Rise and Shout the Cougars Are Out

A year ago today BYU became my Alma Mater. A year ago today I was celebrating being done with tests, papers, all night study sessions, and two years of living in Condo Row. A year ago today I was packing up my life of two years in Provo, and getting ready for an internship in Washington, DC. A year ago today I was ready to take on the world. Happy graduation day to all of my Cougars who put on that lovely cap and gown today!

I've come to the following realizations this past year:

1. Life doesn't revolve around semesters anymore
2. Growing up is overrated
3. I do work to get a pay check, not a grade
4. I should have worked harder in school
5. I miss being a college student more than I thought I would
6. I'm even more unsure of what I want to do career wise, than I was while in college
7. An hour nap should be part of an eight hour work day
8. The definition of a"sick" day can be very broad
9. As a single "career woman" my money is ALL mine
   
10. I need a passport

In celebration of surviving a year out of college, I decided it's time I break down and make a purchase that was a long time overdue.

S. Africa, Botswana, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sweden, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, China, Cambodia, Australia, New Zealand, England, Kuwait, Egypt, India, and Spain, I'll be seeing you soon.

Problem Solved

I just read this article

and wondered...

If only the LDS church was to emulate

China's dating technique, perhaps the need for singles wards would abolish,

and family wards would magnify.

If the marriage rate increases for China after this, I'd like to hear about it.

But the real question is this; would I actually trust who my parent's would deem as my

Prince Charming?

I'll be contemplate that last thought, while the lyrics to this song become stuck in my head.

Priorities

It's 1:01 a.m., my eyelids have turned into 10 pound weights but my fingers are light as a feather and won't stop typing. I have to be at work in seven hours. Ideally I'd like to be to the gym in four. But I have a feeling sleep and my better self will think otherwise. My life is crazy at the moment. Unfortunately most of that is my fault. Not all, just most.

Work, which once felt like a drought, has recently turned into a monsoon of pressing responsibilities. Poor baby, I know. Busy at work, welcome to the real world, right? Well busy or not, I'm still trying to remind myself that this IS the real world, not give Amy busy work so I can earn an A, kind of work. It's my reality I'm still not ready to face. Church obligations have increased. My conscience has been manipulating me. Sleep has become scare. A recent addiction to Gossip Girl has emerged in an unhealthy fashion. The gym and I are going through a rough break-up. And when I go out to eat at fancy restaurants I don't know how to order.

The proof:

The menu called it a "salad". Imagine my shock when a small plate with two tomato slices, two basil leaves, and three slices of mozzarella cheese turned into my hearty entree. Talk about a filler-up. "Excuse me, another basil leaf please?" Fear that another leaf would cost me the equivalent of 30 minutes of work, I bit my tongue and watched Laura chow down on this instead:

A true hearty meal:

I guess I'll never be one of Manhattan's elites.

XOXO

A

There's No Place Like Home

Six months ago, while watching General Conference here in Virginia, I saw thousands of people walking across Temple Square on their way to the Conference Center. I saw fall going to work on the Wasatch mountains. I saw views of the SLC valley, and although congested with millions of people, I could sense SLC was longing for me to be there. So, instead of having to endure another Conference weekend away from home, instead of making SLC mourn in my absence during Conference once again, and instead of me having to merely see SLC on TV while I desperately tried to swallow my feelings of being homesick, I decided to put myself, and SLC at ease. I was going home. And why not? Spotting a cheap airfare simply means it's meant to be, right?

Friday I spent the day in P-town at BYU. Yes, I may have been overly excited to see students all over campus. Yes, I may have gone to the library and done some "homework". Yes, I may have gone to a class with a friend so that we could play catch up. And yes, I may be a major nerd. But nerd aside, I loved every minute of being there. I don't know why the nerd in me didn't think to take any pictures of my Friday excursion's, but just imagine a whole lot of goodness that engulfed my day. Good friends, cupcake's from this cute new little bakery, J-Dawg's, craver's cookies, and Cafe Rio. Thank goodness it's my on month for sweets. Need I say more?

I spent all day Saturday listening/attending/being inspired by the words that were spoken at Conference by our wonderful leaders. Love them! Saturday night it was cousin {plus Lauren} time. Love them too! If they forgot how cool of a cousin I am, Saturday night was a great reminder for them. Kirk, {cute boy on the far left who is pretending to hate being stuck on the couch for a picture with us when he secretly loves every second of it and will cherish this picture forever and ever} just got his mission call to the Cape Coast, Ghana mission. Michael, we're still waiting on you to get those papers in...HURRY!!! We can't wait for you to get called to Butte, Montana! :)

Sunday morning we weren't quite as attentive to Conference as we would have liked to have been, but thank goodness itunes is so in tune {no pun intended} with Conference and already has every session ready to download for free!

My Mom, being the Super Mom that she is, is always coming up with something crafty to do. So, during Sunday morning's session, we made these:

And she also created this: http://mikejoycandrian.blogspot.com/
Yes, my Mom is now a blogger.

During the Sunday afternoon session, we did this:

{"listening" with our eyes closed of course}

And because the weather was so nice, naturally my Mom thought we needed another cousin picture where we all smile real big and look super excited about it because we just all love each other.

Sunday night I hung out with them:

{Don't pay any attention to the fact that I have the same outfit on in every picture, it doesn't necessarily mean I never changed my outfit}

This morning as I was rushing home from the DMV before I had to catch my flight, this song played on the radio...

...And I didn't want to leave.

Then, it was back to DC I go...

{Contemplating when I'll get to go home again. Next weekend for Easter would be nice}

Instead of taking a taxi or the bus home from the airport, I decided to walk.

Uh, sure, it maybe be a little walk, and the people at the airport may have looked at me slightly crazy when I asked how to get to the Mt. Vernon Trail by foot because I wanted to walk home, and none of them really knew, so apparently that was an odd question, and it may have been slightly overcast, and slightly humid, and slightly numbing to my shoulders to carry a 40+ lbs bag, but I just sat on a plane for 3.5 hours ok!

{My failed attempt to quickly capture me, my bag, and the Mt. Vernon Trail that runs along the GW Parkway before any cars or pedestrians could see me taking a picture of myself and feeling/looking like a dork}

And this is what I walked along until I reach my final destination.

Although, I'm not excited to be back, because let's face it, vacations, family, friends, no work, good food, being lazy, using the excuse "but I'm on vacation" whenever asked to do anything, are all way more enticing than the reality of the "real world", working, and responsibility, it's always nice to be back home. To my "other" home that is.

{And this was the longest post I hope (and you hope) I'll never write again}

"Fool me once. Shame on you. Fool me twice. Shame on me!

I love April Fools Day. Not because of the jokes people play on each other (it's only 1:30 and I've already been "fooled" three or four times), not because it’s April 1st and April instantly makes me think it’s finally spring time, not because my birthday is now five months away, as opposed to six last month, not because the Tidal Basin currently has these surrounding it:

Not because April showers brings May flowers, although I do love May flowers, and the Mayflower for that matter, and not because it means General Conference is almost here. But the real reason for loving April Fools Day is because 19 years ago I received the best present ever, and it wasn’t even my birthday.

I had a terrible habit of sucking my thumb. My parent’s tried everything to get me to stop. They covered my thumb with band aids, put Vaseline on it, told me it would fall off if I didn’t stop, and I’m sure a plethora of other things to try to rid me of this nasty habit. They learned the hard/long way that the trick to getting me to stop sucking my thumb was to bribe me with a cat. It’s amazing what a kid will do (or in this case I will do) when a parent bribes their child to stop a particular behavior. So, naturally I stopped and got the sweetest little kitty EVER!!! I believe I started sucking my thumb right after I got him, but hey…

"Oh the thumb-suckers thumb
May look wrinkled and wet
And withered and white as the snow.
But the taste of a thumb
Is the sweetest taste yet
As only we thumb suckers know.”

My Dad hated this little guy. But I adored him more than anything that a 4 and a half year old could, even my thumb.

Happy Birthday Oreo, how I miss you so!