#3 - Skydive

My instructor, Corey, pulled the rope and the parachute shot out of his backpack, jerking us upward as it halted the free fall. I scanned the landscape below me. I could see the Seattle Space Needle, granted it looked the size of a bean, as well as all other cities in the surrounding area. Mount Rainer and Mount Baker stood out beautifully against the clear blue sky, and I looked down just in time to see a plane taking off below us.

"Welcome to my office," Corey said. "How does it feel?"

I couldn't stop smiling. "This is unreal!"

 

Ever since we became friends almost seven years ago, it was mutually decided that Shannon and I would go skydiving once we both turn 18. Because of our busy lives, we had to postpone this plan for a year, but it finally happened! I can't decide if my favorite part was floating over western Washington, or the minute-long free fall from 13,000 feet. Either way, this was the best experience of my life!

 

Honestly, the scariest part was when we had to sign all the paperwork. Basically, it read "You might be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of your life, sign here. An extremely painful death may await you, sign here. You could be killed, sign here." But once we finished that, the rest of the afternoon was fear-free!

 

 

We were put in a group of about ten people and watched a short video that walked us through how the dive would go, then practiced our arching and landing positions. Shannon and I were in the first mini group, so went to gear up and meet our instructors. Us four jumpers, as well as our four instructors, then boarded the small plane. There were no seats - you just sat on the crowded floor, strapped to your instructor. Shannon and I were positioned in the back of the plane. We then took a twenty-minute scenic flight until we reached the right altitude. I was carefree and excited this entire time, but the butterflies in my stomach arrived when I saw the first jumper and his instructor fall out the door. I turned my head to Shannon, and we were both wide-eyed, but excited smiles soon followed.

 

Finally, it was our turn. Shannon went first, scooting to the door of the plane. She and her instructor waited for about five seconds before leaning forward and falling out. Then it was my turn. We scooted to the door, and without even a five second notice, we were falling at over 100mph. All I could feel was pure euphoria, laughing uncontrollably as the wind hit my face. Then Corey pulled the chute, and all was calm.

 

This was an experience I will never forget, though it went by quicker than expected. Therefore, Shannon and I have already decided when we are going skydiving again. I can already feel the addiction forming! Here are some more shots from this amazing afternoon:

 

 

 

 

 

 

To view the rest of my summer bucket list, click here.

 

To visit my Disney College Program blog, click here.

 

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Thoughtful Thursday | Find Your Strength

"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." -Albert Einstein

I discovered where I belonged around the eighth grade. School was going well, I played sports year-round, and I had finally found the perfect group of friends. There was just one problem - I was humanities, they were science. I love writing short stories, while they loved crunching numbers. We came from totally opposite sides of the brain, if you know what I mean. Seeing as the lot of us had identical schedules, I consistently compared myself to how they performed in school. For years, I considered myself the stupidest one in the group, even though we were the top of our class. I was the worst of the best.

It wasn't until around my sophomore or junior year that I made the most important realization: Just because grammar and poetry come more easily to me than calculus or physics, that doesn't make me any lesser of a student. With this new found wisdom came confidence, which helped me to finally figure out that, at this time, I wanted to pursue a degree in psychology. And although there are a still a few sarcastic comments thrown around about engineering being a superior field, I have learned to shrug it off because I am doing what I love.

If you are evaluating someone else, or even yourself, based on weaknesses instead of strengths, I can tell you for a fact that you're doing it wrong. The amount of distinct types of talent in this world are limitless. Find your strength, work to develop it, and flourish.

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#17 - Go To A Concert

Who did I see, you may ask? None other than the extremely talented and handsome John Mayer, with an opening performance by Phillip Phillips. I've been to three concerts before (Daughtry, Alicia Keys, and The Classic Crime), but this one has got to be my favorite. He performed at The Gorge Amphitheatre, which is an outdoor venue that seats over 20,000 people, is a 9-time winner of Pollstar Magazine's award for "Best Outdoor Music Venue", and declared one of the "Best Outdoor Concert Venues in America" by ConcertBoom! For more info, click here. From your seats on a sloping grass hill, you have a great view of not only the stage, but the Columbia River running just past it, as well as the canyons of Eastern Washington and a beautiful sunset. You are also able to camp in their designated camping grounds the night before and/or the night of the concert, which only adds to the fun!

But the music! John Mayer was phenomenal, the music was amazing, he had the best stage presence, and is an all-around heartthrob. I'm not usually one for spending tons of money on concerts, but this is one I would love to see again. If you've never seen John Mayer Live, or have never visited The Gorge, I recommend doing both at least once in your lifetime!

And as I wait to complete my next bucket list item (this thursday!), I will continue to explore the blogging community. I absolutely love reading other blogs and learning from how they share and display their content. One that I've been looking into is the lovecats inc, which is a fashion/beauty blog that I found because Helen, the author, had commented on my previous blog post. So all you ladies out there, this site is filled with trusted reviews, fashion posts, and much more! She is also doing a giveaway at the moment, so click here for more information.

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A Journey East

Eastern WA, in a nutshell.

Boy, do I love impromptu getaways. So when Mollie called me last night asking if I wanted to take a weekend trip over to Eastern Washington, there was no way I could have refused! Just like that, my bags are packed, the mix CDs are made, and I'm blogging away in the little time I have before I leave. Adventure is calling my name, and it's just so convenient that a bucket list item will get crossed off along the way - stay tuned next week for what that will be!

With exactly three weeks left in my summer, I'd say it's going almost perfectly! I say almost because it is Seattle and it does still rain in the summer. However, I think I will miss the cool, clean air. Every time I mention I'm going to Florida, people always bring up the humidity. I've never actually been anywhere that was humid before, so it'll definitely take some getting used to. But it's time to kick it into full gear seeing as I'm not even halfway done with my bucket list yet! Next week is going to be busy, but I can guarantee a couple bucket list posts will come of it, so I am stoked!

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Thoughtful Thursday | Never Give Up

Today's Thoughtful Thursday is brought to you by Earl Nightingale, who said "Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it."

If you recall in my previous post, A Work In Progress, I am currently working on a project that entails recording a cover song and filming a video with the musically gifted Jordan and Mollie. As we were working a couple days ago, Jordan mentioned that he didn't realize this would all take so long. It was exactly a month ago that I announced this project, and sometimes it doesn't feel as though we've gotten much done. However, considering we've completed the arrangement, instrumentation, and even began recording this week, I'd say we're well on our way! We could have easily given up long ago, as we usually do with projects like this, especially when it requires so much time and effort. But we've stuck through it, and even though we're barely halfway there, I'm determined to see this through!

In a world so accustomed to instant gratification, we are too quick to give up on dreams that require a bit of time and effort. Once you accept the fact that anything worthwhile will take a little elbow grease and more than a five minute commercial break, there is nothing stopping you from achieving greatness!

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A World of Possibility

Well, we've hit the halfway point for July. This summer seems to be going by so quickly! It's crazy to think that in just four weeks, I'll be all moved into my new apartment in Orlando, training as an employee at Walt Disney World. Honestly, it doesn't feel real - any minute now, I'll wake up and start packing to go back to school next month. But it's not a dream, it's just something I've never experienced before.

Despite the fact that I have moved very frequently, I had grown up in the same general area all my life. I had the same group of friends for six years, the same teachers, the same coaches. In fact, the only places I had even vacationed at outside of Washington were Oregon, Montana, and North
Dakota (exciting, I know). So it's safe to say that I was in my own little bubble, deprived of all the inter-state and international travels that many of my friends had experienced at some time or another. Places like Hawaii, New York City, the Eiffel Tower, Australia, or even Disneyland - they could all be in another dimension as far as I knew. My family never really had the money to travel, so I accepted at an early age that I would be in Seattle for the rest of my life.

But all of a sudden, it was time for college. Hold on a second, I thought to myself, you mean I can go to school anywhere? Well, not anywhere, but somewhere outside of Seattle, and I was thrilled! Despite my scholarships, I still had to keep money in mind, so places like NYU or USC that were over $30k a year were definitely out of the question. I had to figure out my college criteria in order to pick the right place for me:

• Four-year university
• Out-of state
• Under $20k a year
• Rigorous academics
• Relatively low acceptance rate

And in the Fall of 2012, I found myself at Brigham Young University. Before my arrival, it all seemed like a dream, and I would wake up and find myself slumping through another year of high school. After a few pinches and a pile of exams, I knew this was the real deal. That's how I feel about Orlando. I've never experienced anything like it, but once I pinch myself and work my first 10-hour shift, I'm sure reality will set in.

This realization that I can have a life outside of Seattle has opened up a world of possibilities. I even hear a study abroad in Romania calling my name! So stop dreaming about your adventure, and get out there and make it happen! As Lemony Snicket put it, "If we wait until we're ready, we'll be waiting for the rest of our lives."

If you are interested in following my journey through the Disney College Program in Orlando, visit my secondary blog, All Roads Lead To Disney!

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#19 - Go Boating, Jet Skiing, and Inner Tubing

Shannon and I on the paddle boat

Here we go, another one crossed off the summer bucket list! This past weekend I went to Eastern Washington with a great group of friends. One of those friends has a house there that his family stays in each summer, and it is amazing! One day, we all headed out on the boat with his family to a small, secluded beach. We spent the majority of our time climbing up this huge sand and clay hill. It was at least at a 45 degree angle, about 150 yards high, and the sand was burning hot on our bare feet - quite the workout if I do say so myself! After that, jumping into the cool water felt like paradise. On our way back to the house, we brought out the inner tube and took turns being dragged behind the boat. It had been about three years since I had been on a boat or inner tubing, so I was already having a complete blast! And just like that, two of the three requirements for this bucket list item were completed.

The next day, we headed out to the same beach, but this time, we took the jet ski with us! If I had to guess, I'd say the last time I was on one of these things was about seven or eight years ago. After having a boys versus girls sandcastle building contest - yes, that is the type of thing we like to do for fun, and yes, the girls won (see both castles pictured below) - I took the jet ski out for a spin! This was the first time I had ever rode one by myself, and it was the most exhilarating feeling! At one point, I was going nearly 70 mph - pure euphoria.

Boys Castle

Girls Castle

A trip out on the paddle boat, star gazing, a dozen games of Super Smash Bros., and some quality time with friends was all it took to top off the weekend. I am so grateful to have been part of this impromptu adventure, it has definitely been the highlight of my summer!

Erik giving me a run through of how to drive the jet ski

And a few words, since it is Thoughtful Thursday: Do not be afraid to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves to you. Much of the time, it may not happen when or how you expect it, but they will happen. If you won't take my advice, at least hear what Mark Twain has to say about it:

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Lake Serene

Here we go, hike number two! This one was around 8.5 miles round trip and had a 2500 ft elevation gain. I really enjoyed this hike because about three miles in you arrive at Bridal Veil Falls, pictured to the right. Then you continue the rest of the way until you reach Lake Serene. To be honest, the hike from the falls to the lake was absolutely grueling. There were dozens of sets of stairs to climb, and my legs did not appreciate the quick elevation gain. However, the view was worth it, as always. I think the best part about hiking is when you can just sit down at your destination and eat your lunch - one of the most rewarding feelings. That sounds totally lame, but if you are a hiker, you understand what I mean.

I'm very excited to finally have plans for the Fourth of July! Me and a group of friends are trekking over to Eastern Washington for the weekend. I'm stoked, this should be quite the adventure! Especially considering I haven't vacationed in Eastern Washington for many, many years.

In the meantime, go ahead and check out my secondary blog, All Roads Lead To Disney! I will be moving to Florida next month (whoa!), and will be posting updates every once and awhile on this blog, as it relates to the Disney College Program. And here are some more shots from the Lake Serene hike:

 

 

 

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