ALL THINGS SHALL BE FOR EXPERIENCE

So I've been on three dinner/lunch dates in the last 3 weeks with three
different guys. All three were interesting and worth the effort for the
experience. I haven't dated a lot in the 17 years since I turned 16 and the
only experience's I've had to judge things by haven't been all that great.
So I feel like I'm getting a crash course on dating at a rapid speed.

I'm learning about what qualities are most important and which ones
I don't care for, and how important chemistry is even though the
person is a nice good person.

Date with guy #1 was insightful. We had only had a few conversations
before he asked me out so there was little that I knew about him
before going. He was 33, aspiring to be a full time janitor for a
school, shorter than me, little motivation for going to college, and lives
at home with his parents. I felt like we were on very different
levels in life even though we were the same age. We talked for
3 hours and no matter how I tried I was not attracted to him or
excited to go out with him again. I'm the kind of person who can talk
to just about anyone and make friends with someone in line at the DMV,
but he took the fact that we talked for so long as chemistry whereas I did
not, and couldn't wait to get home. I knew instantly that I didn't want to
go out again. I wished I had, had courage right after to say so but I didn't
so I had to let him down in an email later that week.

Date with guy #2 was an eye opener. We had talked for a whole week
practically every night and talked about religion, life, our work, and
everything else under the sun. He was 34, divorced, 2 little girls, has a
good job and was attractive. I really liked talking to him and was excited
to go out with him. I was rudely awakened from the moment we got on
the date til the end by his teasing. Our chemistry in talking was different
than our chemistry in person all because of the kind of teasing he did. It
was very strong and the whole night I felt like he was being critical of
everything I said and was. Half way through the night I asked him if
he was going to be nice to me? And that I felt like I needed to have my
fists up all night ready to defend myself. I tease and like to be teased but
his teasing was more than I expected or could handle. We were going to
go out again and see if things were better if we did something more
interactive rather than just sitting and talking he said he would get
back to me about it but I've yet to hear from him 2 weeks later.
Honestly I'm not too upset that he's gone.

Date with guy #3 nice. We had talked for 2 1/2 weeks over email
and then had phone conversations for a week and then went out
after 3 1/2 weeks of everything combined. He has a house in Syracuse,
is 29 years old, works in Salt Lake, love HGTV as I do and has a dog
named Missy. He was cute but a bit quieter than I had expected but I
had a good time. He said he had a good time as well and would call me
to do it again. I didn't feel like it was the best best date ever but it was
nice and worth the effort to go out again and see how it goes. So the
next day I sent him a text thanking him for the day before and hoped
that he was having a good day. It's been 3 days and he has not
responded...Who knows if he really didn't have as good a
time as he said, but it would be nice to have him just say so. I've
noticed that if a guy is no longer interested they just drop you with no
clue as if they didn't need to say anything to you. I feel it's common
courtesy to tell them right out rather than mysteriously disappearing.
It's very frustrating!!! Who knows he could still call, but I
doubt it very much.

So life goes on and I just keep living and waiting for more
experiences to make me more well rounded.

NO CHANGE...WRITE THE SAME

It's a new year and 2010 looked promising at the start but it soon came to a close with no one promising me anything or even some boys not responding in a courteous way. Stepping out of my comfort zone to let them know I would be interested backfired each time but none the less each time was an eye opener, a learning experience and a gathering of wisdom.

There will always be guys I meet and would like to date that have no interest in me, and others that I meet that take my being nice to them as me being interested in them more than a friend. That's life and I'm dealing with disappointment gracefully.

Finding someone you love and loves you back is a MIRACLE.

Since age 16 when I could start dating I didn't do very much of it...well to be honest I had 1 official date, 1 homecoming dance with a kid in my ward who was a bit younger and very socially awkward, and 3 girls choice dances.

So minus the girls choice dances, since they really didn't have a choice in the matter, I had a total 2 experiences to go by when entering college. Which to be honest wasn't enough to base anything by and led me to just hang out/make out with anyone who was interested in me! STUPID to say the least but I sorta figured it out before I left college which led to many dry drought years from age 21-33.

Some sadness but no regrets. All I know about my few relationships if I can call them those, is that they never work out and it's usually one sided or I was going for the completely wrong type of guy. The upside is that when it really does happen I'll know it's right because it works out. haha

2011 is about 2010 experiences and making necessary healthy changes for 2011.

I know who I am and what I want in life, and focusing on the things out of my control...that is unreachable for now...I start to loose sight of what is important for the moment in time which is now. What is happening right in front of me gets less care and attention.

I have to let got of the yesterday's and the tomorrow's and focus on today or tomorrow I will regret what I didn't do to make today fulfilling.

This year I will continue to write boy blog posts since I'm obviously still having them and wishing I wasn't...but until someone asks me to take his last name, give me a ring, or heck tell me he loves me I'll just continue since voicing these lovely experiences is in some way healing and fun!

I promise to work hard in every experience to have my eyes open wide. To let my brain have a more active part with my heart when it comes to boys. No more wasting time on boys who talk a good talk and flirt but don't actually put anything more of worth forward. It's all about respect from others and respecting myself.

Many say that it only takes one...one right one, and it's true, I just now wonder when?

HAWAII 10/27

Today's Travel: Snorkeling at Mile Marker 14, Turtles, and
Cheeseburger in Paradise

We asked Snorkel Bob's about where we wanted to go and about
the shark sign and they told us we would be fine and not bothered
by sharks. And that Mile Marker 14 was one of the best places to
snorkel. So that's where LaDessa and I did our snorkeling while
mom and dad sat on the shore. We have decided that Snorkeling
is just AWESOME and we will be doing it as often as we can!

Sitting on the beach taking a break from snorkeling

Napili Bay area where we were told that we could find
Turtles in the areas with the black crater rocks along the shore

Me and LaDessa searching for the turtles

Us taking a quick photo break while searching for the turtles

It was hard crossing all of the rough uneven rock

I decided to let LaDessa continue the search for turtles while
I sat on the rocks and watched the storm come in. And no
we never did find turtles so we were a bit bummed!

Dad

No wonder Hawaii has rainbows on their license plates

Dad, LaDessa and I got caught in a rain storm and decided to
hang out under an overhang of earth and wait for it to stop. Well
it continued for a while and we then started to realize that the rain
was now coming through the ground and getting us all muddy, so
we made a run for the car to head back to get mom for dinner. She
hadn't felt good most day so after snorkeling we let her sleep in the
condo while we went in search of turtles and beaches.

We walked to the Old Lahaina Center for dinner at the
Cheeseburger in Paradise. This is the view from the
sidewalk by the shops on our way to eat.

Cheeseburger in Paradise is on the right of us and is on
stilts over the ocean, and a band plays on the open top floor

Our view out the window from our table

One of the largest Banyan tree's in Old Lahaina Center

We accidentally took the wrong, long way home and were
very tired but came across this old car which made it kinda
worth it but not all the way.

The master bathroom

Master bathroom shower made of Slate

View down the hall, Mom and dads room was on
the right behind the couch and their bathroom on
the left behind the kitchen wall. Not sure why
I didn't get a picture of their bathroom, it was cute.

Mom and Dad's bedroom, it was mom's favorite
color, green! There were TV's in every room.

My bedroom at 4:00 AM the morning we left for
the airport to make our way back to Utah.
The flying was long, and tiring and of course no
pictures to show. We loved our trip and hope to go
back again someday.

HAWAII 10/26

Today's Travels: Iao Valley, Island site see, and Mile Marker 14

Our condo was on the second floor. Here is the walkway
down to our front door and some of our windows.

At the bottom of the stairs after walking along the walkway

The check in main desk. This looks so beautiful at night with
the lighting. There are no walls, but the rarely have big or heavy
rain or wind storms on this part of the island.

Flowers at the Condo complex

View of the end of our building. It was such a nice place.
I will be sure to come here again when I come back in
a few years.

A Historical church just a half block away from the condo

The front of the condo by the street

The kitchen

Living room and walk out

Kitchen counter looking out on living room and the master
bedroom that LaDessa and I stayed in with an attached bathroom

Standing in the kitchen seeing the area by the front door
when you come in.

Looking out to the area in between the condos

Dad sitting at the bar to the kitchen

Me and mom walking up to look out over the Iao Valley

Noticed that dad was taking her picture.

Mom at the restrooms in Iao Valley

Iao Valley

LaDessa and I did our hair nice for the day and then the

misty rain hit and within minutes we were wet and frizzy. Luckily
I had remembered my jacket with a hood but LaDessa had
to use her towel to cover up. Mom's jacket didn't have a hood
and all day she kept asking us how her hair looked. She knew
what we were not going to tell her about it.

Mom opted to sit on this bench while the rest of us made

the climb to the top of the Ioa Valley. I think she's here
eating her ice that she carried with her everywhere.

She found someone to sit with her and talk to her.

We kept calling her Mary

Coming down from the top

Ah he waited for her to walk together to the car.

See the big black boat? Ya that's the car they gave us.
It was super ugly and big but fit our luggage really good,
and we had awesome leg room in the back seat.

Saddened by the waste of getting ready that morning. hahaha

Voting signs

I spy a yellow School Bus!

I seem to spot them where ever I go.

At a lookout near Lahaina, where obviously mom was
very done and tired

Looking out and seeing other Hawaiian islands

Close to sunset

Yep you guessed it, still very very windy. Very glad that
the first 4 days of our trip had no wind, just gentle breezes

Mile Marker 14 where the snorkeling is supposed to be awesome.
We decided to check it out tonight and see the sunset as well.
Not sure why we decided to climb a tree in swimsuits and dresses.

Uh now how do I get down?

Dad Mile Marker 14

Not sure how to take this, we will ask Snorkel Bob's tomorrow
about whether or not we should snorkel here.

The mini grabs that were coming out of the sand everywhere
on the beach under our chairs and all around

We realized how awesome Mile Marker 14 was by just the

sunset and decided we were for sure coming back here tomorrow.