Hiking with Saul

I use the verb "hiking" loosely in describing the long walk we took yesterday. I still feel a little shaky after the flu, so I thought of things that could get my brother and I out of the house and into an abnormally warm and sunny day. There are several parks nearby that I have yet to visit this summer and I decided on one that was a few blocks away.

Kobayashi Park, our park of choice for the excursion, is located in University Place near Chambers Creek. It is currently open while the housing structure is under construction. From what I understand, the property used to be owned by a couple who had a small house and pool overlooking the creek. The couple tried selling the house, but instead turned it into a rental home. The rental home eventually became too much of a liability and is now under construction. Supposedly it is being turned into a gazebo for public use. 

The park has two distinct sets of trails, the easier of which we explored. It was a good outing to say the least.

Our signature "bored" look. Well, close enough.

Scout: Explore - Create - Share

I have always loved libraries, but I am definitely starting to appreciate them more now. The Pierce County Library has recently begun an online program called Scout in which members are encouraged to explore different subjects, create works of art and projects, and share experiences.

The program rewards members with points that add up to badges. The leaderboard allows members to show the points and badges standings in the community to encourage others to continue their progress with Scout.

Badges include Book Reinvention, Transit Authority, Bubblesmith, and more. They involve all areas and ages of life, but the program itself is particularly geared towards adults. Each badge consists of various activities that are worth a certain amount of points. For instance, in the Rebelious Reading badge one activity is to find a challenged or banned book to read. Some activities are more time consuming than others to complete, but each badge requires some form of community interaction.

I am enjoying Scout very much - it is broadening my mind to ideas to add to the List. I encourage everyone in the Pierce County area to join in the fun. Click on one of the links above or visit scout.pcls.us for more information.

My 21st Birthday

On the dawn of my 21st birthday, I spent some time reflecting on my life thus far.

The eve of my birthday was spent at my aunt's house, eating nachos and watching re-runs of the Olympics. I browsed the internet and ate more than my fill and finally caved in for the evening. I thought I would read instead of watching an episode of Pretty Little Liars on Netflix (DON'T JUDGE ME), thinking that watching Netflix would keep me up. What a mistake I made! The chapter I read kept me up for hours, leading me to my internal reflection.

The thing is, I have felt so much regret about my childhood and adolescence for as long as I can remember. For a long time now I have strived to live virtuously in the present and work towards a better future. Only recently have I truly accepted I cannot change the past and as I lay thinking about my life so far, I cried out, thanking God for the way my life is now. Despite the troubles I have had, I have moved past them to become the woman I am. That is not to say I am perfect, but I feel more comfortable in my skin than I have ever felt.

I promise, this all sounds more dramatic than I intended it to be. The emotions I experienced that night were fleeting, as all emotions are, but gave way to a sort of enlightenment. I am not, nor will I ever be back in my past. That in itself is a blessing. I suppose this all sounds a bit fantastic and ridiculous, but I have waited a week to express in writing the thoughts and feelings I endured that night to ensure that the experience was not entirely delusional.

Of course, once I awoke the next morning it was all about the joy of being with family and finally being "of age." Although 21 years old is commonly recognized as being of legal drinking age, it means a bit more for me. I consider it an inevitable right of passage in which I become a "proper" adult.

I noticed even before my birthday how attitudes have changed upon acknowledgment of one's age. Pardon my colloquialism, but since when has age been such a big deal? That being said, I will enjoy finally being able to drink legally. The only problem I can foresee in the near future is what drink to try next.

2013 Recap

I will make no blanket statements about the last year other than it was a year of learning. I learned more about myself this year than I can remember any year before that.

In January, I applied to nursing school and spent the month taking care of my post-surgical father. I started on the AFI films list and revamped the existing List. Fast forward to May - I finished my sophomore year of college and packed up my things for the last time in McMinnville. It was bittersweet, saying goodbye to the campus and people that made so many wonderful memories, while also looking forward to my future in Portland. I also celebrated the graduation of my beautiful sister!

In June, I traveled to Mexico with my family and spent a week relaxing and recouping from a rough school year. July flew by and left me dazed and confused, scrambling to get things together for the first week of school in August.

Adjusting to nursing school and Portland took most of my September and October, but I successfully completed my first 5k in November. The transition from  November to December was rough, what with all the academic events occurring and the process of packing for two months home.

The last week of December was fantastic. Christmas with the family was wonderful, as usual, and New Years Eve, despite a couple mishaps, was fantastic. As ever, I am grateful for the experiences that have led me to this point in my life. I look forward to the year ahead and, as always, I wonder what it has in store for me.

Palm Reading at Starbucks

The first time my sister and aunt met my best friend was at a weekend getaway to my grandparent's beach cabin. Ever since then, the four of us have been as thick as thieves. Fortunately, today we were able to hang out (without the rest of the family around) at Starbucks and spend some... quality time together. 

Among the many topics of discussion arose a new palm-reading application my sister downloaded. I thought I'd share a portion of my results for your enjoyment:

1) Your hand indicates that you like to laugh.
2) Saturn (middle finger) shows that you focus on real world items; usually in an overall manner.
3) Your Mount of Pluto shows that you are highly adept at giving advice to others.
4) Your finger leaning indicates that you make sure to take enough time to seriously think through your decisions.
5) Your thumb shape indicates that you can be very emotional.
6) Your relationship lines suggest that you will have a strong and happy relationship with your partner.
7) Your finger spacing indicates that you will gain authority and rank through your own goals and dreams.
8) Your line of fate shows that you will be successful in whatever you pursue, because you are a very determined person.
9) Your mount of Luna shows that you are slightly egocentric.
10) Your mount of lower Mars shows that you have the ability to over come a large amount of pain.
11) Your Jupiter (index finger) indicates that you are flexible and multi-talented, and who tends to go along with the crowd.
12) Your mount of Venus shows that you have lots of energy and warmth.
13) The second phalange on your thumb indicates that you love pleasurable things like food and drinks.