Bucket List

I made one about 2 years ago but I lost it so here's the new and improved version incapable of being lost:

Bucket List circa 2011

• Take fencing lessons
• Tap dancing
• Learn how to drive a stick (completed!)
• Drive a super car
• Kiss in the rain
• Bake a cheesecake (completed!)
• Bake the perfect pie
• Go paintballing
• Go backpacking
• See a bear (completed!)
• Visit the East Coast
• Visit New York
• Visit South America
• Mosh pit
• Write a memoir
• Get a college degree
• Go to a sporting event
• Go snorkeling (somewhere tropical)
  
• Push myself (skydiving, bungee jumping, or a roller coaster)
• Go polar dipping on New Years
• Go skinny dipping
• Get in a whipped cream fight
• Eat rabbit
• Run a 5k
• Run a marathon without removing my spleen
• Watch a horror movie
  

I'm sure it will grow and change as I grow and change and I'm sure I'll think of more as soon as I publish this post, but this is what I could think of right now. It's a good start.

Ave Maria

I recently stumbled upon an Ave Maria arrangement for cell by Caccini. It is simply beautiful and is probably now my all-time favorite arrangement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjwnWWNNeFg

Along with the theme of hymns, O God Beyond All Praising is one of my favorite hymns and although the recording isn't as good as it could be, I love this video of the choir at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome singing it. Their organ is so freaking awesome and it makes me want to visit the Vatican even more. Someday...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWzqVhPLF8o


Well I was going to expand this post a little with updates about my job but I have to go peel garlic.

WAY overdue

The Amazing Summer of Miss Michelle has already been underway for quite sometime; however, my vague, incomprehensive (which I hereby christen a real word), rambling, sporadic updates fall deplorably short of offering any real insight into this most wonderful month and a half. Therefore, this is going to be one hell of a long post. Get ready.

June 11th, 2010:
I graduated from high school. Commencement was satisfying, if a bit awkward. 31 psudeohomeschooled students who made no pretense of knowing each other. Outfits which ranged from prom-worthy gowns to jeans and a t-shirt. Blissfully short speeches (including my commencement address.) Agonizingly long slideshow. Hideous blue gowns. Unique and admittedly touching actual graduation ceremony. Old friends, family, cheesecake. Hurry home and crash.

June 12th - June 19th 2010: NFL Nationals
3:30am up and leaving for Nationals!
Nationals was definitely an interesting tournament. It was bittersweet because it was my very last high school forensics competition and quite possibly my last forensics competition ever because the odds of me in college debate are shaping up to be pretty slim. It was slightly odd as well, because the event I qualified in (DX) I had only done three times before as a joke and had never actually received a ballot or watched another competitor so I pretty much had no idea what I was doing. However, I ended up just really savoring the opportunity and concentrated instead on making the most of the experience as opposed to trying to be competitive. Honestly I am disappointed with how I ended up doing overall for my final Nationals, but I was proud of my record in DX (my cumulative scores was 40 and they broke at 27 so not all that bad. My round ranks were: 4,2,4,2,3,3 which were the best in DX (and extemp in general sans Mitch Murdock) from WA and also incredibly respectable for someone as inexperienced in the event as I.) Supplemental events were where I really started to unravel. I was getting sick on Wednesday and while my first two (guaranteed) rounds of EC were the absolute best EC speeches I'd ever given the later two sucked and I was eliminated painfully early. In fact I was feeling so sick I skipped my consolation event altogether on Thursday and instead used the morning and afternoon to rest and recharge. Many of my friends were incredibly successful at Nationals, though, and I am so so proud of them all. Seeing Kansas City and experiencing my first club (Jardine's) was also a fun experience.

June 29th - July 4th 2010: Club Rust

Club Rust contrasted Nationals in many ways. Accommodations, weather (no humidity :D), purpose, etc. Rancho La Paloma is, in your author's humble opinion, one of the most beautiful places on earth. It is so completely relaxing and peaceful and I look forward to going back again and again for the rest of my able-bodied life. The food was incredible as only authentic Mexican food can be, I felt useful and (somewhat) more competent on the worksite and again made wonderful new friends while rekindling old ones. I got to practice my Spanish a little and made friends with the two neighbor girls helping on our house - Miriam and Liz. The last day they went around and had each person from our house write on their shirts, then asked me if they could write on mine. I soaked my shirt in vinegar and hope their messages stay on it forever. I am continually amazed by how much we can convey when languages don't match. It was almost more of a language bridge than a language barrier. I pounded nails on the latrine roof with Erika and Jorge, mudded drywall with Miriam, and (at her insistence) recited the alphabet and counted to 100 in both languages with Liz. In addition, I renewed engagement vows, got engaged a few more times, and even became married in the back of the bus early one morning on the way to the worksite. I love Club Rust not only because what it holds - lifelong friends, relaxation, beauty, delicious food, cold showers - but also because of why - bringing Christ and stability to a region ravaged by poverty, American greed, and the drug war one house and family at a time.

July 9th-July 11th: Long Beach
On a spur-of-the-moment weekend vacation the Herman side of my family made the trek down to Long Beach at the treat of my Uncle Jeff. We enjoyed a freezing pool (although once we discovered the root of its polar temperature - a hose spewing freezing water into the pool - and shut it off the temperature warmed considerably), the Buck Hunting Game, long walks on the beach, go-karts, bumper cars, Mexican food (not NEARLY as good as real Mexican food but at his treat I wasn't going to complain), and time with my family. My little cousin Lauren is just getting old enough that she remembers me and playing with her is such a treat. I love finally having a cousin (two, counting Seth.) It was a fun break from daily living but I'm ready to stay home for a while.

Now that all of my travels have been elaborated upon I briefly considered delving into my summer reading and movie plans but decided against it. For now, travels recounted will suffice. Maybe I'll do some movie/book stuff tomorrow. Who knows! I love summer.

Getting ready for November

Well the later part of October was certainly busy, but good.
Microbiology continues to dominate my life, but on the plus side Spanish is remarkably easy for a 7-credit class. Plus, any class that gives you extra credit for having TWITTER has to be awesome, right? Speaking of which, I did finally break down and get twitter, but just to keep in touch with a certain friend of mine, and of course, for Spanish.
Of course, I also am fully back into the swing of debate, and have never been happier. :D

This past weekend was the Gig Harbor tournament - season opener, and I tried LD debate for the first time ever. My coach, being the wonderful woman she is, threw me into JV so that was a disadvantage, but I did as well as could be expected. Duo was another...um...yeah never mind.
Impromptu was lots of fun, I had Mitch in all three of my rounds which made each round exponentially more interesting but didn't help me win - or did it? 2 of the 3 rounds I actually beat him placing 1st to his 2nd. It was fun to reconnect with him, and also with Ariel, Kate, Vincent..etc. I love my debate friends, it sucks that so many of them are applying to out-of-state colleges.
I am reminded at the oddest times that this blog is, in fact, public, although I really don't understand why anyone would want to read it. That being said, I am omitting my...more personal opinions on certain people. :D
As far as the debate team this year, I think we have a really good team, and the freshman definitely have a lot of potential which I think will really rebuild the team when I and Ali leave. I would really love to coach a team of my own someday, although I just know my kids would hate me. I have a feeling I would demand a lot, but who knows - I might just be one of those awesome coaches that everyone loves (like my coach.) At the very least, I'd love to judge the high school pool.
I talked to a Kamiak college debater who was one of my judges and she really cautioned me against college-level policy unless I want to go into politics because it's all messed up. Which I should have seen coming, but which still sucks. So I think if I do end up doing college debate I would love to do parli, and I know the UW has a parli team. Gonzaga, however, just does competitive policy, so I don't know...

As far as life life, I'm basically fed up with most of my friends from sthme/yfl at the moment. But then again, keep in mind I often get fed up with people/get tired of socializing. I'm a very independent person, which is why I still sometimes think about the religious life. I have no idea what my vocation is, because I love children but I just couldn't see myself as a parent. I do want to get married, but kids kind of go along with that. However, I could end up joining a religious order, but I just don't know about that. Fortunately I don't have to make those decisions for a while, and for now I'm just buckling down trying to finish out senior year without any drama or stupid decisions (*cough cough Birmingham & Vegas) Once I get to college I can relax, get a job, start enjoying life and not working too hard. That's actually how I've positioned myself - all my hardest classes I'm taking now, so by the time I get to UW I will have only 4-6 more classes to take so I can really concentrate on getting some life experience for nursing school.

On a beautiful ending note, http://emailsfromcrazypeople.com/2009/10/27/persistence-doesnt-always-pay-off/#more-291
Really reminds me of this one guy Isaac...

17 Nickels

Hello out there,

I miss you all at college already.


Also, stealing this off of Erin's blog: www.givemehope.com

If it wasn't so late at night for me I wouldn't say this, but right now I don't care: by page 4 I was ready to cry. Granted I've had a roller coaster kind of day, but still, if you know me, you'd know it takes a lot to make me cry. I guess that is just what I needed right now.
Next I should go to bed and continue working on college applications and math and life.
I've been really drawing into myself lately. I could just sit wrapped in silence thinking for hours if I had time. I've been going on walks almost every day to end up sitting at a park, lost in contemplation.

Also, I'm listning to Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley right now which I think is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard.

And now I'm going to get off my emotional soapbox and go to bed - because if you also knew me, you'd know I am a morning person, and this is extremely late for me and when it gets this late I often do/say things I wouldn't normally.

Good night.