“In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take, the relationships we were afraid to have, and the decisions we waited too long to make.”

I had a friend write me a handwritten letter for the holiday season and send it across 4500 miles into my surprised hands. She wrote that I was her inspiration; I gave her the courage to change her life so drastically. She thanked me for everything I’ve done to help her over the past years of our friendship. I can’t ever explain what that means to me, but I guess I could try.

I live my life only by the idea that I want to be able to walk up to those pearly gates, or wherever it is I end up, with no regrets as to things I could have done, did or never accomplished. I’ll try absolutely anything once, if I don’t like it I move on and never do it again. If I do, then I have found something new and exciting. To hear that because of the lifestyle I have chosen I can influence people around me into doing the same things, or having the courage to live life as it comes- this is truly incredible. Just the possibility that while I watch myself try to find the career that helps me influence and better the lives of others that I’m already doing just that. Even without trying I’m influencing people around me in great ways. Now what does that mean that I could do when I actually do try?


Now every year I write my ‘what did I learn’ post. This year has been by far one of the most influential, life changing, utterly devastating, and demanding years I’ve ever had to experience. This year I’ve learned of loss. I’ve learned of insurmountable change. I’ve learned of loneliness and cold. I’ve spent my year living in two very different parts of the world. At the beginning of this year I was a recent graduate. I was single and moving from Orlando, FL where all my friends lived to Palm Harbor. I had wanted to save money to go to Kenya to work on AIDS awareness in rural tribes, but the World Cup and a serious case of Mono stopped my chances of my dream finally becoming a reality. I worked a meaningless job with more people that I didn’t really get along with just to scrap together some cash. I lived at home with my parents becoming more miserable with my situation each additional day.

About half way through the year I discovered the true meaning of spontaneity. Without any warning to friends or family I decided to move. On a Friday I brought up the idea to my parents of moving. “I guess Seattle sounds cool.” And packed up my room, made my final farewells and took off for a 5 day excursion cross-country with my mom by the following Saturday. I moved to a city where I knew nobody, no family, no friends and started anew. To say this was/is difficult is to not even scratch the surface. I learned so much about how much I could handle this year. I found jobs, made a few friends and tried to work on making everlasting bonds between people I’d never met before. These people weren’t even in my realm of understanding. The natives call it the “seattle freeze.” I call it a consistent callousness and a virtual lack of understanding when it comes to personal boundaries and social faux-pas. I’ve had to muster ever part of my being just to hold myself in a state above obsession about moving back to the East Coast. At least there I understand the people.

It’s so hard for me to actually write this post. I’m battling with myself over what to include and what to leave out. I feel like this game has been a test of will. It’s the will I’ve had to hold onto to stay ‘me.’ I’ve been constantly battling with myself for months thinking that maybe I didn’t have it all together. Maybe I didn’t have the drive, the stamina, the motivation to do all of the amazing things I’ve dreamed of. I know I do and I needed good friends to keep myself in check. I’ve had a hard time in that arena as well. My friends have been inconsistent since I left Orlando. It’s like an out of sight out of mind scenario. I feel like I’ve done everything for my friends and it turned around and made me feel like no one was there for me. I had one friend come to Tampa (a two hour drive) for my birthday. She stayed for two hours and left. Luckily, ten days later I had a friend throw a surprise party for me that I’ll likely never forget for the sheer impressive ability he had to actually surprise me. This year has been my proof to me who the real people that love me are. This year brought old friends back to me and took others away. I’ve had to go through and see that people I never would’ve thought were my best friends truly were and people I thought would always be there for me, at the first test of our friendship, left me in the dust.

I decided on postponing grad school this year. It wasn’t because I had plans, or so many other things to do. I postponed it for the only reason of feeling so overwhelmed with trying to get in that I couldn’t handle the pressure. I had so much to do and what felt like so little time to actually do it. I was just trying to figure out a life here in Seattle when I was trying to figure out how to start one somewhere else. It was just overwhelming. I want to do the research; I want to find an incredible school; I want to kick ass on my GRE’s. But I want to be able to do all of this without the pressure of trying to start a new life.

I feel like I haven’t even brushed the surface of this year. So much has happened to me, around me, to people I know. The end of this year has truly been my test. I don’t know if I’ve passed yet or not, but I’m trying really hard for extra credit. I’ve been really good to myself all year and have stayed single. I’m looking for the right guy. Well, to be honest, there’s a lot more to the relationship aspect of me than most people know. I’m just not ready to share with the world yet. So, be patient all you internet stalkers. I’ll let you in on fun facts later. I’ve been good though. I know the qualities I want and I seem to be willing to wait for them. I’m just not ready to divulge my life into a relationship that’s not going anywhere anymore. Maybe this means I’m growing up. Maybe this means I really should’ve gone to college for my MRS degree!

Now for the loss. I can’t begin to convey to anyone that wasn’t directly involved what this was like. To be honest, I don’t know how much I actually want to share how much it hurts because like everything else I try to act like I’m stronger than I am. I’m the shoulder everyone else uses to lean on. I’ll just tell you I carry a piece of her with me every day and every time I look in the mirror or play with my necklace I say a silent prayer. I tell her about my life. I boast of my accomplishments. I cry about my insecurities. And I rant about all the stupid things my mother and I fight about. I have the same relationship with her I always did, yet we probably talk a lot more now than we ever did. The experience in and of itself was something I don’t wish on anyone and cannot understand how people deal so well. I’m a pretty empathetic person though and I feel with such intensity that I think I probably didn’t handle it well on my own accord. The whole situation did make me learn just how important my family truly is. I love my sisters. I love Jack. I love my mother. I just could never be too far away from them and this plays havoc on my dreams. I don’t dream in the continental US and I think this kills my mother. My family means the world to me and I don’t know where I’d be if anything happened to them. Because of this I’m working on my next tattoo. Something along the lines of “Never lose your sense of humor.” I can’t wait until I finally decide what to get because this tattoo will mean more to me than anything else I’ve gotten so far.

I think this year has ultimately made me a stronger, better person. It’s hard to rate it because each year has it’s own trials, each year it’s own personal goals, accomplishments and losses. The true test of character is how you end up at the finale. Ripped and torn in shatters, put back together with glue. I surmise, that this year was my cross off the list I’ve been creating since infancy. I dreamed of moving to a place where I knew nobody just to see if I could make it. I’m here. I’m living this one out till the bitter end. Don’t get me wrong, this city is absolutely incredible. I love it here. The mountains, the water. You couldn’t ask for a better place to come, but for me…this was another item off the list. I could see myself spending summers here enjoying the cool breezes and the beautiful lakes, yet I know that I can’t survive another winter like this. The dreary, overcast life is not for me. I can’t be held in this constant equilibrium between raining and almost raining. It plays havoc on my soul. I need sunshine. I need blue skies. Mostly, I just need to find my niche somewhere else. Giving another few months is definitely needed, but I feel like I’ll leave here with the ability to say that I did it. No matter what obstacles fell in my way, no matter what strife my life threw in front of me I survived and came out for the better. I’ve got big plans for myself and Seattle was definitely a stepping stone to the next chapter for me. Thanks for helping me write it this year and I hope you’ll all help me smile next year because it’s going to bring great new beginnings and beautiful endings. All I need to do is keep out my pen and paper…or megapixels and keyboards to make sure you’re all a part of it. Thank you for being there for me and I hope you all have a happy and healthy New Year.

Ollie the Predecessor

Goodness gracious. I know. I know. The "I told you so"'s are coming...

Everyone kept telling me Ollie wouldn't make the dangerous and deadly 4200 miles to Seattle, but he did. They said he wouldn't last; he wasn't up to the challenge. Oh how he proved you wrong! However, Seattlites have cursed every metallic screw and bolt in Ollie's pretty little black frame. He is dying a very slow and painful death. Over the past 3 months he has been in two accidents. He's been to the doctor's twice to have splints and shots and all the prosthetics put on him. He's broken down in a random driveway in the bad part of town leaving me with 6 grocery bags FULL of AIDS patient's food and 19 frozen dinners. I promise I don't normally try to steal the only sustenance given to dying patients, it just...happened. He's got some misshapen wheel that people randomly flag me down for on a highway with no shoulder. And he's dirty, very dirty. I will not take him to the bath again because last time I spent so much time on him someone hit him hard enough to send me to the hospital and him to the doctor for a whole new backside. My mom has now decided that I need a new car and this is it:



I've got the next three days off from Wild Ginger! Woo hoo! Yet I start my cleaning job at Hot Yoga tomorrow and Monday. It's right in the middle of the day, which is kind of annoying, but whatever. Free Yoga! I went last night and signed up for their 12 day challenge. I have to go everyday for 12 days and then I'm entered into a raffle where I can get a free month (which I can then give to the person of my choice for Xmas). Oh, the fun Jason has given us!

Tonight I'm heading out with Brock to go ice skating and then probably a karaoke night! If you've ever seen me karaoke you know how much fun tonight is going to be!! Haha. And then NEXT saturday is what people around the country call Santacon. Don't be jealous it will be in your state soon enough! Everyone meets at noon at the "fremont troll," dressed as Santa and it's a city wide bar crawl all through town. People on the light rail, on the metro, in cabs, taking their own cars, biking, hiking and frolicking through the city of Seattle dressed in red and snowy white. Can't wait for a jolly good time.

Take-out Chinese food + Netflix + RedBox = a pretty rad sick day

So, I do not miss Florida. I think I might be allergic to it or something. I used to be chronically sick, if you knew me, it was not fun. I moved to WA almost 6 months ago and have not gotten sick once. Blame it on the palm trees because as soon as I got back into the sunny state I came down with everything imaginable. So, I'm back in the cold, rainy weather with something similar to the flu. I worked from 10:30am yesterday till nearly 1am this morning nearly dying on the 5 block walk back to my car in less than 30 degree weather without my beanie or gloves! So, today has been my do-absolutely-nothing-and-enjoy-it day. I've sat in my pjs all day and watched movie after movie and talked with the roomies, Mel and Jake, all morning. If I thought I had a facebook addiction before, now it's getting much worse.

I've come back to my new home a little more enlightened and in a much better mood. I've diagnosed my bad mood to grief and a little homesickness for friends. After being immersed completely in my friends back home, I'm ready to be back here in Washington. I love you all to death, but I cause way too much drama for my own good there. I need to seriously thank a certain friend of mine in Palm Harbor for allowing me to let go of some of the ideas I was holding on to and with that came huge inspiration. I haven't stopped writing since. I carry a journal with me everywhere just in case something comes to mind. It's the most amazing feeling to think this way again! I feel like I'm finally back to myself again, which could be bad or good depending on who's watching. I haven't gone back to yoga yet and for that I'm kind of sad, but I know as soon as I'm feeling better my butt's going to be in that gym every day.

I got to experience a few things at home that I'm happy to say I will not miss, but I also got to spend some great moments with some people I never thought would've happened again. You see, life is about all of these random, minute changes that happen within us that brings about the differences in our lives. I know for the next few months I will be trying to figure out some sort of plan for what I want to come in the future, but right at this moment I am actually reveling in the uncertainties.

Winter Playland

I leave for FL in a few hours, so excited! But what I'm more thrilled about is that it's snowing outside today. It started yesterday, but today it's actually sticking. The coolest part about the snow is being able to look up and watch it swirl above your head each little snowflake unique to itself falling effortlessly to the ground in no familiar pattern. It's just so pretty. One thing to be nervous about is me driving today. I have to go downtown to pick up my roommate from her work so she can take me to the airport. I have absolutely NO IDEA how to drive in these conditions. I've never had a car in the snow before. Apparently, this is pretty unusual for Seattle, the snow and all, but so far it's not enough to shut down the city like it did two years ago. I told my friend Anna-Lisa to wake up early today to check the weather because she wants to take a ton of pictures like the photo shoot I did with my roommate yesterday. If you haven't seen the photos are up on Facebook. We'll see if she actually does though.

So I finally went out with my friends last night. Ruth, Alissa and I went to Shelter and had PB&J Jalapeno Poppers (which are fantastic not matter how weird they sound). Then I headed off to Red Door in Fremont to hang out with my buddy Ryan (Fremont Ryan for those of you that can't keep all my friends straight) and watch the newest episode of "The Walking Dead." Everything's zombies with that kid; it makes me laugh! So we had a couple drinks and for once actually got to hang out and say more than just a few words to each other, which was nice.

I have huge plans for being home that I'm super stoked about. Tomorrow night the fam is going to a play, so that'll be fun. We have tickets to Adrenalina to make complete asses of ourselves. We're going to the Big Cat Rescue. We have Thanksgiving dinner with like 20 something people Thursday. Mom and I have a SegWay tour of Channelside next Tuesday. I'm going to a wedding on Saturday for my awesomest buddy James and I get to be Justin's date! I even bought a pretty teal dress because it's on the beach. I'm supposed to hang out with my friends Brian, Tristen and Nick at some point. I might go over to Kaitie-lynne's thanksgiving day. My best friend, Kaypee, is supposed to drive up this weekend to see me and hang out. My plan is to take my skimboard to the beach for a couple of days. So, you see...lots to do. Lots to see and I can't wait to be out in the sun for a few days. As nice as it is being in the snow, I'm very much looking forward to blue skies instead of white/gray ones.

Vacay-time!

So, I'm heading back to FL in t-minus 5 days? By the way, what does the "T" stand for in t-minus? Random errant question.

This is annoying. The "O" key is sticking; I need to see about getting this fixed.

Okay, back to the matters at hand. I head home in a few days; it's supposed to snow the day I leave. Funny how every time I head back to the sun it decides to snow! This time I'm heading home under good pretenses. I'm very excited to be back with my family and back with my friends. I have so many people to see and things to do I have no idea how I'm going to fit it all into 10 days. It makes me happy now I chose to come home for 10 days instead of just for the holiday; there's so much I didn't know I was going to have to do.

Now onto another note. I know how much I've really enjoyed (for the most part) my expedition out west, but now I realize just how much I miss being close to my family and I'm thinking I want to move back East. I've got a few states in mind, some are higher on the list than others. I've been begged and pleaded with to move to New York so many times. It's on the list, but I'm more of an outdoorsy girl and throwing me into the city might not be my idea of a good time. I know, however, I already have friends and family galore there and the transition would be relatively easy. Second on the list is North Carolina. I've always loved this state and when anybody asked I always said I thought it was the perfect blend of seasons, mountains, cities and beaches. I already have friends and family here and the possibility of living near Duke throws me into a tizzy (haha, I can't believe I just used that word). I love that campus, that school and would enjoy any idea of being near there. My cousin would love for me to move closer to her and I'd love to be closer to my cousins in SC and AL. Third on the list is Tennessee. I love Gatlinburg! It's small town, but tourist-y. Plenty of outdoors stuff to do, hiking, biking, kayaking and all. I loved Nashville when I passed through on my roadtrip out west. I'd LOVE to go to Pigeon Forge! Plus the mountains here are spectacular, not as great as the NW, but beautiful nonetheless. I don't exactly know people here, but everyone I met on my night in Nashville was so pleasant and helpful it's hard to think the whole state isn't like that! Once again I'd be moving just to move, but I think this time I'll look into it a bit more than just a few days.

So, those are my three choices so far. We'll see how far I get with this idea because I still have an entire winter to get through here in Washington. I know I'm going to be begging for the sun by the end of it. Well, here goes my start to Vitamin D and hot yoga to get me through the dreary months. Oh, and some surprise visits from friends are always exciting!

Yoga at its finest

Well, I'm definitely in better spirits about my living situation as of this moment than I was last time I wrote. A lot of that change is due to going back to yoga. I don't think I ever want to stop going to yoga considering the changes I've felt over the past week. I went everyday this week and have been progressively more content than when I wasn't going. I can't say happy because I'm definitely not there yet, but at least there's a real smile on my face.

Mostly I'm just trying to come to terms with all my feelings from the past 2 weeks. Everything involved, not just the family stuff, has been a little overwhelming for me. I feel...too much really. Yoga has been the place where I've put my mind completely at ease and not had to think about anything. I didn't go today because I woke up late and then had an actual dinner with both of my roommates (we've never spent more than a few minutes together since I moved in over three months ago!). I haven't spent any time with any other friends because I'm not really ready for the explanations that come with why I haven't seen them in weeks. Basically with my books and movies, I've been spending most of the days by myself. I don't see this as a bad thing, but I'm thinking I need to get back out and socialize again. I just think after being back with my friends from home it's really difficult to have to go back to the "new" friend relationships. I like not having to prove anything, dress as comfortable as possible, not have to impress anyone. We've all been friends long enough to see each other at our worst. So, coming back to Seattle is an unwelcome change in that aspect.

So, another week of working every day, yoga in the evenings and hot bubble baths reading my new copy of "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell" at night will be what my next week consists of and personally, I have no problem with that.

Who would be your first call?

I find it interesting to see who are the first people you talk to in a crisis.

The moments you swear you’ll crumble and fall apart, the moments that seem so frivolous and useless and all you want to do is cry, the moments where words can’t even be communicated through the sobs of hopelessness. The moment you are at the pinnacle of vulnerability there are people you think would be your first call. There are people that should have been, but when the time comes you pick people you never would have thought. What does this say to you? To me, I feel like I’m trying to tell myself who seem to be the people that are always there for me no matter what shit I put them through, how long it’s been since we’ve talked or even how many hours are separating us. I’m noticing slowly the things I want in my life. I’ve been so naïve to the people that have been my greatest allies, my steady foundations of love and trust. These are the people that have had my back this past week.

I never expected to put so much of my insecurities into the hands of friends I rarely spoke truthful words to. I can’t explain the depth of my gratitude for these people in my life. The kind words, the amiable gestures, the couple of drinks to loosen the tongue and discuss life’s trials.

We all know my family means everything to me, so much so it’s tattooed on my body for eternity. My friends are my family and they are included, but true family- the ones where blood ties become bonds that are unbreakable and genetics lead to heritable traits like a sense of humor. I love my family. It hurts to see part of that family disappear from our physical lives, but knowing she’ll always be there in spirit and live on through our memories casts a net wide enough to hide my fears. It has been one of the hardest weeks; I wish I was happier to be home. This just doesn’t feel like home and it hasn’t felt like home. I could have never come back and been just as comfortable as I am now. Seattle is not the place for me. I remember the last time I entered into the state of WA and how ecstatic I was for the unknown, but now that I know it and I know what I have to go through to get back to my family when things happen, I’m not happy here. I’ll give it a few more months to try and make a place for myself, but in the end we’ll see where this groundbreaking event leads my life because we know forever it has changed it.

What's your theme song?

Everyone connects on different levels to music. I, myself, always deemed music to be the center of my emotional climate. I listen to music based on my moods or what I want other people to feel. Most music is like different smells for other people. Certain songs will remind me of situations and all the feelings attached to those moments will suddenly flood back into my life. I love playing songs for people I’m with so that they can understand in what way I’m feeling or how I want to feel. One of the few questions I love asking people is whether or not they connect to a song on this level that just explains every way they’re feeling in that day/hour/year of their life. It’s like a theme song for how he or she feels.

My theme song has always been the same, John Mayer- Why Georgia. The first time I heard it I couldn’t have quite imagined in how many ways it would actually relate to my life. I grew up with a nickname in high school, Georgia. It was an inside joke at the time, but it’s held solid ever since whenever we didn’t want others to know who we were talking about. Everyone in our lives had their own nicknames, like our own secret language. It follows a happy trail through a very important part of my life. Second, I’ve always been the person that’s never been satisfied. I can’t contain myself in one place too long. I’m never truly comfortable in the position I’m in. I have so many aspirations and I fear I’ll never be truly content until I follow through on every single desire I have. Then comes the constant fear that maybe the way my life is heading isn’t where I want it to be. “Am I living this right?” It’s difficult the conundrum my mind dwells on. But it’s a constant, flagrant question I wish every day I could answer.

What would be your theme song?


Step on the gas, windows down, the chill of the breeze outside sweeping through to the bones, a slight shiver and the gps as the only light around in the all-encompassing darkness on the desolate highway. In the all too foreign town limits, alone on the only road out of the city, trying to stay awake for the next two hours and attempting to ascertain the level of awareness it may take to drive away from this gorgeous small town. A car taking the streets without a thought to the speed limit, encroaching fast and not a care in the world. I may have thought I was about to be run off the road by some idiotic teenager that just got their license. Instead, the reflection of the red/blue lights in my rearview mirror was more than enough to make my heart start pounding. Lucky for me, this small town cop was “feeling nice,” even though he didn’t act like it. It was a not so fantastic end to a fabulous day. I had headed up the two hour drive to NW WA, to Anacortes. It’s the one destination where you can catch the ferries out to the San Juan Islands.
I’ve always been pretty comfortable doing things on my own, however, people thought I was strange deciding to make this trip by myself. Meh…they can see it as they may, but going by myself leads me to no expectation other than to enjoy what’s in front of me. No need to please anybody else, no need to make sure that there is always something fun to do; just be. I have absolutely no desire to entertain someone else all day. I’d rather just enjoy the moment and take in the beauty of new places. I left for Anacortes in the am. I got to the ferry port about 25 minutes after the ferry I wanted to take had left, so I went into town and got breakfast then walked around the water. I got to the ferry about an hour early and my particular ferry ended up being 30 minutes late, so I read in the icky, smelly “waiting area” for almost two hours. I made a few friends on the ferry ride over, two people from Switzerland and a lady from Whidbey Island. Once we got to Friday Harbor, I walked around the small town (which took me about 20 minutes) and went in to the few shops that were still open considering the fact that everything except the few bars shut down by about 5 or 6 o’clock and I arrived in the port around 4pm. So, I didn’t have a lot of time, but it wasn’t like I needed much to see all that there was to see. I went to dinner at The Bluff where my friend Ruth told me to go because her boyfriend is the executive chef there. He sat with me while I ate the Bananas Foster and then took me to one of the only bars in town and bought me a drink while we talked about his relationship with Ruth and each other. All in all, a very pleasant guy and extremely easy to talk to. Decided to take the ferry back that night even after I had made all the necessary precautions in case I had wanted to spend the night there. I got a yummy hot chocolate on the ferry ride home and chatted with my mom most of the way. I got pulled over on my way home that night, but the cop let me go. I’ve been super careful ever since then about driving around.

The next day I shacked up in the house and then went to Neumos and MOE bar with my friend Anna-Lisa and saw two bands that were pretty fantastic. Twin Sister went on first and it was a very electronica Imogen Heap feel to it and then came Morning Benders who were very good. I was very impressed by them. I’ve been ridiculously busy most days here; it’s hard to find time to do anything else recently. I joined a Hot Yoga place. I’ve been there almost every day since I joined. I love it so much! Between work, volunteering and yoga I’m squeezing things into my schedule. I hang out with people every other night like last night I went out with my friend Chris, the guy I was originally supposed to live with. We went to a bar with all his MBA buddies then back to his place for drinks and the hot tub. After that we all went to get breakfast at a 24-hr diner right down the street from my house. Yum yum yum. This leads us up to today. I’m doing my best to keep this more up to date, so I'm hoping you enjoy hearing a little of my life here in Seattle!

SORRY THIS IS SO LONG!

Big news of the week:

I’m not going to grad school this year.

I decided that looking at my calendar with dread everyday for not having done my GRE’s yet and still having a ton to do involving my grad school applications, I’m going to put it off another year. I want to look into more schools than just Duke, UW and Stonybrook. I want to look at grad schools out of the country too! I want to look into the Masters in Global Health mainly for now and then after I finish that maybe working on the Ph.D for Genetics. I just see myself working towards helping people. I love being in the lab by myself working towards a goal, but the social aspect hits me way harder. I love seeing the reactions people have in person. I want to see just exactly what my help is doing for people.

This is why I’m a food delivery driver for Lifelong AIDS Alliance. I deliver food and groceries to people who are too sick to leave the house to get it themselves. Sometimes I am the only person that they will see the entire week and they look forward to those Thursdays where I’m around just to talk to. The look on their faces when you step through the door is heartbreaking sometimes. You really get to understand the frailty of human life and the capacity a person can have for the compassion and care for others. I’ve seen more of how diseases really affect people here than I’ve ever given thought to before. Doing these projects I find my love for the human race and how much I want to do my part in trying to make even a few people’s lives a little happier.

I’m also volunteering for ZomBcon for Halloween. Apparently, Seattle is now the Zombie capital of the world because in July they had a zombie walk and over 6,000 people showed up to walk/crawl/eat people’s brains in the streets of Fremont (the neighborhood next to mine). ZomBcon is a convention with discussions with major horror film gurus, plenty of viewings of your favorite horror films and even a Zombie prom! I’m super psyched for the prom, which I’m actually going to with a few friends. We have theatre majors to help with the make-up and gore!

I decided since I’m no longer tied down to staying here in Seattle that I’m going on another whirlwind adventure this summer. The family wants to go to Morocco, so that’s going to be the starting point. Hopefully Nolan can meet up with me in Africa and we’ll head out from there. I want to do shark diving, ride an elephant, see a lion (better yet, a tiger!), and I want to go to a nude beach! I know I have high aspirations, but what’s a life without a little adventure? Maybe I’ll visit my friend Jenna in Korea and stop through Kenya to help out with the AIDS Empower program. I can do whatever I want! I just need to save all my money for the next few months. I can do this. It’ll work out the way I want it to; I just have to want it enough to try.

“Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Creativity is not my thing today

I suck. My apologies everyone. To tell you the truth, I think it says more about my experiences in Seattle not writing in my blog than it does actually keeping it up. Maybe this means I'm actually out enjoying myself...or maybe not. You never know.

Sorry, no new picture updates either. I'll work on that one though.

You know when you're in Seattle when...

it's cold and it's only October.

That's actually all I've got today. My creativity is pretty low given that I've been working my butt off! I work 5-6 days a week and between both jobs sometimes doubles. I try and plan something every night with someone, or try to do something. It's going relatively well. I'm not much of a fan of having my life on a schedule, but I think I can make due for now.

Awakening finally came in and Mel gave it to me to finish reading. I take about a page at a time because it's a pretty intensive read. It makes you think a lot about your life, virtues, values, priorities, relationships and what actually matters to you. The whole Sufi experience is just a new theme. I love it. It sets my mind at ease to be able to sit and meditate and just think about all the ideas and thoughts that matter in comparison to the ones that do not. It's incredible how much of your life you spend dedicated to a priority that if you wrote out a list would fall at the bottom. Do you think what you're doing right now will be important or pertinent when you're ninety? Then why are you doing it?! "For by ignoring the needs of your soul, you run the grave risk of dying in despair." It's kind of crazy because I was actually thinking about this the other day on my drive to work. I've been trying to come up with my next big purchase...I'm between a bike, a kayak, or a snowboard. I'm trying to make all of these justifications or reasons or places I'd use them. In the end it's only about whether or not I know I will. I feel like I know myself pretty well, however, the only conclusion I came to with this conundrum was the idea that I can't stand the place I work.
Funny how far off my thought process will stray. I'm actively seeking another job looking into something outdoors, with animals, or once again anything within a lab. I'm just not a person that wants to serve others interests anymore. Yes, it's good money. Yes, it's a pretty simple job. Yet, I dread going to work every day. I can't wait for my days off to walk around in this beautiful city. I want to take a ferry to Friday Harbour and go kayaking. I want to see the San Juan Islands. I want to drive to Canada for my first trip to the Maple Leaf country. I want all these amazing experiences, yet I sit at work dreading that next day to repeat the exact same scenario over and over again. I've been doing this for almost four years now and I think it's time for a change. I need to do something I love, work someplace I care about, do something that feels right. This is not it. I feel like I'd be incredibly happier elsewhere. So, that's the position I sit at now. AND since it is a GORGEOUS day out today I'm going to go for a run before I meet up with my friend Kate to see The Social Network and grab sushi.

I hope you didn't invest too much interest in my ramblings because I think they're a bit of a disappointment today. I'll work on the excitement!

Two Months and counting...

Rainy season is soon to start here. I’ve got a few coats, my rainboots, Uggs and boots to get me through. I’ll have to buy a couple more just so I can have a little variety in my wardrobe. It doesn’t exactly rain here, just a sprinkle that lasts pretty much all day. It’s that annoying cold sprinkle that gets your hair just damp enough to not hold in the style you spent all morning putting together. Everyone keeps warning me about the upcoming months saying November is the worst. Lucky for me I’ll be gone almost 2 weeks in November to sunny Florida! I’m pretty ecstatic to see my sisters and friends. It’ll be a nice change of pace from the dreary cold here.

The way the weather changes here is insane. Yesterday it was hot and nice enough outside that I put on my bathing suit and walked to the beach. Today I wore a sweatshirt outside, so the rain and cold wouldn’t get to me. Weird.

A lot has been happening here! Still in the process of making those new friends and trying to keep up with the others. As I’ve said many times before, people here are just different. No way to explain the difference; you just have to see it for yourself. I met a few people this past Saturday when I volunteered at the Seattle AIDS 5K Run/Walk. I had to be there at 7:30am! It was a lot of fun though. After I did my position, a couple of other volunteers and I started a dance party by the Dr. Pepper tent. We had free food everywhere for all the walkers and runners. The volunteers all had on bright, neon green shirts that said either “Obey Me” or “Ask Me.” I thought they were AWESOME! I wish I’d had a camera to show the insanity that ensued during this event. There were over 3000 walkers, 300 runners and like 400+ staff throughout the entire day! I can’t wait to do it next year!

I finally got a bookshelf for my TV and books. It suits the room pretty well and doesn’t take up a lot of space, so it’s very nice to have. I finally finished reading the book “The Winner Stands Alone” by Paulo Coeltho. It was very good, very interesting. My roommate Mel took my other book away, Awakening, because she had to send it back to the guy we borrowed it from. I was kind of upset until she said she bought it online so I could read it when it got here.

Work is hectic. I work a lot, almost every day between the catering job and the serving job. I’ve tried a ton of foods I’ve never tried before at Wild Ginger. They’ve made me eat seabass, scallops, clams, mussels, and duck. Seabass is gross and clams are the worst food ever. I think it’s funny that people want to be there when I try something new. Apparently my facial expressions tell it all! Work is getting better though. I’m much more comfortable in my surroundings and I’ve started hanging out with people outside of work more. It’s nice to have people to call when I’m bored. Boredom isn’t really much of an issue though. I work almost every morning. Today and Thursday I have classes at night so I can volunteer for the Lifelong AIDS program. Wednesday I’m supposed to meet up with a friend at night for dinner or something. Saturday night I might be going to a show. Tons to do! So far so good here. I have friends planning on coming up here or meeting me in Cali, so I’m really excited to see where all of this leads! I need to get on top of my GRE studies too. I’ve been slacking since I started working so much. I want to get kayaking in too before summer is officially over. Apparently the lake a few blocks away from me has a great area for it that’s relatively cheap. I’ll try it out one of these days. Anyways, I’m going to take a quick cat nap before I head out for the night. Hope that’s somewhat of an excuse for how much I’ve neglected my blog. SORRY!

A few days in the life of Me!

I feel like things are settling in now. Finally.

I mean, it's only been a month, but still. I'm starting to really enjoy life here. This weekend I spent Friday working for Microsoft then went out for drinks and a movie with my roommate Mel. Horrible movie, but good company. There was a fire alarm right when it started and they evacuated all 5 floors of the mall we were in. Insane. Firetrucks and everything. By the time we got back up the 5 flights we got a free movie and ours had already started. So, even though "The Final Exorcism" is awful, we did get a free movie out of it.

Saturday I spent the day in the park, where the last post was written. It was a gorgeous day and I walked to my friend Chris's house then to the park about 15 blocks from my house. I brought my GRE books and spent time enjoying the sun and peacefulness of being outdoors in such a pretty area. There was a guy for about 2 hours strumming on his guitar and played some great music, perfect for the surroundings. Only downside was the guy who decided the hills were a perfect place for dirtbike driving. I about stood up and threw something at him, I was so pissed. He was ruining a great day, but he soon left. Then I hurried home and talked to my friend Efren on the way and then my sis for about an hour. I got in my car and picked up Mel, the roomie, to take her to the Mural Ampitheatre where they had an outdoor showing of Star Trek! Efren and Barb met up with us and we had a couple of beers and some popcorn to fully enjoy the experience. It was freezing by the end, so we headed off to a little sports bar and got free beer from pingpong players while we played Cranium. Barb and I ruled the board. It was a relatively easy win, haha. So sorry for Efren and Mel. It was a great night!

Sunday I cleaned up my room and walked to the Ballard Farmer's Market again. This week I went by myself. I went to the gluten-free bakery and got a loaf of bread, some vegan hummus (sooo yummy) and some plums. Then I went to the ritual sushi place and sat with John for happy hour. Miso soup, gyoza and crispy spicy tuna roll. I was stuffed. I took a ton of pictures along my walk, so I can share with you my little neighborhood.

Today I woke up and went to PCC (the entirely organic grocery store) and got some essentials. I got a paycheck in the mail from one day of work at TSS. I should get a bigger check this next week! Yay for money. I got home and did laundry, cleaned the bathroom and waited for my friend Alissa to call to go out for coffee and we walked to a little cafe down the street. It was fabulous. She's a talker though...I love meeting new people.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow though. If I get up early enough I might go to yoga on the lake, then off to my "orientation" shift at Wild Ginger. It's been rated the #1 restaurant of Seattle for the past 11 years and I got a serving job there! It's a pretty extensive wine and food menu. Really easy work though, not a lot for a server to do but tend to their tables. Pretty cool if you ask me. Then when I get back from work I hope I can go to my boot camp class with Mr. Gorgeous! Then my friend Mike is picking me up at 8 to go to a bonfire to meet some more people.

Yay for a completely brand new lifestyle! I feel like I'm fitting in nicely <3

Differences

See, I think this is what I don't get. Everyone lives the lives they lead. People go to their jobs and are unhappy with the life they have. I tell people I moved on a whim and they proceed to exclaim they're proud of me and wish they could do exactly what I did. It's not like this has not been without it's difficulties. I struggle every day. There's still a lot I'm trying to deal with. I just can't understand why I think so differently than everyone else. If I'm unhappy with my life I'm going to change it. Why not? What's stopping you? You're living now. Don't tell me there's obligations. Everyone has obligations. I have responsibilities too, to myself. I need to make sure that my life is leading in the direction I want it to be going. Your obligations will move too. These people that work their 9-5 jobs waiting for retirement are "waiting for their lives" to start. What's wrong with spending your money now on that trip to Europe you've always wanted or the pilots lessons you've dreamed of since you were a kid? You're healthy and alive right now. This is your life.

Risks are entirely about fear. Once you get over the fear of losing, you can conquer anything. Risks lead our lives everyday. They're what make it worth living. Without the fear or the sadness we'd never be able to truly enjoy the moment.

Like laying on a blanket with the sun warming small patches of your body as the sweet melody from the boy strumming his guitar floats across the park in your direction. The serene blue of the cloudless sky looks like the crystal clear waters of the Keys in contrast to the stark evergreen trees standing gallantly above you shading bits and pieces of this perfect little moment around you. Now this, this is life.

Life is easy

Haven't had much to do the past couple of days, so I've been catching up on my seasons of shows. Finally finished Dexter and True Blood, so I'm ready for the seasons. Well, let's say I'm caught up on True Blood.

I finally put up the pictures in my room. I'm not exactly sure how much I like them up. I love being able to look at all my favorite pictures from around the world, but it's almost a little claustrophobic for me. I put a chair in the corner of my room for someplace to read, so now it makes my room feel smaller. I don't know how happy I am with the layout. I'll let it stay for a few days and see if I grow accustomed to it or not.

I've been sort of an insomniac again. I'm not at all happy about that. I've been pretty good since I got here, but last night I had this dream that had me tossing and turning until 1pm. 1 freaking pm! I haven't slept that long since my days off in high school. I did stuff around the house for a little while, but it was raining outside today and I couldn't do anything I had planned on. I had wanted to walk to Kinkos and scan my Food Handlers Permit to send to my job, so I can legally work there. I had wanted to take my GRE books to a park and study outside for awhile. There was so much I wanted to do outside today and unfortunately the rain and cloudy weather made me stay inside.

Over the past two days, however, I have applied to a million more positions. I've contacted labs directly and been pointed in various directions, but I do have a professor willing to chat with me about an upcoming tech position when he gets back from vacation Sept. 7. So that's something at least. Other people are just referring me to more people. It's all about who you know and I'm just trying to get my name out there! Hears to hoping something comes from my efforts. I am in desperate need of a real job though. Whether it be the Wild Ginger, where I happened to have had a second interview Tuesday, or one of these lab positions I have been so desperately applying for.

Made a couple of new friends recently. Started talking to the guy that runs the outdoor film cinemas during the summer. He invited me to come out and meet his friends. I thought that was incredibly nice of him! Then the event manager from Snoqualmie invited me to come out with him. So, I might actually have things to do.

I was actually very upset Tuesday having to go to my second interview. I have found a great gym with a gorgeous boot camp instructor; his name is Josh and he's well-versed in martial arts. He also decided he wanted to kick my butt to see if I'd come back. I wanted to prove them all wrong, that I would come back, but I had to try and get a job instead. Well, needless to say, plans are on for this Tuesday and I can't wait to go and listen to my favorite bands while I work out with Josh again! I swear though, I may end up hating my favorite music at the end of these classes if he keeps it up.

I should probably try to get some sleep. Sadly, I am not anywhere near tired.

Before and After

My life in Seattle consists of this:

EPIC Success in figuring out the bus routes. Yes, you read that right! I did not prevaricate. I had a class downtown at 1pm yesterday. I went online, found the bus I was supposed to take, had the necessary amounts of money with me and I got on the bus just like the Seattlites! I made my way downtown with no problems. The way back was a different story because I was short a nickel, but all in all it was a success.

I work at the Snoqualmie Casino Thursday. I babysit Friday in Leschi (pronounced Lesh-eye). And I work at Chateau Ste. Michele Saturday. Let's get used to the new Native American names here. No more Seminole and Kissimmee. Here in Seattle is a whole different realm of people, haha.

I went to Borders and picked up my GRE study guides. I have my list of words for the day next to me. One of which just happens to be prevaricate. Luckily, I seem to know most of the words on the list, so that's a big help. I don't know if you knew that lawyers are raconteurs with endless machinations to win big. However, when they lose, they almost always become lachrymose. I'm going to rock this, eventually.


If my computer didn't want to be a jerk, I'd have already uploaded before and after pictures of my room. Nevertheless, it is a jerk and I cannot fix it right now. I have 50 words to learn and know and write down! I hope I have articulated well my life so far; I try to be as candid as possible while I imbue the information on you to placate your sense of wonder on how my life is evolving.

Take that Seattle!

I've been in Seattle almost three weeks...WoW

Let's see. I have a job. A home. AND furniture on the way. Take that Seattle! As of two days ago, I moved into my new house in Ballard, Seattle. I live with two wonderful ladies in their late 20s and early 30s, Melissa and Sasha. We have a four bedroom house with two and a half baths. Interestingly enough each bathroom is different. In the basement is the half bath, the first floor has a shower and the second floor has a clawfoot bathtub. It will only be the three of us this next year and we have two twin beds in the guestroom for company (hint hint). Our first floor consists of a bright yellow living room with a blue meditation room just off it. The room gets tons of light throughout the day. We have two gnomes that guard the staircase just in case any unwanted people come in...Our whole basement area is sectioned off. Part of it is the "laundry room" and around the corner you can find the "workout room." Behind the workout area is a large storage area for all the extras the ladies have including, but not limited to, halloween costumes, fake christmas trees, and misc. items. Pictures will be posted once I get my furniture in!

I went for an interview today that went horribly awry, however, I still got the job. I will be working for a staffing company that will send me out with various catering companies for different events. Microsoft is their biggest client! It's only supplementary income, but I will be getting $11.75/hr. with possible reimbursement for travel expenses and it's completely on my schedule. I have some soon to be busy weekends because a few families would like me to babysit for them.

Today I just agreed to buy a queen size bed, 6-drawer dresser and nightstand from a guy in Tacoma for $300. It's about an hour drive away, but I'm going to spend tonight trying to figure out how to get it back to my house tomorrow afternoon. Haha. I don't have a truck and don't readily know anyone with one either! Hmm...any suggestions?

This evening, Melissa and I will be going to dinner with my cousins then off to Rattlesnake Lake in the mountains to observe the Perseid Meteor Shower. I'm so excited. If any of you know me well, I love meteor showers! And I love the stars! The stargazing here, even in the city, is fabulous! I saw more constellations last night standing on my front porch than I ever did standing on my dock in Florida.

Fun fact of the day: I live in a Mormon household.

Bring on the challenges Seattle.

Airplanes and Things to get Used to

My sister gets upset that I don't write in here enough.

Updates on life:

Okay, so I'm having second thoughts about moving into that house now. It's a lot of money for not a lot of space. If you know me, you know I have tons of clothes! I NEED a closet. The house that I'm about to move into has about the size of a small dresser of closet space. I couldn't even put all my dresses in there! Tiny. Not a fan. I loved having the two rooms, but I'm realizing how big of a pain it'll be to try and fit the rest of my clothes...where? The room is so small it would fit a queen size bed and that's it. I'm thinking that's not worth it. To me, at least. So I decided it's in the perfect location and I like the roomie, so I'm searching for a house in the same neighborhood- just less money. I found two places so far that I will be visiting tomorrow. Each of them are, at least, 100 dollars if not more, cheaper than the house I'd be moving into. No kidding! That's over $1000 a year I'd be saving! I know. I shouldn't go through with this place. I'm just so ready to settle into a life here I want so badly for the perfect place to just fall in my lap. Well, if I find a place in Ballard I can still see my favorite roomie AND be in the perfect neighborhood.

In other news, today was the Blue Angels show at SeaFair. It's a HUGE festival where basically everyone in Seattle gets wastyface on their boats and on the beaches and watches the hydroplane races and Blue Angels fly. Not a cop in sight either! I went over to one of my Kappa sister's houses and she lives in a GREAT location! We could see everything perfectly from her porch. We had a keg full of local beer, cans of sierra nevada, rainier and tecate, and mimosas! Huge lunch spread too. People love their fruit here, it's just so fresh. Yum yum yum!
I took some great pictures of the Blue Angels flying!Richard fell asleep after the planes came through...too much alcohol and rainy weather don't mix at parties I've found.

Still been filling out applications like crazy. I need a job to feel comfortable here! I don't want to start planning to do things yet until I have one, so I know I can have the time off.

I do love it here though. The flowers are all so pretty. With very pretty scenery.


More things to get used to about Seattle:

Servers and Bartenders need a LICENSE to serve any type of food or alcohol in a restaurant establishment. I'm going on Monday to a class to pay $40 for my Class 12 permit, in case I get a job at a bar.

You can park on either side of the road facing either direction. Parked on a hill you need to remember the parking brake (I feel like this is going to end badly for me one of these days) and the wheels turned to curb when parked.

It actually does not rain as much as previously thought. Only about 30 inches a year. It doesn't snow much either. However, when it does rain nobody uses umbrellas. People still walk, bike, run in the rain...they just all wear rain gear. Weird.

Most restaurants/bars don't have applications. They only accept resumes.

Shakespeare in the Park is hella popular out here. There were probably almost 150 people in the small venue I went and saw "As You Like It" yesterday. Tons of people were going to "Romeo and Juliet" today, but it was raining on and off (in a light drizzle) all day.

On a non-hazy day, you can almost always see the mountains and the water...it's a cool sight.

Oh yeah, soda is called pop. People drink Squirt-Ruby Red and Coke out of glass bottles. The popular beers are Rainier (like the mountain) and PBR. Fish is the primary food group and everything is organic, like I said before.

Interesting how moving to another city in the US could feel like moving to another country. And I'm loving every minute of it, except for the fact that everyone in the house is sick. I'm trying so hard not to get sick, but they get worse everyday! Ugh...pray that I don't catch a cold my second week in Seattle. This was the first day it rained!! What am I going to do when winter comes?!

Job Search

Being that it's finally Monday and the weekend is over, I'm off on my way to find a job. Since I almost have a place to live, it's about time I find a way to bring in some money that I'm desperately lacking! I'm about to get up and out of bed to go for a quick run.

The weather is SO nice to go running in. I finally understand why everywhere you drive you see people in their workout clothes on the side of the road running; no matter where you are! It's absolutely fabulous.

After the run today I plan on traveling over to Ballard where my, hopefully, future house will be and looking for jobs. I am applying EVERYWHERE! I've already sent my application out over...30 times I think. I need to find a full-time position where I get 10.00 an hour. That's all I need to survive here with the amount of rent I'd be paying. So, that should be relatively easy. Most of the retail shops around here pay a min of 10/hr, so I just need to get hired somewhere! I'd prefer a serving position over retail, but I'll take anything I can get at this point. Wish me luck today on the job search.

Naked Hot Tub Club

Woooo hoooo!

So, I sent Chris a text yesterday telling him that I was indeed interested in his room and to keep me in mind when he was deciding on roommates. He had about eight people come through his house for the two rooms and I absolutely loved him. We talked for almost an hour when we met about nothing in particular. We just instantly got along and we seem to have the same humor because after I left I ended up having 3 missed calls from him and a missed text message. The text said, "Did you call me?" I replied, "No, did you call me three times?!" His answer was, "I just read my call log and it said that I dialed your number four times. I didn't do that. I must have fat fingers, lol" Instantly I decided this is the point where I see what he's like so I wrote, "You know, if we hadn't met already I might call you a stalker." He combats that with, "You don't need to worry about me, I'm a good boy." I was dying laughing. It might not be that funny to anyone else, but I had just met the guy and we were already messing with each other. This will be a fun year.

The house is a little weird in set up and I do promise pictures if the landlord likes me. I got an email from her this morning that we're going to work on the arrangement today. Nice big living room and a very open kitchen. The bathroom is right off the side of the kitchen and it has a clawfoot tub in it! AWESOME! I love those. If you head down the door next to the bathroom you'll go outside and find the laundry room. Then back inside and up the stairs, straight ahead would be my room. It's a little on the small side and has a tiny closet, but it's not like I need much room anyway. Then across the hall from my room is a "sun room." It's more like a small hallway with windows along it that would be considered mine. I can most likely fit a couch and maybe a dresser (to hold all my excess clothes!) and shove a little bookshelf in there. It's a nice little space and will be great in winter to read in or just relax. I'm not quite sure if I just want to keep it as an area if any of my lovely friends wanna come visit (HINT HINT). We have a cute little fenced in backyard with trees all around it, so there's a ton of privacy. We have a deck, two grills and a hot tub.

Let's talk about the fact that Chris just told me about the hot tub and we went inside. However, when my mother came to look at the house he proceeded to explain to her that most of the time people are naked in the hot tub. The type of cleaning system it has does not react well with detergents, so he prefers that IF bathing suits are worn, they must be washed first. However, most of the time everyone just goes in sans clothes. To my mom! And by the way, people are very open up in this area. Nobody's shy about that it seems. He had said it so matter of factly it was hard to doubt that he even thought twice about it! Can you imagine if some guy said that to you in Florida? It'd be just another way to get your clothes off! Here it's...normal. So that's...entertaining. And definitely something to get used to.

Here's to the naked hot tub club.

On my own again!

I'm officially on my own today. Momma left this morning to head off back to 105 degree weather! I must say, I'm happy that's not me. I'm actually really enjoying the cool weather here.

Some things I absolutely love about Seattle:

There are always things to do. Everybody here hikes, kayaks, snowboards and plays intramural sports! Ultimate is huge here, for that I'm extremely excited.

Everyone is very friendly and willing to help. I moved here knowing nobody and I already went out with one girl named Courtney. I was invited to a pool party. And I meet new people every day.

Seattle is a green city! Everything is organic. Most people take the bus. There's tons of gluten-free bakeries. Fresh fruit and veggie stands everywhere. 24 health food stores AND 24 hour grocery stores. Kick ass! How many times has it been 10pm and you're saying, "crap, Publix is closed!" Used to happen to me all the time, so this makes me quite happy!!

It's so easy to get around everywhere without a car. The bus and water taxi system are simple. Yet, I've never ridden a bus so the complications for me are a little greater. I tried the other day with my mom. It was an epic fail. I found the right route, which buses to transfer to and where to walk to get on the bus. I failed to figure out how often the bus came and which side of the road I was supposed to be on to actually get on the right bus. Oops.

It's absolutely, breathtaking gorgeous. Don't you wish you lived here?
Jealous?

I still haven't found a place to live, but let me tell you! Some of the options are like going to college and living in a fraternity house all over again! Hell no I'm not doing that. I'm currently debating about paying out the butt for this one house because I love the guy and he has a hot tub! Woo hoo! And then I just got an email from a guy in the area I really want to live because it's close to the businesses I've been applying for, so I still have yet to see that place. I found one house in a GORGEOUS location. Like whoa...I was absolutely amazed. Only problem is that it is about 30 minutes from the city. I'd rather live closer and not have to commute as much, especially if I do get one of the jobs I've applied for. I really hope I get one of them! Most of the jobs I've applied for are salary positions at either hospitals or the cancer research facility doing research! I know!! It's the job I've always wanted. I'm not holding my breath though. I don't need to be let down again. Well, anyways...it's almost 8am here and we're about to head out to Pike's Place Market to buy some fresh fruit and veggies from the local farmers here. I absolutely love the food here. I can't wait until people come up to visit to show them around!

No Hand Hugs in Seattle

We figured it out! We’ve been through eleven states on this trip! What? Did you read that right? We’ve officially traveled through more than one-fifth of the country. Well, in the last two months I’ve traveled through 18 states. YEAH BUDDY!

Pray to whoever you believe in as to why when I walked into the giant Church of Latter Day Saints in Salt Lake that I wasn't struck dead on the spot wearing a low cut short dress. If I had known we were going to a temple, I might've dressed a little more conservatively, but needless to say, I didn't know. It was a very gorgeous place, but the people weren't really my type of people and I didn't have a lot to say. I just admired the general splendor.

The drive from Salt Lake to Pendleton, OR was just a hassle and a half. We were so tired of being in the car and that just made the short…8 hour trip unbearable. Pendleton, OR is a small, Podunk town off the side of the highway. We stayed at what some would call a less than special hotel called the Relax Inn. Mom thought we were going to be eaten by bed bugs or killed by the trucker sitting in his underwear eating chicken and drinking milk with his blinds wide open. The room was not too bad though. Two beds, not too shabby, an actually clean refrigerator. We were in walking distance of like 5 restaurants and like 17 bars! The only downfall to this small town was the fact that every one of those said restaurants closed at 9pm. We arrived in this small little town at 8:45pm hungry and ready to eat. Too bad, so sad. We did end up finding a restaurant with 10 minutes to spare and ended up eating there. It was a really nice steakhouse called Hamley’s. I ended up having this pasta that was phenomenal and momma had baby back ribs. Yum! We each had a glass of wine…loopy. Went to sleep back at the killer hotel/motel place and got woken up at 5am to Jack calling us about my grandmother being in the hospital. It’s okay, don’t worry. She’s doing fine, just chilling in the hospital for the time being. No reason to be worried. But in this time, we both woke up and ended up being really tired that morning because of the little sleep we did get.

Only 5 hours from Pendleton, OR to Seattle, WA! Woo hoo! On the way we stopped at Starbucks and hung out for a little while. It was actually kind of funny because my cousins have a summerhouse in Seattle and we were going to stay with them, but none of them keep their cell phones on, so we were driving to Seattle blindly without knowing where their house was. I ended up searching for it on Yellow Pages while we were at Starbucks and we prayed that it was the right address by the time we actually pulled into Seattle!

It was so beautiful! This is my new home. Absolutely gorgeous! I can’t believe I chose this place to live. Once we got here we finally got a hold of my cousins and found we out we were on the right street, wrong house. Nice! The house is wonderful and I wish I could stay in their room upstairs, but sadly they already rented it out come August 20. However, I am allowed to stay here until I find a place and even might be able to stay in their friend’s basement room if I still don’t have a place by then! That’s wonderful.


I did get to go see two houses after I got here. They were absolutely AWFUL! It would be like living in a frat house all over again. What the hell? It’s like 8 bedroom houses with two bathrooms and there is no way in hell I’m sharing a bathroom with 4-5 guys! No way! I did go to another house and meet a lot of the people that lived there, but that house wasn’t exactly clean either. Afterwards, we came back to my cousins and had dinner and watched Zombieland. Yes! My two cousins, Evan and Nathaniel then went into a tense discussion about what to do and what to stock up on during the zombie apocalypse. It made me laugh the moment Evan said during his finals last year he had already created a playlist with his friends at Brown to listen to when the zombie apocalypse comes about…Brown kids. Give them a break. What else would they be doing?

This morning I woke up around 9am freezing. I’m not even kidding! It was so incredibly cold here. It was almost 50 degrees this morning and I was in shorts and a t-shirt with only a small blanket over me. I was so not prepared for that! It took me like 2 hours to warm up. I can’t wait for winter. I have to say I’m only unprepared because all of my “cold” clothes are packed in Ollie. I don’t believe in winter, summer, spring and fall clothes; I have cold clothes and warm clothes. I went to visit another house today. The guy’s name is Chris and his in the navy. He seemed like a great guy, very outdoorsy and extremely nice. The room is kind of small, but I also would get the sunroom across the hall as my own. I could turn it into a guest room/closet, which could be nice! He also has a hot tub! Hell yes!!! I could totally be down for a hot tub in the middle of winter here.



We also went to downtown Seattle today and walked along the waterfront and also went to Pike’s Place Market. I thought my friends would love the fresh markets here at Pike's Place because of this sign. Let’s just say there’s a lot of things I’ll need to get used to living here. First off, if a car pulls up right behind me on a hill I need to learn to not peel out driving forward up the hill. Second, there are stoplights letting one person in at a time onto the highway. Third, I’m in desperate need of learning how to parallel park. I practiced today outside my cousin’s house using her trashcans and mailboxes as the cars and I might have run over the trashcans, but I thought I did very well despite that minor obstacle. I will work on these over the next few days. Next time you see me I will be a hill driving, parallel parking god. You can bet on that!

Karma, Shooting Stars, Sunsets and more

Unfortunately I do this all the time. Lots to catch up on because either the internet won’t work or I’m much too tired. So, here I am at 2am your time trying to work on these blogs…just for you. I know you’re all so helpless without knowing what’s going on with me and my life, because as you all know, I’m the center of the universe.

So, we drove from Denver to Salt Lake City. Colorado was actually very pretty past Denver. Not saying Denver wasn’t gorgeous, but the mountains around Breckenridge, Vail and Aspen were exceptional. Exceptionally challenging that is. You try driving Ollie fully loaded up and down mountains! Not an easy task. He chugged along though and eventually we made it through to the other side. I don’t exactly know quite how exciting it was on the other side, however. Utah was…the best state ever! I absolutely LOVED Utah. I don’t think I’ve ever literally jaw dropped, but I did at the breathtaking beauty of this desert. I’ve seen deserts before, but nothing can compare to the landscapes of the Arches National Park.

I swear the entire time driving this day I was comparing the scenery to different movies, TV shows and books. We had Fear and Loathing (of course, but only because it was Bat Country), Seven (where they leave her head in a box on the side of the road), Wil E. Coyote and Road Runner (with all the different tunnels and bridges), Through Painted Deserts by Donald Miller (if you’re not into Christian books just look past it and focus on the here and now aspect), and Macon County (yet again).

Oh goodness was it a drive though. I think it was because this was the leg of the trip I was most excited for. I couldn’t wait to get to Arches National Park. It was the one stop that I had planned. If you could have imagined more breathtaking beauty I would’ve died to see it. After a 3 mile hike to the Delicate Arch, I stood under it claiming that I’ve seen what I have of the world and this was by far the most beautiful. Plus, what’s a little beauty without a little danger? Come on! Who wouldn’t do a handstand on the edge of a cliff underneath the most gorgeous rock formation one could possibly see?! Crazy? Maybe. Mom didn’t quite make it to the top, but I give her props for hiking with me in the 105 degree heat of Utah with only one water bottle. I did meet the cousins of the Goo Goo Dolls, Robbie, at the top. Kind of random and crazy, but they did offer to get me backstage and a picture with him if I went to the concert in Buffalo. Hey, you never know!

After we finally got back to the bottom it was sunset, so we headed to the Balanced Rock and I took some pictures of the rainbow in the storm and once we got a little lower down we stopped at a viewpoint and took some fabulous pictures of the sunset. I laid on top of Ollie and just admired the general splendor of all the different shades and hues of color. The blues of the sky, the purples of the mountains, the reds and oranges of the rocks. By the way, I didn’t think it was possible to take that many pictures of rocks, but my mother found a way. We finally got back to the visitors center around 9 to get some bottles of water and head off to Salt Lake where we stayed at the sketchy hotel.

Of course, let’s talk about this again.

Karma. Okay, so apparently this is how it goes. I have to drive in the rain and the insane twisty, turvy downhill roads in Ollie in the dark and my mother has to drive in the construction areas. Fair? You’ll think that until you hear that we decided to trade off paying for gas every other time. Well, it seems to be that every other time varies in price drastically. Every time I buy gas it’s around $2.50; every time she buys gas it’s around $2.90. Karma’s a bitch isn’t it?

I think by far the most spectacular, amazing thing on this trip was while we were driving through the desert in Utah, I saw a shooting star. This was not just any shooting star. It shot across the entire sky radiating brilliance. And to top it off the tail end of this shooting star was a bright neon green. I’ve never seen anything like it and probably never will again. How’s that for absolutely amazing?

I’m trying not to be Sleepless in Seattle here, but I need to go to bed to attain the anti- of that status. So, here’s to you Floridians (and Meghann)…I miss you all.