20 Awesome Moments From Being 20

So it's my birthday tomorrow and I will officially be an adult. I mean, I can drink, get a hotel room, play slots at a casino, and get married (mom's rule). Not that I think I'll be doing any if those things real soon (or at all for drinking and gambling).

But I want to take a moment and remember all the awesome things that have happened in my life since the last June 18th.

20. ESPN Cameo

I have been on ESPN a couple times before, but this was the first time my little brother saw me on ESPN. Instant "cool sister" status.

19. Finding Guard in Taiwan

Because I'm such a guard nerd. Read more about it here.

18. Hiking to the Big Buddha

It was one of the harder hikes I've done, but I felt so B.A afterwards. Read about it here.

17. Tubing Provo River

Roommate bonding time on the river.

16. Thanksgiving Road Trip

Sometimes you go on a roadtrip with a stranger and you have one heck of an adventure in Southern Utah and then continue it in Hong Kong. Another example of the magic of travel. Read about it here.

15. Failing at Pre-Game

Falling TWICE in front of all the football players' families? Yeah, it was pretty embarrassing.

14. Touching the Hands of Almost Every BYU Football Player

OHMIGOSH!!!! Totally never wanted to wash my hand again (but I did cause, you know, not washing my hand would be pretty gross).

13. Beach at Lamma Island

Four hours of playing in the waves, collecting sea glass, and taking hipster pictures.

12. Dragon's Back

The first of many hikes in Asia with some beautiful views of Hong Kong. Read about it here.

11. The Spy Adventure

That one time the guard went to the Provo Beach Resort and worked on our spying skills. I am now a master at avoiding lasers.

10. Karaoke

One of my favorite activities, especially Asian-style.

9. Rode an Elephant

So amazing. Period. Read about it here.

8. Kayaking in Sai Kung

I love kayaking SOO much. And it's even better when you have amazing friends with you. Read about it here.

7. Colorguard Sleepover

20 girls, one cabin, and a temple equals one fantastic time.

6. Cat Cafe

A cafe full of cats!! Gotta love Asia!

5. Roughing It in Rural China

No gain without pain, right? And by pain, I mean really icky hostels and no traffic laws. Read about it here.

4. Crashing a Local Parade

I promise I will post about this soon. Or just message me and I'll tell you, in case you can't wait.

3. Petted a Tiger

Getting up close and personal with some really big cats. Read about it here.

2. Hiked the Great Wall of China

The last thing on my bucket list. Time for a new one!! Read about it here.

1. Moved to Hong Kong

Definitely the best 4 months of my life. Even though it was one of the scariest decisions I've ever made, it was totally worth it. It straight up made being 20 absolutely amazing.

Here's to an even better 21st.

Road Trip- June 18-19

I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move- Robert Louis Stevenson

Shortly after I finished my last post I loaded up my belongings into my purple '94 Honda Civic. Between Mom and I, we had 5 bags, plus a tote full of entertainment stuff we set in the back seat. We kept making runs into the house for items we almost forgot (ex. phone and camera charger, blow-dryer). I said my last goodbyes to my still half-asleep sister Brooke, grabbed the big bag of Jolly Ranchers Tay and Anna got me, and was finally ready to head out. Mom pulled out of the driveway and the garage door slowly closed shut. It was goodbye to my gray brick house until December. My birthday breakfast was none other than Starbucks. Mom ordered 2 venti peppermint hot chocolates. It was divinely delicious, so much that I could only drink about half before I was full.

Our first stop on my birthday road trip was the Outlets at Anthem. It was fashion bliss!!!! They had a Tommy Hilfiger outlet. So of course I went in and tried on almost their entire selection of clothes. In the end I bought a short-sleeved argyle sweater and some jeans, but nothing could compare to my happiness at being in a Tommy Hilfigir store. Afterwards, we went to Clavin Klein and bought some jeweled-color button-down shirts (Debbie Forrest would approve). Then, we checked out Ann Taylor where we found a darling coral cardigan on clearance. Overall, Anthem was a success and I was on a fashion high after buying such cute clothes.

Our next stop was Flagstaff where we had lunch at Fratelli's pizza. I always try to go to Fratelli's because it is the first place where I tried pesto pizza. So Mom and I got the slice special of a slice of pesto pizza, a salad, and a drink. We then sat down in the dark, bar-like dining area and watch the World Cup on the flat screens. The pizza was delish but not as good as the pesto pizza my family makes at home. Maybe we should start a pizza joint... nah.

At 6pm, we arrived in Kanab, Utah. We decided to stay at the Four Seasons Motel, which turned out to be a mistake. The word that comes to mind when thinking of the hotel is seedy. To make it worse, there was a bus-full of college age kids staying there too. And dinner at Escobar's was just okay. But me and Mom laughed off the mediocreness of our situation and enjoyed the small town novelty of Kanab. Here are a few pictures I took with my amazing new camera:

After an okay sleep, we rose, showered and was on the road again by 7am. We admired the quaintness of the small towns along the 89 but as cute as they were, I was asleep within the hour. I slept all the way to Beaver, Utah! But after I woke up, Mom and I talked and listened to talks on tape. There was one talk by Joni Morrison that was SO funny! I was afraid we were going to drive off the road because we were crying so hard!!! I know I couldn't see anything. Finally we made it to Provo and the nerves began to set in...

The Next Chapter

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive that is Youer than You."- Dr. Seuss

Today I turn 18 years old. Yeah, that's right, 18!! A whole new world of options has opened itself unto me. I can buy cigarettes (which I won't), buy spray paint (unlikely), get tried as an adult (hopefully that won't happen), and pet the puppies at the pet store (very very VERY likely). Already this morning I got several happy birthday posts on Facebook from my friends and I suspect I will have a lot more before the day is through. But the highlight of my birthday will be the road trip I'm taking with my mother to Utah.

Yes, road trip. Not only am I turning 18 today, I am also moving to Bountiful to work at my uncle's company over the summer. So I'm driving me and my stuff to Utah to stay. Figure it'll sound cool and rebellious when I tell people, "Oh yeah, you know, I moved out of my house the day I turned 18." Hehe. I plan to make this road trip relaxing and fun. No worries, even though we have to be in Provo tomorrow by 1pm for Colorguard auditions. I want to stop at scenic areas and take pictures. I want to eat at my favorite restaurants that are on the road to Utah. I want to sing and talk about nothing with my mama for hours on end. Basically, I want a birthday that kicks last year's birthday into oblivion.