One of THOSE days

You know those drivers that just completely drive you up the wall? [Hopefully not literally. Though, sometimes, yes literally.] They cut you off, stubbornly ignore you when you attempt to get over, ride your tail like there are hell hounds on their heels [that was a nice alliteration:)], absurdly misuse or completely disregard their blinker, and the list could go on and on. People seem to discover new ways to spike the inner road rager in me every day! It would be impressive if it wasn't so infuriating..... I digress. I was driving home from work on Foothill, rocking out to some Coldplay, when I decided I needed to switch lanes [so I wasn't stuck behind someone who could potentially bring out the worst in me]. Somehow in the switch I sort of zoned out my surroundings and found myself running an extremely red light, along with the car right next to me. I was feeling a little panicky, scanning my rear view mirror for any signs of flashing lights following me. I rationalized that at least the person next to me ran it, as well! We were equally idiots! Then I glanced over and noticed that the person in that car was talking on their cell phone. They were driving and being distracted by an actual device. I was being distracted by my brain?? Unfortunately, this isn't uncommon. I frequently space what I'm doing while I'm driving, and rarely from using a cell phone or having someone else in the car distracting me. In fact, I think I focus better with those things going on. I am that driver you hate. The driver that I hate. I'm sorry. I can't promise that it will ever change. I can probably promise that it won't not ever change? [I also kind of a little bit enjoy being able to yell and vent so uninhibitedly. It's quite liberating for someone as passive as I.]

Also, this happens to me daily......

[I really like this side by side with Arrested Development. A great movie and a great show]

At work today, I was talking to one of the nurses and I can't quite recall what we were even talking about [I get a little overly excited about being involved in a conversation with a new person], but she kept describing situations to me and my overzealous self kept trying to guess [out loud] what the end of her sentences would be [like I really understood the conversation and wanted to show her that I totally got it by finishing her sandwiches....I mean, sentences.....]. I guessed wrong every. Single. Time. You'd think I 'd give up on the guessing game after 2 or 3 wrong guesses, but no! Apparently, I like proving to myself that just when I think I can't get anymore awkward.... I do. My co-worker kept shooting me increasingly weirded-out looks with each failed attempt at conversation. Sigh. Maybe next week I'll take another shot at normal conversation.....

            ........or perhaps I'll stick to making friends through my mad dance skillzzz. Yeah, I think that's the better choice.

Lastly [for today], I got a big zit on one of my cheeks. One of those huge, deep, cystic types. Of course, I made it worse than it needed to be and pretty soon it took up about half of my cheek. I endeavored to cover it up with layer upon layer of makeup, but that just ended up making it worse, of course. As I was driving to work, I was trying to come up with what I would say should someone [tactlessly] ask me what had happened to my face. My first thought was a flat iron burn, but I quickly ruled that out because I work on a burn unit and they would know it was a lie. I couldn't think up anything else, so I just hoped that no one would be foolish enough to ask me about it. Most of the shift flew by with no one mentioning it, so I started to think I was in the clear and could just pack up, go home, and by the time I came back, it would be gone!

Alas, it was not to be. One of my coworkers stopped at my desk to talk to me and promptly said, in a horror struck voice, "What happened to your face?!" [It was a guy, of course. Girls know better than to ask about such things.] I panicked [because that's what I do] and said it was a curling iron burn [because when I curl my hair, sometimes the curling iron falls out of my hands and rests on my face and burns an almost perfect circle, while I don't do anything to stop it....yeah, that makes sense.]

Him: "Wow, that looks pretty bad...."

Me: "I put make-up on it, so it looks worse than it actually is."

Him: "You really shouldn't put make-up on that, it needs some Bacitracin."

Me: "Oh, really? Yeah, maybe I'll put some on it later..." [I awkwardly trail off and look for something at my desk to make me look busy *picks up phone* "Hello??" ....Him: "I didn't hear it ring..."]

Needless to say, we avoid conversing with each other now. But at least he doesn't know it wasn't a burn [because that's all that matters, right? ;)]

Introductions

"It isn't what we say or think that defines us, but what we do."                   -Jane Austen Sense and Sensibility 

I've debated for an extremely long time over whether or not to start a blog [and by debate, I mean, it has occasionally crossed my mind ever since blogs first made their big entrance into the world] and whether I have thoughts clever or creative enough to present to the Internet community [or rather, the few that would stumble across my blog, and then quickly try to stumble their way back out of it]. There was a time, last August, when I seriously considered creating this to document my adventures of living in the Caribbean. Then I got to the Caribbean and promptly decided I enjoyed being a lazy islander far too much to spend somewhat productive time writing a blog. Though, in hindsight, my life was far more interesting in St. Thomas than it is in Salt Lake, so it would've been a lovely beginning. But it is what it is and for what it is worth, here are the many ramblings and daydreams and goings-on of my sporadic mind.

I'm big-time over thinking this. All truth be told, I'm a faster typer than writer, and I hold my pen goofy when I write, so my hand cramps really easily; thus, all too often, my journal has been neglected. Now, I find myself working 16-hour shifts at a computer with loads of downtime. What better way to pass hours in an ICU than to write about my awkwardly beautiful life? [Or should it be 'beautifully awkward'? Both are fitting.] But where does one start when they start a blog? With what shall I begin my tales? I guess I'll begin with a little bit about me. In bullet points, for your convenience.

• I love to read. There are few things more beautiful to me than a brand-new book, with it's fresh-off-the-press smell, and the anticipation of turning those crisp pages to discover the adventure within. Similarly, there is also nothing quite so beloved as a favorite old book with its broken and bent spine, and the crinkled pages from reading it in the bathtub one too many times. Books absorb me. Some of my favorite days have been spent deeply immersed in a book, and I have never regretted the amount of time I've spent reading. The quote, "She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain." (Louisa May Alcott) could almost perfectly describe me. I get into books to the point of feeling as though I am the character. My real life slips away when I read and I am able to become a new person.

  “It is not true that 'we have only one life to live'; if we can read, we can live as many more lives and as many kinds of lives as we wish.”

  
  

  

  
  If a character in the book I am currently reading is beyond blissfully happy, then I feel as giddy as Christmas morning. When the hero declares his love for the heroine, you can find me blushing and sighing right along with her. If a character makes a fool out of themselves, I'm probably squirming and feeling super uncomfortable for them. I'm a little ashamed to admit this, but when I read New Moon [I liked it before it got big!!] and Edward breaks up with Bella, there's the part where she just goes into a depression and a couple of blank pages go by in the book, saying only the months that are passing by, and you can just feel the sadness eeeping out of those pages. I seriously had to put the book down at that point and call a couple of friends just to chat and joke around with so that I could get out of the book-induced depression. The love of my life might as well have broken up with me for how heavy I felt! OK. Enough about books. I think you get my point.

• I am awkward as all get-out. And you may not believe me at first. New friends usually dispute this claim of mine vehemently. [That's an intense word. But I know some pretty intense people.] It's only once you get to really know me that you're able to catch on to [and subsequently enjoy] just how awkward I can be. It's good awkward, though. I think people need to have awkward moments in their lives so that they can truly learn to see the humor in things. It gives them personality. I just happen to have slightly more awkward moments than the average person. I'd go on, but the examples will be far too lengthy and I'm sure the stories will come out over time. There's at least a couple a day. Until then, here are some memes that perfectly describe my life.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   And photos of some of my awkward moments..
  

Some of my awkward friends. [Note the spaces between everyone]

Awkward attempt at surfing.

My siblings and I pretending that we're affectionate people that always kiss on the cheek [awkwardly]

 [Have I convinced you yet?]

• I love to be outside! I will do just about any outdoor activity there is and I'm always willing to try a new one.

  

  Corona Arch, Moab, Utah

 Rappelling, rock climbing, canyoneering, camping, hiking, backpacking, skiing, sledding, water-skiing, tubing, wakeboarding, wakesurfing, actual surfing, biking, running..... I'm always up for any possibility of adventure. During the summer, I spend as much time as I can afford going on weekend camping trips, or road trips, or day hikes. Adventuring is the best.

• I recently caught the travel bug. For years, I've been dying to go to Europe and start seeing the world, but I haven't been able to make it happen. When I graduated college last May, I felt the need to just get away. From Utah. From an unhealthy relationship. From being an adult. From my job. I tried to get a trip to Europe going, but that fell through. Then I seriously contemplated just picking up my life and moving to England, possibly finding a nursing school there. That [clearly] fell through. I was super restless and frustrated with how my life was going. Then I stumbled across an internship program in the U.S. Virgin Islands and everything just fell into place. I knew I was supposed to go there. I spent August of 2013 to December 2013 living on the island of St. Thomas. I was able to island hop a lot and went [officially] out of the country for the first time.

  

  Old Town, San Juan, Puerto Rico

  
  

  

  Christopher Columbus' Fortress, Puerto Rico

  
  

  

  Maho Bay, St. John

  
  

  

  Secret Harbour, St. Thomas

It seriously has been one of the best experiences of my life. The second I got back to Utah in December I started planning my next adventure. In a little over a month I will be [finally] going to Europe! I'm not sure what to expect, but I'm fairly certain that I will experience sights such as these...

Or, at least that's the plan. But life never does go according to plan.

That's definitely a long enough post. I guess this will be my good books/travel/awkward life stories blog. Welcome :)