So long, 2011!

Dear Reader,

2011 is over! Sometimes it's hard to believe. And then other times I feel like it's already about October 2012, since that's where my brain is at Highlights. (We work 10 months ahead.)

This year has been exciting. Let's relive it!

January:
I began my LAST SEMESTER OF COLLEGE. This was both exciting and terrifying, partly because I'd missed school during my eight-months-of-internships break and partly because I would be graduating soon, and mostly because I had no idea what I was doing with the rest of my life after graduating happened.

February:
February was slow. Like Februarys usually are. But I did make lasagna with Natalie.

March:
I participated in the Divine Comedy music video "Firebolt" which proves that wizards are real. If wizards are college students running around with sparklers and stuffed owls.

April:
I GRADUATED!!! And then left Provo for Michigan. And then had an interview with Highlights for an internship, which I guess went well because they gave me the job!

May:
I moved to Honesdale and began my internship at Highlights! I also took a trip to DC to visit Natalie on my birthday weekend when I turned 23. And I found the apartment I was going to live at in Honesdale which meant I didn't need to live in the Highlights cabins anymore:

June:
I went to NYC with Natalie and Amber! And I adopted Bailey.

July:
I hit up DC for the fourth. Nothing like Independence day in the capitol! Especially when it rains really, really, really hard. I went to Chautauqua Writer's Conference for work where I spent 8 days on staff working really, really hard while mingling with awesome people.

August:
I went to Philly to a Death Cab Concert and then visited Natalie and the temple in DC.

September:
Natalie came to visit me in Honesdale!! And I went to pick her up in Philly.

October:
It was finally fall! My favorite season. And I went to a pumpkin patch, ate cider donuts and drank cider. It was the perfect fall experience!

November: 

I went to Portland to go with Natalie through the temple! This trip was long-awaited and sooo worth it! Yay Powell's!!

December:
I helped plan and throw the ward Christmas party, oversaw the craft room at Highlight's Holiday Open House, and then drove home to spend Christmas and New Years with my family!

So I got a college degree, landed the most awesome internship, and traveled to some of the country's most awesome cities all in one year! I think it was an excellently productive year. Here's to 2012! May it be just as exciting--and even better (if that's even possible!).

Books, books, books. Have I mentioned I love them?

Dear Reader,

We now come to the final installment of my adventures in Portland. And I've just got one word.

POWELL'S.

Oh, heavenly beauty that is an entire city block and four floors of books. The largest independently owned bookstore in the country.

This is the picture book section. Well, part of it. It was just SO BIG. This is a picture book called "My First Batman Book." It's an interactive board book. 100% magic? Why yes.

And this was its companion book: "My First Superman Book." One with Natalie's favorite superhero, one with mine. It was perfect!

After spending a few hours in the morning looking through the children's section, Natalie and I went to get food from some of the many, many food stands of Portland. We ate in Pioneer square, said hi to this guy,

and talked to a group of missionaries passing through on their P-day. I love missionaries! One of the sisters had the same coat as me, so that was also cool.

Natalie and I walked a bit around Portland, passing through a toy store (have I mentioned that we have the maturity of ten-year-olds?) and the place where her dad works. Then--we returned to the most beautiful place on earth. 

For many more hours. We were so tired.

See?

I believe we spent about 7 hours or so in Powell's that day. It was a long time coming.

Aaaaand....I may have bought like six books. I had to. I promise.

For dinner we went to a haunted pizza restaurant. It used to be a hotel where a girl was murdered, but now they serve amazing pizza there. Yes it was creepy, no I would never want to work there, and maybe I would like to spend the rest of my life eating that pizza.

Afterwards, because it's not like we'd eaten enough food that day, we went to Voo Doo Doughnuts. It's this doughnut store where they put crazy things on doughnuts, like cereal and bacon. But not both on the same doughnut, don't worry. They have some boundaries. 

I took the cereal route. I figured, when would I be able to get a doughnut covered in frosting and fruit loops ever again? Probably never.

I didn't actually eat it until I got back to Honesdale. My flight left at like 10 or 11 or something at night. I slept on every airplane I was on (3) for the entire time I was on the airplane. That's how I like to travel. :)

The doughnut was absolutely amazing, though. Next time you find yourself with a doughnut, some frosting, and a box of fruit loops, I recommend you take the plunge.

So, in conclusion, I absolutely love Portland. And Natalie is the best tour guide! The city lived up to every grandiose expectation she's drilled into my head throughout our entire friendship.

Which is good. Otherwise things could have gotten awkward.

Portland: Part 2

Dear Reader,

On my second day in Portland, Natalie took me to see the beautiful Oregon scenery. We went on a drive to see this gorge

and the Multnomah Falls. (Which felt a little bit like what being in Rivendell must feel like.)

It was a fight against daylight though, since daylight savings time happened the night before. We rushed after church to see the sights before it got too dark. 

Then that night we watched a lot of TV. And it was awesome. Grimm, Once Upon a Time, Community, Psych . . . I don't think it's possible for Natalie and me to hang out without watching some TV show. That's probably why we are such good friends. . . .

We then went to bed and rested up for a truly magical and long-awaited day. I'll give you a hint--books may have been involved. 

Portland--aaaat last!!!

Dear Reader,

Natalie went through the temple this last weekend (because she's going on a MISSION! Sapporo Japan watch out!). Because I'm something of a temple junkie, and because Natalie is like the most amazing person ever, I flew out to Portland to go through with her.

I'd never been to Portland before, which Natalie constantly reminded me of these past few years. But no more! Now I've been! And I love it.

We'll do this trip in installments.

I left last Friday and had two layovers. One was for like 3 1/2 hours in Detroit--so I got to stop by home for a bit! When I saw Mittens I realized how different she looks compared to Bailey. As in--her tail is tiny and she's fat, and he has the poof of a raccoon. See for yourself:

(She wasn't really cooperating for pictures.)

Anyway. It was awesome to see the family. I also had a layover in Salt Lake...so pretty much I stopped off at every spot in the country that I've lived. Whatevs.

Once I got to Portland--the magic began!!!!

On Saturday Sister Crofts made us waffles before we headed off to the temple! And the temple was fantastic. It's seriously the best place ever and I'm so glad that Natalie's endowed now!

Afterward, Natalie, her friend Melissa, and I went to dinner at this really good restaurant on the waterfront. 

And then Natalie and I went to 23rd street to get gelato and stop by Lush (which I will forever associate with London, where I was when I discovered it). 

I was very tired by the end of that day, thanks to the jet lag. I got better, though. No worries. 

Stay tuned for Portland: Day 2!