A smile

Ein Lächeln kostet nichts und bringt doch so viel.
Es bereichert den Empfänger und den Geber.
Es ist vielleicht nur kurz, doch die Erinnerung daran oft unvergänglich.
Keiner ist so reich, um darauf verzichten zu können.
Und keiner ist zu arm, daß er es sich nicht leisten könnte.
Es bringt Glück und ist ein Zeichen von Freu...ndschaft.
Es bekommt erst dann seinen Wert, wenn es verschenkt wird.
Sollte der andere einmal kein Lächeln mehr zur Verfügung haben,überlasse ich Ihm eins von meinen,denn niemand braucht so sehr ein Lächeln, wie der, der keins mehr übrig hat.

aus China

Neues Leben

So I have been back from my mission for 6 weeks today-

and I think I am ready to try blogging again.

The transition has been surprisingly smooth, I was... surprised. The hardest realization is still the fact that I am currently unemployed and living at my parents' house- with a bachelor's degree. Sometimes I wallow in that, but today after a chat with my bestie, she helped me to realize that my life is actually pretty fun. I bake, I puzzle, I enjoy play dates, I job-search, I ride my mountain bike, I read, hang out with my lil bro, play frisbee golf and jump on my mom's mini trampoline while I watch the Today Show. I am not ashamed.

The mission was awesome. I can't even describe how grateful I am for that opportunity. It was no cake-walk, but it was one of the best things I have ever done. It was like a huge present that I didn't deserve from a loving Heavenly Father. He knows what He is doing. For those of you who missed it (or if anyone even still reads my blog), here's a little taste!

I love you Germany, thanks for an awesome year and a half.

If you find yourself with nothing to do, just come over for a play date.

I'll even cook you lunch.

2 hours and twenty-seven minutes

This morning I found out that I semi-urgently needed to find out my blood type. For a person who holds an irrational fear of needles, this presented a huge problem. My mind drifted back to a time when I threatened my mother that I would run away if she made me get stiches, or the time I screamed at the three male nurses pinning me to a gurney that I would rather die of lockjaw than get the tetanus shot. I was seventeen, both times. So I took the advice of Dr. Jack Shepherd and let the fear set in for 10 seconds, and I decided to get over it and do what had to be done. I called three different heathcare facilities and my insurance, I got off work, drove myself to the hospital, forced out the nausea, and went into the lab. Two hours and twenty-seven minutes after the semi-urgent phone call, I walked out of the hospital a new woman, and a universal donor. I'm even thinking of giving blood sometime. I think all of my Lost watching is really paying off.

Puzzling

I have never considered myself an expert puzzler. In public puzzling situations, I tend to shy away from opportunities to puzzle in front of others. I confess that I leave the pieces stuck together if I find them that way in the box. In fact, if I feel a puzzle exceeds my puzzling threshold, I won’t even attempt pry off the lid.
Recently, I have found myself around a lot of puzzlers. On New Year’s Eve, I was even a part of a puzzling competition, go figure. It was then and there I had to decide that I was going to puzzle, and I was going to be dang good at it. My team lost.
Yesterday I walked into my apartment and found myself face to face with scattered pieces of a puzzle. It intimidated me, and I walked away. A few hours later, I ran into it again. I stared, and it remained motionless on the floor. I sat down, and picked up a piece. Two hours later it was nearly complete and I had crossed a puzzling threshold. I discovered that you must dedicate yourself to the puzzle. Puzzling takes patience, strategy, and cooperation. The key is in the sorting, you must sort the edges from the insides, and then the insides into different categories. Communicate fellow puzzlers, and get to know the puzzle and study each part. Each piece successfully placed is a personal victory.
Ok- Maybe I am crazy, but I just finished a puzzle that I never thought I could. And that my friend, is what they call closure.

Frumpville

I have never been a fan of sleepovers. When I was little, I would beg my parents to say no when my friends asked me to grab a pillow and come over. The smell of someone elses house, the loud ticking of the grandfather clock, and the foreign bathroom just never appealed to me.
Growing up, I took my beauty sleep seriously. No matter the occasion, when the clock struck nine I was in the bathroom entertaining my nightly ritual. I am not joking when I say that I spent the next forty-five minutes prepping for bed. I washed my face, hands, and feet; brushed and flossed, and applied several different flavors of creams and moisturizers. I can't explain it, but after five years in the college life, I miss my nighttime therapy.
With that preface, I want to declare that I am a homebody. I like being by myself. Despite my abilities as an extrovert, my flare for adventure, and love of the outdoors, I love to be at home in my bed. I think it is actually a way to compensate for the extrovertness. I don't like to get all dressed up and go mingle with strangers in search of their major. This is my sanctuary. Maybe I am trying to justify the fact that it is Friday, and I am currently in my bed typing this blog, or that I am graduated, living in a college town. I just love being home, doin my thang. I also attribute this wacky fetish for the loss of several boyfriends. When the time card has been punched, I don the sweats and continue my reign as queen of frumpville. Now that is attractive. No one can invade, I can lose myself in my thoughts, a good book, or online shopping, and I am 100% content.

Haircut

I cut and colored my hair almost three weeks ago. Today was the day that everyone decided to notice. I am not sure it was a good thing though- the two most memorable comments were "missionary" and "soccer mom". You decide.

Everything is better when...

I have recently discovered that my position of choice is lying down. I would dare say that everything is better when am at least 70% reclined. I don't think I am lazy, I just really like lying down. I do run into a few minor problems, such as crumbs in the bed and occasionally falling asleep during a movie, but nothing major. I would even go so far as to say lying down is on it's way to being the new sitting. Can't you just imagine your weekly business meetings lying down? As Creed would say, "If that's a crime, lock me up."