You're The One That I Want (Olivia Newton-John & John Farnham)

The older I get the more I feel like I've found my niche in the world, and that I am a legitimate personality not because of what I do, wear, say, or even how people react to me. I simply am. It blows me away how much time even I have spent thinking about how others perceive me and attempting to be commendable in their eyes. Leaving high school is like emerging from the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland and realizing that nothing in life is how you thought it was. It's funny because in high school you really begin to notice things, especially other people and their feelings and motives. You observe them in interesting ways that are often superficial and skewed until you've had enough time with your new observatory skills to really get an idea of something more akin to the reality of things. I swear until I was in my teens I saw my life almost like a script. That isn't to say I was weak-willed; I was counted among my closest acquaintances as stubborn and "hard-headed." But because my parents were so willing to help me become involved in whatever I seemed most interested in, the suggestions from them were often taken. This habit of just following whatever suggestion I didn't have any strong objection to  became an interesting one as I got older and increasingly came into contact with more friends, parents, and other people. It's still only recently that I've begun to have stronger preferences about things. It's funny to be confident enough to express opinions without worrying about who will judge me because of it. It's interesting to find that these strong feelings about things are what set leaders apart from followers, what help you to relate and make friends, what help you to date. It seems paradoxical because you would think that a person who remains neutral and doesn't insult any one group would be the most likely to get along in groups, but actually humans as a general seem to prefer a straightforward if highly opinionated person. As I've grown older (An absurdity for me to be saying at a mere twenty years of age) I feel comfortable being myself. I can give a recommendation on movies, books, life choices, humans, cars, and countless other living or inanimate items without disparaging my own suggestion for the sake of the group. I feel a sense of freedom in this, oddly. I don't feel bad to tell people I like the Breakfast Club, Dirty Dancing, Grease, Hot Rod, Stuck in Love, Wayne's World, or tons of other cheesy movies. I think Logan Lerman is cute, I think Nicholas Sparks and Stephen King are talented authors, I think dogs are cooler than cats, salty is better than sweet. I think once you start admitting to the world who you are then everything becomes easier.
In other news, as of noon today it began dumping snow outside. SNOW. I am elated beyond the level of where I should be committed to an insane asylum. I cannot wait to get my feet strapped down to a board and start on my first great falls this year. Also I took a group ice skating lesson and learned that I am not nearly the klutz that I have always believed myself to be. I'm learning to skate backwards!! (Believe me, the muscles you work when doing that are muscles you weren't even aware existed before...). Snow sports, yeah. Maybe once I've appeased my family by getting enough use from my boarding equipment to justify the room they take up I'll collect some skiing things as well. Skiing equipment is common here. You can pick it up pretty cheaply from any thrift store. I'm not sure if that's common or it's just Alaska, because the people here are quite the outdoor fanatics. It isn't uncommon to find snowmobiles, four wheelers, skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, or just about any other fun outdoor thing you can think of using posted to the online yard sale sites. We'll just see how much I can get away with before my landlords put their feet  down. ;) 
I also rediscovered NaNoWriMo this week. For those of you without the writing event know-how that's an abbreviation for National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo started out as a challenge to all writers of words regardless of age to write an entire novel in one month. In the adult league that means it has to be 50,000 words and must be submitted by 11:59 PM on the final day of the month. Originally NaNoWriMo was held once a year in November, but after the contestants began to develop into a firm community they developed a forum and began issuing monthly writing challenges of differing rules, and multiples "wrimos" per year. That's why for the month of February I am thinking of challenging myself to write a 50,000 word novel. BAM. I, too, like to live dangerously, sir. Just to emphasize my utter  lack of sanity or maybe my insane command of awesomeness I have chosen to participate for my first time on the shortest month of the year... Possibly. I think I'll take the rest of the month to ponder this idea. To be, or not to be.
It sort of annoys me when I see something that has so much potential to be a deep, somewhat obscure yet no less brilliant reference only to realize that the person who used it didn't mean it the way I thought at all and were not quite the geniuses I assumed. When driving down the road today I noticed the truck in front of us had a license plate reading "Brutus". "Wow," I remarked. I wondered what that meant. Was he referring to himself as a traitor? Was he calling us a traitor? Or was he simply trying to reference one of the greatest figures and lines associated with classic literature and betrayal. Out loud I said, "Look, his license plate says Brutus." expecting everyone else in the car to reach the same conclusions as I had regarding "Brutus" being a reference to Julius Caesar and his magnificently conflicted best friend. But the response I got was a bit more simple than that: "Maybe that's his name." His NAME??? And waste such an amazing opportunity to speak such volumes about human nature, classic literature, friendship, love, wisdom, and betrayal in one single word?! What a complete waste! The idea that "Brutus" would be on a license plate had honestly never occurred to me, but when I saw it and then imagined it not being used the way I would have hoped it would be... I was surprisingly annoyed by it. Maybe I'm an old man at heart, like Nick from the New Girl. ;)

Be My Baby (The Ronettes)

Today I take time to answer the 36 questions that according to social psychologist Arthur Aron, can make two individuals fall in love. Aron insists that if a heterosexual man and woman enter a room, sit across from one another and answer the questions, then maintain eye contact for four minutes, they will fall in love. An undeniably interesting claim at the very least, and since this gentleman went to the trouble of declaring such a bold thing, the least I can do is attempt to test his theory. For now I will answer the questions, until such a time comes when I want to pull this trick out in order to force someone to fall in love with me. Could come in handy, especially if I come across Jared Padalecki or Logan Lerman. ;)

 1. Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?

Probably Seth Meyers. Or Aziz Ansari. Or Melissa McCarthy... They always make me laugh, and they seem to have comfortable personalities - they wouldn't be awkward like George Washington or Bo Burnham.

2. Would you like to be famous? In what way?

I wouldn't mind being famous for writing a book, but nothing more conspicuous. Fame seems to bring out the worst in people and I wouldn't want anyone going through my life with a fine tooth comb.

3. Before making a phone call, do you ever rehearse what you’re going to say? Why?

Yes. I am deathly afraid of phone calls with people I don't know very well. It seems like having a plan of action will help with my nerves, but really all it does is serve as a pep talk so I'm actually capable of making the call. Once I'm on the phone I usually end up ad-libbing anyway which, by the way, I'm almost always brilliant at paradoxically. 

4. What would constitute a perfect day for you?

Any sunny day where I get to try something new, learn, and eat good food. This could be going to the beach, a day shopping at my favorite stores, visiting a new country, learning to surf, ziplining, bungee jumping, snowboarding, hiking, camping. A million different circumstances could make up my best day, the most important things are that I have good food (probably pizza, Chinese, or Mexican) and good company. Because a good friend makes all the difference: if you do something alone it won't be one tenth as fun. 

5. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?

I last sang to myself when I drove to work about an hour ago. I last sang to someone else about twenty minutes ago when I sang to the baby I'm sitting for. 

6. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you choose?

The body. It seems like the elderly have good memories until their bodies start to degrade. I believe if my body weren't degrading at the rate of a 90 year old then my mind would probably stay mainly intact. 

7. Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?

No idea. I hope it isn't uncomfortable. Natural causes I imagine, my family tends to stay on the healthy side if they aren't affected by extenuating circumstances. 

8. Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common.

Skipping

9. For what in your life do you feel most grateful?

My family/friends.

10. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?

Maybe nothing. All the experiences have added up to who I am now, and I like who I am now. If anything I might have added more travel or gotten more involved - but I have always already been pretty involved.

11. Take four minutes and tell your partner your life story in as much detail as possible.

Tricky. I was born in January 1995. My dad was a teenaged jerk, and my mom was a little bit crazy. When I was three my mom married the man who was to become the real father figure in my life. Growing up I can remember moving a lot. My biological dad would pop into the picture now and then for visits and gifts, but nothing too often. I read books constantly and was always involved in some club. Girl scouts, soccer, baseball, swimming, art class, book clubs, the list goes on. I remember living in a little neighborhood in Marysville with lots of neighbor kids. There was a little town in Utah I lived in and my best friend's name was Jordan Puttnam. I got a mountain bike that year for my birthday, and my parents made me a Powerpuff Girl cake by hand. We only stayed in Utah one year and then moved again to Alaska. In Alaska I was in a church group and volunteered at the library constantly. I spent my spare time memorizing bible verses and reading my way through popular books like Harry Potter. I befriended two snobby girls, Bethany and Tiffany. My parents continued to have children. At this point there were six of us, myself the oldest then Lexie, Katie, Abbie, Bradley, and Sam. At the beginning of high school we went for a visit to California and ended up staying for the next five years. My cousin Rachel and I went to rock concerts and Sunsplash, and had a thousand sleepovers. While in California another child joined our family, Lily. In high school I was popular. A lot of guys had crushes on me but I dated only one through high school who was my best friend. In the end it didn't work out, we didn't even stay friends because at the beginning of my first year of college we moved back to Alaska. I realized who my real friends were and have grown up more in the past year than I even thought possible. I became a full time nanny and a full time student. It was hard but I got through, and I have met a lot of interesting people nannying. Today I'm going to college for business, and I'm nannying, coaching a Lego club and living part time at the gym. My goals today are to see the world and try everything that I can. 

12. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained one quality or ability, what would it be?

The ability to put people at ease while they are speaking with me. I want people to feel comfortable and valuable when speaking to me. 

13. If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?

I would want to know who I end up marrying. I think that would be good for a smile. My interests in knowing the future are limited, and I know myself pretty well already.

14. Is there something that you’ve dreamt of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?

I suppose I would like to snowboard. The main thing keeping me back is the lack of snow in Alaska. ;) 

15. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?

The greatest accomplishment of my life is my education thus far.

16. What do you value most in a friendship?

Honesty... Loyalty. The ability to laugh over the crazy things in life and overlook the scary things in the world to see the beautiful. 

17. What is your most treasured memory?

I don't have a favorite. I've done a lot of great things. I have a lot of great memories camping in the Redwoods. It's truly beautiful out there. As much as I love a good shopping trip or a ride at Disneyland, I think camping has been one of my favorite adventures. It's relaxed,  it's funny, and you always bond with the people you are with in a new way. Being put in nature is an amazing feeling. Fresh and free. I feel like I could do whatever I want in that moment. I could start walking and just not stop. It's empowering. But it's also awing. You look up at those massive redwood tress that have been there longer than your grandparents, and you breathe the clear, fresh air, and suddenly your soul is free. A part of nature. You can feel the life and ages old power rustling through you. The world is only a planet full of living things, and you are just one of billions of other living organisms coexisting. In nature I feel small and large at the same time. 

18. What is your most terrible memory?

My worst memory is of my parents fighting, actually. Nothing extreme happened. In fact the only reason I remember so clearly is because it is my first memory, and it was both of my biological parents. The only real reason I list it as my worst is because it is the only bad memory I have really bothered to remember. 

19. If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why?

 Absolutely. I'd probably sell most everything I have and take trips of all kinds. A cruise along the Mediterranean, a road trip across the US, surfing lessons in Hawaii, snorkeling in Aruba, boarding in Reno and Tahoe, backpacking through Europe. I would be less concerned about the future and more about the here and now. The main reason I'm not living that way is that I want somewhat of a secure future, but now that I'm thinking about it I should take a gap year sometime and live life carelessly. ;)

20. What does friendship mean to you?

To me a true friendship is something endlessly valuable. A friend isn't someone who is just like you; it isn't even necessarily a person who likes the same things as you. It's someone who would listen to you talk about silly inconsequential things for hours on end. It's someone who wants to be with you to do absolutely nothing - just to be there. It's when something crazy happens to you and the first thing you want to do is call that person and say "Oh my gosh, guess what just happened?!" It's that person you would stand up for in a second, or that when a nasty rumor is going around about you, you don't even have to ask if they believe it. You know they don't. Friendship is about outlasting the hard stages of life, remaining through the awkward situations, persevering through the hardships with grace. It's about remaining a constant source of support. It's about countless tasteless jokes that no one else thinks are funny. It's about those wordless conversations when other people are in the room and neither of you has to say a word. Friendship is a level of comfort with someone else that puts you at ease and makes you feel like you neither have to perform nor conform to norms. 

21. What roles do love and affection play in your life?

Complicated ones. I care sincerely about the friends, connections, and even employers that I have. Romantically I suppose I'm a bit more guarded. I try to be friendly and generous with my feelings, but I have a difficult time finding genuine, goodhearted people. Ultimately I suppose I'm fairly open about love, but only from healthy, reliable and sincere sources. I don't expend a lot of energy on individuals that seem flaky or unhealthy for me. I am open to love but not seeking it. Maybe I'm picky. ;) When someone comes along who's worth my time, I'll reciprocate interest. 

22. Alternate sharing something you consider a positive characteristic of your partner. Share a total of five items.

Skip

23. How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people’s?

I've never truly wanted for love. My family is vast and if there is anything they give out freely it's love. They've always been affectionate, and if I need any of them they are there for me. I would say that my childhood was very happy. My parents always took time to nurture me, and my siblings and I have always been very close. I was even homeschooled when I showed an interest in school at an early age. I never dealt with bullies, I never felt that I was inferior to other children, and in fact I was a comfortable leader from a young age. If I showed an interest in something, my family supported it. Likewise I have always felt good helping them to reach their own goals. My family has always stood as a strong and friendly unit. As I have grown more and had the chance to find out what other families are like, I have grown to love the things about my family I've come to recognize as unique. 

24. How do you feel about your relationship with your mother?

My relationship with my mother is strong and also funny. My mother and I are close. We tell each other most things. If something great or horrid happens to me I almost always call her right away. We are very different personalities so I'll bite my tongue when she talks about zodiacs and she'll do the same for me when I'm obscenely insensitive. If I drive her into town we'll probably get into a fight over my driving or my vehicular music habits, but no matter how bad a disagreement we have, we'll get into the same car the next day cracking jokes and talking about life. 

25. Make three true “we” statements each. For instance, “we are both in this room feeling…”

Skip. 

26. Complete this sentence “I wish I had someone with whom I could share…”

Laughter. Loyalty. Love. Life. Family. Adventure.


27. If you were going to become a close friend with your partner, please share what would be important for him or her to know.

That honesty is important to me. An honest friend is pretty high on my list of valuable things. If you're honest with me, I'll be honest with you. If you're dishonest I won't be very comfortable being your friend. I can be loud and obnoxious, and other times quiet and reserved. A friend of mine should probably be willing to tolerate my affinity for knowledge, music, and adventure. Most importantly a friend should know that while even I admit I can be odd (everyone is) I would do anything for a loyal friend. When I'm good friends with a person I'm a good listener when they need me, a good partier when they need celebrating, a good silencer when they need comfortable quiet, a good comforter when they're distressed... I'm basically the full package friend!

28. Tell your partner what you like about them: Be honest this time, saying things that you might not say to someone you’ve just met.

Skip.

29. Share with your partner an embarrassing moment in your life.

Oddly enough I can't remember any significantly embarrassing moments...
My first winter in Alaska I was driving into town on the newly icy roads when the guy in the truck in front of me slammed on his brakes. To be fair it was a dangerous day to be driving and several people in our little town had already ditched themselves that day, but when I tried to brake I found myself sliding across the ice. I could feel the antibrake as my car skidded without heed on a nice patch of ice, only to rear end the truck in front of me in an undoubtedly hard hit, not quite hard enough to engage the airbags. If you've ever been in even the mildest of accidents you understand how the adrenaline rushes in immediately. My blood was pumping thunderously through my veins, my thoughts were not forming coherently, and I barely seemed to have the strength in my legs (which seemed to have turned to jelly) to maneuver myself onto the side of the road. It was with a sinking feeling of dread that I watched the door to the truck open and followed suit. I'm not sure if I resolved to play the poor clueless and shaken young girl card or if it just came naturally, but I must say I was pretty brilliant at it. I was caught off guard only a moment when I realized that the person I had hit was a young and shockingly attractive man. He was wearing carhartt pants, a button up flannel and a beanie. Even though he had a bit of a beard, somehow he pulled it off and you immediately got the feeling he was a nice guy. The kind of guy that was probably married despite his age. All of this only served to make me feel about a hundred times worse about hitting him (Am I a bad person, or what?). The first words out of my mouth were an unsteady "I AM SOSORRY." To which he replied calmly "Is everyone okay?" I glanced back at my sister Kate in the passenger seat and gushed some more, "We're fine. Are you okay?" "I'm fine..." "I am SO sorry..." "I'm fine, is your car okay?" I looked at my car, still unable to get a full handle on my brain or mouth. "I think so. Oh gosh, what's that?" There was a round cylinder on the ground. "Oh that's mine," he said calmly, picking it up and deftly reattaching it somewhere on his truck. "See? No problem." I continued to stare in horror at the two cars before getting down on my knees and checking beneath our cars where I found a large piece of silver plastic, "What's THIS?" I asked with continued lack of thought and equal amounts of panic. "Oh that's from your car, see?" He pointed at the front of my car and I realized I was holding the neatly detached bottom half of my car's front grille. "Oh..." "Hey, are you sure you guys are okay?" he inquired. "Yes! Yes, we're okay." In the end we both got into our cars and obtained minimal damage, but that was admittedly embarrassing...

30. When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?

I'm not sure... I don't cry too much. I think I cried last over a scene in a TV series when some foster kids were reunited with a loving foster mother. 

31. Tell your partner something that you like about them already.

Skip. 

32. What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?

There aren't many things, actually. I don't mind joking about most things but probably the one thing I don't think isn't a laughing matter at all are people who are unhealthy or uncomfortable enough with the world or themselves to create unhealthy habits... Habits that harm them mentally, physically, or emotionally.

33. If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven’t you told them yet?

There is nothing I haven't said that I would regret not saying. I've told my family and friends that I love them, I've made up with most of the people I ever fought with, and I can't think of a single person who wouldn't know how I felt about them if I died tonight.

34. Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why?

Oh gosh I don't know, my phone? Laptop? a few extra layers of clothing? I pretty much have my phone with me anyway at all times. My car keys wouldn't be a concern. Probably the laptop, assuming I was already wearing enough clothing. 

35. Of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? Why?

That... Is probably the most disturbing question I have ever been asked... I don't rank my family members. I couldn't tell you.

36. Share a personal problem and ask your partner’s advice on how he or she might handle it. Also, ask your partner to reflect back to you how you seem to be feeling about the problem you have chosen.

My biggest problem right now is that I really want to buy a white husky puppy and name it Zuess, and train it intensely until I pretty much have a large, beautiful, protective, friendly dog... But I keep spending my money on random things (like my collection of snowboarding equipment that has seen zero use since it has hardly snowed in Alaska this year... Okay that's a problem too. ;)). I imagine you would respond by saying I should budget my money and purchase the dang dog... Which sounds like a good plan.




And that is the end of the 36 questions... I never thought I would make it to the end! There is some weirdly personal information in here! I feel like I know myself better after undergoing such a rigorous questioning. And remember, according Dr. Aron you're all halfway to falling in love with me now. So, either a massively self destructive move on my part or a brilliant ploy to drastically increase my blog popularity. I'll leave those of you who actually made it through this post to ponder that on your own. Until next time: Later dudes. 

Life Starts Now (Three Days Grace)

I tried Mongolian Barbeque for the first time today. I wasn't sure what to expect when I first arrived at the Twin Dragon in Anchorage but the smell emanating from the building was more than enough to draw me in. The resteraunt was set up in an all you can eat style. Everyone went the length of a bar with a large brown clay-looking bowl, filling it with all kinds of raw veggies and noodles which were then seasoned by a friendly, exuberant woman whose first language was obviously not English. The food is cooked by a nimble man on a giant stone wok with what appear to be giant chopsticks. Now my true ignorance in the traditional cooking of Asian descended foods is revealed in my description, but watching him prepare the food is really something to behold. He swishes it back and forth in easy strokes with the oversize sticks, moving them around the full round of the giant wok. When he finishes cooking he swoops the entire portion into another large bowl with one practiced swipe (which is way more fun to watch than I can even describe here). I was advised to have my own portion seasoned in what sounded like "sesh wan". As it turns out, "sesh wan" is Mongolian for "This will probably set your mouth on fire. And not the kind of fire that can be easily smothered with a bit of baking powder. More like a slow enduring burn. We're talking lava. Or an oil fire." It was delicious. When the man at the wok hands you a steaming bowl of noodles and veggies that you just watched him cook with a giant pair of chopsticks you have a grin on your face large enough to tear a hole in the space-time continuum. When I had eaten as much of the noodly mixture as I could handle, we went in for dessert. It was there that I found my true love. They had fried sweet bread coated in cinnamon and sugar. Personally when I hear that description I think of an elephant ear or a churro, but this was so much better than that. This sweet bread was better than cinnamon rolls, better than donuts, churros, elephant ears, cookies... You get the idea. If I were stranded on a desert island and could only eat one food for the rest of my life I would choose this sweet bread. Sure, it wouldn't sustain my body and I would become horribly unhealthy before dying of malnutrition in all likelihood... But that's all irrelevant because I'm not stranded on a desert island and even if I were how could I possibly have the choice of an unlimited and singular food supply? Following lunch my parents and I visited an old family friend, Carol Smith. Carol's husband passed a few years ago and since she has become a regular point of contact for my family. We stop in and talk to her about life, love, religion, life, whatever crosses our minds mostly. Inevitably the questions I am always asked were asked. "How's school?" Ohh school is going alright. Got myself in a bit of a bureaucratic financial bind, but I'm worming my way through the proper channels. I changed my major from Dental Hygiene to Business. No I haven't narrowed it yet beyond general business. I'm thinking of manangerial, marketing, or perhaps taking it in a public relations direction. And secondly "Getting back into the dating game?" This question continues to leave me confused as to what people expect. I'm a young twenty year old. I don't see the merit of returning the attentions of any man who hasn't proven himself worth my time. Sure, I notice the perverted check-outs, the subtle flirts, and occasionally the totally creepy advance. But it seems like every time I spend any time with a guy he turns out to be a total loser. So you see, it isn't that I hate men, it's just that the limited amount of men I've been exposed to in Alaska have been either committed already or else not committed for a reason. I'm constantly being encouraged to "find a strapping young man" as it was recently put. But I'm content to wait until I find that guy that changes my world, rocks it off its axis, and makes me fall head over heels. Or just a guy who'll stand by me and indulge my love and sense of adventure... Either way. I want a guy like my grandfathers. I'm not deflecting the attentions of men, and I'm getting my share of attention. But I'm not actively pursuing a relationship either. Certainly the moment you cannot stand to be on your own is the moment you are not strong enough to be your best self, and be loved to your full potential. I don't have to be someone's girlfriend to be valuable. I am valuable in and of myself. I don't have to chase after men to give my life meaning either. I wouldn't mind a nice redheaded guy with a scottish accent. In fact I would be happy with Bash from Reign, Logan Lerman when he played in Stuck In Love, Nick OR Schmidt from New Girl, Zac Efron from pretty much any movie he was ever in, etc, etc. My interests in men are fairly open. I like men as a general. I'm not out of the dating game, I'm totally in it if my interest happens to be piqued. The great thing about being single is that I'm free to do whatever I want and I'm pretty much not limited in any way. Currently my interests lay more in travels and experiences. There are so many things I haven't done yet, how can I even worry about men? Even I have to admit that dating is fun, and makes for good gossip though. And if I manage to squeeze it in between my new experiences, or even perhaps within them, I think dating around is going to be.... fun. ;)
When I told Carol that I was just "Waiting for a guy to come along who was worth my time." She told me something that was unbelievably simple and yet incredibly beautiful. "Maybe there's some guy out there just looking for a girl who's worth his time."

Uptown Funk (Bruno Mars)

Everyone is looking for a status symbol to express who they are. They think that simply owning things says something about who they are, and to an extent we nurture this belief to an extreme. When you meet a person for the first time you look at what they're wearing as well as the way they carry themselves. When someone dies we go through their belongings and cling to them as if simply by being near to something they once owned, we'll be nearer to that person as well. I know that I think I am defined by certain things that I own. My cars, my snowboards, my favorite board games, my favorite pair of jeans, my endless collection of books... Sometimes I'll just wallow in the feeling of owning things. But I often wonder if my house burned down tomorrow, would I miss any of it? Truthfully I can think of almost nothing I would dearly miss if I lost it tomorrow. I don't keep very many memoirs of the past around, seeking mainly to own only what is useful to me now. The games, books, clothes, boards, and electronics I own are all highly replaceable. Yet the simple plague of wanting to own things burdens us all. If I died tomorrow what kind of person would people think I am based on my belongings? I suppose we've all wondered this at some point and I think the simple answer in my case is a pack rat. Aside from that however I like to think that they could easily assume I was an outgoing, involved, somewhat nerdy individual with interests in trying new things. But more interesting than trying to add more meaning to items that are only material objects, is thinking about where they can take you in the future instead. With this in mind I think my cars are probably my most prized possessions because with a car comes the power to go anywhere you like. I could pack up my car tomorrow and drive anywhere on the continent. I could just as easily say my phone is my favorite because it gives me the power to access any information I care to know. I can contact anyone in the world, I can read any article, enroll in a new school, buy a plane ticket to anywhere in the world, read any book in existence, listen to any song, watch any movie, conduct business in work, travel, or acquisition of new goods. The bottom line, interestingly, is that both these items are replaceable. If every single item that I own were destroyed I have every confidence that I would reemerge from this poverty in a year or two and be in much the same position I am today - going to school and consuming in a similar pattern.
As the Alaskan winter continues, we see a strange repeated pattern of cold spells with no snow and then warm melt offs where the shameless weather actually has the audacity to rain - RAIN. For one young twenty year old in particular who has recently amassed two snowboards and all the accompanying gear, this complete lack of snow has been an unorthodox curse. Wasn't it I who had previously hoped for a sunny winter? But now that I have decided to get involved in a winter sport and change my routing section to the snow's side suddenly all I can get is sun with no snow! I've been advised that there is a good chance if the weather continues as it has been then the snow just may start dumping in March. Either way I keep hoping for some snow this winter - anytime now, snow.
The gym has also become a part of my weekday routine. The more I go, the more addicted I am to going! My gym just happens to be on the way home from work, so it's easy to swing by every day afterwards. It seems like everyone else has the same idea because around six PM the parking lot really begins to fill up. Or maybe my renewed interest has just happened to coincide with the "New Year, New Me," movement. Either way I'm excited to try more of the classes available. Now I can take PiYo and a Kickboxing Boot Camp on alternating days. I'm also excited to join in the fun on the Polar Bear 5k next week starting at the Anchorage Zoo. All of the proceeds go to the polar bears, as if the excitement of the run weren't enough. ;)
Another event going on toward the end of January is the Polar Plunge... That's right, normal everyday people like you and I are signing up to jump into the frigid lake. But not all of them are doing it just for the thrill of a quick brush with pneumonia - these brave individuals are being sponsored to do so, and all the money goes to yet another charity. This seems like a slightly stupid idea... So why am I tempted to try it? I may have gone overboard this evening when I picked up an Odwalla advertised as a protein shake following my workout. My thought process was something along the lines of "Oh, I love Odwallas! And I'm starving. I could use the protein." The first couple of drinks were satisfying enough: it tasted like strawberry milk in essence, but on the fifth drink the weird aftertaste appeared and by the final two "drinks" I was chugging it just so I could be done with the thing. I have since decided that protein shakes aren't really my thing at the moment. Not until I resolve to train for something a whole lot more physically taxing than daily gym use. By the way, in case you were wondering the time of year has begun in which the most breakups occur (this strange phenomenon finishes up around February 14th). Valentine's day. Seriously people? It's a Hallmark holiday. Nothing to have a break up over. So until next time, everybody try to keep calm and carry on. ;)