A Good, Strong Hug

If you're not a hugger, I basically question all of your life choices. Hugs are seriously one of the best things in the entire world. It's like you're taking someone and enveloping them in your love and squeezing everything you wish you could say into one big, giant bear hug. I believe that hugs could seriously change the world. 

The best kind of hug, at least I think, are the ones that keep going. You hug and talk and kind of do the awkward sway back and forth. Those are my favorites. 

My world has been kind of lacking of even the one-armed, half-hearted squeezes. Not saying I don't get hugs every once and awhile, but my friends are huggers, and now they're off at college...well let's just point out hugs don't really happen through Skype. But last night was filled with hugs. 

Sulia, Scarlett, and I

Kyle, Michaela, and I

A couple of my friends came with me to the Ivey Awards in Minneapolis (kind of like the Tony's, but for Minnesota), and I reunited with all of my friends and family from Youth Performance Company. Theatre is the place where there are no boundaries, which for someone like me is all types of wonderful. I felt hugs of love and I miss you, and I squeezed back twice as much. 

YPC

If you're not a hugger, I dare you to give them a second chance, because there is so much compassion in a hug, so much love that cannot be said by words, but just by wrapping someone in your arms and holding them just as tight as you can. 

"I have learned that there is more power in a good strong hug than in a thousand meaningful words."

-Ann Hood

Soul Searching

Self-empowered women are exactly what a girl like me needs in her life, and thankfully I'm surrounded by them. The two people I feel like I'm luckiest to have in my life are my beautiful stage mommas from Youth Performance Company, Jacie and Sherilyn. No matter what life throws at me, these two ladies always have wise words of advice. 

Sulia, Jacie and I at the Iveys

Sulia, Sher, and I at the Iveys 

On Thursday, I got the privilege of going out to breakfast with Jacie and Sher. Right off I got two big hugs (one of the best things about being a part of the YPC family is the hugs), and even though I hadn't seen them for a few months, I felt right back at home. Then we went down to Cupcake for breakfast and life chats. 

They had some wonderful advice about college and this upcoming year, involving a lot of soul searching and obviously more time with them. No matter what the conversation, there is always a request to audition for every show, which always makes me happy. Mostly their advice is really to embrace the unknown, because I shouldn't force myself into doing something that doesn't make me happy. Keeping the arts in my life will always be important for my happiness and sanity. 

Honestly, these women inspire me to be a better person because they are just so awesome. They devote their lives to this company where kids' lives really can change, and take in each new performer as one of their own kids. Every kid that walks into YPC has something to say, and they listen. It truly amazes me. 

I aspire to be as passionate and compassionate as Jacie and Sher someday. These women have believed in my future from the moment they met me, and that faith has gotten me through the times where I have lost faith in myself. They mean the world to me, and I love them with all of my heart.

I'm know there are many more life lessons I can learn from these beautiful women, and my heart is ready and open to hear any advice they have to give me.

Adventure is Out There

Have you ever seen the movie Up? If you haven't, please stop reading this blog post and go get it. It is quite possibly one of my favorite movies of all time. Here's a little synopsis if you haven't: a cranky old man (Carl) gets hundreds of thousands of helium balloons, attaches them to his house and goes on an adventure with two tagalongs Russel (the Wilderness Explorer, aka boyscout) and Doug (the dog) to Paradise Falls. 

Now I love this movie for many reasons. It's adorable, it makes you laugh, it makes you cry, it's animated...the list goes on and on. But I think the main reason why I love it, is the fact that it's about an adventure.

I'm all about the word adventure. I mean, doesn't it just sound wonderful? 

Now I've been using that word quite a lot already in my blog, talking about what an adventure this year is going to be. That's what life is in general, an adventure! Now, as Up has clearly pointed out, adventures don't always mean things are going to be fine and dandy. Which for me is one hundred percent true. 

But in reality, we don't want our adventures to be all good. Life isn't as fun without all the bumps and bruises.

the top of Vemillion

Yesterday, I went on what we like to call a "Brix Adventure" with Annie and Sarah from work. We went to Vermillion Falls in Hastings, which is beautiful. We hiked, took some pictures, and just enjoyed nature for awhile. It was a wonderful adventure.

under the bridge

Annie!

beautiful purple flowers

Sarah!

I feel so blessed that I have such wonderful people in my life who enjoy the little things just as much as I do; who are willing to go on these adventures with me. I can't just sit inside all day waiting for life to happen, I want to chase after it, travel and explore, because I know, adventure is out there.

But your soul you must keep, totally free

Last night I had the amazing experience of going to see Mumford and Sons, Bear's Den, and The Vaccine with Paige at the Excel. Man, it was sweet. There is something that just lights me up to see people rocking out on an upright bass or a banjo as if they were in a hardcore rock band. And man that fiddle player was fantastic. There is nothing like watching a performer get totally lost in their music.

Everyone coming together to sing "Come Together"

most epic picture of the night

Listening to live music is honestly one of the most fulfilling things you can experience. If you haven't ever gone to a concert, go to one. Seriously. It doesn't matter if it's ten people listening in a coffee shop or thousands in a stadium, it will rock your world. 

Mumford&Sons, Bear's Den, and The Vaccine

This is the moment where the everyone was silent...at least for a little bit.

It's hard to explain how I feel during a concert, everyone's experience is totally their own. But for me, there's something about closing your eyes during the slow part of the song when those intense harmonies reverb through the crowd. You just feel the passion. The passion from the performers in their voices; the passion from the music lovers in their silence. It's breathtaking.

the audience

Mumford and Sons

rockin out on the banjo

upright bass

Hans Christian Anderson said "Where words fail, music speaks" and personally, I don't think there has ever been a more spot on quote for my life.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

            It's been so wonderful, yet so strange, to have my beautiful sister, Paige, back in my life full time.

Paige!

 After high school she was at college for a year studying music ed, then spent the summer working as a counselor at Luther Point Bible Camp. Last year she was on a travelling ministry team called Captive Free where she traveled all over the central plains (and a little bit of the West Coast) playing in a band and doing all sorts of fun ministry things. So really, I haven't seen much of her for the past two years.

Captive Free: Central Plains

Now she's back in my life, full swing. Two days after Captive Free ending, she started training at Brix, the same coffee shop I work at. Not only do we live together again, but now we're working together and hanging out together outside of work. I'm definitely not complaining though. It's been so good having Paige back in my life.I said from the start this year was going to test our relationship yet again. The past two years being apart, and now being together basically 24/7 are just about as extreme as you can get in a relationship. I'm looking ahead in a very positive manner; I think we're going to thrive this year.

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"I think we grew up laughing a lot," Paige told me yesterday while we were at the State Fair, "And that's a good thing, I think." Apparently when she was on team, many of the kids asked her why she laughed at everything, and honestly, she didn't really know. "Things are just funny" she'd reply. After a year of teammates who didn't necessarily find things as funny as she did, Paige was happy to tell me she has laughed until she cried several times already in the three weeks she's been home. 

Our usual expression when we're together.

I guess that's just kinda how our family was growing up. We did laugh a lot. Dinner time would sometimes go on for an extra hour of goofing off with our food (I remember once spending a long time trying to roll a grape over my top lip with my tongue), talking in weird voices, or making weird faces (chipmunk teeth were our favorites). I'm really happy to say I had a pretty joyful childhood. We sang, danced, laughed, and shook our sillies out on a daily basis, and I think it really helps me to enjoy the little things now. It probably explains why I have a love for childish things. One thing on my bucket list this summer was to dance in the rain, I love coloring, and for my nineteenth birthday, I had a tea party. 

There were a lot of fun things for us to remember while we walked the Minnesota State Fair grounds once again yesterday. The only thing we would eat were Sweet Martha's Cookies. My mom recently told us this is because Paige and I refused to eat any other food there, so we grew up bringing our own lunch. The Giant Slide and the River Raft were always on our to do list. We visited the education building for the free stuff and did some mind puzzles there. We went to the State Arts-In Show in the 4H building (a newer tradition). 

Sweet Martha's Cookies

The Giant Slide

And of course we remembered and experienced an excessive amount of walking, sweating and most importantly, laughter. 

Hey, Big Spender

Let's just touch on a topic I know is close to everyone's heart, or should I say wallet. Money. What a stressful word. There just never seems to be enough, does there?

Honestly I think I'm too young to be stressed out about money, but unfortunately it has been a stress point in my life for a few years now. We live in such a greedy world, and no matter how much I wish I could say I don't always want the hot new thing, most of the time I do. There's no way to escape the fact a barista's salary doesn't really get you too far in this expensive world, but my taste for expensive things tends to leave my wallet empty and sad only a week after I get paid. I mean gas eats up a big chunk of my money, but there's no way to deny that I do tend to spend it on other things. Especially since this past year I've been buying things for when I move out. (kitchen tools, pillows, bathroom stuff, all of those things you never think about needing when you live with your parents)

Life tends to get a bit challenging when you have to choose between hanging out with your friends and saving your money. Being social can get expensive when your friends get money from their parents for anything they want to do. Movies, lunch outings, and other spendy things pile up and all of a sudden your entire paycheck is gone. This summer I chose friends over saving money for the most part. It was my last summer to see my friends, and if hanging out with them meant I had to spend money half the time, the experiences and times with them were worth it.

Right now I'm trying to save money for when I move out, so it's not that I don't have money. There's just only a little bit of money I'm willing and able to spend. It's cutting out the fun money and leaving a very stressed out and unhappy me.