10 years in a nutshell
I decided that this birthday instead of feeling sorry for
myself that I’m that much closer to 30 and that much farther away from 20, I
would instead reflect and celebrate the past decade of my life! I mean age 17
to 27 has got to be one of the most exciting decades of a person’s life, so
much happens to a person in that decade so here is a journey you can join me on
as I take a look at mine!
17 years old
Moving into adulthood I remember this summer so vividly it
was the summer before my senior year and Melanie and I had an epic trip with
our youth group to Lake Shasta. We had the time of our lives we learned how to
wake board we laughed harder than I can remember ever laughing that summer. Our
weekends were spent driving to the beach and where we would surf and layout all
day long!!
Shortly after the summer ended a real chill went through my bones,
as senior year came about, where would I be next year. So much stress was
placed on my shoulders I was desperate to go to my dream school Point Loma
Nazarene University, but as the year went on that dream appeared unattainable,
I kept getting waitlisted from Point Loma, then bam I got IN!! and it was time
to say goodbye to my good friends for a while.
19 years old
So Graduation ended with a bang the people I had been going
to school with for the past 12 years would all be going in different directions
and I was on my way to face the summer alone. School began and
I felt like a small tiny person in a giant world. I made friends with a girl
across my hall Danielle Toledo and little did I know we would be friends for
life. I had an amazing roommate who I took a while to warm up to but once we
realized our passion for surfing we spent most of our time between classes
catching waves at Garbage (a surf break that had a trail leading straight to
our dorm). Hanna and I had some great adventures sneaking out at night to
skateboard, and camping out on the cliffs in front of school! The first year of
college was so memorable from NOSing (naked ocean swimming) adventures with my
hall, to crazy nights in the dorm rooms.
20 years old
Well it’s embarrassing to admit but on my 20th
birthday I found my first grey hair ugh what a nightmare that was. Little did I
know I would grow the most this year.
I think this was the year when my surfing skills were at their best. I
took a surfing PE class and was in the water everyday my arm muscles were
enormous. In my second semester I studied abroad in Costa Rica and I met some
of the most amazing people whom I will never forget. Costa Rica was like a
dream I remember my first day their my parents drove me to the airport and I
remember the drive being one blur I was probably in a daze with eyes wide
(while in my head wondering what was I thinking). I arrived at the airport and
I immediately felt like I was in a foreign country as my first stop was the
bathroom and there was no toilet paper and the stalls were so shabby look
compared to my last bathroom stop at LAX. I got in the car of a man who was to
take me to my new home for the next 4 months and I remember just staring out
the window feeling like a complete alien that had been dropped on some strange
planet. Those feelings changed after a week and I embraced my new adventure. I
lived with a family who made me feel at home My Tica mom Myrna was a blessing,
and I made friends with two girls who made the trip abroad so worth it. Sondra
and Sara we had the best time taking trips to the most incredible rainforests
or beaches on the weekends. Strolling along in soft warm air at night shopping
at the various fruit and art stands. Dancing the night away at random disco
tecas that appeared out of nowhere once night hit. Everyday felt like an
adventure when I was there and coming back to the US was a rude awakening.
21 years old
Turning 21 was bitter sweet I had just spent a semester in
Costa Rica where I was legally allowed to drink in public restaurants and etc.
and came home to turn 21 in a country were drinks were more than $1 somehow
turning 21 was not as exciting as I had imagined.
That summer I spent working my tail off for conference
services, I was a team leader who was in charge of cleaning every single dorm
room every week when camps would come and go during the summer at Point Loma. I
had a blast though and the end of the summer finished with a bang as my
coworkers (mike, andrea, fred, caleb, janette etc) all went on a trip to knots
berry farm.
When the semester ended I was fortunate enough to get an on
campus apartment with an amazing view and I had the best roommates a girl could
ever wish for, Andrea and Aimee were so fun to be around, we enjoyed meals
together and making random music videos. Eating Papa John’s pizza using the
same coupon everytime we would order making sure not to ever give it to the
pizza guy and watching episodes of felicity!
That spring I took a trip to Rome to visit my Aimee and I
took my friend Yelena along with me, that trip was an adventure in itself
Yelena and I got lost and lost each other countless times in Italy. It was the
best week of my life I will never forget the pizza pasta and gelato. I felt
like I walked straight into a painting as I strolled the cobble stone streets
of Rome and Florence.
That semester Andrea and I began going to a church called
the Flood and I met so many amazing friends who made so many memories real for
me!!
22 years old
I moved in an apartment in Ocean Beach with Danielle and
Ashley and Mary, I lived on their couch for a while until Mary decided to move
but it was an amazing apartment we had the most beautiful view of the beach. I
remember inviting friends (Tyler, Chris, Greg, Ben and Michael Thomas, Jared,
etc) I had met at the flood over on Friday nights and we would all hang out
play random games and walk down to Hodads or Newport Pizza for dinner then hit
up Lighthouse Ice cream after. My
friend Michelle and I had the best time hanging out at Newport café and skate
along the boardwalk at mission beach! Life was great. It was my senior year of
college at this point and I was getting ready to brave the real world! I
remember that was the year San Diego had a terrible fire season and one week
all of us had off because there were fires all around San Diego, I remember the
waves were so good that week and the water was filled with ash and the air
smoke but somehow all the surfers congregated to the water to enjoy the swell.
This was the year my sister and her best friend came to
visit me a lot and we would go somewhere to rent bikes and ride around San
Diego. This was also the year I was really into my independence. Most of my
friends were hitching up with their guys getting engaged and I was experiencing
the single girl blues, but I didn’t let that stop me. I remember spending
spring break that year in San Diego by myself enjoying every minute of my
single life, I would go for a run in the mornings or surf in the afternoons and
head to the beach to lay out and read it was a real vacation!
23 years old
Graduation came and it was bitter sweet I wasn’t as
connected as I had been in that past at school so I felt like it was time to
go! I enjoyed spending time with my friends who I had met outside of Point
Loma, friends from flood and we were hanging out on a regular basis. That
summer I went through 3 different jobs before I found my career at Sunny Days.
I spent every day that summer running sometimes twice a day or going surfing.
At the end of the summer I had made some new friends who ended up introducing
me to a few of the most memorable friends I have ever known. Bea and Maggie. It
was within a few months of being friends with Bea that we knew it would be a
life long friendship we decided to plan a trip together up to the pacific
northwest in the dead of winter it was incredible!
It was when I turned 23 that I met Tim!!! So it happened
early in the fall when I went to this paddle for clean water at the pier in OB
it was a quick meet and I never actually thought I would see him again, but
then I ran into him at the Flood and we ended up just clicking and started
dating in the spring of that year. There were so many great memories that year
including an epic trip to the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas.
24 years old
My 24 year was maybe one of my favorites Tim and I had a
regular group of friends who we loved hanging out with, we would meet up for
volleyball games at the beach, we would go skateboarding in parking garages, or
games at the ball park and there was of course the surfing. I moved into a
townhouse we called The Sandcastle with some amazing roommates (Nicole, Bell,
Aly and Drew)! Life was so good that I decided to shake things up, Tim was
applying to Grad schools and I decided to get my butt in gear and apply as
well. We both ended up getting into schools in San Francisco and were excited
and nervous about living in a new place.
25 years old
25 was the year my life changed the most, the summer was
bitter sweet as I said goodbye to the beautiful San Diego. It was that summer
that I worked for Surf Diva and spent everyday at the beach. Then I went up to
live in Belmont where I went to school and worked at a preschool in Menlo Park.
This was the first job that I actually really loved and looked forward to going
to work! I met some great friends in the program and enjoyed spending time with
my friend Missy who lived near by we explored many of the trails around
Belmont. Then in the fall things really got shaken up and Tim proposed to me!!
It was so great we began the wedding planning immediately and that was
something ill never forget! Tim and I moved back to San Diego for the summer.
26 years old
Things were coming along Tim and I were tying the knot this summer and I could hardly wait to begin my life with him. We had the most amazing wedding ever and I have to say the thing that was the most memorable about our wedding was the wedding party having my closest friends with me all together was amazing. At the end of summer Tim and I moved back up to San Francisco to live with this wonderful family that Tim had been living with the year previous. I transformed his room into a cozy little place and we had the most wonderful time exploring and enjoying the Bay Area. I met a couple new friends this year and have enjoyed hiking around the gorgeous trails up here. Most recently Tim and I found out that our lives would be changing again and he ended up taking a job in San Diego, so I’m excited to say that we will be moving down to Southern California! So I have a feeling 27 is not going to be so bad!!
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1 comment:
i love looking at all our old pics. it really was the BEST time, right? Miss you
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