Lets talk about....birthdays.

Last week, I celebrated my 23rd birthday. Actually, there was a lack of celebration, but alas, my 23rd birthday did come and go. This was my first post-college birthday, and needless to say, it was different than the past 4 years. On the other hand, it was the first birthday in four years that I was able to spend with family, who probably didn't have to look at Facebook to remember that indeed, I was born on September 17th. But all in all, it was a good day. Got free lunch at work, got off work two hours early, and got to see both of my brothers. While driving down to Iowa State that afternoon, I thought about past birthdays...and thought I would share some memories with you:

--Elementary school birthdays: Lets face it. They're all pretty much the same. Generally theme-oriented. Invites are a must. And ice cream cake. I specifically remember making a list of approximately 12 different types of "tag" to play at one birthday party. I was a cool kid. These birthday parties were either held at my house, Carousel Skate, Gigglebee's, or this one giant indoor playground place (the name is currently failing me). I also recall my mom reminding me to be somewhat secretive about giving out the invites, so the un-invited weren't offended. Also, these were "no boys allowed" events. Should've kept it that way.

--Middle school birthdays: Slightly less organized and more focused on sleepovers. They were the COOLEST THINGS EVER. I also ventured to a bowling alley and even to a showing of Pearl Harbor. I finally got to the point in which I realized I didn't have to invite every single girl in my class to my birthday party. The most popular gift? Either cds or lotions/shower gel from Bath & Body Works. I seriously think I have some left from that 7th grade birthday party. Ridiculous. I can't even smell Country Apple or Cucumber Melon without thinking of middle school.

--High school birthdays: I started to lack any and all motivation to have a party for my birthday in high school. It's probably because I was also in marching band, so the weekends in September were typically spent at competitions. I did, however, have a SURPRISE 16th birthday party :)

As I said, I was in marching band, and we had practice at 6:45AM every morning. But that September morning sophomore year, I was woken by the sound of people in my room at like 5 in the morning. And they were boys. Two of them, in fact. Eric Lindquist and Matt Hitchcock. Two guys that probably hated each other, but yet I was their common thread. Bizarre. Anyways...Missy and KTF were behind it all and the four of them got me out of bed, made me wear some ridiculous combination of clothing that they grabbed from my closet, and brought me to breakfast at Denny's. Or Perkin's. I can't remember. They let me go home and shower before band...so I came home and my lovely, awesome, '88 Chevy Celebrity was decorated in "Ahhh it's my birthday!" slogans. Thanks, Dad. Throughout the school day, I also pieced together the fact that a surprise birthday party was also happening that evening. Mostly because people weren't talking to me. At all. And then I got home from school and my dad said that our family was going to go bowling (we never go bowling). When we were pulling up, I saw Collin walking in late anyways haha. But it was a great evening filled with an incredibly eclectic group of friends.

I think for my 17th birthday, we had a marching band competition in Eden Prairie. But we won best drum majors (I was a drum major), so that was sweet.

I don't really remember what I did senior year. Oh well. Should've kept a diary. WAIT. I HAD XANGA. (this is a strict copy/paste from my Sept 18, 2005 entry):

my birthday was also yesterday, which was very cool...got some sweet things. the celebration started friday night with an amazing trip to olive garden with missy, kt m, sadie, anne, and jen....a good time to be had by all. as for yesterday, for supper we made a stop at applebee's....in which, danny managed to tell the waitress that it was my birthday. applebees was unfortunately understaffed that night, but my good 'ol friends still managed to some what sing the applebees "happy birthday" song. after realizing that i was really embarrassed, all 12 of them gathered closely around and sang the classic happy bday song, at a high decibel level. but you know, i laughed a lot...and what's life without a little embarrassment? i love all of those guys, they're great. after we got back to sioux falls, missy, rachel n, justin, and i made a short stop at fryn' pan, because we were hungry, but yet still delirious from the bus ride home. just ask justin, he was unconscious, trust me.

*unrelated to birthdays, you all should read my xanga. and justin's xanga. and collin's too. Please forgive me for my obnoxious layout. If you want to know what we were like in high school, this is probably a good representation* Thanks Xanga!

--College birthdays:

Freshman year...my roomie, KadSchmad, decorated our door with an awesome birthday message on our white board. Which was awesome. Then that weekend, Collin, Justin, and Ryan took me on a trip downtown Chi-town. Tons of fun was had at the North Face store and at Rainforest Cafe, in which we got a chocolate volcano (because we thought it was free), but it ended up being $12. Pictures are posted on my fbook...probably in a Freshman Year album, since that would seem to make the most sense.

Sophomore year...the big 2-0. Mary and Collin completely decorated my dorm room with streamers and tons of balloons while I was at the library being a good student. Came back after midnight with Rachel and saw the party in my room...I was then sprayed with silly string. Lots of it. Pictures are on fbook. Check the sophomore year section. A bunch of us girls also went to dinner at Abuelo's, a fantastic, absolutely incredible Mexican restaurant in Merrillville. So good. I think that was it.

Junior year...epic. First of all, (on a completely non-alcohol related note), my dad told me that he sent me two dozen roses. Well, I hadn't received them, so my dad called the company and they agreed to send two dozen more. A day after I received the replacement roses, another two dozen roses arrived and Rachel and I were forced to use all cups/glasses/water bottles available to fit these roses into our dorm room. They were everywhere, and it was awesome. Anyways...moving on. At midnight, I took my first shot. I'm pretty sure it was Malibu. Rachel planned the whole evening in which I would walk around campus and meet up with 21 people at 21 different spots and have a drink. For those of you who don't know, I didn't drink until I was 21, so this was a pretty big deal. And since Rachel didn't want to kill me, she made mixed drinks for me instead of forcing me to do endless shots. It was seriously the best way to spend my 21st...with tons of friends and tons of surprises :) Photos are on facebook.

Senior year...22 isn't as exciting as being 21. But we did go out to Duffy's and celebrated there! I'm not sure if there are any photos of this evening. The best thing about this birthday was that the vast majority of my Valpo friends were also 21, so they could come out and celebrate as well!


I think that's all of the birthday memories I have today. How about you? Share some of your favorite birthdays below!

Lets talk about fall...and Twins baseball.

Although summer isn't "officially" over. It actually is. School has started for the young ones and the pools are closed. And here in Sioux Falls, B&G Milky Ways are starting to close for the season...so regardless of the official calendar....it's time for fall.

I love fall.




Not only is it the best time EVER to go to Starbucks and get a tasty pumpkin spice latte or the classic white chocolate mocha (although I can't have any on this diet...I'm referring to previous fall experiences), but it's time for some solid layers of clothing. For those of you who actually know my personal style (which is kinda weird because I'm not even sure I know what my style is), you would most likely observe that I wear a lot of layers. Now that it's cooling off, my layer options have multiplied. And it's awesome. If anyone's looking to get me a gift, please consider getting me a jacket. Or a new North Face/Mountain Hard Wear coat. K thanks.

Another great thing about fall: fall scents. i.e. pumpkin, cider, cinnamon, apple orchards, yum. I spent this past weekend in Lincoln, NE with Abbalange and we ventured into a Yankee Candle store, in which I purchased three car scents. All appropriately fall scented. I think "Farmers Market" is currently hanging from one of my air vents. Check it out. It smells like a fruit basket with spice.

Great thing about fall: fireplaces. No need for an explanation.

And I would talk about the start of football...but lets be serious...I'm clearly most excited about post-season baseball. Anybody who knows anything about me probably knows that I'm a Twins fan (and they're kicking butt right now). I can't wait until October when I can wave my Homer Hanky like a mad woman and cheer for my boys!! (P.S. I'm going to another game on Wednesday....pumped!) I would also like to take this opportunity to say that if you either don't have a particular team that you cheer for, or if your team has sucked this season and won't be making it to post-season, you should cheer for the Twins. Because they're the best "team" in baseball.

But perhaps the most relevant reason as to why I love fall is because it's truly "campaign season." (47 days until Noem beats SHS) It's exciting to see people get involved across the state as November draws closer...but at the same point, even I get sick of the political commercials. However, if you're lucky enough to live in SD, you can spot me in an occasional Dennis Daugaard for Governor commercial. He's shaking my hand/you see the back of my head/I'm shaking my head like a fool.

Now that I've rambled on and on about why I love fall...take a minute and tell me what you love/hate about this fabulous season :)

Adventures into Fall: Real Life Style.

Well...classes have started again. Except I'm not taking any, which is pretty bizarre. After years and years of going to school, it's strange to not have a class-oriented schedule that's oddly comforting. However, I am very thankful that I haven't had too much time to think about it as I'm staying busy at the campaign. In summers past (2008 and 2009 in particular), I had become so involved in the campaigns I was working on at the time, I didn't want to go back to Valpo. So now I have the unique opportunity of actually finishing out a campaign...which is pretty exciting for me!

That being said, I won't be able to return to Valpo for Homecoming, which is disappointing. It's just too far of a drive for such a short period of time during a busy campaign weekend. Fortunately, I've been lucky to spend occasional weekends with friends, either here in Sioux Falls or in Minneapolis! I've been to Target Field (twice!), had Abby come up for the weekend (twice!), and even had tons of Valpo people here in SF for Charli and Drew's wedding at the end of July. And there have been occasional days when high school friends have traveled home for the weekend...so it's been great catching up with them too! But I still miss all of my underclassmen friends, so I'm hoping to make it out to Valpo post-election but pre-Thanksgiving. So brace yourself!

Speaking of post-election, I'm starting to get questions about what my plans are after November. Well...to be honest, I'm trying to not have plans. I'm waiting for a certain indication from a certain politician before moving forward with anything else. I did turn down a DC job, which was one of the toughest decisions I've had to make up until this point. I would have been working with people I love, for somebody that inspires me, and in a city that I cherish...but it just didn't feel right. After lots of prayers, sleepless nights, and conversations with close friends, family, and co-workers, I said "thanks, but no thanks," and have continued to work here in SF. Some people call me crazy, but those who know me best, know that I'm confident and comfortable with my decision, which is ultimately the most important factor.

Another new career development in my life is that I've been looking at pursuing my Masters of Education in Teaching. There's no doubt that I love politics and the political process, but I think that can trickle down into different arenas as well. So I would also love to teach government/history at the high school or middle school level. Since I didn't major in education at Valpo, this Master's program would not only allow me to earn a post-grad degree, but would also grant me my teacher certification. This program would start next fall (plus it's online and night class based = super flexible!), so I have some time to wait and see what happens with my current job and where that could potentially lead. But I know that I would be comfortable pursuing the teaching path as well...so things are looking up!

In other (definitely more personal) news, I've dropped 20 pounds in 5 weeks! I've just really wanted to get rid of the weight I gained from eating El Amigo and drinking too much in college...so I'll probably look different to most of you by the time you see me next! It's not something I want to boast about, but it is something I'm proud of and it's something I want to be honest about.

On that note, I really don't have anything else to say...so thanks to all my loyal followers for reading my quarterly updates...and I hope all is well with you too :)

I also turn 23 next week. Ugh.

Transition.

Well, I officially received my diploma and have left the [great?] state of Indiana. It still doesn't feel like I'm done with college, mostly due to the fact that I'm used to leaving for the summer...so it'll be bizarre come August when I continue working while everyone else (including both of my brothers) return to school.

So far, life after graduation hasn't been that exciting. I moved back the day after graduating and unloaded and reorganized my room that Tuesday. In all, I think I took about eight garbage bags full of clothes/stuff to Goodwill...purging definitely feels good. Since then, my youngest brother Josh graduated from high school...so I was busy helping my mother get ready for the open house and such. This past week was pretty uneventful, aside from a quick (but awesome) 24 hour trip to Minneapolis to see my best friend Missy and my favorite team, the Minnesota Twins. [Target Field is beautiful, btw...definitely worth checking out].

Perhaps the only thing I've had a hard time adjusting to is this whole living at home business. Not many of my friends live in Sioux Falls anymore, so I've had to figure out what to do with my spare time. I've resorted to working out....a lot. Rotating between Jillian's 30 day shred and the McKennan Wellness Center, in which my work out time is filled with running, weights, and swimming, I'm definitely feeling more energetic and just feeling much better about myself, in general.

I finally start my job on Tuesday and I'm super excited. I'm ready to be a big girl and to figure out what exactly I'll be doing until November. And I'm SUPER ready for that paycheck.

But, in the meantime, I have two more days to do whatever I want...so I'm planning on enjoying that as much as I can :)

It's Almost Time....again.

Attention followers:



I graduate in 12 days (it should be noted that when I looked at my calendar to start the mental countdown, I realized I had not switched said calendar to the month of May...time is going way too fast...). I pick up my already purchase cap and gown tomorrow. Holy crap.

This time always brings about 12,000 sentences that contain phrases such as "this is the last time that..." Take a look at my Twitter feed today, and every single senior (that's probably not true...but a rough estimate) tweeted "Last undergrad class ever!" in some form or another. This is not to say that I am annoyed by this, because I tweeted something very similar. It's just overwhelming. Always having to think of an event or situation as potentially the "last time I will ever do this with this group of people."

Another example.

Today, I dropped a bag off in Scheele (imagine a really high-class, fancy apartment building...then think the opposite...that's Scheele dormitory) that I borrowed from a friend when I went to Europe (those blog posts are being postponed until summer FYI). I ran into someone that I had been working closely with for the past two years or so and she said, "Well I suppose this might be the last time that I see you for awhile." My response? "Yeah, I suppose so."

I don't like to think of graduation as a time of "lasts." I want this to be an exciting, intoxicating couple of weeks with some of the greatest people I have ever known. Who knows what this summer will bring, or where we will all be six months from now...what I do know is that I don't want to spend "my last moments" with friends getting all emotional about it.

Now you might be thinking..."Why Courtney, you are soulless."

False.

I will be incredibly emotional for the 10 hour road trip back to South Dakota...and numerous other times following that. I would hate to reflect back on graduation five years from now and just remember spending it over a box of Kleenex. So I'm turning my potential tears into laughs and I hope you'll do the same.

Last Monday night was my final Student Senate meeting. A bunch of people had asked me if I was going to cry during my final report, and I said no, I won't. But I have to admit, I thought about it. Looking out and seeing all of these people that I've grown to admire....it was hard to picture my Monday nights without them. I looked at Danny and thought about everything that we had worked through this year...looked at Justin and pictured him as a 1st grader (then I laughed...in my head)...looked at Collin and remembered high school graduation. You get the idea. But I survived without a tear...until I got to my car. So I'm not emotionless...I'm not trying to be cynical. It's just that I could cry about it every day, and all day, if I wanted to. Life, as I know it, will be changing in more ways than I can even imagine.

That realization makes this whole process difficult enough.

So I'm [attempting] to give the tear ducts a rest until May 17th.

Until then, I'm going to share some favorite memories from senior year...[in no particular order]:

• SigEp's Slip and Slide party and my poor, poor attempt to pre-pre-pre-pre game.
• Luau...great times with my favorite people and my favorite date :)
• All of the Twins/White Sox games (made it to 4 between the 2009 and 2010 seasons)...thanks Collin!
• Getting kicked out of the potential 5th Twins/Sox game (although, chronologically it would have been #2)....thanks Zach!
• All of the traveling! Went to New Orleans during the summer (ELCA national youth gathering with Valpo!), Minneapolis to see Josh run, fall break in Washington, DC with Collin and Luke, San Diego in February with Ryan, Europe (also known as the best trip ever) with the boys, and Montana with NCUR. I'm sure there's been more...
• All of the dance parties...for obvious reasons.
• Almost getting a bid to SigEp...thanks Collin! No thanks to Steve...
• Giving the charge to the student body at Opening Convocation
• Playing piano at Bethel Church.
  
• Weekly meetings with Danny, Tim, and Bonnie...especially the one when Danny said poop.
• American Home field trip on Halloween (and the day after the Halloween dance party)
• Tim Garibay.
• You get the picture.

I loved senior year. But enough sentimentalism for now...I'll leave you with the second Jon McLaughlin song that I'm attempting to cover...



All my best.

Will Work for Food.

Everybody's seen this type of sign before. Whether it's along the side of the road, or in a crowded city street or park, our society is filled with people in need.

This morning, I played piano and attended the worship services at Bethel Church as usual. Following the second service of the day (third of the weekend), I began the trek back down Highway 30 towards Valpo. After first stopping at the Honeybaked Ham cafe (unfortunately, they were closed), I continued driving until I saw an elderly gentleman holding such a sign on the side of the road. I'm not sure what it was about that moment that broke my heart. Perhaps it was because this was the first time I saw an individual standing along Highway 30, praying for a passerby to stop, or maybe it was some inner guilt of mine because typically I'm not the person that stops. Today was different.

It's my "personal policy" not to hand out money, so I choose to hand out food. Ever since I participated in a missions trip to inner city Los Angeles before my junior year in high school, I have attempted to mentally approach these situations in a different manner. Most of the time, I continue walking...if I'm to be perfectly honest. For example, I just returned from Europe a week ago, and failed to hand out any food. It's scary, it's uncomfortable, and it's challenging. Again, today was different.

I drove past the man and continued on to the next intersection which had a Subway inside the gas station. I walked in and ordered a $5 footlong. This also sounds bizarre, but I had no idea what to put on the sub. I tried to think of the most generic sub sandwich, in fear that he might not like mayonnaise or peppers. Three minutes later, I walked back out with a turkey sub on Italian bread, with American cheese, lettuce, pickles, and tomatoes. On the drive back to the gentleman, my heart was racing. Why was I so nervous? I parked my car next to a temporarily closed gas station and walked across the street to the man. He was quite shy and I really didn't know what to say. "I brought a sandwich for you, sir." "Thank you, God bless you." "Have a good day." He shook my hand and I walked away.

Walking back to my car, I realize I didn't say "you too" after he said "God bless you." I hope he received a sense of that though, because even though I didn't say it, I definitely meant it. I got back into my car and saw another vehicle pull over to the side of the road and hand the man some cash. But perhaps what struck me the most was that this man, somebody's son, and possibly somebody's dad, grandpa, and brother, didn't eat the sandwich when I was there. He went and set it along the side of a fence and continued to hold up the sign. I'm not sure if I was expecting him to eat immediately or what, but it reminded me that if he's holding up a sign for food, he's going to need a lot more than a Subway footlong. He waved at me as I drove by. I waved back. And that was it. The interaction was less than two minutes long.

Back at my apartment, my heart was still racing. Still not sure why. Maybe it's the realization that if my grandpa was standing along the side of a highway, I would buy him all the food he wanted for the rest of his life. So why would I do so much for someone I know and love and do so comparatively little for a stranger? It's definitely something I'll be thinking about for awhile.

Great Places, Greater People

Why hello blog! currently listening to....neon: john mayer.

Happy Valentines Day :) Just wanted to take the time to share what I've been up to lately...last weekend, I took a trip to San Diego with Ryan to visit Matt. As we were on the plane from Minneapolis to San Diego, I started getting nervous...here I am, going to visit a friend, who lives with four other guys. Is it going to be awkward? Why am I always the only girl? Will they feel comfortable with me around? Three hours later, our plane landed and since I somehow managed to fit my stuff into a carry-on, we hurried out to the pick-up area. As soon as I saw Matt, I knew it was all going to be okay. He gave us each huge hugs and welcomed us to San Diego. Looking back, it's crazy how I didn't even notice the temperature difference at first...what did strike me was how relaxed I was. We got in the car and I stared out the window like a little puppy. I'd seen palm trees plenty of times before, but you just can't understand the beauty of San Diego until you actually go there. I guarantee a smile was permanently glued to my face, because I was filled with sheer giddiness. Before we got to Matt's house, we stopped for some bomb Mexican food (which would happen numerous times throughout the weekend)....as much as I hate to say it, it was much better than El Amigo, or any "mexican" food we have here in NWIndiana. We got settled in and then headed out for the night...

Needless to say, the rest of the weekend was filled with walking along beaches, bar-hopping, and hanging out with great people who never stopped making me laugh. It was incredibly sad to leave. I knew getting back on that plane meant a return to reality and a return to the stress of both the job and school (well, having to go to classes, would be more accurate). I was a completely different person in San Diego, in a great way. Life was carefree and I was willing to try anything. Every day was exciting and an adventure. Now I'm back in Valpo...and there's snow on the ground. Looks like I can't look at the stars from a hammock here...

MOVING ON. (currently listening to....someday: no more kings)

I might be traveling back to SFSD this weekend :) Not only do I miss my family (I had a nightmare last night that Josh died...), but Missy might be able to make it home too...and Matt is going home and bringing his best friend Casey (who has never been to the Midwest...he had to go buy winter clothes yesterday haha). It would be a great time for all of us to get back together and have some good times.

But in 13 short days....I'm flying to Germany for Spring Break with Brett, Justin, and Collin. I think I'm so excited that I can't even feel the excitement anymore. (currently listening to....please don't stop the rain: james morrison)...CAN'T WAIT.

Well...real life is calling. Have a great V-Day :)