resolutions

You know I'm all about taking pictures...I've done a few 365 projects (take a picture every day for a year). This year I'm going to participate in mcp's Project 12. Basically there is a monthly theme and you take a photo to match the theme. With the 365, it was more about a daily account of activities to go through a year of the life. This time, I'll try to focus more on capturing those moments, but I'll be more cognisant of style rather than just snapping a picture for each day.

The first month's category was "Resolution." My big resolution this year is to explore. We live in an amazing new place, but it's often easy to get caught up in life and not take the time to find new adventures to go on. I want to take advantage of living here and, while we certainly won't do "everything there is to do" around here this year, I want to make the most of our experiences.

I also want to make sure I'm continually seeking to learn more about the Japanese language and culture while I'm here. We are learning new words and phrases every day, and I would love to be able to go a temple or museum and be able to read the history of how it came to be.

My photo this month capture both of these goals. On New Year's Day, we had enjoyed a nice, relaxing winter break and decided we wanted to go explore. We found a beautiful park near an onsen, and spent quite a while walking around in the snow and taking pictures. It was a great way to start off the new year.

The park had some amazing statues, gates, and a whole bunch of other Japanese touches that set it apart from a typical American park.

I've always admired what Asian culture does with water - so my photo for the month is this:

the beginning of an era

So this was by far the best New Year's I've ever experienced. Some of you have heard already, but I got myself engaged last night. It was beautiful and, needless to say, I'm SOOOO excited! (Yes, with that many "O's") This is the wonderful man mentioned in the New Year's post from last year.

It was a beautiful night. Knowing how much I love that scene in Say Anything, he stood knee-deep in snow outside my apartment with the boom box playing our song until I came outside to see what it was all about. He ran up the hill, got down on one knee, and asked me to be his wife. It was the best moment of my life!

Though nothing can quite compare to that, other things have been good as well. It's been snowing like crazy here...we had the biggest snow storm in 17 years the other night. Usually I'm not one for enjoying snow storms, but it was actually kind of fun being "snowed in." I do admit that I will be excited once it melts and I'm able to leave the apartment once again. Not knowing we would be in for a snowy surprise, I refrained from going to the grocery store this week, a decision I quickly regretted once I realized my poor Saturn would not be able to make it over the four feet of snow blocking the exit to the carport. Luckily, the 'rents conned my sister's boyfriend (who has 4 wheel drive) into taking her to the store and bringing some food by my apartment. Thank you, Steven, my hero for the week.

Christmas was great too...several relatives came into town, and it was nice seeing them again. A whole evening was spent playing Trivial Pursuit, which will happen when you have 11 people each trying to play on their own teams, but, alas, someone finally won (quite possibly because he was the only person still interested in the game) and it was over.

By the way, the ring is white gold with three round cut diamonds in the middle and then there are two strips of gold on either side with smaller diamonds inside them. I love it. :D

new place for the new year

New Year's was interesting. We were able to move into the apartment New Year's Eve. Since I didn't get off work until 5, we were only able to move the two couches, the tv, and the microwave moved. That, though, was plenty to have a New Year's party.

With the tv perched on top of the microwave's box (a tarp covering it to make it look a bit less ghetto) and the couches set in weird angles across the living room, we were all set.

Some friends and I went to get pizza and then watched some movies. We ended up falling asleep before midnight, sprawled all over the living room. So much for late nights in the new place, eh?

PS I'm pretty sure I met my future husband tonight. It's a weird feeling I have, so we'll see how that goes...

lessons learned

WARNING: this will be long. Have fun reading if you actually want to read it all. I'm officially jumping on the "2002 recap" bandwagon...remember kids, don't follow trends...

Now that its basically all said and done, 2002 has been one of the best years of my life...it wasn't because only great things happened to me (because, really, who has a perfect life?)...but because of the things I have learned from everything that has happened...

January was an interesting month..I went down to see my best friend and that was the realization that we were growing somewhat apart since she moved...lesson learned: change is inevitable and it seems that the things you dont want to change the most are always the first to change, so you need to accept that and make the best of it.

February marked another Valentine's Day alone...but I realized that I didnt need a "significant other" to make it a good time because I was starting to make some great friends from the college group that I started going to. I'm reaffirming my commitment not to date until I know "he's the one." lesson learned: being without a significant other is not being alone...good friends are even more important.

March was an interesting month..I transferred jobs, which, looking back, may not have been the best decision. Also in march, I met a lot of new people, two of whom I talk to every day and consider two of my closest friends. I also met justin, which was a big mistake. lesson learned: meeting new people is so important because they often become your best friends..but moving too quickly into a relationship often leads to disaster.

April, I went on the mission trip as a leader and found that I could be a role model to the high schoolers. lesson learned: that any one person can make a huge difference in someone's life, even by doing some thing considered small and insignificant. God is above all that crap we pull every day..

May was a good month..school finally ended and..that's about all that happened. Other than that it was pretty boring...lessons learned:boring can be good. We all get bored and often complain about it, but sometimes we need to just slow down, stop rushing and stressing, and just..be bored.

June/July were good.. the parents went on vacation for the whole month so I was able to just spend time alone at the house. It was a nice change. I love my family, but it's always crazy in our house. It made me realize how much I love my family but how much more I'd like them if I moved out. I also got closer with some of the before mentioned friends..and I got to go to a music festival with some friends from the collge group! lessons learned: family and friends are important, and regardless of whether you get along all the time, you need them just as much as they need you.

August/September were nothing special other than having to say goodbye again to all my friends leaving for college..and one friend who got married...and yes, then I started school again...all that jazz...lesson learned: life is basically a cycle, like it or not..

October was..school oriented..this semester was really difficult and my procrastination didn't make it too much better. Yes, everyone procrastinates but this semester was worse than usual. Other than that small drawback, the month was pretty good. I housesat for a week and had some friends come see me there. It made me realize that even though sometimes I feel like I don't have any good close friends, I am surrounded by people who care about me..and I love them so much. And, then we almost died in a car accident on the way home from Santa Clara..lessons learned: do the best you can at whatever you are doing, and you'll gain more satisfaction from it. Do not take anything for granted because it could all be gone within seconds. Just because you seem to be very close in personality to someone doesn't mean that you are meant to be with that person..and you are often MUCH more different than them than you thought you were..

November was an...interesting...month...some hard times with some friends...questioning lots of things...becoming really unoriented in so many parts of my life...some relationships will never be the same...some things that used to come so naturally are now so foreign...but I had great people sticking by me who I cant thank enough...lessons learned: once again with the change issues...it's a part of life...usually unexpected. When you're 100% convinced you're alone, you're not.

December was a pretty hectic month with getting ready for all the holidays and stuff...I wasnt really in the "Christmas spirit" as they say, until the 24th. Once it hit me, things got much better. Prior to that I had a lot of issues concerning three different really good friends of mine..but resolution comes with time and it's happening as we speak....lessons learned: family and friends really are the most important things..and that we're never done growing...and its never too late...for anything....

..and that brings me to here...standing on the verge of a new year...and I guess its all up to me what I make of it...so...I guess I'll see you all in 2003...