Apparently, I'm a pig

A wonderful thing happened this weekend, it significantly affected my quality of living (and arguably my safety). My car came to Chicago! Courtesy of my lovely friend Jessica and her wonderful mother. I then showed them the sights of course...which turned out to be quite the adventure. Especially our expedition to Chinatown.
We took a water taxi (after I had tried to chase down a tour boat who called out to me over the loud speaker, "We are not the water taxi. Do not worry, the water taxi is yellow." awesome.) along the Chicago River and got off at the Chinatown stop...it took a little exploring...but we finally came across shops and we stopped to eat. It definitely felt like we were in a foreign country....the smells....the language...the sanitation standards all felt very authentic! I'm afraid of what I may have picked up there....a little parasite to go along with your meal, on the house.
We stopped into a "Sweet House" that was full of dried fish, squid, shark, sea cucumber...you know, all those things that you love to snack on. They were missing my favorite though-dried eel. Terribly disappointing. Jessica pulled out her phone and was going to take a picture, and unknowingly almost caused an international incident. As she has her phone out we hear in a strong accent, "No take picture! Do you not see sign all over store! Erase it!" They got in her face a little and it was pretty uncomfortable....fortunately she hadn't had the chance to take a picture...but it made me pretty nervous...I'm guessing something wasn't up to regulation in there. We also went inside a video store, saw some really great choices that I was tempted to take home. Only they didn't have subtitles...and I don't speak Chinese. We saw a copy of Twilight available in Chinese which warmed my heart. Walked past a salon where you can have all kinds of work done-INCLUDING getting a mole removed, wow. The grocery store had all kinds of treasures, again a variety of dried and live marine life to chose from. It was something else.
We went out to the courtyard and read what are animals were (according to what year we were born) and apparently, I'm a pig. This is what it means to be a pig, http://www.gotohoroscope.com/chinese-zodiac-pig.html. I'm pretty much honest, straightforward, loyal and trustworthy.
We didn't watch the time very closely...and had to make a run for the water taxi. Didn't want to get stuck in China....I mean Chinatown. We caught it...don't even worry about it.

That's Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIiUqfxFttM
"That's life. That's what all the people say, you're riding high in April, shot down in May." I love this song by Frank Sinatra. Michael Buble happens to sing this song too.....and I love his voice...a lot. (So much in fact that I WOULD marry it.) This song has been stuck in my head, got me singing like na na na na everyday...like my Ipod stuck on replay(replay).
It happened yesterday. I finished my first internship in Chicago. This changes a lot of plans that I had made for myself, obviously...which kinda bites, not gonna lie.
It started out so perfect (aside from being required to get up at 4 am every morning sometimes 3...and walking to work by myself....in Chicago....that early in the am...) But I liked it, they liked me and I told myself, though it wasn't quite what I really wanted to do, that it was pretty close. I was starting to think that I might stay with them....but then the stress load for everyone there grew exponentially-quality of life dropped significantly...and the dream was shattered. So, I'm not staying with them...which means I am now starting over...again. Since the objective is working for an agency, that pretty much means I will have to be an intern....again.
But, "I've been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn and a king. I've been up and down and over and out, and I know one thing. Each time I find myself fall flat on my face, I just pick myself back up and I get right back in the race."
and so the journey continues.....will I give up on Chicago? give up on PR? It's up to me, choose my own adventure.
Here's a little foreshadowing for ya, "That's life. I tell you, I can't deny it. I thought of quitting baby, but my heart just ain't gonna buy it."

Dead Ends

I would really hate it when I would turn the page for the next part of my adventure and it would read "the path you have chosen has come to a dead end. You have now finished your journey." Neat. Well now what am I supposed to do? I got all excited about exploring the canyon...and it didn't go anywhere...and there's no way out.
This would be the part where I would turn back the pages and find me another adventure. Again, harsh reality, can't turn back the pages.....good news, my book hasn't reached it's end, just that particular journey. I have a hard time not looking back over the pages that got me to the dead end.....but, another tendancy of mine comes in handy. I immediately look for the next adventure.
Tomorrow, I come to a dead end. It is the day I finish my internship. When I decided to take this internship, I was so sure it was the first step of my career path. (I don't mean to imply that I think my career is at a dead end...absolutely not!.....it's a flawed analogy....but goes with the theme of the blog) Unfortunately, it is not leading down the path I had imagined for myself. As a result, I now find myself in search of another. It is disappointing and frustrating, as all dead ends are for those in the midst of a journey. A very similar thought shared with the previous post, but these moments show us what we're made of. What will you do when you hit a dead end. Will you let it hold you back.....OR will you find a new path? Choose your own adventure!

The Difference Between Those That Are Good and Those That Are Great

Ah regret. "It seemed like a good idea at the time"... a common phrase uttered from my lips these days. Like I said, I always wanted to go back and read what would happen if I took another path. I find myself wondering that a bit these days. What if...... What if I didn't take this internship? What if I hadn't chosen to get a lease? What if I had just driven my car out here with my stuff in the first place? What if I made the wrong choice in coming to Chicago? What if I took to big a risk this time? What if....lots of what ifs....unfortunately life isn't like a choose your own adventure book in this way. I will never know.
I think the end of the books say it perfectly, "You have committed to a life journey under the sea, now look into becoming an underwater architect." You have committed to your journey, now make the best of it. Don't get me wrong-I am happy to be in Chicago....but I think I am continually learning this lesson. What if is only productive when referring to the future.
It reminds me of something I heard from the BYU women's head coach, Coach Manning. I was running conditioning drills at the BYU tennis camps when Coach Manning stopped by and had everyone make a line. He asked the five fastest runners to step up to the line. He then told them to run to the cone and back as fast as they could. Well, each runner did something different at the line, whether it was taking a step backward, stalling, or stutter stepping. He then told everyone to watch their feet while they did it again. Same thing happened. He then had me (fortunately this turned out alright) step up to the line with everyone watching my feet. He yelled go and I made a clean start (luckily). He then said something remarkably profound to everyone, "The difference between those that are good and those that are great is in their footwork. When you hesitate, or take extra steps, that's time and energy you don't have." He just meant tennis....but it meant so much more to me! So that's what it comes down to with regret-just a waste.

Living the Dream

I grew up in a pretty small town, Selah, Washington and lived there right up until I finally left for college. I migrated to Utah to become a BYU cougar-which was awesome-definitely counts as an adventure. I lived in Provo though...which is way bigger than Selah....but still not BIG. I'm not sure when the dream was born inside of me...but I always wanted to break out on my own and try my luck out East in a big city after college. Well, it took a little patience and a lot of persistence, but I did it! I now live in Chicago, Illinois!
It's been a pretty lowly start for me out here....but I love it that much more because of it! I finally got an internship with my #1 firm choice and made the move with two suitcases full of clothes......and my laptop. I only had about a week to get out here. For the first six weeks I scored a sublease in a condo downtown with a view of Lake Michigan. It was pretty much amazing. I loved it!
Six weeks later though, I found a little studio apt that I now call home. I moved in with my two suitcases and a borrowed air mattress. It was pretty meager beginnings for me....I bought some bedding and towels.....but that's about it. After all....I am only an intern, not exactly raking in the big bucks yet. I do not yet own any dishes....though I do have glasses and cutlery. I just make sure to buy food that won't require dishes. It's a great weight loss program! I totally recommend it!
The other obstacle for my small town girl self, is that I have quite the talent for getting lost. It's like a super power in reverse to be honest. Everyday is like a choose your own adventure book in that sense. I walk onto a train or a bus and hope for the best....sometimes it works out......sometimes...I end up on the wrong bus in south Chicago (which is bad, just in case you were wondering) OR show up 40 minutes late to work on my FIRST DAY!!!!! I know right? Who does that? Me. That's who.
I think my first three months in Chicago would pretty much count as a collective "bless my heart" time. It's been a touch ridiculous and definitely bumpy....but I love it! As masochistic as that sounds-it's like a rite of passage and it feels awesome to be earning my place here in this city!

Choose Your Own Adventure

I don't know if any of you ever read those Choose Your Own Adventure books when you were little....but I sure did. Each page held a new adventure for you and, inevitably, each page would present you with two choices and instruct you to "choose your own adventure".
Well, I've always felt like life is like one of these books. In fact, I have often said of my own life, "everyday is an adventure". Meaning, it never gets boring. Here's the crux though....I don't know about you......but I was always the kid who would choose one adventure and then go back in the book and see how things would have turned out if I had trekked the snow covered mountain instead of swimming past the whirlpool of death. I kind of think this is a pattern for my life. I confess, at times I have a hard time choosing my adventure....or, more accurately, trying to choose them all.
I invite you to join me in this ongoing adventure, or you can turn back now. It's up to you-choose your own adventure. But I'll warn you now, buckle up-it's gonna be a bumpy ride!