A Year in Review

A chilly Whistler weekend in January

My fabulous birthday weekend at Camp Casey

Girlie trip to Portland... or "Pukeland"

A very hot spring day at Greenlake

A surprise visit home for Mother's Day

Another one of Britta's infamous b-day parties

Summer with Laura

Joe did the Seattle-to-Portland bike trip

Hot days in the park, people-watching...

The Michael Jackson Memorial Dance Party

Heidi's wonderful wedding

Happy hours at King's

Mama's visit to Seattle

Women's retreat to Whidbey Island

Late nights with dear friends

Housewarming party... Ballard is the place to be!

Kite-flying at Camp Casey

Halloween, dressed up as Alvy Singer and Annie Hall

A very fun Midwest/Chicago vacation with Joe

Adopted the cutest baby in the world

2009... It was a very good year.

Still Breathing

It's the end of the work week.
I'm still breathing.
Monday I was forced to do karaoke.
Tuesday I brought Joe chicken soup.
Wednesday gave me sunshine.
Thursday I ate goat brie cheese.
Friday, today, I wondered how successful I'd be at writing a screenplay.

Have an illuminating weekend.

Au revoir, 2008!

Let me tell you something: I'm kind of fond of 2008. So much happened. It was a very good year, to quote Frank Sinatra.

Here are some highlights of 2008 that make me think fondly of it:

President-elect BARACK OBAMA

Twilight mania

The comeback kid, Ms. Britney Spears herself (Wo-man-i-zer!)

Graduation... I earned a B.A. in English from Seattle Pacifc University!

One word: Beyonce. Harry Potter Halloween Party

Joe, the boyfriend

Friends abroad... Laura, Britta, Brielyn, Carissa, David, Alex...

"I Kissed a Girl." I liked it. The song, that is.

Allie's first trip to Canada

It was a Boys & Girls Club kind of summer

New, big-girl job!

Summer with these sillies:

Cross-country skiing with Heidi and Greta

Our very own apartment

Hope you had a good year too! Cheers to YOU this New Year's Eve!

It's Official

I'm done with college.

I took my last final at 1pm, finishing at 2:30pm.

My college self flat-lined at 2:30pm, passing away into the cloudy sky in a quite and peaceful-- if not sedated-- manner.

This is how I currently feel:

I really can't express any emotion.

Not happy.

Not sad.

Just... blank.

All I Want

"All I Want" is the title of the first song on Joni Mitchell's "Blue" album, a signifant soundtrack for my sophomore year of college, on a side note. But I thought that might be a fitting title for my current state-of-mind.
All I want is to cry. But in truth, there isn't really anything that comes to mind that I need to cry about. I am going to have a really enjoyable summer season after graduation: living with my best friend in Ballard, working at Ballard Boys & Girls Club, having adventures with lovely people like Britta, Laura, Katie, Emily, Lindsey, Leslie; going to Santa Barbara for two weeks, going to my second-home Forest Home for a week to be a super cool leader for high school girls, and hopefully continuing to volunteer at 826. See? I really have no reason to shed a tear.
But everyone keeps saying that I'll be sad once September rolls around and I don't go back to school. I wish they would just shut up. I wish that I didn't feel pressured to express a specific emotion; maybe I'm just not sad about college coming to end (which is SO sacreligious for me to say, let me tell you)! I mean, I'm not happy about it ending; I guess it's a sort of bittersweet feeling. Maybe I'm just subconsciously ready to move on; I'm okay with the fact that a new chapter of my life is beginning. It's very exciting to guess what this new chapter will be titled... "Allie goes to Morocco," "Allie Falls in Love," "Allie Becomes a Real-Life Reporter"... Who knows!
Back to "All I Want." My good friend Joni starts out singing, "I am on a lonely road and I am traveling, traveling, traveling, traveling. Looking for something, what can it be?" Yes. Despite being surrounded and supported by my family (surrogate and non-surrogate) this is a self-journey, a time for me to be making decisions as an individual. I know that God will test my character by stretching me in some way; next, it could be moving away again from all that is familiar, or (please no) have me meet someone that I could fully commit to... I'm open to whatever is next; I'm willing to take the plunge, to be immersed in a new and refreshing part of my life. I know it's going to be fun and beautiful. I don't know what I'm looking for, but whatever I am supposed to be looking for will find me.

Sonnet Suggestions

I have decided to memorize one of Shakespeare's sonnets before I graduate. Which gives me a month. I don't have a favorite sonnet as of yet in my life, so if anyone out there has a favorite they can suggest to me, I would be most appreciative.