Unpredictable

Wow I can't believe that summer vacation is almost over! I haven't done much of anything productive this summer, and I've loved every moment of it. I did just get back from a trip across Wyoming into South Dakota with my brother Curt. We decided to try and save a little money so we camped out at every KOA between here and Rapid City and all I can say is; boy I'm tired of sleeping in tents! I remember camping being a lot more fun when I was a little kid. It was really a great trip though! We were able to see Sacajawea's grave in Fort Washakie WY which was actually one of my favorite parts of the trip. We also went to Devil's Tower, Thermopolis, and Mount Rushmore. AWESOME! Then about two days after we got home I went to La Grande, OR with the family for my cousin Tennille's wedding and a family reunion. It was great to see and catch up with family, but I am so happy to be home again, sleeping in my own bed!
Besides that I've done a lot of thinking this summer and I've decided that I am destined to wander aimlessly throughout my life, not knowing exactly what I want to do. In other words I'm not going back to school this semester, part of the reason being that I have no money left for school, but also because I don't know if I want to go back into the health care field. At any rate I'm taking this semester off to make a little money and try to figure out exactly what I should focus my efforts on. I'm trying to finish up my book before the end of the summer, and then I will try to get it published. I've got some ideas for some new books but I want to finish this first one before I get to work on the others. I love writing, but unfortunately I have no experience and don't know if I have the talent to make it more than a hobby. Too bad other people besides me have to like what I write :) So that's the scoop for any of you that were wondering. Maybe someday I'll figure things out!
Anyways now that I'm not heading back to school I am soooo looking forward to Autumn which is my favorite time of the year!! Bring on the fall colors baby!

Summertime

I am loving this summer so far, probably because I have done absolutely nothing for the majority of it, yet I have been so busy doing nothing! It's crazy how time flies when you're not doing anything. I know I need to get a job and earn a little money, but I honestly have no motivation! School is supposed to be starting in another month or so and I find myself wishing I didn't have to go back. I keep hoping that I will run into a billion dollars somewhere so I can just have fun all the time. I suppose the only thing to do is find a job that I love that also makes me some money....but the finding is the hard part! If only I could get paid to travel around and stay in nice hotels, play with my nieces and nephews, camp in Yellowstone and go to Disneyland! That would be the perfect job for me!

Goodbye Oregon....for now

Here I am, the last couple of weeks as an Oregonian. I've decided to head back home and finish my chemistry classes at Idaho State University, mainly because I'm totally out of MONEY! It's always sad to leave family and friends behind no matter where it is you're going, and I cried...a lot when I left home to come to Forest Grove. I've missed my family everyday that I've been gone (especially my sweet little nieces and nephews!!) I'm so excited to be with everyone again! The sad thing is that I still LOVE Oregon! I think that I was born to live in Oregon. Not that I've met anyone really, I'm still as friendless as the day I moved here, but it is gorgeous here! It's exactly the type of place I always imagined myself living.
As I've been packing up this past week I have this bittersweet feeling. I'm so excited to get back home, but I feel like I haven't gotten my fill of Oregon yet. Every minute that I can get away from school work is spent exploring the forests and attractions of the northwestern US. This last weekend I had a ton of homework to get done, but I didn't do any of it. The weather was so nice I decided to go for a hike. I drove west on highway six headed toward the coast and just stopped at random spots along the way. I eventually ended up at the Tillamook Forest Center. I had never even noticed it before as I went to the coast so I thought I would give it a try. It was awesome! I can't believe there are places like this just thirty minutes down the road from where I'm living!
So if you get a chance to check out this side of the country I say do it! I love it here!!!!!!!!!!!

The Twilight of Spring Break

An entire week off of school deserves a little celebration. I can't tell you how long I had been looking forward to this Spring Break! Don't get me wrong, I really have been enjoying school, but I needed this break. I had been contemplating going home for the break, but in the end my yearning for adventure won out. I really have wanted to take in the sights around the Northwestern US while I'm still here, sooo....I set my destination for Forks, WA. Haha! I know what you're thinking, "Wow she must be a total Twilight freak!" Well I cannot lie, I think Stephanie Meyer can write a pretty good story, but her books are not my favorites (I'm still a good person I swear!) Still, why not Forks?
If you know me at all, you know I'm a creature of the woodlands. When I read those Twilight books I really wanted to see what the rainiest spot in the US looked like, especially because, at the moment, I'm living so close. So it seemed like a great time to go out and do it. I decided to explore a little so instead of taking the fast route up I-5, I decided to take the scenic route up the Washington coast. First off, I have to say the Olympic Peninsula has got to be the most beautiful place in the entire world!!!! And that is saying something because I've been to a lot of beautiful places! Even crazier, I was there in the cold off season, I can't imagine what it would be like in the summertime!
Forks itself is a very small town, in every sense of the word. There really is not much to see or do there unless, of course, you're a Twilight super fan. The town has really embraced anything and everything Twilight. A lady at the Forks Chamber of Commerce told me that the town had been struggling to keep afloat, and then Twilight hit and now business is booming. She told me that almost every single shop in Forks sales some sort of Twilight product, because they know that the majority of their customers are Twilight fans. Crazy to think that a book can change the fate of an entire town! So I learned some pretty awesome things, but Forks is still just a relatively normal small town. The big difference is that it's a small town in the middle of some pretty amazing places! You have national parks within walking distance, beaches about 20 minutes down the road, and rain forests 30 minutes away. I loved it!
And just so you know, the first few days of spring break, Mark came to visit me here in Portland (I don't want to leave him out because we had a fabulous time!) I woke up early on Monday to pick him up at the airport and we pretty much partied from that point on. He had just come off working the entire night, but I didn't even let him rest. We went straight to the Oregon Zoo, which was amazing, then we went to the movies. The next day I took him to the Cape Meares lighthouse where we saw some whales (I think). Then we went to Oceanside so we could check out the tide pools and play on the beach. After that we went to the Tillamook Cheese Factory and tried out some different cheeses and ice cream :) The next day we went to the Evergreen Aviation Museum and then to the Portland Temple. And then I dropped him off at the airport early Thursday morning, from which I left for Forks. WHEW! Yep it was pretty much the most awesome spring break ever!

Far and Away

So I've been back in Forest Grove for about a month now. The weather has been gorgeous! Everyday that I wake up and see that it's sunny and warm out, it makes me want to be outside doing something. So needless to say I've been exploring around Portland a little bit.
Last Monday, President's Day, I decided to go to the coast, but I forgot to take money for parking. I parked anyway and walked down to the beach, then I started feeling bad so I only stayed for about twenty minutes. I know, sad, but it was high tide and no one was at the beach anyways. So then I made a spur of the moment decision to go to McMinnville, mainly because there is a Wal-Mart there :)
I plugged Wal-Mart into the GPS and took off. About an hour later I realized something was terribly wrong when I saw a sign, "PAVEMENT ENDS AHEAD." I thought to myself, "Oh geez I better turn around!" Then I decided, "What the heck, it's not like I have anything else to do today." So, I put all my faith in my GPS to get me to Wal-Mart and started down the long dirt road ahead. Turns out, I saw a part of Oregon I have a feeling not a lot of Oregonians have seen! I did not see another car for over an hour as I slowly made my way down the muddy, winding back road. I had no idea where I was, only that I was headed up the side of a mountain and hopefully making my way to McMinnville.
As I drove up the mountain I came to a wall of evergreens. The trees were so thick that my headlights automatically clicked on in the darkness. It started to rain, and fog began to filter down through the trees. I could understand why Stephanie Meyers might imagine vampires living in a place like this. I finally reached the top of the mountain and the fog lifted a little. I was at the edge of a lake, right on the top of the mountain. I stopped in the middle of the road and turned off the car. I got out of the car to snap a picture. It was eerily quiet, and suddenly I felt very alone. I took a couple of pictures got back in the car and then sighed as I began to drive. That's when I realized how much I missed my family, my students, my friends...all the people who love and care for me, people who wouldn't let me go to the coast by myself. The rest of the drive was lost on me as I contemplated my life. I eventually ended up at Wal-Mart, but by the time I got there I didn't feel much like shopping. Instead I drove back to my roommates house.
I have decided that I love Oregon. It is probably the most beautiful place I have ever been, and I feel incredibly lucky to be able to live here, but now I know for myself what people mean when they say, "it just doesn't mean as much when you don't have someone you care about to share it with."

Je t'aime

Well it's almost Valentine's Day. I've never been real big on this holiday, but I figured I could think of something good to write about. I've been back in Oregon for almost a week. I miss the family. I want to be able to say that I'm having so much fun here that I don't have time to feel homesick, and though I am having fun, I miss my family so much. I suppose I haven't met anyone that helps to fill the void in my heart when I am away from all the people I love. It makes me wonder how anyone ever finds the strength to move away from their families. Does this feeling go away when you fall in love? Does that person occupy so much of your heart that you don't feel the need to be close to the people who have loved and cared for you all of their lives? Ah, l'amour....the subject I seem to be constantly writing about. Love is still very much a mystery to me. I've certainly liked my fair share of guys, but love...no. I'm pretty sure in order to be truly in love, their has to be a little love coming back :( Haha! I wish it didn't have to work that way! Then I would've had tons of boyfriends by now! Anyways there's my Valentine's blog, knock yourself out.

A New Year

It's been so great being home for the holidays! Putting puzzles together with mom, going to the movies with Curt, playing with my nieces and nephews, I have been having a fabulous time! With the coming of the new year I have been thinking about what has happened in my life. I really am thankful for everything that I have been blessed with. Life has been pretty darn good for me. My family, friends, people I have met and all the things that I have been able to do...it's been an amazing journey so far!
Anyways I haven't ever been real big on new years resolutions, but this year I've decided that there are a few goals I would like to accomplish before the year is over. First off I want to finish my book. It's all there in my head, I just need to put it down on paper. So I'm gonna take the time and do it before the year is over. Secondly I'm going to write my grampa and Cathal (my Irish pen pal) at least once a month. I've been so bad about staying in contact with Cathal, and I definitely need to let my grandfather know how much I love him more often!!! Lastly I am going to lay a big fat kiss on some hot boy so I can get myself out of the VL club! Haha, just kidding...I certainly don't have the self confidence to do something that crazy...but I wish I did :) There are a million things that I hope to accomplish this year, but as of now they are mostly unrealized. It's a new year, and anything is possible! Who knows where I'll be at the end of this year, and really I don't want to decide right now...I want to be free to let life take me where it will. That's what makes it exciting!