Episode 2: Napoli!!!

Alright, Episode 2!

Sunday night in Rome Randy and I realized we were leaving the next day and had no idea where we were going. So on a whim we decided on Naples, known to the locals as Napoli! Which is how I prefer to say it. It fits the atmosphere....but it just doesn't have the same effect in text. I'll tell you in person next time and you'll see =)

So Monday morning we went down to the train station got our reservations, and were on our way. Napoli is the birth place of Pizza, and they're very proud of it. And they should be, it was probably the most amazing thing I've ever eaten. The people there were amazingly kind, but I've never been more scared in my life to walk down a sidewalk.

Traffic was an adventure everyday. You know that stressed feeling you get driving on the freeway in rush hour traffic? We got that walking down the street. People swerving and honking all over the place! Plus, when motorcycles can't get around cars, they just drive down the sidewalk. And they'll beep at you like they own that sidewalk. Which, when we first got there, we thought they did. But after a while, you get calloused like the locals. By day 2, when someone beeped at us we were throwing our arms in the air and shouting like we were Neopolitan. And we thought we were. We owned that city, and everyone was in our way, not vice versa. It's pretty much the only way to survive.

Randy found the equivalent of an Italian Taco Stand. They're everywhere and they sell these mini pizzas for €1. They're ok...just like pizza with no cheese....so like dough and sauce. For me, it was enough to sustain life. For Randy, it was love at first sight. But they were only in Napoli, so he's been crying about it ever since we left. It's quite pathetic really...

The shops were full of people, and the haggling was impressive. There was even a whole alley devoted to figurines. They sell them year-round and they get especially busy around Christmas. People buy nativities and then come to the figurine shops every year to add to them. It's a great tradition, and I almost bought one just so that I'd be forced to come back every year, but I resisted =)

We stayed at 2 different hostels, the first one was crazy, expensive, and sucky. The second one was amazing! It was a monastery converted into a hostel. The people were very chill, and I was really sad that we only stayed one night. But alas, after 3 days there, we discovered that 90% of the city smoked (including children under 12), and the large quantities of cars and traffic produced an equal amount of exhaust. Which meant that my body was recieving much less oxygen than it was used to. So the stress, mixed with the lack of sleep, topped off with polluted lungs, was leaving us quite tired and slightly sick. So we were ready to move onto small town Pisa, located in the open fields of Tuscany.

Aside from the large amounts of traffic and pollution, Napoli has been my favorite. Tune in next time for Christmas in Pisa!

Italy Episode 1: Rome

Alright kids. The series you've been waiting for: Italy. It begins!

It all started off quite well. I had everything packed (I thought), and had a ride all arranged to the airport (thanks to Larena and her amazing last minute good-heartedness). I had a layover in Detroit and stopped for lunch with a good friend. I had 3 hours so I thought all would be sufficient and I'd have time to get back and on the plane, especially since I only had a carry-on.


However, as I returned back to the airport, they told me it was far too late to check in and I couldn't actually go to Italy. Of course I freaked, and then the lady said that as long as I wasn't checking any luggage I could still get on the plane. So she handed me my boarding pass and I ran to security, which thankfully had no line. As I was about to walk past the security guy I was tackled by some small asian lady demanding that my bag was too big to take on the plane. How is that possible when I clearly got it from Salt Lake to Detroit without ever having to check it!? Apparently someone in Salt Lake had lost their mind.

So Asian Lady rushes me back to the check-in line where she tells the other lady (we'll call her unhappy lady) that I need to check my bag. Unhappy lady doesn't even look up my flight, just looks at me and tells me it's impossible. I can't go to Italy. What do these people have against me going to Italy? The she looks at the lady next to her as if to get confirmation that I'm an idiot for even thinking it was possible to take my bag on the plane. Lady #3 is petrified by the fact that Unhappy Lady will eat her if she doesn't concur, so she, of course, agrees and looks at me like I'm dumb. Great.

However, just at the moment I thought I was doomed to be stuck in Detroit with some extremely unhappy individuals who think I'm an idiot, a large black woman comes shoving through from the back. She starts yelling about calling people, and rushing my bag to the plane and makes it known that Unhappy Lady is incompetent at her job. I like Big Black Lady :) In the midst of her screaming she stops, looks at me and says "Sweetie, go get on you're plane, I'll take care of your bag." Yes ma'am! So I book it to the plane and just make it as they're threatening to take my luggage off the plane (Ha! It wasn't even on there!).

It was eventful. A simlar event happened in Amsterdam, almost making me miss my flight to Rome. I still had no idea if my bag was on the plane or not. I love adventures :)

But, I made it to Rome, my bag made it to Rome, I found a train and made it to the hostel where I was reunited with Randy. He showered, I took a nap, and we went for a walk. A 6 hour walk. The best thing about Rome is getting lost. The city is so crammed together, and so full of amazing famous things that you're bound to stumble upon something old and cool. We had no idea where we were for 6 hours, and it didn't matter! We just kept walking and magically we were next to the Trevi Fountain, then we were at the Colosseum, then the Spanish Steps, and then we trekked up this amazingly long, steep hill until we saw the most beautiful view of the city! It was gorgeous. All lit up, and you could see St. Peter's Basillica....it was amazing. It made the crazy hill completely worth it.

We of course went and saw all the sights, the Colosseum, Roman Forum, amazing cathedrals. We walked along the river, found some great markets, beautifully lit alleyways with the neatest little shops ever. The people in the hostels were amazing. We made lots of new friends, played Presidents and Scum, and experimented with fun italian desserts.

Rome was amazing, and kind of feels a bit like home to us. We rode through it on the train on our way up to Pisa the other day, and it felt so nostalgic. I will forever love Rome.

Next installment: Napoli!

OK!!!

I suck. At blogging. Ha! So since my last post was in July, I think I need to bring ya'll up to speed just a touch.


As most of you know, I've started working full-time at my chiropractic office, while going to work. I'm also doing extra massages in all of my spare time, which leaves....not a whole lot. I go back and forth between moments of "BAH!!! This is INSANITY!!!!" and "This is awesome! I'm like a real live adult!" It keeps me balanced :)


But the main thing I've noticed in these last few months, is how acutely aware of each of us God really is. He gets me. More than I get me. This huge span of time has brought a whole slew of life changes for me, and I'm amazed at how exactly they were catered to my personal growth.


Most of my friends are married and the others are on their way to be. Included in this crowd is my best friend from the mission, Sharon Tidwell. It all happened so fast that I didn't even really have time to notice the change happening....just...Whamo! There it was. This summer she took a job as a counselour for EFY, an LDS summer camp. Which meant that she'd be working all day everyday for 3 months straight. As she left for this expedition the Lord oh-so-subtly scooted 2 very key people into my life- Randy Lasson, and Jared Snow (previously mentioned in my Memorial Day post). Since I've always been one of the guys I fit perfectly into their little duo, and enough fun was had to fill the BFF void.

When Sharon came back from her 3 month jaunt, she was engaged. There was a little more notice than that...but not much. :) If she didn't marry the guy, I would've wondered if something was wrong with her. Seriously wrong. He's a perfect fit for her, and I'm excited for them.

Realistically, when I look back at this summer that's all I'll remember. God working again to perfectly orchestrate people in and out of my life. I'm so grateful. So in honor of the good times of the summer, here's a Jared, Randy and Sarah moment from Halloween

P.S.
Did I mention I'm going to Italy for Christmas? :)

Ode to Jenny

So for those of you who noticed a few days ago on my facebook, my car was stolen last monday. It's been a really interesting experience, because I really actually....don't care. It's very strange, and I think it has something to do with all of my friends. I honestly have the most amazing friends in the history of the world. I'm so fortunate to have them. Let me give you some examples!

The morning it happened Sharon came straight to my house to comfort me (even though I was ok), and then picked me up on her lunch break so that I could use her car for the rest of the day. She's also offered me her car while she's at EFY for the next 3 weeks.

My roommate Susie has borrowed her parent's car for the weekend, and let me use hers until Sharon goes to EFY, and she wrote a poem about it. She's pretty good at poems.

I told my friend Randy and his first concern was that my massage table was in my car, which it was. My massage table is second only to my hands in terms of importance for my job. The car I don't really care about that much. My table....was really sad. So Randy called up all of my friends (that he knew) and started a fund to help me get a new table.

Before my mission I sold my scooter to one of my bosses, Dr. Vance. When he found out about my car, he offered me to use the scooter, or to help me find a new car.

My other boss, Dr. Adams, happened to have a massage table that someone asked him to sell in his garage that hasn't been used, and said he'd let me use it, and if I wanted to buy it, I could get a really good deal for it.

Not to mention all the phone calls, and people sending their regards to the late and great Jenny. It's been a really great experience for me. Which is amazing, because it should be something so devastating and difficult to deal with. The Lord has blessed me with such great people in my life, that it always makes big things seem so small and insignificant. It's also friends like this that will bind together stronger during these hard times. This experience has changed my persepective so much, and I owe it all to Jenny. Here's to you, wherever you are!

Here's some of the sweet stuff my friends did

We all went out to breakfast and and the money was presented with this beautifully handmade card.

This has become the current creative goodness on our whiteboard

Seattle

This past weekend I had the opportunity to go to Seattle to see a young woman I taught on my mission and her husband be sealed in the temple. It was defintely a weekend to remember!

Thursday morning we (Aubree Healey and I) left early, and braved the 14 hr drive up with my friend Darrin and his wife Anna (Darrin happens to be a brother to the groom), and had them drop us off in at our hotel that night.

Friday, we woke up early, rented a car, and went to see the city.

The funny thing about Aubree is that while we were mission companions we discovered that God put the same brain in two bodies. We're constantly thinking the same thing at the same time, and saying the same phrases. It's amazing, and made for cruising around Downtown Seattle, very exciting. I even had my first oyster shooter. Something I care to never do again.

We also found out that Rent was on tour with 2 original cast members (Roger and Mark, in case you cared), so we of course had to go see it! However, we both managed to forget our cameras during that portion of the evening. One time when having the same brain doesn't come in handy.

Saturday was the big day for Leslie and Devin. We went early and spent some time in the temple on our own before the actual wedding. The whole experience was the most rewarding, spiritual experience I've ever had. They love each other so much, and now they're able to have a family that will last for eternity. It was a really special moment, that can't be compared with anything I've ever felt.

That night we went up with the family and partied it up at the reception. We had an early flight and my friend Rachel was taking us to the airport on Sunday, so we left early, and met up with her. Spent the whole night chatting, got very little sleep, and then flew back for Salt Lake at 7am. And I even saw Mt. Ranier peeking out of the clouds while I was on the plane. It was the perfect end to a fabulous trip! :)

But it's Hard!

So this year started off just like any other- with a whole slew of resolutions I never really intended to keep. Of course there was the standard lose a million pounds, eat healthier, keep my room clean, read my scriptures everyday blah blah, but among a few others I also wanted to reteach myself the piano. As time went on I of course I just acted like I never made them, and continued on with my old habits. Until...

I went to the LDS Church's support group for black members (It's kind of like a mormon-baptist conglomeration and I'm a huge fan of clapping and dancing while belting out "Just a Closer Walk with Thee." So I go.), and the speaker there was an LDS inspirational comedian by the name of John Bytheway (That is his real last name). His whole talk was about gardening, and he correlated it with our lives. In the talk he said something that's stuck with me. He said "Weeds grow all on their own, they don't need any assistance. But to have a beautiful garden we have to work hard to cultivate the plants we want to be there." He related that to habits that we have. Bad habits exist all on their own. We don't need help wanting more chocolate, sleeping in, or wanting to be lazy. We don't have to work at those. But what we do have to work at is the opposite: being active and productive throughout each day.

So I left the evening having gleened some new info. I thought about that a lot, and decided on the habits that I wanted to cultivate, and the ones that I wanted to weed out. It pretty much seemed like it had come back to my New Year's resolutions. Oh good. I made out my list (only mentally) and then left it alone. Until....

Memorial Day weekend when I went to Bear Lake. I spent a lot of time in the back seat with my friend Randy. We weren't really friends prior to that, but when you're crammed in the backseat together for a while, it just kind of happens. Anyway! On our way home Randy somehow came in contact with a piece of gum, and was chewing it. So in our silence I asked a question

Me: Randy, what's you're biggest pet peeve?
Randy: People who quit things because "it's hard," Yours?
Me: People chewing gum.
Randy: I hate you.

While my purpose of the conversation was to tell Randy that gum chewing drove me insane I afterward realized what he said. His pet peeve was people who quit things because they're hard. I quit all kinds of things because they're hard! Heck, that's why I don't do new years resolutions. I make them because I feel obligated, but I never intend to follow through! That would require change....and effort! Heaven forbid!

So I stewed on that for a couple of weeks, and then in one of my pondering states the thought of "it's too hard" collided with "weeding out bad habits" and WHAMO! A light bulb went on. I decided to make a change.

I've started running. I am a self-professed anti-runner. I've considered making a facebook group about it. Not really. But you get the point. I decided, why not do something you hate? Especially if it's good for you. I can only grow from it. So I went and bought a fabulous pair of running shoes, as well as some shorts. And I love it. I've also started to play the piano. My fingers kill me during the whole process, and all songs are half the speed that they're supposed to be played at, but I can do both hands together!

I've never felt better in my life. The victory of overcoming fears, and bad attitudes is the biggest adrenaline rush of my life! So to all those who hate something so much, but know that you need to do it: Do it! One of the Presidents of the church used to have a poster on his wall that said DOn't quIT. Lots of things in life are hard, and most of 'em you just have to hit head on, and never give up. Even if it's too hard.

Memorial Day Weekend

My first long weekend in almost 2 years! I was so excited, and it was fun packed! Starting with Friday, my friend Brian had a birthday party for Bob Dylan. It was quite exciting. I actually got to be the Bob Dylan Proxy, those pictures were taken on someone else's camera, so one day I'll have the picture of me wearing the wig.

Saturday my friend Jared (he's more of an aquaintance really) had a birthday party which I went to. It turned out to be about 6 people: 3 guys, 3 girls. Aside from me, everyone there grew up together and apparently the guys used to duct tape people when they got bored...so they decided to try it again.

Jared, Mike and Randy are a bit like the 3 guys from the Princess Bride to be honest. Randy is the ring leader. He's always making up these schemes that really have no rhyme or reason to them, but it seems to be what keeps him going, so he does it. Mike is like the giant. He's Randy's secret weapon, and once he's got his hands on you, resistance is futile. Jared on the other hand, is just kind of there. He's not really into what they're doing, but he goes along with it anyway, mostly just because Randy's so convincing. They're entertaining to watch.

Anyway, they started with Laurel. Sharon and I made good efforts to combat them with lots of kicking and flailing, but in the end they won out and ended up getting us too. They were so kind to document the occasion with my camera. Look how proud Randy is.




The good news is while they were getting my ankles, I was trying to step out of the tape, and accidentally kneed Randy in the nose. Booya.

Then Sunday, one of my friends from the mission came in from Georgia, and after church she came with a bunch of us up to Sharon's cabin in Bear Lake. It was very laid back and a needed break for me. The weather wasn't very good so we didn't get to go out on the lake, but we rode the 4 wheelers and dirt bikes a lot, and even got caught in a hail storm while riding down the hillside. It hurt. Those pictures were also on someone else's camera. Soon to be posted. All in all, it was a great weekend. Sad to see it go, but life is for fun right? You have to make the fun all week long.

Mystery of the Week

So in case you're not in the know, I work in a Chiropractic office for 2 doctors. Both of which are pretty crazy...in a good way. In fact I should probably start posting some of the funny things they do...

Anyway, other than the Dr's there are 4 of us girls in the office. So today, Dr. Vance asked us all what size shirt and shoes we wear. Weird. I've never had my boss ask me that. Ever. So Ashley, Kellie, and myself started to speculate what it could possibly be, we came up with 3 options:

Option 1: Office Unity- Our semi-annual Patient Appreciation Day is coming up, which is pretty much a big deal in our office. Instead of scrubs, we wear normal people clothes. Which usually wouldn't be a problem, but some of the employees might happen to wear something immodest...so they've purchased shirts. And on the off chance we may inappropriately expose our toes they've purchased us shoes? Yeah, we're thrown off by the shoes too.

Option 2: Baseball- Both are pretty big sports buffs, and they've sponsored baseball teams in the past. Plus them and their chiropractic buddies are constantly throwing their unsuspecting staff into doing things they're not good at. Plus you need special shoes and shirts. I just don't wanna end up looking like that guy.

Option 3: Bowling- Let's be honest, this is the one I'm praying for. Regardless of the fact that I can score a perfect 10 with the bumpers in, I love to bowl. It makes me laugh. Plus, this sport definitely has the coolest uniforms.

In a couple weeks, when the fun of keeping a secret wears off for these overgrown 5 year olds, I'll let you know what the real reason was, and maybe even submit some pictures!

Chicken Ice Cream

So my friend posted this on Facebook and I found it equal parts funny and disgusting. So I thought I'd share it with you! :)

Mmmm Mmmmm Hot dogs!

Gulpin' Away The Cash

So today, I went to go put gas in my car, and ended up locking my keys in my car. I tried the 'ol clothes hanger trick, failed. Then a random drunk man attempted to help me out. He even ran over to the police station next door to see if they'd help. No luck. So we went inside, he bought a 40 oz, and I called a million places for quotes. One guy told me $65, and after I told him that I found a place that would do it for $35, he said he'd do it for $32.50. Really? You just cut your price in half? Sure!

So...I ended up spending 2 hours at this gas station waiting for the locksmith man. And I couldn't help but notice that everyone that came in got fountain soda. I didn't realize it was that popular. Then I started to think about all of the money that that could add up to. If you came in every day and got yourself a big gulp at $1.29 a cup, multiply that by 5 working days a week, 52 weeks a year, and you're spending $335.40 a year! That's more than I pay for rent. Crazy huh? And think of the calories, sugar, and aspertame that go with that... :

Surprise!

So recently my bangs have gotten completely out of control. You know, when they're so long that they're not tuckable behind the ear, but still in your face. It's even worse when you have glasses because then you get these little winging things off of the frame. Totally unattractive. So I decided to go see my hairstylist Tyler. Who is amazing. And straight (I know you were wondering).

So I go, and he sees me gets excited cause I haven't been in in 3 months, gives me a hug, and brings me over to the sink. So we're washing and talking, I get the fabulous neck massage (the reason I tip him so well), and he asks what I want to do. So I point out the most apparent hair faux pas happening toward the frontal region of my head, he stares, and then I say, "Well I don't really care, just not too short." Then he says "Ok.....can I have fun?" "Of course!" He's Tyler, the god of all hair art, him having fun, equals complete fabulousity on my head. So we're talking and next thing I know, he's in the zone. Can't hear a word I'm saying, and my hair continues to get shorter, and shorter....but at the same time more and more amazing. It was impressive. I was surprised at how short he took it, but let's be honest...I'm in love. With my hair...and maybe Tyler because of his ability to make me look so darn good. Here are the pictures:

So a few weekends ago a good friend from the mission, Elder David Wyder, gave his homecoming talk in Cypress, CA, right next to Anaheim. It was also conveniently the weekend right before my birthday, so we combined the two reasons and decided to roadtrip down to play on the beach.... and to see him speak of course. But most importantly to go to the beach. Here are a few pictures, with obnoxious commentary. Enjoy.

Meet the gang:



Sharon with the aviators, me and bug guts, and Julie and Lacey. It was quite possibly the best roadtrip crew I've ever had. Sharon provided the amazingly-spacious-gas-efficient Santa Fe, Julie's always got some kind of connection, and Lacey our own personal photographer.

Julie gave us our Vegas hook-up. Not only did she help us stay in the Mariott for the Associate rate, but her friend worked at some fancy club in Vegas. We showed up, dropped a name and we were in. It rocked.

Some of our great stops included the "World-Famous" Alien Fresh Jerky, in the town of Baker California. We weren't sure if the Jerky was fresh from the Aliens, or if it was actually Alien. After realizing the deliciousness of the free samples, we thought it better not to ask.

Downtown Disney, which, compared to actual Disney, is not quite as exciting, but free. It also included the Lego Store (also, not qutie as cool as LegoLand, but free),

which as you can see, had a ginormous giraffe constructed entirely of Legos. Inspirational really.

Julie had her fortune told by an alien, which actually yelled at you if you walked past it and didn't put money into it. We bought into the scam. The fortune was lame, but entertaining

nevertheless.

Also had the pleasure of dining at Bubba Gump Shrimp, where the food is not quite so tasty, and hugely over-priced. But the staff and large amounts of random paraphenalia are enough to

distract you.

And after all fun was had, we made it to the beach. Chilly, but oh-so worth it.

After another disgustingly cheap stay at the Marriot, and delicious homemade crossaints, we arrived at the homecoming, had dinner with the fam, and then braved the 10 hr drive straight throught the night. Which lead to my first, and possibly last experience with a Rockstar. And we rounded the whole thing out with a little 2am birthday bash for my big 2-3.

I'm Not Crazy After All

So when I left for my mission I left all my stuff with my friends in Utah because I knew I'd be coming back here. So when I got back it was nice to discover that I had a lot of things that were mine. It was kind of an exciting feeling...like buying all new stuff, without spending any money. I highly recommend trying it. Kind of like one of those things...you know...what are those called? Time capsule! Yeah, just stuff it full of old crap you don't need, but like to have around, leave it with a trusted person for a couple years, then go get it, and experience the magic!

Anyway as I started retrieving things from the 2 places I left them (Julie's and Jeff's), I was getting quite excited for one particular box. The one with all my movies and books. My life. Considering I only buy movies I absolutely love, and I hadn't read most of the books in my collection, I was pretty excited to embark on the journey of actually putting my money to good use. But, after getting all my stuff, the box was nowhere to be found. Julie claimed we had brought it to Jeff's, and Jeff simply denied it ever being in his basement. He seemed pretty convincing. Plus, I distinctly remembered putting them in Julie's storage unit, but they were MIA. I even looked through all the boxes myself when she wasn't home! (Sorry Juls, not that I didn't trust you...), And after that convincing evidence, I just figured I'd lost my mind, and manufactured this extremely vivid memory. Eventually I came to the sad truth that I'd never see it again.

So then, a few days ago, I get a message from Julie yelling, "I owe you an apology! I lied to you! Call me back!" Now, Julie's never lied to me in our entire friendship...and quite frankly it sounded big. Call me a bad friend, but if it were that bad, I probably would've skipped town. So I call her back to see what the big lie is all about, and she tells me that they had a minor flood in their basement and had to clean out an obscure corner where they found...you guessed it...My Box!!! She apoligized repeatedly, which wasn't neccessary because it's not lying if you don't even know it's there! This is where I take a second to brag about her amazing BFF-ness. She rocks! She apologized for unknowingly misleading me! Who does that? I mean, I'd say "Whoops, sorry about that" and then make like it never happened. She felt genuinely bad. Rock star, I tell ya. Ok, moving on. So then, this is the best part...I get to have happiness time capsule all over again! Two whole months later! And as the cherry on the sundae - I'm not crazy after all. :)

Round Shoes and a Ponytail

HA! Sorry, can't start this story without laughing about it maybe a little bit. hehe. Alright, I'm composed. So, this weekend, my roommate's friend had a "People Who Don't Suck Party" which...as the name suggests is an event, that is held so people who don't suck, don't have to be around people who do suck. Sounds like a good plan right? I thought so too. I later learned that it's also useful tool for discovering that you, infact, do suck. :)

As much as we all love the internet, and beautiful things like Facebook, and how easy it is to send an e-vite, it doesn't always work well. I never actually recieved my invitation to the party, but was on the guest list anyway. Luckily, my roommate, Sarah, is in PR and is used to following up with people about things, so I recieved a verbal invite, a few short hours before. Realizing that Sarah was the only person that I'd know there, and she would know quite a few people, I tried to get some backup, hoping I could bring a small comfort group along with me and not feel so alone. However, short notice sucks, and only my friend Brian was able to come. Hooray for Brian! *NOTE: Brian is an important element in this story, hence the photo. It's also just a funny picture

I kind of knew the sort of people we'd be around, so I made sure to dress up a little bit with a sweater and nice pair of jeans, but I was hesitant to wear nice shoes, I like to dress up, but I always think it's fun, and more comfortable, to wear my Converse. However, I'd left them at Julie's house so the strappy black ones had to do. Finally, Brian arrived and we headed on our merry way around 8ish, and found ourselves thrown into a world neither of us had ever been. Everyone was dressed fashionably fabulous- and in season, the condo was something I would have imagined in NYC, complimented with an ambiance of mood lighting and music that somehow appealed to all, managing to be club-esque, with a hint of lounge - low enough for normal conversation, yet loud enough to simply listen if desired. There were a variety of sodas, of no recognizable brand, but with flavors comparable to IBC or Stewarts. We used real forks to eat our appetizers (which were, of course, posh) and some pretty impressive mini plastic plates. The only tackiness to be found was the Premium Selection brand popsicles brought by Brian and myself (Ok, he brought them, I mooched). I felt really ordinary, and self-consicous really quick.

Though I (just barely) looked the part, most of the time I felt like I couldn't say something unless it was adding substance and meaning to someone else's life, and considering most of what I say is useless and silly, I stayed pretty quiet. I had fallen to people watching, and occasionally commenting on someone else's conversation with Brian, finding quite a bit of comfort in the fact that I wasn't alone. Soon conversation had turned to what the guys liked in a girl, and to be honest, I wasn't really paying attention until quietly, almost to himself, Brian said "I like a girl with round shoes and a ponytail." Sarah and I were the only ones who caught it, and we looked at him with his little smile and laughed, because not only was it true, but a needed comfort. While I was there I felt simple, and common, and a started to feel the need to fit into that crowd. When Brian said that, I realized the simple confidence in his statement. I am a round shoes and a ponytail kind of girl. Yeah I like to get dressed up every now and then, but mostly, I'm pretty casual, and it's ok. In fact, not only do I like being that way, but I have friends who are like me, and think I'm pretty interesting. So interesting, that you're reading my blog!

Tender Mercies

So tonight I went to Institute (kind of like Mormon college, but free...) and I'm taking a "Teaching of the Living Prophets" class where we study talks given by Apostles and Prophets in our day. This week we talked about "The Tender Mercies of the Lord" by David A. Bednar. In my opinion, one of the best talks ever given. Discussing this talk, this evening, was in itself, a tender mercy from the Lord.

Most of my life I've claimed that I don't believe in coincidences, and since I first made that statement, that fact has been proven to me over and over. "The tender mercies of the Lord are real and...they do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence." They come subtley, and without warning or knowledge, and if we're not careful, we miss them all together. So many times we think we're alone, without purpose or direction, and that no one is ever listening, but these tender mercies are a loving Father's way of showing that when the rest of the world has given up on us, He is there. He loves you, He's paying attention, He wants to help, and most importantly, He's the only one with the capability to help when no one else can.

Elder Bednar defines tender mercies as "very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts." All those words are great, but what do they actually look like? My tender mercies generally involve snow (especially in Georgia), letters, phone calls, a song on the radio, a package of tea and pastries, a breeze at just the right moment, the list goes on. Whatever they are, they're always chosen specifically for me at that specific moment. Today was not such a good day for me, and all I wanted to do by the end of the day, was go to Institute. Sister Healey (my faithful institute buddy) listened to me whine all the way up, the discussion we had was amazing, and I was living high my friends! As far as I was concerned, my evening was finished off perfectly. Until....Happy Hippos. For those of you who know me, I firmly believe that Happy Hippos are pretty much the best thing ever invented. They make me...well, happy! Suffice it to say. I love Healey for randomly having them in her car. You're a rockstar. :)

All You Need is Love

So Saturday was Valentine's Day. Ya know, the day about love and relationships, where men buy large amounts of meaningless gifts that they really don't care about - just to make girls happy? Yeah, that one. In my almost 23 years of living, I've had a "valentine" once. The rest of the time I walked around and moaned and complained about being single. While the rest of my friends rode off into the sunset with Prince Charming, I sat at home watching my sappy chick-flick collection wondering how it was possible that Ewan McGregor choose the "beautiful courtesan" over me; when clearly I would have supported him for who he was: a broke, hopelessly bohemian writer.

This Valentine's Day, however, something changed. As the dreaded day approached, I encountered tons of ill feelings about the holiday. Plenty of Facebook statuses counting down the days to ultimate misery, others who vocally expressed their distaste for the opposite sex, and more than enough comments about how it's a holiday made up by the greeting card companies. I found myself sucked in by the cynicism of everyone around me. I had become a royal V-Day Scrooge, about to be visited by the Ghost of Valentine's Present.

One of my mission companions had proposed a ladies night, and I was totally down with "sticking it to the man" by not having a man. To be honest, I was anticipating a repeat of previous V-Day evenings, only with more people involved. In bitterness I quietly reassured myself that I didn't need a guy to make me happy... and that I wasn't bitter.

When it was time for said party, I made sure to look as cute as possible, threw together my salad, and headed over to Healey's house. Upon arrival I was greeted warmly by 6 of my closest friends (all looking fabulous), and the place completely decked out in Valentine's Day decorations. We all ate dinner, had dessert, and then launched into games that made me laugh harder than I've done in a long time. There's something about hanging with the girls. Sisterhood is the best feeling in the world. No one gets you as a woman, like another woman... it sounds logical, but until you get it, you just don't get it.

Through the whole experience, I learned that Valentine's Day isn't so much about having a boyfriend (or girlfriend for my male readers), it's about one thing. Love. Sometimes we become culturally caught up in life, and define things that need not be defined. Who says you need to have a sweetheart to be happy on Valentine's Day? And who says you need to listen to that person? No one. Life is about living, it's about being happy. The world is going to turn the same no matter what our relationship status is, so we may as well find excuses to be happy instead of searching for reasons to be miserable. All we need is love, who cares if it comes from your best friend, your mom, or even your cat. At least you have it, and the least you can do is spread it.