Blast from the (2009) Past

I have a love/hate with relationship with social media (love it, but hate that I love it so much). Today while looking around on Facebook, I noticed a "note" that I wrote in 2009 that I completely forgot about (thank you, new Facebook page layout, for making weird old things easier to see). It was one of those "25 things you didn't know/care/notice/care to know about me/us/my family/ etc, etc" chain messages that elicited a rare response from yours truly.  I enjoyed reading it four years later and thought this would make a nice blog post (also a rare occurrence these days).  These things are still all true. (current thoughts will appear in this lovely purple color).



1. My life is complete when I'm at any Disney park with my friends. The firework shows make me cry, especially the Christmas one. I just got an annual pass for the first time in my life. Who wants to go?  That seriously was the best year. I WISH I still lived in close enough to "go to the park" after work for a little play time.


2. I don't think it should be considered weird/awkward to tell people that they were in my dream last night. People can't decide what they're going to dream about (well, ok…there was this one summer that I totally could…but that's a different story). Sometimes when you tell people you dreamt about them they get all bugged out ("…and you said someone died in your dream?") or wrongfully flattered ("oh, so I'm the man of your dreams, huh?"). Chances are if you're reading this, you've been in my dream one night/nap. So please, don't judge me when I tell you that you were in my dream. Just ask me what it was about. And then I'll ask you for an interpretation. Still true.

3. Growing up I always wanted to go to boarding school. I still do.  I think the MTC kind of fulfilled this childhood desire. All of my 5th grade dreams came true on my mission. 

4. I love everything about sobriquets. I love having them. I love giving them. I love using them. I personally have many: Hil, Hili, Hilerpiss, Piss, Piss Miss, Hitlery, Hi Lary, Lary, Dude Lary, HillBill, Hilly Willy, Hills, Hilarious Rex, Hilasorous, Hiledious, Steamer, Poster Child, O'Hil Hill-dawg, Shabb, GOB/BOG, Stalker Girl…etc. Larly, Hilly-goat, Tran, Margo, TIff, Sister

5. I wish music would play in the background of my life like it does in the movies. However, everyone having his or her own continuous mood music is a good alternative.

6. I like to clean the rooms/houses of other people. Especially sneak attack style. I almost got sued for doing that once. Usually people like it though. 

7. I tend to be obsessive about things/people/places/ideas/music. I find something that I just LOVE and dedicate my life/thoughts to it for months. Then I'll mellow out until I realize that once again, I'm obsessed with something else.  Still true....

8. When I really want something to happen, I don't tell anyone about it until it's actually happening or there's no way it can't happen. "hey...so, I'm going on a mission next week" sorry again about that. haha. This is still partially true. I have learned the value of sharing goals with trusted people to help with accountability. 

9. I LOVE dramatic weather. Thunderstorms are my favorite. EVER. 

10. I love rain and listening to snow fall. Falling snow is romatical.

11. I love the different seasons. I never appreciated all 4 of them until I lived in Utah (California doesn't really have them all). Although they all have their charms, fall and winter are my favorite over all because I love to cuddle up and watch the snow/rain fall (see #10)  I'm really leaning toward spring time here in Utah. It's sooo beautiful everyday. Even with the rain.

12. I have a strong affinity for big cities and tall buildings. I grew up in LA so that probably helped. I love New York and hope to live there one day. Bangkok was exhilarating! Chicago is a new favorite, too (yay Jenny! Can't wait for your mission!). Even going up to the "big city" of SLC (especially on the frontrunner) makes me happy/excited!

13. I adore my friends. In fact, I love, love LOVE them and can miss them even when they're standing in front of me. This is probably even more true now.

14. I love to keep in touch with people. Thank goodness for USPS, Facebook, gmail, skype, msn, gchat, pen and paper, typewriter, telegrams, fax machines, Morris code, messages in bottles, blogs, blogs about blogs, smoke signals, pen pals, etc. I like to know how people are doing and what their life has brought them. Don't be surprised if you get a Christmas card from me 27 years from now and we haven't talked for 26 of them. I love it when people do that. This is still true...however, I am horrible at this now! Why am I so bad at this post-mission? I'm really sorry if you still haven't received a thank you/random note of love from me. I'm trying to be better. (or at least feeling guilty about it every time I see my half written notes all over my room.

15. I grew up camping. My family would all pile in the car and drive cross-country and camp all the way. In our glory days we could park, get out of the car and set up the ENTIRE camp (tent and all) in just 7 little minutes. That's right…7 min. My dad would brag about it all the time. I just wish I went more now. Anyone want to go? Yeah, seriously...

16. I love going to the dentist. Amazingly clean teeth- YES PLEASE! I don't even need the shots to numb everything when they give me a filing. Just drill away- I can't really feel it. YES, PLEASE. Still love it. Although I think I'm losing a bit of my "no-numbing-needed  super power" boo...

17. I love to travel. My favorite year of travel has definitely got to be last year (2008). I went to NY, D.C., AZ, London, Paris and many, many trips to UT and ID.  That really WAS a FANTASTIC year of travel. Now I'm more of a :weekend warrior" kind of traveler.  I need to take this party international again and SOON!

18. There are 6 kids in my family and I'm the only one blessed with curly hair. Thanks Dad. I love how our bangs get all crazy curly when it rains, when it's humid, when we sweat, etc.  I also love the "orphan chic" look I try to pull off on lazy occasions. 

19. I love public transportation. Subways in particular. I love observing the stations. I love observing the people who are sitting on the cars/platforms with me. I love figuring out the different lines and which are the best routes to use. I love getting lost (if I'm not in a hurry to get somewhere). I love that by using it, I feel more independent and responsible. I love making friends who you say/wave goodbye to when you get off, even though you've only spent 20 silent moments together in your entire life. I love bus buddies (my time at BYU was my favorite for these kinds of relationships). Amen.

20. Avocados are my favorite thing ever. I add it to everything when I can. Or just eat it plain. Yup. But I hate paying so much for them here in Utah...

21.I claim to have been to all 50 states but I think I need to go to Maine just for good measure.  I need to do this again.

22. If I copy something for too long, it can start to become a part of me. It's kinda a probwem, right Tiff/margo/#awesome/Tran. yeah...

23. I'm going to own a boat some day. Maybe I'll just buy a yacht and live on it. Who wants to teach me to sail?

24. I have the most ridiculous earlobes and therefore I only wear big, dangling earrings (which I love and this would probably still be the case even if my earlobes were normal). I've discovered pearls and smaller earrings now, too, and  I love them.  My big earrings and I are kinda "on a break"

25. There are some things is this world that will never make sense to me: traffic, mayo and cheese covered fruit jello, the stock exchange, the US Government and why guys and girls buttons button on different sides, to name a few. I accept them all, sometimes I just wonder.

Ok. There you go. Wasn't that fun?

101 posts

What?! Just right after I posted about missions, I noticed that it was my 100th post. I should've done something awesome about 100.. like "100 ridiculous things I say" or "My 100 favorite things in the world" or "100 colors of joy" or "100 things in my room."  But you know what.. 100 is a lot. If I did a 100 of something on this blog, that'd just be too long. And probably boring.

Missions

 I’ve been home from my mission for a little over 2 years now (BLOWS MY MIND). And somehow missions are still so exciting to me. Everything about them. From deciding to go, doing the paperwork, waiting for the call in the mail, opening the call, waiting to report, the MTC (learning the gospel and/or language), riding bikes,  moving areas, new companions, sickness, letters, emails, not getting letters, teaching, baptizing, finding less actives, waving at people while riding past them, Mission President interviews, zone conference, district meetings, eating good food, speaking horribly in a foreign language, training, (being trained), serving in your greenie area again, political riots, breaking ankles, riding a klong monster, going to “da mall” to eat “farang” food, getting McDonalds’ delivered to your house, feeling the spirit (but not as a result  of eating the McDonalds)  seeing people truly change and feel Heavenly Father’s love, crying, loving, caring, trying, working, trying more, humbling yourself to learn, LOVING PEOPLE, not judging them, sharing the good news.  

Missions, simple said, are the best life changing experiences EVER.  I know not everyone may share my love and enthusiasm for missions, but I know for me, it was the best decision I’ve made to date.   After the announcement during general conference that the age has been lowered for boys AND girls (YES!) there has been a renewed sense of excitement about missions.  And for weeks after that, it was hot news. Everyone was talking about it and working on papers.   So many people are going on missions this year and I LOVE IT.  One of my personal favorite newly called missionaries is Cody. You can watch him open his mission call here.  SO, SO excited for him. He’s going to be great!

The blessings from serving a mission never end. I'm still amazed.  

Love

It's 2:14 AM and I have to get up for work in about 3 hours, but I really just can't get enough of this song.  It is my new favorite Christmas song. Or maybe just song in general. The piano is beautiful. Her voice is beautiful. The message is beautiful. Love. Just Love.

Merry Christmas Eve!

White Board Wonders

Last week we had an impromptu math lecture in our living room. We needed something to write on so I grabbed the whiteboard from my room and hung it up on the wall.  And then something magical happened. The white board became our new obsession. I don’t know why it was so fun to practice college algebra that night (especially when I felt so frustrated that I couldn’t remember how to do it) but it started a learning revolution and altered the way we spent time together.   

Just last night we were at dinner with friends and Erin looked over at me and said “You know what we forgot? The whiteboard!” and there was a general overall sadness that we forgot our new BFF.

I know that this may sound ridiculous- and you’re right… I’m romanticizing it all (I mean COME ON… a WHITEBOARD?)  But I just am in love with it and the idea of endless possibilities. We could do anything with that board!  It’s fun to say “oh we have a guest lecture tonight on Public Health, or Research Methods, or life skills  (“you have to break some boundaries to make some boundaries.” Pictionary has also made a comeback. It’s a nice throwback to the days when you actually had to spend time talking and interacting together instead of just spending time together looking at a screen.  But I’m not going to lie… if you know me at all, you know I love my youtube videos. Half of the words that come out of my mouth are quotes (ghetto grocery bag) .So I love both watching/sharing great hilarious videos, but I also enjoy talking with people and having old school fun.   

Posting Lag

I've written a few posts, just haven't posted them yet because they're not "ready" yet. I'm kinda slow sometimes. Also, I don't really feel bad about not posting everyday (even though it is my goal for 30 days) and I think it's mainly because 1) It's just a blog...the world is not going to end if I don't write and I won't die or anything if I miss a day and 2) I don't even think anyone is really reading this...so I don't feel accountable to anyone. Apparently I work better if I'm held accountable for what I do. Don't we all?  This isn't the quote I was thinking about just now from Preach My Gospel, but these ARE great quotes about goals:

“Carefully considered goals will give you clear direction and will help you fill your days with activities that help people…”  The achievement of goals requires that we make plans and then act to carry out those plans.  Goals are not achieved by magic. (what if I go to Hogwarts?)

“Challenging goals will help you work effectively and lead you to stretch and grow. Nothing good happens without work.  If you want to achieve something worthwhile in life, there must be effort put forth to bring about the achievement of good goals."   

Amen to that second quote.

New Job = New Life

Back in February my old companion and BFF (and now roomy!), Heidi, who knew I was looking for a new job, suggested that I email my resume into her boss because her company was hiring. All I knew about Heidi's job was that she worked with these crazy girls and that it was fun, but taxing. So, I sent my resume in, had an interview and BAM! I had a new job. And subsequently, a new life.


I really had no idea what I was getting into when I took this job. I can't really describe the feeling I had after the interview and before I accepted the job. It wasn't overwhelming excitement (because it was so unknown), but it wasn't the feeling of “oh, well I really need a job, so I’ll take anything I can get.”

So yes. Now I work at a drug rehab (group home style) for teenage girls.  I never could have imagined myself working at a place like this (I mean, really. Look at my job history: teller, little house on the island bear hunter/fisher, conference assistant/ door locker/ freshman couples heckler, Westward Ho fry maker, receptionist, missionary, nanny, copy maker/book binder. Yoah, what the random? Maybe it's not so weird after all, as random seems to be my norm). 

Like any new job, the first couple weeks were intense and slightly overwhelming.   I constantly felt like I had no idea what I was doing and was very cautions because of the legalities involved with working with high-risk youth, in state custody.  I felt kinda like insta-mom with 14-16, crazy/silly/drug abusing/manipulative/sweet/hilarious and sometimes “beezy” teenage daughters.  As much as I am concerned/complain about my job (sorry Tran, you hear it all) I really, really love it.  I just feel like there is so much possibility and growth. I am privileged to work with girls who have had a crazy (short) life.  It feels similar to missionary life- in the way that we teach life changing principles and then get to watch their personal journey.

And these girls are crazy/fun and we do crazy/fun things (cooking classes, llama farm, color festival, walking in parades with llamas, etc).  I know I’ll talk more about work later, (because it’s taking over my life) but for now you just need to know that I am very thankful for my job and my co-workers (especially Heidi). I feel blessed to have a job that I love and that is helping me to progress in life (it is the reason why I am now starting to prepare to go into Social Work).