and then the kingdom comes...

Two out of three of my sisters have blogs, and I think it's so interesting that random people I don't know (hopefully not crazy people) can take interest in your life through your blog no matter where they are in the world. I'm going to try my hardest to start so I can be a part of this!

I'm twenty-one, and I just graduated college a few months ago in California. I have a double major and a Bachelor's of Science and I work for a non-profit with at risk youth that most often are already in trouble with the law. I love my job- it's a new experience every day, and it's my first "real" salary, benefits, grown-up job!

I lived in NorCal for three years and I loved it-- I love SF, I love being on my own, I loved being able to be my own person and not have to live up to the personality others had already decided on for me. I moved back when I graduated and now I live in a new house with two of my sisters. So far it's fun, but it's very hard being home in a place where I am the "baby" and where people treat me often like I can't take care of my own life-- despite me doing quite well with my life on my own the past few years.

I love my friends. I have a group of friends here in AZ that I have known since grade school. The six of us have stuck it out through thick and thin, but unfortunately we are all spread out throughout AZ because they are all still in school. I have another group of 3 girls that I adore that were my college roommates and I am visiting 2 of them in Hawaii this December. Lastly, I have another group of three girlfriends that I became super close with when I spend last summer in England; in fact, the four of us are meeting up in Seattle next week! I can't wait!

Oh, and there's this one thing...about this guy.

I'm in love with a Marine. There, I said it, and admitting it is the hardest part! I have been with him since I was 15, we essentially grew up together, and have been dating for 5.5 years. I have been in love with him for, oh, about the last 3 of those years. We've had a rocky relationship because of tons of high school drama (I'll get into that one later, it's too juicy to skimp on) and have had a long distance, military relationship for 3 years. He's the most handsome person I've ever seen, the sweetest, funniest, and the most aggravating person in the world.

Did I mention he's been in Iraq for the past 7 months? He's coming home in about a month, hopefully! I haven't heard his voice or gotten more than a two sentence email from him in six weeks and that is getting to be really hard on me. Every second he's been gone I have been in a constant state of stress and worry. I can't even imagine this gorgeous boy of mine out in danger! Again, that's another story...I'll gush on about him and probably rant and rave a few times too for good measure some other time.

Oh, another thing! I want a PhD in Islamic Studies or Religion and Culture. I'm applying to PhD programs and studying nonstop for the GREs which I plan to take in October. I am going to apply to ASU, Georgetown, Duke, Boston, Catholic, and NC at Chapel Hill. I am a psych and religious studies person by degree, but my passion is religious studies and I can't wait to go back to school and learn even more--- my dream is to be a professor and also do hands-on research abroad.

Cool thing about me: I get to be a Young Life leader! I was in YL during high school, it's a non-deonominational Christian youth group, and it seriously changed my life and made my high school experience a blast. Tomorrow night I go to the first leader's meeting to kick off when we start leading a group at my old high school. I am kind of bummed because this weekend was Leader's Weekend where everyone got to bond but I had to work (I work Wed-Sat ten hours a day!) Hopefully tomorrow will be a lot of fun and just very spritually centering. More on that, well, someday when I have time!

So that's me, so far. I'm a daughter, sister, friend, girlfriend, psuedo-sister, behavioral health professional, USMC-know all, student, YL leader, group counseling faciliator, future PhD candidate, frequent flyer, Arizona-girl, and officially named by my friends a mix between the momma bear of the group with a healthy dose of the crazy girl that is always running wild.

Now that you know me, hmmm...I wonder who you are?! No matter what, thanks for reading!