I'm feeling 22 (plus 2)

Today is my birthday eve. Tomorrow I will turn 25, and it’s a big deal. I will be 25 on the 25^th. For someone who loves their birthday as much as I do a golden birthday is like Christmas meets Thanksgiving meets payday meets Disney fireworks. I have been talking about this birthday for years and I am so excited for it to get here! But today, on my birthday eve, I want to pay tribute to how awesome 24 has been.

Truthfully, 24 will join the ranks of 21 and ages 12-14 (the hall of fame for difficult years, if you will). Luckily, just because a certain year may be difficult does not mean that it isn't filled to the brim with joy.

With that, I give you the most joyous moments of 24 (starting with my mission):

1. The Toms River Branch throwing me a birthday party complete with tinker bell balloons!

 2. Lilia and Oscar got married

3. Oscar got baptized. Oscar, the man who used to walk out of rooms the second he heard "las misioneras..." Oscar, who told me that he was "a man of faith, not a man of religion." Oscar, who told me he was too sick to leave his house and would never be able to attend church. Oscar, who had one of the most incredible change of hearts I have ever seen. Oscar, who isn't perfect, but who is doing what is right. Oscar, my dear, dear friend whom I love. That man. He got baptized. It was awesome. 

4. Crying happy tears in a parked car while talking to other missionaries about experiences that changed our lives and how we wish the same joy for everyone. Realizing that I loved my mission and that I did a good job during my time in New Jersey. Feeling God’s love and feeling so close to heaven I could burst. 

5. Bearing my testimony every single day. 

6. Leading music in front of a Hispanic congregation

7. Raking leaves for a stranger who we later found out had lost everyone and everything else in her life and desperately needed help with her house chores.

8. Attending the temple with President and Sister Jeppson. Hearing them tell me I did a good job. Hearing their advice for life after the mission.

9. Being reunited with my family after 18 months!

10. Swimming with manatees and then having dolphins chase our boat. Also canoeing and SCUBA diving and snorkeling and paddle boarding and boating. It was a good year for reacquainting myself with water. 

11. A trip to New York with my mom and sister to see all the Christmas decorations. BONUS: running into some of the greatest missionaries on their way back from the temple AND seeing President and Sister Jeppson at the Christmas fireside—hugs from President Jeppson really are the best!

12.  Spending New Years Eve in Canada with one of my most favorite people in the world!

13. Sailing for the first time.

14. Visiting New Jersey and reuniting with people who I love so dearly.

15. Finding out that I’m going to be an aunt!!

16. Settling in, sight seeing, working, living and eating in/near DC. So many firsts I have lost track.

18. Going back to Brazil. Seeing a world cup game where Brazil played well. Visiting with family. Eating all of my favorite foods. Laughing with my family. It was a dream trip!

19. Making my first quilt and having it turn out fantastically.

20. Learning the art of the slackline.

21. Attending the sealing/wedding for one of my dearest friends, Taiba! Feeling so close to heaven that day!

22. Seeing Les Mis live.

23. Remembering that I have talents outside of my church activities and using them again!

24.  Being a temple worker.

This year has been a doozy, and it ended just when I felt like I was getting a hang of things.  

Every birthday I find myself reading the poem Eleven by Sandra Cisneros. “What they don't understand about birthdays and what they never tell you is that when you're eleven, you're also ten, and nine, and eight, and seven, and six, and five, and four, and three, and two, and one… Because the way you grow old is kind of like an onion or like the rings inside a tree trunk or like my little wooden dolls that fit one inside the other, each year inside the next one. That's how being eleven years old is. You don't feel eleven. Not right away. It takes a few days, weeks even, sometimes even months before you say Eleven when they ask you. And you don't feel smart eleven, not until you're almost twelve. That's the way it is.”

So tomorrow I’ll turn 25, but I’ll still be 24 (smart 24 at that). I will also still be a missionary, a college student, and a timid fifth grader who just wants to hide her four eyes behind a copy of Anne of Green Gables. All the little bits of me working their hardest to make the next year my best yet. So bring it on 25, you’re sure to be nothing short of golden!

Tales of an Overdramatic Senior

I have a really bad case of senioritis.

Seriously, I don't know how anyone is putting up with me right now. I would like to thank my roommates, friends, and family for their patience.

Sometimes when I have been on campus too long hunger and fatigue completely take over my body. I start to fall asleep on random benches or I say outlandish things that students and teachers tease me about later. It's funny I guess.

Sometimes I think I have cancer, other times I burn my esophagus and have to get x-rays and take steroids for 2 weeks.

Sometimes I get in a car with my roommate and try to drive home from the airport, or to FHE. This normally ends up with us swerving off the road into a ditch, and having a fence stop our momentum (later to be saved by two Mexicans who spoke absolutely no English. They pushed Gus all the way back onto the road). Another time this ended up with us on some crazy back roads with trenches and mud and no cell phone reception. I'm just glad we made it out.

Sometimes I decide that I can take 18 credits, and plan a campus-wide simulation, and attempt to have a social life. Which led to my teacher issuing instructions for a class assignment that included: "it can't be Jari writing it down because I'm pretty sure she is going to explode if she gets asked to do one more thing so someone else be the scribe. We don't want exploded Jari bits getting all over stuff."

Sometimes I scream. Mostly only in my apartment or when I'm in a car with my roommates, but there is definitely a lot of screaming.

Sometimes my excitement is too much for my body and I end up laughing hysterically for close to 13 minutes.

Sometimes I stay up late. Sometimes I sleep all day.

Mostly I just survive.

But you want to know what's okay about having senioritis? The senior part. I'm so close to being done. I just have to do a couple more papers, just a couple more tests, just a couple more projects and I'm out of here!

Is it bad?

A lot of really amazing things happened over the past month or so. So many, in fact, that I'm not going to blog about them each because that would just be overwhelming. Let's just say that I decided Wyoming is amazing, I drove a 4wheeler for the first time, I started running again, I have awesome roommates and friends, I am a wimp when it comes to haunted houses, I dressed as I pirate, I taught myself how to knit, I am kicking microecomonics' butt, I carved a Despicable Me themed pumpkin and discovered an amazing recipe for roasted seeds, I'm preparing for the GRE next week, and I'm in the process of getting scuba certified. Phew.

Now that that is out of the way, let's talk about how lists are one of my favorite things in the world. They are how my brain chooses to function. Recently I've been asking a lot of rhetorical "is it bad.." questions. They make me laugh and so I'm documenting them here. Feel free to laugh with me or at me, I don't really care.

Is it bad that I eat nutella by the spoonful?

Is it bad that I sat home on a Friday night an watched a National Geographic special on Blood Diamonds by myself?

Is it bad that I choose comfort over cuteness every single day?

Is it bad that sometimes I hope that life as I know it will completely fall apart so that I can justify making creative, daring, don't know where this will take me choices?

Is it bad that I really like high side ponytails?

Is it bad that my taste is apparently too good for American chocolate, so I buy expensive stuff form elsewhere?

Is it bad that I find articles about the developing world so much more interesting than ones about Wall Street or the upcoming elections?

Is it bad that I often eat out alone?

Is it bad that when the temperature drops below 40 it suddenly becomes really difficult for me not to cuss?

Is it bad/immature that my favorite book of all time is Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie?

Is it bad that anytime I read Peter Pan, or Harry Potter, or Lord of the Rings or anything of the like that my brain is stuck in a fantastical state for a solid month?

Is it bad that I'm addicted to Pinterest quote boards and read blogs that belong to complete strangers?

Is it bad that occasionally I look at the facebook profiles of people I knew in high school and feel a lot better about myself?

Is it bad that I shower people in compliments and hand out the word love like it's candy for people that I don't even know that well?

Is it bad that I want a Volkswagen van more than any other material thing in existence?

Is it bad that I never want cable, and that I kind of don't even want a TV?

Is it bad that I can sit in front of a fire and be entertained for hours?

Is it bad that I actually like the taste of mate?

Is it bad that I can drink 3 Tim Tam Slams in one sitting?

Is it bad that I think about food more often than I think about my future?

Is it bad that I hold myself and those I love to really high standards?

Is it bad to post all of these things on a public blog?
Probably.
Too late.

On the road again

I'm the nomadic type, it's a truth that I'm happy to accept.

After Brenna's wedding I had the chance to spend a couple days with my dear friend Alexie Lawson, who I love with all my heart. It had been way too long since we had seen each other! So we caught up in the best way possible. We went to Disney World, saw all the glamourous sights of Belleview, Florida, laid in hammocks, ate yummy food, thrift store shopped, laughed, and lounged. It was so very nice.

Then I had to take her back to the airport, and within 12 hours was on the road again. I went on my first ever solo roadtrip. Truthfully, it wasn't that exciting. I wore out all my music, all of Pandora's music, a couple podcasts, talked my mom's ear off, and got a lot of thinking done. If I were driving to see sights maybe it would have been more enjoyable, but as for now I feel that solo roadtrips are a terrible life choice.

Before reaching Utah I got to visit Manassa, Colorado. The little town that my mom grew up in and where I still have quite a few family members and lots of good memories. I spent a couple days relaxing there and catching up with all the family I hadn't seen. I even had a chance to visit Nana's cabin. It's absolutely beautiful up there. No cellphone reception or city lights to distract or confuse you. Just nature, peace, beauty, and quiet. I love how small and yet so important I feel every time I'm up there.

Anyway, I picked up a couple of my cousins in Colorado for the last stretch to Utah. And now I'm in Provo. I guess I live here. It's the first time my bags have been unpacked in months, which is fantastic. Though, I'm wildly aware that this is just a temporary living situation.

It's just strange being a nomad. I visit and stay in some of the most amazing places on earth. I meet interesting people who all have differing views on life. I see family, and I make new friends who feel like family. It's a good life, but one day I hope to have somewhere a little more permanent. Somewhere to house all my memories and adventures. Somewhere to make memories and to feel secure. Because, let's face it, as fun as adventure is "there's no place like home."

In other news, today is my last day as a 21 year old. Which my brain is having a hard time accepting. 21 and I have had our disagreements but overall it's been good to me. I'll be sad to see it go. Especially since 22 still needs to get its' act together; we have internships, graduation, world travels, and grown-up decisions to conquer.

In honor of my 21st year, I give you 21 highlights:

1. Birthday tea party with mandatory fake accents

2. Pack saddle with those beautiful yellow aspens

3. Family Cruise for Thanksgiving

4. Brenna surprising me at the new year's bonfire

5. Making money and learning how awesome my dad and mom are

6. Everything working out for me to live with Christine

7. Late night talks with Nick and Roelien

8. Advice from Christine

9. Piano playing and extravagant dinners at Christine's

10. Phantom of the Opera birthday party

11. Baking cookies at the Alexander's

12. Riding a motorcycle for the first time

13. In South Africa making pancakes when it rained

14. Solo trip to Cape Town

15. Kruger National Park

16. EFY 2011, all of it

17. The internships, those blessed, wonderful internships!

18. Brenna's wedding

19. Eating chocolate and talking with my family on my parent's bed

20. Family trip to Panama City Beach

21. Realizing that I've completed all but one of my "do before I turn 23" goals

So 22, bring it on. You've got a lot to live up to.

alright, alright, alright, hey!

After South Africa I began the long trek home. 22 hours of travel is longer than any human should ever be forced to endure. I got home with enough time to unpack, do laundry, sleep, repack, and sleep a little bit more. Then I was off to Virginia for three weeks of efy. Eventually I was offered one last session in Amherst, Massachusetts making it one full month of efy madness.

EFY is an acronym that stands for Especially for Youth, and it is a week long summer program for youth ages 14-18 that focuses on uplifting participants based of the doctrines of the gospel as taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Basically we take a group of kids each week starting on Monday and sing, dance, teach, testify, and play all week long. Then we return them to their parents on Saturday with new friends, new perspective, and strengthened testimonies. It's a miracle program. I attended in 2004 and 2005 as a youth and started the counselor gig last summer. I liked it so much that I went back for more.

This year the theme was "Believe. Hope. Endure." It is difficult to regurgitate all the wonderful messages that were shared over the weeks, so forgive me for not trying. I will simply say that I am so grateful for opportunities to serve and forget myself. I know that as I make it a priority to assist others and fill their needs the Lord takes care of me.

Highlights of efy month:

• Happy Birfday Amurica Orientation Dance!
• Jared, the boy who was just old enough to make the age cut. He taught me not to take life too seriously
• Having my girls bolt across the field, screaming my name just to come give me a hi-five
• My kids referring to themselves as Jar-ites
• Jowling every Wednesday night
• Seeking the good
• Secret service for fellow counselors
• Someone re-rewriting the words from "Jar of Hearts" to "Jari of One Heart"
• Offering a challenge and not thinking it would be a huge deal, then finding out it changed things for someone: Pray to know the Book of Mormon is true, I promise you'll get an answer
• Sharing dreams
• Celebrating random holidays every day
• Stop and stare flash mobs at dances
• Remembering how awkward it is to be a teenager
• Finding out that a girl has a balloon phobia...as balloons are falling from the sky
• Adele karaoke, followed by Taylor Swift karaoke
• Having the company name "Pass the Immortality"
• Having prayers answered by the service of others. A specific thank you to Jenna Aldridge, Michelle Walker, Kristen Ford, and Esther Harsh. You women amaze and inspire me.
• My kids telling me that I would be the coolest mom ever...still haven't decided how I feel about that comment
• Making up a new ridiculous dance move, and having people incorporate it. By next summer the Bernie will be out and the Jari will be in!
• Counselor slide shows
• Finding a roommate and new friends for Utah
• Being reunited with people from Southeast
• Finding a sauce packet from Taco Bell that said "roadtrip" while on a roadtrip
• At testimony meeting when kids say things like "Normally when I feel the spirit I get a warm fuzzy feeling, but right now it's like a giant teddy bear giving me CPR."

I loved every single person that I worked with and every participant I worked for. I am so grateful for your examples, for your patience, for your friendship, and for your spirit. If any of your are reading I want you to know that I have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I know it is true. I know the Book of Mormon testifies of Christ and as you read it your relationship with your Savior will grow and you will feel loved. I know that Heavenly Father knows us perfectly. I know that he understands our full potential and offers guidance and direction as we strive to reach it. I know that as we work to keep commandments and hold true to our standards that we receive blessings, even if we cannot see them at the time. It is my prayer that you will each remember that you are a Child of God with divine potential and purpose. Have faith and believe in Christ. Exercise hope through the atonement of Christ, with an expectation that as you do what is right and repent when needed that you will receive every promised blessing. And as trials and afflictions come remember to endure them with humility and patience.

efy, you're just great! Thank you for a splendid summer.

An Update

I haven't sunshined in a while tons has gone on, life is crazy, I still write like a see spot run book.

-Gus-gus the Nissan is undergoing surgery. He's getting a new engine. This is happy.

-I participated in the Model Arab League, I did really bad. I did, however; learn a lot about Saudi Arabia and parliamentary procedure AND went to Montana for the first time ever. Cool.

-I've been homeless. For over a week now. It's getting old. I slept on a park bench, and am currently mooching off the kindness of my friends and their willingness to give me beds to sleep on and good food to eat. I hate mooching. I hate not having a home. This is not fun.

-I leave for Mexico in a matter of 4 days...I also do not know where my passport is. It's ok though. All will be well.

-I have been visiting abandoned houses. They make me happy.

-I like to swim, I have friends who like to swim, we went swimming.

-Hamburgers, they just rock house.

I've been doing lots more, but my brain is mush and I have class in 10 minutes, so this is all for now.

I enter the blogging world

I'm taking a family history class this semester, and we were required to choose from a list of pertinent semester projects. Some of the options included compiling journals from relatives, doing geneaology and temple work _x_ amount of generations back, compiling my own history, or start a blog. Since I have family history guru's on both sides, most of the stuff mentioned has already been done, and I would feel like a dead beat for taking an A based on the work they did. So here I sit, starring down a computer screen, ready to type in my life happenings into this little box for my future generations, and the rest of the internet world, to read. Huzzah.

2010 is still pretty fresh, and I am still amazed by the fact that I have a very vivid memory of the happenings over the past decade, and so with out further ado I present a decade of highlights:

2000:

• 5th grade science class: the albino rats, the pig project, the cow tounge
• The strike on the hill, we were way to cool to be forced to run around at recess
• Fort Basketball games
• 5th Grade graduation, first class to graduate from the new school
• Starting middle school, more importantly, learning to play the flute

2001:

• The traumatic "my friend stabbed me in the back" experience
• Jari/Corrie/Emily sleepovers
• My las year with Eisenhower soccer, combining with the rival soccer team to become "Vipers United"
• Moving from 22nd flute to 6th flute right before the concert, which means I got to sit on the front row for the concert.
• The train song
• The perm
• The music festival
• The fires, and yard remodeling

2002

• Middle school volleyball
• The diagnosis, the tears, the visits, the funeral, and trying not to laugh through the grandkids song because I really don't handle sad situations well at all.
• Cleaning through the home of a pack rat
• Moving to Florida. Rain. Lizards. Black people.

2003

• Atlanta trip
• Flute solo competition for Mrs. Rose
• Moving again, Ocala
• The shoe game

2004

• Riding in cars with Amanda McKinney
• After school adventures with Becky
• Annalee went to Brazil
• Zoom
• Mutual activities
• First EFY, the purple bow tie club
• Braces

2005

• More High School, I think I purposely forgot a lot of that
• Scored my first goal of my 8 year soccer career (I'm a defender)
• I was in the same EFY group as Blake, strange
• Brazil
• Brazilian family, noise, Frances beach, fried cheese, pineapple drinks, churassco
• My first concert, Saia Rodada
• My first kiss
• New Years Eve in white on the beach
• Lunches at Tia Vaniha's

2006

• Moved back to the US
• Worked for Brazen (Teen Abstinence Program)
• Went on my first date
• Was introduced to and fell in love with Gus Gus the Nissan. We've been going 3 years strong.
• I was made seminary president...I made a cute sign for the classroom. It's still hanging there.
• I went to my first Russ New Year's Eve fire

2007

• I had my first boyfriend
• Psychology class with Mr. Gwynn...better known as Gwynnbo, or Gwynn Green
• I started to hang out with the FPP, which means I was introduced to Moe monday, the limepits, Sister Russ' cinnamon rolls, late night/early morning Denny's runs, Mamba Jamba, snorkeling, and I skipped my senior prom to go to Wet'n'Wild...and got kicked out
• I swam with dolphins
• I graduated from high school, and haven't looked back since
• My family and I went on a vacation to Aspen Grove...I realized how brown I really am
• I went to the Beach Trip with the Russ'
• I turned 18, and saw Cirque du Soleil for the first time
• We made a crazy gingerbread village for Christmas

2008

• I drove 2356 miles away from home to go to BYU-Idaho
• I planned an international food and dance festival
• I later planned a luau and officially decided that polynesians are my favorite people on this earth
• I auditioned to be a character for Disney World, I didn't get the gig, but the audition process was awesome
• I worked as a Professor of Imagination at Walt Disney World, EPCOT
• I watched a lot of fireworks
• I watched seasons 1-4 of LOST in one month
• I voted for the first time, in a Presidential election
• I saved a baby sea turtle on my 19th birthday

2009

• I drove from Florida to Idaho without my mother...and made it
• I managed the school's humanitarian service project, and later coordinated that same project along with the blood drive
• I explored through some ice caves
• I went through a really rough experience and realized again how grateful I am for the gospel in my life
• I decided to be a Political Science major
• I went to Disneyland...a lot
• I went to Vegas a lot
• I went on the most amazing road/camping/hiking trip of my life with one of my most favorite sister
• I went to New York for the first time
• I stopped being a teenager, and had a funeral for my teenage years
• I served as a council member for a program called Student Spirit Events, and it changed my life

Just simple memories that probably don't mean anything to anyone but me. I just think it's crazy that I've come from being a 5th grader who sat on top of a hill, with her classmates, protesting against being forced to exercise during recess (oh the beginnings of puberty, and stinky sweat) to a 20 year girl who lives in Idaho, is considered a "student leader," and enjoys discussions that revolve around foreign affairs. I guess now's the part where I make goals for the next year and do my very best to a) remember them and b) complete them...here goes nothing

1. Read the Book of Mormon in Spanish
2. Find and internship
3. Record my adventures
4. (and for the sake of family history class) Find a member of my family whose temple work hasn't been done, and do it!

Here goes nothing