#8 out of 30

What are five passions you have right now?

1- Music. This one was an easy one. Even though I don't look like I'm as into music as those who are studying at Julliard or something like that... I do love it. One of my big regrets in life is quitting music lessons. Usually because I hated practicing. (I mean goodness, it interfered with my oh so important social life! How could I not quit? ;) Haha) I'm blessed to have a musical mom who taught us piano lessons from the time we were little. Before we were good at playing I loved listening to her practice the piano. We'd go in the living room where she was playing and make up dances that 'matched' the songs. (For example... Witches Dance. Sisters, who remembers that?) I love the way the piano sounds, I love how much expression you can put into the music and I love being able to use the piano as an outlet for emotions. My dad commented once that he could always tell when I was upset about something because I'd play the piano. (Until that point I never really noticed that I played more when I was flustered.) 

Then my mom got us signed up for violin lessons. Staci in Circleville was a great teacher! My dad was a patient parent listening to us screech while we first were figuring everything out. But I didn't love playing by myself as much as I loved playing in Orchestra after we moved to Cedar. There's something absolutely incredible about being a part of a group making music. I mean, I think I could be addicted to it. You feel so empowered, so alive! We had an awesome teacher, even if he was a little different and insisted on being called "Dr. Neves". ;) He had us play scores from Pirates of the Carribean, Lord of the Rings, and complex classical pieces, not to mention the semi bizarre modern pieces that sound kind of like coordinated crap/chaos. :p 

Then when I decided to find some courage and finally try out for Madrigals, I discovered how much I love singing too. :) I still like it better when I'm in a choir setting, I can't sing by myself or else my face twitches and I lose any ability I maybe thought I had to begin with. It's bad. But in a choir setting it's kind of the same 'high' as with an orchestra. Music is powerful, and so to be part of making incredible music feels pretty great. :) I loved singing the dissonant songs in Mads, like 'Sleep' by Eric Whittacre. It was just fun. I really miss those two aspects of being in high school. The rest I can definitely live without. ;)

2- Relationships. I was going to say family. And friends. But really the part that I love the most is sitting down with the people I care about and talking. Sometimes it's discussing dramatic goings on in our lives, sometimes it's serious talks about things that are hard right now, sometimes it's remembering times we've had fun together... I just love talking with the people that I love. It's very satisfying to come away from being with someone that I have a good relationship with and feeling like we've both been recharged somehow by the time spent together. I think that makes me a total extrovert? 

3- Pictures. I. Love. Pictures. I love taking them, I love looking at them, and I even sometimes love being in them. I'm funny, I don't ever want to ask to be in pictures- that just seems attention starved of me or something? But I do love it when I have pictures that I'm in from past times that I can look at and remember, "Oh yeah, I felt pretty cute that day, isn't that funny? I mean can you see my shirt?" or "Hey, I wasn't as awful as I thought I was, I should have liked myself more." It helps you remember those memories better. (insert cliche about a picture being worth 1,000 words) 

I love how sometimes it makes me feel so giddy to see pictures where the lighting is just perfect, or where the contrast of colors just really catches your eye. I like how pictures can bring out emotion without having to go into depth explaining things. 

And of course, I love those few times when I can take a picture that is like that. :) I'm learning... someday I'll make myself have the attention span to really sit down and learn what I want to so I can be better at taking pictures. Until then I'll just enjoy taking mediocre pictures. ;)

4- Seeing new places/ "Going on adventures". So... not all my adventures are actually all that 'adventurous' by definition. I'm not as risky as that involves I guess. :p But I do like experiencing new things. I remember a few years ago when my parents said we were going to Mesa Verde for a summer vacation I was a little bummed at first. Ruins didn't sound nearly as inviting as, oh, say Disneyland? (I have an addiction to Disney. And Disneyland. I guess I could probably write a whole page on my passion for Disney- maybe I will! ;) ) Once we got on the trip and we drove through some gorgeous Colorado scenery and hiked some absolutely incredible ruins... I decided this was a pretty great adventure! We window shopped in Durango and saw a train museum (which again, I wasn't sure what I

thought about museum-ing, but I LOVE it now!) and I saw new places and new people and I loved the way it made me feel. This summer when Matt and I road tripped to Nebraska, I felt the same way. It was so fun to see the differences between Cedar and Holdredge, and enjoy the different 'feel' of the places we visited. 

I'm so nervous for grad school, because I've never lived more than 3 hours away from my parents, but at the same time I'm pretty excited for all the new adventures we'll get to have with our little chunk in tow. (At least I hope he's a little chunk.)

5- Since I couldn't think of anything else, I really am going to do Disney. But with a more thoughtful sounding title:

I am passionate about being able to stay a kid, and appreciate imagination.

(This would be Lion King in the pasture ;) )

When I was little I was never myself. I was a lion, or a woman from the 1800's, or a World War (1 or 2 really) nurse or secretary. I was a dog lots of times, or a diver, or Mulan, or a princess, or a character from a book. My sisters and I had so much fun pretending! I think it's important to be able to pretend, I think it teaches kids lots of different things. 

Now that I'm older, I love watching the way little kids discover the world and how they see things. Wouldn't it be great if everyone saw the world as a big magical place with so many amazing things? 

I think that's why I love Disneyland, honestly. I'm not even all that crazy for the big scary rides, and it's not that I think the 'kid' rides are more exciting... I just love all the cute detail. I love how you can pretend you're having tea with the madhatter, or that you're escaping

(Disneyland)

from all those Woozles with Winnie the Pooh. I love that it sets imagination up for you to run wild with. :) That's also why I loved the Mayan restaurant, or any other themed restaurant for that matter. I like being able to pretend again. (I know, right? At my age? I should probably be embarrassed or something. ;) I'm not though... I still catch myself getting carried away in daydreams and pretending my laundry away. Haha)

I think that everyone has some 'little kid' in them still, I just think that some people have decided that we're supposed to get rid of that in order to be adults. I think adults who can stay in touch with that side are way more fun and creative. :) 

(I'm not even sure if this last one made any sense, I just know that I love imagination so much! I really hope our kids are imaginative. I don't think that kids get to be kids as much as they should anymore, which is really sad. They grow up too fast. I'm kind of determined to make sure that's not the case in our little family but I also hope that doesn't mean that they'll be made fun of. It seems like different isn't ok in today's society unless it's the 'fad different'. Anyway, that's a different ramble for a different day.)