Rotating Winds

Storms are terrifying, yet exhilarating at the same time. I used to want to be a meteorologist when I was younger. Along with an astronomer and an LPGA golfer of course! I think that being a storm chaser would possibly be one of the coolest things ever....as long as I knew the tornado wasn't coming towards me of course. After seeing the news about the Joplin tornado, it is terrifying that a vortex of violently rotating winds can destroy a city. It broke my heart to see the homes destroyed and the hearts broken over the lost of loved ones.
So, here I sit, my eyes glued to the Keloland live doppler as I watch the watches and warnings flash across the bottom of the screen. My heart keeps skipping beats. Once I hear a siren, I will be out of site, cooped up in the back corner of our under-the-stairs hideout. Hopefully they got our sirens working out here since we are in a new development at my dad's....? Well, storm is coming soon. I might get my camera out and get a couple of pictures of the lightning hopefully. I'm scared. I love thunderstorms but hate tornadoes. What a complicated life. Hope this post finds you safe and out of the destructive storms that are affecting the midwest already this summer. Back to the Hannah Montana Movie....

My Ignorant Self

We just arrived home from our family vacation to Florida. I am currently sitting in our basement with a HORRID sunburn in front of the fireplace. This is absurd to me considering I have a sunburn, yet I am cold and have to sit in front of the fire. It is summer and is still only 63 degrees, cloudy, and windy! At least I am staying out of the sun, I have learned my lesson....

I will (in as short a way as possible) sum up the past week. I know you are thinking that you might as well just skip this entire post because Kaitlyn is going to drag on forever and I completely understand. The reason why I write so much is because I really have a bad memory and this helps immensely.

Monday was our day at Disney's Hollywood Studios. We headed straight for Rockin' Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror and rode them each twice to start off the day. We then saw The Beauty and the Beast show and it made me want to go off and work at Disney for a summer to just simply perform! After lunch, I did the American Idol Experience. You audition to get into one of the 5 shows of the day, but they only take 3 for every show and one from each show performs in the finale at the end of the day. The man ahead of me didn't seem to be too nervous about his audition and I later found out that he made it into one of the shows! Hundreds of people auditioned throughout the day and I stupidly went to audition in the last hour of the process. Ugh. I didn't make it in and I honestly wasn't expecting to be ushered onto the stage or anything, but she said I did very well. I just wish I could have gotten up there and shown America (er...Disney World) what I have to offer. The winner of the day receives a 'golden ticket' which allows them to pass to the front of the line at any American Idol audition location. We saw many shows at this park and I wished more and more as the day unfolded that I could be famous.

Tuesday was Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure day! And that means, WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER DAY!!! We went right towards the Harry Potter section and I seriously about died when I walked into Hogsmeade. The music, buildings, smells...everything was perfect. Did I mention I thought I was going to somehow get my letter to go to Hogwarts when I was in the 6th grade? Yeah, I am obsessed with HP. Okay, so the ride inside the castle. SO WORTH IT. You MUST go on it, no matter the wait. Going through the castle while you wait in line is amazing and the ride in itself is the most technilogically advanced ride I have ever been on. So amazing, I can't even describe it. Went on it 3 times. Also, got Hermione's wand. We went throught the ceremony they do at Olivander's but the wand that was 'chosen' for me, I didn't like as much. I also drank Butterbeer in Hog's Head (next to the Three Broomsticks). They serve it 2 ways: cold and frozen. I got mine in a collector's mug and had it frozen. It tastes like cream soda with creamy liquid on the top. Tori and I had to get a butterbeer mustache picture of course. Got butterbeer?

Wednesday was Magic Kingdom day! The most magical of them all :) We rode Space Mountain first and continually went on rides all day. At the end of the day, I got to meet 3 princesses!!! There were Aurora, Belle, and Cinderella. I never did that when I was there as a child, so I just had to get my own pictures with each of them. So going to take over there job someday. Watch out Cinderella, I am coming after you first! Then we watched the new 'memories' show they do prior to the fireworks, which has pictures from people around the park all day as well as amazing light shows they incorporate with the castle. This is a must see, as well as the fireworks afterwards (with a special presentation by Tinkerbell)!

Thursday, we headed back to my grandparent's house in Naples, which is about a 3.5 hour drive. We jumped right into the pool when we got there and swam for awhile. Then we went to an expensive restaurant for supper and listened to the live bands that were playing on the streets. There was only one good band, so we listened to them for awhile. Tori and I went to get pop's at a nearby bar and the bartender knew right away I wasn't from around here. Down south, they call it soda, not pop. Oops! We finished up the night with some Mexican Train (just like every other night), a very prominent game if you ever enter my house!

Friday was the beach day! We were at the beach by 10am. We packed lunches, umbrellas, mats, towels, and scuba gear. We immediately took the scuba gear out to search for seashells. This is where the title of this blog fits in. I am ignorant when it comes to wearing sunscreen. I apparently lack knowledge in the sun area....forgetting that it can burn my skin to a crisp in an instant. I forgot to put it on my lower back (most of my back I guess...) and most of my front, and my face sunscreen must have washed off quickly in the ocean. I didn't think I was that bad until I got home and saw myself...and it just got worse as the hours ticked on. I could barely sleep the first night. By Saturday (next day) my face was blistering and my back was so painful that I didn't even want to wear any clothes. I can't even explain to you my pain...it's not possible. Just please, kids, wear sunscreen. I have most definitely learned my lesson.

Saturday was another lazy-ish day with a splash of shopping. We went to this shop called the Best of Everything and it is a store for girly girls for sure :) Bought some giant cute earrings, but that's all I could afford. Oh, and a cute giraffe at their gift shop. I love giraffes, p.s., if you didn't know. I need a name for him/her....it has big eyes and is adorable. I'll be taking suggestions! We also ate at P.F. Chang's and I very much enjoyed my first time there!

Woke up at 4am today to fly from Florida back to good ol' SD. When I arrived here, it was cloudy and cold. I have been dealing with 90 degree weather, so coming back to 60s was disgusting. Is summer ever going to come to SD?

Well, I leave again in a week and will be gone for practically the rest of the summer. This week might not be too interesting on my blog, but maybe I will finally be able to talk more about what I am learning in life instead of documenting my every move.

I have definitely learned on this trip that I need to explore and I need to dream. I need to explore the world and strive to learn everything I can, absorb every morsle of information. I also need to dream and dream big. I have these outrageous dreams that I don't expect to ever see actually work out, but I need to take a scary but most essential step to make them happen. I'll be working on that. In the mean time, I have a suitcase yelling at me to be unpacked....yet, here I sit on the couch, finding comfort in the sounds of Yahtzee and Star Wars in the background. Adios, I really like this movie :)

Love and thanks,

Kaitlyn

Born This Way

Early morning yesterday (Saturday morning). Woke up at 4am to drive the 45 minute drive to Columbus and catch my 6:55am flight. I really enjoy flying by myself. Picked up a tall skinny vanilla latte and a cinnamon chip scone. So good. My first flight was only to Cleveland, so it was about a 40 minutes flight. Sat by a nice girl who was 25 and was from Nigeria. She was on her way to a friend's wedding and had just graduated from law school! On my second flight, which was to Fort Myers, I met a wonderful couple! She was an accountant and he did something with radiation installation things. He just told me he was a brain surgeon at first :) It does in fact have something to do with the brain or something....it was confusing. Apparently there are only a few of them in the country for what he does. They were on one of their many vacations to the west side of Florida to see where they would retire in the future. How fun is that?!

Landed smoothly in Florida and met my dad, Julie, Tori , & Ethan after I landed. Actually, I thought I was meeting them at baggage claim, but Julie and Tori scared the crap out of my after I rounded a corner after security. Attack of the hugs!!! So cute :)

We picked up our rental car, a sporty mini-van. It isn't the soccer mom van look, thank goodness. Drove through a McDonald's drive-thru and then we were on our way to Naples to my grandparent's house! Their pool was a cool 95 degrees. It was like bath water...crazy. We swam all afternoon and even got the scuba gear out to dork around in the pool. So fun :) Supper consisted of the best ham in the world, baked beans, potato salad, rolls, black olives, and chips & sweet pineapple salsa. I was quite full after that. Grandma, Julie, & I played 2 games of Yahtzee. I epically won the first one (rolled a Yahtzee on my first roll!) and tied for first with Julie the second game. I am usually horrible at the game, so I don't know what was happening. We had amazing dessert after that....three different kinds of ice cream and chocolate overload cake. Yum. We then all played Mexican Train (my family's game) and I started off good and went downhill very fast. We will finish our game later. I got a sunburn after the long pool time, but it has already turned from pink to a nice light brown :)

Today, I woke up and decided to go for a walk/run. Walked/ran about three miles. It was already hot out this morning and it was just before 8am! A breakfast of milk and banana nut muffins (Caitlin, I thought about you when I ate it!) and then headed for Orlando at about 10:30am. Packed lunches for the car and Tori and I watched 'The Other Sister' on the way up. It was like 96 degress out today! Bah! We are staying at my other grandparent's time share. We are at the Sheraton Vistana Resort I believe. It is gorgeous!!! The rooms are like mini apartments....I have my own bed! We swam all afternoon. The pool is huge and has a waterfall pouring into it. We played water volleyball with some people from Saskatchewan and won all 3 games! Yeah baby!! Also, there was this live music set up where they were playing music, serving snow cones, and tie-dying tshirts. I went up there to request a song (Born This Way by Lady Gaga, because I had been singing it all day), and the guy handed me a microphone and told me to sing another song by her. So I did some karaoke to Poker Face. Oh man. It was fun and the entire pool area was either listening or watching me. My dad also jumped out of the pool to grab his camera. Do not fear, he got half of it on video....thanks dad :) haha. I got applause afterwards, so maybe that is a good sign? I will try my luck out at the American Idol Experience tomorrow at Hollywood Studios... After we had enough of the pool and sun, we decided to shower up and head to supper and Downtown Disney. We got all fancy and went to supper at Outback Steakhouse. Had a beautiful steak, garlic mashed potatoes, and veggies.

Downtown Disney was fun. Went in all of the shops. I wish I was a little girl and could get dressed up in a princess dress and live in a world of imagination. I could if I really wanted to now, but it just wouldn't be the same....and the costumes wouldn't fit :( I will just act like a kid for the next couple of days because I am in Disney World and I believe I am allowed to act in such a manner. Off to Hollywood Studios. My alarm is set for 7am. More soon hopefully. I don't know if I will have interent access again for awhile. I know you will miss my insanely long posts....ta ta for now!

Pulling Over

Last day in Ohio. I feel like this is my home now. Do you ever feel that way once you've been in a place long enough? I sure do...

But it's time to move on. Time for new adventures and new beginnings. New beginnings scare the heck out of me, but I love them just as much (if not more) as they scare me.

My tummy is full of homemade pizza and I love the feeling. This was legit homemade pizza. Our own dough/crust, fresh mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, and spices galore. Cam and I even attempted to tosh our dough just as a true Italian chef would. We rocked it. Cam's mom is bringing home the makings for ice cream sundaes soon. I think she has come to know my favorite food :)

Today, we went to the new Pirates of the Caribbean. Saw it in IMAX 3D! I am absolutely in love with the Pirates series and even though this one didn't have Will & Elizabeth, it was a great addition. I loved the fact that there is still a hint of romance between a mermaid and a pirate, as well as a love interest for Jack. Just as the third movie provided, make sure you stay past the credits to see an additional scene. It isn't that great, but stay for the fun of it anyway :)

Now, all I have left to do is finish packing, print my boarding passes, eat ice cream, and sleep until my alarm goes off at 3:45am. How sick is that? That is earlier than I have been up in a VERY long time. I'm a decent morning person, so I really don't mind. At this time tomorrow, I plan to be sitting by my grandma and grandpa's pool and chilling with my family. So excited to be in Florida for the next week!! Bring on the beach, sunburns, theme parks, and crazy family time!

Yesterday (since I didn't post last night), Cam and I went to her dad's work with him all morning. He is a firefighter for the city of Columbus. He was on the medic for the day and I got to go on 4 calls with him! Cam was on the rescue and got called on 2 or 3 fires, but they were cancelled. The calls were all 'illness' related, so nothing like a shooting or something hardcore like that. Getting inside of the medic ambulance, I smelled nothing but the sterile interior. The two men sat up front, while I had the back to myself as we twisted through traffic. I watched as cars in front of us continued to drive, or simply stopped at where they were at. Do you know what you are supposed to do when you hear sirens behind you? I thought we were all educated in this matter? Apparently the city of Columbus either doesn't know, or doesn't care. Well here is the answer (maybe someone in this city is reading this...): YOU PULL OVER. Seriously. Elementary knowledge girls and boys...

The few calls I was on, I saw anything from a woman who could barely speak to a woman who simply wanted a ride to the hospital. I can't possibly explain to you each situation in this post because of the time it would take and probably can't tell you all that much because of HIPAA. Lo siento.

Actually sitting back and thinking about this 'pulling over' situation, gets me thinking about how we should 'pull over' more often in life. Not just when the sirens blare behind us from an oncoming vehicle, but in a normal flow of traffic. When is that last time you stopped doing what you were doing and just sat? When is the last time you set aside some time to think about nothing stressful? I am not one to look up to on this, because I actually don't do this often. I get caught up in life and the stresses of it. But I am saying this so that you can master what I haven't mastered myself. I will continue to work on acting purposefully in life and I urge you to do the same. Treasure every moment. Take time. That is the secret.

The Lazy Song

Today is a lazy day and I am totally okay with that. Cam and I are having a Pirates of the Caribbean marathon because the new one comes out on Friday! After a long two days in D.C. we definitely needed a day off. Though I may go for a run later....

I will give you (hopefully) a short synopsis of my time in the national capitol, so here it goes!

On Sunday morning, we left for D.C. at around 10:30am and arrived at around 6pm. It took a little bit longer than expected because of traffic and an unknown area to us. We decided to head to the National Mall area (where all of the monuments are) and walk around. We found a parking spot in the Reagan Building and it was really highly secured. We first walked to the Washington Monument, then the WWII Memorial, which is separated from the Lincoln Memorial by the Reflecting Pool. The Reflecting Pool sadly, was simply a pool of dirt and mud. They began renovations on it last October in order to install a new recirculation system, which will improve the water quality of the pool and add a paved walkway around the perimeter of it. Sad I didn't get to see it, but still so awesome to be in the heart of D.C. history! Next, went to the Lincoln Memorial, Roosevelt Memorial, and Jeffereson Memorial. Jefferson was hands down my favorite because of the openness of the structure and the unbelievable architecture. I would sit on the steps anyday and read in the sunlight, looking out on the Tidal Basin of the Potomac River.

It was sundown by the time we were at the Jefferson and because of construction near the memorial, we couldn't take the short way back to our parking garage. Okay, at this point I was terrified because that means we had about a 2-3 mile walk back around the outside in the dark. Creep-city. We were just two girls in a big city at night and I was about to jump a nearby coach bus with a bunch of students and cry my eyes out to the bus driver so that he would give me a ride back to safety. Pathetic, I know, but I hate being outside at night and don't trust people around me. Especially, after almost being taken in Florida before by a car of men...yeah, not cool. Anyway, we got back safe and sound, thanks to a nice elderly couple we met up with on our way back who gave us directions to a more lit path. Thank goodness for them :)

We stayed at Cam's brother's friends house (Anthony) in Virginia (which is only like 10 minutes from D.C.) and we went out to a diner at like 11:00pm for some french toast! Hole-in-the-wall places are seriously some of the best food you will eat sometimes. Shortly after, I cozied up on the floor and went to sleep.

Monday was a museum day! We first stopped for lunch at Potbelly Sandwich Shop. I had been to one before and it is so great. Had an Italian sandwich and a giant pickle. Please go try this place out sometime, it's decently priced and so yummy! We walked by the White House! Saw a man mowing the lawn and took a bunch of pictures. We then walked to the National Museum of Natural History. We spent a long time in there and I love learning about the ocean, animals, and life in general. I wish I had time to read all of the information they provide, but it would take forever! After a short rest on the grass with a cool soda, we headed to the Air and Space Museum. My dad would have LOVED it....I will have to take him there someday. As I walked through security (they search your bag and you have to walk through a metal detector every time you enter a place), the security guard asked if I was Irish. Uhm, first of all, weird. Second of all, I am Italian. Must be the red hair and green eyes? Anyway, I was pooped after like an hour in this museum and we decided we should head to the Kennedy Center.

Anthony works in the Kennedy Center and told us about how they have a free show every night at 6pm! Anything from dance, to theater, to music! On the way, it began to POUR and luckily I had ponchos in my bag. We pulled them on and kept walking after asking directions from a security guard. We ended up like on the hill of a highway and decided this could not be right. I spotted a bridge off to our right and we clambered down the hill, soaking wet, and continued to the Kennedy. Now, I don't like showing up to a theater looking gross as well as the next person, but there wasn't much we could do. The performance of the night was called 'The Atomic Duo' and they were two guys (one mandolin and one guitar) who play bluegrass/folk type music and add humor to their music. Here is the link if you would like to watch! http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/videos/?id=M4652&type=A Below is a picture of us with the two guys.

After the performance, we took the Metro to Ben's Chili Dogs and I had my first chili dog.

(This post was interrupted by a trip to the movies. We saw Something Borrowed. Good movie, but it was frustrating!! I resume this post sitting in a hammock on Cam's desk at sunset while hummingbirds buzz overhead while they feed on sweet nectar...paints a movie-esc picture huh?)

So, Ben's Chili Dogs. Back in the 1960s, when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, this neighborhood erupted in rebellion. The stores were all torched and striped of their belongings. That is, everything BUT Ben's Chili Dogs. Pretty cool huh? I thought so. After chili dogs and chili fries, we (by this I mean Anthony) decided we should go to Coldstone. Chili dogs and hardcore ice cream? A good idea? Most likely not...but my stomach handled it like a soldier. Not sure what that exactly means to you, but it means like a champ to me. We then stayed up talking and woke up early the next morning to head to the Holocaust Museum.

The Holocaust Museum has been on my bucket list for ages. I am so intrigued with WWII and the Holocaust, I always crave to learn new things. I honestly can't explain it to you. There was so much information...I started by reading every sign and every note and barely through the museum, I couldn't do it anymore. It would have taken me half a day to read through everything. It was neat because before you go through the main exhibit, you get an identification card with a person and their story inside. At the end, you find your person on a touch screen to see if they made it through the war. Mine didn't :( I hadn't teared up or anything throughout the whole exhibit, but at the end they had this little theater where you could watch survivors tell their stories and it was heart wrenching. I was a mess after it. After two people's stories, I was out of there. One guy's story was about how he was at his end, but he wasn't going to let anyone take his life. He felt someone grabbing on him (he thought to take him away) so he mustered up what little strength he had and hit whoever was behind him with a wooden shoe he had next to him. He looked back and the man said, "I am an American soldier and I have come to free you." Tears welling yet? Well, when I tell it, it obviously isn't as emotional. The lady's story was about a man approaching her and he asked if she could take him to the others. She replied with, "Don't you know I am a Jew?" I forgot most of the commentary, but she led him and he held the door open for her. She hadn't remembered the last time a man had done that for her. The 'bunkhouse' was filled with women who couldn't even get out of bed. He was an American soldier and she was a Jew...the story ended with her saying that he is now her husband. How adorable is that? I cried....again.

After the museum, we walked by the Capitol building and went to lunch at a place called Good Stuff Eatery and it is Spike Mendelsohn's restaurant, he was on Top Chef or something? AMAZING burgers...I also recommend this place. I just ate a lot of good food. I love food.

Well, this post was entirely too long. I like to talk and I could have gone on for way longer. So, if you are still here, thank you for putting up with me and I hope you enjoyed hearing about my time in D.C.

Now, I will resume my laziness....if you need a definition of what this is for me today, check out The Lazy Song by Bruno Mars. Not all of the song is about my life though...don't worry mom and dad. Love love, Kait.

Smile

Today was EPIC. Cedar Point all day with my best friend. That means, amazing roller coasters.

I love thrill rides and this was definitely the place for me. So many crazy coasters...you need to check it out if you are near Sandusky, Ohio that's for sure. The biggest ride there, Top Thrill Dragster is 420 feet in the air, go from 0 - 120 in 4 seconds, and experience zero gravity. Definitely look up pictures, it looks scary as heck. Unfortunately, it was down for maintenance all day :( We rode plenty of other roller coasters though. So many, that I will feel all disoriented as I lay down to sleep after this.

It was a really foggy day and you couldn't even see the tops of some rides. We went on a couple where we were in a mist cloud at the top of the lift. Most of the rides consisted of me laughing so hard that I was crying. Along with the wind whipping like crazy, my face was wet with tears by the end of the ride. The last ride was our longest wait and we waited like 2 hours for it. It was a stand up coaster called the Mantis and I don't recommend it. Seriously, if you are a guy, you will be in insane amounts of pain....Cam and I were even walking like we just rode a horse afterwards...blech.

I lost my train of thought because Cam and I just left the living room for her bedroom...dang. Well tomorrow morning around 10 we are leaving to go to Washington D.C. for two days! How exciting is that?! Driving through the mountains and going to a place I thought I wouldn't see for quite some time...pretty cool. We will most likely be the stereotypical tourists while we are there, which is totally okay with me. I plan on having my green Ameribag strapped over one shoulder and my camera snapping a zillion pictures. Nothing new for me though...

I was speaking with one of my friends about how I was scared I was going to fall back in my faith this summer. I think that being scared tells me that I won't let it happen though. He explained that if we are worried about something like this, we will be watching out for it. And thinking that way, if we are watching out for it, we won't let it happen. Which gets me back to square one, but in an opposite direction if that makes sense? Therefore, I have solved my problem....in my head anyway. It is so great to have friends that are willing to keep you accountable in your faith. Being away from college (especially where I found my home church) and campus ministries is so difficult. Especially when we come back to our hometown where we might not have the same access to a church that feels right or family/friends to share your faith with and what you are learning. It's hard, but that's why there is the internet and telephones. So pick up that phone, even if it's texting, and send a facebook message to a friend that may need a good pick-me-up or a reminder to keep in the Word.

Be a blessing to somebody's life today :) I am POSITIVE somebody would love to hear from you. And if you have already accomplished that, smile at a stranger. It may just be the one thing that could keep them going for that day. And it's good for the soul.

God bless!
-Kaitlyn

Apples

As I write this post, I am eating a delicious Gala apple. Fruit and summer just go together. I can't even express to you how much I wish it was summer weather all year round. Okay, maybe a few days of winter so that I can ski, but other than that, I like to be warm and in the sun!

I wasn't able to write last night, when everything was fresh in my mind because the blog site wasn't working for some reason. It is becoming hard to keep my days straight here in Ohio. We seem to do the same thing everyday, yet nothing of the same. That makes me feel like I am at home, and in a way, I am :) America's Next Top Model is my background music right now and we tend to sit and relax to it everyday.

Yesterday, Bryan (Cam's dad), Cam, and I went to Easton, which is a huge shopping area just outside of Columbus. I was expecting a decent sized indoor mall, but this had indoor and outdoor shops and it was gorgeous! It made me feel like I was in Florida because we don't have much (if any) outdoor shopping in South Dakota. There were fountains, movie theaters, and so many high end shops. I drug Cam into Tiffany's because I had never been in one and wanted to say I had. Man, some crazy expensive things in there...I definitely felt out of place in my wind-blown and lack of high class look. Forever 21 is more of my place and I spent my max amount that I would let myself spend...which wasn't very much. Yay for being broke! I truly feel so blessed to be able to stay at Cam's house and for everything her family has provided for me. They said I was simply another daughter for the 12 days I am here. Love Cam and her family!! We went to eat at a place called BD's Mongolian Barbeque, which is comparable to a Hu Hot back home. YUM YUM.

Honestly, my memory is failing me for most of what happened last night.
Trait of Kaitlyn: I have a horrid memory. I practically forget everything and I dislike that quality very much about myself. My sister tells me that I have alzheimer's all the time :/ Bah! I really hope it doesn't get worse with age...though, I feel as if that is impossible.

Today, Cam and I ran a few errands and bought some hair dye. I've been dying (haha get it?) to dye my hair a light strawberry blonde, but I really don't have the money to spend at a hair salon. So, after sitting on my bum in the Walmart hair color aisle for half my life, I hesitantly picked a color and reluctantly handed over the $7.97 to the cashier. I'm so scared, but it's just hair and it's already dead anyway right? Let's hope those words of encouragment from Cam really help. Wish me luck.....I will most likely have a different color hair for my next post.
Hope your summers have started out something fantastically. I actually already miss school...

Auboritum/Arboretum

The title of this post is the concoction of a word that I had been confused about for awhile. Cam had always told me about an amazing place filled with trees and plants that they had in Ohio near her house. When she said it, it always came out like "auboritum"...but I actually found out today that it is called an "arboretum". Arbor=tree...it's all making sense now! Months of confusion. Thanks Cam. :)

We arrived back at her house around 5:15pm today after an afternoon filled with a trip to her high school, eating pizza at a place called Pizza Cottage with her dad, and going to Dawes Arboretum. The arboretum was GORGEOUS. Didn't know it was legit hiking through the woods on rocky paths. Good thing I wore my paper thin flip flops. The rocks had a wonderful time jabbing the bottom of my foot. Below are a couple pictures in the arboretum.

Cam and I got home and were dead tired from all of the hiking in the heat. We plan on sitting on the couch the rest of the evening. America's Next Top Model has been our tv obsession the past couple days. They are reruns, but they are still amazing. Makes me want to prove myself and go on the show. Maybe someday it will happen! We ate a mango tonight and I have never really ate one and I think I have fallen in love. Fallen in love with a fruit. Yup. If you haven't tasted one, you must run to the store right now and get one and eat it...then let me know how it is. You may fall in love too.

I'm so dang hungry and keep going back for pizza leftovers. Who doesn't love cold pizza??!

On a pizza run to the kitchen,

Kaitlyn

P.S. If you've been wondering, yes, I did in fact bring my trumpet on this 3 week vacation. I need to go practice. Motivation needed.

i feel pretty/unpretty

The title of this blog was our anthem song on the 16 hour trip to Ohio. Obsessing over singing duets, we thought that this song from glee was a good pick. I think we finally mastered our parts by Indiana (if you don't understand how far that is into the trip, then you should know it isn't very impressive...but we did our best!). We shall be putting on a show later this week at Cam's house if you would like to attend. No special invitation required.

The drive was long, but actually wasn't nearly as exhausting as I thought it would be. We switched off driving every time we filled up with gas...usually our butts were hurting pretty hardcore by this point. Too much information, I understand, but if you've been on a long car ride, it DOES happen.

I'm exhausted and with the time change it's like 12:30am, so I will give you a few short details and interesting things that happened...
1. Near Iowa City, Cam was driving and I was pointing out the big city skyline, but this guy in a car next to us decided that my pointing was a wave in his direction. So, he waved back and then I automatically waved because that's what you do when somebody waves at you. Awkward. We then played the awkward game of car tag. And you all know how that goes...
2. I decided on our last stop about 2.5 hours from her house that I was going to get a DMD. In my language, a Diet Mountain Dew, the best drink ever. Well the gas station was having a deal for a 44 oz. fountain drink for a dollar, and I figured I would just save the rest. If you know me, DMD goes like right through me, so I gave myself a limit on how much I could drink. But, of course, I have to go less than an hour into the trip. Cam was willing to pull over and let me go but I told her to keep going because I would 'break the seal', so to speak. I was trying to explain what this phrase meant and it finally got to the point of me dying of laughter because she finally asked, "So how long does it take to stop going?" (Her thinking that once you went you just didn't stop going, while it actually means you go and will have to keep making bathroom trips.) Okay, it was hilarious at the time and if you think about it, it still is right? Love her.

Driving out to her house was so confusing. Out in the middle of nowhere. Roads were winding in all different directions with a canopy of trees above your head. It was gorgeous in the pitch black and I can't wake up to see the beauty that shows itself in the daylight.

More tomorrow.
love, kait

7.5 hours

I am leaving on a 16 hour car ride in exactly 7.5 hours. How do I feel? SUPER EXCITED! Cam and I definitely know how to make boring situations such as these quite fun, so I'm not too worried. This blog is about to become way more exciting now that I am off on an adventure across the United States (well some of it anyway)! I'll update you on where I have gone, people I have met, and crazy things that happen. Something awkward is bound to happen to me...that's usually how I roll. Some crazy good thunderstorms last night. The thunder shook our house quite a bit. Love thunderstorms so much!! I think there may be more tonight....

Habits

School is over...it's over. It's summer. How is this possible.

Sitting at home is definitely an odd feeling since I have not been able to come home much at all this year. And to tell you the truth, I have almost become used to it. They say that the longer you stay away, the more you realize how much you love home you when you return. Not that I don't miss it, because home is where I will always belong, but I have found my own path in life. I have become the person I was meant to be in college and I am so thankful for the people that have shaped my life. So, in turn, I miss home and my family like crazy, but I am now okay with being away for awhile.

Anyway, so today was graduation at SDSU and I was in the brass choir to play Pomp and Circumstance five thousand times in a row and the Star Spangled Banner and such. Well, I was supposed to be there at 9:00 am ready to go and guess what time I woke up? 9:04! Actually my roommate Kelsey woke me up, thank goodness. I KNOW that I set my alarm last night because I always check a million times like I have OCD, so I had to have turned it off in my sleep. I always tell people my dreams are so life-like and now they should believe it! So, I FLEW out of bed and was out the door in exactly 6 minutes. I looked absolutely dreadful and felt embarrassed in front of the thousands of people looking at me. Oh well, life isn't about how you look and people shouldn't care. But at the same time, I was 'performing' in front of many people so the glasses, nasty tangled greasy hair, and lack of makeup probably made me look like I just got out of bed. Oh, wait, I did just get out of bed. Sick. Future husband, look out. I do not look like girls do in the movies when they wake up in the morning. This is real life and it's not the most beautiful sight to see :) haha.

I decided that I am not going to tell you (reader, person I may/may not know) all about myself in this blog right off the get-go. Instead, I will feed you tiny bits of myself through stories and life lessons and I hope you can get to know me a bit.

Habit of Kaitlyn. When I say I am going to be gone for a said period of time, allow twice as long of a time frame as I say. I will explain a bit further. Say that I have to run somewhere, like tonight when I went to my friend Tressa's grad party. I said that I would probably be back in like 30-45 minutes. Turns out I was there for like two hours....pahaha. That's me. I love talking to people and tend to get sidetracked when I do. I really enjoy that quality I possess and wouldn't change it for anything. I do feel bad though when I tell people I will be back at a certain time and I'm not. So next time, just be prepared for it :) I apologize in advance.

This was not supposed to be this long, I apologize. Oooo, another habit of Kaitlyn. I apologize way too much. I'm sorry....

Clear Skies

I know that finals week isn't over yet, so I really shouldn't be blogging because my adventures haven't officially started. Oh well. Woke up to sunshine streaming in from my window and I silently prayed that it was nice outside. And by gosh, it was! BEAUTIFUL clear blue sky kind of day :) I decided to run to the Wellness Center instead of drive, crazy idea right? Getting exercise BEFORE I get exercise....clever. Met with my friend and fellow dance club officer Abbie and we danced one last time before we headed our separate ways for the summer. It was so great and I will miss dance club very much. We were trying to freestyle to some of Adele's music as well as Needtobreathe. Okay, I was attempting while she had fun with it. Sometimes it's hard for me to let go and be free with my dancing. I am very stuck in my ways of being a choreographer and performing set moves...probably stemming from the perfectionist inside of me. I can only get better though, right? Hopefully I can bring some dancing into the performances at camp this summer. I am going into this 'camp' thing so blindly, but I am still a little over a month away, so I can calm down for now. Off to study for the most gosh awful final ever! Hooray! Music Literature and History II is the class and the teacher is a complete joke. Yay for paying a bunch of money to have a teacher treat me like a 5 year old and then give me tests with things we have never gone over. How nice of him...
On a brighter note, I love this song and music video, so you should watch :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYEDA3JcQqw&feature=related

Run

Blogging. I tried it out last summer and failed miserably after one post. So here I sit, in the midst of finals week of my junior year, unable to study because of the thoughts that are permeating my mind. How am I a junior in college? Or for that matter, a senior in exactly four days. I feel nauseous just thinking about it.

The title of this entry was spoken to me by my college pastor Rick, telling us to run towards God with all of our heart, mind, and strength. It was probably the most emotional message he has ever given and it got to me. Right now, though, all I can think about are the people that are going to be 'running' out of my life as we head into summer and my senior year.

I can't help but feel so blessed for all of the people that I have met in college. My life has been changed in so many amazing ways. But, right now, all I want to do is cry. I am afraid of the future at this moment. Afraid that I will not see many of my friends ever again after we graduate. How can I keep in contact with everyone? I feel so content with my life right now and I don't want people running out of it.

I apologize if you are reading this now and you are thinking how awful it is that I am complaining in my first blog post...but I really can't help it. (And I know you secretly feel the same way...). Don't worry, I'm not judging.

I think this is all stemming from last night, when I had the most amazing worship I have had in a long time. It was Rick's last Oasis last night and the room was packed full. I completely broke down during the song "Mighty to Save" and this breakdown continued for the rest of the night. If you know me, you know that I never cry...and I am never sarcastic. Pah.

Knowing that my life is changing is scary. I am heading into a summer where I am going many different places without knowing what to expect. Am I fearful? Kinda. Should I be? No. Because God is already there. He already knows my future and has planned it ever so intricately. God has a perfect and divine plan set up for my life, and yours too.

Wow blog, thanks for pepping me up a bit. I really needed it. Now that I definitely have no desire to study, I may just go read for awhile. Never be afraid to trust an unknown future with a known God :) He makes His love and care known for us through the Bible and lets us know He is with us now and will be with us in the future.

God is Enough. Run. God is good and He will never leave you.