

So, stop knocking me off the ladder.

Because I’m losing the energy to climb back up.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

 

Happy Monday, readers!

It’s hard to believe that we are coming to the end of October. Seriously though…can someone please tell me where the time is going? And these next two months of 2019 will only fly by even faster, so buckle your seat belts!

This week, I opted to share one of my favorite past blogs from over a year ago. It was one full of extreme passion and raw feelings, which are still very relevant today and worth sharing for a second time.

So, enjoy the deep thoughts of Mr. Sunshine.

“Just A Vulnerable City Boy: An Open Letter Of Thank Yous From A Gay Man Living In 21st Century Society

Hello, readers! Today, I officially welcome you to week 7 of my blog. Once again, I thank you for both following on this journey and supporting me with your reading eyes, immense love, and undying support. It truly does mean the world to me and words in weekly posts can’t express the true amount of gratitude that I have in my heart.

For those of you who don’t know, National Coming Out Day is this coming Thursday, October 11th. This day is obviously one that holds a very special place in my heart.

This week, my post is a open letter full of vulnerability, emotions, and thank yous that I’ve wanted to write for quite some time. While the thoughts in this letter will be a bit lengthy, I hope that you will continue to read on until the end.

To Whom It May Concern:

My name is JP Welliver and I’m 31 years old. I’m a openly gay single man living in the town of Lancaster where I work full time as an Account Manager at The Webstaurantstore, part time as a Customer Service Auditor for The Loomis Company, and music director of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Penryn, PA. And while I keep myself busy with these careers, I also find time to participate in theater productions at the Ephrata Performing Arts Center, personal train twice a week, run, and also watch The Golden Girls. However, amongst the crazy schedule, the miles run, the weights lifted, and the large amounts of caffeine consumed, there is one thing that is always in the back of my mind constantly even with being in the 21st century. And that is my sexuality. Even in 2018, there are still moments where I feel judged and stared at.

I came out 13 years ago during junior year of high school and while it has been a wild ride in the time since that moment of clarity for me, there are many emotions that I still feel on the daily, which include several thank yous that I’ve held in for so long that I want to share today.

First off, I want to thank my parents. Thank you for having the courage to sit down and talk with me about my sexuality even though it was an uncomfortable territory for you at first. Thank you for the patience, understanding, and compassion that you have showed me every step of the way and continue to do each day. Without your guidance, I would not be the man that I am today. I would be lost in this world of negativity, hate, and pain if it wasn’t for the constant love that you have used from your souls to raise me on the principle of kindness for everyone regardless of religion, social status, ethnicity, political affiliation, or sexuality. I hope I continue to make you proud as I grow through the years ahead on the paths that await.

Secondly, I want to thank my brother. While you might not have been the most loving sibling to me during our time growing up, I truly wouldn’t want to have it any other way. Even though we may still have fighting battles of words and wit every now and then, you are someone that I look up to and truly admire. You are extremely hard working and I have thoroughly enjoyed watching you mature into a loving husband to Mindy. You may have the brain of smarts, but I have the brain of good fashion sense. Ha!

Thirdly, I want to thank all of my Singing Lions from my time at Penn State. I’ve said this before, but if I was not a part of your group…your family, I would have left. Thank you for offering an environment where everyone could be themselves without judgment. I truly value the friendships that I have created with you and those friendships are responsible for getting me through some of the toughest moments of my 4 year college life at University Park.

Next on my list are my coworkers (at both the full time and part time locations) whom I get the pleasure of being around on the daily. Thank you for supporting me even through my moments of mistakes and failures. All of you bring so much to the table and have helped me grow emotionally and professionally. I only hope that we continue to push each other in our future growth paths together in making the lives of those we help day in and day out a bit better.

I want to take a moment to thank all the incredible friends who have supported me throughout my life in different capacities. It doesn’t matter if our paths have crossed for a hot second (literally) in the past, have crossed paths in the present, or will cross paths in the future…each of those moments (or future moments yet to happen) is incredibly special in the evolution of Mr. Sunshine as a human being.

I want to thank Missy, Elyse, and Marissa who had the ability to put up with me for many years during our living arrangements…and what fun we had together! And while we might not see each other as often as I would like (mostly because I’m so busy), I’m incredibly glad and grateful our paths crossed in this lifetime and that we stay in contact. I also love that we can look back on all the memories we created and laugh hysterically until it hurts. I love that we can use other to vent, offer advice, guidance, or talk about boys. You are definitely three special ladies to me personally even if I don’t always acknowledge it.

I want to thank Abby. She is always so kind and generous to me even in moments when I’m drained and exhausted. I love that we have been able to grow closer over the past couple of years and I know our friendship will grow more and more with each passing year. Thank you for always offering me advice and kind words at the times when I need to hear them most. Truly a beautiful soul.

I want to thank the Ephrata Performing Arts Center and all those I’ve met and had the pleasure of working with over the years. It is so special to me that I have access to a theater so close to home where the feeling of those around you is family. It is a safe place where I can be myself and find joy in the smiles I see on the faces of audience members when under the lights to perform. So many wonderful memories and moments have been created in that space and I know there are more to come. I can’t wait.

I want to thank Hank Angus and those from the Hope Express family that believed in me and helped me to “dig deeper” and uncover the definition of “being worthy” and keeping my passion with finding a cure for pediatric cancer alive. The kindness and generosity of everyone involved with this organization is immeasurable and I only pray that I can continue to strive and make a difference each day with sharing love and hope with everyone around me and igniting a fire within them to make positive change.

I want to think the late Pat Kautter who was a true pioneer in the theater world. I was thankful to work with her on a few different shows in multiple capacities at the Ephrata Performing Arts Center. She was always the “theater mom” who encouraged me not to give up, be true to my identity, and give each moment 110%…even if it meant smiling as I tried to fake tap dance!

A special thank you to my Grandma Neidermyer who left us back in 2006. More than a decade later, it still feels like yesterday when I was huddled around the bed witnessing your last breaths on this earth with all of the family crying tears of pain. I wasn’t ready for you to leave. Your gentle smile is one that is imprinted in my mind and your presence is one I feel from above, especially in moments when I’m struggling. Each day, I wake up and look at the very last picture we got together at the 2005 high school holiday concert that sits on my dresser. It was such a surprise to see you after the show and the smiles on both of our faces in this image are true joy. A moment I will never forget as long as I live.

I want to thank my personal trainer, Zach Musser. He has helped me stay motivated to better my body and mind physically and mentally. I’ve been seeing him for almost 2 years and I can’t begin to thank him enough for the lifestyle changes that he has helped me create for myself. Even if I give him attitude and sass during our early morning workouts, he never fails to push me harder with his undying encouragement and motivation, especially on those days whens I just want to quit.

I personally want to thank all the jocks and straight boys who got a kick out of making fun of me during the years of my childhood. Because of you, I learned to grow thick skin and realize that I shouldn’t give TWO HOOTS about what others think about me or my sexuality. And even though there are moments (mind you in today’s society…the 21ST CENTURY), that I still get stared at or name called, I often find it a bit more tolerable for me to move on and ignore it because of the harsh words that you threw at me growing up.

I want to thank all the guys in my life that have decided that it is better to not tell me the truth up front. Damn it. Just be honest. Don’t tell me that “you are not gay” to only have me find out that you actually are and have a boyfriend. Also, don’t just stop responding if I reach out to you. Like, damn it. Just say “I’m not interested” and be HONEST. Ugh. These are the moments that happen in my life where I find it so hard to trust guys, which continues (and probably always will be) a struggle for me. And while dating is not a priority for me at the present time, these moments are what make it so hard for me to get over the tarnished view of gay men that has been painted in my mind.

I want to thank the guy in CA (I will not mention a name) who reached out to me earlier this year to ask for money. Thank you for pulling at my heart strings with your master craft of a story to get me on board. And before I go any further–I’ve never met this guy in person, but we have a lot of mutual friends on social media and had also been exchanging messages on and off through Facebook Messenger as well. And while you might find it crazy and absurd that I did in fact loan this guy money (and I will not specify the amount), I am a firm believer in helping others because I was brought up on the principle of showing kindness to everyone. I still hold hope in my heart that this person did good with the money, but at the moment, it is really hard for me not to believe that they took advantage of the huge heart that I wear on my sleeve.

I want to thank my bestie, DMH. I know that I’ve said it many times before, but I’m so thankful that you were brought into my life a mere 4 years ago through what is one of the worst phone apps to this day. Our friendship has only gotten stronger since that time. You are one individual that I trust completely, which is hard for me to do these days because of the past I have experienced. Thank you for being a constant in my life amongst a world of change. Thank you for adding extra letters in your texts, never getting mad if I’m having reactive moments of emotion over aspects of my life, allowing me to word vomit in car travels to scary movies, not judging me for wanting to sing Josh Groban’s “Evermore” at the top of my lungs, knowing that sometimes all I need is a night of rummy playing to recharge, and for always being able to bring a smile to my face no matter what the situation. These are priceless things that I cherish greatly (more than you can ever imagine). For these many moments, I will never be able to repay you. I can only hope (well I don’t hope because I know for a fact) that our friendship will only continue to grow stronger as we grow older. . I’m very, very, VERY lucky to know you and have you by my side as a bestie. In today’s society, I think it is extremely important and necessary, especially in the gay community, to have a best friend that involves a platonic relationship. I think it is vital for both personal well being and emotional growth. We share something special and I hope that everyone in the world is jealous of it…because you know what…they should be–what we share as besties is not something many people have in this world. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the memories thus far and for the memories that I know are yet to come. I hope you realize how much of a special individual you are to me and how vital of a role you play in Mr. Sunshine’s daily grind.

Finally, I want to thank everyone in life that has been able to look past the walls of judgment our society has built up to realize that I, along with my fellow LGBT brothers and sisters, are human beings full of love to give. We are no different than you. Just because we love someone of the same sex doesn’t mean that we should be called inappropriate names, stared at constantly, or judged because we want to be happy. Quite frankly, I’ve been called the word ‘faggot’ enough in my life.

As we come closer to National Coming Out Day, I want anyone in the world who is struggling with their sexuality to know that it will be OK. I know that it can be scary territory to navigate, but I assure you that you are NEVER ALONE. There will always be people around to wrap warmth and support around you in the moments of extreme darkness when you want to give up.

Open your minds. Open your hearts. Embrace the true colors of those around you. Our world needs to focus on bringing about change through facets of love and kindness. Be the light. Be the change.”

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Well, folks…I welcome you to yet another Monday blog post from the one and only!

Hopefully, you’ve been enjoying the cool, brisk Fall weather that has allowed us to break out the sweatshirts and comfy sweaters that keep us warm as we think about pumpkin picking and hot coffee drinking.

This week’s blog post will be short and sweet, so I shall get right down to it.

Exactly 4 months ago, on June 21st, I celebrated a milestone in my 1K For 10K journey. I hit the halfway point with 500 miles clocked! To be even more specific, I share with you the following statistics that held true at the halfway point those mere 4 months ago…

-156 total runs had been completed
-500 miles have been clocked 
-114 individuals had donated toward the cause
-$7825 had been raised for pediatric cancer research

Now, as I sit here 4 months later writing this post, I have even more incredible statistics to share with you as I prepare to embark on the last two month’s of my year-long journey.

-270 total runs have been completed 
-800 miles have been clocked 
-191 individuals have donated toward the cause
-$12,690 has been raised for pediatric cancer 

It’s truly amazing what has been accomplished throughout the course of this year, let alone the past 4 months.

The thankfulness and gratefulness that I have in my heart for the support system around me is immeasurable and impossible to convey in words.

But will still have miles to clock and money to raise as we push forward in these last two months.

FULL STEAM AHEAD.

We have another 200 miles to clock and 3,310 to raise!

Can we do it?

We. SURE. Can.

Let’s go, folks. The cure for cancer is within reach and we have the ability to work together to find it.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

 

Happy Monday and start of a new week, folks!

It’s hard to believe that we are already getting to the halfway point of October! That means that there is something like only 10 Fridays until Christmas?? I think I saw something about that on social media and almost had a panic attack. I’m not even close to being ready for Christmas…and that is saying a lot since I’m usually ahead of the game with my planning…but not this year.

Anyhoo, I digress. On to the serious topic at hand with this week’s post.

This past Friday, we celebrated National Coming Out Day.

While there seems to be more positive discussion of this as a hot topic in today’s society, it is also one that seems to bring about a lot of negative feelings of hostility that make it hard for us to move forward to a day without seclusion, bullying, and hate crimes.

This week, my blog post is an open letter to those out there who are struggling with their sexuality and identity. The ones who feel lost in what seems to be a cruel, cold world.

I’m here to tell you it will be OK. I promise.

“Dear Friend,

I see you, I’m here for you, and I love you.

I know there are days when the world around you feels cold, cruel, and dark. But it will get better. I promise. There are days of light and sunshine ahead. I know it.

I know there are days when you might not feel like getting out of bed at all, but trust me, there is always something out there worth living for, so never give up trying to find what that certain something is…because it exists for all of us. And that is the truth.

I know that you are struggling and that’s OK. Coming out of the closet to express your true colors is not easy…I will not sugar coat it for you. Be prepared to fight battles with friends, family, and the world. Be prepared to stand tall amongst the passion of true love and kindness that exist inside your heart. Be prepared to lose those who you might thought were once your friends and close to you.

Never back down and never give up.

Will there be moments when you are scared to walk in public?

Yes.

Will there be moments when others will stare at you, bully you, and ostracize you?

Yes.

Will there be moments where you will tremble with fear to share your true, inner voice?

Yes.

Don’t let those moments win and overcome you. Don’t let them waiver the true colors that you were created to express and share with the world.

They are beautiful and they are you.

It won’t be an easy journey. There are people that will cross your paths who will think that homosexuality is wrong and will try to do everything in their power to make you believe it is wrong.

Listen with patience and an open heart and show them you are human. Show them the true colors that God created in you for expression. Help them to understand. Help them join in the foundation of love you support.

Find your support system. Trust them. Hug them. Love them. They will be the ones who show you the light when the world seems like it is closing in with darkness. They are the ones that will wrap you in warmth of love and support.

Above all, never let the flame of true colors in your heart fade away to nothing. Keep it alive.

I see you.

I’m here for you.

I love you.

Sincerely,
Mr. Sunshine”

I came out 14 years ago during my Junior year of high school. While incredibly emotional, rocky, and dark at various times, it has been the best decision of my 32 years of living on this Earth that I look back at with no regrets.

As a single gay man in society who works three jobs to support himself, I will admit that there are days tougher than others. There are days where I have awful, reactive roller coaster emotions because I feel that society tells me I need a partner beside me in life to be happy.

Well, I don’t. I work three jobs, volunteer when and where I can, find joy in the simple things, and try to always come up with new methods of how to make those around me happier through facets of love and kindness.

And if that means that I continue living life in the single lane with close friends and family I love beside me, so be it.

If that means I keep myself busy and neglect the weeds in my front yard, the cleaning of my house and car, and the organizational projects around the house, so be it.

I’m not perfect, but my true colors are. And I embrace them 100%.

I want anyone out there who is struggling with their sexuality to know that it will be ok.

I’m here to listen to you, to support you, to hug you, and to love you.

I pray that one day we will be able to live without that feeling of fear that invades the back of our minds on the daily.

I pray that one day all people will be able to understand that we are humans too who are ready to love with open hearts, minds, and hands.

Dear friend,

I see you, I’m here for you, and I love you.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Well, folks! It has been almost a week since returning from Jackson Hole, Wyoming! And what an adventure it was. Actually, the word adventure is an understatement, so read on if you want to learn about this “adventure” that was one-of-a-kind.

It all started with a beautiful Friday September morning as we traveled to Harrisburg International Airport. Ashlea, Bailey, and I were all prepared with our suitcases and carry-ons to hit up the skies. We were READY to take on Wyoming. We arrived about two hours prior to our scheduled take off with United Airlines to the sight of only one worker checking in passengers. We didn’t really think anything of it since there were only four people in front of us, so what would adding three more humans to the line actually do?

Well…if you only knew…

Well, you will know in just a few moments because that’s the whole point of this blog!

But like…DUHHHHH!

So, grab your hot cocoa or coffee and read on!

Where was I? Oh yes, the one woman working the United Airlines check-in line with only 7 people in it…including us three.

So, essentially what we thought would be a 30 minute wait turned into what was more than an hour ordeal. Our scheduled flight was to get into Chicago where we would then fly into Jackson Hole. Well, Chicago was experiencing very bad storms, so flights left and right kept getting delayed and cancelled. But ours was still on.

The people in front of us–Phil, Linda, and Gene–were literally the sweetest people ever and making us laugh with their humor. They were in their 80’s and seriously making the wait in line 10 million times more enjoyable. Gene was a Korean War Veteran and was being changed over to a completely different airline in order to get home and I had the pleasure of getting to carry his suitcase for him. It was second nature for me–I didn’t even think anything of it and everyone waiting in line (including the airport worker) seemed to be shocked. We ran into Gene in a bit later after checking in. We talked a bit about his plans to get home and he looked up at me and said, “Thank you for what you did” and began to cry. I, too began to cry. It was a moment that was meant to happen amongst the stress of our continuous delays.

When we finally had the opportunity to check in with the lady at the United Airlines desk she told us we could chance it to get to Chicago or try to reschedule for another flight. Ashlea, Bailey, and I are not the best at making decisions; however, we ultimately decided to try and chance it! We WERE determined to get to Chicago despite what Mother Nature was throwing into the skies.

Our United Airlines lady (who we now call Paloma) was the most adorable and kept saying “I believe you are going to make it to Chicago! You’re going to make it!”

After getting through security, we all tried to find bathrooms, which happened to be out of order…so like…BYE. We had to walk around to find functioning restrooms!

After finally finding them and relieving ourselves, we decided to grab some food, so we found a restaurant in one of the terminals. We walked in to sit down and were told, “Sorry, we aren’t able to take anymore orders for the kitchen.”

WELL WHAT THE HECK?! We were hungry and just wanted to fill our stomachs.

Ultimately, we decided to hit up the Subway for some grub. We ran into our friends, Linda and Phil again from the United Airlines line earlier, which was a great joy. They just knew how to make us smile–something they didn’t truly know how much we appreciated!

At this point, after getting some grub, our flight had been delayed until 4:40pm, but it was still scheduled to take off for Chicago. We filled the time waiting in the terminal by people watching (which is always incredibly fun) and witnessing Ashlea doing magic tricks with cards, which were making my jaw drop…as Bailey recorded via Snapchat.

Right before 5pm, we were informed that our plane to Chicago would be boarding! How exciting! Mother Nature wasn’t going to win! We started to line up to board and just about 1 minute after being told we were boarding, we saw the pilot hang up the phone at the desk and were informed, “Just kidding. We are no longer boarding. Flight has been cancelled.”

WHAT?! We got a text update telling us that we automatically got rescheduled to a flight leaving on Saturday at 1:20 from Harrisburg, which wouldn’t work–our wedding in Jackson Hole was at 3pm. We would miss it.

Bailey and Ashlea began frantically searching other options, specifically Philly since Harrisburg just doesn’t have the size for options. We found a 6:30am flight from Philly to Denver and Denver to Jackson Hole. Arrival time was around 12:40pm, which meant that we would still arrive in time for us to make the wedding. It was perfect. Ashlea got on the phone with United and after about a 45 minute wait, she was finally connected to a representative. We told them our predicament and that we wanted to be switched to the flight from Philly for no additional cost.

The woman on the phone literally talked in a different language to her coworker on multiple occasions (with not using the hold button) and kept saying “one moment ma’am.” Finally, after about 10-15 minutes, we were set. A 6:30 take-off time from Philly was actually going to happen! We are coming for you Wyoming!

We bought tickets for the train out of Lancaster at 9pm and had made arrangements to stay with Ashlea’s friend, Lauren in Philly–who happened to live just about 10 minutes away from the airport. PERFECT.

What happened once we got into Philly? Well, we got in the wrong Uber to take us to Lauren’s house and Ashlea also entered the address to her location completely wrong. When the driver dropped us off, Ashlea said, “This is definitely not it.” The quote of the night when asked about the address she entered because the Uber driver mentioned maybe entering it wrong was…”No, that’s correct!” After a quick call to Lauren, we discovered we were 15 blocks away. Bailey and I won’t let Ashlea live that down…ever…for as long as we live.

Our morning alarm got us up SUPER EARLY and after a drive to the airport with an Uber driver that literally didn’t keep quiet the entire drive about Denver airport conspiracy theories, we finally were getting closer to actually getting on a plane.

But then…

…the TSA security line.

Wrapped around several corners…humans…everywhere. Literally everywhere.

We were never going to get through it. Just witnessing peoples’ faces as they saw the humans in line started to become comical.

Literally, the airport has workers saying “You’ll make your flight. Don’t worry.”

My face was probably becoming so panicky at this point…hence…why I NEVER fly.

Regardless, the line did move fast and we got through security with no issues. YAY! We were almost on our way!

Anyone who has gotten the chance to know me understands that flying is a huge fear of mine. I don’t like take off…I don’t like landing…and I don’t like all the in between. It’s hard for me to relax. Regardless, the flight to Denver wasn’t terrible, but we did experience some turbulence that had me gripping the seat quite hard. My face was probably as white as a ghost.

After arriving in Denver, we were informed that our flight to Jackson Hole was delayed by 35 minutes–really?! Couldn’t our luck upswing just a little?!

Even with the 35 minute delay, we determined that we would still arrive in Jackson Hole in enough time, so there was no need for panic.

The only piece of information that you need to know about the flight from Denver to Jackson Hole is that the pilot literally said to us, “We will be landing abruptly and suddenly, so please tighten those seatbelts.”

Literally…the quote that Mr. Sunshine does not want to hear when dealing with flying, especially when I’m not a fan of it.

True story: I held Bailey’s hand as we landed. I was terrified.

After landing and getting off the plane, we were greeted a brisk, chilly sleet-like rain at the airport. Jackson Hole does not have terminals, so you are exposed to the elements of weather.

BLAHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

We picked up our rental car and started our way to our cabin where we were staying. At this point, making the wedding just didn’t seem possible because of the delays we had experienced, the need to shower and also clothe ourselves properly since we had been traveling in comfy clothes.

Long story short–we ended up not making the wedding, but we did get to the reception where we got to enjoy wonderful food, company, and dancing. It was a great night.

Needless to say, we slept pretty well on Saturday night considering we had been up for quite some time and had about 4 hours of sleep.

Sunday morning–YELLOWSTONE!

We started our trek to the National Park we were so excited to visit and as we drove along, we witnessed some of the BEST and MOST BEAUTIFUL scenery. Truly breathtaking. Something that can’t be described–it needs to be witnessed in person. The pictures just don’t do it justice.

The directions Siri was giving to us just didn’t seem right, but we went with it. We passed a sign for Idaho–but again, we didn’t really think anything of it.

After about an hour or so of driving, Siri told us, “You’ve arrived at your destination. You will need to park your car and walk to your destination.”

But like, what?? Our destination? We were literally in a neighborhood out in the country. In the middle of nowhere.

But we did know one thing…

…It was not Yellowstone.

We literally started laughing because there was nothing else to do. It was too comical.

We were determined to get to Yellowstone, so as we started the 2 hour trek back (since we were a little out of our way), we told ourselves that we would at least take a picture with the huge SPUD we passed as we entered Idaho.

Priceless.

Yellowstone was gorgeous even despite the fact that the Park Ranger who greeted us exclaimed, “Welcome to Yellowstone! All the roads are closed! That’ll be $35!”

I’m sorry…all the roads are closed? What does that even mean? How will we get to see the sights? Are we going to be able to get out of here? Will we get trapped in the flurry of snow that was starting?

These were all the questions going through our heads.

Yellowstone was beautiful. We didn’t see many animals, but what we did get to see was absolutely amazing. Old Faithful was awesome. The geysers were beautiful. Everything…just amazing.

We didn’t even get to experience that much of Yellowstone–you literally need like a whole week to see everything! We only saw a small piece of what is actually is. But what we did get to see was totally worth it.

We spent a majority of our Monday experiencing the downtown area of Jackson Hole–such a cute town. So many beautiful shops, delicious restaurants, and such nice humans. It literally looks like a town out of a Western movie.

Monday night we got to play cards outside of our cabin (which was super cute by the way) and had the opportunity to look up at the clear sky and stars. It was like a painting. So clear. So beautiful. We could say that it was picture perfect.

Wyoming and Jackson Hole did not disappoint. It was glorious and a very nice respite from the city life. But I couldn’t live there. 4 days of nature is just enough for me before I feel the need to get back to the hustle and bustle of what is known as the chaos of Mr. Sunshine’s life.

There is so much more that occurred during this trip that I can’t possibly begin to blog about because every detail would just bore you to tears…and writing it isn’t as good as talking about it in person.

So if you want to know more, you know how to find me.

The moral of this blog?

Wyoming has beautiful scenery, beautiful people, delicious food…

…and I still DO NOT like flying.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

 

Why, hello friends!

It is officially the first day of Fall! How crazy is that?! It doesn’t even feel like it because it is supposed to be like a million degrees…thanks Mother Nature!

So, I know you are all DYING to know what the title of this blog was in reference to.

Well, DRUM ROLL please.

This week’s blog post is in reference to…

…

…

MY PHOBIAS!

Why the title? Well, we will get to that later. I PROMISE. Trust me.

So, Mr. Sunshine’s phobias? Are you ready?!

PHOBIA #1: CLOWNS

-Ever since elementary school, I have been TERRIFIED of clowns. I will never forget the one moment that I was walking down the hallway of my elementary school (John Bonfield) and a clown literally popped out and scared me as I was walking back to my classroom. It was school carnival season. It is such a vivid image that will never leave my mind. Seriously though…I would’ve had a huge puddle of you know what on the floor. It was TERRIFYING. And, as I write this, I’m watching It and it is making me quiver in my BOOTS. Like, why am I doing this to myself?!

WHYYYYYYYY??

PHOBIA #2: ALLIGATORS

-I don’t even know where to begin with this one. Alligators have always been something that I’ve been terrified of. Like, I can’t even watch Jumanji becuase the alligators creep me out. I’m not even kidding…I’ve literally had dreams of alligators biting me and it makes me creeped out. And by creeped out…I mean like wake up in the middle of the night sweating and screaming because I think they are below me trying to get into my bed to bite me. Judge me if you want…I don’t care. I’m a wimp. BYEEEEEEEEEEEE.

PHOBIA #3: FLYING.

-Like I don’t even know. Flying is something that has literally made me terrified since coming out of my mother’s womb…let’s be honest. I haven’t flown much; however, I can tell you without a doubt that it is something that makes me incredibly SCARED. Hence, the title of this blog post. “Excuse me, can I please grab your hand?!” I titled it this because if you are sitting beside me on a plane this is the exact quote that I will be saying to you. EXACT WORDS.

This week, I will be getting on a plane to travel to Wyoming for the wedding of a dear friend and I would be lying to you if I said that I wasn’t a little bit nervous.

Ok…who are we kidding…I’m like shaking. I’m going to need a Xanax or two…or seven and like two bottles of wine to get through this. But wait…medicine and alcohol don’t mix well together… I better have a plan B…or C…or Z.

Well, there you have it.

The phobias of Mr. Sunshine. Feel free to judge me if you will…or laugh….I feel like this is the part of the blog where you enter a witty comment or something…like “we have nothing left to fear except fear itself.”

What are your fears? We all have them. And talking about them is nothing to be ashamed of.

Talking about them and acknowledging they exist in our lives is actually called being human.

Until next week…or until I grab your hand.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

 

 

 

Happy Monday, everyone!

I hope all of you had a fantastic week and are continuing to enjoy the last days of Summer…because as you all know…Summer is still in season for about another week!

And yes…you would be correct in the fact that I have not enjoyed a PSL yet. I’m waiting until the actual Fall season to do so. Go ahead…judge me if you will.

This week’s post will be short and sweet. The main purpose is to give thanks to all of the amazing people in my life who helped make my 1K For 10K Picnic that occurred yesterday a big success.

I started envisioning this 1K For 10K project more than a year ago and the fact that it has come to such an incredible fruition in the past 9 months is absolutely mind boggling to me.

I never would’ve guessed in a million years that I would be writing a blog post on the 16th of September re-iterating the fact that I met the original goal of 10,000 in month 7 and working toward a brand NEW goal of adding an additional $6,000 to that amount.

The amount of support and love I have been shown and given on this journey is indescribable. It is not even something that I can truly convey in words because it just means the world to me. My heart has been filled to the brim and overflowing with gratitude on many occasions this year and it is the best feeling in the world.

While August was a tough month with fundraising and one that brought my momentum to a little slower pace, it was one that did not falter my determination. If anything, it increased my motivation to be more creative in these final four months of fundraising.

The 1K For 10K picnic was an idea brought to me by my very good friend, Marissa. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon that we enjoyed some light food and drinks on the porch of Griddle and Grind while we discussed ideas, venues, and other details about putting this picnic together. I will admit that we had our fair share of stress trying to come up with a final plan and that it was a little rough getting started; however, once we got into our groove, we were on fire. I can’t begin to thank her enough for bringing up the idea and forcing me to sit down, talk about it, and figure out a plan. I’m so incredibly lucky to have her in my life.

There are so many people to thank that were instrumental in making the day a success–so much love, passion, and energy was put into so many details of the day.

To Chef Larry and Chef Greg for donating all the main food for the afternoon–the slider sandwiches, the potato salad, and the fruit salad. Without you guys, our guests would’ve starved. Thank you, thank you, thank YOU times a million.

To my friend Elyse for baking SO MANY delicious Rice Krispie treats and brownies and for helping set-up prior to guests arriving. Your bakery culinary skills are superb and I’m so thankful that you were willing to share them!

To my friend Missy for donating some tasty sugar cookies (literally my favorite) and also helping to set-up prior to guests arriving, especially sweeping the tables. You are just the best…hands down.

To my friend Steph for using her beautiful artistry and calligraphy skills to make signs for our use at no cost. They added such a special touch and were absolutely beautiful!

To everyone who donated raffle prizes for the event–Keith, Jenn, Leidra, Sue, Sharon, Marissa, Holly, Dosie Dough, Triple AAA, Weis, Giant, Mindy, Will, Divine Consign, and also Adrienne who helped secure SO many donations for the entire day. With these raffle prizes, we were able to raise even more money for the kids!

To Jenn for sharing her love of OULA and bringing out the dancing energy in some of us as we powered through some exciting moves and music!

To my incredible, loving, and supportive parents. I can’t even begin to thank you for all that you did behind the scenes in making this event happen. For all of the purchases you made of food, supplies, and also just being there to support and love me through it all. You have taught me so much in how to fight for what I believe in and I love being able to share that passion and mantra with those around me in life.

Finally, I must thank everyone who came out to the event and enjoyed an afternoon of just being together, having fun, and raising funds for the kids. I’m forever grateful and thankful that I have the best line-up of family and friends to count on with love, support, and friendship. Words in a blog post can never really convey the feeling of gratitude that I have for each of you in my heart. Thank you for believing in this cause and for joining me in the fight to find a cure.

A beautiful afternoon of being surrounded by the people I love. I couldn’t ask for anything more. And together, we were able to raise another $535.00 for the kids in the fight against pediatric cancer! That now puts my official total at $11,000, which is insane! We have just another $5,000 to raise before our second goal is hit!

If you are still interested in donating and were not able to attend yesterday’s event, please check out 1Kfor10K.com to make a donation and keep your eyes peeled for other events coming up in the next couple of months.

Until the next time our paths cross, remember to share kindness and love to all.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

 

Happy Monday all!

It is hard to believe that the last blog post I wrote was when I was the prime age of 31!

And now, he we are…in a new month of the year and I’m now one year older. Where is the time going? I feel like it was just yesterday when we were watching the ball drop to welcome in the new year.

Well, let’s get right down to it. I’m currently on the couch feeling feisty as I watch reruns of I Love Lucy on Hulu.

Quick side note–I just returned from North Wildwood, New Jersey where I got to enjoy a week away from the “reality” of my life with spending some quality time with both family, friends, the water, and sand. I got a bit burnt, which I’m paying for now as I peel and itch…but it was worth it.

It’s amazing what a week away can do for you and your soul. It brings about such a rejuvenating energy that can only be experienced and not described.

While at the beach, I read the book, The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*** and what a great book it was. Definitely one of my favorites that I would recommend for anyone. I don’t want to give any spoilers away, so hit up your local bookstore and get your very own copy. You won’t regret it!

Anyhoo…I digress. My apologies.

So, one of the things that really ruffled my feathers was how everyone and their mother was making posts on social media about saying goodbye to Summer.

Listen folks. Summer is still happening! It isn’t over! In fact, it will officially be Summer until the first day of Fall reigns upon us on Monday, September 23rd!

Society seems to tell us that once Labor Day comes and goes, that it means the end of Summer.

But I’ll let you in on a little secret. SOCIETY IS WRONG.

In fact, the only thing that I will be saying GOODYBE to in my life will be that of both “stuff” and “clutter.” I’ve been in my Lancaster home for almost three years now and it is finally time for me to take charge and minimalize my life.

Room by room…inch by inch. No more clutter. And don’t you worry…I’ll make sure to take before and after pictures. But it will all begin with a plan. An intentional plan to make it happen and hold myself accountable.

From every last book on the shelf, to the craft supply closet, clothing closet…literally EVERYTHING will be gone through.

Leave no piece of “stuff” untouched!

Tomorrow starts Phase 3 of my house remodeling projects. I will have some new flooring in the living room, some additional shelves in the kitchen, towel rack in the bathroom, and some new fresh paint and crown molding in a few of the upstairs rooms. Once all of this is complete, it will be time to put the house remodeling projects on the back burner until next year and spend my focus on cleaning up the clutter.

So, while everyone continues to focus their energy on saying goodbye to Summer with the picture-perfect photo of them standing in waves, or showing off their tan body, I’ll be here…in my casa…saying GOODBYE to the clutter.

So, here’s to the warm, summer days that will continue to shed their sunshine down on our lives, bracing for the first PSL of the season, and organizing my life in a way that will ultimately reduce anxiety and stress.

See you on the flip side…

…the organized, de-cluttered flip side.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Well, hello folks!

It’s hard to believe that we are entering our last full week of August! Can someone tell me where the time has gone?!

Seriously though…I feel like it was just yesterday when we were celebrating Independence Day with fireworks!

And it feels like just yesterday when I started this blog, when in actuality, it has been a whole year that I’ve been writing these points. Should I continue writing? I hope the answer is yes!

Anyhoo…we are going to get right to this week’s post! No fooling around!

31 is with me for only one more day, which is crazy to think…ahhhhh!

This week, I want to share some of my personal goals for this upcoming 32nd year of birth as I continue to live out my cup of sunshine with daily life.

Also…short disclaimer…literally wrote this post this morning an hour before it posted…so 5:30am.

Believe. It.

Goal #1:

-I want to finish out my 1K For 10K journey strong by hitting my 1000 mile goal and my second fundraising goal of $16,000.

Anyone who has been following my running journey from this year knows that I hit my fundraising goal right at the end of July, which was a mind-blowing moment for me. But, I can’t stop there! 16,000 kids are diagnosed with cancer each year, so by the end of the year, I’m looking to raise another $6000…$1.00 for every child diagnosed by the time it is all said and done. You can donate at 1KFOR10K.COM.

Goal #2:

-I want to give myself one night during the week to sit in either my bedroom or living room to read. I want to read at least 3 books by December 31st.

It is no surprise that I’m always moving and on the go, so this is a big one for me that I will need to work hard on to keep myself accountable. I’ve already said “no” to a few entities that will free me up more than usual with the upcoming months, so slow and steady! Any good book titles? Send them my way! Please and thank you!

Goal #3:

-I want to make sure that I stop letting social media allow me to have reactive emotions.

This one is always a work in progress and I have definitely gotten better. Once again, slow and steady wins the race! Not going to lie, but de-activating Facebook might be something on my plate for the future in 2020.

Goal #4:

-I want to increase my body weight to 175lbs and embrace my body as I continue my fitness journey.

I have loved working on my body and my fitness journey since I started with my AMAZING personal trainer, Zach Musser two years ago! My ideal weight is something I want to try and reach in the next year since it has been a challenge to do so with all my running. Becoming comfortable with my body is not something that comes naturally for me and being able to incorporate fitness into my life consisntely has helped boost my confidence greatly. And I’ll be the first to tell you that I’m very self concsious about myself.

Goal #5:

-I want to minimalize my belongings and allow myself to feel even more joy with the simple things.

Clutter. Clutter. Clutter. There is a time and place for it because we are human; however, my 32nd year on this Earth is going to involve DE-clutter. If it doesn’t bring me joy, then to the trash can it will go.

Simple things. It’s what I love.

Goal #6:

-Bring back my Daily Dose of JP videos.

This is something that faded out when I moved to Lancaster because I was focused on starting this blog; however, since I have a full of year blogging under my belt, it is time to bring back the energy and excitement of these videos. You’re welcome.

Well, folks. There you have it. That’s all she wrote.

Well…it’s all I wrote. For now. In this very moment.

I have to go turn 32 now.

See you on the flip side.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Well, hello folks! Yet another Monday has decided to show its face as the dog days of August continue to bring us extreme humidity, heat, and reason to drink gallons of water.

Hopefully all of you have been staying hydrated while also getting that natural glow from the Vitamin D cascading down from the rays in the sky.

Let’s get right to it, shall we?

Friday afternoon started off like most Friday afternoons. I was busy with my full time job commitments right up until quitting time at 5pm.

And then I got in my car to make my way home to prepare for my evening activities.

I clciked on my seat belt, put on some Kelly Clarkson to jam out to, and blasted the AC at a level that would chill anyone to the bone in a matter of seconds.

My trek home is usually only about 15 minutes; however, with traffic and all the humans on the road, it can definitely prove to be an interesting and much longer excursion.

I was on Fruitville Pike stopped at the light right by the Belmont shopping center. I was jamming out to Kelly’s “Broken and Beatiful” not having a care in the world for anyone who might have been staring through the windows.

The light turned green and I proceeded to move as all the cars in front of me did…and there were a lot of cars…in both lanes…not moving super quick.

And all of sudden in the rear view mirror I see a guy in a pick-up truck tailgating me. I remained calm and didn’t really change my speed because there was no way to go any faster with all the cars in front of me…or shift over to the right lane.

I continued singing Kelly and could tell when I looked in the rear view again that the guy driving was very inpatient. He was mumbling what were probably choice words and moving his hands as if signaling me to drive faster, which was not possible.

Well, this pick-up truck was apparently on a mission because he switched lanes to try and get around me only to get behind other cars that were traveling at the appropriate level of speed for the area…so he got no further with his course of action.

Well, he continued his inpatient trek and decided to zig zag back and forth between lanes another 3 times where I witnessed him come close to crashing into other cars each time the shift of lanes occurred.

It was ridiculous and really got me to thinking about life.

What did the crazy pick-up driver help remind me of?

Two things.

1. To slow down. In our society, it seems like we are always on the go. While I’m quite guilty of being the person to fill my schedule with as much as possible, I’ve learned (and been reminded) to slow down, smell the roses, and give myself some time to just be me. Not the Mr. Sunshine me, but the JP me. The JP me that likes to lay on the couch to watch a classic TV show, the JP me the wants to eat ice cream straight from the carton without judgment from others, the JP me that likes to cuddle up in a blanket when the world is cold, the JP me that–when stripped down–has real emotions inside that aren’t always necessarily happiness and joy.

So…slow down. Take a moment. Take a breath. Be one with yourself.

And number two…

2. That no matter how much you want to help others, there are just some people who don’t want to follow the rules, don’t want your help, and think that there is nothing wrong with how they are doing life…and that is where you need to just let it go. This is one thing that is extremely hard for me to come to terms with, especially with the Mr. Sunshine personality because it’s in my blood to help others and want to do it on the daily. But there are times and situations where it takes a toll and a time and place to finally realize that it just needs let go. In my head, I think about the end of Titanic when “Old Rose” walks out on the boat, climbs her feet on the side rails, takes a deep breath, and throws the blue heart diamond into the deep depths of the ocean.

She learned to let go. And it’s time for me and you to do the same when the situation calls for it.

So, thank you crazy pick-up truck driver for helping to remind me to zone in with myself and remind me that I need to slow down in life and let go when the time is necessary.

The age of 31 will only be with me for one more week…

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!