The Next Adventure

This blog isn't about traveling for no good reason! I love to do it. When I was in Austria I was already thinking about my plans for this summer. I am so blessed to be able to take trips. I knew I was going to make this summer big, but what is big? For some people, a big trip would be a Caribbean cruise for two weeks. Others would grab a backpack and tour Europe. I have known others who wonder the continent by hitch hiking. I started looking at Around-the-world tickets. In all honesty, I would love to just get up and go for a year. That would be a dream. Hmph, maybe one day.

The prices are not bad for Around-the-world tickets. I could take a trip around the Pacific for around $1500 dollars. It is a good price, but it is not quite what I want to do. I want to hit New Zealand and Singapore. Okay, seriously I want to go everywhere. I found a good deal for part of my trip to New Zealand. I'm going with a friend and we will be renting an RV for about 12 days. After talking with the company our costs will be about $1100 for the plane ticket and rental. Isn't that super cool? I want to go to Singapore, so I'm going to see if I can include that into my schedule for the summer, but at least you are hearing my beginning plans!

A couple weeks ago I was tagged by Happy Villian to do a MeMe. I promised that I would do it, and I have been thinking about what do write for over a week. I am supposed to write six secrets, but I want to be careful, because I have coworkers that read this. I could just imagine that I write something very personal about myself and then the next day my coworker is looking at me funny! So here it goes.

MeMe
1. Every kid dreams about what they want to be when they grow up. Most kids want to be police officers, the president, or maybe even a teacher. I was much cooler then that. I wanted to be a comedian. I love making people laugh. The only problem is that I'm not always funny. I go through phases. I have good days when I'm on a roll. Those are good teaching days because my students are having fun and so am I. I love it. If I were to go back in time I would try out for an improv comedy group in college. I believe that comedy takes practice and I could have done a good job if I had the chance. Laughter cures everything. Oh well, now my students get to be my audience.

2. My ex-boyfriend has two email addresses. When we were dating we knew each other's passwords (that's a story in and of itself). When we broke up I looked at his email a few times and that's how I found out he started to like another girl. I called him about it and said, "look, I have read your emails." I suggested that he change his password and I immediately changed mine. But he didn't change the password to his other email address. Sometimes when I'm having a bad day I will check his email. He doesn't use this email much, at least not since he left for his mission. Last time I looked was about two months ago...but I am a little embarrassed by it all because it's sort of obsessive. I guess I still love him. I know I miss him, but I think I have made progress moving on. I just can't wait to be in love again, but man, it was great.

3. Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I wasn't Mormon. Or what if I just decided to disregard my beliefs and live like the world. I'm pretty sure I would be a party girl. I would be clubbing, drinking, and probably live with a male roommate or a boyfriend. I would love to wear tanktops. I think I would like that life. Maybe I would have a tattoo and I know I will still have my tongue pierced (I took that out when I served a mission). It would certainly be easier. There is a reason I don't live that way and it is because I have a testimony of my religion. I have had specific spiritual experiences in my life that keep me on this path. But sometimes I wonder. Who would I be? I just hope I would not be pregnant and single!

4. I think I'm addicted to food. When I go on a trip I look forward to what I'm going to eat. When the school day is done I start thinking about what I'm going to have for dinner. I always eat breakfast, how could go without a meal? During second block I'm usually thinking about lunch. When I'm upset I fo out to dinner to feel better. If it is a good day I also go out to dinner to celebrate. I love to cook, because I get to try something new that I made with my own hands. I love food.

There was only one time when I didn't feel like eating and that was the month after my ex broke up with me. I only ate slimjims, because that was all I could get myself to swallow. Oh, and I also ate some chocolate. I think I lost about ten pounds. I gained it all back when I was in Alaska, because I fell in love with a milkshake, the Boston shake. You can find it at the only ice cream shop in Skagway. It was made with vanilla ice cream, but I always requested chocolate instead. The Boston shake was a mix of chocolate ice cream, milk, banannas, and strawberries. Banannas would be added to the bottom, then the shake, strawberries on top, and finally whipped cream. I think I averaged about two a week! It was bad. A serious addiction. I have never been on a diet before. I think I might try one called the Flavor diet, and that's just because it is all about food and flavor. Seriously, I'm blessed to be in such good shape for my addiction!

5. When I did my student teaching in Mexico I had a really disturbing dream. The principal at the private school where I student taught was also my advisor. Since I did not have internet access, I would go to his house to send off emails. I got to know his family pretty well. He had two sons, one in eleventh grade and one in sixth grade. One night I dreamt that I was kissing one of his sons...the boy that was in sixth grade. To make the dream even worse, his dad walked in on us and starting screaming at me. Of course he was upset because I was making out with his twelve year old son! I was so ashamed and embarrassed. I didn't even know why I was kissing him, because I wasn't attracted to him, hello he is twelve! I woke up with a cold sweat. For the next two weeks I avoided his house and the family. I guess I was afraid they would know my thoughts and my dreams. I was creeped out by it too, because I had never had an attraction to a kid before!

6. I had a breast reduction. I was really well endowed during my teenage years. You know how high school boys make a list of all the girls in school, you know, the hot girl, the girl who will sleep with anyone, the best kisser, and the girl with the largest boobs? Well, I was the girl with the largest boobs. That is what everyone knew about me. I started wearing a bra when I was in third grade and I just kept getting bigger and bigger. By the time I was a sophomore in college I was fitted for 32JJ! I'm not a big girl, so these knockers looked extremely out of place on me. In fact I was very self-conscious because of my differences. People would stare, not just men, but women as well. How could they not, I was carrying around huge melons! So I started making trips to plastic surgeons. After being rejected twice by my insurance, I was finally approved for the surgery. I was scared. What if the plastic surgeon messed up and I looked all lopsided? What if it didn't work and they continued to grow (that does happen)? What if I got one of those freak side-effects where the nipple falls off?

My surgeon did an excellent job and I am now a full C cup. I still look large, but at least I'm proportional. And hopefully one day I will find out if I can breastfeed. If I had to do it again, I would in a heartbeat. It was the best decision I have ever made. My confidence level has sky rocketed and I date a lot more then I ever had before. Plus, the guys that I date now are interested in me and not what's underneath my clothing.