What's a Month?

 Dearest followers (and anonymous fans...)

Bozarth Mansion

When I last wrote, I was in the midst of the end of the first semester of my freshman year at Gonzaga U. Just after I blogged, I enjoyed a weekend away at Freshman Retreat, led by Campus Ministry. It was held at the Bozarth Mansion in Spokane. It was a time to breathe and be away from the craziness that was consuming our peers as we headed into "dead-week" preceeding finals. Because of tradition and keeping it secret, I can't say any further for this I am glad; There is so much I could say about the weekend that I fear my little fingers would become tired before I finish with this entry.
Finals went well and I can now happily proclaim that I've finished that first half with solid grades, and am home to enjoy a month-long break at home.

The views we couldn't see...

Saying goodbye was hard. A month to abstain from seeing people whom I have come to call family is a pretty daunting task. Syd shed tears for us all as we whisked her away to the airport; She was the first to go. Sporting 10 layers on top and 4 layers on bottom to cut down on the amount that she had to pack, she was thankful security was a lax and didn't require her to shed it all in front of the long line of angsty travelers. Mica Chelsea and I were set to catch the good ole Amtrak out of Spokane to Seattle at 2:15 am. Last time I took the "Polar Express" (as I affectionately coined it), I was ten years old and thought it to be the most magical traveling experience I could imagine. It beat sitting next to Matt arguing over arm-rest space in our mini-van, and definitely beat the crammed space in the airplane. What I failed to realize years ago was just how uncomfortable the chairs are. Our entire journey was spent in the darkness- we couldn't see out the window even if we wanted to. So "comfortability" as we tried to sleep through the 8 hour ride was key. Nevertheless, we made it there in one piece and claimed our luggage and spent the rest of the day napping- preparing for a jam-packed weekend ahead. I have yet to visit the Amtrak station but it's on my "to-do" list to sell them my return ticket. I can't make that same trip, alone. No way Jose.
Mica and Chelsea stayed with me for the weekend and we all enjoyed the "Battle in Seattle" Arizona V. Gonzaga basketball game at the Key Arena- It'd been a long time since I had been there for a men's game (RIP Sonics). Our friend Kelsey who is also a Seattlite joined me in showing them the best of downtown- Pike Place.

Classic Pike Place signage decked out for the holidays

On Sunday morning, I dropped them off at the airport and bid them a farewell, bittersweet with an emphasis on the sweet. It would have been bitter had I had to wait a month to see them again, but I'll be heading down to San Fran to visit those two and see many other friends I've made at school on January 11th- shout out to Bubba! Happy (preemptive) birthday! I'll be there until the 15th and hopefully get to see all that San Francisco has to offer as well as witness GU pulverize our rivals at Saint Mary's on January 12.

Adam's sitting on the "3"

Between being visited by and visiting my San Franciscans, break has been eventful. Sunday night, I tagged along with the Westermans (my best friend Max and his family) to see their youngest, Adam,  perform his last show of the Broadway musical "Thirteen." Adam was the star, and I was more than impressed. I always knew that kid was something else, but what he was capable of bringing to the stage was truly mind-boggling. Eddie (Adam and Max's mom) had also invited some childhood friends of her own to see her son perform, and realized that she had met them when she was 13 just as Max and I met when we were 13. (Just in case you're still confused, I said earlier the play is titled "Thirteen" so here's your 'aha!' moment if you didn't already experience it.)

From left: Olivia, Lily, Rowan

Besides the play, I spent the first few days in solitude. I needed to be home, alone, to bum around like I used to do before I was shipped off to college. It was therapeutic. I even got a walk in with my dog Coal whom I have grown very fond of over this break. (He's had surgery and been through a lot and for that reason I set aside our differences and have embraced him for who he is. He's taking to me nicely and I even gave up a shirt of my own for him to wear to keep him from chewing at his incision from surgery. How kind, right?) After my few days of solitude (plus family), I was ready to reunite with friends and joined Lily, Rowan, Max, and Olivia in an overnight trip to Lily's cabin near Cle Elum. There was a foot or so of snow waiting for us when we arrived, and we enjoyed the warmth and comfort that the cabin had to offer in contrast with the great outdoors. We watched movies, played games, and got much needed rest. On day two, us girls went on a walk to take in the fresh air and glistening powder alongside the Teanaway River. Max tacitly opted out and was STILL asleep when we returned.
I'm blanking on the next part of my break. All I can recall is that I spent it with my girlfriends and family mostly... sorry 'bout that one folks.

Coal could smell PT

19 year old child

 Christmas came fast, and we spent the day in Port Townsend at Papa and Bubba's (code for grandpa and grandma, respectively). My immediate family opened presents at home together on Christmas Eve morning so that we could get to PT and join my grandparents for a lovely Christmas Eve service. I slept by the tree in my sleeping bag, adorned in my footie PJ's, and snuggling with my blankie. Had I been 12 years younger, it would have been a real Kodak moment but I've outgrown that stage. I just looked like a 19 year old bum on a couch that was far too small for me, in PJs that shouldn't be worn by me, with a blankie that I probably should have ditched years ago. Too bad for social norms, right? Christmas day, my aunt Kathy and uncle Steve came to join us and we all opened presents again. As the youngest and most spry, I was chosen to be the elf, and distributed gifts to the family as they sat on their plush couch cushions and such. Sounds like I'm complaining but I actually loved it. The rest of the day was spent with updating my uncle on the latest Droid applications and anxiously awaiting dinner and Bubba's coveted rolls. I returned back to the couch for the next two nights as Matt and I spent an extra day with the grandparents, helping them take down Christmas decor in preparation for their migration south in their RV.

Papa, Bubba, Matt, and I

Elf in deep introspection?

Here are some gems I found while rummaging through some old photo albums- happens every time I visit Pap and Bub.

Mom and dad circa 1990

Little Natty with some funky hair

On our balcony, 38 floors up

This past (New Years) weekend was ever-so eventful. Friday (New Years Eve Eve), Rowan Lily Carlyle and I trekked up through the border to Canada and enjoyed a couple of days in the beautiful city of Vancouver. When I say 'beautiful city' I really mean it. I probably would have said it had I blogged before I went like, 'we're going to the beautiful city of Vancouver,' but I wouldn't have really meant it, feel me? It blew me away. It was so nice! I mean, I love Seattle and it will always be home, but this definitely rivals Seattle. Our hotel room was 3808 (that's the 38th level, in case you doubted) and we had a spectacular view of the city. Although short and sweet, we enjoyed our time there and returned back to Vashon for New Years Eve. Lily hosted a dinner at her house for all of us girls to gather and do our Secret Santa exchange and get ready for the night! Our friend Sy had a bunch of our friends over and we reigned in the new year with old friends. As many nights on Vashon, it had it's share of drama, but it was a night to remember and a good way to spend the last moments of a very important year in our lives.

All of the girls at Lily's: Liv, Lyle, Phaedra, me, Rowan, Lily

2011 was a huge year for me. I graduated high school, had my first love, said goodbye to friends of seven years, and hello to a completely new and amazing experience at Gonzaga. I've changed a lot but have stuck to who I am at the core, and for that I am grateful.
Though I'm happy with who I am, there are some things that I think could benefit from change. Here are my resolutions:
1. Eat mindfully- I'm not going to commit to making specific changes in my diet because I think they're unattainable at college, but I am going to work on thinking about what I'm putting in my body.
2. Work out twice a week + Zumba (once a week)
3. Take vitamins
4. Never give up on Spanish no matter how hard Gonzales (who I have next semester and hear is awful) pushes me. Even though she might make me question it, I DO love Spanish. (Note to self looking back at this a couple months from now: think how cool it's going to be to raise your children to be bilingual!)

Well, that's all for now!

Congrats on the end of a solid first semester, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Here's Your E-Card

Love, Natalie