Introduction

I have no idea how this blog thing is gonna go, but I'm going to take a try at it. After my friend, Whitney, created a blog, I got to thinking that maybe it's something I'd like to do to keep a so-called chronicle of what's going on with my life and what it is I'm thinking about at the time. Therefore, that could mean multiple posts a day or go days without a post, we'll see. I also have no idea if this is going to be entertaining whatsoever or if anyone will really want to read it, but I'm ok with that. I look forward though to writing about some personal things, my thoughts and feelings, some pop culture things, and most likely some political things. Really nothing is out of the realm of possibility as to what I could post. I'm sure in many of them I'll ramble on, such as this one, and people will get tired of reading. Oh well, I'll enjoy writing it and having it for myself. I've also thought about ending each post with a question, so for those who do read my blog can think about it for themselves. Corny? Maybe... but again, I'm ok with that. Here it goes...

When I told my friend, Erinn, I was doing a blog too like Whitney, she asked me what I was going to write about. I told her and she said "hmmmmm like an extended twitter"... yes, Erinn, in a way, exactly.

I figured I'd start out with giving a run down of just SOME basics about me (I'm sure I could go on and on, and probably will throughout the course of my posts):
I work for the super-minority Republican caucus of the Illinois State Senate. I will be working here until the end of June 2010, or until the state goes completely bankrupt and shuts down, whichever comes first.

If a volume dial on the television or radio or whatever else is numerical, it must be on an even number or fives. Sometimes I don't even like calling, sending a text, or posting something online if it's not 9:20 or 4:52. Really weird, I know… probably/definitely OCD.

After I’m married, I hope to be fortunate to have at least one child.

I think it would be so, so, SO much fun to be a wedding planner. Might make that happen one day.

I have never broken a bone or had surgery, unless you count a bone marrow biopsy.

I wish I would have stuck with swimming. I could have been in the Olympics by now.

I was born without a middle name but added one legally around age 12.

I have never been out of the country, but desperately want to.

I check people.com and E! online once a day usually, if not more.

I have chapstick, usually multiple tubes of it, with me at all times.

I'm an only child of my Mom. My Dad has two sons that are 14 and 16 years older than I am. I'm pretty much the baby of my entire family. The closest person my age in my family is either my cousin, who is 34, or my nephew who is 11. I'm kinda smack in the middle.

I donated my hair to Locks of Love this past February. It was a terrifying yet gratifying experience all at once.

I really wish I saw more of my family. I have family all over the country and one Aunt in Finland. I don't get to see them that often and loving my family as much as I do, that's hard for me.

I like to be safe and generally not do something too risky. It might also be known as a stick-in-the-mud.

I currently live alone in an apartment that is really nice. I can afford it, I just can't afford much else. Great, right?

I like to make wishes when I look at the clock and see that it's 1:11 or 5:55.

I hate talking on the phone. There are a few exceptions though, and usually depends on my mood.

Now that I’m older, I can’t sleep past 9 or 9:30 no matter what time I go to sleep. I don’t like that, especially if I'm out late and wake up tired... what is that?

I sometimes wish I was a celebrity. I'm a firm believer that money is not everything and I know I can be perfectly happy without it, but it would still be nice.

I don’t like to try new food that much. Although, my tastes have really matured over the last year or two. I each spinach, for one. I would always refuse to because the leaves look like they literally just fell off a tree. Not ok, but I push through that feeling of eating foliage and do it. I've also come to like sushi. My Mom was blown away when I told her I liked it. I've also gained a recent appreciation for cashews... random, I know.

Speaking of appreciation, I can get absolutely addicted to trail mix and strawberry twizzlers. It's crazy.

I'm currently in a relationship that is a long-1,000 mile-distance one. The guy, Tim, is absolutely wonderful and makes me so happy. This distance is horrible, but if I didn't think it was worth it or meant to be, I wouldn't be doing it. I mean, why else would I put myself through being apart from him?

I have two best friends, Whitney and Erinn, both of them crazy, but crazy fun. I'm crazy too, so I guess that works out well. I'm blessed to have them both in my life and I know that I can always go to them and talk to them literally about anything. One has such a wonderful sense of humor and wit, I love it and it never fails to put a smile on my face. The other is almost a Chicago-suburban version of me. Except I don't have near as many shoes as she does... maybe about half, maybe not even that. All of us together, we have some good times. College was a blast with them, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I miss those times, but those are many separate posts.

Speaking of college though, I went to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I changed my major three times and somehow, probably by the grace of God, managed to graduate in four years. While there, I did some extremely memorable things - went to the 2008 Rose Bowl, went to Miami for senior year spring break, joined a sorority, etc. etc. etc - and they were life-changing years, for sure. When I graduated from H.S. in 2005, everyone said to me "enjoy these years, they are the best of your life," and "these next four years are going to fly by"... at the time I was like "what are these people talking about?" but they were absolutely and without a doubt right.

Time flies... literally... I look back on my short (almost) 23 years of life and think "where did all it go already?"... much of it seems like a blur, especially the recent years. That's why when I was at that age (I don't remember what exact age that was), but when I got to the point where I realized that, I resolved to enjoy every moment I could and to never take anything for granted. Not that I've ever really taken my life for granted, but life just goes by too fast and I want to make to most of it, even the very littlest of things. I have to admit that sometimes I lose sight of that a little. Yet this I am certain - I want to do what I want to do, be happy and be with the people I want to be with, laugh for as long as I'm alive, and love unconditionally. Is there a better way to live?