Welcome to the Aloha State

Most people know that I love Hawaii. My uncle (dad's brother) lives there so it make travel quite easy. This year we went at the beginning of summer instead of our normal Spring Break trip so that we could see my cousin, my mother's niece, get married on Kauai. So my mom and I made a week's stop on the island and immediately fell in love. We found paradise on an old ranch.

The view from our apartment

The wedding was the most beautiful and least stressful wedding I've ever been to (not that I've been to that many.) My cousin's dress was beautiful and everything about the wedding was very relaxed with little stress (except that my new cousin, the groom, went cliff diving and got back just an hour before the wedding)

The wedding party

After our stint on Kauai, Mummy and I made our 30min trip over to Oahu, meeting up with my dad and brother. Turns out the paradise that it once was is no more. It is still beautiful but there was a skyscraper or vog (volcano fog) in my sight. Because it was summer, there was absolutely NO wind which meant there was NO waves for surfing. We did manage to find some and attempted. We also went paddle boarding which is a new phenomenon coming about. You stand up on a surfboard like board and paddle. It really works the core and your arms.


View from the "Bowl"


My "big adventure" happened when my brother, Will, my 9yr old cousin, Nate, and me went ocean kayaking. Before we left, we made 3 bad decisions. 1. My brother and I didn't where life jackets (Nate did) 2. We filled the bottom of the kayak with drinks and snorkel gear for when we got the the little island (the Mokaluas) 3. We forgot to close the hatch that we put everything in.


We started out fine. Will in front, Nate in the middle, me in back (with the opened hatch.) My older step-cousin was following us on the paddle board. After we past the reef, I noticed my butt was in the water. I tried to close the hatch and then we capsized. Will and I managed to flip the kayak back over and get on. Then the kayak went up like the Titanic.

The Mokaluas

Picture this. One Kayak legitimately sinking, two people without life jackets, three yelling for help and struggling to keep the kayak from going all the way down, one big ocean. The only people to come by were two Japanese women who promptly said, "We can't swim" so we waved them on. Will and I proceeded to swim a mile to the Mokes while trying to keep Nate calm and tug a 3/4 sunk kayak.

Now we get to the tourist aspect. The entire beach of one of the Mokes was filled with kayaks. About 15 young strapping men and well built women tourists were watching us struggle to get to shore. Finally a local came by and got Nate and my cousin caught up and strapped us to the paddle board. It took us 15mins to drain the kayak with no help from the tourists. Oh well, we didn't die but that's about as much excitement for one day that anyone needs.




Same kayak, different trip






The point of this story is not only to not be stupid and make the same mistakes as I did but if you see someone struggling to get to shore, go out and help them. Don't just sit there...DO SOMETHING!!!! Past that, I had an amazing time and would do it again and again but with out the reenactment of the Titanic.

My Life in a Nutshell

It has been so long since I have written. Clearly I am not the diary keeping kind of person. Life has been mostly good but kind of like a roller coaster....I'll stick with good though.


Just to keep up to date with what I have done from my Bucket List: I went on a road trip home to L-town with Sarah and my roomie, Susannah.

I was in Dance Co-Motion (a Fort Lewis dance group on campus that preforms each term.) I was just in one dance with my buddy Heather. It was called "You Look Good in My Shirt" by Keith Urban. You can get the idea just from the title. I have never heard so many guys screaming "Take it off!" in one place. I guess I now know how a stripper feels....

I also just preformed Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the FLC Choir. We were joined by the San Juan Symphony and the Durango Chorale Society for an AMAZING performance. I have also been to an Irish pub (in Durango) which may or may not count. I am also driving home from Durango on May 4th. Four down and many more to go!!!


Past realizing that I have just checked a few events off my list, nothing else has happened. I changed my major...After teaching dance this summer I came to the realization that small children and I don't get along. At least I found out early on before I would have had to spend the next 30ish years doing something I don't love. I am now an English Writing major so that I can pursue a career in publishing children's and young adult literature. I am STOKED!!

I am just excited to go home for the summer. I have once again sold my soul for the last time to my father and the pharmacy. It pays ok and it's my last summer home so why not be with my dad? My best friend here in Durango, Dana, is coming home with me for her job in Boulder so we have so many plans.

2 weeks after I get back from school, I'm headed to Hawaii for my cousin Leslie's wedding. My mom and I will be on Kauai for a week to celebrate and then we will be meeting up with dad and Will on Oahu to visit with my Uncle Donny and his family. We might even take a 3 day trip to the Big Island to hike near the volcano's. I can't wait to go. This vacation is much needed.

I am very excited to end this school year and to go back home for one last summer. That's all I have for now but hopefully I won't wait so long to write back.

Peace.

Not Quite a Bucket List

I've been thinking about life a lot and how I don't have a set plan for it. I still don't know if teaching is the career for me and I don't even know what I'll be doing a week from now. I sat myself down and created a list of things I want to do before I graduate college. They are not in any kind of order. I have even reorganized them from what I had orginally written. I just wrote down what I've always wanted to do and haven't done. Some of these are people specific and they will know who they are when they read them.



1. Visit a different country
2. Actually stand up longer than 5 seconds on a surfboard
3. Drink a Margarita
4. Go to New York again
5. Ride a horse without a tour guide
6. Learn to play the guitar
7. Go clubbing
8. Learn to long board
9. Go on a road trip (anywhere!) with friends
10. Go on a real date
11. Ride a motorcycle
12. 4-wheel Lions Back in Moab
13. Be in a FLC play
14. Read the Bible all the way through. Beginning to end.
15. Knit a blanket
16. Eat an exotic dish
17. Go backpacking (either in USA or Europe or both!)
18. Be someone’s mentor
19. Have my first kiss
20. Make someone’s day
21. See Spring Awakening with the Wicklund’s and Krista
22. Go out partying with Liz
23. Write an illegal letter to Taylor
24. Let a guy pursue me
25. Convince my parents to let me get a tattoo
26. Get a tattoo
27. Go salmon snagging
28. Climb a 14'er
29. Go to a real Irish Pub (preferably in Ireland)
30. Visit my Uncle in Hawaii with a friend or two
31. Drive home
32. Go cow tipping
33. Go spelunking (or caving)


This is just a few of the things I have thought of! I hope to reach 50 things to do before I graduate but I just have thought that far ahead. I guarentee that this list will change. More will be added on and maybe a few will be taken off depending on how I grow as a person.


Feel free to give me ideas of things I should do. I am open for any ideas whether they be silly or serious. Hope you find this list amusing/interesting/stupid!

Fall Is Beautiful

Fall is here and what a beautiful fall it is! I am absolutly loving it here in Durango. It is so exciting the transformation I've gon through from last year to this year. Last year at this time, I had met Amber and moved into her dorm room in Cooper. I had just gotten out of a horrible roommate situation and was just getting back on my feet. This year, I am living off campus with my wonderful roommate Susannah and we are loving it.

I just got back from the most amazing weekend ever!! The Connect group went up to Cascade Lodge and partied it up from Friday to Sunday.

The view from the Lodge.

Friday: We got to the lodge at around 8. It was dark and really chilly outside. After we played get to know you games and heard Malcolm and Emily's testimonies, a group of 20 of us decided to go for a night hike up to Spud Lake. It was an amazing midnight hike! The lake was calm and still and the stars were beautiful. The ride up and back was bumpy mainly because we were all stuffed in the beds of 2 trucks and we were 4-wheeling it up a rocky road. I wouldn't trade that hike for the world!!

CUDDLE PUDDLE (of girls)

Saturday: When we all woke up, it was poring rain. I figured the day would be boring and uneventful. The lodge has an amazing porch swing that I love to go to to sit and think about life. I sat there and then other joined me. After awhile, Aimee, Erin, Dana, Mikquel, Sam, and I decided to go 4-wheeling up a rocky and muddy road. I think I had the most fun on that ride because of all the mud puddles Sam and I went through and the beautiful scenary. I have never seen such beautiful colors mixed together. There were even waterfalls coming out of mountain crevases, just like it Hawaii. Most times, we don't stop to look around and see how beautiful our earth is. No matter what our societies problems are, the earth goes on looking beautiful.

I have never had such a good weekend. Even though we were having a ton of fun, we also learned about God and how he knows everything about us, even when we put on "masks." I got to be a small group leader which is a different experience for me. We talked about what masks we put on, why we are drawn to genuine people, how we can become a better friend, and so much more. I just wish it could have gone on longer.

Me and some of the girlies!



Practicing for worship

Though I am glad to be back, comfortably nestled in my apartment, I just wish we could have weekends like that every week where we do everything in the glory of God. I'm just very content here.

Film Making

I used to be so sure that my future would lead to teaching. Recently, I am having my doubts. My dad did a commercial for his store and he asked me to be in it. He gave me the script and 30mins later I was set in front of a camera to do my part.

I've always loved acting and I finally got to put my years of summer theatre to the test. After the camera man stopped filming the first commercial, he asked me to improv another commercial on the cream that we make at the store.

I was super excited that I had nailed it! I helped the camera man do a bit more filming and while I was doing that, he offered me a job! He asked if I would help him film some of the commercials and even act in a few of them next summer!

I am really excited to have such an opportunity given to me. I would love to learn the art of movie/commercial making (and to improve my acting!)

I haven't decided what to do yet and I figure I can think about it for awhile, especially since I have almost a year to think about it.

We will see what the future brings!!

A Colorful Day (and next couple of weeks!)

Updates:

Learning to drive a stick. (I currently hate the car I'm learning on.)

Getting braces off on the 14th. (I kept it a secret for awhile!)

2 more weeks of work left. (You can't even imagine my excitement.)

Finding furniture and all the little things for my wonderful condo.


I can't wait to get back to school! I miss all of my great friends down there and I am really excited for them to see the changes I've been through ;)

Susannah and Vanessa's Amazing Condo!!!!

Today was a great day! I am now the proud renter of a condo in Durango and I only have 1 more appointment at the orthodontist before I get my braces off!

The apartment that I rented is on Florida right near the campus. I have an amazing new roommate named Susannah. She's such a nice girl. We look completely different. I'm tall, she's short. I'm light with blond hair, she's dark(er than me) with brown hair. We get along great!!

I have some pictures of the apartment........

This is the 4-plex that it is in. We are on the second floor...

This (I believe) is one of the bedrooms. There is brand new carpet and fresh paint so it's almost new!! (No strange things embedded into the carpet from the previous owners)

This is the living room. I love that it has windows and trees!!

The pink kitchen....

....interesting

The condo looks really comfortable and I'm super excited to live there for the school!!

I tell more about the braces once I get more info, but hopefully I'll get them off in August :)

peace.