8 years ago….

I loaded up two suit cases. I went to the airport. I met up with a group of people and boarded a plane to China. My family cried when they said goodbye. I am sure I did too. I had really never left, a junior college 40 minutes from my house is nothing in comparison to Asia. I was headed off with three roommates from college. One of whom had convinced me in the first place, to go to the interview. The children’s faces in the photos convinced me this was a great idea.

I remember L.A. We held on to our bags like nervous traveling Americans. We found our gate. Our layover was long. Our head teacher took some motion sickness pills, knowing the long flight that was a head. We left our bags with the sleepy version of him. We were antsy and wandered. McDonald’s was the meal I chose as my last meal in the United State, I am a fool. I sat down with two of the new people, I was headed out with. I remember her pink hoodie and question whether they were dating; they seemed like they knew each other well. I learn they too, had just met. The hilarious ginger, had made the right food choice with a large plate of Mexican food in front of him. ( Actually,  as I am typing this I question everything I believe and have believed in the past eight years, HELLO WORLD!!!  A large plate of Mexican food right before a 15 hour flight to China? How could I ever have thought that was a good idea?)  Sure, we never ate Mexican food in China, minus the chicken tacos we made in from the box my mom sent, but still I just can fathom eating that before take off.

Anyways, nothing will match the feeling of that day. I was excited, nervous, and happy. No matter what I’ll never be who I was before I left for China again. I’ll never be that confidant, innocent, wide eyed girl headed out to see the world. China changed me. And I am glad I it did, I am glad I let it. Forever more I would be that confidant, innocent wide eye girl who hungers to see the world.

Seriously, this is only in here because it was our trip from the airport to or new apartments. Check out some of the differing faces, I think they express some of the differing emotions in this moment.

This just because. We were a team. (Negative one team mate but still a team.) A team who loved taking photos and a team who didn’t mind wearing track suits with restricting elastic on the ankle and wrist cuffs, as long as it was for unity of our team.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QW6Nk6Dpu6g

Mrs. Clauses and Her Elves

Here is a little video clip from the holidays in my home town. Neighbor gifts are important and Mrs. Clauses and her elves worked hard this year.

A Mormon Single Girl’s Guide to Surviving the Holidays

I know, I know, the holidays are over. But here is the truth, they just happened and I survived them. I should save this post and post it for next season. Being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is wonderful; being 28 and single can be awkward.  Here is my favorite way it is explained:

“The situation of a Church member who is single can be illustrated by a simple analogy. Imagine that your favorite hobby is stargazing and you’ve just joined a stargazing club. You come to your first club activity eager to participate. It’s a cold night, but you’re not concerned: most of the club members are wearing club jackets, and you’ve been told you should be able to get one as well. But there is no jacket for you. You ask about it, and you are told to keep looking and that if you do your best, you will find a jacket when the time is right.

Meanwhile, you are getting pretty cold and a little worried. And you notice that most of the other club members are talking about how nice and warm their jackets are. In fact, throughout the evening the topic surfaces continually in various forms: how to wash and dry your jacket, how to add extra pockets, how to mend it, and so forth. Some of the club members notice you don’t have a jacket. “You really need a jacket for these activities,” they tell you. “Why don’t you have one yet?”” Source

I feel like the holiday season is times were I am asked about “my jacket” the most. So here are a few ways I deal with it:

1. Travel in packs

Whenever possible bring other single friends along to those company parties or a friendly get together.  Show those “Marrieds” that there are others like you out there and it isn’t that strange.

2. Practice what to say

If you have a sassy comeback ready when someone ask you why you are still single you’ll be ready. 2012 Season favorite: “How many superheroes do you know who are married?”

3. Don’t hire out a love interest

Life isn’t a Hallmark Christmas movie, don’t fake or lie, own your singledom.

4. Try to understand

For some odd reason people feel really comfortable talking about the weather and pointing out people’s marital status. If it isn’t comfortable for you to talk about, veer the conversation elsewhere.

5. When all else fails, asks for advice and tune it out

I pull this one out only when I am most irritated by the “Marrieds” blatantly offensive comments. I simply ask what do you think I should be doing different. Usually response starts with “Flirt……” and ends with who knows what, I tuned them out remember. (Okay, truth be told I usually do listen and try to apply what they say because as irritated as I am, you never know what you are going to learn.)

And lastly,  number six comes from a personal rule…..as long as your single never say no to a blind date. Blind dates always make for an interesting  story whether it is at your 50th wedding anniversary or as you relate the tale back to friends about the epic fail, blind dates make for an interesting life.

source

Caution: If you click on this source you could be lost for hours laughing and lusting like I was. I love Ryan, remember this post? I swear there was a “Hey girl, Looking for your jacket?” And I wanted to post that one but this one works too. I just kept looking couldn’t find it anywhere, but I didn’t mind searching.

Adventures with my Dad!

I just got off the phone with my pops. We had a great conversation. Earlier today I sent him this text message:

” Happy Fathers day to the best dad I’ve ever had. I’ll call you when I am out of church.”

I am not sure how he felt about that text. He is the only dad I have ever had but he s the best I could have ever had. I think if I could have picked out all of the dad’s in the world I would never picked a better one than the one I ended up with.

In our short 24 minute conversation, (24 minutes is short for us, we clocked a good 3 hour call a few weeks ago, just for record)  we talked about :

• Scout camp
• My best friend’s boyfriend
• Civic duties
• My lack of love life
• Hoarders
• His day
• Vietnam
• My siblings
• President Kimball
• How he misses his kids being little and how it is hard to have adult children sometimes, but other times it is so nice.

He gets me.  My dad is the greatest dad and my dad is the strongest dad.

I hope he has a Happy Father’s Day!

 Along with all those other fathers out there. (Like: my big brother he is an awesome dad, my grandpa Rod who taught me math when I stayed over at his house, Grandpa Mar #98it’llbegreat!, my uncles blood and adopted, and last and greatest of all my Heavenly Father.)

Here is a short clip of me and my dad chasing after a hot air balloon. We have so much fun together.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

The best thing about the UVU / BYU game was:

We were so glad we went.

My Week with my Brazilian Friends #1

We went to The Bean Museum at BYU to look at the animals.

In the bag

I love these bags! (And this blog!)

I love, I need

From top: Latitudes Messenger $38, Locked Away Bag $54, Cosmopolitan Bag $38

From top: The Last Straw Clutch $34, Buckle Up Bag $38,  Warhol Bag $38

Why did I not know about Francesca’s Collections before this moment? Their dresses, skirts and tops are adorable but these  bags are really tugging at my heartstrings.  They’re just so springy/affordable/fashionable/insert your own positive adjective here. I’d be happy to have one (read: 10) of these hanging in my closet.

Thank you Glamour, for bringing this into my life. In case you missed it, all of my posts this week are lifted straight from their April issue.

-J

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Real Classy

I just arrived home from a blind date. It ended like this, “Are you looking for your keys?” He asks, as I rummage in my purse “Yea, I have to pee.” Real classy broad. (I know.) It was relatively successful.

With Valentines day coming tomorrow, I feel that I have seen more folks rushing into love. So many engagements, weddings and relationships changes. I think it is all great stuff but I not sure that a holiday should make us rush anything along.

Like this date tonight, not sure it would have happened without Single-Awareness day, lurking around the corner. Last night, I went to a party where there were hundreds of singles hoping to mingle before the big day.

I struggle at these kind of functions. I feel like I have to force myself to talk to people, to look like I am trying. I kept giving up. It was a small apartment and there were so many people. Several times in the night I curled up in one of the many corners and crossed my arms and legs in hopes that my body language would scare them away from me.

Please, I am not anti-social nor do I think I have crowds of people that were begging to talk to me. But there were moments where I had to just give up a little bit. Other times, I was all over socializing. I met and talked with more guys than the last two months combined. That was nice.

Oh, but how long did the party go on. I made a goal to just make it across the room, pushing myself through the hormones and pathetic attempts of flirting, just to get to the other side. (Like a chicken.)

Also, I took the little hearts, the party throwers provide as name tags, and wrote messages on them. My friends and I placed them on the backs of unsuspecting victims as we passed by them. I think my favorite was “Maybe Tonight”, Arrested Development fans might understand that cousin joke. One said “I am bringing sexy back” and I am not sure who that ended up on. But who wouldn’t want to go home from a long party, flirting attempts were made, numbers were never exchanged, yet someone somewhere thought sexy was brought back by little old me. (and a little J.T.)
I was able to start some conversations because of my obvious immaturity.

Once again, it was relatively successful.
Real Classy.

None the less, Happy Valentines Day! Just in case I am the only one who tells you today, I hope it is as awesome as you are.
Well, I do.

Christmas Tree Hunting

It has always been a tradition to go Christmas tree hunting during the Thanksgiving break. It is usually after Black Friday, on  Saturday. We went. It was just me , my two sisters (Karli and Krystal), my pops, and Sidekick Suki.

Suki got lost a bit. She ran around the mountain like a crazy dog. We had to call after her several times and it wasn’t until later my dad said he was worried that the bears got her.  It sounds like we were up in Alaska but no just up the road a bit from our home.

My dad knocked his tool kit over and  all his tools went down into the snow. I searched them out with my bare hands until Karli came up with a pair of gloves. I still think there was one shiny tool in the bottom of the snow.

We passed up several Charlie Brown trees and skinny trees, things got wild on the muddy road and we finally found the tree for us.

I hope it is pretty enough for my dad’s taste, but I already like it better than last years. It was an adventure that ended with us all becoming smoky’s friends. ( That is not a crazy drug reference rather a reference to the fact we got stopped by the ranger with a gun but we were all legal with the tree tag and smiling faces.)

 

I am a HUGE Andrew Belle FAN!!

I don’t thin that I have expressed that sufficiently in this blog. I love his voice.  I love his music.  Tomorrow is Veteran’s Day and then there is Thanksgiving, Christmas  is still too far away. BUT….  this is cause to let a  little Christmas slip into our lives.  

I was lucky enough to hear about him from my rocking sister Krystal. It was her birthday and we were headed home for the weekend when she switched the plans  into going to SLC to see one of her favorite singers. I am glad she did because we were able to meet him. She got a great birthday hug and I was introduced to his music.  We have met him one other time. Here is some evidence :

(My sister is what I call the celebrity-snuggler. I will show more proof of this in a later post.)