My Bedroom

I put together our bed today all by myself. It made me feel all confident and independent. It reminded me of when I was thirteen years old and I wanted hard wood floors in my bedroom. Originally my bedroom had hardwood floors, but years before had been covered with carpet. I asked my mom if we could have the hard wood floors restored. She told me that wasn't a good idea. So I went into my bedroom and, over the next few weeks, moved my furniture out of my room, tore out the carpet, tore out the cushioning under the carpet, and tore out all the nails, staples, and thorny like boards that held the carpet down. When I was done the floor looked so beautiful.

My mom was, of course, impressed. I think she also felt a tinge of guilt that she hadn't helped me, so she decided to help me paint my room. It was so elegant looking. It looked like it had been restored to it's original condition. If I do say so myself, it looked like a professional had come in and fixed up the place, not a thirteen year old little girl.

That was a really significant experience in my life. It secured the idea in my mind that whatever I set my mind to I can accomplish. I still feel a lot of pride when I think about all the work I did. Unfortunately, a few months later I moved to a newer house. I wonder if my hard wood floor is still on display in that house. I wish I had pictures.

:(

Today I saw two of my first friends here in California. I met them both through a French class at the Bechtel Center at Stanford. One is from Tokyo, Japan and the other is from Lima, Peru. They told me they are moving in less than a month, and our other good friend from Spain is moving too. It made me sad. They have been some of the most inspiring people I've ever met. We are always talking about our cultures and personal worldviews. I feel like I've expanded my worldview so much from all that they've shared and experienced with me. I'm really going to miss them. Goodbye girls! :(

Moving

Many people that have known me for a long time know that I move A LOT. I moved last weekend to a new apartment after having lived in my last apartment for one year. Since the year 2000 (8 years) I've moved 18 times.

Moving is so refreshing, it is like a deep internal cleanse. I always feel so hopeful when I move, like everything I've ever wanted to do I can finally do because I've moved somewhere new.

Despite having moved so much my favorite place I ever lived was the house I grew up in in Salt Lake City, Utah. I lived there for the majority of the first 14 years of my life, and it is where my mom grew up. My grandparents were the original owners of this house. In the back there is a big weeping willow tree with a tire swing. Someday I want to buy it back so we can keep it in the family.