The Life of Grace

Monday, January 21, 2008

the art of relaxation

I don't really miss school, only a little. I miss buying supplies. The notebooks and paper, and dividers, but most importantly, the pens. I could spend hours picking out pens and would like to have several different styles / thickness / colors for different moods or a different day's notes.

But that is beside the point. Usually while you're in school, there's homework to be done, and books to be read and things to think about when you're not in class. Trying to work and go to school is very time consuming. When I wasn't in school, I would be working and when I wasn't working, I'd be thinking about school and / or studying (or, more than likely, fitting in some play time, while thinking about trying to motivate myself to study). But now that I am done with school, it is strange for me to come home from work and not have to bring home anything about work or school. I come home and I'm done. It's so nice to have evenings off and now that I'm working 3 12 hour shifts I'll have days to ski and play and run errands it'll be great.

But, even though I don't have school work hovering in the back of my head, I still have lists of things that need to get done and things like skiing and DDR that I want to do. However, what if I don't want to do anything? What if I want to spend all day inside, reading or watching movies, or crocheting or whatever? At home, there is always things to do, and errands to be run that make it hard to just relax. But last weekend, I had a great time doing not much of anything up at my family's cabin in Oakley. My 16 year old brother, Thayne, and his friends were there, and they played outside, building sledding jumps, ski jumps and just wresteling in the snow for hours and still went back out later after dinner. I was amazed at thier level of energy, and remembered, that I used to be like that. Is it maturity or laziness that made me enjoy doing a lot of nothing? I'd like to think maturinty. On a somewhat cloudy, overcast day the thought of cuddling under a blanket (preferably with a cute boy) and reading was way more appealing. I finished a book, made a leather braclet, started a couple beanies, took a bath and a nap and I loved it. I did get out for a good cross country ski, which did feel good to get outside a little, but I did have a couple anxious thoughts of "I know there is something else that I should be doing" but for the most part, I was able to turn it off and enjoy the stuff that I don't make time for. I love being outside and skiing and getting stuff done, but there is definately a time and a place just to hang, and it was awesome to have the chance to just turn off that "you need to be doing something else" part of my brain and just have a good weekend. Thanks Martin Luther King Jr. for making this weekend possible!

Monday, January 14, 2008

It's about time....

Well, here it is: my first ever, official blog entry. I once thought that keeping my journal was enough, but I find myself getting caught up in writting more of a log of what happened, and though I try to change and am sometimes successful, I decided to follow the lead of some fellow bloggers, and here I am, to update anyone who is interested in some random thoughts and happenings in the life of Grace.

Being new to this whole thing, I will start by emulating TR and do a year review. 2007 was an interesting one:

January: Moved to Orem with Aunt Jeanne and Cathryn for my surgical tech internship at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center.

February: Went to Jeannie, a "Zone therapist" (among other doctors of varying homeopathic / western modalities) to try to figure out my "camo" . She put me on a crazy diet th

at I was pretty good at sticking to until I found out from a urologist that, in fact, my kidnies and liver were not failing and that it's called lievido reticularis, and is a weird vascular anomoly, that they don't know how you get it, where it comes from, or sadly, how to get rid of it. (no, that is not my arm, but mine is pretty similar)

March: Spring Break in the Swell with friends, then meet up with dad and brothers. Start my internship at LDS Hospital. Decide for real that I hate text fighting.

April: Counsin Katie's daughter, Faith is born (and no, it's not an April Fool's joke). Stayed at the Alta cabin with Kristine and Marian, Moved in with Sarah in the Avenues. Chaperoned the East High Outdoor Education and Survival Trip to Escalante. Had my golden birthday: 28 on the 28th.

May: Finished school! but missed graduation to start training on the river. Drove a J-rig down Cat for the first time. Jess got stuck in the Room of Doom. Third annual Desert Rocks concert.

June: Started TL-ing trips, had a great one with Pops and his family. Thayne was able to come on a trip and be a super swamper.

July: Grand trip with Wiley, Erin and RD. First women's trip ever in Cat. I postpone my Costa Rica trip in hopes of another Grand.

August: Took a break and had fun with the fam in Moab. Did a couple more trips. Got to row and paddle boat.

September: Another Grand trip, pockets are full for my trip to Costa Rica three days later. Flew into Nicargua, spent 8 days in my own casita, riding horses on the beach, hiking volcan Concepcion, then headed into Costa Rica to Monteverde, did a zip line, hiked in a cloud forest, and hung in hot springs at the base of volcan Arenal.

October: Did the Rio Pacuare, went out to the west coast, did a lot of hanging on the beach, met a bunch of really cool people, some locals. Ended in Panama, and got scuba certified. Started working at IMC as an official surgical tech three days after I got home. Moved into the aves with Joselyn, Jess.

November: Tara moves in, not much snow for Thanksgiving. Tony, Tyce and Joi and I climb in St. George for a couple days.

December: Got some good skiing in. Settled my mind about some thoughts that had been hovering. Had a good get together with my high school friends. Had a good Christmas, got DDR!! Spent it and New Years with great family and friends.

And so, it was a good year. Going to Costa Rica was definately a highlight and motivation to do it again. I feel like I learned a lot about myself and the world and some of the people and lifestyles in it. However, I did notice when looking back through my journals that I am still having some of the same issues and recurring thought circles. I say circles rather than processes or patterns, because it seems they just orbit around in my head but always end up back in the same place. And for those around me, you should watch out, because as Albert Einstein says: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results" so I don't know what that says about me? But, hopefully this up coming year, I will be able to uproot myself from my indecisivness and be able to have another great year, but maybe with a little more clarity and understanding of myself and motivation for pinning down a concept of the future Grace, and who I want her to be.

This may be the problem with this whole blogging business, I can get rambling and then it's just more time for me and you sitting in front of a computer .... time which could be spent outside, playing DDR or other such activities. But thanks for reading, hope you've enjoyed the first edition.