Catching up and pushing forward

Wow... I've already completed one whole semester of college. Time has flown by! Well, not exactly... at times it feels like it drags on, but life has been treating me well. Here are a few things that have happened:

This cute boy surprised me and took a spontaneous trip with his best friend, Justice, to come visit me in New York! And by spontaneous, I mean that he knew for 3 weeks and didn't tell me! They arranged to stay with a good friend named Jameson from our high school that also lives in the city. As part of the set up, Jameson asked if I wanted to go get frozen yogurt with him one night because he said, "he would be in my area." Since I'm always up for frozen yogurt and good talks with friends I, of course, said yes. While I was sitting and talking with Jameson, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a tall boy in a red jacket walking into Red Mango. To my complete surprise, it was Blake! I was SO shocked. I was speechless. Although it may sound cheesy, I have no other way of describing it than to say that it didn't seem real. I couldn't wrap my head around the idea that Blake was actually in New York. I hugged him FOREVER and couldn't and didn't want to let go. That will be a moment I will never forget. That night we both walked the Brooklyn Bridge for the first time. I could not stop smiling. We also took the ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. He loved it so much that he rode it twice! We took a picture in front of the famous Serendipity restaurant- we have an inside memory of him always asking me what my serendipity (or highlight) of the day is and I would always reply and tell him that it was him and that he always will be. We visited time square. That wasn't his favorite place in the world. I think it was too crowded and too cold for him. We went on several walks in central park where he would tell me stories. I love listening to his fictional stories. They usually have a deeper meaning to them and they keep me entertained. And my favorite of all the memories of the trip is going to the top of the Empire State Building. And yes, we may or may not have kissed at the top... Checking that off my romantic bucket list :) I couldn't be more grateful for Blake and the example he has been to me. That 5 day trip created memories that will last an eternity.

Touring with New York City Dance Alliance is my absolute favorite. NYCDA is truly like a family to me. There is no better feeling than having a job that is doing what you love with people that you love. So far this season I have traveled to Houston, Boston, Vancouver, and Las Vegas! Las Vegas has been my favorite city so far because I was able to see teachers and friends from my dance studio back at home. I was supposed to be in Chicago this weekend, but because of the bad weather here, my flight was cancelled. I'll be looking forward to being in Denver next weekend though! I love the dance world. I am so blessed to share dance and be inspired by so many amazing dancers across the country! 

I also had the amazing opportunity to be featured in the Dance Spirit magazine Februrary issue! I modeled what to wear for a "Convention Scholarship Audition." I had a ton of fun meeting every one associated with Dance Spirit. It was such a great experience. Here's a link to the behind the scenes video that they made of us at the shoot! http://dancemedia.com

Being home for the holidays was much needed. Pace has an extremely long break, so I was home for almost a month and a half! I was able to teach dance a lot and spend almost every minute with either my family or my favorite cousin in the world, Kayla Mathews. Unfortunately, because of finals and a school show, I wasn't able to come home soon enough to say goodbye to this handsome Elder. I was so sad (yes- tears were shed) that I missed his farewell talk and wasn't there to show him my support. (I was luckily able to watch a video of his talk while I was all the way in Houston for NYCDA. It wasn't how I would have preferred, but it was better than nothing!) It wasn't easy when the time came to say goodbye to someone that I care so much about. I am so grateful that the Lord has allowed our two lives to cross paths. But like he said, it's a "see ya later" not a "goodbye." Elder Oldham is going to be an amazing missionary in Aguas Calientes, Mexico and has been one to me since the day I met him. I love all of our countless memories. They won't be forgotten.


That's all I'm posting for now. Hopefully there will be more to come soon! Thanks for reading! xoxo