A Step Behind

The summer is almost over! Honestly, I don't think that I have ever had a summer literally fly by as quickly as this one has. By this time next week, my fun roommate Ashley will have moved back to Utah and most of my summer intern friends will be preparing to leave as well.

I guess that I have been doing a lot of thinking lately ("...a dangerous past-time, I know" - 10 pts if you can name where that quote is from!).

I realized that I am going to be 27 in a month and a couple of days... Crazy, right!? I have seen many friends finish college, get married, start a family, and I have been feeling like I am a step behind.

College - I love learning, just not in a school setting. I am constantly being told by my friends, co-workers, residents that I need to finish my degree. I don't disagree with them but if they knew the extent of my hatred of tests and being told what to read and study they would see my point. I LOVE learning and trying new things, I love school when I don't have to stress about a test (which is usually the first week). It sounds like I am making up excuses, I guess in a way I am, but I just hate school. Why can't they have a college where you don't have tests!? I am a terrible test taker!!!

Marriage and Children - Well, I am not going to be having either of those in the near future (sorry Mom and Dad). Okay, is it because I don't feel like I am ready to take the step? Not really - it is a scary step to take, but with the right person can be an adventure right? Then of course there is a whole person who needs to be included in this equation... Hmm.... Interesting....

Children - Those of you who really know me, know that I am not good with little children. :) I am good at shopping for clothes or purchasing a toy or two every now and then, but I just don't know how to entertain a child. It is a weird feeling when you look around you and all of your old roommates, friends, co-workers, sisters are having children and you are sitting on square one still. It often reminds me of Phase 10, when you are stuck two phases behind and everyone continues to move on ahead. I have gotten use to the fact that I may not have children of my own, my eternal phase 9.

Upon reviewing what I have written, this almost sounds like a pity party! Please, Please... No pity party intended!!! Overall, I am in a good spot. I like who I am becoming and know that I still have a lot of learning and growing to do. College will be starting again for me soon. Mr. Right?? He is either out there thinking of me or waiting for me in the skies above (Sheri Dew said she was going to marry Captain Moroni, well I am getting one of his Stripling Warriors then)!

Life is good - Life is Great! - Life is Beautiful!!!

Had to share!

I was transferring some of my old pics onto a memory stick and found these old pictures of Alesa. I had to share because I thought she looked so adorable!

She's a cutie!

I just got back from the Beach and pictures will be posted soon! It was amazing! We went to an island where people were camping and there were real live wild horses!!! They would walk through the campground - sort of like the buffalo in Yellowstone. It was crazy! Okay, I'll post the pictures soon!

A Spiritual Thought - sort of!

I am one who has always felt uneducated in the spiritual thoughts category, but I realized something tonight. Of course, this is something that I realized later in life while most caught on earlier..

I always wanted to be one of those smart commenters in a class, and although I am still working on the smart part I am starting to comment. I am truly thinking about how I can contribute in some way to the discussion that is going on. I have found that not only do I not fall asleep but I actually learn and what is then taken in can be used in later lessons. Wow!?

Who would have thought that the way to become a commenter was by actually opening your mouth? I know, I know... Me.

What!? A YEAR???

That's right - I reached a big mile marker this past month! I have been here on the East Coast for one year! WOW!!!

I have missed the friends, family, co-workers left behind in Utah and all of the activities/gatherings/bbq's/birthdays I have missed out on. The only thing that I know is that I am where I am suppose to be!

I have loved getting to know the history of our country on a deeper level. Plus, I can't get over the amazing concerts, zoo, museums, memorials that are all FREE to the public!!

Some of the things I have experienced the past year include:
* Learning that girls really do sweat and it can pour off your face (that was just walking up the stairs in July)
* How amazingly beautiful Fall can be
* A GPS is your best friend
* No matter how far away I live, Mother is just a plane ride away!
* There are more restaurants than just PF Changs (although it is still one of my favorites)
* How nice a metro system is during crazy weather
* How beautiful Cherry Blossoms are in the Spring
* How handsome the Police/FBI/Firemen are out here
* The average age of a single person is 28 (just where I want it to be)
* Doesn't matter if you live 12.2 miles away from work it's still an hour commute
* It only takes four hours to drive through five states

That is a tiny little list compared to what I have learned and seen the past year! I have loved the time spent and memories made so far and I am very excited to see what the following years will bring.

Chasing Rainbows

The last week it has been rainy here on the East Coast. I have even seen a couple of rainbows, which was very surprising because I didn't think you could see those between the massive buildings here.

I was driving to FHE a couple of days ago and saw a very beautiful rainbow and it reminded me of one of my favorite memories. When I was around 14 and living in Tridell, it was raining really hard one day and then I saw the most beautiful rainbow ever. I went and told my sister Erin, who was 16, to come and check it out. She did a little laugh and then promptly told me to get in the car. When I asked why, she simply stated we were going to chase rainbows.

Really!? I remember looking at her and thinking she was crazy and getting in the car more out of concern rather then looking for an adventure. Off in the van we drove chasing the rainbow and I never had so much fun! We even stopped at one point and got out to run towards it... Obviously we never reached it as I am not sitting upon my pot of gold!

But I have never forgotten how much fun it was to just act silly and have a little one on one time with my sister. Something we didn't do a lot of while we were in our younger years.

So, I hope the next time you see a rainbow you will go and chase it. Leave the worries of the world behind for those few precious moments and just enjoy the chase.