Love, Actually

No, not the movie--although that is one of my favorites. Probably my very favorite, actually.

But  no, this is just about love, actually. I'm only eighteen, and I'm not exactly an expert on the subject, but I've seen enough to draw some conclusions about the matter.

So here are the three most important concepts I've observed about the love I've seen around me.

1. It's not really that complicated.

Everyone tries to complicate it, and I understand that there can be complex situations, but love itself should be simple and easy. I really believe that's how it's supposed to be, and I've seen it that way. 

2. Nobody is too young to know what love is.

There are different types of love, and young love is one of them. Children can know what love is by watching their parents, or someone else's if you're like me. And teenagers can be sooooo....stupid. But they can also be in love. Albeit a young, dumb, naive love--totally different from the love shared by, say, an elderly couple--it's a love just the same. 

3. It's weird.

It may be simple and easy at its finest, but sometimes it just doesn't make sense. It makes you feel weird things and do weird things and, most of all, say the weirdest things. Like, "I love you." It's weird. But that's one of it's greatest qualities, right?

So I've come up with an eclectic definition of the word after all I've seen and experienced of it. It's everywhere.

I see it in the way kids run to their parents when they get home. I look for it in the way parents watch their children when you hold and play with them. I hear it in Taylor Swift and Elton John songs. I listen for it when best friends laugh together. I smell it in gingerbread in the winter, flowers in the spring, cotton candy in the summer, and pumpkin in the fall. I taste it in hot chocolate on a cold day. I feel it in a blanket put on me when I've fallen asleep on the couch. 

Because love is in so much more than we give it credit for. It's in the little acts of kindness. Doing things for others when no one asks you to, for no reason other than love. Cooking for someone when you hate cooking (and really have no business doing it because you're that terrible at it). 

Love, I've been told and I'm learning, is putting someone else's needs and wants before your own. It's about putting up with someone's stubbornness, moodiness, craziness, etc. because, well, you love them anyway. It's still being amazed by someone every time you see them, even if that's every day. It's telling someone they are beautiful when they feel they are at their worst--and meaning it. It's doing the most embarrassing things just to see your favorite smile on their face. It's caring deeply about someone, even yourself--especially yourself, actually. 

Don't forget to love yourself, too, because I mean, hello! Youda best! So have a cookie on me--and have yourself a merry little Christmas filled with blessings, service, joy, and a little love while you're at it.

Always,
Anna

Farewell to the Rockford Cafe

The day I never thought would actually has come. In a few days, I will be off to Idaho for college. In fact, by the time you read this, I will have attended at least my first college class. It’s honestly the strangest thing. Yesterday was another day I never thought would come: after three years, and four summers, my last day working at the Rockford Café.

            Three years ago, the summer of 2010, a few weeks before my sophomore year in high school, I had been eating dinner at the café with my good friend, Bret. Bret’s sister, Lexi, had been waitressing while she was home for summer, but had to go back to college soon. She jokingly suggested Mary should hire me, and what do you know, a few days later I walked in for my first day of washing dishes. The rest is history! I fell in love with every single one of my “café ladies” and their husbands. They’re not just “people I work with.” They’re my aunts, my uncles, my best friends. They’re my family.

            Walking in that August day as a fifteen-year-old, I didn’t expect any of this. It was my first job, and I thought that was all it would be. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The ladies who cook and serve you breakfast, lunch, and dinner—I mean breakfast, dinner, and supper…right?—are some of the sweetest, most caring, giving, genuine, loving, selfless people I know and will ever know. They taught me how to work hard, bite my tongue, be kind to everyone, serve others, and loosen up—not to mention how to brew coffee, peel potatoes, and “give the floor a good scrubbing.” Since day one, they have looked out for me in and out of the restaurant. They sewed my prom dresses and coats and put on my graduation open house. They had long talks with me about boys, traveling, and my dreams for the future. They put up with me for 6-10 hour shifts. But, let’s be honest. Most importantly and impressively, they learned how to decipher my handwriting.

            So I guess you could say my last day was a little difficult. My sweet regulars remembered it was my last day and wished me luck and safe travels, but besides that, it was like any other workday. Except for when I looked at the phone, and I remembered the first night I got a prank call from Kenny Ames for a sixty-something-piece chicken basket to be left by the back door two hours after closing time…and the time Leonard Kaul called for a “Schwaberry Milkshake” from the booth across the room. Every time I looked at the sweets table, I remembered the first time I came in for a caramel roll and chocolate milk when I was ten years old. And every time I picked up the dishes tub, I remembered the time I dropped it, full of dishes. What? Ok, moving on…

As I logged in my time card for the last time, I said goodbye to the greatest pair of sisters I know: Lucy and Mary. Mary shook her head, and with a wink, told me, “You’ll be back.” I walked out the back door and looked over my shoulder for the last time. I was surprised and at the same time unsurprised to realize I was crying. I’m going to miss that sweet, small-town, home-cooking café, where I waited on my first table, ate my first BLT, and became part of the Rockford Café family. Thank you to everybody who made me feel like a member of their family at the café, whether I got the honor of working with you or simply taking your order. By the way, Mary, I expect this column to be framed on the wall the next time I’m home! Also, I could have written about my experience at the Taylor Swift concert this week, so you REALLY know I love you all. See you next year.

Always, Anna

Choices with Attitude, Life, and Shameless Daytime Napping

            This morning, we all woke up with a choice. I decided, as I do every day, from the minute I woke up—or within the first five minutes, after I was thinking clearly and processing actual thoughts—that today was going to be a good day. Possibly even great. Nothing has been out of the ordinary or unexpectedly magnificent, but it definitely hasn’t been a bad day. This doesn’t mean a few unfortunate events haven’t happened, but I had decided from the start that this would and could not be a bad day, no matter what happened. We all have that choice every single day; it’s honestly all up to us.

Here’s the secret to having a good day every single day: attitude. As you have probably heard before, attitude really is everything. Our attitudes dictate our choices and how we react to the consequences of them. We decide how our days—and even lives—go with the choices we make and the attitudes we have.

            I know this might sound like nonsense, but I promise if you consciously tell yourself every morning that your day will be a good day, it will be. Even if “bad” things happen to you, you’ll have a great attitude and be able to handle them. Attitude can help you realize it’s still a good day for so many more reasons than it could possibly a bad day. All too often, I see people who have something, admittedly less than desirable, happen to them, and choose to let it ruin their whole day. How sad is that?! Choose to fix it, or laugh, or if you can’t do either of those, let it go! Don’t let it spoil a whole 24 hours! Smile constantly—not in the creepy way, but in the positive, happy, friendly way. It will catch on to those around you and you’ll all enjoy an overall happier environment as a result. I promise, this really works—I’m telling you from experience.

            Recently, I had a long talk with one of my uncles about life—yeah, one of those three hour, philosophical conversations in which you cover just about everything the world has to discuss. During this talk, we reached the conclusion that while attitude is everything, life is also all about CHOICES. Each and every one of us is where we are today because of choices we, or, in some cases, others made. It may be difficult to see directly, but think back. Warning: this may require you to take some responsibility.

For example: this afternoon, I was five minutes late for work. (I know I promised I wasn’t going to be late for anything any longer, I’m sorry! I hope you’re not super disappointed in me!) I had an excuse, kind of, but even with that, I was in this situation because of choices I made. I made the choice to go to bed really late last night because I had made the choice to procrastinate packing for college. Then I made the choice to get up really early this morning to go for a sunrise jog. After that, I made the choice to take a nap, for which I made the choice not to set an alarm, turning it from a twenty-minute-nap to a two-and-a-half-hour nap. Because of all these choices, I was late! I actually, ultimately, made the choice to be late. I’m not proud of it, but I’m taking responsibility for being irresponsible. Oh, dear, is this making any sense?

            The bottom line is, we’ve got to stop making excuses and accepting defeat. Each day is a gift, not a burden, and how great of a gift is up to us. Our happiness is dependent not on what happens to us, but how we choose to look at life and react to obstacles. If you’re unhappy with your life right now, make the choice to have a new attitude and appreciation for life. Figure out what choices you need to make to get where you want to be, and then make them! You are the only person with any sort of control over your attitude, the choices you make, and therefore, your happiness.

            Always, Anna

             

Time, Goals, and Alter-egos

            A few weeks ago, I wrote about my week at the LEAP leadership conference and all I’d learned. I mentioned a few new skills I was excited to apply in my life, and hinted that I had some goals to reach. Most of those goals are long-term, so I don’t have anything too impressive to report yet. On the other hand, I’ll have you know I’ve been holding myself accountable for my habits and time management and I’ve been successful thus far!

            I really am awful when it comes to managing my time, and spending it wisely. The tasks that can wait I take care of right away, and the urgent ones always seem to somehow get swept under the rug…how does that happen?! I’ve always had a hard time with prioritizing. But, ladies and gents, I’m showing some serious potential and improvement already. And you can too with these simple steps!—Only joking, this isn’t an infomercial, but I do want a brag a little bit, and if you so feel inclined, maybe you’ll be inspired, if you will, as I was. Plus, school just started around here so it’s totally appropriate and completely relevant.

            That week at LEAP, some of the coaches spoke to us about time management and showed us how they manage their time. They all had schedules, to-do lists, and planners, from iPhone apps to good ol’ pens and paper. So, as they suggested, I “copied genius” as I started making lists and using my own planner this week. And I just may have gone a little overboard.

            I made a list of my short term goals, which turned into a to-do list of sorts. On another sheet of paper, I wrote two more lists: “Things That Will Help Me Achieve My Goals” and “Things That Will NOT Help Me Achieve My Goals.” The first had everything I should be doing to be on the right track. The latter had things I’m normally prone to doing, but, because they will in no way help me reach my goals or get my tasks done, I must no longer do.

            While I’ve always found planners to be extremely helpful and essential during the school year, I’ve never used one during the summer. Until, you know, today. I got out my new weekly planner and wrote down my work schedules and anything else I had going on. Most importantly, I transferred my to-do list and short-term goals as appointments I made for myself. Today, I finally did my laundry—three loads of it—because I had it written in at 12 o’clock, in between other tasks and errands I had penciled in. Some of you may laugh at the fact I had to schedule doing my laundry, but let me just ask: who’s got clean socks? And who’s laughing now? That’s right. This girl.

            I also find it helpful—and now quite automatic, habitual, and even subconscious—to write myself little comments of encouragement in my planners. I can remember doing this in third grade, when I got my first planner. I didn’t know what to write in the few lines given for “notes”, so I would mindlessly scribble phrases like “You rock!” and “You got this!” I guess it just stuck because I’ve done it on almost every page of every planner I’ve had since.

These encouragements have, over the years, developed a personality of their own—one might venture to say they’ve created an alter ego of mine? I don’t know why, but these comments have evolved into inside jokes between me and…me. You know when you find something funny, so you share it with someone else and you’re cracking yourself up while the other person stares at you blankly, not amused in the slightest? This sort of thing happens to me all too often, sadly. As a result, I have a mental collection of phrases that, for reasons unbeknownst even to me, I—and I alone—find hilarious. So I find these random catchphrases inscribed within the margins of my planners, and oddly enough, they actually do motivate me to write that paper, or study for that test, or even do my laundry! I would include some examples, but as I explained, nobody would find them amusing but me. So between the lines of my personal planner they shall stay. But trust me, they’re good. They’re real good.

Always, Anna

"We Are Family"

            We all know how much I love Christmas, and the only thing I might, sometimes, maybe love a little bit more than Christmas is family. I love my family more than I can even write, but I will give it a go this week.

            The best thing about families is that they do not have to be perfect—and none are. Every family has their quirks and craziness, because every family has different people! Just like no two people are the same, neither are the families they make up. To me, that is a very beautiful thing.

            As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I've been spending time with my family this month and it has been nothing short of absolutely, perfectly lovely and wonderful. Because they are all so amazing, this may sound like I am bragging, but I’d like to introduce you to the family I've been spending time with.

 
 First stop: California. If you've been lucky enough to meet my older sister, Lindsay, then there’s a very good chance you love her—I've yet to meet a single person who doesn't, and I truly believe it is simply impossible. My brother-in-law is famous for his laugh and sense of humor, and my only niece is famous for her beautiful, big, baby blue eyes. My youngest nephew is only about four months old, but when he smiles at you, the world pauses for the duration.

I've got my grandma, who may sound a lot like your own grandma as she bakes batches upon batches of brownies for her grandchildren whenever we visit, and never forgets a birthday. My grandpa (aka “Will Smith”) is the sweetest, most generous man I know—and if you stand in one place for more than a minute or so, he’ll come up beside you just to scratch your back. I’ve got my uncles who love hunting, building, history, and nature. Each one of my aunts is Super Woman and absolutely beautiful in every way, from the inside out. My cousins are my best friends and role models, always there to remind me who I am, who I’ve always been, and who I’ll always be. This week, I’ve been in Colorado. I got to see my oldest sister, who is my opposite in two ways: She can out-bake anyone from here to France, and is always thoughtful and considerate of everyone around her. My other brother-in-law, though he would never agree to this because he has an incredible amount of humility, is the hardest worker and

most intelligent man I’ve ever met in my life. My oldest nephew is sweeter than honey and can build just about anything out of some scotch tape and paper, while my other nephew can talk his way out of anything with his innocent laughter and impressive vocabulary.

I’m writing tonight from my aunt and uncle’s home. My uncle and I can talk for hours on end, with his wild stories and our shared in-depth insight on life and people in general. My aunt has the best style and fashion sense and shares my love for tea, candles, and angels. My other uncle, who had us over for dinner at this evening, is the most effortlessly cool, hilariously sarcastic person I know. His wife, my other aunt is the perfect balance between girly and outdoorsy, as she has literally drawers full of Bath and Body Works lotions, perfumes, etc., yet tomorrow she is hiking up a 14-mile mountain.

     It is after perfect days and weeks of family time I realize how happy it makes me. I never feel as loved as on evenings like this, spent with family who love you more than you feel you deserve, no matter what. I don’t think that warmth and bond can be found or shared anywhere else. If you have any riffs in your family, I encourage you to let go and mend anything you can. If you don’t know your family members well, take the time to get to know them—if they are anything like mine, they’ll have some pretty interesting stories if nothing else…

            Always, Anna

"What Ships Are Built For"

            Growing up, my family and I moved around a lot. I got a taste of the west coast, the east coast, and the Midwest—something I’m very grateful for now, but at the time just meant long, boring road trips and plane rides. I would hear adults say they loved traveling and I never understood that. I thought of traveling only as the transportation—the flights and airport layovers, the gas station meals and fifteen-hour drives—which I, by then, had grown to loathe.

            As a newly official adult (technically), traveling is one of my most favorite things to do! I don’t exactly get amped for a long drive or flight, but the exploration of new places I cannot get enough of. For me, there is nothing like getting lost in a country, state, or even city I’ve never been in before. It doesn’t necessarily need to be somewhere foreign—just somewhere foreign to me. It’s fascinating to observe the way other people live, whether it’s their food, activities, education systems, businesses, or entire ways of life.

            A change in scenery itself is always refreshing. No matter how many lakes you’ve been to, there is nothing quite like the waves of the open ocean. The sun doesn’t quite rise anywhere else like it does over the Great Plains. And, of course, no autumn leaves fall quite as beautifully as the east coast’s. Paintings and even photographs simply can’t do justice; you’ve just got to see those sights for yourself, in person. Mountains, oceans, badlands, deserts, valleys, jungles—all must be experienced for a true appreciation and knowledge of the earth.

            I encourage everybody to travel as much as they possibly can. You will learn and gain so much appreciation and understanding for people who live wherever you do not. There are so many places to go, people to see, as they say, and while it’s easy to say we simply can’t afford to travel, I believe we simply can’t afford not to travel. Take a walk to the other side of town, if that’s all you can do or where you feel comfortable to start with. It doesn’t matter the distance traveled, but how your view of the world can be changed no matter where it is you go.

“A ship in port is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.”—Grace Murray Hopper

            Always, Anna

LEAP

Life is good, guys. No—life is more than good, in fact, it’s more than great. It’s fantastic. Wonderful. Amazing. Phenomenal. Life is just one big phenomenal phenomenon. And I love it. I just absolutely positively love love LOVE life!

Recently I’ve been very blessed. I’ve spent the past week and a half in California, and have the rest of the week here as well, spending time with some of my dearest family members, which I have a feeling you’ll be hearing about next week.. Last week, I attended a leadership program called LEAP, which stands for “Leadership. Excellence. Accelerating Potential.” If you haven’t heard of it, I highly and even adamantly recommend it. Between all the organizations I was involved in all throughout junior high and high school, I’ve had a taste and definitely more than my fair share of leadership conferences. This week, though, was different.

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but the thing is, I’d never really been challenged. Nothing about those conferences really SPOKE to me, or made me reevaluate my life with some serious changes in mind. Those conferences never challenged or suggested I change my lifestyle, until now. LEAP did just that. Last week, I learned how to be successful, disciplined, and professional.

Sure, I had goals before—more like ideas in my mind of some things I wanted to do or achieve in both the short and long runs. But now, I have even more goals, greater ones, written down that I review every morning to keep in mind so I both consciously and subconsciously work toward them every single day. I don’t just have loose, dream-like goals anymore; I have tasks, a to-do list that I will complete.

Sure, I knew a little bit about networking. I mean, I was on the social networks. I understood that everyone in the world is connected. I never really realized, however, that with connections, you can get almost any job or meet anyone you want—if only you want it bad enough. Now, I know that I need to do a better job with keeping in touch with people, and how much it can mean on both ends, for many reasons.

And sure, I knew about time manag—oh, wait. No, no I didn’t know a thing about time management. Anybody who knows me, especially my bosses and teachers, knows how truly little I knew about the importance of time, much less how to manage it. Yikes. But the great news is, now I know what I need to do in order to schedule effectively, spend my time wisely, and make sure that I myself, in all aspects, am timely. And on time. And, you know, not fifteen minutes late for just about everything…

Most of all, though, I learned about success. I heard from so many successful people in so many different industries and professions, yet their messages were all the same: Focus, determine your own attitude, be full of gratitude, surround yourself with people you want to be like, make and reach goals, have confidence in yourself, and while you never want to compare yourself to others, make sure you are working harder than them if you are chasing after something you want more than they do. Last but not least, I learned the significance of self-talk as I repeated every morning, first to myself in the mirror and then again with five hundred others: “I am a ten. I walk like a ten. I talk like a ten. I do what I ought to do, when I ought to do it, whether I want to or not, with no debate. Because I am. A TEN!!”

Always, Anna

"We Won't be Seventeen Forever"

I want to start this week off with a dash of mourning for my childhood, which, as of July 26, has officially ended. I’m eighteen now—a legal adult—and that totally freaks me out. It’s like graduation all over again!

            The night before my birthday, I essentially had an anxiety attack. I started crying because I only had a few hours left of my childhood for the Rest. Of. My. Life. I’ll never get to “just be a kid” again, or be considered anything but an adult. There’s no turning back. No rewind or even a pause button. I felt like I was in a movie, when a character is about to die and they see snippets of their life flash before their eyes. All the things I wish I could go back and do differently, every regret I had, every childish mistake I made, would not leave my brain!

            I was finally able to fall asleep and woke up to have a wonderful eighteenth birthday. I got to have fun but still relax, and it was just an all-around lovely day. I can’t complain, there was not a single bad or negative thing about it! I realized over and over again how lucky and blessed I truly am. I just honestly have the most amazing people in my life! True friendship is so hard to find these days, so I’m extremely spoiled when it comes to my friends. I’ve had a lot of friends, and I’ve had true friends, and let me just tell you, quality beats quantity any day. So at this point in my life, I’m happy. I’m constantly trying to keep up with life, and I may not always be perfectly content, but I am very grateful and very happy.

            Basically, I’ve come to realize I shouldn’t be so sad about ending a chapter of my life because this isn’t the end of my book; I’m more excited about getting some ink on the first page of the next chapter! I think that’s how life should be approached. Life is constantly progressing. If we are too busy glancing behind our backs at what we leave behind as we grow older, how are we going to guide ourselves for the future? We can only move forward and it can only go up, as long as I’m in charge of my life! Bring it on, adulthood.

            Always, Anna

Royal Baby

The most exciting event since the Royal Wedding has finally happened—that’s right: the Royal Baby has been born! I’m so happy that Kate and the baby boy are both healthy. I’m also honored to share a birthday month—actually week—and red ruby birthstone with the newborn babe. I have to admit, though, that I’m a little disappointed we don’t get to share a birthday and horoscope—I think a royal Leo would have been much, much more appropriate than a royal Cancer, just saying. Oh, well. I’ll accept month/week/birthstone, I guess.

Now everybody is waiting in suspense to hear the name of this child! Prince William was a week old before his name was discovered and released by the press. Will has four first names, by the way: William Arthur Philip Louis. I decided a while ago—before I knew this, I swear—that if I ever have a son, he will be named Arthur. I’m serious—there are so many reasons, maybe I’ll have a whole column dedicated to that some week…but for now, just trust me; I claimed that name long ago, ok. Now, the only baby I’ll allow to steal my future baby’s name is, of course, the Royal Baby. And with that being his father’s second name, I’d say there’s a good chance that will be the case. Which, like I said, is all right, because that’s just one more thing the Royal Baby and I will have in common—his name and my future son’s name.

            You all probably think I’m pretty crazy to care so much about some baby from another country. But I’ve been obsessed with all things British since I was a kid and my dad spoke in a British accent to make my sister and me laugh. The three of us would talk like that for fun sometimes, especially in long car rides. As I grew older, I became fascinated with not just the accents, but the culture, literature, film, music, geography, and history of the United Kingdom.

Two and a half years ago, the Royal Wedding was broadcast live on television. I believe it began at 3 or 4 A.M. our time. My sister, Karen, and I had planned on staying up to watch it, despite the fact we had school in the morning. I will never forgive myself for sleeping through the wedding, even though I was able to watch it the next day; I’ve written before on how I feel about watching things live—it’s just different. I’m glad the Royal Birth wasn’t broadcast live on television, because I totally would have purposely slept through that. In reality, though, I was just as anxious and captivated, maybe even more so, for this baby as I was for the wedding, and I’ll be impatiently waiting to find out his name.

            Congratulations, William and Kate, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

            Always, Anna

Life Could be a Dream

Life could be a dream….if you go see the DPRCA’s summer musical, “Life Could Be a Dream”! Sorry for the cheesiness and gushing, but I just cannot get over this play. I’ve seen it three times now, and I’m already trying to figure out when I can see it next, and you should be doing the same! Trust me; you do NOT want to miss out on this wonderful show.

            If you like 50s and 60s music,—and I know you do because, come on, how could you not?!—summer love, teenage heartbreak sob stories, and hilarious comedy, then book your tickets as soon as possible because this is your kind of play. The best part is that there is something for everybody: the lovable nerd, the innocent preacher’s kid, the leader of the pack with big dreams, the mysterious hunky heartthrob, and the beautiful damsel in distress. The show is light and fun, but it also teaches you to not judge a book by its cover or give up on your dreams—even when they seem totally out of reach.

            Because I work at the Latte Lobby and my best friend, Jacee Engels, just so happens to star as Lois Franklin, I’ve had the pleasure and honor of getting to know the cast and crew a bit. With all the talent each of them is practically bursting with, their humbleness and modesty is astounding. These are some of the most genuine people I have ever met—which is saying something for actors.

They are all impressive hard workers, but what gets me the most is the way they are absolutely captivated by New Rockford. They literally adore this town and all it has to offer. The potential each person sees, both the local and out-of-town members of the cast and crew, is remarkable. Their appreciation for our town, similar to my early morning runs and walks, has inspired me to look at it in a new light as well. No matter how much I complain about being stuck in little old New Rockford, I’ve realized that at the end of the day, there is nothing better than that unmistakable dim cluster of lights coming into view over the hill. If only all of us could see our town through their colorful, imaginative eyes, let’s just say, New Rockford could be a dream. (Sorry, I had to.)

Always, Anna

Sister, Sister

I’ve only got one thing on my mind this week, so I don’t really have a choice about what I write about; it’s got to be my sister, Karen. I have four sisters, and I love each of them dearly and equally, but it just so happens KareBear and I spent the past week together. We’ve been best friends our whole lives (she’s about two years older than I am) and I don’t know who I would be without her. In just a few days she will be moving to Colorado and I don’t actually know for sure when we will be together again (besides when I drop her off at the airport)—it could be anywhere from one to six months.

The longest we have been apart is a few months, and then we knew we were only two and half hours away. So, we’re not exactly prepared for this. On the other hand, we do get along better when we are separated. For example, I call her on a regular basis just to say I wish she was here, just to go for a walk or watch a movie, or sit and do nothing with—just to be in each other’s presence. But last week, when she was home with me, we wasted a lot of the time fighting. It was mostly me, because she’s very non-confrontational and gentle in literally every way, while I have a short temper and little patience. She’s always picking out clothes for me to try and insisting I borrow a shirt of hers here and there…but if she would take any clothes from my closet (which, ahem, she did), I would say something like, “I didn’t buy it to supply it. Go change right now!” and hold that against her for the rest of the day. So, you know, maybe it’s best we stick to phone calls and short visits…

Seriously though, I love my sister more than anything. Taylor Swift has a song dedicated to her family, and she describes her little brother the same way I would describe KB: “Inside and out [s]he’s better than I am.” She’s got that refreshing simplicity, pure kindness, and a heart so big I don’t know how her little body can hold it. She’s never quick to judge and lights up any room she walks into. If you have a sister, you understand the bond that not even distance and time can weaken. So here’s to that unbreakable bond. Sisters are kind of the best, aren’t they? I know mine are.

Always, Anna

Youth Conference and Service

I don’t know how, but it’s already July. The first month of summer is over; one third of the entire summer is already gone. I just really can’t believe it. It’s absolutely mind boggling. Wow.

So far, the best part of my summer was last weekend. I was in Grand Forks Thursday through Sunday for my church’s youth conference. It was wonderful for so many reasons, and it went by way too quickly. I met a lot of new people and made a lot of friends. I played “Ultimate Frisbee” for the first time and made the winning point—nobody was more shocked than I was. I got to listen to some amazing speakers and learn valuable lessons, and I even helped lead a workshop, all while strengthening my faith. I think my favorite part, though, was the service project I got to participate in. My church (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints aka “Mormon”) is big on humanitarianism, and we have our own charities and service programs, so I was excited to see what we would be doing for this.

The conference was held on the Grand Forks Air Force Base. On Thursday, we were divided into groups of about six kids and two adult leaders. Each group was assigned to a different family in need. My group’s job was to do yard work for a young mother, whose husband had recently been deployed. We were to mow the lawn and clean out the garage. If only I could clean my room as quickly and thoroughly as I did that garage! By the time we had finished all we could do outside, sweeping sidewalks and pulling weeds, we still had over an hour left of the time set aside for our service project. We asked if we could help with anything inside. We cleaned the main floor of the house: dish washing, vacuuming, dusting, etc. The mother had her car washed for free by some of our other youth during this time as well.

After we had done all we could do, we talked with her for a bit. She was in her early twenties but had already had several miscarriages. I could not believe how strong this woman was to be raising her three-year-old daughter all alone while her husband was away for months at a time. For a moment, I got to see into the life of a military wife and a temporarily single mother. I can’t imagine living that life, and all women in that situation completely have my utmost respect. To help her was an honor, really. In fact, to help someone, asking for nothing in return, was refreshing and rewarding. Charity is interesting in that way. I always feel like I am the one getting the more out of a service project than those I am actually helping! I only regret that I haven’t done more of this in my life so far. I am determined to be more selfless from now on, giving more and asking for less. In the end, I’m convinced I’ll actually be receiving much, much more.

Always, Anna

Favorites

     I don't know if I'm one of those people who doesn't have favorites, or if it's just that I have a lot of them. Surveys and "get-to-know-you" questions seriously stress me out. What should be the simplest questions are always the hardest for me. Favorite movie, favorite quote, favorite food, favorite color, favorite word, favorite book, favorite song? I never have just one favorite of anything. Literally. 

      I have about five movies that are all my "Number One Favorite Movie of All Time" somehow. When the yearbook staff asked me for my favorite quote, I crammed in two or three because I couldn't decide. Whenever someone asks me my favorite food, I try to think of the last thing I ate and usually go with "cereal," which is fine because I do love a good bowl of Raisin Bran no matter what time it is. Nutritious and delicious, that bran is good and good for you. Forget about Hostess, THAT's the stuff. But that's beside the point. My favorite color used to be purple, no questions asked...until Taylor Swift released an album called "Red", I got an amazing red dress, and I wore red lipstick for the first time. So I no longer have just one favorite color either! My favorite word had been "phalanges" (say it out loud--rolls right off the tongue, doesn't it?) since seventh grade health class, but then I discovered "whirligig" and now I've got another favorite dilemma. Don't even get me started on favorite books, because I have never read a book I didn't love and proclaim as my favorite upon completion.

      The internet told me there are over 97 million songs in the world, and I'm supposed to have one favorite? I have a few classic favorites, and I think at one point I decided "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by The Beach Boys was the best song in the world. I go through phases with  favorite songs of the month or week though. This week, I entered a new phase. An "Re: Stacks" by Bon Iver phase, to be specific. You can always tell when I have found a new favorite song, because I will only listen to that one song, repeatedly, day after day, for anywhere from a week to three months. My sister Karen used to get so mad at me for this. Sorry, Karen, but nothing has changed except the song. If you're not around me to hear it, I'll make sure you listen to it on your own. I can work it into any conversation, and I won't leave you alone until I know you have listened to it. I'll text it to you, send you the link to the video for it, post it on Facebook, or even go to the length of writing a column about it, evidently!

      Seriously though, this is one of those songs you can listen to any time. It's always appropriate because it's so chill. I played it for Lucy at work when I was explaining to her what it meant to have someone "harsh my mellow." This song returns that mellow even after it has been harshed, just for the record. I have fallen asleep to it every night and woken up to it every day of this week. If we have spoken at all within the past seven days, I can guarantee I've told you to listen to it. It's just a nice song, from every angle. It's wonderful. And you should totally listen to it, because if you have an ear or two, I think there's a good chance you would like it.

      Always, Anna

P.S. Here's the link to the song..enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePatJIwB-sI

Cleaning My Room...?

     I have an issue with wasting beautiful days. So far this summer, I've been really blessed with work on the days it’s been drizzly or windy out, and been free on the sunnier days. Today I happened to have a day off on what was probably one of the nicest days of the summer so far. I haven’t been outside once. I cringed with my own disapproval and disappointment at that sad confession as I typed it, but I really have not been. Literally, I have not taken one step outside on this beautiful day of sun and warmth and singing birds.
I have no good excuse, but I did have good intentions. This was me trying to be disciplinary. You see, my room has reached a new level of atrocity. I’m really not a messy person, honestly. I thrive on organization. All my “stuff” is pretty neatly stored or displayed; it’s the clothes that get me. I have three laundry baskets just for myself, but when I get dressed, I tend to just drop my clothes on the floor. This started as a bad habit I would only exhibit when in a hurry. I would promise to sort the clothes later, when I wasn't so rushed. Over time, it’s grown worse and worse. I recently rearranged my room by pushing my bed up against the wall by my window, so as to have more floor space. I have a very beautiful wooden floor, so I was glad when I could actually see it! In its current state, my floor could be carpeted as far as anybody else could tell. I try to clean my room regularly, but somewhere in between the pick-ups and laundry days, my large floor space becomes inundated with my wardrobe. It’s a problem.
     That being said, I had previously decided to dedicate this entire day to finally taking care of the issue that is my bedroom. I was going to sort all the strewn articles of clothing, do as many loads of laundry as I needed to, and do all my other cleaning maintenance. I woke up this morning telling myself I couldn't go do anything outside until my room was completely clean. I started my day off right with the breakfast of champions, for encouragement: waffles with banana slices and raspberry syrup. I really don’t know what happened between then and now—yes I do, the internet—but the sun is nearly setting at this point and my room is in the same appalling state it has been all week.
     When I shamefully went back downstairs after a few hours in my room, in which I napped, read, and watched Hunter Hayes’ live concert—which I think is a pretty good excuse, because, I mean, how often can you watch something like that live? I needed to know that he was singing those songs at the exact same time I was sitting in my messy room, not doing any form of cleaning. If I watched it after cleaning my room, it wouldn't be live anymore, and it just wouldn't be the same, ok. It just wouldn't be. Stop judging me. Anyways, I made my way downstairs for some dinner, and before my sister even asked me how my room was coming along, all I said was, “I don’t want to talk about it.” I told her I had accomplished more than she thinks today, like, I survived, which is a pretty big deal. I kept myself alive today by breathing and eating and drinking water. And now I've got this sweet little ramble off the checklist, so this day hasn't been completely unsuccessful. I hope you've been inspired by my lack of motivation and supreme laziness. I think I’ll go clean my room now. I don’t know. Maybe. Probably not.
     Always, Anna

Early Morning Runing

The sun has come out! It’s been a beautiful week here in New Rockford, and between bike riding and early morning running, I’ve been trying to take advantage of it. By the way, when I say running, I actually mean a slow but steady jog, I’ll be honest. On the other hand, when I say early morning, I actually really mean it.

Because of the hotness the sun has brought, I usually don’t get my jogging in until the sun starts going down and it starts cooling off for the night. This week, though, I was talked into going before the sun even came up instead. So on Monday morning, at 4:00 A.M., I was up groggily stretching. By 4:30, I was en route. After three miles, I finished off a final mile with a walk to watch the sun rise. You may not believe me, but it was actually the best way I can think of to start a morning. The freshly dewed grass blades glistened, even in the foggy, sunless world of the wee hours of the morning, before its inhabitants awaken. If you think New Rockford can seem like a “ghost town” at times, check it out at five o’clock in the morning. It is unbelievably easy to imagine you are the only person on earth—in a surprisingly non-eerie way. It truly feels like a whole different world.

I didn’t crash until that afternoon, for a good, shameless, two-hour nap. In the future, don’t be surprised if I write an ode to naps. Because you know there’s nothing better than a Sunday afternoon nap. You just know.

I’d like to tell you that I continued with the early morning exercising, but I’ve never been good at lying. On Tuesday morning, I rolled out of bed at my usual time of 11:30. If this happens to you, don’t get upset with yourself; not all is lost. Sunrise strolls cannot be matched, but there is much to be said about a sunny afternoon bike ride. Neighbors are mowing their lawns, kids are walking around with ice cream cones, and the sun is scattering through the green, tree-lined street of Central Avenue. For the extent of your cycling, it’s a worry-free world of blue skies and easy pedaling. Whether it’s an early morning jaunt or mid-afternoon ride, I hope you get to enjoy the fresh air and underrated beauties of our dear little town.

Always, Anna

Summer Reading

            With the first week of summer gone already, it’s time to start making some

 goals. Every year, I tell myself I’m going to do all these great things and make the most of my summer. Last year, I even made a “Summer Bucket List” with almost thirty items to check off, and I was pretty determined to mark off every single one. By the time school started, I had crossed off maybe half. This summer is not off to much of a better start. My first week was spent doing nothing but working, and after work, lounging around watching Friends reruns, ironically without any of mine, and the complete second season of Laguna Beach, complaining the whole time that my high school experience wasn’t like that at all. I gave myself an allowance of one week to get caught up on the much missed hours of sleep I had lost throughout the school year and try to grasp that I was no longer a high school student. But that grace period has passed and it’s time to take advantage of the sweet summer time am I right?

            But I think it has rained every day of the summer so far. So until the sun decides to come out of hiding, I still have plenty I can get done within the walls of the great indoors.

            First off, I’ve accumulated my own summer reading list. I have about a million books I’ve been collecting on my bookshelf all year, with no time to read them. Now I’ve got plenty of time and intend on finally getting at least some of them read! All of Jane Austen’s works have made the list, and I’ve personally started reading Pride and Prejudice for two summers now, but somehow never get through the whole book, whether it is because I get distracted by other books or get too busy. After recently watching the movie for about the hundredth time, this summer I am determined to finally read the book in its entirety. It’s for my own good, really.

Last fall, I lent my Hunger Games series to my sister and mother, even though I hadn’t finished Mockingjay yet, because school had begun and the lack of free time did not grant me the luxury of reading for fun. Yesterday, I finally finished the last book after shelving it for the school year. I had been dragging on reading it last summer anyway, because I knew that I would be sad when it was all over. I was right in my prediction. And now I just want my own Peeta and we all know that’s not going to happen any time soon—you Hunger Games fans, even if you’re on “Team Gale”, feel me on this one, I know you do.

            I hope you all enjoy some summer reading, and feel free to send me some recommendations or ask me for some of mine. For now, appreciate the beautiful sound and smell of the rain and read on.

            Always, Anna

Fake It 'Til You Make It

          Usually I keep this column pretty light and simple. I realize that I write a lot about happiness and smiling, and to some of you, that may sound like rainbows and unicorns.  My hope is that to most of you, though, it is realistic. I’m fully aware of the fact that I can get “preachy.” I’m always telling people how to act and treat others, and I’m sure plenty of people read this and call me a hypocrite because I’m not a perfect person either. I encourage everyone to live their lives in the best way they can, but that doesn’t mean I always do. I ask people to participate in challenges with me, such as random acts of kindness and the “Every Day is a Good Day” project, but I’m not always as kind as I encourage others to be, and I don’t always have the best attitude. I’m not bursting with sunshine and joyfulness every second of the day, and I, too, have to fight for even a smile sometimes.

            But that is just the point. I’m constantly trying. I don’t wake up every day with the confidence that my day is going to be swell, because I never know what is going to happen throughout the course of the day. But I do know it is going to be a good day, possibly even a great one. It’s not an automatic solution though, don’t let me fool you. I am constantly reminding myself that every day is a gift from God. In fact, I would say I remind myself this about fifteen times a day. I have those days in school where I’m watching the clock and counting the minutes for not just school to get out, but for the entire day to be over. I have to remind myself of my project, though, and instantly I’m thinking of ways to turn things around. It’s usually not too hard, because life is pretty amazing, isn’t it? There’s so much beauty to find in a baby’s laugh, or a tree’s leaves, or a stranger’s smile. I’ve grown fond of my problems, because they are so minor. I take pride in looking back at trials that used to be road blocks for me, seeing now that they were but insects on my windshield.

            I’ve discovered recently that a lot of people think of me as “the girl who is always smiling.” I’m good with that, and I’ve never consciously thought about it, but I guess it is pretty true. I smile…a lot,  like, a weird amount. It could be interpreted as borderline creepy. It may not be normal. Like, seriously, almost always. Or, really, just always. But still, I don’t know why that is something people notice; I don’t understand why they don’t all smile just as much as I do. It’s not that I’m happy all the time, or that my life is perfect, but the fact that my life is alive is what keeps me smiling. Everyone else is living on the same planet that I am—I’m pretty sure, anyway. Everyone has an endless supply of reasons to smile and be happy. On those days you come up blank and can’t manage to find one, force it. That’s right, “fake it ‘til you make it.” Being a waitress, I’ve had to do this a lot. I have found, though, that I only have to force a fake smile for about three seconds, and from then on, it’s real for the rest of the day. The truth is, there are too many reasons to smile, and it doesn’t take long to run out of reasons not to.

Always, Anna

*Reminder: E-mail me (you can even attach a video) with your reasons for smiling along with good days, bad days you have turned around, your experience with the “Every Day is a Good Day” project, and of course, why you think every day is a good day at AnnaRose_726@Hotmail.com*

GRADUATION!!

            I think we have all had those moments when we look in the mirror and do not know how to feel about what we see. Last Sunday, I had one of the most bizarre looks in the mirror. I walked into the school’s restroom and out of the corner of my eye caught a glimpse of someone wearing all black in the mirror. I turned and found it was myself; it was me wearing the cap and gown. Me. Wearing. The cap. And gown? It wasn't until that moment it hit me that I was really graduating. Standing around in the cafeteria with my classmates before the ceremony, it just felt like a game of dress up, or practice for graduation. This time, though, it was for real.

            All month had been strange already. I had been getting graduation announcements at school and in the mail, and it was still weird every time I saw one of my classmates’ faces on one. I seriously did a double take every time I recognized a peer and was confused for a moment until I remembered, “Oh, yeah, that is my class that is graduating.” I had grown used to my class graduating, myself not included. As I looked at myself in the mirror, wearing the traditional graduation garb, I could not look away. For all you Harry Potter fans, I can explain it best like I was looking into the Mirror of Erised—which shows you with your deepest desires, even if you are not really with them. As my tassel brushed my cheek, though, my outfit was confirmed. I really was wearing that, because I really was graduating—in, like, twenty minutes!!

            I shook the weirdness and joined my classmates for pictures. Soon enough we were walking into the gym. I heard the band playing “Pomp and Circumstance” and panicked for a second before I realized this is the first year I wouldn’t play that song with them. Sitting on the stage, staring at all these people, I kept forgetting that they were staring right back at me and all my classmates. Because, you know, we were graduating and all. How could I keep forgetting this?!

            Before I knew it, I was addressing everybody for my speech. I have a habit of talking fast—especially when I’m excited. My five-minute speech was over in probably three minutes, and most people could probably hardly understand what I said, but, oh, well. It beat the dream I had the night before, in which we had gone through graduation and skipped over the part where I give my speech. I was so upset, I went around to all my classmates open houses, delivering my speech to everyone at every party. My hasty speech delivery worked out a little better than that, I think.

            At my own open house, I still kept forgetting that I was the graduate until I looked around and saw my face in pictures everywhere! Odd. I just kept sneaking up on myself as a reminder of my own graduation! The next day, I had already forgotten again until I logged onto Facebook to find that I had been tagged in pictures, and once again, there I was in that cap and gown!

            It still hasn’t hit me, and I really don’t feel any different at all. Every night, around ten, I still get that anxiety as I try to remember if I have any homework due in the morning. It is nice to remember I don’t, and won’t ever again—as far as high school goes, anyway. I honestly don’t think it will hit me until August, when I’m still here (I don’t move to college until September) and everyone else is going back to school but me. Until then, I’ll just keep racking my brain for homework assignments and continue to be confused every time I see pictures from graduation or “Congrats, grad!” cards addressed to me.

Always, Anna

Lasts & Firsts

       This is my last time writing to you as a high schooler, and I really don’t know how to feel about it. I’m happy, and I’m sad, and I’m happy that I’m sad, and I’m sad that I’m happy—like I said, I really don’t know how I feel about it. All year, but especially these last few months, I’ve been having a lot of “lasts.” Last band/choir concert, last prom, last state music trip, last speech meet, last state convention, last month of high school, you know, normal stuff.  But this last week, my last full week of high school, things got out of hand. I just started putting “high school” in front of everything I was doing. I said things like, “Awwwhh, you guys, this is the last high school test I will ever bomb!!” Thank you, Physics, for making that one possible, by the way.
       A few other examples: last high school paper I wrote, last high school project I completed, last time I ate a bowl of chili in my high school cafeteria, last time Lucy and Mary asked me if I had any homework, last time I hung a jacket in my high school locker, last Friday in high school that Mr. Weisenburger told us not to do anything he wouldn’t do, last time I forgot to do my high school homework, last time I waved to my high school English teacher in the hallways after lunch, last time I walk into my high school and Ralph said, “Good morning, Anna” and I said, “Good morning, Ralph”,  last time I wore my favorite jeans walking through my high school, last time Gary told me to give a fellow high schooler “a pound”, last time I made copies in the office of my high school, last time I studied in my high school library, last time I wrote my column as a high schooler…you get the idea.
In a few days it will be my last day of high school. But after that begin the “firsts”, which are far more exciting: first graduation, first apartment, first roommate, first day of college, etc. Something about all of these events scares me just the right amount. Knowing I’m not ready is terrifying, but knowing I’m not supposed to be is oddly comforting. A friend of mine once said, “Sometimes I think about the past and miss it, but then I remember the future is right around the corner and realize it's probably way better!” I think that’s a great attitude to have. We can’t relive the past, so why not work to make our future even better? It’s bound to be, anyway.
Always, Anna

Every Day is a Good Day

Spring is in the air (finally) and it's time to start smelling the hypothetical roses, everybody. This week we're talking about happiness.
     Most people do not consider themselves to be truly happy. Can we please change this?! Last week, as I rushed into my first period class tardy after sleeping through my alarm, a classmate jokingly asked me how my morning was. I chewed on my pop tart and decided, "Good! We only have a few weeks of high school left, and every day is going to be good for the rest of the school year." They wished me luck with that sarcastically and went back to their notes, but I took that promise to myself seriously and have reminded myself of that challenge every day since. Guess how many bad days I've had since then? That's correct: ZERO. It's not that my life is any different, but my outlook and attitude are.
     Happiness is not an effect others can have on you, or an obligation anyone else has to supply you with. Happiness is a daily decision we can all make. As John Cusack's character Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything asks, "How hard is it to decide to be in a good mood and be in a good mood once in a while?" It's completely up to us. I know that that sadness and depression are very serious, and I'm no doctor, but I truly believe that if everyone just made the decision to be happy, they could and would be. I'm proving it to myself as an experiment of my own, and so far so good! It's not always easy, as life certainly isn't always easy, and I constantly have to remind myself. But all I have to do is smile and say, "Today is a good day. Every day is a good day." Because that is the truth.
     Whether or not you think your life is awesome, you've got life, and that is awesome. My dad called me while I was writing this, and when I told him about my happiness theory, he agreed with a quote from somewhere neither of us could remember exactly what movie or book from, but a profound quote just the same: "Wherever you go, there you are." That's really all there is to it. You are where you are, so you can complain and be miserable about that, or make a change and choose to be happy. If you are in a situation you are not particularly content with, ask yourself, "Can I do anything about this?" If you can, do! If you can't, then let go, move on, and find your own happiness despite whatever you are working against. He then added his own thoughts, "It's always a good day, our experiences are just different every day."
    Regardless of the way you feel your life is going at the moment, take a second to smile and love it anyway.  It might sound ridiculous, but I'm extending my challenge. Instead of deciding to have a good day every day until school is over, I'm going to make every day for the rest of my life a great day. I invite you to join me in my Every Day is a Good Day project. If you so choose to participate, I'd love to hear from you if you e-mail me at AnnaRose_726@hotmail.com. Remember, every day is as good, great, and wonderful as you make it. Make it a good one and choose to be happy. You've got nothing to lose but negativity and bad days.
Always, Anna

Throwback Thursday

     If you're not on Facebook or Instagram (social networks on the internet), chances are you have no idea what "Throwback Thursday" a.k.a. "TBT" is. It's pretty self-explanatory: people post old pictures of themselves or really anything from their childhood. Usually, they are pretty good. That haircut your mom gave you in second grade--you know...the bangs? Oh, yeah. They're back. Remember when you had braces? So do all of your Facebook friends, thanks to TBT. You in your favorite overalls? PERFECT. The key to Throwback Thursay is to be able to laugh at yourself.
     Tonight, my mom pulled out some old photos for me to submit for our senior slideshow at graduation. Looking at old pictures is probably one of my favorite activities, ever. Snapshots can bring the almost forgotten memories back in a way that just talking about them can't. The pictures can send the rest of the story rushing back. Like when my sister blew out my birthday candles. Or I knocked out her tooth. In almost all of the pictures we tried to take as a family with matching sweaters--gotta love the 90s--my four-year-old fingers are always pinching my pants pockets. Suddenly, I could remember being in that moment, and I was looking up at everyone from my height of four feet tall, stomping on the fall leaves. I had been picking my nose in between shots and hiding the boogers in my pockets whenever we took pictures! (Why wasn't I just like every other kid my age, flicking them off and away instead?!) I even found these Polaroid pictures of one of my sisters riding on horses that appear to be wearing Mexican horse saddle pads. I have no recollection of this, but the randomness only magnifies the hilarity of it all.
     If you want to enjoy all the amusing, and preferably embarrassing, pictures of others, you have to be willing to pay it forward and post some of your own. You know you have some. Everyone has bubble bath pictures from when they were three years old. First-day-of-school pictures are always golden. You and your best friend from kindergarten playing dress up. That day your family tried to look all color coordinated and perfect, but you couldn't get a single good picture because you're not models in a Land's End catalog and one of the kids kept making faces. First dance in junior high--two words: hair gel. Those pictures you and your girlfriends took at 3:00 A.M. on a Saturday morning your freshman year? Yeah, you just go on and dig out those old photo albums from behind all those old coats in your closet. The "lost" pictures. Mmmhm. You'll thank me for this later when you're doubled over laughing, showing your kids, siblings, parents, or friends. Go ahead and throw it back this Thursday.
Always, Anna

P.S. Here was my most recent contribution. Beautiful family photo circa 1999. Caption was: "Throwing it back to when Karen was a serial killer." Best comment? "She'll KILL you for this!"

Smile, Smile, Smile :)

     "Smile, smile, smile, and turn the world around!" Those are the lyrics to one of my favorite songs, "Smile" by McFly. A smile. So simple. A simple gesture, a simple concept, a simple action. So effortless, but so effective. I don't know about you, but one smile from someone can turn my whole day around. So why don't we do it more?!
     Last weekend, I presided over the State National Honor Society conference, which sounds far more impressive than it actually was. Whilst there, I had the opportunity to hear two amazing motivational speakers. One of them was named Stu Saunders. He had decided a long time ago that he would have a daily goal of making as many people smile as he possibly could. He told a story of his traveling the previous day. As he was waiting to check his bags in for his flight from Denver, he asked the gate agent if he could tell her a joke. He ended up telling a whole set of jokes to five employees, every one of them smiling and laughing. That was all he wanted, the satisfaction of knowing he was the reason someone smiled that day. As he boarded, the first gate agent told him she upgraded him to first class for free. When he asked why, she simply said, "Because you made me smile. Far too many grumpy people on the planet these days."
     The moral of this story was not to encourage anybody to tell people jokes in hopes of getting a favor or upgrade in return. The idea is that kindness and friendliness are important and do not go unnoticed. Think of how you feel when someone personally makes you smile. Why wouldn't you want to pass that on to as many people as possible? Sometimes, all it takes is a smile of your own. Can we all follow Stu's example and make that our own personal daily goal--to make as many people smile as we possibly can, every day? Pretty manageable, right? We can so do this. If you happen to be having a bad day, well, that's all the more reason to participate! "Just remember to smile, smile, smile, and that's a good enough start!"
Always, Anna

P.S. Here's the link to the song if you want to listen and, oh, I don't know, smile. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHb7unfIpF4

D.C. and NYC

   It's nice to be back in all the freezing slosh and now and all, but I have to write about my amazing trip to the east coast this week. Have you ever had one of those days that feels too good to be true? Those perfect moments that make you question reality? Had to literally pinch yourself because you're absolutely certain you're dreaming? Well that was my whole week. The four hours of sleep I got every night might have something to do with it, but the whole entire trip was a dream come true.

     This little summary will not do it justice, but I have a lot to cover! All twenty-five or so of us flew into Washington, D.C. on Sunday, April 7. We were divided into eight workshops of about twenty kids. We were with these groups all week as we had discussions and debates and learned as we toured monuments, memorials, and buildings. The Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial was definitely my favorite as he was one of my favorite people in the world.

 Another highlight was the Library of Congress where I got to explore Thomas Jefferson's personal library. I also loved the Smithsonian Museum of American History--it's very strange to see actual parts of history, like documents and clothes, and try to understand they are the originals. Mind boggling, really. Our capitol tour was nothing short of unbelievable. For any of you Hunger Games fans, I'm positive "the Capitol" was based off our nation's own. As we walked through long white hallways floored with shiny marble and lined with identical black doors, all I could think of was the similarities between the fictional capitol in the books and movie and the reality I was visiting. The best part of the Kennedy Center was going up to the terrace and getting the best view of the city.

City lights reflected on water never gets old. The most beautiful part, to me, was not the warm, sunny weather--although that was very nice--but the blooming cherry blossoms.

 They were EVERYWHERE in D.C. and every time I saw them I was still awed by their humble beauty.

     Another humble beauty was discovered in the second half of the trip in New York City: Central Park.

It is the land you go to in your most peaceful dreams, made of green rolling hills, calm ponds, bridges, fountains, and tall trees. The rain coming down as we walked through only ameliorated the vividness and sweet smell of the park. I know I'll be revisiting that place in my dreams. It was the most beautiful, serene haven in the center of the most chaotic city. If I ever had to move to New York, I think I would just camp out there. I'm obsessed. Times Square was exactly what I imagined it would be like: crowded, bright, flashy, busy, and breathtaking.

 In the center of it, I just stood and turned in circles trying to take it all in. We saw Mamma Mia on Broadway, which exceeded all my expectations!! Everyone should see a play on Broadway at least once in their lives, I believe. Our last day of the trip just might have been the best. We started off the morning with a walk on the High Line. I had no idea this existed, but it's a basically a walk through a park...except it's over old rail lines between tall city buildings.

Very contradictory and intriguing, just like Central Park. We took a harbor cruise where we saw all the boroughs, bridges, and the Statue of Liberty.

 It was even more amazing than it sounds. We then explored different neighborhoods, had dinner in Little Italy, and then walked the Brooklyn Bridge.

If you want a beautiful skyline, walk there at twilight. Absolutely perfect. Our last stop was the Rockefeller Center where we got to take in the view of the entire city from the "Top of the Rock." This I can't even begin to describe, but it was a sight no camera could capture.

To stand on the rooftop of a skyscraper and admire the lights as far as I could see was a view I will never forget.

     A few hours later, we were off to the airport and back to the blowing snow of North Dakota in no time. I will forever remember this amazing trip where I learned so much about our country and its government. It was an experience money truly can't buy, and I am so lucky to have been able to go. I've learned to appreciate the wise words someone once said: "Travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer."

Always, Anna