Back home blues

Living in NY the past 2 1/2 years has allowed me to forget (somewhat) that I'm 26 and not married and no prospects. Out there I'm still young. It's totally normal to be single at 26. In fact it's abnormal to be married before that - let alone have a kid or two.

Well...coming back home has been a big slap in the face in this department.

Yesterday I went to church and a girl who I used to babysit walked in with her husband and - you guessed it - a baby bump! I started looking around sacrament meeting and realized that all my old acquaintances were either sporting one or two babies - or the girls who just graduated from high school were sporting large diamonds. And there I was 26, unemployed, unmarried, no kids, and just moved back in with my parents.

I've known that it wasn't going to be easy moving back home. I knew that I would have to deal with the majority of my friends being married and having kids. I knew that I would end up being one of the oldest people in my ward. All this I "knew," but "knowing" is different than actually living it. Seriously, this moving back home is not the easiest thing I've done. It's hard feeling like I'm so behind everyone on this whole "life" thing.

Hopefully things will get better when I get back from Costa Rica, find a job, move out of my parents' home, and find a ward where everyone isn't 19. I know the Lord wants me to be here for some reason, I just wish I knew what it was. For now, I'll just have to put up with things for a few more weeks then it's off to Costa Rica for 6 glorious weeks!!

Picture update

So...it's been a long time since I've posted any pictures. I really did take some during my last little while in NY. I'm just horrible at posting them and blogging about them. So here you are: pictures of my last few months in NY (that's right - I said MONTHS...all the way back to Halloween). Sorry there isn't a lot of writing about them. But it's easier and shorter this way. Teehee. Enjoy!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

AHHHHH New Blog Name!

Yep that's right. Since on Monday I'll no longer be a NY resident I can no longer have the blog title of "Kristy Takes Manhattan." It's kind of the period to my journey here in NY. It's a weird feeling. I thought I'd be more sad about this than I am. But I think it's all just the anticipation of getting everything out of my apartment, cleaning, and hoping this snow storm doesn't make me miss Christmas that's keeping the emotions in check. I'm sure once I get on the airplane and reality hits I'll have a hard time holding back the tears, but for now I'm doing surprisingly well.

I also figured I'd be spending the last day in NY doing fun exciting things that I hadn't had the chance to do. But NOPE! My day has consisted of packing, cleaning, selling all my belongings not coming with me, taking a trip to Goodwill, canceling internet/cable & utilities, more packing, and more cleaning. Sounds like a great send off, right? At this point I just wish I was home. Plus, it has started to snow, so I don't actually want to be outside doing fun things. Anyway...I better get back to the packing and cleaning. Wish me luck!

A Song for Mormons

This was on Conan O'Brian's show this week and I thought it was great so I wanted to share. Merry Christmas to all you Mormons out there!

I walked in to work this morning and immediately declared:

That's right. I put in my two week notice TODAY! So it's official. Last day at PwC will be Dec. 15. Now I just have to explain my reasoning to all the partners in my group. Oh joys - here comes one now...

Did you see that?

Do you ever have those moments when you think to yourself "did I really just see that?" Well, I've been having them more frequently lately. Maybe it's because I'm noticing more things around me - trying to take in all of NY before I leave. Or maybe there are just more crazy people in the world than there used to be. Whatever the reason may be, each time I have one of those "what the heck" moments I tell myself I should write it down. So here I am. Writing down some of my "that did not just happen" moments in NYC:

Man jogging down the street in shiny
leopard cami and booty shorts
(i think he had shorts on)

Chinese man wearing a light blue sailor
dress (super short) complete with
white tights

Bearded woman on the corner of
42nd and Madison

Homeless man standing on the corner
with his pants unzipped and bearing
his . . . never mind

Man jogging in a black mesh unitard
and black thong (yes - it was the same
man who wore the leopard cami)

Old man on the subway asking a
pregnant woman if she would like a
seat, then gesturing to the floor
saying "well then sit"

Seeing into neighbors' apartments
(and our Friends all thought the fat
ugly naked guy was bad - I'VE
SEEN WORSE!)

There have been plenty more of these precious moments that I've experienced while living in this city. These just happen to be the most memorable ones. Just a few more reasons why there is no other place like NYC!

A Major Break Down

Wow I was busy this weekend! I had so much going on! First and foremost: Speed Dating. You may be thinking that this sounds familiar. Apparently the last activity was such a big hit that we were asked to host another one. Hopefully this will be my last one I have to do. Although this go around went a lot smoother and things weren't QUITE as hectic as the last time, it was still a lot of work and I'm SO glad to have it behind me. But that's not the reason for this post. It's the post-speed dating that I would like to talk about.

No - there was no magic flying in my direction that night which altered my plans to leave the city. But, after spending 3 hours having this conversation:

Friend: "Why are you not participating in speed dating?"
Me: "I'm leaving in a month so there isn't a point"
Friend: "Why are you leaving? I think you should stay! I'm going to miss you. What are you going to do?"
Me: "I'm going to Costa Rica in January, but after that I have no idea."
Friend: "Go to Costa Rica and come back to NYC. I don't think you should move."

Let's just say I started to have a little anxiety about my decision. I mean...who wouldn't right? Even my bishop got involved. "You should be out there speed dating - who knows, you might meet someone who will change your mind and you will decide to stay with us. You really shouldn't move in Dec." (What was he thinking...3 minutes talking with a guy would change my life plan? I don't think so Bishop.)

Add it all together (complete exhaustion, harassment about staying, Bishop's counsel) and what do you get: a major breakdown at 1:30 am full of crying, whining, begging, pleading, praying, researching, and compromising.

Result: I'm moving back to Utah Dec. 20. That's right. Life plan not changed. Thanks to a kind, wise, loving Heavenly Father who patiently listened to my crying, whining, begging, pleading, praying, researching, and compromising, I've never felt more sure that this is what I'm supposed to do. Why am I supposed to move back to Utah - the very place I vowed never to move back to as long as I was single? No idea. But I do know that the Lord has a plan for me and knows a whole lot more of what's in store than I do (or any of my friends for that matter).

Yes, I'm going to miss NYC (more than I will probably even know until I'm gone). Yes I'm going to miss my friends (a special few in particular). Yes I'm dreading the old maid single life I'm heading towards (going from "you're so young" to "dang you're old" isn't going to be easy). Yes I'm dreading that I'm going to have to say "I live in Utah" instead of "I live in NYC" (it just doesn't have quite the same ring to it). Yes I'm still panicked about what little time I have left in NY (with each weekend full of events I have little time to do those things I haven't done yet). But Yes! I'm excited for a new chapter in my life, to be with family again, and have time to figure out what I want to do next.

A Real Update

So now that I've made this blog private - I can say what I've been dying to write about for over a week now: the REAL update on my life.

I know I've been hinting at the fact that I'm not super excited about my job anymore - truth is I've decided to end my career at PwC in NY and move back home to Utah. When? you might ask...Dec. 20ish (still figuring out the exact details). This has actually been in the works for a while now and I decided moths ago that it was time to find a new job. The hard part is that I don't really want to leave NY (PwC: yes...NY: not so much). Granted there are things that I'm going to NOT miss about this city. But there is a long list of things that I will miss. But I'll save that for another post.

Now to the exciting part. What I'll be doing with my life once I leave my current one behind. Starting January 18th, I will be working at an orphanage in Costa Rica for 6 weeks! I've never been to Costa Rica, but I hear it's a wonderful place and I can't wait to immerse myself in that country's culture. There is a lot of poverty in that country, so I hope that I'll be able to make a difference - even if it's just a small one.

Here is some basic info on the program (all the things that I frequently get asked by friends and family when they hear what I'm doing):

- What group are you volunteering through: International Volunteer HQ - one of the best and cheapest ones I found during my research
- How much does it cost: NOYB! Hahaha! Just kidding. All inclusive, I'm looking at around $3,500.
- What will the work be: not 100% sure yet. I won't get my actual assignment until I am in Costa Rica. But I know that I will be working with children in some way (orphanage, kindergarten, soup kitchen, teaching)
- Where will you live: I'll live with a Costa Rican family near my assignment (most are about 30 minutes outside of San Jose). Other volunteers will be living in the house with me as well. The host family provides 3 meals a day and transportation to and from the assignments.
- Will you be able to see the sites: YES! I will be working Mon - Fri 8:30 - 3:30(ish) so I get nights and weekends to do what I want.
- Do you speak Spanish: not really. But I will be taking Spanish lessons while I'm there - 2 hours/day
- Why did you decide to do this: I feel like I've been really caught up in "me" lately and need to focus on others. I also need a break from working and I know my dad wouldn't be cool with me using that break to sit on the couch at home watching TV or reading all day. Plus, who doesn't want to spend 6 weeks in 85 degree weather while it's snowy and cold back home?

I can't wait for Jan 18th to be here! It seems like forever away, but when I look at all the things that are going to happen between now and then (Thanksgiving, Christmas, moving, New Years, etc.) I know it's going to go by fast.

Going Private

So...after talking with my brother two weeks ago and weighing my options, I've decided that I should make this blog private. It's not like I'm posting pictures of my kids or anything, but...well...I feel like I've had to be so cryptic in my writing lately - not knowing who out there is reading about my mundane life. I'll give you more reasons why after I've made this thing private.

So there you have it. (do I have to start all my paragraphs with "so"?) If you want to keep following my blog, just leave your email address. (I'll hide all comments so that you're email address isn't floating out there for everyone to see)

Youngest Child Syndrome

You've never heard of the Youngest Child Syndrome? Well apparently I have it. I never thought that I fit into the mold of the youngest child: spoiled, obnoxious, need to be center of attention, coddled by parents, getting away with murder...you see where this is heading don't you?

Well, the other day as I was telling my friend yet another one of my harebrained ideas of what I want to do with my life, she laughed. She followed up that laugh with "Don't take this the wrong way, but you are soooo the youngest child. My youngest sister always comes up with these elaborate ideas of what she's going to do and we just smile and nod because we all know she will never follow through with them."

That comment got me thinking about the last few months and my quest to find a job that I really love. For those of you who I haven't talked your ears off about this quest, here is just a sample of the many different ideas of what I want to do:

1. Tour guide (that's right - be the person on the double-decker buses taking people around fun cities like NYC, London, Paris, etc.)
2. Hair dresser (this idea was stopped when I looked at how much the really good beauty schools cost)
3. High school math teacher
4. High school biology teacher
5. Community college teacher (accounting)
6. Nanny
7. Bum (this one is still up on the table)
8. Start a business with my brother (ok - this was something HE suggested and it's still on the table as well)

As you can see...I'm starting to fit nicely into the youngest child mold. So let's look at the other "symptoms":

1. Spoiled: my siblings would probably all say yes. I say kind of. I've never really had to go without...but I have paid for much of what I have (and since moving to NYC I've paid for it ALL)
2. Obnoxious: NO WAY!!! Everyone totally loves me! Although, when I was younger I admit I probably drove my brothers and sisters CRAZY! So fine...I'm obnoxious.
3. Center of attention: that depends on the setting. In my family I usually am pretty quiet. I've always let my older sister do the talking for me because I'm actually quite shy (until you get to know me of course - then we get back to the obnoxious trait above). Around friends I'm more outgoing, funny, and the center of attention (unless someone else is there who likes to speak over me)
4. Coddled: my mom did a pretty good job of pampering all her children.
5. Getting away with murder: ummm...I definitely have to say yes to this one. I learned at a young age how to get adults to eat out of the palm of my hand and to get away with anything. I have to say - this has turned out to be a very important trait in life :)

So there you have it. I have Youngest Child Syndrome. And I can tell you this much: even if there was a cure for YCD, I don't care. I like this "disease".

Happy Halloween from the Ericksons!

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Brooke Wilson

Dear Brooke,

What a surprise it was for me to get a call from Grandma yesterday telling me that you were on your way! It was a little scary because you are so early, but our prayers were answered and you are strong and healthy. How exciting that you have come the week before I will be home to visit! I had thought you would arrive shortly after I left Utah which would mean I wouldn't meet you until you were about 2 months old. So thank you for coming so I can see you.

You have been born into such a wonderful family. Your mom, dad, and three big sisters all love you so much, as do your grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Your sisters are so excited to have another girl in the family, and the Ericksons sure do know about girls.

Welcome into the family Brooke! I love you so much and can't wait to see you next week!!

Love, Aunt Kristy

Just FYI...

If any of you were wondering how this soup turned out...it was DELICIOUS!!! I highly recommend it. I followed some people's advice and used 1/2 the cream cheese. I also added nutmeg, curry, and cayenne pepper for a bit of a spice. Seriously - you should all try it. Such a great addition to the fall weather we've all be experiencing. Plus it made a lot, so I'll be having soup for lunch every day this week!

Fall

“Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies."

This line from You've Got Mail has been running through my mind for the past couple of days. And that's because it's definitely fall time in New York and I LOVE NEW YORK IN THE FALL!!!

It's been a little chilly here lately (nothing like snow in Utah though). I even busted out the old wool coat today. But it's supposed to warm up to mid 60's for the weekend which I think will be fabulous! I love scarves and jackets and above all...HOODIES & SWEATS!! I can't wait to go home and put mine on actually.

Another thing I love about fall is soups. I had a delicious "Fall Vegetable Soup" from Hale and Hearty for lunch and I'm thinking of making this for dinner. Too much soup in one day you say? Well I say you can never have too much soup on a day like today.

My plans for tonight: (1) put on sweats (2) make soup (3) eat soup while watching all the Thursday night TV shows that I can fit in (4) sleep. Sounds like a pretty good night to me!

Hope you all have a great Thursday as well!!

Weekend in West Chester, PA

This weekend was AMAZING!!!! Seriously!

As I stepped off the train at Paoli, PA, I almost cried when I heard a voice say "Hey!" This is the longest time Jo and I have been apart from each other so it was so great to see her!!! That night we just went back to her house, put on our pj's, chatted and watched some TV - just like the good old days. We didn't stay up too late (just a little late) since we knew we had a busy day ahead of us.

The next day was sort of a marathon.

After breakfast Jo and I went to an orchard and picked some apples. We just had to make a stop at the little farmer's market at the orchard and pick up some apple cider doughnuts and apple coffee cake (both VERY delicious). After we filled our 1/2 peck bag full of apples, we headed back to her place to bake an apple pie. Can you think of a yummier way to use the apples we picked? I think not! It turned out great (even though we weren't able to eat any of it until Sunday).

After the pie was in the oven and Pat and Harvey (Jo's parents) assured us they would take it out when the timer rang, Jo and I headed to the movie theater to see Fame. Music. Dance. Drama. That's my cup of tea. It was a great movie although I wish there had been a little more dancing in it.

By the time the movie was over, Jo and I were fairly hungry so we searched for a Wawa on our way to our next event. Wawa's are everywhere in PA. They are basically a convenience store, but they have delicious hoagies. We ate our dinner in the car in the parking lot of the Wawa.

Then we headed to the Tower Theater for the Snow Patrol & Plain White T's concert! Our seats were on the 7th row so we had an AMAZING view. The Plain White T's opened the concert and did not disappoint. They put on quite a good show. If you are not familiar with the Plain White T's other than their 2 songs (Hey There Deliliah and 1, 2, 3, 4) then you should get to know their other music as well. I like it. Plus the guitar player/back up singer Tim Lopez is H.O.T.T!!!!!! Seriously he's beautiful! (evidence of his beauty in the picture to the right)

And then the main event: SNOW PATROL!! I was proud of myself for not shedding any tears during the concert. Even when Gary Lightbody walked off the stage and up the center aisle. You see...I was on the left aisle. So I was not one of the lucky few who got to touch him! (If you haven't guessed by now, yes...I'm one of THOSE fans). But I held in my disappointment and cheered and smiled. I danced, sang, screamed and laughed for the ENTIRE show. Honestly, it was one of the BEST concerts I've been to - and not just because I want to marry Gary, but because they are seriously good live.

During their song "Shut Your Eyes" Gary had the audience battle out the ending with "shut your eyes and sing to me". After the first round, Gary mentioned that we was impressed w/ PA. He said that in Glasgow, when one side would sing, the other side would boo. He said he liked us better than the Scots (which was funny because the lead guitarist is from Scotland). Well...you can probably guess what happened next. When the right side was singing "shut your eyes and come to me", the left side (my side) booed. Gary thought this was really funny and dropped his guitar and fell to the ground laughing. Once he regained his composure he had us try it again, but begged us not to boo. It was one of the many great moments of the concert.

I could go on forever about all the different amazing aspect of the concert...but I won't. But I do want to mention just a few other great moments of the night:
- 3 middle aged women being the only people in the audience standing up and dancing during the Plain White T's
- Cute dad and daughter in front of us. The dad was an avid fan like me so we talked quite a bit. But the cute part was how he was with his teenage daughter. They were just adorable together.
- Jo leaning over to me and saying that she's never seen me that excited/happy
- Really cool lighting and graphics in the background
- Losing my voice from singing and screaming so loudly
- Jo telling me that I could no longer exclaim "I love this song" since I would be saying it to EVERY song they played

But the very best thing about the weekend: I got to see my most favorite band ever with my most favorite person ever!

PS - Sorry for crappy pictures. I forgot my camera so I had to use my blackberry :'(

Apple Picking NYC Style

My ward went apple picking upstate New York last weekend. It was such a great time! We had PERFECT weather for our outing. There was plenty of trees with apples ready for the picking. We hit up the Macintosh apples since they were all of our favorites. Some apples were pretty high up there, but luckily we had some tall guys with us. But even they weren't tall enough to get some of the best looking apples of the day. Here's a video and picture of our solution to that problem:



The orchard we went to had more than just apples. We had a little "picnic" consisting of apple cider doughnuts, apple blossoms, and apple pie. Needless to say we didn't have room for our sandwiches. But we didn't complain :) (well except for Steve...for some reason he was "sad")

They also had a little petting zoo, a haunted house, and this:

As you can tell we had a ton of fun at Masker's Orchards! I love NY in the fall.

My New York Bucket List

I'm sitting at work right now, bored and not wanting to do the work on my "to do" list (basically the same story every day). So I've decided to make a New York Bucket List: a list of all I want to see and do while I still live in this wonderful city!

1. Catch up on Broadway shows (it's been a while since I've indulged in this little passion of mine)
2. Eat as Sea
3. Make a trip up to Boston
4. Go to the Bronx Zoo
5. Go to museums (Guggenheim, MOMA, and Frick are at the top of my list)
6. Go to the cloisters (sadly I missed when they are the best - in the Spring)
7. Take dance classes at Steps
8. See someone from Gossip Girl
9. Go to the Top of the Rock
10. Ice skate at Rockefeller Center
11. See a show at the Apollo
12. See the tree at the Met

That's all I can think of for now...but it might get longer as my time in NY gets smaller. But this is a pretty good start. Can't wait to start marking some of these things off!!

Two of my favorites in one weekend?

How lucky can I get? Jo + Snow Patrol concert in one wild weekend! If only today were tomorrow then tomorrow would be Saturday and I'd be seeing Jo tonight and Gary Lightbody & the band tomorrow night. But all that must wait one more day. In the meantime...enjoy the new song from my all-time favorite band: SNOW PATROL



Oh - and FAME comes out tomorrow and you can best be believing that Jo and I will be there! Can we say BEST WEEKEND EVER!!!

And the confusion never stops...

I feel like a broken record lately. It seems the only thing I can talk/think about is what I'm going to do with my life. I know I need a change, but am I ready for such a drastic change as the one I have semi-planned?

As I'm sitting at work putting together my professional development plan for the upcoming year, all I can think of is that I don't really have any goals. I don't know where I want to be, what I want to do, or how I'm going to do that mysterious "something". In other words...I HAVE NO PLAN!!!

If you know me then you also know that this is not like me. I'm a 'plan' type of girl. Sure I enjoy the spontaneous road trip, but when it comes to life plans - I've pretty much always had one in place...except for now.

You know in The Incredibles how the mom can be stretched all four ways? Well that's how I kind of feel right now. My heart and head (and a multitude of friends and family) are pulling me in so many directions the only solution I can come up with is to curl up in my bed with a good book and not show myself until my life has been figured out for me. Wouldn't that be nice? I wish someone would just tell me "Kristy, the best thing for you to do right now is ___________."

P.S. Feel free to fill in the blank as a response to this post ;)

Today...

It's Saturday today. I was working until 11 pm last night (Friday night) and was back in the office by 11 am today. And how am I spending my Saturday at work? Sitting the partner's office watching her sign returns. What joy! What bliss! But seriously...that is my actual assignment.

Why did I need to get a Master's in Accounting??

What would it be like...

Today, a guy at my work walked in, picked up his computer and dropped it off at HR with the parting words of "good luck with busy season" and walked out. No 2-weeks notice, no hint of his plan to leave. He was just pushed to his limits and decided there were much better jobs out there. You may be wondering what the atmosphere at work is after such a blow. If I had to say it in one word - that would be "envious." All people can talk about is how they wished they had the guts to do that.

It really got me thinking "what would that be like?" And I can tell you this: it would be liberating... until the bills started piling up and I had no money to live in NYC anymore. But I do wish I had the guts and finances to follow his lead.

A "must see"

If you haven't gone to see this yet...jump in the car now and go. So good. Plus I really want to be her.

My Foot

My right foot can't catch a break! Over the past week it has suffered from unexplainable pain, shin splints, and bruising. Here's my sob story:

On my way to work the other day my foot started to really bother me. It'd happened before, so I figured I'd just wait it out until it went away. So for the next day or so I just walked around a little funny. However, due to my making up for my bum foot, I got shin splints. So now, my foot hurt and my shin hurt. Basically I didn't want to walk ANYWHERE (which, PS, isn't possible in NYC). After a couple of days, finally my shin started feeling better, but the foot pain continued on. Then today I added yet another layer of pain to my foot/leg. As I was shaving, the water turned extremely hot which caused me to drop my leg rather quickly. Unfortunately my foot was directly above the knob. Have you ever bruised the arch of your foot? Let me tell you...it's not fun.

I'm hoping that better times are just around the corner for Mr. Right Foot (apparently my foot is a guy - maybe because I walk all over it).

I've come to realize...

Whitney did this on her blog, and I liked it. So I stole it from her :). Plus I'm not wanting to do my work right now and need a break. Hehe!

1. I've come to realize that my toes...
are cute.

2. I've come to realize that my job...
is something that I don't want to be doing for much longer.

3. I've come to realize that when I'm driving...
I ALWAYS drive above the speed limit (that's when I actually get to drive a car which is rarely, considering I live in NYC and either walk or take a bus/subway/taxi everywhere I go).

4. I've come to realize that I need...
to go back to school.

5. I've come to realize that I have lost...
any will and/or motivation to do my work.

6. I've come to realize that I hate it when...
people suddenly stop in the middle of the sidewalk.

7. I've come to realize that if I'm drunk...
someone has spiked the punch.

8. I've come to realize that money...
is more important to me than it probably should be.

9. I've come to realize that certain people...
are easier to get along with than others.

10. I've come to realize that I'll always...
be a kid at heart.

11. I've come to realize that my sibling(s)...
live much to far away.

12. I've come to realize that my mom...
is a perfect example of the mother I hope to be someday.

13. I've come to realize that my cell phone...
is great as long as the email coming through isn't work related.

14. I've come to realize that when I woke up this morning...
I wanted to call in sick (again) and play with Jo.

15. I've come to realize that last night before I went to sleep...
my dinner consisted of a bagel and frozen yogurt.

16. I've come to realize that right now I am thinking...
"is it time to go home yet?"

17. I've come to realize that my dad...
is a very generous man.

18. I've come to realize that when I get on Facebook or Blogger...
people's lives are so much more interesting than mine.

19. I've come to realize that today...
is one day closer to discovering what I want to do with my life.

20. I've come to realize that tonight...
I'll be watching the result show of SYTYCD with my cat.

21. I've come to realize that tomorrow...
is FRIDAY!!

22. I've come to realize that I really want to...
teach high school biology.

23. I've come to realize that the person who is most likely to repost this is...
just as bored as I am.

24. I've come to realize that life...
is too short to spend it doing something that you don't love.

25. I've come to realize that this weekend...
I'm going to follow my mom's advice and flirt more.

26.I've come to realize that marriage...
is a miracle and I hope to be blessed with it some day.

27. I've come to realize that my friends...
love me no matter how weird I might be.

28. I've come to realize that this year...
I've learned a lot about myself and what I want out of life.

29. I've come to realize that my ex...
isn't the one for me.

30. I've come to realize that maybe I should...
be more open to new ideas.

31. I've come to realize that I love...
tv waayyyy too much.

32. I've come to realize that I don't understand...
so many things it's amazing I got promoted.

33. I've come to realize my past...
has made me into the person I am today.

34. I've come to realize that parties...
don't happen as much as they did last summer.

35. I've come to realize that I'm totally terrified...
of the unknown.

36. I've come to realize that my life...
consists of so much more than work (contrary to what people at work believe).

Summer Vacation #2

My next summer vacation was a visit home to Utah for the 4th of July. Every day there was something fun going on with my family. We went to the Bountiful fireworks on the 3rd (at Eagle Wood). My aunt & uncle live near the clubhouse so we had a perfect view of the firework display. The fireworks were great! We had plenty of snacks and goodies (thanks Myra)! And it was fun to see some of my cousins I hadn't seen in a while.

Me and JordanMe and Kate
Me and Molly
The group (well a part of it)

Then on the 4th, my family and I went to the Centerville parade. The best part of the parade was the candy (isn't it always?) The only pieces of taffy that I got were the ones that flew over all the kids' heads. We got hit a few times by flying pieces of taffy, but that's all part of the 4th of July fun!

Kiersten, Rachel, Kate and me getting ready to watch the parade (Kiersten had just finished running a race!)
Rachel is the best little poser! She even agrees she's the cutest one in the picture.
Waiting for the parade people to throw out more candy.

That night we went to Grandma Erickson's house to have a little firework show of our own. We had a great time!! Good food (nice work Dad), great company (I love my fam), and decent fireworks. The night was made better by Cori, Hannah, Jordan, and me naming all the fireworks we set off. My favorites of the night was "James burning" and the sparkling tree.
Dancing like Genies with the smoke bombs.
Part of the crew chowing down on the grub.
SPARKLERS!!!
Jaron did a great job lighting all the fireworks.
Josh helped with the lighting too.
More of the group waiting for the show to start.

Of course I had to have a sleepover with my cute nieces. It wouldn't be a trip home if there wasn't at least one sleepover with Aunt Kristy. I was just sad not ALL my nieces could make it. We missed you Emma, Kiersten, Sadie and Rachel.
Jordan, Hannah, Molly, Kate, Calyn, and Jenna.
Calyn, me, and Kate

Homesick

I was just home about 2 weeks ago and I've never been more homesick than I am right now. I'm trying to keep back the tears while I'm at work. Maybe it's because it's Pioneer weekend and my family is having their big family reunion at my cabin and I'm stuck on the other side of the country. Maybe it's because I really just miss my family and want nothing more to be with them. Maybe it's because work has been really frustrating today. Most likely it's a combination of the three. Anyway you look at it you get the same result: one homesick girl stuck at work crying at her desk. Yep - pathetic.

My Summer Vacation #1

Back in June (I know...almost FOREVER ago) I took a little trip to Palo Alto/San Fransisco to visit my friend Mikey Page. Although I didn't get any pictures with Mikey, I took plenty of self-portraits and landscapes as I toured San Fransisco by myself. It was the first time I played a tourist alone and I have to say it was wonderful!! I loved having a car and being able to drive wherever I wanted to go and do whatever I wanted to do. For example, one day on my drive up to San Fran from Palo Alto I found some random beach and decided stop off. I ended up sitting on that beach just staring out at the ocean thinking about life for over an hour. It was amazing! Anyway...here are some pictures to document this fun trip to the Bay Area.

Fisherman's Wharf:

The beach:

Pier 39 & Aquarium:
Golden Gate Bridge:

Some News...

After being on vacation for a week in Utah (more on that one tomorrow), yesterday I went back to work. Honestly, I wasn't so excited to come back. But there were a couple of little rewards awaiting my return. While I was in Utah, I was moved to a new desk which is MUCH bigger than my previous one. (I knew about this move and had everything packed up before I left in boxes, so it wasn't a surprise). The reason for this move is two fold: (1) my group had been spread out on 6 different floors and we needed to consolidate to 2, and (2) I GOT PROMOTED!!!!



The last reason is really why I am writing this post. I knew that I was up for promotion this year, even though it would be an early promotion. Normally, you get promoted to senior associate after being with the firm for 3 years. But I did it in only 2!! At the beginning of the review process, I was informed that they were cutting down on promotions (stupid economy) and that even though I had proven myself, it would still be difficult for me to be promoted this year. I kept trying to tell myself that it would be okay if I didn't get it, but in the end I didn't have to worry about that! Needless to say I'm pretty excited!

Some great memories with you

That awkward weekend in Montauk. Being cold on the beach, buying matching sweaters, our roommates, sickness, MDK, getting burned, the start of a marvelous friendship.

High School Musical 3 premiere day. Almost getting caught on camera skipping work to go see a movie with a bunch of kids and that one grandma sitting by herself.

Sitting on your bed talking and then...crunch!! So much for those bed risers. But our great skills fixed it so now we just roll away from the wall slowly during our conversations.

Star Trek. IMAX. 1:15 am. Need I say more?

Shopping in SoHo and stumbling upon that awesome young designers market after our Pinkberry lunch.

Girls' nights in watching chick flicks, doing nails, and talking, talking, talking.

The List.

Twilight / Rob Pattinson obsession. I'm glad I have someone to share this part of myself with.

Dance parties where usually just you and I danced. You know others wanted to join us - how could they not? We were having too much fun.

Taking forever deciding what to do, where to eat, what movie to watch, etc.

Missy Higgins and Eric Hutchinson concert. What a symbiotic relationship we have - you introduce me to Eric and I introduce you to Missy.

Britney Spears concert! Oh what a night!

Danceface!

You helping me pack and move into my new place and the fun time we had sitting on the makeshift couch with Sara and Cole.

Looking at dream apartments we could make into the best bachelorette pad ever. I still say we do it!

Talking, laughing, and crying together.

The trek through the jungle in quest for the castle during our pilgrimage toward Mecca and getting rained on and having the bus pass us by. We were exhausted by the end of it all.

We have spent so much time together we have basically become one. You're the friend I look to for fun times, conversation, advice, and pretty much everything. The past year or so with you has meant so much and I know I've found a best friend I will keep forever. And even though you're leaving, I'll always be just a phone call, email, gchat, or train ride away. But I am going to miss having you just a few blocks from me. Get that spare room ready - I'm sure I'll be using it a lot. And you know you always have a place in NY. I love you so much.