Life is a balancing act

This week has been action packed to say the least. I got TEXT announcements (what is the world coming to) that my dear friend and college roommate Liz is getting married. And that Des is pregnant. Those who know me well have heard Des stories she forms 1/3 of the formidable threesome Jenster, Mills and Deslee. As if that wasn't enough this weekend Uhle Street hosted an engagement party for former Uhle Streeter Suzy and her husband to be Stewart and all this made for an introspective, exciting and nostalgic week. I have realized that it hurts me to see that I can't relate with a lot of my good friends as they are going through this life changes, but at the same time I am so happy for them and this change and progression in their lives.
All of this excitement was compounded by a quick spring break trip to the Dominican Republic (I got back last Wednesday), Courtney's birthday party at Medieval Times Friday, a trip with good friends to Cici's (an all you can eat pizza buffet) Thursday, the arrival of spring in D.C. that prompted a morning roommate run, an all girl brunch, doubles tennis, and mountain biking at Foundtainhead on Saturday, and visits from D.C. ex-pats and good friends Jeff H. and Katy V. left me not hurting for fun. Then there are the logistics of my truly adult world with mid-terms this week, entertaining an office intern (she merits her own post which will come later) and prepping for Easter weekend.
Now that I've mentally vomited my last week onto this keyboard, let me post a few pictures to accompany the sound bites.
Here are the roommates (minus Steph) reunited and proudly showing off the results of an impromptu bridal shower for Suzy. We all painted our fingernails, I know that all these hands look a little creepy so I had to explain myself. We asked our friend to tell us which girls he would date based on our finger nail color only. After looking at our hands he decided Katy's color was hooker red and she would be easy, Erika was high-maintenance, I was fun loving and Jeanette was a hippy. Infer what you will, but it was an entertaining exercise.
That blurry body there is me. Coming down one of the 27 waterfalls on a hike we did in The Dominican Republic, which was called appropriately, 27 waterfalls. It was my kind of hiking, scrambling up rocks and swimming through crystal blue pools for two hours and then on the way down you jump off rocks and slide down natural water slides. B-L-I-S-S
This is Playa Grande in Dominica Republic. The beach was beautiful and relaxing, but getting there and away was another story. Our means of transportation included cramped mini-bus, three people on a motor cycle taxi, racist French surfers who picked us up hitchhiking and then finally a car where another passenger had an open container of alcohol he offered us and there were ten people in one sedan. The driver sat on someone's lap, there were two others in the passengers seat, four in the back seat and then two in the trunk. I loved every minute of it, while fearing for my life.
Friday was Courtney's birthday and to celebrate we went to Medieval Times where you are transported in time in a castle that is attached to the mall to the 1500's. It's unlike anything else, you wear a crown, eat with your hands, watch a performance where knights fight for the affection of a princess and battle each other in jousting and hand to hand combat.
Spence isn't sure if this piece of chicken is big enough for him. And yes we are a bunch of adults in our mid twenties and early thirties who consistently engage in activities better suited for nine year olds, I know, I know.

Stuff *I* Like

Last week I was introduced to this blog. I quickly realized that this stereotype that was being mocked on this blog was me. I opened the page and first read this post right after I took a drink out of my pretty Japanese patterned SIGG water bottle filled with water I had gotten from the purified filter in our gym. It makes this even more entertaining to read because I always felt that myself those around me truly feel like we are unique and different from the typical white Americans. But apparently all of us who think we are so different, can be neatly packaged into the person who is described by this blog. I absolutely love it. I think self-deprecating humor is something else white people like. Here are some more examples from my life (where I basically admit to stereotypes and make fun of myself) and please read the clever descriptions linked.

• #73 Gentrification Six months ago I moved from a typical upper class Arlington neighborhood to a neighborhood I viewed as more diverse and "real." I definitely have mentioned this as a sort of badge of pride to distance myself from little BYU world I lived in to the "real city" telling stories about living in Guadalarlington, a few blocks from a taco truck, and having my eleven year old neighbor tell me about all the gangs that exist in our neighborhood.
• # 72 Study Aborad I definitely have been on a study abroad, want to go on more and have even hinted to one day wanting to be a professor at a community college and lead study abroads. I also remember a conversation I had with a friend on a study abroad where we talked about how we # 28 don't like TV he was teaching english to his class and when he was teaching love and hate he was listing things that he hated and put TV. Very white.
• # 12 Non Profits when I moved to D.C. or was in college and people would ask me what job that I wanted I would say "a non-profit or NGO." I admit I still take pride that although I wouldn't call my work a non-profit our website is a .org
• #71 Being the only white person around I can say that whenever we go to an ethnic restaurant without fail somebody will comment on the number or lack of white people. I can think of twice that this has happened just in the last month. At both an El Salvadorian restaurant and a Thai restaurant and in both situations the person I was with and I agreed that this was indeed a good measure of food quality.
• There are many other examples, but as I write this I just feel myself start to cringe as I realize how this blogger has me pinned. But a few more examples just for fun and because I know that anyone who reads my blog definitely will identify with many of these blog posts as well. I do have a netflix account and do look at it as a way to see documentaries, foreign films and movies that you can't find at blockbuster. I do bike to work at least three times a week. I bought a separate recycling can for our house last week and wrote instructions for the roommates. Traveling and the outdoors are obvious for anyone who knows me at all.
• And here is a picture of me from last weekend's 80's party

Twofer

I've never done a "tagged" post before. But I really enjoying reading other people's and learning new random facts about people that I previously thought I knew so well. So here goes (thanks for the nudge Sarah):

Two names you go by: The Jenster, JCore

Two things you’re wearing right now: Black with silver pin striped slacks (shhhh don’t tell anyone I wore them to work yesterday too), Grey American Eagle cable knit sweater with a hood

Two of your favorite things to do: Have conversations with friends that last late into the night that leave you laughing so hard you feel like you had a workout and anything else in the world is irrelevant. Being pummeled by waves, I love all activities in the ocean.

Two people you talked to last night: Sarah Stancliff and Melinda Skea

Two things you’re doing tomorrow: Having my environmental policy lunch group with Staci, Leslie and Julie, watching “Lost” with people that are more obsessed with it than I am

Two longest car rides: There have been a lot and I’m not sure exactly which ones have been the longest. I have gone cross country twice, once in high school for Heritage Tours with one hundred other friends from school the day after graduation and when I moved to D.C. Both were enjoyable. Another long and memorable car ride was renting a car and driving on the left side of the road from Johannsburg, South Africa to Cape Town.

Two favorite holidays: Christmas (it’s a given) and Thanksgiving a no pressure holiday with food, family and gratitude.

Two favorite drinks: Raspberry slush with ice cream from the ideal dairy in Richfield Utah and Fresh squeezed orange juice.

Two things about me you may not know: When I was in elementary school I was a total nerd. Evidence: captain of the knowledge bowl team, jeopardy was my favorite tv show and I would read the encyclopedia and take notes as a hobby. I secretly wish I was a rock star.

Two jobs I have had in my life: I worked at Utah State as a conversationalist, which essentially meant I hung out on the lawn and talked to the international students to help them with their English, probably the best job I’ve ever had. Ski instructor at Park City Mountain Resort.

Two movies I could watch over and over: There are very few movies that I will watch more than once, but I will mention two movies I’ve seen recently and really liked: “Bandits” and “Water”

Two places I’d rather be right now: Skiing in Utah, supposedly this year the snow has been amazing. Brazil, on the beach with a good looking latino, drinking some fresh passion fruit juice (or Costa Rica for that matter :)

Two people I tag…I feel like everyone who reads my blog has had a "tagged" post lately… any phantom readers I don’t know about?

This picture, I just wanted to post because it pretty much sums up my last weekend in West Virginia. So fun, details forthcoming.

The best and the worst

Yesterday I voted in the Virginia Primary. It always feels good to exercise your civic duty and being surrounded by people who also feel that they're vote does matter and are willing to wait forty five minutes to vote. This year's election is far from over, yet the media has already had a feeding frenzy analyzing every detail of the candidates history, policy, spouse, personal life, taxes, health habits, it's tiring and hard to actually know what the candidates policies are amid all the muck (and I even consider myself a political junkie). I will not go into depth about my opinions, the amount of opinion is already overwhelming. But I do want to share the best and the worst of the political ads that have been run so far this season. And I will say that the candidate whose video I chose as best, was also who I voted for yesterday.

My two worlds

I've had sufficient time now since I returned back from my two week Christmas break in Utah to settle back into my DC city life routine. I've started graduate school (I'm getting a Master's in Public Policy at George Mason University) and I'm back to the full-time work grind. Coming back and forth from Utah to D.C. has become an emotional roller coaster ride for me. Whether I'm flying to DC or I'm flying to Utah, I feel like I'm going home and I know that there are people that I love and familiar places in each of them. This feeling is amplified by my acknowledgment that these two places couldn't be more different, which is obvious in the activities that I participate in and I notice subtle differences in my personality depending on where I am.

Exhibit A:

Here I am at Silverton Mountain Resort in Colorado with a bunch of "Mormon Hippies," or my people. We had skinned up (skinning up a mountain involves attaching skins to the bottom of your skis which prevents you from sliding backwards so you can go up and then when you take them off you can ski down) and then we skied down one of the most incredible runs I have ever taken in my life. Probably a foot and a half of fresh power on a clear day in a big open bowl. It was indescribable, the rush that I felt taking my first turn when we were up at 12,000 feet with friends cheering me on was one of the highlights of my break, maybe even my year, or maybe even my life.


Then this is me a few weeks later in the President's press room. Yes that podium right behind me is where President Bush speaks at the press conferences he holds. My old roommate Staci was kind enough to ask me if I wanted in on a last minute opening she had for the prized west wing tour. You can only get one if you know someone who works in the White House and will take you. She works in the President's speech writing office, and I can testify that you can't blame his writers for how he manages to mangle his words. We were the only people in the west wing besides secret service agents and one of the most memorable moments was when we were in the lobby and taking a picture in front of the presidential seal when my friend who was taking the picture said "I really wish I was lying when I said a secret service agent is walking towards me like he wants to arrest me." Secret Service Man was not happy with us and our cheesy tourist ways.

Exhibit B:

One of my favorite places and a few of my favorite people. Cross country skiing in American Fork canyon with Brad, a friend from college, my brother Brian and our puppy Jackson. I love downhill skiing, but there is something about the tranquility and fluidity of cross country that is totally addicting. And Brad and I have a yearly cross country reunion tradition, he is what I would call an extreme cross country skiier. I know, you would think it was an oxy moron, but he really is, he goes off jumps and everything. Such a blast. That is another great thing about coming home over the holidays. I get to see friends like Brad, who is going to law school at Pepperdine, but also comes home for the holidays to spend time with his family. I also got to spend a lot of time with my dear family and especially with Brian who had recently returned home from a mission in Jackson, Mississippi.

This was a beautiful evening I had last week ice skating with a few friends at the sculpture garden that is part of the Smithsonian. You walk there and are surrounded by monuments and museums and then you enter the sculpture garden which has a lot of beautiful pieces that rotate periodically. They also have jazz concerts here and you can just bring a blanket and listen and lounge on the grass in the summer, and during that time the ice rink is actually a fountain. Last week the atmosphere was perfect with white Christmas lights hung around the rink and everyone stylishly bundled. The weather was perfect as well. Sarah and I choreographed an ice skating routine, it had some very elegant moves including twirls, but also some non-conventional moves such as the funky chicken and the robot, but don't you worry the judges gave us perfect tens.

Exhibit C:

I am probably the least fun person in my family, seriously. Those are definitely my parents, and they are definitely sledding while being pulled by our truck in the church parking lot (hookybobbing is the correct terminology for those of you not yet aware of this cutting edge sport). So I think you get an idea of how my family rolls, this was my parents idea for a Christmas morning activity. Is it any wonder why I just can't get enough of them?


Another highlight in my month that I have been home was visiting the Ansel Adams and Annie Leibovitz exhibits at the Corcoran Museum. Also this gem, Nuttin But Stringz, I saw perform at a civil rights tribute on Martin Luther King Day at the Kennedy Center. Absolutely incredible.

Midnight conversations at IHOP

This post is a first for me. Usually I don't post about something like dating, believe me I already have enough conversations about it with my friends. However, last weekend I went to IHOP at 1:00 AM on a Friday. I want to throw out the disclaimer that this isn't something I normally do at 26, I realize I am no longer a freshman in college. This in itself isn't worthy of a post. Although I did find it highly entertaining that the host who seated us was a cop who was on duty, in uniform, with a walkie talkie on his belt. And one of my guy friends I was with was wearing a too tight, brightly colored women's cardigan that my roommate had bought at salvation army for an ugly sweater party. I loved watching everyone's reactions to it.

The point of this post is that one of my friends brought up that a girl had recently told him "Someday you're going to make some girl so happy" and this got us into a conversation of lame things that guys or girls have said to us to let us know (they think kindly) that they didn't want to date us. Would it be that bad for someone to just say, "I'm sorry, but I just don't have any romantic feelings for you?" For some reason we feel like we have to soften the blow by making up excuses and try to turn rejection into some kind of compliment. It was a pretty funny conversation. I'll go ahead and give a couple from my life to start things off and then I would love to hear these type of comments that you've either given or received. Of course I've gotten the "you're just like a sister to me" this translates as I have absolutely no romantic feelings toward you, nor will I ever. I also had a guy who took me out four times in two weeks, and then on my birthday take me to the beach at Utah Lake where we had a little bonfire and made smores and then he told me he was sorry but he just didn't want a girlfriend. The action of taking a girl out every three days are not consistent of the words that you don't want a girlfriend. The worst though was a guy that I was into who told me that "I want to date someone just like you" that's just offensive. He may have meant it as some backwards compliment, but seriously.

I'm not writing this out of bitterness, I just find it amusing that we have such a hard time being honest and a lot of times by not just saying how we really feel we make the situation worse. Maybe if we all realize how ridiculous we sound when we say these kinds of things we'll stop saying them and just be honest.

Anyone else have an example they would like to share or a strong opinion on the importance of honesty?

I too am grateful

Everyone's gratitude posts really inspired me and made me reflect on what I hold most dear. The older I get the more I realize it's my relationships that have the most profound affect on my happiness and give me satisfaction. Specifically my relationship with The Lord, my family and my friends. But I would like to go into specifics of a few things and people that I am particularly grateful for at this time in my life.

• My family. I am really blessed that although I have lived thousands of miles away for the last 15 months I have been able to see my family quite a bit. I have been able to go home to Utah four times and then my parents have come to DC, New York and my entire family went to Italy in this time. Just spending time with those that you are most comfortable with is refreshing and it was a special treat to have my entire family reunited over Thanksgiving when Brian came home from his mission in Jackson, Mississippi. And our neighbors took the liberty in decorating our house, part of the decoration includes 200 helium balloons that we gathered because we wanted to try to see if we could put our cat in a pillow case to see if it would float. Unfortunately/fortunately the cat must have caught wind of our plan and by the time we gathered all the balloons it had disappeared. But we still decided to use the balloons for a great family photo.
• Wonderful friends. Of course nothing can replace family, but I've found a pretty good substitute while I live on the other side of the country. I have been blessed to live with a lot of amazing girls since I moved to DC. The last two houses that I lived in have really felt like home. The girls of Joyce and Uhle Street have made me feel loved and taken care and have helped my transition to the east be a surprisingly easy one. They all came together, along with Ogreid (Odie, Grayden and Reed), to treat me to a birthday dinner last month and helped take the sting out of turning 26. 26 was a surprisingly hard age, it marks the transition to the late twenties and for once I really do feel old. But this is not the only time in my life that I have been surrounded by great friends. All of you from my childhood to high school, Utah State, The Mission, BYU and now DC have been with me through a lot of adventures and good times as well as difficult times and I really appreciate it.
  

The girls of Joyce and Uhle - (Back to front, left to right) Courtney Mecham, Jenny Corry, Leanna Kowallis, Sarah Stancliff, Erika Borgquist, Jeanette Lyman, Stephanie Sonksen, Jocelyn Sparks, Staci Wheeler, Alison Aikele, and Hollie Pollan.
Ogreid and the Dice at Halloween: Odie, Jenny, Grayden, Courtney and Reed

• Fall, it has become my favorite season. In DC fall lasts two or three months. The leaves change in phases and stay on the trees much longer than in Utah. The humidity decreases and there is so much to see and do. I love that from my desk, I can walk down the hall and overlook the white house and monuments and seeing them surrounded in color is really a treat. Perfect for Saturday hikes and bike rides and road trips to West Virginia, New England, and Boston.
  

• My Job. I still don't know exactly how I ended up where I am, and I know it's not where I want to be forever. But my job has taught me a lot, exposed me to new ideas and given me freedom and flexibility. I have to take flack, I think mostly in jest, for the fact that I am working for the unions. And the Jimmy Hoffa jokes do get a little old, but overall it's been a really good place for me. I'm grateful that my work will help pay for my school and that I work with people that are supportive of me, truly care about me, and appreciate my contributions even if they are small. I also just got finished working at a conference that was the brainchild of my departments director and we did most of the work on. Even though I am the peon in the office, I did have some input and contributed to this conference and it turned out great. We had over 200 union leaders from 83 countries, and got some good press coverage in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and the Chicago Sun. It was fun and rewarding to see a huge event like this come together. If you are interested here is the article from the post.
• My testimony. This is the last point I will expound on, but certainly not the least important. I read a lot of the articles on Romney's candidacy and I find it really interesting. Of course I, like most fellow Mormons, am somewhat sensitive to what is being said. My religion is what identifies me more than any other characteristic that I have. I identify with my religion even more than I identify with my nationality. And when taken out of context a lot of the criticisms that are made do make mormons sound a little crazy. But all I have to do is open the scriptures, pour my heart out in prayer, or visit the temple to again feel peace and comfort and know that indeed my Savior is Jesus Christ. When Brian gave his welcome home talk in Sacrament meeting he reviewed the "first discussion" and I cannot hear the account of the first vision without being touched by the spirit, which reminds me that he is a true prophet. I am grateful for my testimony and for the direction and purpose it gives my life.