It has been so long since I blogged that I don't know if I could possibly get caught up. But I will try. Starting with today...since it's the most fresh in my memory. I woke up this morning and looked at the weather. It was the last day of 80 degree temperatures and I panicked a little. The rest of the week is supposed to be 50's and 60's and rain. The first thing I thought of was the Alpine Loop (on my fall bucket list). So I convinced my roommate that after class we should go and drive the Alpine Loop before the trees are barren from the rainstorms. The colors were so amazing! I loved every minute of it as was manifested by me saying "This is so beautiful!" about 100 times during the drive.As part of one of the best fall's I will ever have I planned some fun vacations before winter hits and it will be nearly impossible. At the end of August I went to Southern California with some friends from my old ward. It was a fun vacation. We did so much including downtown disney for dinner, six flags, beach time, San Diego, and boating. A few highlights from the trip...I got my first bee sting ever. Luckily, I'm not allergic but I did learn an important lesson that it's probably not a good idea to sit on a boat all day wearing a swimsuit with a giant flower on the front of it. Also, six flags was rather eventful. I decided that that was a place that I was never supposed to go. I had no idea that anyone would be crazy enough to make a theme park full of the worst ideas for terrifying roller coasters in my life. X2 was maybe the most memorable. It was the first one we went on and probably the worst of all of them which made the others not seem so bad. Let's just say after dropping 175 feet in a skydiving position I lost my voice on the first ride which made the others a little less fun. Six flags may be on my list of things to never do again if my life depended on it!
A few weeks ago a group of friends from my current ward went to St. George to my roommate Sarah's house for the weekend. So much fun! We played glow in the dark hide and seek in a cave, went boating all Saturday, and ate good food starting with the Santa Queen which is probably one of my new favorite restaurants.
About a week ago I went to Chicago with Brooke to visit our friend Chris from BYU that lives there now. What a magical city! It is beautiful and the architecture is incredible. Highlights included shopping on the magnificent mile aka shopping heaven, seeing the Michael Jordan, Navy Pier, river taxi to Chinatown, the Chicago Art Institute, and good food including Chicago style pizza. We went to brunch at a little place called the Bongo Room one morning. I don't love pancakes usually but I had the most incredible flapjacks at this restaurant. The actual flapjacks were graham cracker crusted with a cream cheese and berry sauce over them. They were to die for. I may have to move to Chicago because I don't think I can get those anywhere else.
For October I created a fall bucket list and I have already started on it. I love this time of year! I am going to visit Melody in a few weeks in Pennsylvania too and I can't wait. I have always wanted to go to the east coast in the fall. I love life and 2011 has been a great year because I have made the most of it!
