an alternate reality...

So Sarah and I were talking and decided upon this lovely little image:
Ashley, Amanda & Sarah. Utah/California. Neighbors. Adorable houses. Saturday morning porch sits with pink lemonade and gossip. Sounds just about perfect to me. Dear future, please work out like this precisely. In the mean time, Ashley...let's team up on her until this actually happens? OK, the end.

(ps. sorry for debuting this picture, I agree with you, it should probably have been lost years ago but secretly I still love it)

let's go against the grain

I'm grateful for those who aren't afraid to reach out to others who might be "different." I like to think that I do the same, I'm a really friendly person and I try my best to never pass judgments, especially before I have given someone a chance. I do what I can, but sometimes I feel like I could do more to reach out to others. I'm ridiculously busy and I sometimes (ok, most of the time) get caught up in my planner filled with class, track, work, internship, church, meetings and so on. Sometimes it is overwhelming, but I have nothing to complain about I love it all, and I'm doing it all voluntarily. I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but I guess thanks for those who have the bravery to reach out, for those absent of stereotypes and willing to give everyone a fair chance.

"Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that will never be again And what do we teach our children? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are?

We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move. You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything.

If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away."

- Henry David Thoreau

it snowed,

at practice today. the end.

ok not really the end, IT WAS AMAZING!!! Eric tried to argue that it wasn't official snow because it didn't stick...but i definitely caught a snowflake, so it snowed. Then hailed on us, rained and finally towards the end we got a couple seconds of weak sunshine. good day :)

winter wonderland

...AKA Tahoe after a wonderful storm.

Kim and I thought about leaving Thursday night, got all packed up and decided to leave in the morning. No worries, had a nice movie night and was up and on the road by 5:30 am. I love driving to the snow, the anticipation of the first glimpse of snow cover ground has me more excited than an 8 year old on their way to Disneyland. It took us a little longer than expected to get up to Eric's cabin in Truckee (possibly because we got lost/ stuck and were withing 2 miles of his place for like 45 minutes) but it was all well worth it. Plus Kim and I needed the time to catch up, it's been way too long.

Friday at about 9:30 am we arrived, unpacked the car and took off for breakfast. Got back, geared up for snowboarding and were on the slopes by noon. We went to Boreal, $15 student passes on friday...doesn't get much better than that. It was snowing and such a good day, and I was stoked because I didn't suck near as badly as anticipated, I picked it right back up again really quick and even got the courage to go off a couple little kickers.

(I only got to go boarding once last season, and it landed me my own special bed in the Truckee hospital with a dislocated shoulder)

Friday night we made a lovely stir-fry dinner and all passed out. Saturday morning we were off to Sugarbowl for another day of riding. I LOVE SUGARBOWL! Such a good day. We ended up just deciding to order in pizza, which got complicated, but we got it eventually.

Then Sunday, welcome to the life of Amanda. I strictly adhere to Murphy's Law..." that Anything can go wrong, will." All packed and ready to leave...but I had a flat tire, and was missing the key to get off my spare tire. So Kim and I decided to be rebels and just attempt to fix it ourselves enough to get back to Chico. Got it pumped up, bought a pressure gauge thing, put in some fix a flat goo and were on our way. It worked wonderfully. Back to Chico safe and sound, such a good weekend.

old school

wow. i really suck at keeping this updated. I'll go back and fill in the blanks later. I'm currently safely settled into Chico. I'm really happy to be back. I couldn't wait to leave last spring, Thailand was a lovely break.

I'm now back, happy and ready to face this semester. It's going to be a rough one. 19 units, internship, work, track and various church things. (the only way I get by is treating my planner like the master of all books) It's been fun so far. I got here, got moved in, started classes and practice, had recruits come stay with us, fun day with Des. She did a wonderful job playing Barbie with me getting me all dolled up for a little Valentine's Day event with the Study Abroad office and international students. That was a lot of fun.

Then I had a hurdler's dinner and today was our Cardinal & White track meet.

Theme: Old School

Track's going to take a lot of work and patience. I'm keeping up better than I thought, but still struggling to get back to where I left off last Spring...but what could I expect, I took a 6 month break. Patience seems to be being forced upon me a lot lately. It's something I definitely need to get better at. Maybe I just need to be patient with my patience...now isn't that a terrifying thought.

Chico, you were missed.

officially back in Chico. I had a wonderful few days at home of unpacking, gift giving, and then repacking. Desiree met me at my house and then we followed each other on our journey back to school. It was a fun little adventure, I managed to almost run out of gas again...I swear no matter how many time I come barely rolling into a gas station I never learn. We also stopped to get "lunch" at K-mart, that didn't work out. Passing the rice fields at sunset was absolutely beautiful.There was a perfect reflection of the sunset in the water. I wish I would have had more than my phone to take pictures with.

I got my storage unit all unloaded, sold my entertainment center and got unpacked. It was quite the task but I'm officially moved in, comfortable and sincerely happy. I'm glad to be back.

Things I missed about Chico:
- the amazing colors in the sky
- wearing boots and bundling up
- track
- the people
- and definitely Bidwell Park

Thailand, you and everyone will be missed more than I can possibly express. That was the chance of a lifetime, but I'm also excited for the new people I will meet and things I will do back here. Chico, prepare. It's going to be another good one.