looking forward.

i'm the kind of person who is always looking forward to something. i just LOVE anticipation; being excited about something in the future. sometimes i think i enjoy looking forward to things more than i enjoy them actually happening. anyway, here are some things i'm looking forward to in the next few months:

1. onerepublic concert in honolulu- feb 21st. they are such a talented band. their song apologize will always be near to my heart because i did a dance to that song and it was kind of an emotional experience for me. throughout the duration of learning this dance, i was in a relationship, had to end that relationship, and learned to move on. the dance helped me express my feelings and helped me cope. anyway.. they have tons of other great songs besides apologize. i'm very excited to see them live.

2. finishing the semester- april 8th. yeah, i'm way sick of school right now. totally over it. (well, not totally, cause i still find myself going daily. but just about.) i love all my classes this semester, but i'm just really ready for a break from school. sadly, the end of the semester also means the end of hawaii for me... i try not to think about that.

3. starting my mission papers- march. that's right folks, the time has finally come. i've only been saying that i wanted to go on a mission for the past 2 and a half years. i can actually start my papers next month. wow. unreal... :)

4. chicago- may 3rd-9th. trip for mama's birthday. gonna be fun. hopefully we don't kill each other. love the woman to death but we act more like sisters than mother/daughter most of the time. but really, i'm excited.

5. bay to breakers run- may 15th. i signed up for my first 12k! kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing. my dad asked me if i wanted to do it with him, said he'd pay for it, and that we could fly to san francisco instead of drive-- i think yes. however, the races i have under my belt amounts to one 5k. soo... i gotta start training.

6. study abroad- july 19th-august 13th. italy, greece, turkey, and egypt (if egypt has calmed down by then). oookay. SO excited. i've wanted to travel my whole life, and i'm finally doing it. yay yay yay.

7. home- in between all the other stuff. i miss my job, my house, my parents, my ward, institute, my car, feeling productive, the gym, and just the people! although the people i really miss won't be there when i get back... either way, i'm excited to go home.

8. mission- october ish. at least that's the plan. if you've been reading recently you'll have noticed a common theme: my life doesn't always work out according to plan. so, i will be mindful of the lord's will for me. i'll be prayerful, and listen to the spirit- and if for any reason i feel like i shouldn't go on my mission... i won't. but i REALLY want to. so hopefully it all works out.

so much good stuff coming up. i just gotta remember to find excitement in the day-to-day.

love,

D