one of those days

For those of you who are uninformed of what's going on in Israel, today I saw some videos that depicted the Israeli and Palestinian conflict pretty well. Despite the major division that exists amongst them, Israel is truly a beautiful place. I dream about going back all the time and already decided that I am going back one day with my hubby.

How grateful I am for my personal freedoms. How grateful I am for the fact that I can go outside and feel safe. Or stay inside my home and have that same feeling of safety. How grateful I am that despite the major differences between the Jewish/Muslim cultures vereses my own, I can see so many similarities. How grateful I am to have been able to learn and gain a personal understanding about both sides of the conflict. How grateful I am to have been able to experience and live in a place completely foreign to anything I have ever witnessed before in my life. My eyes have been forever opened. The Jerusalem study abroad program changed my life.

After watching the 4 clips on the Israeli confilict on Youtube (check them out..they all are amazing) I can safely say that today is one of those I-am-missing-Jerusalem-days!! JC4ANKH

let loose

So I guess you could say that I have changed over the past couple years but that's a good thing right? Right. I mean who would want to be the same person they were 3 years ago? Not me. That's why we are here. To grow and to become better. So not to say that I was a completely terrible person before my mission but I did have my crazy ways. Crazy G-rated Mormon ways I should say. I did things that I don't particularly care to do now....at least not all the time. I used to go out dancing 1-2 (or Freshmen year 2-3) times a week and things got a little crazy on the dance floor.

Since I have been back from my mission I can say that I have only let myself go wild twice!
1. At the Halloween dance=church dance. I told myself I would never go to one of those things after I hit age 15. And yet I am considering this "church dance" as one of the 2 craziest moments I have had post mish? Somebody help me.

The intense glare in my glasses just shows how hot and sweaty I was this night 

2. A couple weeks ago at Ashley's karaoke birthday party. Things started off on the ground and made there way onto the table and my hands were completely to themselves and somehow led to other places.

You can tell how much crazy dancing/singing was involved based off my 

roommate's expression and the blurriness of the photo. 

And can I admit that the 2 times I let loose completely I had fun? Is that legal? It made me think about what I used to be like and what I used to like doing. And while I might not show it a ton (like i said it's only been twice!) it's still in me. I appreciate those who can bring out that side of me. It's not that I have to be rapping every word to Snoop Dog's "Drop it Like It's Hot," standing up on top of a table belting some Destiny's Child song or getting down low on the dance floor all the time, but every once in awhile is ok by me. It's fun and that's how life should be. Maybe 6 months down the road this crazy side will come out since that seems to be the ongoing pattern? All it takes are the right people, with the right music, at the right place which will get me in the right mood.

tuesdays tune

what happened

At work we are doing a 3-day special on show that celebrates the 80's in a couple weeks. To get everyone excited they passed out Pop Rocks yesterday. Can I just say..magic in my mouth! I forgot how good those things were. I think the last time I had that was when I was elementary school? 

There has also been this long chain of emails of people posting pictures of themselves from the 80s. Luckily I was born in 1988... just barely making the cut. I don't own a single photo from my childhood out here in DC so that's where my mom stepped in. I told her to send me a photo that screamed 80s and although I'm sure this photo was taken in the 90s (I was born in 88' and I look at least 3 or 4 in the photo? You can do the math...) the leggings, oversize Body Glove shirt and my side ponytail definitely scream 80's!  The Senior VP responded to only 2 emails and one of them was mine saying "Winner!!! Love the white boots!" The only person I can thank for this? My ever-so-stylish mom.

So apparently my sister said I always told my mom to do a side ponytail.
I had to have it done like this! Now I am asking myself..why?

Lucky me, my mom sent me a couple other goodies.  I loved hiding in places. I look back at my childhood photos and I always sat in places I shouldn't be from drawers to our refrigerator. And can we just take a look at the photo of me with a propellor hat! Simply amazing. 

After I looked at these photos I concluded one thing..I was so cute when I was younger. What happened??