The end of this chapter.

It has been way too long since my last post and as usual a lot has happened. I am sitting here on my couch in good ol' Monmouth Oregon. It's Monday, it's finals week, and I am THIS close to being done with my undergraduate career here at WOU. In January I start the next great adventure of my life when I go to work at the Oregon State Capitol. I am more excited than words can express, and yes - I am a little afraid. It's hard to believe how quickly my time here has gone by, and how many absolutely amazing experiences I have had here. I have made lifelong friends, people that I know will be part of my life forever. I have had the best Professors and the most interesting (and difficult) classes. I know that no matter where I go or what I accomplish Western Oregon University, the town on Monmouth, and the people who have taught and inspired me will always be part of who I am.

To be honest, I am sad. I am very sad. I love school, I always have. I know that this doesn't have to be the end, but it does symbolize an end for me. For the past 16 years all I have known is school, school, school, with some summer here and there. And now I am looking out at a blank slate. What comes next? What do I want to do with me life? More importantly, who do I want to be in my life? This is not an easy question to answer, and all along I had this silly idea in my head that life would just figure itself out. And it does, to a certain extent, but there comes a point where you have to decide. What comes next?

Everything I have learned over the past 3.25 years here will go with me wherever my journey takes me, this I know for sure. But there is something more I am taking with me, and that is the knowledge that no matter what happens, no matter who or what I become, everything will be okay. Those of you who know me well know that I have always worried about the future, but I have decided that it is not my job to worry about what my life holds. I have a great God that has already done that for me. 

To all of you who have been on this journey with me from day one, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have all been here through my ups and my downs, and for that I will always be thankful. I cannot wait to see where the rest of our lives take us. And for those of you who came along a little later in my college career, you are just as special to me and have taught me how to love life more than I did before. And to my family, thank you for shaping me into the person I am today, thank you for loving me no matter what, and thank you for instilling in me a sense of humor and love for the people around me. 

So, this being said, I am looking forward to finishing out this week strong. I know there will be tears, of joy and of sorrow, and I know that this too is okay. I am allowed to cry, it is okay to mourn the ending of this period of my life. Something new is coming, not something better, just something new. I can't wait to talk to my kids about my college years, I have some awesome stories and some amazing friends that go along with them. This ride has been amazing, and the great things is - it's only the beginning. 

And the world keeps on spinning

It's been awhile, I know, and so much has happened in the last few weeks that its going to be hard to explain it all!
First and foremost in the past month my relationship with God has deepened and grown so so much. It has been an amazing and humbling experience and I am reminded daily of how much He loves us and how He has made us each perfectly for a purpose. I am so excited to see the path He has designed for me and to continue to build a loving relationship with Him.
So...other exciting news? My internship with Century of Action is really taking off! I am so thrilled to be part of this amazing project at this memorable time in the history of our great state. Every day I wake up excited to see what the day will bring. I love what I am doing and I can't wait to see how it all pans out over the course of the year! Woo hoo! Check out the project I am working on by going to centuryofaction.org and clicking on the Follow the Sash link on the left side of the page! Get involved in this project and become part of Oregon history!

12 for 2012

Somehow it is 2012...I have no idea how this happened because I feel like it was just yesterday that I was thinking about how weird it was going to be to write 2000 instead of something with a 19 in front of it. Does that make me sound old? No? Okay good...

2012 is going to my year. How do I know? Because I am going to make it my year. No, I will not make a resolution because they inevitably fail. Instead I am going to write a list of things, a kind of bucket list, that I will accomplish this year. In sharing it here where someone is bound to read it and ask me how my list is going, and I will be proudly report on my progress. So, here it is. The 12 things for 2012.

1. Go to Church every Sunday.
2. Read my Bible every day.
3. Be more thankful - let people know that they are appreciated and valued.
4. Be more active - I already have aerobics classes on my schedule :)
5. Stop procrastinating. 
6. Spend more time in real life and less time online. (This means you Facebook)
7. Write letters.
8. Call my Grandma and my Dad once a week.
9. Take more pictures. They really do last a lifetime.
10. No more meaningless crushes.
11. Go on more walks and take time to appreciate the outdoors. I do live in Oregon after all...
12. Learn to love myself for who I am, all the time, no matter what. 

Some of these are hard, others will be easy. I am printing out this list and posting it in multiple locations as a constant reminder to myself of the things I need to do this year. Please, ask me about them. I will want to tell you about it!