Let it Be Linds

Life Update

2011-07-16T16:10:00.000-07:00

Life has been super busy, but here is the general update.

This is my city.

This is the loft where we live.

This is who I work for.

This is where I work.

This is how this all makes me feel.

Back to Africa

2011-06-21T14:55:00.000-07:00

In an incredible turn of events, I ended up back in Ghana last week, to visit my little brother. Most of you are my friends on facebook and have seen the highlights of my trip already, so I thought I would just post two short videos from my favorite day in Ghana- visiting the kente village.

Kente weaving is a significant tradition in the Ghanaian culture. Each of the designs they weave have a special story or moral connected to it. This particular kente site was being run by a Peace Corps volunteer, who was kind enough to show me around and teach me the ins and outs of weaving. I ended up purchasing a bag, and was able to meet with the worker who weaved it.

Okay, so here are the links to the videos:
In this visit to the kente village you can see how a real pro does it.
Incredibly, they let me try my hand at kente weaving which was a lengthy process that yielded very little fabric.

Biking through DC

2011-06-19T03:43:00.001-07:00

My old friend Melissa mentioned that with summer upon us, I should make a trip to DC to visit her. A quick, perfect trip! Since I've been there plenty of times, and she lives there, we were able to bypass the typical experiences, and visit things I hadn't seen before (like Roosevelt Island, a tribute to Teddy Roosevelt, our most BAMF president. We also made it to Lincoln's Cottage, which I would highly recommend to any fan or history.)
And probably my favorite part of the trip was seeing DC on bike. We were able to cover a lot of territory, fly past the familiar monuments, quickly access new (to us) museums, and be able to justify decadent Greek food that night (hey, we burned, like, a million calories, right? RIGHT?!?!)
I'm grateful for a good friend, who showed me the best side of her city.

Blair and Cynthia's Gradutation

2011-06-04T09:37:00.000-07:00

After a grueling 24-hr drive from Southern Utah to Dallas, Texas, Jay and I unpacked the car and repacked our suitcases to head to Ft. Lauderdale for my brother's graduation from Dental School and his girlfriend's graduation from Optometry School (thankfully, it was only one graduation ceremony.) My little sister was able to fly in for the weekend, and my parents joined us as well. It felt like a good old-fashioned family vacation, minus the boring bits.Tessa and defied gravity and science to go parasailing (I'm telling you, it's black magic)
We drove through the Florida Keys and stopped at Robbie's Marina to feed the tarpon.
These tarpon and huge and hungry. They will snatch the little fishies right out of your hand.
My dad was brave, but my mom stared those tarpon right down and showed them who's boss.
We are so incredibly proud of our smart brother, Doctor Blair!
A proper family picture. As per usual, my dad's eyes are closed.
Beach time with my little TJ.
Our most favorite matching, monogrammed beach towels :)
Out at the Cheese Shop for dinner. Dr Cynthia, Dr Blair, Dad with his eyes closed, and my lovely mother.

Overall, a great weekend! I loved being able to spend time with my family and to see such a huge milestone for Blair and Cynthia.

And now, back to reality in Dallas. Stay tuned.

Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes

2011-06-01T11:47:00.001-07:00

For the past five years, I have taught 8th grade US History at Pineview Middle School. It has been an incredibly rewarding career, full of exhaustion, elation, new friends, giant hurdles and morning coffee. Leaving Pine View, to pursue my new life in Dallas, TX, was heartbreaking, to say the least. I made the closest friends of my life, gained confidence I didn't know I had and made a positive impact in my own community.

Five years ago, on the first day of school, I wore a black pair of heels, a black fitted top and a black and white polkadot skirt. For whatever reason, those items were still sitting in my closet five years later. For a proper farewell, I chose to relive that outfit on my last day of school(minus the anxious first-day-of-school-jitters, as well as an apparent tan I was rocking in 2006). So, peace out Pine View Middle. It was a hell of a ride.

Off to Florida Keys there's a place called Kokimo

2011-03-22T15:54:00.000-07:00

Having to live 1,000 miles away from the ol' ball-and-chain has made me appreciate my time with him even more. This week we were so fortune to be able to meet up in Florida for a week of sunshine and spring breakin'.
We spent the first few days in the Florida Keys, visiting our favorite winery, picnicking on beaches, exploring Key West, parasailing (450 ft high!) and eating key lime pie.

Key West is famous for its stellar sunsets. Everyone gathers on the pier and cheers as the sun goes down. There are street performers and vendors, which lead to a really vibrant atmosphere. It didn't hurt that it was a perfect 70 degrees outside. We couldn't have been luckier!
The second half of spring break was spent with our favorite couple ever, Blair and Cynthia! Blair, of course, is my handsome, soon-t0-be-dentist brother, and Cynthia is his gorgeous, soon-to-be-eye-doctor girlfriend. We take advantage of every chance we have to spend time with them! We also greatly appreciate the fact that they live on the beach. We laid around on the white sands of Fort Lauderdale (which lead to my back peeling in a disgusting way that I do not want to discuss.)

Our last stop in Southern Florida was a Spring Training game. I'm not exactly what you would call a "sports fan." Sports elude me. Confuse me. Plus, the games are reallly long. But I've always enjoyed going to baseball games with Jay. (Besides, he has a 7-inning rule- if I've been a good girl, then I only have to stay 7 innings. What a champ.) Either way, it was actually way fun to be so close to the action!

One more thing- while driving through the Keys, we made a stop at Robbie's Marina, where for a few bucks you can buy a bucket of fish to feed to the giant tarpon (about four feet long and just shy of 200 pounds!) Anyway, while there, I learned of my massive fear of pelicans. Man, those guys are huge and have NO shame! Either way, here's a fun trick we learned while feeding the tarpon (and trying to avoid feeding those damn pelicans!)

Jay and I flew out of separate airports and landed in separate states. I can play this commuting game for 9 more weeks, which is all we have left. Anything more might just kill me!

Lindsey and the Big D

2011-02-28T09:39:00.000-08:00

Dallas will make me fat. Correction: Dallas will make me fatter.

Every trip to Dallas ends up revolving around food. And with so many incredibly culinary options, it stands to reason that eating would remain my focus while in the Big D.

My flight arrived at Love Field around 11pm and I hadn’t eaten since lunch, twelve long hours ago. (Airlines peanuts don’t count… although props to Southwest for going the honey roasted route. A bold move, indeed.) So, it’s taco time, and I don’t mean the mediocre Tex Mex chain. Jay and I avoid chain restaurants, which has lead to many great gastronomical discoveries in our relationship. We head to the lavanderia. That’s right. The Hispanic laundromat. Because you know you’re having authentic, delicious carnitas tacos when it is adjacent to a lavanderia and pay-as-you-go cell phone store. The tacos did not disappoint. It’s bed time.

Saturday breakfast was cold cereal (Kashi’s Strawberry Fields. Love it.) because we had to save room for lunch. We were having lunch with our internet friends, at a Reddit meet-up, a chance for nerds to eat lunch with other nerds and discuss all of the awesome nerdiness that we have seen on the internet that week. Lunch was held at a vegan Chinese buffet. You would think that tofu orange chicken would be offensive to my distinguished food pallet, but it wasn’t! The fact that the broccoli and beef contained no actual beef, certainly didn’t stop me from grabbing seconds! Suma Veggie Café is a hole in the wall, with cult-like devotees that come for the food and stay for the strange television program being played in the corner (was that a classical piano version of the Rocky theme song, along with interpretive dancers? Yes. Yes it was.)

We had our mid day snack at the Dallas Farmer’s Market, a place that I imagine myself shopping at religiously once I finally can call Dallas home. It was like going to Costco on a Saturday, with vendors practically shoving delicious fresh fruit down your throat, with the guarantee that their blackberries are far superior to the guy two booths down.

On my way to the Farmer's Market

Dinner was with friends at Dumma Sushi Bistro, where the “Yummi Shrimp Sushi,” lived up to its name. Where the sake was smooth, the edamame was fresh and the lighting was dim. Tempura fried ice cream anyone? Yes, please. And while you’re at it, can you bring me another pair of pants? These ones are feeling a little bit… tight.

Our flight left early Sunday morning, so our last food stop was for breakfast tacos at El Paisa. No lavanderia connected to this location, but I still was able to use my Spanish to interpret the signs in the area. Chorizo, eggs, beans, cheese, and tortillas that were so fresh you began to wonder just how early these people began their day. It was huge, it was filling, and needless to say, my next meal wasn’t for another twelve hours.

I’m going to the gym today. If I say it here, I’m more likely to do it. And after a weekend in Dallas, I need it.

Staying and going

2011-01-21T09:26:00.000-08:00

In five months I move to Dallas, Texas. I'm excited, nervous, stressed, happy, and ready. Some days. Anyway, by the time June rolls around, I will be trading Mormons for Baptists, and red rock for red dirt (although, politically, both are red states).

Why it will be easy to go:
I will live in the same city (gasp!) as my husband!
Reasonable proximity to a real airport
Two words: Taco. Cabana.
My chronically dry skin will appreciate the humidity.
Texas ranks #13 in the nation for education. Goodbye #41 (not to mention, Utah is #47 in funding.)

Why it will be hard to leave:
I have an incredible job where I have grown as a teacher. Finding a new job stresses me out.
I will be leaving behind great friends, many of whom are like family.
Honolulu Grill and Durangos
Saint George is so easy to navigate. I will be hopelessly lost in Texas.
A three hour drive to see my sister will become a three hour flight. Maybe four.

Luckily, I have awhile to mentally prepare, physically pack, and emotionally fall apart. Here's to the next great adventure!

Clearly, this is your first time to Africa.

2011-01-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

As the plane was still taxiing towards the Accra airport, about half of the passengers stood up and began grabbing their overhead luggage. Confused, I turned to the flight attendant(AKA the only other white girl on the plane) and asked if we were allowed to stand and grab our luggage, despite the fact that the fasten seatbelt sign was still illuminated. She laughed, "Clearly, this is your first time to Africa. No rules here. "

That was my introduction. It felt even more real, as I was waiting for my backpack at the luggage carousel, and the power went out. Twice. Two times. And just like that, I realized I was really here. My little brother has been living in the Volta Region of Ghana, with the Peace Corps, since June. He was my guide and translator for this trip (despite the fact that many speak some form of English, I still struggled to understand them. Say what you will about Colonialization; it took a country with over 300 languages, and provided them with a much-needed lingua franca.)

We spent our vacation in 3 different locations:
1. Cape Coast: Bustling town, population 82,000, with a strong history of slave trading.
2. Busua: Small fishing town of about 2,000, slowing becoming aware of its own popularity.
3. Butre: Remote isolated village, no more than 500 people, next to a beach that is so perfect and untouched, I can't put it into words.
(4. I don't count Accra, because it's the worst city ever, and because we wouldn't have spent any time there had my flight not been drastically delayed.)

Ghana was incredibly hot this time of year. I came in the midst of the "dry season," so despite the lack of rain, the humidity was palpable. Corn rows (or as they call them, "corn rolls") were a life saver.

There were so many endearing cultural traits that I wish I could ramble off. Weird ones, like apparently the way I wave to people means, "Come here" in Ghana. So while I thought I was very popular with small children, apparently there were approaching me because I had beckoned them with my wave. Or their utter fascination with my hair and skin. It was quite common, while walking down the street, to have people rub my arm or head.

Religion is a big part of Ghanaian culture. Christianity is everything there. Probably 90% of businesses and stores had a bizarre religious themed name, such as "Christ's Blood Laundry," "Virgin Mary Bar," or "Never Deny The Lord Internet Cafe." Probably the best one I saw was called, "Jesus Didn't Have Any Friends Either Restaurant." True story.

Ghana is a right-handed culture, so you had to be very careful to always eat, transfer money, shake or high-five with your right hand. (Kind of ridiculous, only because everyone I know wipes with their right hand. Oh well.)

We took a cooking class there, where we prepared several traditional Ghanaian dishes. Here's a brief video clip from class.

After beaches, bon fires and banana pancakes (more like super thick crepes. They were tops!) it was time to head home. My trip ended much how it started: inefficiency at the airport. My flight was delayed 11 hours, and Delta put us up in a hotel, and told me to return the next day. After headache, after headache, eventually my plane touched down in the USA (with drug dogs inspecting each passenger that deplaned in Atlanta. Apparently drug trafficking from Africa is a big deal. Who knew?)

I owe thanks to a lot of people.

Thanks to my little brother, for orchestrating the best vacation imaginable.
Thanks to my husband, for not complaining about the fact that I left him for Christmas.
Thanks to the stranger at the Accra airport who sat with me while I cried my eyes out after saying goodbye to my brother.
Thanks to the travel nurse who gave me shots and pills before my trip: I only got mildly sick one night.
Thanks to cruise ships for not finding out about the beautiful beaches of Ghana and ruining them with your tacky tourism.

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

Commuter Relationship

2010-12-14T18:15:00.000-08:00

Having Jay live a million miles away in Dallas has not been the easiest thing for me. In fact, it's been terribly devastating! We have both been adjusting to the "commuter lifestyle," trying to figure out how frequently he can fly up to St. George, or I can haul my ass down to Dallas. The only payoff I have in this situation, is knowing that he is working a job he's wanted for years, and eventually (June...) we will be together again. Permanently. Fin. So after two weeks of his absence, Jay flew in this weekend. We saw Lion King (Completely spectacular. Breathtaking costumes, and we all know how much I love Elton John!) and hit our favorite Mexican place, Gonzalez y Gonzalez, which has the best salsa in the world. In fact, we took some home with us, and were constantly eating it (as seen below. We couldn't even leave the parking garage without dipping into our reserve of chips and salsa.)
P.S. We don't normally both go out in public wearing matching argyle, like we did for the Lion King. In fact, we didn't notice it until we had left the hotel room. We're awesome.

My Spanish Family

2010-11-27T07:57:00.000-08:00

In 2002 I was introduced to my new brother from Madrid, Jorge. Jorge lived with our family for 5 months and became another sibling. We also became close with his brother Carlos, who lived with a nearby family. Over the past 8 years, I've been able to visit Jorge a few times, and our friendship has remained close. (I could not find pictures of when he lived with my family! They must all be at my parents' house!)

In Segovia, Spain, summer of 2002 with my friend Hannah, Jorge, and my Spanish mom and dad.
Summer of 2009, out partying in Madrid with Jorge, Carlos and Rocio.

This weekend, visiting my Spanish family!
This weekend, my little brother Jorge got married to his beautiful girlfriend of 5 years, Rocio. I was lucky enough to be able to go out and visit him. I will always value the friendship and love of this family! Te kiero, Jor!!

Restoring Sanity and/or Fear

2010-10-31T16:54:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the much anticipated Washington D.C. trip for Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert's Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. There were so many highlights, that I'm not even sure where to begin. John Legend's performance, hearing Cat Stevens sing "Peace Train," the poetry reading by Sam Waterson, the benediction by the legendary Father Guido Sarducci. The Roots, Ozzy Osborn, Cheryl Crow, Kid Rock, good hell, I could go on. But I'd like to focus on the greatest message that came from this rally, best summarized in Jon Stewart's closing remarks. You can find a video of it here. (Feel free to skip the first two minutes) We need to stop viewing one another as political extremist enemies. Just like strangers merging in traffic, "you go, then I'll go," needs be the prevailing attitude. A great sign at the rally said, "I disagree with what you say, but I'm pretty sure you're not Hitler." People who we disagree with still have something valuable to add the conversation, and by immediately comparing them to Stalin or Marx, we contribute nothing to the conversation. America deserves rational conversation. Calm political debate. Sanity.

Anyway, sanity was restored on Saturday. Until I tried to get to the L'ephant Subway Station. That was insanity.

Get back

2010-10-19T15:11:00.000-07:00

"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life." -Dr Samuel Johnson

London is not a new city to me, but it is a place I have come to love. London was my first real international experience, when my mom and I went in 1997, so it's always had a soft spot in my heart. This weekend was my 7th visit to London, a place that is attractive, exciting and decently well organized. This weekend afforded me a quick solo visit to London, which was heaven.

No trip to London would be complete without an Abbey Road crossing. I love my Beatles!
I went to see We Will Rock You with my old friend Kellee.
I did a biking tour of the city, probably my favorite way to see big cities.

Sunshine State

2010-10-10T16:52:00.000-07:00

For Cynthia's birthday, J and I were able to fly out to Florida and meet up with our favorite couple. We worked on our tan at South Beach, went biking in Shark Valley (no sharks, but lots of gators!) and celebrated Cyn's birthday at the Schnebly Winery. We wish both Blair and Cynthia super duper good luck with their Board Certification Tests next month! Love you guys!

Touched down in the land of the delta blues

2010-09-06T13:11:00.000-07:00

Breakfast in Mississippi, lunch in Memphis and dessert in Arkansas. It's less impressive when you look at a map.
Memphis is a trip I have wanted to make ever since I heard Paul Simon sing about Graceland. With flights looking open (and first class available... a snobbish request of mine) Jay and I took a day trip out to the bottom corner of Tennessee to see Graceland, eat barbecue and take a nap on the shore of the Mississippi; in that order.
Jay's favorite part of the day was being able to tour Elvis' private jets, particularly the Lisa Marie. My favorite part was probably walking down Beale Street, which is Memphis' blues-y downtown section.

Day trips probably sound more glamorous than they really are. We had so much fun, but around the time 3 pm hits, we were running on fumes. The flight from Vegas to Memphis was less than 3 hours long, which means that was all the sleep we got. So, since the sun was shining and the skies were clear, we pulled up to the edge of the Mississippi River and took a quick nap before heading back to the airport.

All in all, I think Paul Simon would approve.

Never gets old

2010-08-31T20:51:00.000-07:00

After completing another successful week in public education, I felt I deserved a mini-vacay. My friend Sydnee and I took a day trip out to NYC. We flew out there in our typical first class style, spent the morning in Manhattan, the afternoon in Brooklyn, and the evening in first class headed back home.
We were lucky enough to get a tour of Brooklyn with my childhood friend Celia, which included incredible pizza, a Rite-aid that blew my mind and the Brooklyn Brewery Tour. Such a great day in the city!

And then summer ended. Boooooo.

2010-08-14T10:32:00.000-07:00

School has started and the fun is over! But as a farewell to summertime, Justin and I took a roadtrip out to Los Angeles. We had a BLAST at Universal Studios, (The Simpson's ride rocks my world) as well as attending a Dodger's Game and visiting the beach! Other highlights included the required stop in Baker, CA at The Mad Greek, as well as lunch at our favorite LA restaurant, Cilantro's. It was such a good time, which, as it turns out, made coming back to work even harder. I am not ready for this!

Tokyo Times

2010-08-09T19:07:00.001-07:00

With flights looking open, I hopped on a plane with my friend Steve to visit Tokyo. The minute we scored first class for a ten-hour flight, I knew we were bound for a great trip! Four days in Tokyo flew by, and while it was quite a short trip, it was an introduction to a part of the world I have never imagined or experienced. Since Tokyo lacks a distinctively recognizable skyline, they attempted to borrow Paris'. Here I am at Tokyo Tower, a red taller version of the Parisian landmark.

Fanning the smoke of the incense on you is considered healthy, and you commonly see people doing this at the temple. With the hot temperatures and high humidity, I was amazed people would do this. I did it anyway.

Aside from STELLAR people watching, my favorite part of Japan was the signage. This particular beauty came from the subway. Yes, I will do it again.

Overall, a fantastic experience (except the part where we couldn't make any flights home on Monday, and I got trapped in the Japanese immigration office in the airport, and had to stay an extra night in Narita, and I was sure I would have to learn Japanese and move to Japan permanently. Thankfully, we made our flight the next day.)

Jacob Lake and the North Rim

2010-07-21T19:44:00.000-07:00

For Justin's birthday, we wanted to escape St. George and more importantly, escape the HEAT! It has been over 100 degrees for the past month, which is absolutely maddening. Since my little sister is working up at Jacob Lake (a cellphone dead zone) we decided to surprise her with a visit! We had so much fun exploring the area (fact: Jacob Lake is less of a lake and more of a puddle) and enjoying the cool temperatures (It hit 53 degrees when we left that night!). After dinner we drove to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon for sunset. It was Jay's first time at the Grand Canyon, and I think he found it pretty spectacular! Overall, an excellent road trip.

I freakin love my husband. He's the best.

Sunny Florida

2010-07-18T17:19:00.000-07:00

My brother Blair had a big ol' birthday this month, so I went out to Florida to visit him and his girlfriend, Cynthia. We made the most of the birthday weekend! We made a trip to Miami for Red Bull's Flugtag flying event, which was both hilarious and sweltering! We made a trip to Miami beach to cool off, and then cleaned up to go to Schnebly's Winery, which is a winery that features tropical fruit wines, like lychee, avocado, passion fruit. We had a classy night of wine and cheese, with live music and gorgeous surroundings. The next morning we went to Ft. Lauderdale's swap meet before heading back to the house for a surprise party for Blair. It was a busy and fun vacation. I am really lucky to have such a great brother and I freakin love his girlfriend.

Day tripper

2010-07-12T16:56:00.000-07:00

One of the benefits of having a husband who works for the airlines, is the totally and completely frivolous travel is allows.

My friend Sydnee and I decided to make a day trip out of New York City. We both love the theater, and wanted to fly out to New York to catch something on Broadway. Great success! Not only did we get first class in both directions, but we were able to see our first choice of shows, which was called, "Promised! Promises!" starring Kristen Chenoweth and Sean Hays. It was a Neil Simon play, so it was charming, yet also had a very dark side to it. The music was fun and the sets were charming.

As soon as the show was finished, we hopped back on the subway, back to JFK.

This is the good life, friends.

Been around the world

2010-07-05T11:32:00.000-07:00

Justin and I had an amazing honeymoon. We both had a city we wanted to share with the other. Justin wanted to show me Sydney, Australia, and I wanted to show him Bangkok, Thailand. Both cities were spectacular in their own unique way.

Sydney was classy, clean and the perfect temperature! We went on a bike tour of the city, we hiked to the top of the pile-on of the Harbor Bridge, we went to Paddy's Market and took the ferry to Cockatoo Island for an art festival. Truly a captivating city.
Thailand was a unique cultural experience that I couldn't wait to share with J. It was hot, humid, vibrant and gritty. We rode elephants, went to the floating market, ate street food, visited temples, had Thai massages and rode in tuk tuk's. It was such an exciting city. I'm so glad we were able to make it there!Best honeymoon imaginable. We really are luckiest.

One adventure after another after another!

2010-06-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

I'm a bad wife. Just a few short days after we said, "I do," I hopped on a plane and left him... for a week.

This past week, I took a group of 40 students and parents to Boston and New York. This is my 4th student trip I've done. I've done these trips because I feel like travel is such an important part of expanding a person's world-view, and helping them escape narrow-mindedness and ignorance. Managing a group that large is challenging, especially whenever they needed a bathroom in the middle of the city. (I am so impatient with other people's bladders when it conflicts with my schedule!) I had fantastic adults go on this trip, especially my favorite travel buddy, Michelle! We did our student teacher together, traveled together to Italy, London, Havasupai, Boston, and Costa Rica. So I was so excited that she could join me once more for another adventure.

My super fantastic husband waited patiently for me to return. We're ready for our honeymoon tomorrow! Look out Australia and Thailand! Here we come!

We did it!

2010-06-01T19:32:00.000-07:00

This past week has been absolutely incredible. Tons of friends and family in town, everyone adding to our very special day. Thank you so much to everyone involved. It was perfect.

Crazy in love

2010-04-13T13:01:00.000-07:00

Justin and I had our engagement photos taken on a gorgeous Sunday morning. I'm so in love with this guy! I couldn't be happier with how the photos turned out! Check out our photographers blog HERE.

I can die happy!

2010-04-06T19:21:00.001-07:00

Spring Break

2010-03-22T11:52:00.000-07:00

I love that after 5 years attending a university that didn't celebrate Spring Break, I finally get to celebrate it as an adult. Not too many careers give you time off for Spring Break. I consider myself lucky.

Justin and I went on a cruise to Jamaica and Grand Cayman Island. It was unbelievably fun. Every night was an incredible (albeit occasionally cheesy) show, all meals were exquisite, and we won first place in a Trivia Challenge game. BONUS: we got engaged! Such a perfect vacation. I just wanted to share a few pictures.

Sting Ray City in Cayman

On our way to hike the falls in Jamaica

Formal night. A perfect night to pop a big question! What's not to love about this guy??

Ta-da

2010-03-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

I had a great Spring Break. Yep, I sure did.

Entering my late-twenties in style.

2010-02-07T08:30:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday, Justin and I celebrated my 26th birthday by spending the day in Washington DC. We took the red-eye flight out there, spent the day exploring the sites, and then made it back to St. George a little past midnight. Just in time to get my beauty rest, and teach the little ones the next day. A special thanks goes out to J, for giving me such a great birthday present, and to United First Class, for giving me such great screwdrivers.

Gentlemen, to the queen.

2010-01-03T13:05:00.001-08:00

The past two weeks I've had my brothers in town for xmas break. We rarely have a chance to get together. (In fact, the last time the three of us were together was Christmas 2008 in Florida.) Highlights of the break included seeing the Penn & Teller show, bingo in Mesquite, xmas eve dinner and party with friends, New Years on the Vegas strip, Beatles Rock Band, and of course, ending every raunchy, inappropriate toast with, "Gentlemen... to the queen."

Happy New Year, sweetheart :)

At the show with Blair and Dylan

Best xmas present ever!

With my darling brothers! Next xmas in Fort Lauderdale, boys!

Have yourself a merry little Christmas.

2009-12-09T11:53:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas tree is up!

The Stars at Night are Big and Bright (clap, clap, clap, clap)

2009-12-01T21:28:00.000-08:00

Wednesday afternoon, Justin and I caught the flight from Vegas to Dallas, to spend Thanksgiving weekend in his home town of Gainesville, Texas. Absolutely wonderful trip! He has a fantastic family and so many great friends that I was able to meet on this quick visit. I really loved my time down there- the catfish, the hushpuppies, the sweet tea, the good weather, the (mild to moderate) Texan accents, the respect for Robert E Lee, and the beer-to-go stands.

Gainesville is just a few miles away from the Oklahoma border, so we made a quick border crossing to visit the Indian Casino.

J and his favorite Texas beverage, while we were in Fort Worth.

Standing next to the Grassy Knoll, after spending the morning in the 6th Floor Museum, where they say Oswald fired the shots that killed JFK. At least that's their story.

It wouldn't be Texas without some great barbecued beef! Sitting here at Rudy's bbq, in Denton, TX. We also found some awesome holiday Shiners (peaches and pecan!)

Don't let the sun go down on my river of dreams.

2009-11-22T16:23:00.000-08:00

Billy Joel and Elton John postponed their SLC concert that was supposed to happen this weekend. (We'll be back February 19th) The weekend was still a fantastic success in every way! I got to see my little brother, hang out with friends at Keys on Main, have lunch with my sister Heather, and her family, then have dinner with my parents and younger sister Tessa. This was the first time my parents had met my boyfriend. It went so well!

Next stop Texas! We leave for Dallas this Wednesday to spend Thanksgiving break with Justin's family. Wish me luck!

Too early to talk about Christmas?

2009-11-09T07:17:00.000-08:00

Remember that Amy Grant song,“Grown-up Christmas List,” where she sang about how she wanted a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage (I’m loosely paraphrasing, of course. I think she’s a vegetarian. Actually I just made that up.) Anyway, I started piecing together my own grown-up Christmas list. Gone are the days of wanting Barbie dolls and frilly dresses. Now, as adults we want more practical things. Maybe you want your boss to recognize what a great employee you are, or maybe you want your enigmatic coworker Carl to finally ask you out. Whatever it is, we all have our grown-up Christmas list. Here is mine:

I want to be naturally blond. It takes a lot of work (none of which I personally do) to look this good.
I want my dad to call me, just to chat. In the past three and half years, he’s called me twice. Once to tell me he did a background check on a guy I was dating, and once to tell me that he was kicking me off of his car insurance. (I broke up with the loser, and I’m currently insured through Geico.) Not exactly a pillar of warmth.
I want John and George to come back from the dead, and have a big, giant Beatles reunion. (Although tip of the hat to www.thebeatlesneverbrokeup.com)
I want to be Liz Lemon. That’s all.
I want scientists to discover that cheesecake has incredible weight-loss properties, and I should consume more of it.
I want to have beautiful tan skin, without risking skin cancer.
I want cars to have front break lights, so you could tell if a car was slowing down or speeding up.
I want Meg Ryan to look like she did before all her weird plastic surgery/Botox.
I want to teach at East High from High School Musical. (Are they hiring history teachers? How much musical background is actually required? I think Gabriella would be my best student!) And I want HSM to be a documentary, and not a Disney movie.
You know, peace on earth, and such.

The Windy City was Might Pretty.

2009-11-01T09:06:00.001-08:00

Lindsey and Sydnee's Weekend Checklist:

1. Score the last two stand-by seats on the red-eye from Vegas to Chicago? Check.

2. Take sleeping pill, recline seat, wake up in Chicago? Check.

3. Grab a coffee, jump on the El, pay a visit to Wrigley Field at sunrise? Check.

4. Listen to homeless men mumbling to themselves on the train? Check.

5. Visit Millennium Park, grab second coffee and feel like big-city hotties? Obviously.

6. Take the bus to Navy Pier? Check.

7. Boat ride along the Chicago River to see the incredible architecture of America's Second City? Check.

8. Coffee and Bailey's? (A girl's gotta keep warm!) Check.

9. Eat lunch at the "World Famous" Billy Goat Tavern (where they peer-pressured us to get the double-double... Cheezborger! Cheezborger!) Check.

10. Hop-on Hope-off double-decker tour of Chicago with our ultra-cheesy, but super funny tour guide Bill (aka Indiana Jones)? Check.

11. Train ride back to O'Hare, first-class seats back to Vegas, back home before midnight? Check.

Great weekend. It's a big world out there. And I'm gonna see it all.

Syd, with one of our many hot beverages from that day.

Me checking out the big bean at Millennium Park.

Heli-fun

2009-10-27T16:20:00.001-07:00

Today we took a helicopter ride above St. George. Just saying... I had a pretty great day today.

Wedding Weekend

2009-10-19T10:46:00.000-07:00

We went to Las Vegas this weekend, so that Jay could officiate the wedding of our friends Lloyd and Jacille. (He's an ordained minister for the Universal Life Church. Other ordained ministers for the Universal Life Church include Glenn Beck, all 4 of The Beatles, Nicole Richie, Paul Newman and Tony Danza; an illustrious crowd.) Vegas, as always, was exciting, intoxicating, glittery, good weather-y, and fun.

Off to the rehearsal dinner. This is our "power couple" shot.

A little tired and a lot drunk after partying at Coyote Ugly and Nine Fine Irishmen.

At the wedding, with my boyfriend, Reverend Justin. He did a GREAT job performing the marriage ceremony. I was super proud and everyone got a good laugh at his sermon.

Changes

2009-10-04T17:54:00.000-07:00

One year ago, this week, my life began to change dramatically. Without going into detail, I would say that “change” has been the theme of my past 12 months. It’s been nothing less than remarkable.

Some unsystematic thoughts and highlights from the past year:

I can honestly say that every single day, I wake up, happier, healthier and more confident than ever before.

In one week (March 2009), I went out with a Justin, Justin, Dustin, Rustin, and Russ. It was ridiculous (one of the Justins was a keeper though!)

I made a life-changing pilgrimage to Liverpool to see where The Beatles got their start.

In addition to teaching US History, this year I was asked to teach a new class (new to me), which is a study skills class for “at risk” youth. I couldn’t have asked for a better assignment. These kids are incredible.

I live debt free. Very few people can say that.

Ten years after we first dated, I got back together (briefly) with my high school boyfriend. That was an experience most people don’t often have.

I live and die by www.reddit.com and www.postsecret.com.

I went to the dentist 12 times this year. I have one more appointment next week, and then I should be done for awhile (I’ll be sure to book a check-up appointment!) The greatest irony being that by the time I finish with all of this lovely dental work, my older brother will have graduated from dental school. I probably should have just waited a few months…

I have made a conscious attempt to make decisions based on courage, rather than fear. I’ve made a lifetime of decisions based on fear, and I was bored with that.

I fell in love and stayed in love. Forever.

Colorado Rocky Mountain High

2009-09-20T15:32:00.001-07:00

Pretty sure I get what John Denver was talking about. This weekend, I met up with Jay in Denver, Colorado to visit some of his friends. Chuck and Brian were absolutely awesome hosts and took us out to Rocky Mountain National Park, and to the Winter Park alpine slides. We played Wii, lost the Colorado Lotto, drank surprisingly large amounts of Coke Zero, and got on a flight back home Sunday morning!

Fall colors were peeking through a little early!

Super in love :)

Jay, Lindsey, Brian and Chuck, on our way to Rocky Mountain National Park.

I spent much of my childhood believing that "Rocky Mountain High" was the high school John Denver went to.

We couldn't contain our excitement for the alpine slide!!

A Labor Free Weekend (aka Thank Zeus for Labor Day)

2009-09-07T15:56:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Washington County School District, Labor Day weekend got an early start this year. On Thursday night, Jay and I were able to take off to Mesquite for a fun night of slot machines and video poker (true story- who knew that Bingo's last session was 9pm on a Thursday? Tragic!) The next morning we drove down to Valley of Fire and hiked/drove around one of the most intensely beautiful areas that the Nevada Park System has to offer. We camped that night in Valley of Fire, and when it started to rain (just a little bit) we pulled out Jay's iPhone, and watched the last 30 minutes of Airplane!, one of our favorite movies. Dinner that night was french bread, hummus, beef jerky and apricot beer. Couldn't have asked for a better weekend.

P.S. Jay tried to take home a squirrel for a pet. I got accused of "ruining all of his fun" when I said "no." Sometimes, you just have to lay down the law.

Can you spot the Lindsey in nature?

Even while in a gorgeous natural landscape, Jay still has to stop and look at the airplanes as they fly by. I'm dating a 5 year old.

Such a fun night in Mesquite. Simple fun! Rum and Coke! Love of my life!

Dinner in LA

2009-08-27T08:16:00.001-07:00

It was his best line so far.

"Baby, do you want to go out to dinner tomorrow night?"

"Sure," I answered.

"Do you want to go to dinner in LA?" he asked.

"Suuuuuuuuuure," I responded.

So, on a less than average Tuesday afternoon, we boarded the 5pm flight from St. George, Utah, to Los Angeles, California. We arrived in LA and ate dinner at a cute little Mexican place within walking distance of the airport. We headed over to Trader Joe's and bought a few treats, returned to LAX, grabbed a beer, and took the 9pm flight back to St. George, getting me home in time to get 7 hours of sleep before teaching school the next day.

Yep. My boyfriend is awesome.

Saying goodbye to summer

2009-08-13T16:11:00.000-07:00

For the final week of my summer break, I was able to take a quick trip to San Francisco! Unplanned, unexpected and perfect in every way. I went with my super fantastic boyfriend, Jay, who let me play tour guide, as we explored Haight-Ashbury, Castro, China Town, North Beach and Fisherman's Wharf. He took me to a baseball game (Oakland A's beat The Rangers, which broke Jay's little Texan heart). I couldn't have asked for a better way to wrap up my summer, or a better person to go with.

Barcelona!

2009-08-09T17:35:00.000-07:00

My super awesome life: Part 3 of a 3 part series

Barcelona

The last portion of our trip took us to Barcelona, where I had a good friend, Amy, who had moved there about 6 months ago. She sold me on the city so much, that I had to visit her to see what all the fuss was about. My brother and I spent just shy of 2 weeks there in Barc, playing at the beach, hiking in the mountains, exploring the city and partying it up.

To me, Barcelona is the most livable European city I've ever been to. Small enough that you don't feel lost, affordable, international feel, they speak Spanish really slowly, lots of community events, and tons to do. I can totally understand why Amy moved there.

Ultimately, we were sad to leave. We had an evening in London before we headed back home to the Vegas airport. Sigh. Trip of a lifetime came to an end.

Watching the outdoor movie at the castle on Montjuic.

Exploring the cathedral in the mountains of Monserrat.

Waiting for the cable car to take us to Monserrat.

Rooftop party at Amy's terrace!

Barcelona cathedral. We were the only ones up there and it was so quiet and peaceful. What a way to see the city!

On my way to the beach to work on my severe case of tanorexia.

We supported the local immigrants by purchasing drinks from them at the beach.

Out tanning with Amy.

The Magic Fountains was probably my favorite part of Barcelona. So enchanting!

French bread, various cheese and Tinto de Verano, made up my European experience on this trip.

Oh, also, Doner Kebabs. We ate those just about daily.

Shopping at the open air market.

Taking a bike tour of Barcelona- a city that was made to be biked through! So fun!

The architect Guadi left his mark all over the city, including this spectacular city park that overlooks the rest of Barcelona.

Since Amy set up an apartment for us, we were able to cook many meals. I love grocery shopping in other countries, so this was so much fun for me!

A shot from Parc Guell.

We lived on the 6th floor, so it was a long, elevator-less trek up to the apartment!

Madrid!

2009-08-05T19:34:00.000-07:00

My super awesome life: Part 2 of a 3 part series.

After Liverpool, my brother and I went to Madrid to visit our Spanish brothers, (aka our exchange students from 2002) Jorge and Carlos. They had an apartment downtown, where the four of us stayed for the week. It was such an ideal reunion! We instantly were best friends again. We spent the week sleeping in, drinking Tinto de Verano, touring the city and partying it up!

Everyone changes over time, but I'm so glad that Jorge and Carlos were every bit as fun and entertaining as they were 7 years ago! We were laughing the whole time. Even watching low grade Spanish television during breakfast, proved to be highly entertaining with these boys. They'll always be mis hermanos!

Jorge, Linds, Carlos, Dylan

Parque de Buen Retiro

Relaxing after rowing the boat around the lake.

I was excited BEFORE the bull fight started... Then I was fairly disgusted.

Grabbing a drink outside the bullring.

Shopping at El Rastro market.

Mirala! Mirala! Puerto de Alcala! Guau, I love these guys!

After tapas, we went out clubbing in Madrid! Super fun night!

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.

2009-08-01T09:29:00.001-07:00

My super awesome life... Part 1 of a 3 part series.

*Liverpool*

The moment the train pulled into Lime Street station, I had the overwhelming feeling that I had come home. A home I had never been to before- but home, nonetheless. Dylan and I had come to Liverpool to see where our idols, The Beatles, had got their start. It did not dissapoint! We spent 2 days exploring on our own, before we began filming with the UK's iTV network for another two days. The film crew was the funnest group of people I've ever met, and Dylan and I were the stars of the show ("The Tourist Trail with John Sergeant" will come into England's finest homes this November.)

Highlights of the Liverpool trip included, seeing the childhood homes of the Fab Four, taking a special sing-a-long version of the Magical Mystery Tour, getting invited to the VIP lounge whilst with John Sergeant (he's a big deal in the UK, apparently.), drinking and making friends at The Cavern Club (where the Beatles performed regularly for years), seeing numerous cover bands performing for National Beatles Day, spending hours and hours at The Beatles Story Museum and, of course, flying out of John Lennon Airport (where, I kid you not, the motto is "Imagine... Above us only sky." How sweet is that?)

Dirty Maggie Mae, they have taken her away, and she never walks down Lime Street any more.

The Magical Mystery Tour is waiting to take you away.

Imagine all the people, living life in peace... you may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.

P.S. I love you.

Probably the most incredible portion of this museum, was where they recreated John Lennon's white apartment at The Dakotas, with a white piano, a white feather, and his glasses sitting on a shelf. Playing in the background was his song, "Imagine." Chilling, and a little tear jerking.

I know you're not supposed to have favorites. But John Lennon will always be my favorite Beatle. "Where are we going lads?" "To the top, Johnny! To the top!"

She loves you, yeah, yeah yeah.

2009-06-25T11:26:00.000-07:00

I love The Beatles. A lot. Have I mentioned that before? Yikes.

In about a week, I'm leaving for Europe. I just wanted to tell you about my first stop, which I'm super excited about: Liverpool.

I've been to London a handful of times, but I've never crossed the UK to go to Liverpool. So this is a first. My brother, Dylan, and I are going to Liverpool strictly for Beatles tourism purposes.

I've been busy booking tours of various geeky Beatles things (The "Magical History Tour," Lennon and McCartney's childhood homes, Pete and Mona Best's Casbah Coffee Club, etc.) and after booking something, I got an email back from the National Trust, asking if my brother and I would be interested in being part of a television program that they are filming about Beatles Tourism in the UK. After several emails back and forth, and a few phone calls, we got it all set up. We'll be there for National Beatles Day, so they want to take us around to all of the events and show how two All-American-Kids have come all the way to Liverpool for Beatlemania. They're taking us out to dinner, trapsing us around Liverpool and then interviewing us about our experience.

I'm freakin excited. Yeah yeah yeah.

Back from Boston

2009-06-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

I spent the past week in Massachusetts with a second group of my students. Too much to say, but a few highlights follow...

The North Bridge that connected Lexington and Concord- right behind Old Manse, which was where Nathaniel Hawthorne lived.

Old Ironsides aka USS Constitution.

My kids and I got some tea and dumped it in Boston Harbor. We're dorks.

At the Paul Revere Statue across from Old North Church. (Also, those girls bought me that Beatles shirt that I'm wearing in the pic. How cute is that?)

A few of us went and got those cheesey witch pictures in Salem. Fun times!

I totally sat in the Green Monster seats... Fenway tour was pretty awesome :)

I wanna wake up in the city that never sleeps

2009-06-08T06:25:00.000-07:00

I just got back from taking my students to New York and Boston. I leave in a few short hours for the east coast again, to take a second group of my students out to Massachusetts for a week. This past week has been so much fun. I haven't laughed this hard in ages! It's been exhausting, exciting, at times terrifying, and a little demanding. I've loved it though. It's hard to come home from these student trips. I really miss it!

Boston has so much charm and personality!

Our bus driver was SUPER in love with me, not that I can blame him...

Evan and I spent a lot of time at Dunkin Donuts.

Love the city!

Littler Mermaid was absolutely spectacular!

I have super cute kids!

All my bags are packed!

2009-05-30T12:33:00.000-07:00

School is out for the summer. Time for me to hit the road, friends.

I leave tomorrow to take a group of my students to New York and Boston for a week. I come back to St. George for 24 hours, before taking a second group of students to Boston, Salem and Plymouth for a week.

But the big trip comes in July. I can't even breathe. I'm so excited.

My little brother and I are going to Liverpool, Madrid and Barcelona.

Liverpool- We're both psychotic Beatles fans and we're making our pilgrimage to Casbah, the Cavern, the Mersey Docks, Fortlin Road, Mendips, Penny Lane, Strawberry Field, etc.

Madrid- We're going to visit our exchange student, Jorge. I visited him about 5 years ago, but Dallin hasn't seen Jorge since 2002.

Barcelona- When I went to San Francisco in February, I met the coolest girl there, who recently moved back to Barcelona. Seeing her facebook pictures and hearing her talk about the city that she loves, inspired me to get myself to the sandy beaches of Barcelona.

I'll be gone in Europe for the month of July. I'm so excited. Welcome to the summer of 2009 :) I couldn't ask for a better travel partner. Dallin is my best friend in the whole world and I'm so lucky to be able to steal him away for a month! Besties for life!

FML

2009-05-21T09:50:00.000-07:00

On my way to work this morning, I got pulled over for following too closely.

True story.

When the officer gave me my official written warning, I noticed a typo.

On the official warning notice, produced by the prestigious St. George Police Department, he checked the box that said I was "following to closely."

Is it TOO much TO ask that the City of St. George have official documents that distinguish the difference between TOO and TO? At least I didn't get TWO warnings. That would have been TOO much TO handle.

Honestly. I'm unimpressed. I'm TOO unimpressed. I can't believe I have to explain this TO someone.

Vent finished.

Fuuuuuuun weekend.

2009-05-17T13:57:00.000-07:00

All I want to say is this: I have amazing friends that I love so much. I'm one of the luckiest people I know.

I'm famous

2009-05-08T08:44:00.001-07:00

I made it into The Spectrum today. Thanks Brian!

Click here to read the article (and see the smokin hot picture of me!)

I fell into a burning ring of fire

2009-05-02T14:20:00.000-07:00

I just came back from a spectacular hiking/camping trip to Valley of Fire! What an incredible weekend with my little brother. I was reminded of one of my favorite quotes by Lord Byron, who said, "I love not the man less, but nature more." It was so revitilizing to spend some time in such a breathtaking surrounding, escaping petty civilization.

My contribution to the Nevada State Education Fund...

2009-04-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my friends went down to Vegas to celebrate GeAnna's first anniversary of her 29th birthday. Super fun times dancing at Blush, sippin' pina coladas and meeting creepy old men at the pool. Please bless that we can party it up like this again soon!

Confessions.

2009-04-27T18:07:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged for a little bit, so I thought I would share some confessions today. Don't get too excited...

Whenever I get really tan, I always wear white the next day to make the tan look even more dramatic. I'm a dork.

I hate washing my hair. I wish that there was a good dry-cleaning system so that I could avoid that ordeal.

The most played song on my itunes is "Romeo and Juliet" done by The Killers. My most listened to Beatles song is "Golden Slumbers."

I'm oddly terrified to answer my phone when people call. I am so grateful for text messaging.

I cry three or four times a year. It's been about six months since my last cry.

I am a mature adult that still eats pb&j like it's my day job.

I'd take a piece of chedder cheese over a piece of chocolate.

I didn't vote for my best friend when she was nominated for homecoming queen. I was bugged/jealous that she was nominated. Ten years later we still joke about it.

Despite my own typos, I viciously judge people by their spelling errors in emails. I have a hard time taking someone seriously when they tell me how "bazaar" their day has been, or when they say that they will be gone for "too days."

I nickname ex boyfriends so that I remember them a certain way. The names are rarely complimentary.

I haven't been to the dentist since 1999. I have an appointment tomorrow and I'm scared as hell.

Alright. That's enough fun for one afternoon. I'm going to choose out a cute white shirt to wear to the dentist tomorrow.

Maybe I could be Krishna...

2009-03-29T17:36:00.000-07:00

I loved so much about this weekend, that I'm not quite sure where to begin. Summary: Holi Festival at the Krishna Temple, dinner with the girls at Squatters Pub, rock 'n roll night at the piano bar Keys on Main.

Just one question: WHO WOULD STOP "HEY JUDE??" For reals.

Why didn't someone tell me sooner?

2009-03-28T07:03:00.001-07:00

www.urbandictionary.com

Hands down, my new favorite website.

Putting it all on the table

2009-03-22T12:56:00.001-07:00

I stopped keeping a journal when I stopped believing in god. The two events were not related; it’s just how things worked out about six months ago. After faithfully (no pun intended) chronicling my life for over a decade, I put my pen and paper down, and began living my life instead of writing about it.

Yesterday, I bought a new journal. It was a very Bridget Jones experience.

I have a million thoughts that I haven’t written down, and writing lets me better explore them. Topics include, but are not limited to: what happiness looks like for me, why I sabotage healthy relationships, why I pursue bad boys, what I believe in, who I trust, interpretation of favorite Beatles lyrics.

My life has changed spectacularly over the past 6 months, and I can’t wait to see what incredible experiences await me over the next 6 months.

Vegas and La Reve

2009-03-09T16:09:00.001-07:00

My sexy friend Kristy and I had such a stellar time in Vegas this weekend! She was able to get us tickets to La Reve at the Wynn, which was such an incredible show! We partied like rockstars, gambled judiciously, felt compelled to get up and dance on the bar at the dance club Rok Vegas (at the New York New York), and met ourselves some pretty cool people along the way.

Sunday night we went to our big show, and I found my way back to St. George late Sunday evening, ready to teach school the next day. Like most great trips, it was too short, but a trip that I'll never forget!

I'm right where I belong

2009-02-19T12:10:00.001-08:00

I've made the decision to stay in St. George for another year. Lots of factors played in to this choice, but ultimately, I'm the happiest I've ever been, and I don't need to go looking for something right now. After a stressful week in San Francisco, coming up with that decision, I returned to St. George to teach school on Friday and then promptly got in my car and drove to the coast, where I had a relaxing weekend at Dana Point, CA. I absolutely loved it. Here comes the sun, and I say it's alright.

They say it's your birthday... It's my birthday too [AKA "a very Beatles birthday"]

2009-02-01T20:35:00.000-08:00

This Tuesday I turn the big 2-5. So, to celebrate, my little brother/bffff came down and we had the best weekend ever! Friday night we went to Mesquite and rocked the Bingo scene, then went bowling. My main goal in the bowling situation was to beat Pres. Obama's score of 37 (Mission not accomplished. We tied.)

On Saturday, we went to the Fab Four show in Las Vegas, which was INCREDIBLE! The manager of the show saw my large amounts of enthusiasm for the production, and asked if I would be interested in going up on stage with the lads during a song. I guess they were pretty hard up for a good tambourine player. Long story shot, it was the best moment of my life!

Other highlights of this weekend involve:

* a guy kissing me who was apparently scheduled to get married the next day

* writing out the Gettysburg address to prove how sober I was

* having people throughout Planet Hollywood recognize me as the Beatles Birthday Girl (and subsequently complimenting my mad tambourine skills)

* meeting up with my cute new friend Eric at the New York, New York

* playing the Ebay game and making friends with all the other ebayers (wicked bonus rounds)

* having dinner with a guy in Mesquite who was apparently on a blind date with another girl... I guess I was a more appealing option.

Honestly, this weekend was priceless! Pretty sure my 25th year will be my best one yet.

The Wave: Not just for sporting events any more

2009-01-21T09:39:00.000-08:00

The area that I live in has so much incredible natural beauty, that sometimes I wonder why I would ever consider leaving this place. This weekend I went with a few friends to hike "The Wave," a place so spectacular, and yet so fragile, that only 20 permits are issued a day. You have to enter a lottery system to get access to these permits. I had a friend who, after months of applying, finally was able to get permits, and couldn't use them, which is how I stumbled upon them. The Wave itself was breathtaking, plus we saw a few arches as well as dinosaur tracks. Now that it's warming back up here in St. George, I'm so excited to find more cool hikes!

best. christmas. break. ever.

2009-01-02T11:50:00.000-08:00

This Christmas break I went out to Florida to spend it with my two brothers. I am in love with that place! The three of us haven't been together for a few years, so it ended up being such a good reunion. We spent a few days down in the Florida Keys, spent Christmas Eve and Christmas day in Ft. Lauderdale, then we went up to Orlando for a week, and spent New Years Eve on the beach before catching a early flight on Jan 1st. Just thought I would share a few favorite moments!

I came back with a fantastic tan!

Karaoke Bar in Orlando. We were their star performers that night!

We spent the week between Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Wet n Wild. So much fun!

Happy 2009!

Living my best life ever.

2008-12-13T17:31:00.000-08:00

November 2008 was probably the best month of my life, for a lot of reasons. December isn't looking too shabby either. I thought I would post a few pics from Thanksgiving weekend (late, I know. But I've been busy.) Thanksgiving was so chill- I cooked dinner for myself, Skyped with my little brother, went biking in Zion and even went to the live Nativity production with my parents.

I've still been applying for tons of international teaching jobs. I had a phone interview with a school in Guatemala (aka Ghetto-mala) and they want to do a second interview. I also have had requests to do interviews with a school in Turkey, Netherland-Antilles and Mexico. I'm going to an international teaching recruiting fair in February, where I'll be able to do a ton of interviews and figure out where I'm going next fall. Things keep falling right into place. I don't doubt that this will follow suit. I'll keep ya'lls updated!

Diet Coke and Bridget Jones- the perfect holiday combination.

Biking in Zion

I got tagged

2008-11-15T22:30:00.000-08:00

First of all, I have a killer cute little sister. Love ya, Teej.

Second of all, I got tagged. So here it goes...

5 shows I watch:

5. 30 Rock
(the rest I watch as reruns on DVD)
4. Arrested Development
3. Scrubs (NBC... I'm nervous to see what ABC does with that.)
2. Flight of the Conchords
1. The Wonder Years

5 Restaurants (This list always changes. I'll just do where I've gone the past few weeks)
5. Basilas (Greek food)
4. Mongoalian BBQ
3. In n Out (guilty as charged)
2. Quiznos
1. Durangos

5 things I did today
5. Returned the broken bike rack to Walmart. aka Voldemart.
4. Went to Target and purchased a functional bike rack.
3. Bought a web cam (I don't know why that sounds so pervy...)
2. Skype'd with Dallin for an hour. Video conferencing made me a lot more self-conscious of what I do while I'm on the phone...
1. Made brownies with Erin and Adam while we watched a movie

5 things I'm looking forward to
5. Going biking in Zions tomorrow!
4. Christmas in the Florida Keys
3. Breakfast. I just like breakfast a whole hell of a lot.
2. Dallin and Teejay coming down for Thanksgiving
1. Finish reading my Teddy Roosevelt biography (River of Doubt. It's so excellent!)

5 things that are on my wish list
5. Beatles Anthology 2
4. More time and good enough weather to go biking more
3. An international teaching job (I'm doing a Skype interview for a school in Guatemala next week!)
2. A tan. I think I'm so pale right now.
1. My other half. Let me clarify: liberal, open-minded, doesn't own a truck or a shot gun, graduated from college, has a full time job, speaks English fluently, loves music and culture, well-traveled, out-doorsy, not obsessed with sports, interested in politics and history, laid back. I'm not asking for a kidney here; just someone that I can connect with.

5 things that are important to me
5. My mind
4. My independence
3. Family and friends
2. Equal rights for all
1. Music.

Tag youself. Yes, you. You're tagged.

"I still beleive that all you need is love." -the late, great, Johnny Lennon

Well here's another clue for you all; the walrus was Paul.

2008-10-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that I am thoroughly obsessed with The Beatles. It consumes me. My car has a bumper sticker with the silhouette of Abbey Road. My bike even has a giant Beatles decal. Both my classroom and bedroom are decked out with Beatles junk, including a record player with my stack of Beatles records. In fact, every Friday I wear a Beatles shirt to school. I’ve probably read a dozen biographies on the fab four. And this Halloween, I couldn’t resist. Behold, Paul McCartney (Ed Sullivan era, obviously… I wanted to go barefoot, ala Abbey Road, but I figured most people wouldn’t get it.)

Pen fetish

2008-10-11T06:51:00.000-07:00

I always have several pens in my purse at any given time. Recently I went to a concert at a small venue. At the door, the bouncer went through my purse and confiscated all of my pens, stating that he had been the victim of a pen stabing recently and as a result, he couln't/wouldn't allow any pens into the concert. Reluctantly I handed over my collection of a dozen pens, knowing I would never see them again. I was a little bugged, especially half way through the show when I wanted to put my hair up, and didn't have the proper tool to do so (aka pen).

My irritation turned to laughter when I realized that while they had confiscated every pen I had to avoid a stabbing situation, they had failed to confiscated something of more importance.

My knife.

Top Five

2008-09-28T17:59:00.000-07:00

Ever since my days working at the salon/spa with Alecia, I have loved making top five lists. I have so many good memories composing the most ridiculous lists about ourselves. I thought I would share a few on my blog, thus giving you unecessary insight into who I really am.

Top Five quirks
1. Cleaning out my ear with my car key
2. Pretending to talk on my cellphone while I drive, when I’m really just singing along to my ipod.
3. The only time I litter is when I floss my teeth while driving… which is pretty much daily.
4. I browse flights on a regular basis, even [especially] when I have no intention of taking a trip.
5. I have a huge non-sexual crush on Tina Fey/Liz Lemon.

Magazines that I subscribe to
1. Newsweek
2. Rolling Stone
3. Readers Digest
4. Smithsonian
5. In Style

Top Five Cheap Thrills
1. Getting mail… real mail.
2. Money in my pocket
3. Repeating a good joke, but laughing before the punchline.
4. That first kiss
5. Listening to Abbey Road

My Top Five Dangerous Addictions
1. Diet Coke
2. PostSecret
3. Durrango’s pork salad
4. The Beatles
5. Foreign Oil

My Top Five Childhood celebrity crushes
1. Dean Martin
2. Christian Bale
3. Kirk Cameron
4. Robert Seal Leonard
5. Cary Grant

Top five movies that I’m ashamed to say I can quote word for word
1. Newsies
2. The Bells are Ringing
3. Parent Trap (With Lindsay Lohan)
4. Anastasia
5. An Affair to Remember

He's my Bro-Bama

2008-09-22T15:43:00.001-07:00

I'm a little famous today, thanks to genius reporter Brian Passey! And, I'm mildy humiliated that the article referenced my Oprah-watching experience. I only watch Oprah when I get to the gym too late to catch "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." I promise.

The Entire Contents of My Purse

2008-09-14T09:27:00.001-07:00

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I consider myself to be a minimalist- a person who doesn't like clutter or junk. Today I went through the contents of my purse and realized that I may not be as "minimal" as I imagined. It's not the worst I've seen, but I thought it was interesting to chronicle what I carry around daily.

1. A knife. Admittedly, this is the most ridiculous one. My friend Mark gave it to me a year or two ago, and I've carried it with me ever since. I use it for very benign things- cutting bananas, opening CDs, etc.
2. My ipod. 160 GB. Pretty much my boyfriend.
3. My cellphone. Razr. Not my favorite thing, but it has a sweet Beatles sticker on the back that makes up for the flaws of this Motorola Mistake.
4. Post-it notes.
5. Three pens. I use pens a lot to put my hair up when it's driving me crazy. Three is a very small number of pens for my purse. I sometimes have close to a dozen.
6. AA Battery. Don't know why.
7. Ipod Shuffle. I go jogging and like to have this on hand for said occasion.
8. A Brush-Up. I'm fairly certain this was a failed product and they are currently off the market. I think I've had this in my purse for well over a year.
9. My passport. Why? I'm not sure. In case I need to flee the country in a hurry. Don't worry about it.
10. An Aveda compact mirror, reminiscent of my days at Aveda Remedez.
11. Kenneth Cole red leather wallet. A crowd pleaser.
12. Jump drive. It's full of Beatles music at the moment. No surprise.
13. Tide pen. I am like a three-year-old when I eat. I spill a lot.
14. Make up
15. Two lip glosses (yes, you see Bonnebell there. It was my favorite in the 9th grade and not much has changed over the past decade), body lotion, Aveda Hand Relief, hand sanitizer
16. My planner (featuring pictures of TJ and me at home, and Michelle and me in Italy)
17. Polar Ice gum
18. CDs that Adam burnt for me. Sitting there is Brandi Carlile and Tegan & Sara.

I did it.

2008-09-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

Today I applied for a teaching job with the Department of Defense. Contrary to popular misconception, this would not involve me teaching martial arts skills or combat training. I would be teaching Social Studies abroad. I won't hear back from the D.o.D. for quite awhile, and I don't know how competitive it is or how plentiful jobs are. I'm also pursuing international private schools. I love traveling internationally, and I think this would be a perfect opportunity for me to... ummm... spread my wings and fly.

I've been able to travel internationally quite a bit in my life, and I've enjoyed every experience. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time teaching in St. George, but I really feel like I need to take advantage of my life while I'm young and single. I never get these years back. I'd hate to be 30 someday (period) and schlepping around with a few kids, regretting my decision to play it safe. So I'm going to venture out.

Anyway, this is a big, independent move that I'm ready to pursue. If anyone has any connections or experiences with international schools, please let me know! I'd love to know your thoughts!

I am not making this up.

2008-08-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

This morning for breakfast I wanted a mango smoothie. Instead, I got a fire. My mango+vanilla yogurt+banana+milk+ice combo didn't lead me to health and longevity. Rather, it lead to tossing my blender into the sink as it caught on fire. This is not an old blender. I've had it a few months, maybe. My cooking skills are not the culprit. The real guilt lies on Walmart. From this day forward, I swear I will never buy anything non-food related at Walmart. Their low prices lure me in, but it stops being a savings when you have to repurchase the piece of junk multiple times.

I get a sick feeling whenever I walk into Walmart. When they ring me up, I feel like I'm helping to support the globalization of the world and the destruction of small business America. Someone told me shopping at Walmart is only one step better than handing the money to the terrorists directly. I believe it.

Good thing it's the weekend. I'm headed to Target. Gonna get myself a blender.

Political Apathy 101

2008-08-18T19:53:00.000-07:00

This political season has been strangely different than past political season. Voter interest has been piqued, and we’ve seen enthusiasm from groups that were formally uninterested in the electoral process. Barack aptly stated, in a debate several months ago, that we have arrived at the “silly season of politics.” I loved that phrase; so appropriate for what goes on in politics sometimes. It’s just plain silly. Rather than being issue-oriented, we have become image-obsessed. Instead of being worried about our future, we are worried about our wallets. Our concern for freedom and democracy come second to our concern for security (which, according to Ben Franklin, means we deserve neither.) Whatever your politics, I just want to put a friendly reminder out there to register to vote. And with that, I would also encourage you (call me crazy) to look over the issues before November comes… or something.

The Diagnosis Is In...

2008-08-13T15:51:00.001-07:00

Turns out that I just have Olympic Fever. I'm thoroughly obsessed. It's unfortunate that the Olympics have coincided with school starting again. My poor students will probably suffer as a result. I come to school and immediately pull up the medal count to make sure that USA beats China. I spend my lunch break catching up on fencing and trampoline. In the evenings I end up consuming hours and hours of TiVo'd material, which I can fastforward through with relative ease. And then there's my Olympic crush... Oh Michael Phelps. Sigh. He's so pretty.

Demoliton Derby

2008-08-10T07:22:00.000-07:00

Last night a big group of my friends went to Washington County's Demolition Derby. It was my first time at such a high class event, and I totally enjoyed it. The highlight of the night, however, was unrelated to cars bashing into one another. When the fireworks began (after car #30 dominated!) I got a phone call from an inmate at a correctional facility! Hooray! Um, it turned out to be a wrong number, but he seemed lonely, so we ended up talking for a little bit. He told me he gets out on Friday and he will call me then (I'm not really planning on answering that call...). He also was sure to tell me that he makes good money and, according to him, "I've got 14 g's in the bank, girl. I make good money. We could have a good life together." OH MY GOSH! It was the most outrageous conversation I've ever participated in. I didn't say much; I just laughed a lot. I should have told him I was married... or 300 pounds... or that I'm not that into inmates.

Rebellion of sorts

2008-08-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

Ever since I was in the 9th grade, I've wanted my nose pierced. Hmm. Okay. But my job, better judgement and BYU metriculation had always prevented that from happening. Finally this summer I decided to get my nose good and pierced... for one month. It's been a fun addition to my trip to Florida, Costa Rica and my past week out in The Grand Canyon and Mesa Verde. I go back to school in a few days and so today was the day that I took out my nose ring. I'll be honest; I'm gonna miss it.

Costa Freaka

2008-07-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

In my life I feel like I have had the unique opportunity to see quite a bit of the world. Travel has always been a personal passion, passed down from a father who makes a living writing travel books and guiding people up the Matterhorn. I will forever be endebted to my dad for instilling that passion in me. And he was dead-on when he told me I would love Costa Rica.

I spent the past two weeks traveling around Costa Rica with my travel partner and best friend Michelle Gurr. We rented a car, which allowed us to see a lot more and remain flexible. It also put us in some extra-horrifying situations. Let's just make a little check list of our trip, shall we?

Zipline through the rainforest? Check.

Fall in love with a local? Check. Double check.

Watch the rental car break down and... hitch hike? Check.
Pick up hitch hikers? Well, in their defense, they thought we were a cab. Jump on in. Check.

Surf? Check.

Surf successfully? Hmmm. Kind of. Check.

Get thrown out of the raft on class 4 rapids? Gasp. Check.

Horseback riding in the jungle? Check.

Uso mi espanol como un nativo? Cheque.

Roll into a small town in time for their local Rodeo? Check.

Take a forty-foot free fall on a Tarzan Swing in the cloud forest? Sign me up. Check.

Eat gallo pinto for breakfast just about every morning? Check.

Watch a bar fight between two prostitutes? Yikes. Check.

Get a massage on the beach? Check.

Watch gianormous turtles come to the beach and bury their eggs? Miraculous. Check.

Stand within a few feet of capucin monkeys, who were swinging on vines? Check.

Get hit on by drunk, nasty, loud Americans? Ugh. Thanks for the pina coladas, dude. Check.

Eat fresh pineapple and mangos like they were going out of style? Check.

Watch lava come out of an active volcano? Check.

Get stuck at high tide and drive through 4 feet of ocean water? (No wonder our car broke down...) Check.

Oh, miss my flight because of a massive accident on the Pan American High Way? Unexpected extra day in San Jose! Check.

Ultimately, it was the biggest adventure I ever participated in. By far the best vacation I have ever taken. The locals were fantastic, the scenery spectacular and the experience once-in-a-lifetime.

Pura Vida!

Pura Vida

2008-07-20T17:10:00.000-07:00

I don't wany anyone to think that I have fallen off the blogging wagon. I'm in Costa Rica right now and will be home in a few days. I promise to post spectacular pictures and tell harrowing stories in just a few days. Pure adventure. I also need to thank my high school Spanish teacher, Sr. Skyles, for teaching me enough Spanish for me to surivive here! Anyway, expect more later!

A little more on Florida

2008-07-08T06:54:00.000-07:00

I can't get over how much fun I had in Florida! Such an amazing trip! I really miss it so much. I just thought I would post a few more pics from the trip, including our trip to the Everglades (check out the massive alligator behind Tiffany and I!) some snorkeling shots, parasailing, Swap Shop, and an intesne Wii championship.

A little place called Kokimo

2008-07-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

My summer travels have taken me out to Florida to visit my older brother, Blair, who is attending dental school at Nova University. I'm in Ft. Lauderdale right now, having just returned from a few days in the Florida Keys. Spectacular! The most brilliant snorkeling I've ever done, plus parasailing, watching Blair almost get his hand bit off by a giant Tarpon, sea kyaking next to a manaray (like a sting ray, but bigger?) and, of course, eating Key Lime pie at a little Cuban eatery. Today a few of us went biking in the Everglades and were able to get pretty close to some alligators. Florida has so much excitement to offer, and most of it revolves around their natural wild life. I'll post more pictures later. These are just a few highlights from what's on my brother's computer.

Homeless: Living out of my car

2008-06-29T14:07:00.000-07:00

Fun fact: I've been homeless for about a month and a half now. It was a conscious decision I made, although the logic is complicated. Either way, I moved out of my last house on May 20th and since that time, I've been going from one friend's house to another. I've spent some time in Provo with my family, and I also took an awesome trip to DC and Phildephia. I'll continue to travel around this summer and will finally have a home again when I go back to St. George on August 3rd. In the mean time, all of my worldly belongings are either in the backseat of my car, or in a closet in the classroom. Who knew homelessness was so classy looking?

I'll be honest though... While this has been a really interesting experience, I'm really looking forward to the time when I am home for good.

My Year in Pictures

2008-06-25T10:39:00.001-07:00

I've spent the last year traveling as much as I possibly could. Here are a few highlights from the past year.

Laguna Beach, June '07

Teej and I at Crystal Cove

London July 07

Trafalgar Square

Venice, Italy Aug '07

Michelle and I on the Rialto Bridge

Rome, Italy Aug '07

Michelle and I on Spanish Steps

Boston, Mass Oct '07

Ben Franklin and Me

Plymouth, Mass Oct 07

Looking up Squanto's loincloth

NYC, NY Jan 08

Times Square

Paris, France March '08

A 900 ft flagpole

Abbey Road, March '08

Smalls and I crossing it barefoot.

This was a lifetime dream!!

Intercourse, PA June 08

What happens in Intercourse stays in Intercourse...

Philadelphia, PA June 08

City of Brotherly Love

Smalls and I at the Rocky Statue

Washington DC, June 08

Smalls and I at the Washington Monument