Carpe Diem or Impulse Shopping Gone Wrong? (Harry Potter & the Cursed Child)

Sooooo... It looks like I'm going to London! I signed up last week for VIP earlybird ticket access for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (the 8th installment in the Harry Potter series, but in play form), which will be playing in London starting next summer. Of course, I wanted to buy tickets, but I didn't make time to think things through.

When I realized yesterday how IN DEMAND tickets were (at one point, there were almost 35,000 people ahead of me in the ticket queue!), I sort of just... went for it! I bought four tickets! Which means.... It's time to save up my pennies for a plane ticket/hotel/transportation/etc. next fall! Annnnnd I need to recruit three adventurous friend to come with me! (Or one adventurous friend, and I'll sell the other two tickets?)

In conclusion... Woo hoo!! London/Harry Potter/Prince Harry, here I come!

Status Update: Life in Utah

I got to see my VL friends this weekend out in the Bay Area, and it led to a lot of "How is life in Utah??" updates. Instead of repeating this conversation over and over, I've decided to compile here for you how Utah is going:

How I feel most of the time about having my own apartment:

How I feel the rest of the time about having my own apartment (miss you, DC roomies!):

What my new job is like:

Living close to family again (LOL):

Life in my YSA ward:

On arriving in Utah and realizing that elevation is a THING but still trying to be outdoorsy (bc I really do enjoy it!) and then remembering I'm severely out of shape:

But it's SO pretty here, so:

The excitement at having some of my DC girlfriends here to help each other through the transition (!!!):

How I felt about dating when I first got here:

Then:

A little later:

When I realized I'm LITERALLY walking thousands of steps fewer each day, because I now drive to work and basically never move:

But possibly the best way to describe my transition is this:

Some good, some less than good but really, mostly good. :) I'm glad to be back!

Love Right Now Is...

This post is inspired by yesterday's post on A Blog About Love.

Right now, love is...

• My baby brother flying across the country on his spring break... and being willing to drive all of my earthly possessions (wellll, OK, minus the stuff that's at my mom's house...) across the country with me.
• My co-workers, who teared up when I told them I was leaving, and then made me want to tear up also.
• My roommate who told me she didn't realize how much she loved me until I told her I was leaving... which says a lot, because I already knew she loved me. :)
• Me at church on Sunday, learning about covenants and reflecting on how a covenant establishes an official partnership between God and me, which means I KNOW He will NEVER let me down! I know I can always trust Him, and He will always have my back.
• Realizing that somehow, someday, I'm gonna have to find a man I TRUST enough to enter with him into the same type of covenant relationship I already have with God.
• Waiting patiently for that day to come and using my time wisely to prepare.
• Making a little sandwich and packing snacks, because you're going to pick up someone you love at the airport, and you know they'll be hungry when they get off the plane.
• When friends throw you a farewell party and you barely have to lift a finger, and the people you love most in DC come.
• When the people you love ALSO bring their dogs! :)
• Getting snuggles said dogs. Because dogs love you no matter what!
• Dreaming of someday soon having my own! :)
• Trusting God enough to be willing to move your life across the country when He says to.
• Baby brothers at home who can't wait for you to get there. :)

Things I Learned From Having Bronchitis

Bronchitis recently knocked me out for two weeks. I stayed home from work for more than a week (though I did work from home part of the time), and I only just returned to the office last Thursday. I slept most of the time I was home, but in between naps and a few Gilmore Girls episodes on Netflix, I learned two very important lessons:

1- Mother knows best. I already mentioned this one, but it's worth repeating. My mother has nearly-raised five kids. (I say nearly, bc my two youngest brothers are 14 and 15 and still at home. She's basically done. ;) ) She has seen us go through colds, pneumonia, countless flus, fevers, throwing up, chicken pox, tonsil removals, you name it, etc. etc. etc. "No soy doctora," she told me, "pero despues de cinco hijos, se cuando se necesita ir al doctor." In other words, "I'm not a doctor, but after five kids, I know when you need to go to one."

When I got sick, I was surprised at how quickly I got hit. To go from feeling a little sniffly, to "I can't move or think, and I'm certain I'm going to die right here," is pretty drastic. I thought I had a bad cold. I thought I'd maybe caught María's viral infection and it would go away on its own. I thought I could just sleep it off for a couple of days.

Boy, was I wrong!

On Day 2 (and Days 3-5), my mother told me to go to the doctor. Did I listen? (Hint: NO.) But I should have! I finally went to the doctor five days in, and I was still out for almost a whole week after that. I should've listened to my mother and gone to the doctor early. Maybe I would've gotten better faster. I don't know. What I do know now is when it comes to sickness, Mother really does know best.

2- Self-care is important. I know scientifically I got sick because I came into contact with some sort of infection and my immune system was unable to fight it. But I think the reason my body couldn't fight it is because I haven't been making self-care a priority. I've been working 12+ hour days, not sleeping enough (or well), not making time to exercise, not eating well, living under constant stress, etc. No more. There will always be more work to do. It looks like my team will be under-staffed for a little while longer, but it's much worse to be taken out of work for 10 days and come back to do loads of catch-up than it is to take care of myself and have a little balance on the way. No more 12+ hour days (ugh, except maybe this week when POTUS is going to make an announcement on immigration reform AND there'll be a verdict in Ferguson, MO... BLAH.), sleep WILL be a priority, and so will nourishing and taking care of my body. I deserve it, and it's the least I can do to take care of my little temple. Plus, doesn't getting a full night's sleep every night sound just divine? :)

BONUS LESSON #3: Always look on the bright side!

As you know, I am an optimist. And while I was home miserable, I tried to find good things happening, so I'd like to share a little list of them here:

1. I felt blessed for the home/visiting teaching system in the Church. My home teachers gave me a priesthood blessing, and Seth re-stocked my with DayQuil, NyQuil, and cough drops. My visiting teacher brought me soup (and limes!! bless you, Kati!), flowers, and just generally made me feel loved.
2. Apparently it was warm and beautiful out in the world during my sick time. While e'rryone else was flooding my Instagram feed with images of DC in the fall, I still got to enjoy fall colors thanks to the pretty flowers from Kati (which are still alive and going strong, btw!), and I got to enjoy my favorite city via the painting from Ashley's birthday party this summer. :)
   
   
   
   
3. Not going to work meant I saved $$ in metro fare. :)
   
4. While I was sick, I got to wear ALL my favorite things! Camp socks! Leggings (patterned leggings!)! Fluffy scarves! My deer thermal shirt! #winagain
   
   
5. I had way too many things I needed to carry around (medicine, cough drops, tissues, etc.), so I started using my little black glitter pouch to carry everything. Who says you can't be luxe when you're sick? ;)
   
   

So what I'm saying is there's always a bright side. :) (Even when you're dead tired in bed, coughing up blood, and feeling like you got run over by a truck. twice.)

Siiiiicccckkkk

I'm sick (read: starved for human contact). There. I said it. (Admitting it is the first step in overcoming it, right?) I started feeling sick on Monday, felt awful on Tuesday (but it was Election Day, so obviously, I still put in my 13 hours...), and I completely crashed the day after. I've been home in bed since Wednesday, mostly asleep, and this is what I've learned in these last four days in bed: mother knows best.

I thought I could get better on my own, but boy, was I wrong! (Although, hey! I did get a priesthood blessing from my home teachers on Thursday night! Go, me! And go home teachers! Esp Seth, who restocked my dwindling NyQuil/DayQuil supply!) I finally listened to my mom and went to the doctor today. I came back with two brand shiny new antibiotics (I can't even remember the last time I needed antibiotics.). I'm really grateful I have health insurance right now! And this is definitely the longest I've been out from work in my entire professional career, so here's hoping those antibiotics work quickly so I can get back to work!

So, basically, this is my life right now (please note that the Lipton's chicken noodle soup in the little envelopes is my very favorite chicken noodle soup of all the soups! none of this Campbell's nonsense... but con limón, duh.) --

Perspective

A few months ago, I got to go to the White House for the President's Cinco de Mayo festivities. The food (by Chef Jose Andres!) was delicious, and the guacamole was TO DIE FOR.

The President spoke to the attendees, and I got this sweet shot to post on social media:





Awesome, right?? What a great view!

Wanna know a secret? Here's the view I really had during the President's speech:




I'm 5 feet tall, remember? The room was packed, and all sorts of tall people decided to stand in front of me. And then they all raised their cell phones up, further blocking my view, and this was honestly the view I had for a good portion of the speech. (If I stood on tiptoe, shifted right or left just a hair, or when people's arms got tired of holding up their cell phones, I had glimpses of a better view.)

So that awesome shot I instagrammed? Yeah, I got that by standing on my tiptoes, holding my phone waaay above my head, and snapping the camera.

And it made me think about how easy it is to scroll through someone else's Facebook/IG/Twitter feed and to feel jealous of their picture-perfect life. What we forget is that we don't really see a complete picture. We don't see the hard moments or the less-than-perfect days. We don't see the short girl standing on her tiptoes just tryin'a get a semi-decent shot and accidentally getting a pretty good one.

So I guess the moral of this blog post is to remember that the content we see online is filtered and represents just one perspective. Let's be happy and excited for each other, but most importantly, let's be happy for ourselves and for the awesome things we're all doing. With the right perspective, we can enjoy our lives both on AND offline. :)

It's Always Darkest

I wrote an email to my brother this weekend, and I mentioned my most recent... "romantic" flop. (I have a lot of those. ;) )

It occurred to me that although it IS discouraging to put myself out there so much, only to... FLOP COMPLETELY. Even though it really, really stinks... It's really an act of faith. An act of faith that God keeps His promises. An act of faith that good things will come. An act of faith that there really IS someone out there for me. 

Related:

Last night, I was chatting with a dear friend about some discouraging times and thoughts in her life -- things that I think we've all felt and experienced (Seriously -- who in this great big world is not familiar with discouragement?), and she left my house around 11pm.

(Background: Monday - Wednesday, the weather in the DC area was rain. POURING rain. Flood-warnings-and-me-standing-in-ankle-deep-puddles-at-cross-walks rain.)

I walked downstairs with her, and I had a moment of inspiration! 

I told her to look around at the darkness and to listen to the pouring rain around us. The weather forecast for the next day said, "Sunny and 70 degrees." At that moment, it was hard to imagine, hard to visualize that it could possibly be sunny and 70 the next day, and I told her to remember when she felt the warmth and saw the sun the next day, that "it's always darkest before the dawn." (Or something like that.)

I'm happy to report that today was beautiful, and sunny, and warm (I even went on a bike ride on the Mall!). I can't wait for the day that I no longer have to make a fool out of myself, but I suppose until then, I'll keep flopping... and getting back up. :)

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That is SO fetch!

Happy 10-year anniversary, Mean Girls! Here's how we're celebrating at work:

We wear pink on Wednesdays.

I guess it's time to accept that "fetch" really ISN'T going to happen.

Cell Phones, Social Media, & Dating

Have you ever been asked on a date via text message? Or maybe you're the one who's asked someone out through SMS?

Perhaps you've been on a date with someone who is CONSTANTLY checking his/her phone? (Because I know YOU'RE not dopey enough to be that person!)

Ever hesitated before sending (or not sending) a post-date text? Is it better to send it the next day? Or not at all?? What if you want to take pictures on your date??!

Whatever your social media/texting/cell phone/dating conundrums, Forbes has a quick guide for you! I couldn't not share it. :)

And now you know. Happy 21st century dating!

Lazy Sundays

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I started this post LAST Sunday night but never finished it.

I spent last Sunday at home after church with my roommate Kathryn (our other roommate had a friend in town and was out for most of the evening). We didn't do much of anything, but it was just such a lovely day! We cooked (A lot... I was in a cooking mood to begin with, and then Kathryn discovered she had some things that were about to go bad, so we cooked it all up and froze some of it for later!), we chatted, we chilled. It wasn't anything spectacular, but it was lovely and relaxing and perfect, and it occurred to me that that's probably what being married will be like sometimes.

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And how nice does that sound? The thought of spending a comfortable, relaxed, happy Sunday (or any day really) with someone you love, where you don't really have to do much of anything, but you still feel lovely and content? And you enjoy the other's company and know they enjoy your company, too?, and you're both content to just... be?? It sounds like the best!

Where do I sign up?? ;)

Not My Week

(I guess I should give you a heads up that this post starts out as a bit of a downer (understatement), but it does sort of take an upward, Mormon-y turn at the end? Keep reading if you'd like. Or not. It's up to you.)

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I'm sorry to be such a downer, but... this really has NOT been my week.

Between being sick for five days (even staying home from work on Monday), some really intense stuff with one of my siblings + trying to figure out how to help, and what feels like endless failed attempts at keeping my heart and my mind open (also, there was this...), I am just mentally, physically, and emotionally spent. I'm running on empty, and yet... I'm not REALLY empty, because I can somehow, even right now, in this moment, when I feel so sad, recognize that I still have faith, that I still have worth, and that God still loves me. I marvel at this, and I thank God, because I truly believe the ability to have faith against all odds is my greatest spiritual gift. That's how even at my lowest and when I feel like I'm falling apart, I'm still able to see that things are going to be OK. (But let it be known that feeling sad sometimes is a perfectly legitimate and valid thing.)

I owe this perspective to my knowledge of the Gospel. The gospel grounds me, it anchors me, and it teaches me eternal truths that override anything life or the world can ever throw at me. I repeat this over and over, but I firmly believe THE most important thing any human being can ever know is that he or she is a CHILD OF GOD. That God is literally our Father, that we are HIS children, and that He LOVES US. He loves us no matter what.

President Monson gave a talk last General Conference where he made a beautiful statement about this. He said,

"Your Heavenly Father loves you -- each of you. That love never changes. It is not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions, or by the amount of money you have in your bank account. It is not changed by your talents and abilities... God's love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there."

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With my whole heart (it's still whole, even when it feels broken), I know that statement is true!

And tonight, for anyone who has ever felt as sad about things beyond your control as I've felt this week, I'd like to add that God loves you/me/us regardless of your status, regardless of what happens in your family, regardless of how many dates you have, regardless of how many boys did (or didn't) call, or any other crappy, crappy things you can't control. I have worth, and God does have a plan. I clearly haven't the smallest clue what that is, but I haven't lost my faith that His hand is somehow in it.

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My Spirit Animal is a Water Fowl

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I think my spirit animal is a duck.

From the outside, I try to look like this:

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Oooh, how about a swan!

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Yeah, a swan! My spirit animal is a swan, not a duck!

But really, I'm usually feelin' like this:

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And guys, I'm afraid of water... So this is not a good feeling!

Does anyone else ever feel like this?

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PS A really good blog post on how to appear like a CALM swimming duck (not a frantically paddling one).

Hipster, Hobo, or Thug?

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** Spoiler alert: Be sure to take the quiz at the very bottom! **

I had the loveliest weekend this weekend. I attended a beautiful wedding, ran errands by bike, enjoyed a great Sunday at church, and spent the perfect Sunday afternoon at the Bishop's Garden at the National Cathedral with Melanie. But first things first.... I need your opinions!!

Last year, I bought a slouchy pink beanie for $1 (brand new at Goodwill, baby!), and ever since, I've wanted another slouchy beanie in GRAY. (A "hipster" beanie, as I like to call it.)

I'm pleased to announce... I bought one! I tried it on at home, and my roommate said, "Oh, a hobo beanie." She thought I looked like a homeless person!!?!

Then, when I told Melanie the story yesterday, she said, "Thug beanie." Seriously, Meli?? Come on!

And so, I'd like to ask for input here. What do you think -- hipster, hobo, or thug??

in SHOCK that you'd consider this anything other than HIPSTER

Yándary is not amused.

i can't keep a straight face to save my life.

vote HIPSTER, & i'll love you foh-EV-ah

Vote here, and stand up for urban chic hipsters everywhere!



**Polls will remain open until Friday, October 25th.**