Valentine's Day.
One of those days that you either love it, or ya hate it.
I personally love it, even though I have ironically been single on Valentine's Day more-so than not.
Sure, I could sit here and write about all of the conflicting opinions over the Hallmark-invented day. The "you-should-always-be-loving-to-your-significant-other" argument, or the "it's-another-day-to-remind-you-that-you're-alone," or whatever everyone and their mother feels about Valentine's Day, I'm here to say that I love it. (Pun intended.)
There's something about the hearts and chocolates and expensive flowers and cheesy romantic poems that gets me. I think it all stemmed from my very first real Valentine (that wasn't my parents, who to this day still send me a Valentine's Day card without fail.)
It was in 5th grade, and this "boyfriend" of mine - if you could even call it that...we literally never talked and just smiled and ran the other way when we saw each other - made me a chocolate rose out of red Hershey's kisses and a single green pipe cleaner. He hid it in my desk when the rest of the class was circling the room dropping our paper valentines into our decorated boxes that we made.
Even at a young age I was smart enough to know that this boy didn't make this himself, but that wasn't the point. It was a cute gesture even if I couldn't eat it, and from then on I've always loved Valentine's day.
The thought has definitely crossed my mind to make cute little valentines for my co-workers, but then I realized that I am already the young one, so that probably wouldn't help build my case for trying to not be seen as a recent college grad that loves free stuff and happy hours.
But this year might be in the works for the best Valentine's Day yet. And although it doesn't involve a handmade chocolate rose or paper valentines from Target, it's the best date I could ask for.
My best friend Merebear (basically her legal name) is coming into town on a spontaneous voyage to escape the tundra that is Minnesota. We've made no plans, aside from spending 3 days together galavanting around LA. I can't wait.
Like I said, I love Valentine's Day. Especially this year.
<3
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Monday, February 10, 2014
Coincidence...?
I'm a firm believer that coincidences aren't real. Those weird, "random" encounters and connections have to happen for some sort of reason. Right?
---
I spent this last weekend in Vegas, visiting my dad who has been stationed there on a work assignment for the past 2 months. As you can imagine, it was a rather low-key trip by Vegas standards, but it was a good time nonetheless.
On my last night, we decided to see a Cirque du Soleil show (Ká, which I highly recommend if you're into that sorta thing) and the weirdest thing happened when we left the theater.
We were walking out of the MGM hotel, and made a quick pit stop at the restroom. I was in the midst of catching up on a couple texts I received while in the show, and learned that one of my pledge sisters was engaged. My dad came out of the restroom and the second after I told him what I had just learned, I heard someone scream my name. I whipped around and saw one of my best friend's mom waving at me with a smile from ear to ear.
She told me that she was contemplating whether or not it was me that she saw (in her defense my hair is a few shades darker than the last time she saw me) and my mention of the girl who got engaged confirmed that it was in fact me.
Sure, it's not the craziest thing that could happen, but when you think about it, of all nights to be in Vegas at the same time as someone you know, of all casinos on the Strip, of all places within the casino, and of all moments for me to be there right when they were, is just crazy to me.
But the craziest part is that's literally like the 7th time that's happened to me.
I have the weirdest and most random encounters with people that I know from as far back as I can remember.
I remember in 4th grade, my family was at the Seattle airport, waiting to board our flight to Hawaii over Spring Break, when sure enough out of the bathroom that we happened to be huddled next to, walks Meredyth, my best friend. She was about to board a flight to go back to MN, and our paths crossed at that very corner of the international airport.
But that's not all.
When I studied abroad in Spain two years ago (tear) I had moments like this almost everywhere I went. I felt like everyone I met I knew either through someone or from something.
I was in the Museum of the Statue of David (whatever it was called...sorry Elaine..) in Florence, Italy (where I was simply traveling) and I crossed paths with a middle school teacher of mine that amazingly remembered me, almost 10 years later. Like WHAT. Florence, Italy?! So weird.
And then there was the time I met a group of guys from 30 minutes away from where I grew up in MN that played basketball with a bunch of my high school guy friends -also in Florence, Italy.
Crazy.
Which leads me to my next crazy thought - six degrees of separation. It's real.
I could go on and on with the weird and crazy connections I've made with people over the years. The more places I travel to and move to, the crazier the connections.
I wouldn't be sitting where I am right now if it weren't for those connections falling into place.
If I hadn't dated a guy in high school who's sister went to KU who was in the sorority that I was in where I met one of my pledge sisters who's cousin works at my company who is now my boss in LA. Insane.
It definitely makes any situation that makes you wary a little more comforting knowing that you're exactly where you're supposed to be, wherever that is.
So could all those situations and connections and seemingly random run-ins be a coincidence?
There's just no way.
---
I spent this last weekend in Vegas, visiting my dad who has been stationed there on a work assignment for the past 2 months. As you can imagine, it was a rather low-key trip by Vegas standards, but it was a good time nonetheless.
On my last night, we decided to see a Cirque du Soleil show (Ká, which I highly recommend if you're into that sorta thing) and the weirdest thing happened when we left the theater.
We were walking out of the MGM hotel, and made a quick pit stop at the restroom. I was in the midst of catching up on a couple texts I received while in the show, and learned that one of my pledge sisters was engaged. My dad came out of the restroom and the second after I told him what I had just learned, I heard someone scream my name. I whipped around and saw one of my best friend's mom waving at me with a smile from ear to ear.
She told me that she was contemplating whether or not it was me that she saw (in her defense my hair is a few shades darker than the last time she saw me) and my mention of the girl who got engaged confirmed that it was in fact me.
Sure, it's not the craziest thing that could happen, but when you think about it, of all nights to be in Vegas at the same time as someone you know, of all casinos on the Strip, of all places within the casino, and of all moments for me to be there right when they were, is just crazy to me.
But the craziest part is that's literally like the 7th time that's happened to me.
I have the weirdest and most random encounters with people that I know from as far back as I can remember.
I remember in 4th grade, my family was at the Seattle airport, waiting to board our flight to Hawaii over Spring Break, when sure enough out of the bathroom that we happened to be huddled next to, walks Meredyth, my best friend. She was about to board a flight to go back to MN, and our paths crossed at that very corner of the international airport.
But that's not all.
When I studied abroad in Spain two years ago (tear) I had moments like this almost everywhere I went. I felt like everyone I met I knew either through someone or from something.
I was in the Museum of the Statue of David (whatever it was called...sorry Elaine..) in Florence, Italy (where I was simply traveling) and I crossed paths with a middle school teacher of mine that amazingly remembered me, almost 10 years later. Like WHAT. Florence, Italy?! So weird.
And then there was the time I met a group of guys from 30 minutes away from where I grew up in MN that played basketball with a bunch of my high school guy friends -also in Florence, Italy.
Crazy.
Which leads me to my next crazy thought - six degrees of separation. It's real.
I could go on and on with the weird and crazy connections I've made with people over the years. The more places I travel to and move to, the crazier the connections.
I wouldn't be sitting where I am right now if it weren't for those connections falling into place.
If I hadn't dated a guy in high school who's sister went to KU who was in the sorority that I was in where I met one of my pledge sisters who's cousin works at my company who is now my boss in LA. Insane.
It definitely makes any situation that makes you wary a little more comforting knowing that you're exactly where you're supposed to be, wherever that is.
So could all those situations and connections and seemingly random run-ins be a coincidence?
There's just no way.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Quarter Life Crisis
I know what you're thinking.
How and why could a girl in her 20's who lives at the beach and has an awesome job possibly even have the term, "quarter-life crisis" in her vocabulary.
I'm not here to complain, and frankly I have nothing to complain about. But what I can say is that the notion of a quarter-life crisis is real.
Whether it's due to change, or due to college being over, or because I'm "growing up," I'm not sure. But lately I've been feeling weird and not like myself.
I try to pinpoint what exactly makes me feel so weird, and I can't seem to. I find myself blaming the fact that none of my best friends are out here with me, or that I am lonely or missing that awesome college life that wasn't even real life anyway.
We've all heard about mid-life crises, and how people do nutso things like buy a yacht, or get some crazy plastic surgery, or wake up one morning and decide to move to Australia. I specifically remember a few years ago my dad saying, "I'm going to do something crazy Amanda. You just wait" and when I found him looking at RV's, and talking about selling the house, I rolled my eyes and thought, it'll never happen.
And it didn't. But that's not the point.
Why do we have these random mid-life/quarter-life crises? Why and how could I possibly ever feel unhappy with the life that I'm living? I'm sure people would punch me if they ever heard me say that with everything that I have, and all the fortune I've received.
And I'm definitely thankful for it all, but I feel like I need something else. Something to get over this stupid "crisis".
I look back at the last 5 years of my life and it makes sense why I'm in a lull right now. I mean literally, for the past 5 years I've done so many crazy and adventurous things, it's no wonder I'm going stir crazy having been in the same place for 8 months now. Even if that place is LA where "winter" consists of a few raindrops and lowest temps in the 50s.
So maybe traveling is the yacht or the RV that will cure my quarter-life crisis. Maybe I just need a crazy vacation and adventure to make me feel lively again.
Or maybe I just really do miss my friends, and the spontaneity that came with them. The last-minute decisions to go out on a Tuesday night, even though we had class early the next day. Or the sudden urge to drive to McDonald's and get ice cream at 11pm.
I get so caught up in my routine now that I have full-time job, that I forget about how much fun it is to be spontaneous. Maybe that's part of the "crisis."
Either way, I feel like I need a vacation. And I feel like this "vacation" will really be me just going to visit my friends and feel the cold weather and do random stuff.
Sounds perfect.
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