Hot air balloons!

Last week on Twitter I saw details about a hot air balloon festival and I immediately texted Ryan and told him we were going. So Saturday evening we went to the park, sat on our blanket and watched as the first few balloons were set up. I was in the middle of researching on my phone how much hot air balloons cost when we were approached by an event coordinator who asked us if we would like to help one of the pilots. I gave her an enthusiastic YES and jumped up to follow her, pulling Ryan behind me. The lady introduced us to the pilot and her husband. We were given gloves and helped unload the equipment from the trailer. At this point I had no idea what was going on and kind of stood there taking it all in: the equipment and the other hot air balloons that were popping up all over the park.

After everything was unloaded we laid out the balloon and I couldn't believe how big it was! And it was all packed into this bag. I helped hold the balloon open while the fan started to blow it up.

When it was big enough we tip it right-side up and filled it with the hot air from the fire. It was about sunset at this point and all the balloons in the park were starting to glow. It was too dark to fly the balloons so Ryan and I helped hold the balloon down. There were a few times when it tried to take off. Each balloon pilot had a radio and we followed synchronized patterns to make the balloons glow. SO COOL! So we spent the night hanging and leaning on the balloon chatting with the pilot. I learned way more about balloons that I thought possible. Like the type of balloon our pilot had can carry close to 2000 pounds! Crazy! 

At the end of the night we helped tip the balloon on its side, squeeze all the air out of it and fold it back up into the tiny bag.

Definitely a fun experience! Here's to being in the right place at the right time.

Summer Vacays

It's been an incredible summer. I went to Canada twice and spent a weekend in Vegas all within 6 weeks. Now that I've been home for a few weeks, I feel like I'm finally starting to get caught up on life. It's so nice to sleep in my own bed again and to not be living out of a suitcase.

I'm loving my new office. We had the grand opening for our new facility the day I left for my second trip to Canada. It was a huge success and almost filled to capacity. We had the city mayor speak as well as some executives from the company. The ribbon cutting went off without a hitch and tours of the building followed. It was a crazy day and our new building is amazing. There really is no comparison.

Canada trip #1 was busy. We were staying at a friend's house during a wedding so I tried as much as possible to not be in the way. We were able to celebrate Canada Day there and do a little sigh-seeing at Fort Edmonton Park.

Canada trip #2 was a little more relaxing. I got to spend time with a lot of family that I hadn't seen for a few years. We went kayaking, toured Waterton, took a day trip to Calgary to see Wicked, visited Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump (fun fact: back in the day Indians used to hunt buffalo by herding them off the edge of a cliff!), watched movies, celebrated my birthday! I've lost count of how many birthdays I have spent in Canada over the years.

Although all my summer vacations are over, my life hasn't really slowed down. Just busy with different things. But that's life and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Ah, summer.

Summertime is literally my favorite.

There's just something about the sunshine and being outside that makes my heart happy. The days feel so much longer because it is light in the evenings.

I went hiking last weekend. After being sick for a week it felt great to eg outside and do something active.

The tiniest waterfall ever.

And my first summer vacation is this weekend. Hello, Vegas. So stoked to for that. Girls weekend with my mom and sister.

Work is just as busy as ever. I'm just wrapping up a huge video project. I've spent the last month or so filming and editing a series of mini videos to use at the grand opening of our new facility. That's but fun and stressful at the same time.

I've been helping this chica plan her wedding. It's going to be so much fun when she finally gets married and moves to Utah. Long distance friendships are hard.

I promise I'm still alive

I totally suck at blogging lately. But here I am. I'm still alive. It's a crazy phenomenon how you can get so wrapped up in the day-to-day things of life and before you know it, it's months before you get around to doing that thing you'd been meaning to do.

Life has been busy. My job has been incredible. I am so blessed to be able to do something I love and and grateful for all that I've learned already.

One of my closest friend got engaged and as her maid of honor, I have been trying my best to help her plan the wedding with her being in another country. Thank goodness for technology. We have been sending pictures and pins back and forth sharing wedding ideas and talking about what it will be like to live so close.

I was called to be a FHE group leader in my singles ward. I'm not going to lie; this one stresses me out at times.

I've begun to toy with the idea of going back to school. I miss it. My work will even pay for most of it so that's a huge bonus. I'm thinking maybe next spring I'll start a master's program? We'll see.

I don't think I can fully express how thrilled I am that spring has finally arrived! I've missed being outside and I've missed the sunshine. The sun and warm weather are my favorite and I've also found that overall I'm happier during the spring and summer. Life just gets a little bit better. I've also really been excited to get out and play tennis again. Is there anyone in the Salt Lake area who will volunteer to be my tennis buddy??

Well there it is. A quick snapshot of what my life is like right now.

Life is good.

The unpublished

Do you believe in coincidences? I like to believe that everything happens for a reason but sometimes that reason isn't something we know or understand. When hard times come, it's reassuring to have that comfort that there is a reason for everything. Maybe it will help you grow, learn something or even just make you see the world in a different way. Whatever the reason is, I think life is more than chance encounters or random coincidences.

This morning I logged into my blog and was scrolling through my list of posts and I noticed one that I had written last March. It was unpublished and untitled. I opened it and couldn't believe what I was reading. I don't remember writing it but it is exactly what I need right now in my life. It's the words I needed to hear. It gave me reassurance and comfort that things will work out. I wrote about a different way of looking at a challenge that I still struggle with today. Something I had forgotten. How was I so insightful almost a year ago to be able to write something that would help me later? There's no way it was just a coincidence.

I've moved!

I am so excited to be writing this from my new home! And from my new mattress which is on the floor surrounded by lots of boxes. The move went about as well as could be expected. Expect for the delivery people not bringing my bed frame with my mattress. And I'll be getting my dresser and nightstand tomorrow so I can finally start unpacking. This whole living out of boxes thing is getting old really fast. But I am so happy to be here!

Even though I was so excited to move, for some reason I just couldn't bring myself to pack up my stuff. I seriously procrastinated it and when I finally started packing the night before the move, I only had half a box packed. I didn't sleep much that night.

My roommates are pretty cool and they are way nice. Last night we all just sat around and talked and ate brownies from the pan. Maybe this is the start of some new friendships?

My bedroom is pretty big but I am a little worried about my dresser fitting. I got one of those long ones with the mirror on top and I'm worried there won't be enough space for it. I guess we will find out tomorrow. I am lucky enough to have the master bedroom and it is so nice to have my own bathroom again.

I went to my new ward on Sunday and they seemed nice enough. But my church is at 9 am! Not too thrilled about that. When sacrament meeting started there were only about 20 people there... YSA wards should not start that early. My opinion.

You know how when you move to a new place and there's all kinds of sounds and noises? Yeah, I'm still trying to figure those out.

Why do we go through difficult things?

I don't think it's any secret that the last month has been especially difficult for me. Ever since the breakup, life has been hard. I've debated for awhile if this was something I wanted to blog about but I just need to get it all out. But even now I struggle to find the words to describe how I am feeling.

For awhile right after it happened, it was surreal. I couldn't believe what had happened. I didn't see it coming and I thought we were fine. More than fine actually; I thought we were great. And then I was blindsided that night when he broke it off. And now, a little more than a month later, I am finally accepting what happened. I am forcing myself to try to find the purpose and reason for it all. I just don't believe that it happened for no reason. I am desperately trying to find the "why" and to start putting some pieces back together in order to move on.

I'm not sure if it's closure I'm searching for. I've talked with him a few times since then I think we are good with each other. It's not the why we had to end that I'm searching for. I don't think that's something I'll ever fully understand although he's tried to fill in the blanks as much as possible. It's the answers for why I have to go through this hurt and pain that I am yearning for.

I still care for him and miss him like crazy but I honestly think we could actually be one of the few who can make the "just friends" thing work. We were friends for a long time before we started dating so there's no reason why we couldn't be friends now. I don't hate him and I'm not mad at him. I just feel sad about everything.

I've always been one to search for the reason in every little thing. It's easier for me to cope with something if I can see the big picture. But I just can't figure this one out.

5 things to do more of in 2014

1. Read

I miss it. I joined a book club at work and am looking forward to reading some books I probably wouldn't choose for myself.

2. Bake 

I have so many recipes and yummy things pinned on Pinterest. I really should start doing something with those.

3. Learn 

There is so much I still want to learn. At the top of my list is getting a better grasp at website coding and design.

4. Exercise

Pretty self explanatory. I usually avoid this but I want to find some type of exercise I enjoy.

5. Live and love.

I'm determined to make 2014 the best year yet!

A brand new me

I am moving.

And I couldn't me more excited or nervous.

On Saturday, my mom and I set out for Salt Lake armed with a list of possible places and determined to fine my new home. House number one was a charming 3 bedroom home at the end of a cul-de-sac. It had a fun and open floor plan with one of those catwalks over the kitchen. The actual building itself was perfect but that's where the good ended. While we were waiting for the landlord to show up, I asked the girl who was moving out if she had enjoyed living there and she struggled to find something positive to say. Strike one. I asked her what the other roommates were like and she described them as "intense" and suggested it may be due to cultural difference. Strike two. The final strike was the location. It was in a sketchy neighborhood. Like the kind of neighborhood that we locked the car doors as we drove through. The kind of neighborhood that makes you feel uncomfortable and on edge as you anxiously scan the area for the mugger that you know is just around the corner. We immediately crossed that house off the list.

The second house had a perfect location and is less than 5 miles from where my office will be located after it moves in the summer. We rang the doorbell and I was immediately greeted by a girl with a huge smile and as she gave us a tour, I started to see the house as a place I could actually live and be happy. Everything about it was perfect. The bedroom was big with a giant walk-in closet, the girls living there seemed awesome and they had lots of positive things to say about the singles ward. I honestly could not find anything bad about the place. They even have a piano! Huge plus right there. But unfortunately, the room was on hold for someone else who was trying to get the money together for the deposit. The landlord was holding it until the 18th and would let me know if things fell through. Bummer. So we moved on to the next place on the list.

The third one on the list was another charming house located in a cute neighborhood in Daybreak. It had lots of positives but I just couldn't see myself living there. Something about it just felt off. I still can't figure out what it was but for some reason it wasn't what I was looking for. And besides, the bedroom was tiny. A queen been would barely fit with just enough room to walk around the edge of it. The girls who lived there were awesome but something still felt off.

The last place was a townhome owned by a lawyer-turned-chef who was renting out two rooms. This place was gorgeous. High-end everything. She kept her china displayed on the table that was always set. Everything was shiny and expensive. It felt more like something off a showroom floor than an actual home. I honestly think that if I lived there I would be afraid of A. breaking something or B. not keeping things clean enough. It was a great home but just not for me.

We returned home a little discouraged that the only one that really felt right wasn't an option. So I began to search the internet for some more options and to make a new list.

I got a text Sunday evening from the landlord of house number 2 saying things weren't going to work out with the other girl and the room was mine if I wanted it...! I immediately knew that this is where I was supposed to be. I signed the lease that night and will be moving on February 1.

The more I think about it, the more I truly believe that this was meant to happen. With everything going on in my life right now, the timing of all this is almost too perfect. This is my fresh start. I can move on with my life and meet new people and make new friends. I can be anyone I want to be. People won't know my past or anything about me except the things I choose to tell them. I really believe that this is the best thing for my life right now. There's really no other way to explain the feeling I have about it or the way everything worked out. I just know it's where I'm meant to be and that Sandy is the place where the next chapter of my life is supposed to play out.