Can't I just pack my family up and take them with me?!

Wow. It has been a crazy few weeks. I always love returning to Missouri and seeing my family and friends. When I am in town I get to watch Kinsey, my niece, most of the time I am here. It is so nice to spend time with her because she seems to grow so much while I'm away. And the things she says! Oh she is so funny. Just today she was watching Toy Story. She kept calling Buzz Ligthyear, Bud Light. I tried to correct her but she swears she is right. We have done a lot together this Christmas vacation. I think I'm going to take her to the Fun Run, which is like a building of bouncy toys and stuff. I think she will enjoy it!

This time in I was able to visit with a friend, Brooke, who was in Iraq when I left for Alaska. She has a two year old daughter now and it was so much fun catching up. I took Kinsey with me so the girls could play and they had a good time. I think Brooke and her daughter will be going with us to the Fun Run. It will give Brooke and me some more time to catch up.
As far as Christmas goes, this has been a really good year. It was relatively easy getting around to all the many Christmas parties. It's been nice seeing everyone but hard answering the many questions I've been asked. I think the best part of being around for Christmas is seeing all of my family. I went out to the farm last week and spent the day with my grandparents. We moved wood, took the tractor and fixed the cows' fence. It's always nice to be out in the country getting grounded again.(Five generations of women. Baby Avery-age 5 weeks, Jamie-cousin, Aunt Tammie, Grandma, Great Grandma-age 95)

As far as Christmas presents go, I got some cool things. My dad and step mom got me a Happy Lamp. It's a lamp that makes your body believe it is getting enough sunlight and therefore keeps you from getting depressed. I will be able t0 use this in Alaska during the lack of sun in the winter. It also helps with jet lag and sleep. I'm anxious to use it. I also got a watch from my mom which takes my heart rate while I'm working out. I needed a watch! But never have I had one that I needed to put in my birthday, weight, and height. I'm stoked about it! I got a lot of other nice things too but overall, I just love being around all the family.

I love giving gifts too! It's hard for me to buy gifts too early because I want to give them away early as well!(Matt and Linzy with their Cruzan rum and ornament. haha)

Christmas night my brother, Matt, brought his Xbox Kinect to my moms house and we all tried it out. I don't think I have ever laughed so hard. It's a game similar to the Wii except your body is the remote. The best part about the game is that while you are playing, the Kinect records your movements and plays them back at the end. It's comical! And a good workout too! lol
Next up! New years! Now that I have been stuffed full of Christmas home cooking, it's time to make that same old resolution to work it all off again. I have music to work on for church on the 2nd and then it's just a count down to flying back to Juneau.
It's going by too fast!

I'll be home for Christmas!

I have been back in Missouri since Friday. It was a bit of a struggle getting home due to some delays. but I am here. The cold is a bit hard to get used too. I forgot to bring winter clothes with me from Alaska, so I only have summer clothes and one pair of jeans. haha. But I am liking the snow anyways.
This past weekend I got to do a "ride along" with my brother. That was really cool. And just yesterday I talked to the ray county Kiwanis club about my adventures. I thought it went well. Now I am just trying to finish up some last minute Christmas shopping. I still have to prepare a song for church. I'm supposed to sing the weekend before I leave.
As of right now, I am just relaxing and enjoying being home.

“Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.”

When you sign up to go on exchange and are researching schools there are things that you never get told. For example, no one told me that the mosquitoes in St. Thomas (in the VI in general) can carry Dengue fever, which gives flu like symptoms but can kill you rather quickly if not treated. They never told me that the power never stays on for a full day. I didn't know that housing provided by the school does not have air conditioning. -Now I am not one of those "girly girls" who can't get dirt under her nails. However, when it is 110 degrees outside and you have to walk up and down several flights of stairs to get to classes, it sucks to come home to a sauna for a bedroom. - There are also the tarantulas. Did anyone else know they have those down here? I missed that memo.
I have had to deal with being a minority. I knew it would be different from what I was used to but I didn't think it would change my life. Teachers taught how horrible white people were in all of my classes. I had to remind myself that slavery in the Virgin Islands lasted longer then in the United States. I thought that the food here would be amazing. But I was completely wrong about that. See, the majority of the island is poor (considered third world). The cafeteria food reflects this.
I could go on and on about my expectations and how horribly the island missed the mark. But in all reality I have have changed so much from this environment. I have grown more independent and more self confident. I have been in the shoes of a minority now and while I have never treated other races differently, I have grown a new respect for them. I can't imagine living my whole life with people constantly watching me and judging me because of my skin color. I have learned about friendship, even if it is short lived before we all return to our homes. Most importantly I have learned that change is always good. Good for the mind and soul even though it may mean making huge adjustments in ones life.
As finals begin and my flight home rapidly approaches I have found myself becoming sad. The weather here has been 70-80 degrees with what the locals call Christmas Breezes blowing steadily. This is the start of St. Thomas' main tourism season and I can see why people enjoy this time of the year. The sun is still ripe and hot enough to tan but the ocean water temperature has dropped enough to actually cool you off when you hop in. I will miss the white sandy beaches. The island is a direct extension of the beauty of God's hands. And while I have found some of the locals to be less then welcoming, I found a group of friends who share the beauty and the pain.
The return to Missouri is going to be a time of transition. It is December 4th and the sound of Christmas songs still seems foreign to me. However, it will be nice to have family nearby and a sense of security. Part of me misses Alaska too but part of me is dreading going back. I return in the middle of winter to a semester of tough classes and a great lack of sun. It is funny to think that this time next year I will be job searching. Having all this time in the VI to think, I have decided that I will most likely not be teaching in AK. While the pay is great, I have too many other places I want to see. I think that is another reason I am sad to leave. While the VI has been tough, I have had this sense of discovering new things. I feel like I should spend the holidays with family and then head on to my next adventure. Unfortunately, I have to finish school first. (what a bore! lol). On the grand scheme of things does that mean I will return to Missouri after graduation? Uh..No. What about the east coast? or West! or any of the vast amount of land in between! One thing I know for sure is that the location will have at least one thunderstorm a year and will, of course, have basketball!

10 Days and Counting

When I left off a few weeks ago my schedule was pretty crazy and, well, it hasn't much changed. I have been a busy bee turning in projects and finalizing papers. Also, my two Ohio friends left which I thought would leave me to spend the rest of my time in my room bored to death. However, school has not let me do so. The work is pretty easy, there is just a lot of it.
This week I have three finals, Volleyball, Table Tennis, and Health. I am not worried about a single one of these classes and will be in shock if I transfer anything other then an A in these back to UAS. I am a little worried about my Education class because my final is more of an oral final. My social science class, which should be the easiest class ever, is stressing me out. I have learned nothing in this class and think I am one of maybe four people actually passing. I don't want to just pass though. I want an A and I don't think that will happen. I will be lucky to get B because my final is cumulative. Lastly, my art class final....well that class is a joke. The hardest part of that final is just getting myself to do it. So, yeah...just wrapping things up here.
I am still working on my Missouri speech and I have not even thought about a song to sing when I return. I will deal with that later. I am stressing about Christmas gifts though. I am such a typical poor college student. It makes it hard during the holiday season. I have a few small things and a couple ideas but I'm not to sure about going through customs and all that at the airport. I don't want anything breaking in my luggage on the way home either. Hmmmm....
On a more fun note, I was able to go two weeks ago to Paradise Jam (mens). This is when schools come from the mainland and play here at UVI. It was great. I was able to watch Clemson, Xavier, UVI and Puerto Rico. The next week was the Paradise Jam tournament for women. I was given a free ticket and checked to see who was playing.Go figure, Missouri was here. It was great to watch them play! I also watched Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, and Iowa State. I realized how much I miss playing and coaching. But it was fun to sit so close and watch some good games. Probably the best part of the night was when the power kept shutting off on the whole island and the generator would kick on but we had to sit and wait for the gym lights to re-heat back up. During this time the DJ played the Cha Cha Slide and electric slide and I laughed as Tennessee players and the referees danced in the dim light. It was a blast. However, by fifth time the power shut off everyone was tired of the dancing and just wanted the game to end. What a fun time though and a great break from school.
Well, this time next week I will be packing up my bags and preparing to leave. A week from Friday I will be flying into Kansas City.

(Thought the refs were funny looking here)

(The guy in the hat is the coaches husband)

(YAY MIZZOU)

(Tennessee/Georgia Tech game- Dancing when the power went off)

Time Flies When... You Have A Million Things To Get Done!

Today has been fairly unproductive. I got up and had breakfast in the University Cafe. I went to social science class where we discussed how blacks in the Caribbean are still the minority because minority refers to how much power a racial group has and whites still have all the power here. (I find it interesting that the governor and all elected officials are black...) I'm not sure how this lady gets these facts. Anyways, after that class I had volleyball at the beach. That was a nice change. Now, I am going over a presentation on Autism. I have enjoyed putting this presentation together and was supposed to present it to class on Monday. However, we ran out of time so, hopefully, I will be presenting tonight. I am a little nervous which is to be expected. I guess, like most people, I get the most nervous about the things that I have put the most work into and am the most passionate about. I have also been working on a speech I will be giving once I return home. I have written some of it out and made a little slide show. It's hard for me to focus too much on it when I have been working a lot on homework. But I am excited/nervous about that as well.
I just turned in an eight page research paper on the Rastafarian religion down here. It is a week early (YAY Me!). I now have to work on a presentation to give to the class on the religion, no powerpoint, nothing but just standing up and talking. I also turned in a research paper for health class early. SO...for my Education class I have my presentation tonight, field experience in a local elementary school, and a final presentation to wrap up. I have two PE finals to do which should be easy. I have to finish my Missouri speech and get down a song to sing for January before I leave again for Alaska. Whew. Hopefully this will all come easily.
Just a side note, today I added another class which makes 7 classes for spring. Not to worry though. It is just a power pump PE class. I need something to do during the day because ALL my other classes are at night. So I added this PE class and I also emailed the Learning Center in Juneau about a tutoring job. I think it might actually work well because my classes are all online besides the PE class, so it should be easy to find time to work. Plus, I can work on homework at slow times.
Wow. Well... not long left until I am on my way home. I have to say it is bitter sweet. I didn't expect it to be but it is a lot of Sweet with a little Bitter. I am so excited to get home and also to get back to Juneau, but the water here is gorgeous. I will miss having the beach right near by. And the weather has finally cooled off to where it isn't unbearable anymore. I will miss the safaris too. I really like riding in them, feeling the breeze (even if most of the time the driving is crazy). Anyways, I still have soo much to do before I can even begin to worry about leaving.
Whew. It's going to be a crazy ride for the next few days.

"If you lift me up, just get me through this night. I know I'll rest tomorrow and I'll be strong enough to fight."

It has been an interesting week here in the US VI. I'm not exactly sure where to start.
I guess I'll start with today. Originally, I had planned to make today a beach day.. Not sure if that is going to happen since Hurricane Tomas has passed us and is sending us lots of wind and rain. I went to Social Science class where I received the rough draft of my research paper back with little writing on it. The teacher called me up front and said, "I think this is it." I was like "what?" She then told me that my rough draft was good enough to be my final paper and that all I needed to fix was one capitalized word in my citations that didn't need to be there. That was great to hear.
However, the class started and we began discussing what a family is and how in the Caribbean sees a family much different then the world. I had no clue what I was in for.
I quickly came to realize that the only people that the blacks down here HATE worse then whites, is Homosexuals.
Let me first say that I am a Christian and I believe that Jesus came and died for me and I believe that I am blessed because of everything thing he has provided and everything I have been able to see in my life time.
BUT let me just add... Jesus would never hate. He wouldn't hate me because I'm white and he wouldn't hate someone if they were gay. Jesus was all about loving.
Scientifically, our days of believing that homosexuality is a choice are Over. Do you honestly think that today's gay youth would be killing themselves if it was really a choice? Do you think that Jesus would have bullied these kids into killing themselves?
I often wonder if the amount of preservatives and genetically engineered foods we consume have have somehow altered our genes or something but I am no scientist and I am not God. Therefore I have no right to condemn these people to hell.
I think that one thing I was supposed to learn by being down here is that life is Hard on the other side of the fence. I can't imagine feeling like this the rest of my life. I can't imagine being hated for my skin color everyday for the rest of my time on Earth. I can't imagine being hated for something I can't change.
All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.-John 6:37

On a lighter note, I visited the British Virgin Islands last weekend. It was Gorgeous! The BVI is some place that I could see myself coming back to visit. The Baths were amazing and were just as great as everyone had told me they would be:Tyra Banks and many other super models have posed in this very spot! I could have stayed there forever.

After the Baths we went snorkeling in caves on the one and only Treasure Islands. No treasure was found but we did see a black shark, octopus, barracuda, and lots and lots of fish!

It was so nice to get off the island and use my passport! I would do it again at any second if only I had the money haha.
Now, it's on to a research project on Autism, a research project on Brain Aneurysm, turning my Social Science research paper rough draft into the final draft, a speech for when I return to Missouri and hopefully a little bit of ME time at the beach before the end of the weekend!
Have a wonderful relaxing weekend everyone!

"Don't matter if you're black or white..."

Last entry I left off after receiving my pink eye medicine.. Unfortunately, a week later my eyes were only worse. I went to the school doctor this past Monday who took the time to look in my eyes. He said I am still having an allergic reaction to the Bactrim I was placed on a while back. I have a new medicine now that burns and itches badly but has helped a lot too. My eyes are much better then they were though they have not completely cleared up. My friends have started joking that if someone here isn't going to make it home, it will be me because I have the worst luck. AND that if I were one of the first settlers I would have been the first to die from illness.
I know it seems like I complain a lot. I generally don't complain as much as I do down here. I had a girl come up to me today and say "Like omg Melissa, I totally can't see why you hate it here." (Yes she is blond). My response was this, I don't hate it here. I don't hate the view or the beaches. I don't hate some of my classes and I don't hate some of the experiences I have had here. It's just that whenever you think of an island in the Caribbean you think tropical paradise. For ME this was a complete let down. For me, this is not my paradise. I love changing weather (thanks Missouri for that). I love snow and mountains. I love whales and trees that are so tall they seem like they might fall with one gust of wind. I love the small town feel. All of these things this island doesn't have. Not to mention the illnesses I have had and the people I have encountered.
I was so very nervous when I arrived in Juneau but I grew to love it very quickly. I made friends easily and stomped through the snow to class with an appreciation for Gods beautiful creations. It was gorgeous and the people were nice. Here I knew when my dad and I landed that something just felt wrong.
This is not "God's Country."
Here is one example of something little that, mixed with everything else, is kind of unbearable.
I have this art teacher. She is smart and knows her stuff, a graduate of NYU. However, she is very anti-American, anti-American schools, anti-democracy, anti-Christianity, anti-EVERYTHING that I am. Her opinion becomes fact in class and she often teachers more about her opinions and personal life rather then art.
Recently she stated that:
*the cross on which Jesus died is shaped like a penis because all Romans, even Christians, had small penises and built all kinds of structures to compensate for this.

* that all conservatives start wars because they are christian and therefor are not having, or are having lousy sex, or because they have small penises. Hence why Bill clinton didn't start a war, he had plenty of women, same for JFK.

*that Christians took the Bible and rewrote it to say what we wanted.

*that Jesus is not God's son or God. He was just a guy teaching about love and peace. She knows this because she speaks fluent hebrew and that's what the Bible REALLY says.

*being celibate is a sin because god said to "Go Forth and Multiply," and said nothing about marrying.

*that all Iowa teachers are horrible, because her sons current teacher is horrible and happens to have lived in Iowa for some time.

*that all of the USA is like New York. (I told her she needed to get out a bit.)

*that all birthing hospitals or centers are only places to make women feel inferior. She states that we as women can have children without doctors (which is true) and that doctors are only around to keep women dependent on men. (which is SO FAR OFF)

and finally
*that all American public school students are drugged and on ADHD medicine to keep them from being kids and to make the teacher's job easier. (mind you her son is in a private school and they have told her that he may be ADHD.)

Oh man, I could go on forever. And she is not the only teacher to behave like this. Another of my teachers has no idea why Columbus sailed the ocean. SIGH
I promised myself never to be this kind of a teacher or person.
So yeah, been an interesting semester so far. I would like to say that I am looking forward to what this next week brings but...the past weeks have only brought pain.
Sorry that I have no fun pictures this time around. Not really in funny mood.
Enjoy the weekend everyone!

"When it rains, it pours!"

What an interesting week I have had. That red eye I wrote about in my last blog...well it got worse and in both eyes so I went to the doctor. The problem was that no Doctors offices were open because it was Columbus Day. So, I had to go to the ER:

Since the pharmacies were closed on Columbus day too, I had to wait until the next day to take an hour and a half long Safari ride to the Kmart Pharmacy for my prescription:



So I went back home to barely catch my Health class, which I had a test in. The next day, I woke up with swollen gross eyes and hopped back on the safari to get to the Kmart again:
Much to my surprise, the pharmacy had my medicine waiting for me and I put the drops in right there in the store. Too bad it cost $65!


I wish I could say that the story ends here, all happy. Unfortunately, that is not the case. I returned to my room to see my roommate had moved out, and I had a message on my phone to see my RA (resident advisor). I guess my roommate felt that I was to unsanitary to live with so she turned me in and they moved her out. Plus, the school housing office wanted me to meet with the nurse again to make sure I...you know...didn't need to be quarantined.
So, I did and I apologized to her for being in so much lately. She said it wasn't a big deal and that often times when we move great distances our bodies become stressed and our immune systems go down. She said she was going to tell the school that I am healthy.
SO SCREW U ROOMMIE! or should I say Ex roommate! Karma has vicious teeth so beware.
Oh yeah, and thanks for the FREE single room!

Don't scratch, Don't scratch!

(This was actually the best of it)

This week has been a trying one.
A few weeks ago I had a MRSA outbreak and was placed on medicine that was supposed to help clear it all up. And it did, eventually.
However, I woke up one morning with my hands swollen and itchy. I figured I had been attacked by mosquitoes in the night, as that is what usually happens. But never had my hands been swollen in the past. I brushed it off and got ready for class.
During my Social Science class one student in front of me said it looked like i had bed bugs or something. I looked down to find my arms bright red.
Next I had Volleyball. I was going along, doing my thing. I looked down at the end of class to see my entire arm spotted with hives. So, I stopped by the doctor on the way back to my dorm. She took me off the MRSA medicine and gave me Benadryl to take every six hours.
Needless to say i was in a weird sleepy state for the rest of the day. However, I didn't realize i needed to take it in the middle of the night too. I woke up the next day covered from head to toe in hives with one eye swollen and itchy. I had to skip my first class in order to give time for the Benadryl to kick in. Now it has been a few days of sleepy Benadryl Melissa walking around and the MRSA meds are finally out of my system. I woke up this morning with no hives, so I guess I was just having a reaction to the MRSA medicine. Only thing left to tke care of is this swollen itchy eye that wont go away!
(I decided to draw it for you all! I don't think i ever got an A in art class so beware! )

That night:

"Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music.”

I first have to explain my Facebook status:

"My Social Science class is a JOKE! The teacher told us to memorize all the islands in the Caribbean, So I did! And we only needed to know FOUR! So there I was sitting in class taking a test where everything I was told to study wasn't on the test!!! There is a problem when I am getting a 102% in a 300+ Lvl class and a C- in a 100 lvl class!!!(When is Christmas break again?)"

This teacher, I have had some problems with. She refuses to call on me in class and will blatantly ignore my questions. I asked her just last week what she would be looking for when she checked our folders. I thought this was a reasonable question, considering we have to have certain items in the folder to get full points. She laughed...SHE LAUGHED for about a minute and then pointed to the next person with a hand in the air. No one else was laughing. Everyone had the same confused look on their faces as me. I don't understand what her deal is but she needs to realize that YES my skin is white and YES I speak with an American accent, and NO it's not going to change anytime soon.

This test I took today had a question on it that said "The Virgin Islands___________." Talk about being VAGUE! No directions, Nothing!I liked my answer:
"The Virgin Islands is someplace I will NEVER live again." Then I highlighted the question and wrote "What a nice question!" Honestly, I had many more horrible answers I could have written. I am proud of myself for showing some restraint, albeit only a little.

*Deep Breath*

Moving on to better things... Today is CLOUDY! I love it! There is no sun in the sky, constant rain on and off, and Lots of distant thunder. I woke up thinking: where the heck am I? JUNEAU? sigh...nope. But that's okay because today I am happy with the weather. I don't think I have had a drop of sweat on my thus far today. Usually we all wake up in sweat and we take two showers a day.
Despite the unfortunate test, today is shaping up to be okay. The school is showing Shutter Island this evening, which I have heard is kind of scary...? I think it sounds good. Might be fun.
I finally got all my pictures uploaded onto my computer from snorkeling last weekend.It was a very cool experience and by far the best day in the Caribbean so far. The boat ride was fun too and I would love to spend a little more time on the sands and in the water of St. John.

I realize my blog today is a bit random today.I guess that is my life these days.
So I am heading down town to the mall with some friends. One friend wanted to get a dress and five of us are going with her. We are just THAT bored. haha

Cheers,

The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. ~St. Augustine

(My Family Tree-work in progress)

For class I am building a family tree. The picture above is the tree at this point, obviously not finished yet. Right now I am waiting to hear back from family members on birth dates and locations.
I remember, as a young child, I wanted to know all about my family and where we came from before landing in the US. Thus far, I have been told that I am Scotch/Irish/Cherokee Indian on my fathers side, and German/Dutch/Gypsy on my mothers. Interesting. Question...Do I get any government grants for being many minorities? Surely they have some money set aside for those of us who are the prime example of Melting Pot USA.
Anyways, so I've been working on homework today. I have picked up the wonderful habit of procrastinating, so here I a doing homeworking that is due tomorrow. Sigh. Oh well, the teachers here are pretty worthless anyways. I have one decent teacher, the rest act like they have better things to do with their time. Some don't even show up for class sometimes. There is a rule in college that if the teacher isn't in class after 15min, then the class can leave. Most colleges don't accept this as a rule because things happen, teacher gets a speeding ticket, flat tire, whatever. However, this school does. Several times I have watched the entire class get up and leave the room while I stayed for five more minutes just to make sure.
(Classroom at 5:30pm when class was supposed to start. I was the only one there. Not even the teacher was there)

Most of the time I find this island life very funny. Not only is there island time, but there is super island time. That is when students show up at 945 when the class ends at 950. For some reason the teacher lets the student sign the attendance sheet still... one of my teachers got so tired of students showing up late that he started telling one funny fact a day that, IF you are present, you will remember and will be tested on later for an attendance grade. One fun fact.... In the Virgin Islands you are more likely to die of being hit on the head by a falling coconut while standing under a tree, then to be killed by a shark attack. Interesting aye?

A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for

(Leavinng AK on to the VI-Kari's Car driving through Canada)

I left Alaska on July 30th, 2010. I was heading home to visit the family for a week and a half before beginning my new journey in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. Quite a change, right? That's what most people tell me. See, people have this vision of Alaska being covered in snow yearly, with people sitting around ice holes, fishing. They think that the Virgin Islands is 80 degrees year round. These people are wrong, and rather ignorant for placing faith in Hollywood movies to teach them. Anyways, people seem to question why I chose the VI to visit. Honestly, the answer is simple. Because I can. That's it. I haven't research the school to see if the Education Department here is outstanding. I didn't really care in the beginning anyways. I just wanted to see the beauty of some place different. (Kinsey and Me)

Well here I am!

The first day in town I delivered my bags to my room in 90 degree weather (no AC by the way) and proceeded to unpack, meet my roommate Raven, and make note of what all I needed to buy. All I remember of the day is the feeling of my skin burning and the outrageous price of the Taxis. The next day was hard. So hard. All kinds of doubt entered my mind. I felt like I had made a huge mistake choosing the Virgin Islands and I cried. I sat at a bus stop and cried and I'm not ashamed. Because once I got it out, it made all the difference. It had been a while since I had felt out of my comfort zone and this certainly shattered any comfort zone that ever wrapped around me.
In Juneau, you can blend in with the background if you want. Often times, if I was feeling shy I could sit in the back of the class and practically be invisible. St. Thomas is not like this. In fact, just walking into a room gets me attention. I am white, and a pale white person at that. I am a minority here. Sometimes I wonder if my paleness hurts peoples eyes because they glare at me. I can be walking down the sidewalk and people will refuse to move over so I can walk by, forcing me to walk in the grass. I try not to let this bother me because the majority of the people on campus are not this way. It is proper to say Good morning, good evening, good afternoon, or goodnight to everyone you see. This seems to make people seem nicer then they are. So what have I been up to? Well, last week was my first week of school. Classes here are much different and I try not to compare the punctuality of professors from Juneau and professor (and students) at UVI for fear it might drive me insane. Island time is a real thing and it's annoying! It should be called "lazy time" because that is the only reason for it. People take their sweet time doing everything! Not everything is bad about the VI though. There are more good qualities to the island then bad.
The beaches are great! I have not had a lot of time to spend in the ocean as of yet, but the time I have had has been great! (Minus the sun burns). I have met new friends from all over. Some from the US, some from other islands and the British Virgin Islands, some from other countries. My classes are very easy so far, which could be good or bad but the professors are very nice. I am also learning a lot about myself. when you are a minority and have to work extra hard just to make friends...well it makes you look deep inside yourself. It's been a humbling experience so far, and everyone needs those. (New Friends)

I have trouble finding time to write in this blog. However, a passing hurricane caused the school to cancel our classes, leaving the majority of us on lock down and bored senseless. The school authorities decided to move the student body into a huge cement dorm called East Dorms, which oddly enough reminded me of a prison. And there I was, left with nothing to do but write. Not that that is a bad thing. Anyways, Hurricane Earl hit the shores of St. Thomas at a catagory 3 and did a little damage: up-rooted trees, knocked out power and cell phone towers, tossed around lots of debris, and of course pounded everything with heavy rain and wind. Overall, we were all thankful to be kept in the prison, i mean safe dorm, even if we did have to sleep on cots. Ha! (Cots set up in East Dorm)

It has been a long few days but classes are to resume tomorrow morning and we are all anxious to start our second week of school.

One Wild and Crazy Ride!

And again I have let the time slip by me. So much has happened since May. I am working back at Era this year. I thought I would enjoy it more but something is different this year. Even those who have worked there for several years are thinking about switching to another chopper company. I guess we all just feel like we are being walked all over and can't do anything right. Honestly, without grounds crew, I am not sure that this company would survive. That would mean the pilots would have to fuel, and load their helicopters and I am afraid that might be too much to ask. Not to mention they would have to wash and wax their own vessel as well. Oh, and who would safety brief the visitors? Maybe the base manager could do that? I don't know. I am being sarcastic, of course, and it's all streaming from the fact that our base manager over staffed grounds crew this year and now everyone is being forced to work part-time. It is frustrating to see high schoolers getting just as much, if not more, work time then me when they still live with their parents and don't have to pay bills. Sigh...moving on...
So I have just found out, though I nearly had to beg for the info, that I have to check into the Virgin Islands (UVI-St. Thomas) on Aug 16th. I am buying my flights tonight. That is pretty exciting. However, that leaves me only a few days to get in all the weddings I need to get too, and get my scar removed. I am such a mix of emotions right now. I am pretty terrified, now that I think about it...I mean...Island living isn't really my style...I guess I will figure it out as I go. I did meet a lady from St Thomas yesterday who said she used to own her own helicopter company there not too long ago. Do I smell a part time job...? haha
Today, I am being forced to take off, so I thought I would be productive. I have a list of things to do, starting with tanning. I have been visiting the tanning salon so that I wont burn to a crisp in the VIs. Then, it's to the recreation center to work on buffing up my "guns" ie..muscles. Next I am probably going to get something to eat, just finished my school homework for the week so once I return I will be working on Laundry, oh the joy of spending $1.50 to wash and $1.50 to dry each load of clothes. THEN I am going to clean...if I don't pass out first.
I think I will make today all about me and relaxing. I haven't had a day like that in a long time. Maybe a trip out the road is necessary? Yesterday I took a short drive towards the end of the road and saw, what I think, were lots of porpoises, maybe a few whales...? I sat there with another woman and watched for a few minutes. The sun is shining so you never know what you will see!! I think I will definitely make my way out the road for some whale watching...I got a feeling they might be enjoying the sun today too.


Cheers!
☼♫ Melissa ♫☼

BBQ! Woohoo!

What a great week!
The weather has been mid to high 70s and sunny! I got a little sun burnt two days ago and am just enjoying myself. Today is Friday and I am off work a bit early. What else could put me in a better mood? Oh, well tonight is a gathering of friends at Sara's house and I am way excited. Looks like it's BBQ and side dishes. I am thinking this will be a blast!
So this past week has been busy. I have been working on homework for my summer class and things are going really well. A long while ago I was taught how to use a virtual world called SecondLife, for an online English class and found out that I will get to use it for this summer class I am taking now. I decided to build The Shrine of St Therese (for homework) in Secondlife so that others can see it. And I emailed my teacher to have him take a look at my work. It turns out he was very impressed and wanted to know if I would be interested in talking to the Provost of the University of Alaska system about the educational benefits of this virtual world. Also, he wanted to show The Shrine to him. I thought that was pretty neat and very unexpected.
Besides school I have been working my tail off at Era again this summer. I am enjoying it even better then last year and the time here is flying by because I am having such a blast. Last week I got to take a flight with Mike Bury, a pilot who has been around for a bit but I hadn't gotten the chance to fly with him until recently. It was great! We landed on the Norris glacier and walked about looking at the huge cracks, moulin, and large glacial pools. It was gorgeous! I managed to snap a few pictures before my camera died. I will have to post those soon.
Welp, time to start getting ready for the BBQ tonight!
♥Melissa

Another School Year Gone

So yesterday was pretty awesome!
As you have probably realized, I have not been on much lately. I have been finishing up this semester of school and also started work again last week. But I am on now to update about the great day everyone had yesterday.
It was commencement for UAS. We started off the day with a brunch fro Kari and Robert at Lisa's house. The food was great and the company was even better. It was nice meeting Robert and Kari's family. Meeting peoples loved ones always give you a glimpse into their lives. After the brunch we parked at campus and took shuttle buses over to the recreation center for the graduation.
All the graduates and professors donned the typical robes. The music was good, the speakers were good. Overall, it was much less painful then last year. The only thing I would say is that only about 20 min of the 2 hr ceremony had anything to do with the graduates. The rest was about outstanding community members that no one really cares about. I mean, seriously...Some parents traveled from far distances and paid a lot of money to get here to see their kids graduates. All they got was about 20 min. And that's all I have to say about it...
After the graduation, everyone went home and crashed. Quick naps gave us all a boost of energy for the bonfire last night. It was a great time, as many of us friends gathered around a bonfire on the beach and watched whales and porpoises feeding in the distance. Overall, it turned out to be a great evening and we left early enough for me to get plenty of sleep before having to be up for work today.
Right now, the sun is shining and I only have to work a half day. Pretty sure I can't complain about anything at the moment!

Oh Dang...Getting behind again...Story of my life.

Well a lot has happened since I last wrote. I finally heard from the Virgin Islands. UVI. I have to say it hasn't really hit me yet. I am excited to go and meet new people, explore new places, but I am not sure about a lot right now. I signed up for classes though I have to send the paper in the mail still and it has to be approved before I am officially enrolled.
Meanwhile I will be working at Era again this summer and also taking 6 credits of classes so I am able to live on campus. It should be a fun and interesting summer though very exhausting.
I am currently in class so I can't write an entire entry but I will be here soon! Promise!
Melissa

Melissa is a Badass...

(Sorry Mom, but "tough cookie" didn't really capture the tone I wanted.)

Monday, March 15th, was the official start to our spring break here at the University of Alaska Southeast. Robert, Kari and I set forth plans to hike to Windfall Cabin for a three day, two night, stay. I think we can all agree we needed some time away from the dull housing apartments.
We left UAS around 11am and picked up Robert, parking at the trail head around 12. This was supposed to be an easy hike and at first it was. In order to actually get to the trail we had to walk down a snow/ slush covered road about half a mile, which turned into a dead end, the trail leading off to the right. Everything seemed great. The weather was a bit damp, around 40 degrees, but hey that's better then freezing! Then we hit "the hill." That's how I will remember it in my head because it took me so long to get up it. It was covered, I mean COVERED, in Ice. And I thought to myself, "My gosh! Is this how the whole trail is going to be?" Well, I should have knocked on wood or something because, five minutes later, once I had used small trees to help me up "the hill" I saw that my fears where confirmed. Everything covered in ice so thick, it looked like snow at first.
Nevertheless, we hiked onward! Every step was planned, with near falls here and there to make sure we were awake. I would like to say that the scenery was gorgeous, and I'm sure it was, but I didn't get the chance to look at it. We were all staring down at our feet.
What made this hike worse was the wooden boards that were supposed to be steps. Steps up, steps down, small boards serving as bridges over creeks, sometimes random useless boards that made no sense at all. However, these were not just pieces of wood. These were ice covered traps! One wrong step and you would be falling down several icy steps, possibly knocking out everyone in front of you. At one point I tried walking along the snow on the side of the steps. Well, apparently, these steps where not useless because the snow gave in and covered me to my knees. It was a guessing game...I lost that round.
The worst part of the whole trip came about .25 miles from our destination. There was this horribly long foot bridge covered in a foot thick of ice. Kari was first to walk the plank with Robert right behind her, me bringing up the rear. The bridge really got to Robert who ended up on all fours crossing. The bridge didn't really bother me personally, but it did bother me how nervous the others were about it. I really didn't want to have to rescue someone from the icy river below. (not that I could, if I wanted too). Along the way Robert dropped his water bottle. No big deal, it was right on the edge of the frozen river, maybe only a foot deep. I took a couple steps down to retrieve it. Standing on what I thought was the icy bank, I quickly realized the water was much deeper and couldn't see the water bottle at all. Unfortunately, this all happened in about a 2 second frame of time, as the ice below me gave way and I fell into the VERY cold water, a little over knee deep.
I don't remember too much at this point. I think I began to panic but jumped out of the water, scooting back away from the hole. I remember Kari saying I should move farther back because it could break again and I reached up, gabbing someones hand. The next thing I know I was on my knees almost having a panic attack and very very cold. I got to my feet back on the path and was ready to get my pack back on when the hands of the snow pulled my left leg down again, knee deep. Great! I heard some profanity...I like to think it was Robert haha...and I got back to my feet again.
.2 miles is what the mile marker said. Only .2 miles. That's not far. Not far at all. But it was far. It felt so incredibly far as I lost feeling in my legs, began to shiver and watched as my cohorts marched on without me. It felt like I was moving fast. As fast as I could go but I couldn't keep up. Every man for himself I suppose. I started thinking about my school, exchange, Missouri, my family and I became very homesick (or familysick as I like to think of it).
Boards...More stupid wooden boards...
I realized in that moment how much I love talking to my family on the phone. Even when they have nothing important to say to me or nothing at all, I love hearing that everyone is okay and sharing my experiences with them.
More Boards...wooden slippery stupid steps! But wait! This time they actually went down a long distance! AND down the hill was a cute little cabin, which I would have assumed was vacant had I not known that my hiking buddies were already inside. It took forever to get down those steps even though they were not covered in ice. Once I reached the bottom I stumbled inside, pulled out a change of clothes, stumbled into the outhouse to change, stumbled back into the cabin, pulled out my sleeping bad and blanket and curled up on the hard wooden bunks.
I am not normally a complainer, and I consider myself a semi-experienced hiker. However, this hike out was just different, like the world was against me this day.
Robert cooked steaks on the camping stove. It was really good. He made garlic potatoes as a side and we sat around talking and eating. Before leaving home I downloaded an episode of Desperate Housewives on my iPod for some added entertainment. Kari and I watched it and got some good laughs out of it before making our beds and having some "Read Aloud" time. There happened to be a Tidal Echos (book of random writings by random people) in the cabin and Kari and Robert took turns reading funny stories from it. I read from Anthem, by Ayn Rand. I think we all enjoyed the book, especially me, since it is one of my all time favorites!
Then we crashed.

March 16th.
We woke around 10:30am. It was a horrible nights sleep for me. I think I was just to chilled to sleep and when I finally did fall asleep I had the weirdest dreams about demons. It was odd...
Anyways, we started the day with scrambled eggs on the camping stove, and man they were great! After, we washed our dishes and gathered drinking water from the lake to boil. Kari and Robert sat out build a fire but the wood was way to wet from the previous days rain. The weather cleared up nicely. I managed to get some good pictures of the scenery and even sat outside reading, soaking in the sun. ( I think it cured my deadly case of the chills)
I noticed some tracks on the ice/snow covered lake, which was first discarded as dog paw prints. However, later in the evening we read some of the logs at the cabin from last month. They found wolf tracks across the entire lake. It seems likely that it could have been the same, as the paw prints were very big and appeared over night. It was a little exciting!
That night we played cards, and read aloud some ridiculous logs. Some dealing with broken bones and kegs. Who would haul a keg all the way out there anyways....ah college life.
I started boiling water for my soup, which I accidentally dropped candle wax in. FYI It is not fun cleaning candle wax out of a boiling pot of water. I know for a fact that I was unable to clear out all the wax and am therefore positive that I currently have wax inside of me right now. Lets hope I don't catch on fire anytime soon.
That night I finished reading Anthem aloud and read a bit aloud from Educating Esme, finishing it as well. Robert told ghost stories, and other weird stories about Wizards and unicorns...It seems odd now but was quite funny at the time.
Then we crashed again.

March 17th
We had pancakes for breakfast. It tasted great even if they were a bit deformed. Ha! Robert had eggs with his and fried ham as well. We threw out the leftover food, cleaned up the dishes, packed our bags, burned the little bit of trash we had (so Robert could get his fire fix) and cleaned the cabin. We left the gorgeous cabin and lake around 11am. We had to be out no later then 12 as the cabin was reserved at that time.

And it was back to those dang wooden boards again.
I led the way out which was a nice change. I could actually see the scenery around me rather than someones pack in front of me. When I am following someone I often catch myself staring at their heels most of the way, watching the steps they are taking. Of course, I was still watching every step I took but it was nice looking up every once in a while. We got to the foot bridge again to find it in the same condition we left it. We all made it across safely, without loosing any water bottles...or legs...
The trail seemed much shorter on the way back. Probably because our packs were not as heavy. The ice seemed to be on my side for once as it rarely even felt slippery. An hour and thirty-five minutes later we were at "the hill" again. The beginning of the trail. I had this great idea to sit down on the ice....okay, that is a lie. I fell! I made it the whole trip without actually falling on the ice and there at the very end I fell right on my bum. It turned out to be kind of fun because I decided to just slide down "the hill." It was a good 10 or more feet slide. I was laughing, Kari and Robert were laughing, and it was fun. I tried to convince them to do the same. But they decided to try and side step the ice. Both ended up falling and ...well....they weren't laughing.
After the ten minute walk on the icy road back to Kari's car, we headed to Donnas, a cute small town feeling restaurant that serves breakfast all day. Then it was home.


I was a bit anxious to get home (aside from wanting a shower) as I have been waiting to hear from the Nation Student Exchange coordinator about where I will be exchanging schools at next fall. Also I was waiting to hear back from my advisor on what classes I am to take this summer and next year. My advisor was very helpful and it looks like I am right on track. It's great because on exchange I don't have to take any serious classes, other then Government. I can take whatever I want and come back to Juneau in the Spring, take 12-15 credits and still be set to graduate on time! SWEET!

Then I got this email from the exchange coordinator:

"Congratulations! You have been placed through the National Student Exchange (NSE) program.

University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas for the fall semester 2010 - Plan A

At this time you need to decide if you want to accept or decline your placement. There are three meeting times arranged next week for to do just that – accept or decline. Please be sure to make it to one of the meetings to obtain your Placement Acceptance Form (PAF) and possibly information from your host school. Also, I have more paperwork for you to complete and will explain some of the ins and outs of your exchange while away from UAS."

How awesome is that?! Of course, I will be accepting that offer! I am excited to see some new sites and travel a bit. I suppose that also means it's time to start getting in shape.

I guess the week is going pretty great compared to how it started off. I have learned many things on this trip that I am sure will help me on my way to the Virgin Islands. The main one being: You can make it through any experience as long a you have some hand sanitizer and some toilet paper.
Hehehe!

Perhaps this blog should be more simply named: Melissa Goes.

♥ Melissa

PS:pictures can be found at:
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/music_map/1/1268842523/tpod.html

Procrastinatio.....n

I decided today that I would keep this blog. I'm not sure why exactly; I guess because my new blog is more about traveling and I feel bad posting anything random. (Like this post)

It does have more outreach, which is nice since no one really reads this one.

Anyways, the beginning of March is here. It seems crazy to think that the summer will be here shortly. Next week is the last week before spring break and of course, that means it is jam packed with tests and presentations, few of which I am confident about.
Meanwhile, I have been enjoying the gorgeous weather this semester. Last winter was so much worse then this one. This year, we have had hardly any snow. I remember one bad week, maybe two, where the roads were kind of bad. Last year, the snow was still on the ground and refusing to fully melt clear up until I started working at Era. I remember thinking it would never leave, and here I am missing the snow a bit. Everything is green though and really gorgeous. The rain has hit us hard this winter so it is nice to know that the rain forest is getting enough precipitation. I would hate to work outside all summer in rain. Or so this is how my mind works. If we get the rain now, maybe we will have less rain this summer. I have heard it is supposed to be another nice one but I am sure it has probably been jinxed by now.

Well, I postponed my English reading and Biology MRSA research paper in order to write this blog. Ah procrastination. I guess I should get back too it.

New blog! ! ! ! ! !

I will be continuing this blog at:
http://www.travelpod.com/members/music_map

When the waves are flooding the shore, when I can't find my way home anymore...

This week has about done me in. I am physically and emotionally exhausted and if I hear the word homework one more time think I might die. Today was not too bad though. I had class this morning until 10:10am. Ah my biology class. In this mornings class I could not tell you what we covered because I was so distracted. The girl next to me was putting makeup on the whole class while the girl a few seats down kept running in and out of the room to answer her cell phone. Across the room was this hilarious girl. She was in "the zone" staring off so hard that I thought her eyeballs might actually roll down her face and onto her notebook. Maybe she was asleep. I don't know.
So after that I took a little drive out the road. I have found that sometimes all that is needed to make a day better is some alone time in a car full of music. I love and miss music so much. It is probably one of the only things I loved about high school was the musical opportunities. Anyways, I took a drive jamming out to my iPod until the road turned to ice. It was crazy because it almost felt like a flat tire or something. The car was so hard to control but I managed to pull over just fine and turn around. From there I went to the Mendenhall Glacier and relaxed for a while. It was gorgeous today. And then it was onward to the store where I splurged a little since my financial aid money finally came through. Then returning home, I unpacked all I bought and settled on the couch to look over my Student Exchange application. I filled the entire form out but was having the hardest time deciding what schools I was interested in and in which order I wanted to place them on the application. I figured it out though and turned it in. Finished...Done...I guess it's all up to fate now.
So to get my mind off everything, tonight I invited a friend out. He just got back from South America and we haven't had much time to catch up yet. Hopefully that will work out but I haven't heard back from him yet.
I think that's all I have for now. Back to the, dare I say, homework! sigh.
♥ Melissa

New year, New classes, New roommates, new, new, new, new

One week of the semester down and somehow it just feels like a continuation from last year. Not much has changed, besides the furniture in our apts, which I have to admit isn't the worst I have seen. I have actually been sitting on the couch watching movies and doing homework all weekend. It's kinda comfortable.
So classes are underway and I feel pretty good about them. The homework doesn't seem outrageous. I have been sending out emails to random teachers trying to get into a classroom for my practicum. If I don't get into one then I can't be in the class. Fun right? I have to admit I am getting excited to get back in the classroom. I miss being around the kids. When I was substitute teaching I found myself really loving it (as long as I wasn't at the high school. lol). So anyways, I have been sitting around the house writing emails out to every 4th and 5th grade teacher I can find. It has been a bit stressful. So, I put in Home Improvement. That show always makes me feel good about my life. haha. I am not nearly as messed up as the people on there.
Also, I am learning about the sky and the universe in my Astronomy class. It is very interesting right now. I love looking up at the sky, well, when it is clear enough which it rarely is. Every once in a while the night sky is completely clear and SO gorgeous. A few nights ago the moon was SO huge and looked so close! It was gorgeous and last night the moon had this brilliant ring around it. This astronomy class has been teaching us about the creation of the world and how everything evolved. While I am not sure about all that, it is very interesting. It really makes you think about how the moon really was placed where it is now. Did you know that the moon is moving farther away from the Earth every year. We know this because when we landed on the moon we placed some devices up there that help us measure. (So don't ever let anyone tell you that we never landed on the moon.) Or what about the fact that some stars and galaxy's are so far away that it takes years (sometimes millions or billions of years) for the light from them to travel to us. That's kind of cool. Or what about... IF the sun is the size of a grapefruit THEN Earth is the size of a ballpoint pen. Seems crazy when you think of it like that. I think the class also proves that we, or the majority of us humans, are quite naive.
So yeah, classes have started and I am running around like crazy trying to get things together, books, homework, etc. Meanwhile, I am trying to be open to the idea of global warming (vs climate change) and even Evolution. This should be a fun semester!

♥ Melissa

Fearless

Brother Brad spoke about living a fearless life yesterday. Living in faith and not fear. Living by faith and not by sight.
It was a great sermon and very to the point but I was trying to figure out what it means in MY life. How can I interpret this to help me and my walk?
We all walk in fear at some point in our lives. Whether we are afraid of loving and loosing or just change in general, it is something we have all had to deal with. I guess I have always had issues with change. I'm not really sure why. It's not like I have lived in the same house all my life, or even in the same town. Alaska has helped with this. I know that my family is probably sick of me bringing up AK and my AK friends all the time but it has been my life for the past year. Moving to Juneau was a decision I made on my own and in my own faith. A leap of Faith for sure made out of solitude and prayer. And I have been so happy and learned so many things. This is a leap that proved to be well worth the risk.
However, now I am thinking ahead, trying to figure out my future. I am okay with not having a plan at the moment but I would like to have some idea of where I will be headed. The rest will work itself out eventually. This has been bothering me for a while now. A little bit of fear in the way, I suppose. I have thought of several states, several schools, to look into. I have thought of going right back into school concerning my next interest. I have thought many things but am not sure that I am ready to commit to anything. I guess I am just praying for a lead since the last leap worked out so well. I am hoping that the next journey I am taken on is one that teaches me just as much and allows me to have this much fun again.
So for now, I will be living each moment and each day as fearless as possible until I am shown my next adventure.

♥ Melissa

Those In Glass Houses Shouldn't Throw Stones.

Just a few days ago a group of five people were caught in a house fire and all died. They were made up of two adults, two 11 year olds and a baby. This was in a nearby town. A man by the name of Fred Phelps, who calls himself a Baptist Rev., feels the need to show his face in this community to protest the funeral. Why, you may ask? Why would anyone protest this? Their website shows what kind of people do this: Www.godhatesfags.com/schedule.html

These people claim to be protesting this funeral because the baby was born out of wedlock. Acording to them God was punishing the family and the baby deserved to die. Look at their website and see how cruel they are. Are not their sins just as bad as those of this family. This is the same group from Kansas that has been protesting military funerals, homosexuals, and anyone that they feel is not worthy to be loved by God. (I am guessing they are KU fans, which would explain a lot, jk). This frustrates me to no end. I am a Christian, Baptist, and I have been made fun of my entire life because of my beliefs. I would never ever do any thing like these people are doing. They need to be reminded that they too have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. Calling names like "Fags" "Whores" "Sluts" etc, which they write ALL over their website, is in no way what Jesus would do. What would Billy Graham say about this? Graham is a man who has lived a life for God and helped bring thousands of people to God. This is the right way to help people. Judging, Name calling, Protesting Funerals, Jumping for joy at any sight of pain others face. It saddens me to a religious group forcing so much pain on others.

"If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw the stone at her."

WBC you can twist the worlds of the Bible and follow your leader blindly, but remember what has happened to other religious groups that have followed their leader, instead of following God. Hmm....Jim Jones ring a bell? What about Warren Jeffs?

How long before one of these WBC members, or the Rev hurts someone. It seems they have such a hatred and wish pain on so many but themselves. How long until they act upon their hatred?

I sure hope it never comes to that but the world we live in today can be pretty dang crazy.

-Melissa

*Jumps down off her soapbox*

Sorry for the venting but I had to get it off my chest before bed.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! (a little late)

Christmas came and went so fast this year. Usually it is long and stressful but not this time. Everyone seemed to be working together to make it as smooth as possible and I am so thankful for that! Unfortunately, right around Christmas my Great Grandma started having health issues. They thought she had Pneumonia at first, which can be deadly for a 94 year old. However, she has a weak valve in her heart which is allowing her lungs to fill with liquid. This could happen at any time so we are keeping her in our prayers. She has told us she is ready whenever the Lord wants her. It is great to have such a strong Christian woman as a role model. She will be 95 next week. I am glad that I will be in town to celebrate this with her and the family.

I wrote last entry that we had pictures taken. Here is the huge family picture which will be at least a few years before we can do it again:

I was lucky to meet with Brook and Popa, my two best friends from UCM. We met at the Mexican restaurant and caught up. I don't think I have laughed so hard in years. We decided that we are the type of friends that no matter how long we have been apart, we can come back and continue right where we left off. After we ate, I rode with Brook to take Popa home to KC. We jammed out in the car and shared memories from freshman year. Brook remembered the time that I finally stood up for myself and ended up getting the cops called to my room (who thought it was all a joke). Sarah added how she and brook hacked into the girl who called the cops' Facebook and changed everything on it to get back at her. Oh they are still just as ornery as ever. I could always count on them to have my back no matter what. Brook is getting married in August which I have promised to be in attendance. I am so excited for her. And then next summer we are taking a road trip to the east coast. That is the plan for now and I am hoping it stays the same. If I had to choose anyone to do a road trip with, it would be these two. Popa grabbed at pic of me and brook with her phone:
Ah, such good times.

I rang in the New Year with my Mom, Debbie, Kinsey, Nathan and Amanda. We had a good time watching The Proposal and the various performances on TV. It was a good time. Ringing in the New Year means one thing, no more vacation. Now, everyone is back to work. School starts back up tomorrow for the local school district. I am trying to figure out how to spend the next few weeks, besides sleeping in and forcing myself to work out. I guess I will catch up on some reading, as the thought of sitting in front of the TV all day makes me sick.
Okay, I'm off to work out! Ah New Years Resolutions! Who said they are just made to be broken? Not ME!

♥ Melissa

On January 6th I will have been in Alaska for a whole year now. That's crazy, right? Did this past year really fly by as fast as I think it did?