My short life so far...

...has been nothing short of fascinating.

I've seen wind blowing across the plains of America.

I've watched wheat being harvested in the deserts of Oregon.

I've watched the sun set over the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.

I've walked in snow on the highest mountain in Oregon...during the summer, wearing shorts.

I've driven along or over the Mississippi River, the Snake River and the Columbia River, among others much smaller and less powerful, yet no less important.

I've seen the destruction of Mt. St. Helens, and walked through its former lava caves.

I've relaxed on the banks of beautiful mountain streams, touching their icy waters and breathing in air that could hardly smell sweeter.

I've seen the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and waded into the Mediterranean Sea.

I've gazed over Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower, and counted the steps to the top of the Arc de Triomphe.

I've glanced at the Mona Lisa, further proving how very underwhelming it is compared to all the art in the Musee d'Orsay.

I've eaten a crepe walking the cobblestone streets of Paris.

I've visited one of the holiest places in France, and saw the holy spring of water in the foothills of the Alps.

I've set foot in historic castles that many people only dare dream about.

I've seen glaciers and glacial waters, and could hardly take in the beauty.

I've seen elk, coyotes, bighorn sheep and a black bear, and they were all too close for comfort.

I've traveled to hidden waterfalls, popular waterfalls and waterfalls along the roads less traveled, and all of them took my breath away.

I've perched on a cliff overlooking the Pacific, and felt like I was never closer to God.

And there are so many places and people I have yet to see. Life is such an adventure, sometimes. Why people let it pass them by without diving in headfirst is a mystery to me. I'm aiming for no regrets, and in my short 22 years (nearly 23, now), I've accomplished much more than I could have ever imagined.

My new idea of winter

Note: There is no snow. There are no clouds in the sky. It's also not below freezing, freezing or even just barely above freezing. Rain allows me to function, unlike snow and ice. And I'll take the occasional rain if I get days like this one.

Unpacking

We're almost organized in the living room and kitchen...and once we get all that done, I'll post more photos to show off the new, wonderful, dry apartment! We still have no idea what exploded in the old apartment to make it decline so quickly, but we're certainly glad we're here, where our refrigerator light turns on, we have a dishwasher, the bathroom has a fan and we don't have to shovel water from one end  of the shower to the drain. And we don't have to leave the window open just to "dry" it out!

But unfortunately, our dining room still looks like this, so it could be awhile. I work too many nights to get this done! The cats like hiding in the boxes though.

I can't believe we're only paying $9 more per month for this place. It's like heaven compared to the old one.

Boxes and boxes

We're moving right now, and if you know me, you know my least favorite thing to do in the world is unpack, followed closely by packing. But I try to keep in mind how much better this apartment will be, and that's kind of helping. Kind of. 

Once we get settled in, I'll post photos here so you all can see the new place. Trust me, having a level apartment without mold will be such an improvement. I don't understand how it wasn't like this last year, but we certainly don't appreciate how they don't want to try to fix anything. The new place has a maintenance guy at each location. I'm psyched.

Till then, we'll be packing!