Saturday, May 18, 2013

A World To Believe In

So I discovered a song by Celine Dion on the plane ride home from my mission in Australia.  It's called "A World to Believe In".  At the time, I felt like it summed up my mission experience.  As I listen to it again, I realize that it sums up my life!

So you should go listen to it, because it's good!

Life is full of hard things!  Heartache, pain, suffering, broken trust, abuse, separation from loved ones, bad health, lost love, loneliness...the list goes on and on!

But amid all those terrible things are beautiful wonderful things!  One of my roommates is blind.  I was talking to her today about her condition.  She told me that if she had the option, she would probably still choose to be blind.  She said she would be too afraid of what she would see, that there are too many terrible things that she's glad that she doesn't have to see.  But I think the beautiful things make up for the terrible things!

Sunsets, mountains, clouds, flowers, smiles, the way old married couples still in love look at each other, beautiful art, music notes on a sheet of paper, reading poetry, colors, eyes, city lights, stars, rivers, animals, etc.

Although life is full of pain, Heavenly Father has given me a world to believe in!  No matter how hard life gets, His love helps me rise above all of it!  Is it hard?  Yes!  Is it worth it?!  YES!

I will take all the hard things because amidst those hard things are incredible experiences!

*Good Song: A World to Believe In by Celine Dion

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Single Girl Probs

Okay so this post is based on numerous experiences I've had over the years!  So here goes!

Part One: Skank Girls
The beat of the country music makes me want to stomp my boots and be twirled around.  I spot an attractive man across the room I've seen here before.  I meet his eye and smile, hoping to encourage him to come ask me to dance.  A few seconds later, he starts coming my way.  Yes!  Maybe it worked!  But out of the corner of my eye, I see a girl in short shorts, a tank top, and cowgirl boots that are definitely not legit making her way across the floor.  The attractive guy spots her as well and the next thing you know they're dancing around the room and I'm still standing on the side - by myself - and not dancing!  Intercepted!  By skank girl.

That's what my friends and I call the girls at country swing dance night that always get asked to dance.  Men just like scantily clad, overly made up girls!  Come on country boys!  You know they're not going to work hard or do much for you other than look pretty!  I mean, let's get real, girls like that are way too high maintenance!

These skank girls also get in our way every time we try to do line dances!  They come stand right by us.  There is definitely a certain amount of space you need to do some line dances and these girls just don't get that!  Half the time they don't know what they're doing so they give what they think are sexy booty shakes.  And they just look hilarious!  They think they're so hot...well, I guess the men do too... but seriously, I just laugh every time!

But that's just coming from me - a country girl who would rather be out shooting guns or four wheeling than going to a movie or getting my nails done!  And I don't know how to be super hot for the life of me!  I have too many other things to worry about than to worry about catching a shallow man only looking for a hot girlfriend with no substance!

Part Two: Men Who Think They Can String You Along
 Okay, so what is with men who think they can lead us on?  One second they're all friendly and wanting to spend time with you.  And then the next, they're completely ignoring you!  Or flirting with other girls in front of you!

One week:  Date, call, call, text, text, handholding, etc.  Next week:  Nothing.  The next week: Call, call, text, date, hang out, etc.  Next month: Nothing.  Next week: Text, text, call, date, cuddling, etc.  What?!

I mean, these guys drive me crazy!  What the heck do you want mate?!  You either want to date us or you don't!  So make up your mind!  Don't play around with my or my friends' emotions hey?!  We're people too!  Either pursue us or leave us alone!  Are you interested or not?!  Just when we start to get over you, you come back with something nice to give us hope that something might work out!  It's like they think they can leave us on the back burner when they're checking out other girls.  If that doesn't work out, they come back around! 

But the dumb thing is that sometimes we let them put us on the back burner.  Maybe we as girls think that nobody else will come along.  But I have decided that I would much rather be alone than be somebody's second choice.  Dating games are dumb!  I am making a goal to be more straight up about what I'm thinking!  Yep!

So there's my little rant for the week.  But being single really isn't all that bad!  A couple of my friends and I have just been talking about dating recently and so there are the thoughts that we've come up with! :)

*Good Song: Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Big City Living!

Hahaha, me in a big city...

This is great!

I find a strange comfort in seeing pickup trucks driving around Salt Lake.  Maybe there are more country people than I realize.

Also I live near this really beautiful park that has dirt trails going up into a canyon.  The trail is right along the river and just beautiful!  I went exploring there yesterday.  My mom went with me and we wanted to cross the river at one point.  So what did we do?!  We took off our shoes and waded across the river!  After walking up the trail about 3 minutes, we realized there was a bridge!  Haha!  Oh well!  Wading across the river is much more fun than walking across a bridge!

We got lost trying to find a store, but that's because my GPS took us to a random place in the middle of a residential area!  :)

I smiled and said hello to a few strangers when we walked past.  A couple of them seemed really friendly.  Maybe the city won't be so bad after all!

The girl I replaced in the house I'm living in invited me to go get Thai food with her the other night too.  So I've made a new friend!  She's really great!  And I love Thai food! 

In all, I have determined that this whole city living isn't going to be so bad!  I even know a place where I can go shooting!  Give me a place to hike and a place to shoot and I'll be happy as can be!  :)

*Good Song:  Kiss Me in the Dark by Randy Rogers Band

Thursday, May 2, 2013

AAAHH!!

Almost six years ago I packed up my little Toyota Corolla with my clothes and my keyboard and made the six hour drive to Logan Utah by myself.  The only person I knew here was my cousin Megan.  I remember being absolutely terrified.  I cried on the long drive, knowing that my life was never going to be the same.  Friendships would change and I had no idea what it was like to live in the world outside of my beloved small town.

Haha!  It still makes me smile when I think about how I didn't know how to find street addresses when I first came here to school.  I'd never had to use them in my little town.  I'm still pretty good at getting lost though.  So I guess that hasn't changed much in the past six years...even though I've had a lot more practice! :)

Almost four years ago I packed the same Corolla and made the long drive back to my hometown.  I was getting ready to go on a mission to Australia.  I cried on the long drive knowing that everything was going to change.  My friends would be graduated or married by the time I got back.  I was scared, but those 18 months were some of the most incredible months of my life!

Almost two years ago I made the long drive back to Logan to finish up my education.  I was so nervous then too.  Would I make friends?  Would people think I was weird after being on a mission?  The only person I knew that was still here was my little brother Jason.  He set me up with some pretty awesome roommates and I met my very best friend, Brittany.

Now I'm about to pack up my little Corolla again.  (I've had the little guy for a long time!)  The drive isn't as long as it is to my beautiful little town, but I'm just as nervous as I've been at other crossroads in my life.  But I know that this is the start to something incredible!  I've been nervous every time I've started something new.  But every single adventure has turned out to be so fantastic!

So I think I'm ready for another one!  Because this adventure is going to be just as or even more incredible than the other ones I've had!

*Good Song: Hearts on Fire by Passenger and Ed Sheeran