We've had a great few weeks. Last week we went on a dinner and movie date with Adam's sister Alyssa and her husband, Michael. We stumbled across this authentic Mexican restaurant called Pineda Taco a few months ago and have wanted to take them there since. After eating, we went to see Maleficent. It was a twist on the old Sleeping Beauty story and was really good! The next day, I went to visit my sister and her family while Adam studied for an exam. I hadn't seen them in weeks, so it was so much fun catching in and playing with our two nieces! They are growing up so quickly. Emeri is so stinking cute. She has learned tons of new words and is such a ham! Willa is the most laid back baby I've ever met. She is completely content just sitting and smiling. She is so adorable. I just want to kiss her cheeks non-stop. That weekend, Adam and I headed up to Green Lake. This was the first weekend of {mostly} sunshine! I officially have tan lines. Halleluiah. It was a great weekend spent mopeding, reading, fishing, playing basketball and watching movies. Volleyball resumed this week, after a week off due to a bye, and we added one to the 'L' column. Oh well. We flagged down an ice cream truck driving around the courts after the game, so I'd still chalk it up to a win ;) This weekend will be spent in the cities! There are so many festivals and activities going on, we're hoping to participate is some of it! It's Stone Arch Days. The Green Line Opening celebration is happening, there is a movie in the park by Lake Harriet and on Sunday our nieces are getting dedicated. It will be a memorable weekend!
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| Green Lake |
Last night Adam {Thursday} and I had an impromptu date night at Osaka and saw The Edge of Tomorrow. I love our little adventures. The movie had a bit of time travel in it and got us on a fun topic of conversation afterwards. If we reversed time to change something, would we be where we are today? How much of a ripple effect would the subtlest of changes make? As many of you know, Adam and I were both Community Advisors {RA's} at the University of Minnesota for two years. We had met at a mutual friend's house {my CA coworker, Adam's friend} and later recognized one another in an Ecology class. You know how that story ends; under an oak tree at the Erickson cabin on a warm August night. What you may not know is that we could very well have never met, had it not been for my forgetfulness.
Fall of 2009 was my first semester at the University of Minnesota. I was walking through my dorm hallway one day and thinking about how I could get involved in something. Anything. I needed to make the most of my time here and there were so many groups/clubs to choose from. I passed my CA's room and saw her on her floor studying. I stopped and asked her if she recommended anything that would be fun to sign up for. She highly recommended the Fall Freshmen Leadership Retreat. I looked more into it that night, saw the deadline was just a few days away and decided to quick apply. A few weeks later I found out I was chosen and attended the retreat at Camp Pepin in Wisconsin shortly after. It was facilitated by a man named Brett Chin and we learned so much about respect, being a leader, communication and acceptance. It was unforgettable.
I decided a few months after the retreat that I wanted to apply to become a CA. I figured it would be a great way to meet people, while getting free room and board! Can't beat that. However, becoming a CA was no easy task. They make you go through several different interview phases and workshops to determine if you would be a good fit. I made it through the initial screening and was told the important group style 'workshop' interview was next. It consisted of either four different two hour long sessions during the week or an eight hour long session on a Saturday. I was put into a Wednesday night workshop with roughly 25 other students. On a Thursday evening {spring of 2010}, my stomach turned as I had completely forgotten about my workshop the previous night. I had blown it. I had two other friends of mine apply and not even make it to the workshop phase. I knew they were picky and was certain I would not be given a second chance. I sent a pleading email to the hiring organizer asking her if I could be put in another session. She said that someone had just dropped out and there was a spot in Saturday's workshop I could fill, but with a different interviewer and at a different location. I couldn't care less who it was with, I was beyond grateful that I could have a second chance. As the workshop came to a start that same Saturday {yours truly was 20 minutes early}, I looked up and saw our interviewer, Brett Chin, walk in. I was the only person in the group who had attended the leadership retreat that previous fall. He and I said hello and quickly discussed how I'd been doing with the skills I'd learned on the retreat. Myself and two other students ended up making it through that round and I was eventually placed as a CA in Sanford Hall. It was there that I met my coworker, who would lead me to his friend, Adam.
Had I remembered my initial interview time {which I would have given my left arm for at the time}, would I have been hired? Had the person not dropped out of Saturday's session, would I have had a second chance? What if my CA hadn't been studying on her floor the night I was looking for something to get involved in? Infinite 'what ifs' exist in this life. So many small puzzle pieces that magically find their way together. And this is only my story. Every other person has their own set of circumstance, experiences and decisions they've made. I'm grateful for the buses I've missed, schools I didn't get into, classes that didn't have room for me and friendships that came and went. It all boils down to faith. Faith that God knows better than anyone {especially me}, what my life is supposed to look like. He knows what lessons I need to learn, who I need by my side and where I'm supposed to be. He knew I was supposed to adventure through life with my curly headed best friend.
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| Bocce Ball |
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| My favorite spot to fish |
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| Adam looking tough |
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| Fishing Green Lake |
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