I was tagged!

I was tagged by Alexandra a while ago, but I just saw it and now I'm going to do it!

THE RULES

1. Post these rules 

2. Post 11 random things about yourself 

3. Answer the questions provided by the one who tagged you 

4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag 

5. Go to their blog and tell them they've been tagged!

11 random things about myself:
1. I want to adopt a manatee someday. Not really adopt one. Just sponsor it through a wildlife program or something. 
2. My favorite hair color was little mermaid red. I wish it wasn't so hard to maintain, because I would rock it all the time.
3. I think I have a pinched nerve in my back.
4. Socks make my feet feel claustrophobic. I don't own more than three or four pairs and I never wear them unless absolutely necessary. 
5. When given the opportunity, I will take the long way home. I love to drive. 
6. I still sleep with a teddy bear. It used to be my dad's. When I was little, I thought it was the ugliest thing in the world and hid it under my bed until one day, my dad told me that it used to be his. I haven't slept a night without my bear since. 
7. I am absolutely terrified of falling through sewer grates in the street, and I will do whatever funky dance moves necessary to avoid stepping on them.
8. I drove 42 hours straight with my dad last April across the country. It took me three weeks to recover.
9. I'm currently learning how to speak Mandarin. It makes spanish look like a piece of cake.
10. I marched in marching band all four years of high school and band camp seriously was the high light of my summer.  
11. I hate my eyebrows. 


Questions Alexandra asked!

1. What is your favorite nickname people call you?

I like it when people start calling me Chels because it means they are comfortable enough with me to not address me "formally". My favorite nickname is Chelsabelle, but only a select few people call me that.

2. What is the biggest obstacle you have overcome in the last year?

Probably getting my knee replaced, but I think Dustin's reassignment to my area was almost as challenging as my surgery was.

3. Where is "home" to you?

One of the things I say frequently is "New England sets my soul on fire." My heart will always belong there. It's home.

4. Do you have a favorite meal?

Well, anything American would be my favorite right now, I'm so tired of rice! But I love my mom's twice baked potatoes, sautéed asparagus and Caribbean marinaded steak tips. 

5. Where is your favorite place to run away to?

Jackson Hole, WY. I end up there frequently when I'm at school. It is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to.

6. What is something you feel like you are taking for granted?

My sight.

7. What is one of your earliest memories?

Sleeping over at my grandparents house.

8. Are you right or left handed?

Right

9. Do you sleep with socks on?

never. I hate socks.

10. What is your favorite weather to wake up to?

A cool autumn morning, with the sun streaming through my window. 

11. What is the first word you think of that starts with the letter Q?

Quail?

I TAG YOU!

-Princess Paige-

-Tara-

-Jillise Marie-

Anyone else who wants to participate, I suppose.

11 questions for you!

1. What's one place you want to visit before you die?

2. If you could learn any new language, what would it be?

3. What's the weirdest thing you have eaten?

4. What's your guilty pleasure song/music artist?

5. What is one thing you can't live without?

6. What's a goal you have this year?

7. Do you dream in color or black and white?

8. What's something that motivates you?

9. What's your favorite mode of transportation?

10. What's your favorite word in the English Language?

11. What song has been stuck in your head today?

It's been a while.

Oh dear me. Hi. As many of you know, I've been blogging over at my China blog for the last couple of months. But, that blog is specifically for China and Into the Wild is my personal refuge and I have missed writing here. I finally got to use a friend's proxy to set up my email blogging thing, so now I can write here every once in a while, when I have something to say that doesn't have to do with my life in China.

It's good to be back. I've missed writing. 

Well friends,

This is it for the time being. Tomorrow I am off to China and I'll be blogging over here while I'm on my Asian adventure! If you want to get ahold of me while I'm over there, you can email me at chelsieinchina@yahoo.com. I hope you come along with me on my adventure, and I'm so grateful for every single one of yours support!

PEACE, LOVE AND CHINA!

Days in Utah

The past week has been so much fun and I seriously have been living the dream while visiting my friends here in Utah. In the last seven days I have:

1. Gone to classes at BYU with Juli

2. Gotten a new Macbook Pro after mine bit the bucket.

3. Gotten 2 letters from my Missionary and got to write back to him!

4. Eaten at all my favorite restaurants: Denny's, Cafe Rio, Jimmy Johns, Wendy's, In-N-Out, Pizza Pie Cafe

5. Went to my first Collegiate sporting event: BYU Basketball! And we won!

6. I watched Reel Steel with Symone and Ryan. Also, I met Ryan. That was cool.

7. I got my hair cut and had pot roast with Shannon and Jared.

8. I went to the movies with McKell

9. I watched the Superbowl with Brett, Ian and McKell, and although my boys lost, it was still fun to spend time with them.

10. I slept in. A lot. And it's been great.

Basically, my last week in the states has been fantastic and I have loved every moment of it. I'm still in shock that I am leaving for China in two days. I can't believe it's finally here! WOOHOO!

wait what?

I'm leaving the country in four days?
holy Santa Claus crap.

Thrones of Cair Paravel

Sleep will not evade me tonight, for the numbers on my illuminated screen confirm that my words have reached your ears. I have touched you once again, and I can almost feel you, through every single one of the 2500 miles that separate my body from yours. And as I close my eyes tonight, I know I'll find myself wandering through the furs and pines, laden with heavy snow, following the footprints of a Lion who knows my name and my face and my heart. He will lead me where he knows I need to be; and I know that my place is right next to you.

macbook Pro

well, the last 24 hours have been very eventful. After my computer crashed and burned, I spent 2 hours in SimplyMac yesterday, sharing my life story with Dave, the genius guy. And together, we came to the conclusion that: 

1. My computer was drawing it's last breath

2. My external hard drive may not be salvageable, but I won't know until I pay 300 dollars for them to do a recovery data scan

3. I need something reliable for China

And so, I'm now blogging on this beautiful piece of machinery:

I was planning on replacing my computer this year, but not unit the fall semester. But, after everything that went down, I guess it was just time. As my Mom kept on saying:

"The timing stinks, but the timing is great"

because, can you imagine the trouble I would be in if my computer crashed completely while in China?

How on Earth would I complete my homework?

Exactly.

So, I guess it is a tender mercy at the end of the day.

One week until China. 

Um, Macbook, this is not cool

Okay, friends. In the last 48 hours, my computer has corrupted my external hard drive and has possibly destroyed all of my photos, documents and music that is stored on it. It has ejected a memory chip all on it's own in the process of me copying files from it, and that caused it to destroy all of the data on it and made me reformat the card. And it seems as if my charger has become shotty and only wants to charge my computer when it wants to. Also, the internet has crashed at least five times a day.

So basically. I'm freaking. Because I'm about to go to China, and I'm taking on line classes, and if my computer has a melt down over there, I am screwed.

So, what do I do about this? Take it to a specialist and see if they can fix it and make it last? That will cost me money, for sure, especially since I'm out of my warrenty now. Do I just go to a store and buy myself a new computer with my credit card and pay it off in the fall with my loan money?

I'm so stressed out.

WAHHH!

emotions

Long day of traveling.
Heartbreaking loss of photos on my hard-drive.
Stress of having to lose 20 lbs from a suitcase before flying internationally.
Sore from dragging 120 lbs of suitcase weight.
Sad at having to say goodbye to my family this morning.
Content at being here with Juli and Jord for a week.
Hopeful that the mac people will be able to recover my files.
and so unbelievably and perfectly happy about the letter that was waiting for my arrival.

full of wonder

I can't believe I'm leaving New England tomorrow. I mean, I know I've left before to go to school for long periods of time, but I can't believe I'm leaving tomorrow and when I come back, I will have seen the other side of the world. I wonder how I feel, the next time I'm in this bed. I wonder how many new friends I'll have, and if I'll cry because I miss my kids so much. I wonder if I'll have a hard time adapting to America again and if I'll be 10 lbs lighter from weight that I lost. I wonder where I'll be in my life and if I'll still be okay with my career choice after I come back. I wonder what cool things I will have seen and what weird things I will have eaten and what awkward stories I'll be bursting to tell.

I'm so excited to go to China.

And, as weird as this is, I'm so excited to come home too. Because New England sets my soul on fire, and my heart will always belong here.

But I wonder, in six months, if a part of it will belong to China too.