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in the year two thousand, i graduated sixth grade from Manchester GATE. I learned to be compassionate to people being bullied through the guilt of not being punished. There was a strained trip to New York and DC in there too.
in the year two thousand and one, my dad disappeared on NYE after cutting the zero in half to become a one in the jello mold. he said something about a dog...
in 2002, i graduated Computech. having rode the bus with Gillian Lynn for the past two years. best friendship cemented. for life. (other CT highlights: drama with McA, learning German, science 9).
same year at Roosevelt: i starred in a play that was another way my life could have been. i saw a counselor we derisively called Yoda. K ate ly n B owe n and I thought that Travis as Curly was the most exciting beautiful role there ever could be. McKenna.
2003, logan grew taller than me, and we mimed an incredible sword fight in theatre movements. i started water polo, went to camp, cried my way through a wedding, and thoroughly hated physics. christmas and new years. also did props for Anything Goes. caught a boy named josh's eye.
2004, probably the worst year of my life. did the YL thing. also: enjoyed crewing Footlight Frenzy
2005, seven brides set: designed. hush lights: designed. appt with death set: designed. awful push-ups. fricken koch. quit theatre (according to my mama)
2006: right around NYE got with Stu. found some outside happiness, peace, adventures. began to believe i was worthy of being loved. hey thats cool. stopped the theatre thing. won a medal or two for AD finally. drove my mom mad. went far away to Whitworth. flew home monthly. was loved.
2007: african life and culture. did the heart break thing. kept going to classes. didn't find whitworth as different as expected. tried to save people who didn't want to be saved.
2008: went to Vancouver, met a MUN family. worst dating decision ever. no self-esteem/respect. made confession in a parking lot, learned i wasn't the only one like me around. Houseless Challenge. initial interning at FIRM. one great Global Hearth semeter.
2009: little moment by a river side. hopped on a plane to South Africa. Lived. felt broken. drank. lived more. roadtrips, beautiful places. learned about friendships. and loved me some grade 7 students. came home. More FIRM support and loving. started my last cynical Whitworth year. Saw a tall boy striding across the Hello Walk. attempted seduction to said almost oblivious Finnish boy for a good semester. lived with my MUN family. was grateful. took 3 beautiful intl students home with me.
2010: Jouni. Jouni. jouni. california. drove. beauty. peace. calm. spokane. crazy busy. learned to communicate in a beautiful friendship. went to church and listened, cried. graduated! loved FIRM some more. best wedding in Texas. went to Europe. realized with perfect clarity that boy and I were not for one another. lived and loved in this Fresno place. Moved to Toronto. lived and loved in Romero House. at Christmas, began plotting my grand return home to my roots. my fourteen-year-old inner self's dreams came true. my 22 year old self was damn pleased, and happy to be a free independent competent woman.
good decade all in all.
i'm glad to be here.
