10 things I learned this week.

1. Distance doesn't matter when you have a best friend like Cory.












2. Sometimes asking for help is the best thing you can do for yourself.
3. I'm a much happier person when the weather is 62 degrees at the end of January.
4. HTML and CSS
5. Getting in touch with an old friend is an amazing feeling.















6. It's a strange feeling when your friends start growing up and settling down. Happy, but strange.
7. Corporal punishment is allowed in Colorado.
8. The god-awful rhetoric class I took last semester taught me WAY more than I gave it credit for.
9. I have a really big pet peeve concerning people who don't sit in the same seat in class every day.

10. It's really hard to leave for class when there's a sweet little kitty following you around outside your apartment (especially when he's rubbing all over you and running around making it virtually impossible to take a decent picture of his cuteness).

Welcoming Kelsey!

Dearest 30 (!!!) followers,

I feel very lucky to have 30 followers. I've gained 5 since the new year began which is HUGE for me and it makes me so so happy to see a new follower every now and then. So I thank you for supporting me and loving me enough to read. You are special to me.

My good friend Kelsey has joined the blogging world! I first met her when I was a teachers aid during my junior year in high school and she was a freshman in my class. It was instant love. She is such a fun girl (with great taste in music I might add, after running into her at more than one concert in Denver) and you should definitely check out her blog HERE!

If the start of your week was anything like a typical Monday usually is (and definitely was for me this week), then I hope you have a much better Tuesday. Enjoy one of my favorite songs - this one's for you, Kels (because MCS reminds me of you)!

Quote for the Weekend.

I may not listen to her music, but I think the quote is amazing. I've posted it before but I'm bringing it back because I appreciate that even though we may let ourselves go at times, be emotional, dramatic, have anxiety attacks, melt downs, feel lonely.. it doesn't mean we are weak or unworthy. It means we are fearless enough to feel something real. Let's all do something fearless this weekend.

[Click picture to enlarge]

Gratitude Log

Some of you may remember my Thanksgiving Segment on here called "I am Thankful" where I posted one thing I am thankful for every day during the month of November. I really enjoyed doing that and actually started looking forward to a positive post about things that I appreciate in my life every day. It helped me stay positive.

So my cousin Sara sent me an invite to this website today called "Gratitude Log" that I'm now obsessed with. The idea is that you post something you are grateful for every day and spread happiness and positivity into the world. It's kind of like another social networking site where you can follow your friends and leave little comments and "likes" but I really love the idea of a positive network where you can recognize things you are grateful for in life every day. Join me if you like, I'd love to see you there :)

And before I conclude, a little shout out to my good friends Tanya, Emily, Kelsey, and Brendan who read my blog and are participating in my "hand made gift from the heart" blogging challenge! I really appreciate you guys and I can't wait to send you something special. If you still want to play and have something special sent from me, leave a comment on here or HERE. <3

A Blogging Challenge!

[Part of my new years resolution was about finding new ways to be creative, as well as taking risks and putting myself out there more. So I came across this thing a lot of people are doing on facebook that in normal circumstances I probably wouldn't participate in, but this one seems to connect with something I'm looking for this year - so I'm thinking, why not?]

It says something like: I promise to send something handmade to the first five people who comment here - rules are the item must be handmade and sent within the 2011 year.

I'm thinking of changing it up a bit. Since I'm not overwhelmingly crafty, I'll make it something semi-handmade - tailored specifically to each person who comments and sent within the next couple of months (also, I won't require that you repost this in order to play). I think it sounds like a fun way to do something creative and also to give back to the awesome people who read my blog. And, if I happen to get more than 5 comments I will definitely send something to everyone :)

Let's play, friends!

Back to school.

Ah, the first few days of the new semester. Everything is easy and laid back right now. A time to enjoy before it slips away into the chaos of testing and homework. I realized that every Tuesday and Thursday I have a nice hour and 45 minute break between my second and third class. I smell lots of coffee shops and blogging in my future!

[today's break: farting around in the library with my phone]

Which reminds me, I think it's time to come up with a new segment on here to keep things flowing. Any ideas, lovely readers?

Also, my sweet new friend, Jenna at this is love is having an awesome giveaway! You should absolutely check it out and follow her adorable blog :)

If you're graduating at the end of this semester, happy last-first day of classes ever!

A Memory.

Do you ever just sit and think about the different stages of your life and how much you have changed during each one? So far in this life, my stages have been pretty much marked by where I'm at in my life as a student. High school, college #1, college #2... Anyway, I was talking to my best friend Cory (who will be joining us in the blogging world ANY day now!) about these different stages and how different our lives were at each particular point. It's interesting to think that just a couple years ago I was at an entirely different part of my life than I am now. I was on the diving team at the University of Kansas - which seems like such a distant memory now. It was an incredibly hard journey but I came out of it with some lifelong friends and some memories I will cherish in my heart forever. This is one of my favorite ones that's been on my mind recently:

[Erin, Hannah, Allison, Jenny, Me, Meg]

2008 training trip in San Juan, Puerto Rico. My first time out of the country spent diving 4 hours a day and then relaxing at the beach the rest of the time with my teammates. I couldn't have asked for a better experience with these girls. They are a big part of who I am and where I'm at today.

It makes me happy to look back and have such fond memories.

In remembrance.

[All day today I have had to process and deal with some heartbreaking news that I received late last night. I usually have a specific way of channeling my emotions, mostly in the form of tears or isolation, but today was unusual. It was like I didn't know how to feel. I walked around all day with an empty feeling in my heart, not knowing what to do with it or where to put it. Until about 5 minutes ago when I sat down on my bed, alone, for the first time all day and it hit me: I'm supposed to be writing it.]

A dear friend and teammate of mine passed away yesterday, unexpectedly. The news of her passing was the second time in my life I have experienced the death of a friend, 100% out of the blue, and so long before their time on earth was up. It's the hardest thing in the world to comprehend. I find myself sitting and staring blankly at the wall running through memories and not really accepting the fact that they are no longer.

Maggie was probably the most fearless person I have ever met in my life, especially when it came to diving. I remember watching her get up on the board and throw dives I never even dreamed of doing. It didn't matter if she failed, or smacked, or got the wind knocked out of her, she would get back up and do it again a million times, while I would get up and do something HALF as interesting and be scared out of my wits. It was those times when she became the most supportive teammate I've ever known, as well. She had a way of talking to us like the courage in her heart was our own. She would count when we needed counting, call when we needed calling, and coach when we needed coaching.

I have fond memories of Maggie. At her very last high school dive meet, when I was in 8th grade, she got up to compete her last dive ever - did the perfect hurdle - and did the best cannon ball known to man. I've always remembered how awesome I thought that was, but I never had the guts to do it myself. She was special, in more ways than I can describe.

There is never a good time to experience a death, let alone at the first of the year, however you can't help or decide when these things happen. So for now, I write about my dear friend and remember her strength, admirable courage, and the many words of wisdom she provided. Tomorrow, I will write about something happy and move forward, because I know that's what she would do. If she smacked as hard as she could on a dive, she would move past it and carry on with the phrase in her mind, "pain is temporary." I need to remember to keep living for those whose lives have been cut short. I'll miss my friend and I won't soon forget her, but I will continue to live with her in my heart.