Here are your answers!

Hey, hey, hey!

I know. I know. I knooooow! I guess I just haven't been in a bloggin' mood lately! I was doing so good at keeping up with all of your blogs and reading/commenting almost religiously but lately the time has been slipping away from me much too fast.

Last week I gave you guys the option to ask me anything. Here is what you asked for! :)

Jennifer at Crazy Shenanigans asked:

Where is one place that you'd love to move to? Also you've mentioned moving from another state before, where was that?

I would love to move somewhere in Europe (it's so hard to choose just one place). Although only temporarily, I love my home and nowhere else can be "home"! I love traveling to different places and I always want to stay longer than just the normal vacation period. I want to immerse myself in the culture and live in it to really experience it.
Yes, I've moved out of state twice. After college I moved three hours south to Kansas City and a couple of years after that I moved about 1000 miles further south to Myrtle Beach, SC which is why I love the ocean and the beach so much. Someday I will live on a coast again!

Lesli at Pretty Random Thoughts asked:

What do you like most about yourself? And what do you like the least?

and

Oh, and how tall are you because I pretty much think we are the same height, more or less. :)

Ooh, this is a good one. What do I like most about myself... Well, I like how empathetic I am towards others. Sometimes I let things affect me too much, but overall I really like that about myself. As for what I like least... I can get obsessive and very paranoid. Sometimes I think I have a problem but then other times I think I am just your typical girl. I get something in my head and I can. not. stop. thinking. about it. I am so thankful Cy is such a patient man!

As for my height, I am 5'3" and I agree with you Lesli! I think we're about the same height! I am a shorty and usually I like it. Sometimes I don't think people take me seriously because I'm short and I look young but at the end of the day I like being on the shorter side. It also feels good when Cy rests his chin on my head when I hug him.

P from *Insert my Blog Name Here* asked:

If you could go back and change any event that happened in the past, would you? And what would you have changed?

I'm no good at these ones because I always think of good thing that wouldn't have happened if I had changed something! Although, if I had to choose I would alter some of my college experiences. There are several things I regret doing and not doing such as wasting my senior year on a long distance relationship with a new guy and not studying abroad for a semester.

Molly at Walking on Sunshine asked:

If you could bring only one CD on a deserted island, what CD would you bring?

If I could bring any CD on a deserted island it would be No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom. I have been a No Doubt fan since I was in 6th grade and I just adore them. This album has been my very favorite album for years!

Emma at Tales of an All American Girl asked:

What is the biggest life lesson you have learned this far and how did you learn it? easy way, hard way..etc!

The biggest life lesson I have learned is that confidence is key. Confidence changes everything. People can sense it. They know if you have it or when you don't have it. I still struggle with it and sometimes have to repeat to myself over and over that I am confident and I can do this but it can be really hard! I have always wished I was one of those naturally confident people.

Amber from Musings of Amber Murphy asked:

What is your theme song?

This is a good one!! I like it! My theme song would be It's My Life by Bon Jovi. :)

So, there you have it! Did you get a chance to ask a question? If not, go ahead and ask! This is fun. :)

Well, this week could not go fast enough. I am off this weekend and I'm getting my birthday present... Cy's taking me to Chicago for the weekend! We are staying at the Almafi Hotel in the River North District and I am so freakin' excited! I don't know how many times I have said to him, "I can't wait for the weekend!"

Have you been to Chicago? What's your favorite thing to do in the Windy City?

You may call me Ms. Pink

Yesterday I had a second meeting with an advisor about the beginning steps of being admitted to grad school.

Step 1. Get ready for the Praxis 1.

Apparently, I need to get going on this right away as the test scores take awhile to come in. I ordered some study materials and have been looking at sample test questions online. So far it looks like I will be fine. The math is only up to a 10th grade level and the reading/writing won't be a problem for me. I'm still nervous though! I hate tests.

I'm so excited though! I really want to get started right away! As of now I'm definitely getting a reading endorsement and am considering a special education education endorsement. Special ed is in such high demand right now and it could be the difference between getting a job or not getting a job. I understand the commitment that is and I want to observe some special ed classrooms but for now that is what I am leaning towards.

I really hope this works out. Right now it just feels right. I know that I what I am doing now is not something I will be happy doing forever and this feels like something I could be happy doing. I'm going to start subbing on my days off during the week just to get a feel for being in the classroom and see how I like it. I think that will tell me A LOT.

Any teachers out there got advice for me? What endorsements do you suggest?

What are you wondering?

All week I have been thinking it's one day ahead. Like today, I was thinking it was Thursday all day and was excited about watching Grey's when I got home.

Nope. Sorry, Amber. It's only Wednesday. D'oh!

Tonight we took a trip 30 miles north to heaven on Earth and took in an ISU basketball game. They didn't win, but it's still fun to go back to the place I spent the best years of my life so far. Iowa State University! :) Cy and I joke around a lot that we probably ran into each other many times on campus and didn't know it. Sometimes I wish we had met back then, but then we might not be where we are today!

I loved college and I'm serious when I say there were the best four years so far. Don't get me wrong, I know there are amazing years to come (hello! I can't wait to have kids!) but nothing will compare to being 19-22 and semi on your own with the only worries being about classes and tests. Ahhhhh.... those were the days.

Lately I have noticed a lot of bloggers doing the "ask me anything" posts and I've been going back and forth if I wanted to follow suit and do the same.

I'm super curious about what you're super curious about so.... ask away! Ask me anything! I promise I will answer all of your questions as truthfully as I possibly can!

Best book haul ever!

Whenever I have Sundays off Cy and I do pretty much the same thing. We get up (usually hungover, and this past weekend was no different) and sometimes go to church (although, I don't think we have been together since before Christmas) and then we go get some breakfast or lunch.

After that we go to Half Price Books. Ahhhhhh, heaven on Earth.

I introduced Cy to this store when we met and it's become sort of a tradition for us. First we walk over to the "newer" section, then to the dvds and then we usually separate. I go to the fiction section and he goes to the section with the biographies on US presidents.

This time I finished shopping first and headed over to find Cy. I got distracted though... I was distracted by.... A NEW FICTION SECTION! (Yes, that deserved to be shouted) There were two glorious sections full of books that I had been pining for. Usually I'm pretty unimpressed with their selection, but this time I was like a kid in a candy store. I don't know where these came from! I know they turn a lot of people away that try to sell books because they just don't have the space for it, so I'm wondering if these were stored somewhere? This particular location of Half Price Books is actually moving to a larger space down the street soon and I cannot wait!

I was in the section for a good 20-25 minutes and since it was new Cy didn't know where I was. He said he circled the store at least two times before finding me. Once he did his eyes about bugged out of his head because I had an armful of books. I put some back though...

Here is what I decided needed to come home with me:

Two books by Nicholas Sparks. Since, you know, my love for Mr. Sparks has been restored.

The Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky. Shannon was reading this last week and raved about it, so when I saw it I knew I had to buy it.

I bought Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld since the copy I read was borrowed from the library. Curtis Sittenfeld has become one of my absolute favorite authors and I hate that she only has three titles out. I want more from her!

Then I bought Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult replacing the copy I bought when it first came out. I lent it to a friend and never got it back. :( Don't you hate that? That's the worst thing you can do to a booklover.

I have been buying books like crazy lately. Last year I did so good on my "no buying books" commitment and so far in 2010 I have probably bought more books than I bought in all of 2009! Sigh.

I seriously cannot stop thinking about this new section of the store. It was awesome! Think lots of chick lit and popular contemporary authors... I considered going back again today, but I think five books is plenty.

Do you buy or borrow more? Do you have a Half Price Books near you?

Just a little Nicholas Sparks love...

Earlier this year I promised to write a review of every book I read in 2010 and I'm holding myself accountable for that promise! Since The Da Vinci Code I have only read two books. Can you believe it? I think I'm still trying to find my comfort zone being in this relationship and combining new habits with old ones. ;)

I read Dear, John and The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. I used to read his books almost as soon as they came out, but a few years ago I think I got bored with them but after reading these two I think I'm back on the Nicholas Sparks bandwagon! So without further ado, here goes!

I bought Dear, John at that really cute bookstore in Cy's hometown so it will always remind me of that day!

This book, like all of Nicholas Sparks' books was a fast and easy read. It was definitely a tear jerker and made me really think about the different kinds of love we have for people. It also made me think about a comment that Amber wrote recently about fate and soul mates. I do believe there is one person that is made for you. Your true complement that God has planned for you, that person that immediately feels like family. But, I also believe that there are several people that you could spend the rest of your life with that, although are not your soul mate, you could live your life happy with.

On Friday I saw the movie, and I have to say I was very unhappy. If I hadn't read the book I probably would have liked the movie but some of the changes made were unnecessary and made the entire story awkward.

Have you read Dear, John or seen the movie? What did you think?

Right after I finished Dear, John I picked up The Last Song.

At first I was a little resistant of this one because I knew the role of Ronnie was practically written for Miley Cyrus. Not that I don't like Miley Cyrus, I'm just a little Miley'd out from the past few years.

This book was predictable Nicholas Sparks, but was still a page turner for me. I don't even know what to write without giving away the entire book, so I don't think I am going to write much. I'm really, really looking forward to this movie now and can't wait to go see it. I get the feeling (and really hope) that this one is going to be a hit like The Notebook and A Walk To Remember.

There are several more Nicholas Sparks books that I haven't read yet like The Choice and The Lucky One and I'm really looking forward to picking them up! His books always leave me feeling inspired and I love it!

Are you a fan of Nicholas Sparks?