Miss Bailey goes to Washington

State that is. A few weeks ago my friend Kim and I packed our bags to fly out west. I have wanted to do this forever, and was thrilled when my friend Kim suggested we take off for the Northwest for a bit. Um. Yes please. The reason for our regional selection to travel to? Kim fell in love with waterfalls that were on a screensaver. After finding that the majority of these were in Oregon and Washington, well then you have yourself a solid reason to take a vacation! This is why she is my friend. :)

I want to give the itinerary for our trip, just to show how awesome and packed it was. Then I will throw in a few pictures at the end.

Wednesday - fly out of DIA and arrive in Portland. Very late. Grabbed our rental car, which was an incredibly roomy Kia Rio! Cheap. Money wise and evidenced by the way this thing handled on the road. Scary. Don't worry, Kim didn't tell me until AFTER we returned the car that every time she was behind the wheel (we didn't want to pay to have me on the rental too) she prayed we wouldn't die. She is so nice. :) Stay in our priceline'd room in Tigard, OR.

Thursday - ate a healthy breakfast of granola bars and fruit roll-ups prior to driving across the road to the Portland Temple! Kim and I did a session and it was wonderful. It rained. Not surprised. Met up with UCDH grad Kristin for lunch where I scarfed an entire calzone at Chicago Pizza. Yum. Spent the rest of the afternoon/evening hiking for 5.5 miles near Multnomah Falls. BEAUTIFUL. Poured rain on us. Also not surprised. But so worth it the views and seeing Kim's face when she saw the waterfall from her screensaver. Love her. Met middle aged men from Arkansas who thought we were the cats pajamas and wanted pics with us. Drove to Puyallup, WA. I may or may not have screamed "We're in Washington!!!!!" when we crossed the bridge from Oregon. Then I realized I was off by a mile. Stayed with Kim's friend Heidi and hub and kiddos. Learned you say Puyallup like PEW-ALL-UP.

Friday - dressed up again and went to the Seattle Temple for some initiatory work. Awesome. It didn't rain all day. Surprise!! Seattle is awesome. We visited Pikes Place Fish Market. Saw a zillion flowers and peppers and fish. Went to the Space Needle. Climbed the troll under the bridge. Probably my favorite part of the entire city. :) Had a late lunch at McCormicks and Schmicks. Or something like that. I ate an entire appetizer of calamari on my own. Not fun actually. But my table-mates were wary to help me out. Chilled in Puyallup yet again.

Saturday - Olympic National Park! I will copy and paste the ONP's touristy teaser about what we did:

With one long day, you'll have time for a quick visit to each of Olympic's major ecosystems, the mountains, the forest and the coast.

• You can reach nearly a mile in elevation with a trip to Hurricane Ridge, where you'll find a visitor center and nature trails. Beginning early in the morning will increase your chances of seeing wildlife and help avoid the larger number of visitors later in the day.
• From Hurricane Ridge, a three-hour drive to the west will bring you to the Hoh Rain Forest. A visitor center, picnic area and short nature trails can enhance your rain forest visit.
• After leaving the Hoh, an hour and a half drive toward the northwest will bring you to Rialto Beach on the Pacific Ocean in time for sunset.

Yeah...So it was a coincidence our trip took us through Twilight territory. We were shocked when we squealed and giggled like we were 12 when we saw the Forks sign. And we were all a little embarrassed. The day was incredible though. So worth it. I have never seen such beautiful places. Heavenly.

Sunday - chill. Churched. Ate a half package of Oreos between Kim and I in the car after church. We got hungry. Visited Mt Ranier Park. Watched old movies. Got a stomachache from the Oreos. Heard Heidi's little 2 and a half year old tell her mom that she was going to be Erin when she grew up. Nice goal!

Monday - slept in and drove our rickety ride back to Portland. All in all, by the time we reached the airport drop off, we'd driven 1100 miles. Ah yeah. You know you're not hardcore until you've traveled that far in a Kia.

My cute little abode

Drumroll please. It is a true testament to my slight OCD that after living in my apartment for just 3 weeks, it already looks like a home. I have posted way more pictures than necessary to show the place, but I went a little crazy. I love my place and I am so grateful to friends Gina, Dana and Kim for helping me out with ideas and creative man hours. I think you will be proud mom. :)

Let me know what you think!

The teeth of a murderer...

A couple of weeks ago I was able to clean the teeth of Vincent, a department of corrections prisoner with Colorado State. He committed murder approximately 24 years ago and has been in prison ever since. When I pulled up to the building and saw the corrections van in front my heart started to race. That is about as nervous as I got. From then on my feelings were just excited. I was going to get a chance to do something not many hygienists can say they’ve done! When Vincent and his two armed guards came in the door and Vincent grinned, I knew it was all going to be okay. I can honestly say that I saw light in his face. It was a lot of fun to work on Vincent. The guards were smiley and funny, and so was Vincent. We talked about Colorado thunderstorms, the Rockies, his dogs that he trains and other stuff. I did a full mouth series of xrays and an deep cleaning on him. It was a good morning. Despite the fact that he was in an orange jumpsuit and shackled on his hands and feet, I was very at ease. Every time he moved though he clanged a bit. What a cool experience. I actually made Vincent laugh quite a bit. And that one hour of my time made me $350. Ah yeah. Not too shabby.

This weekend will rock.

Two reasons why this weekend will be kind of a big deal.

1. Friday I will be doing a full oral exam and cleaning on a criminal from the department of corrections. He apparently killed someone when he was 18. That was 20 years ago. Nevertheless he will be flanked by three armed guards and have full hand and feet shackles on. Intense. They say he is really nice. :)
2. Saturday I move into my apartment. It is beautiful. I saw my for real for real place, not just a model. It is awesome. Pretty views from all my 8 windows. :) And just pretty dang sweet all over.

I will be writing more about these events soon. Stay posted!

Update on thingy things

Dad: My dad has been recovering from his stroke at my grandparents' place in Centerville. They are lucky to be surrounded by family and friends that can help out. I get to talk to my dad at least once a week and he updates me on how things are going. His short term memory is still a struggle, but he will write things down to tell me and I love it. Apparently they were went to a rehab center for stroke patients and my parents were able to see how lucky my dad was with his stroke. He has it made in the shade compared to so many others. We are so blessed. What I feel as a HUGE side blessing is that my parents are going to be moving to Centerville area for good now. I no longer have to decide which family to be with on vacations or holidays. I get them ALL at the same time. I am so happy to know my parents will be close to everyone we love. Well, except us kids. :)

More than a friend friends: I honestly thought I had something that was going to go somewhere. I have spent the last two months being in a relationship with a guy that wouldn't give it a relationship title. Everything about it was DATING. Spending every free day together. Him driving 40 minutes just to see me for a couple hours. Him paying for dinner. Cuddling. Calling each other BFF. Then he tells me he is still waiting for the 'ok go green light.' Hm. I tend to use my free agency, but if this dude is waiting for a voice from heaven, then I'm out. I have decided to throw in the towel. I guess I am used to it by now. The consensus? My future husband has yet to be baptized as a convert and is going to ROCK!

Friendy friends: I have always had an easier time making guy friends than girl friends. Always. I have been lucky to have awesome girl friends in my life and I am so grateful for each and every one. We all will admit that sometimes you meet someone and you just click. Obviously that's good for a guy and a girl, but because said dude in paragraph above (and many others) is a weirdy, it doesn't mean as much. I was lucky enough to find my other half here in Denver. Her name is Kim. We clicked immediately and we are amazed with how similar we are. It's been a while since I have had a single girl friend who I can have so much fun with. And I definitely needed it out here where I am still adjusting to the sparse LDS singles life. Is it nerdy to say that I know we will be friends for years to come? Even if it is I don't care. She pretty much rocks, and makes giving up on green light boy seem like a piece of cake.

Job: Another place where I feel lucky is in the job arena. I am working for two dentists right now; Dr. Ashby where I was initially hired and Dr. Twiss. Dr. Twiss asked me to fill in for his maternity leave RDH until Thanksgiving and I gladly accepted. Once that is over though Dr. Ashby asked if I would accept full time status at his office. I would LOVE to. I have also met another LDS dentist out here who will probably ask me to fill in from time to time. One thing is certain about Colorado...if I ever wonder if moving here was the right choice, I just tell myself that I have a 4-5 day a week job when a decent number of RDH's are still looking!

Party at my place!

Nothing ever really turns out the way you assumed it would. When I thought of my future plans once I moved to Colorado I assumed I would find a job, then find a roommate. I was sure there would be a spot open or at least a girl who needed to move out. Nope.

The first two months I was here I visited three different singles wards and talked to everyone I could about housing. I met girls and asked them if they knew anyone, or if they could keep their eyes open for something. Apparently I was spoiled in Utah, where all you do is move somewhere and you have automatic roommates. Colorado isn't exactly teeming with single LDS people, but I didn't think it would be this hard.

It seems like I will be following the trend of single LDS girls in Colorado who get their own place. It surprised me at first, knowing of seven girls specifically who live in their own one bedroom apartments. I gave in, came to grips with my situation, remembered that I have a great job, so...I move into my own place in two weeks! I found a great, safe place right off of Lincoln and I-25 so getting to work will be a breeze. It's called Meadows at Meridian and there I will have 856sq feet to call my own. The best part is my attached garage. My front door and garage are on the same level, and my apartment is just above it. Not only do I not have anyone above or below me, but I only have one neighbor, and TONS of windows. It is perfect for me. The price is great for what I am getting and I am excited to make it me.

Initially I was more nervous than excited. I mean, I never thought I would live alone. I enjoy people and conversation and worried that this might turn me into a hermit. Then I had an awesome revelation that I can turn up my music loud, have people over whenever I want, and DO whatever I want. I could get used to this. :)

Thank goodness I have Dana and my boss' wife Gina helping me out with furniture and home ideas. This way when you all come to visit me we can have a fun time at MY new place!! PS. To my family. I will be safe. This is a safe neighborhood and a safe city and I have my own safe garage that goes straight into my house. Awesome. :)

For those who are like me and love details, here is a link to my place. I will be living in the Breckenridge: http://www.simpsonpropertygroup.com/communities/index.cfm?fuseaction=floorplans&id=143&floorPlanPosition=4

It's not me...it's you.

No...really.

Surprisingly enough, I am not referring to relationships, but patients that come in for a cleaning. I have been working for about 6? weeks now and the people I have met have been wonderful. I have met a couple who helped guide the 450 mile Colorado Trail for years, a guy who trains lions and hyenas at the Denver Zoo, and so many sweet people of every age. For some reason it never registered to me that I would deal with people that were completely impersonal. Every week I have maybe one patient who just isn't very personable. I have come to realize that it really has nothing to do with me, they are just completely difficult, mean and impersonal. Sorry if that sounds mean. It's one of those situations where I seat the patient and ask them questions. Don't most people like to talk about themselves? Instead of a warm response, which is what I usually get, it's monosyllabic 'yes' or 'no' or 'hm.' LAME.

We had a phone call this week from a patient whose teeth I had cleaned an entire month prior. Apparently she went to a new dentist and he said she’d only had a few teeth cleaned. Seriously? This patient complained to our front desk girl and demanded to talk to Dr. Ashby. I immediatly was worried of course, and looked up this lady. When I read my notes I remembered her as the grumpiest, nastiest, least friendly lady I’d met in my life. She refused x-rays, wouldn't agree to proper treatment, and yelled at our assistant when she accidentally knocked her cane over. Dr. Ashby told me that there is no way anyone can look in a mouth a month later and say that three teeth only had been cleaned. CRAZY. LADY. I talked to my friend Kris and he said some people are just going to be that way, and it has nothing to do with you. His old boss, a dentist, used to say that that you can have 1000 happy patients, but it’s the one that is nasty or unhappy or critical towards your work that you will remember when you go to bed at night. So true.

I am so lucky to have so many patients who reciprocate warmth and kindness and who are the reason why I chose to become a hygienist. I think I definitely can agree with "It's not me...it's you" and that makes me feel much better.

I love my dad!

My dad is one of those people who everyone likes. He makes potential suitors nervous with his deep baritone voice and yet always has a way to make friends laugh. If I ever need advice or just someone to bounce ideas off of, he is the person I go to. I have been blessed to have both of my parents in my life, but to have such a caring, softie of a father is extra special as far as father's go. I cannot wait to someday (please?) be married and have my father be there. A father fills such a large part of a daughter's heart, a part that nobody else can fill.

Two Friday's ago my family had quite a scare. My sister called me to let me know she was worried about how my dad was sounding on the phone. I called him and he was really out of it. He said he didn't feel well. I asked him some easy questions, but he struggled to think and couldn't retrieve information that was simple. For those who know my dad he is a walking Jeopardy game, Smithsonian magazine and calculator all rolled into one. So when he couldn't answer very coherently, my first thought was that something was affecting his brain.

My mom was at work until late and she wasn't answering her phone, so I called the cops to check on him at my friend Kris' suggestion. It was all out of my hands from there. The cops got a ward member over to take my dad to the insta-care, then the hospital. The CT scan showed something abnormal in his brain. So Friday night they sent my parents on life flight to SLC where they had neurosurgeons. My dad was in the hospital for a little over one week. After a few differential diagnoses, a couple MRI's and treatment, it was decided that he'd had a hemorrhagic stroke. It was on the left side, which is mainly cognition and speech. He will have to do months of therapy in order to get everything back up to speed. It has been really scary and I've never thought I might lose my dad or anyone that close to me before. I had a massive headache all Saturday from crying but I was so lucky to be with Dana and other supportive friends through this. I have faith that things are going to be okay.

I talked to my dad for the first time on Saturday after all of this, almost a week since I knew something was really wrong and called the police. When I heard my dad’s voice it was all I could do to keep from crying. I choked out a hello and asked him how he was doing. He sounded perfectly normal and told me he was doing just fine, not to worry. (Leave it to my dad to go through this and say everything was great.) He said just a few memory things need to get back to normal. It was so nice to talk to him and let him know how scared I was for him when I called last Friday. He wanted to hear about me, how work was going and I told him about getting an extra day of hygiene work and getting my own place. My dad eventually told me he was feeling pretty pooped, but said “I am so proud of you girl” and told me he loved me. I could barely get the words out back to him because I was so emotional. Talking to my dad was unbelievably comforting. I love him so much and I am so lucky that I got to keep him. :)

One of the best things that will most likely come of this is a move for my parents up to Bountiful area. It will be wonderful for them to be closer to family. And even more wonderful for when I get to come out and visit, because I will get to see EVERYONE I love so much all at once! I know that the Lord has kept His hand in these things. I know that the Lord influenced my sister to call dad when she did because he'd been fine just a couple hours earlier. I know that my dental hygiene education prepared me well to see the symptoms for something serious and act on it. I am constantly grateful for the blessings that the Lord will give us if we just ask.

Today's happy thought...

I had a late 60s patient in today, a retired CPA who was SO nice. After his appointment and scheduling his next visit he said "you know...you are like a breath of sunshine." He may have gotten his expressions about air and sunshine mixed up, but it still made me feel awesome. :)

Whats the 411?

15 best things that have happened in the last three weeks. In no particular order.

15.Thunder and lightning storms. I don't even care that my plans are rained out here if I get to experience these kind of storms! The thunder is SO loud and intense here and the rain actually pours. I just sit and watch them. No more Utah-sprinkler-make-your-car-dirtier pansy storms for me!
14.World Cup games!!!
13.Body Worlds in Denver with new friends.
12.Realizing that I have my first unmarried girl friend in Colorado. Lindsay is fun and a perfect wing-woman who can hold her own. I am so happy to have met her!
11.Getting surprise phone calls from friends I miss, namely Veda, Melissa, Nater, Danielle.
10.Last minute late night movie theatre trip with Dana and Marina, the cute 17 year old that is living with us for a bit. Eating too much candy and laughing and giggling like WE were 17 too.
9.Being told by Marina that I am gorgeous. And smart. And talented. Who would have thought it would mean more coming from her?
8.Working!!! I cannot express how much I love being at Ashby Dental. I couldn't feel more at home there and I love everyone I work with. It is incredible how easy working seems after how hard school was!
7.Getting paid.
6.YSA conference. I had never been to one before and me and a couple friends went. It was great to be uplifted on a Saturday! ;)
5.Realizing that I CAN deal with diaper disasters and kid messes and throw up. And that means getting thrown up ON. I am invincible!
4.Four wheeling and hiking up at Devil's Head.
3.Buffalo Wild Wings night watching the Celtics and Lakers, topped off with the hot tub. Oh, and actually EATING buffalo wings and not getting grossed out by the skin.
2.Answering tons of questions about the church for my coworker Gina. It's only a matter of time before I talk to her about the Book of Mormon and I can't wait.
1.Becoming best friends with Kris, my LDS dental school buddy. We are practically inseparable now, and despite his studying for boards, still see each other constantly. Did I mention he is extremely handsome and very eligible? Maybe this one IS in the correct order at number one.


As a HUGE part of what I am doing is being a hygienist, I just wanted to share some awesome patient moments that made me feel so good. :)

Patient #1: Deep cleaning patient. In pain. Give first few injections and I ask if he is doing okay. Patient says, in awe, that he has never had such painless injections and that I am amazing. After the cleaning he says that I was so great, and even tells the front desk girls later what a great hygienist I am. Spread the word please!
Patient #2: Four year old girl comes in for her first appt ever. GRINS the entire time. I loved it. Got to visit with Mom the whole time and turns out she hasn't been in for 2 years and needs deep cleaning. When we go to the front desk, Mom specifically asks to be scheduled with me. :)
Patient #3: My very up front, blunt patient. First refused xrays, asks for the TV off cuz its not his thing, and seems easily put off. I ask him about himself and we have an awesome conversation about things to do in Denver. He is super excited to give me ideas. I teach him brushing techniques and he tells me how appreciative he is to know these things. He also says that he feels comfortable telling me he only brushes once a day because I am his friend. Aw. Expresses how knowledgeable I am. After he leaves, Gina at the front desk tells me he said he LOVED me. YES!
Generic patient #infinity: This one is the one that expects Joan, the retiring RDH and when they see me, they are kind of put off. I kill them with kindness and they turn from grouchy to happy by the time they leave. So far I've turned them all into team Erin fans! :)

So yes, every new RDH out there is terrified that patients won't like her, that she won't be as gentle as she needs to be, that she will leave school and turn into a total spaz, etc, etc. Receiving confirmation that things are going well is the best thing I could ever ask for. Specifically...Megan, THIS is why I am having a great week.

If you LIKE cats, don't read. :) Otherwise, proceed.

Seriously. Please don't get offended if you like cats and read this. I warned you. Those who know me, I have an STRONG aversion to them, so this made my day.

http://www.27bslash6.com/missy.html

And P.S. I don't know this dude or condone anything else he may write. He is apparently very colorful. :)

Working Girl!

I have a job. :)

I feel that lot of choices in life are choices between good and good. Maybe not even better and best, but both equally positive, good choices. I feel that while the Lord always cares about what each of us is doing in his or her life, He likes to sit back and let us pick in these instances.

Pretty much from day one here in Colorado I have been talking to two different places regarding a job. One is a private practice, and the other is a successful business that assists over 195 dental practices in CA, AZ, NV, CO and TX. There are pros and cons to both a private practice and a corporate run practice. It has been kind of a back and forth deal between both parties and my leanings have been just as shifty. It came down to an offer from both at the same exact time. Isn't that the way it always goes? After a lot of discussion with my Dad and my wonderful friend Dana I was able to see what my instincts had been telling me all along.

I accepted a job with Dr. Andy Ashby in Denver. If you want to check out his practice website it is http://www.ashbydental.com/ With contemplation I realized that my dream has do be a private practice hygienist. Why would I settle for anything less? When I spent a few hours at Dr. Ashby's office it felt so welcoming, homey, and I LOVED the front office girl Charity. A big part of working in this field is to care for others and I felt I would be able to do that with Ashby Dental.

I start training on Monday. I feel very blessed to have found something so good in this economy. I continue to feel confirmations upon moving as well. Most of those I graduated with are still looking for jobs, and are fighting for the same ones in Utah. Wish me luck!!!

Friends are relatives you make for yourself.

"Yes'm, old friends is always best, 'less you can catch a new one that's fit to make an old one out of."

Sometimes I look at little kids and wish I had their knack for making friends. It just seems to easy. Moving to a brand new place with pretty much only married friends as your friends can be kind of nerve wracking. I decided that I was going to feign complete confidence where ever I go. Maybe I won't ACT like a 6 year old.

I can honestly say that I have four new friends here. I was lucky enough to make a couple contacts when I was out here visiting last August. I met two soon to be dental school duders at church and when I realized I'd be coming out to Colorado for sure I dug up their information. Zack and Nate were their fake names and they also had their fellow LDS dental friend Kris add me on facebook. The day after I arrived I was invited out to dinner with the three boys at their married LDS dental friend's place. Yes, this place has LDS dentists everywhere you look. It was great to finally get to know my facebook dental friends. I even got through a superbly awkward situation where the not quite one year old daughter tried to feed her baby doll on me if you know what I mean. All three boys saw and I cannot recall a time I have laughed harder. Of course you are curious...are any of these boys cute? All cute, but one stood out...Kris. Another thank you to facebook, this one wrote me later and decided we should go to Wednesday institute together. SCORE!

Institute was awesome. They do it right out here. Kris and I got to know each other really well and talked a long time afterward. Too bad Kris and Nate were both leaving for a week and a half, until the 6th, starting the next day. I was already stoked on Kris though, so perhaps it was good he get out of the picture for a while. ;)

I braved Maplewood ward in Denver on Sunday and made two friends Kelly and Dustin. Kelly and I talked a lot and turned out she knows the dental boys. She is leaving for three weeks though. Bummer. Looks like my friend making is gonna be a slow progression, but I was proud of myself after one week.

Monday was supposed to hold more fun. Hiking with Zack and some of his friends, then a BBQ. I was super excited. Too bad I decided to toss my cookies at 3:30am. Kinda put an end to my Memorial plans.

I am not ashamed to admit I am looking forward to June 6th.

Roadtrip!

I am here! And the drive out to Colorado was awesome. Even as we pulled away from the house and headed out I still didn't feel sad about leaving. I had been waiting in the days prior to say "It finally hit me that I am leaving." Then once it has hit you you are supposed to feel sad and feel doubts. It never "hit." It just was. I have never felt more ready for something. I was ready to start anew! I was grinning as we hit the highway. Driving through Spanish Fork canyon in the spring is always pretty incredible. Anyway, after a long intro, here are a few things I learned on my way to Highlands Ranch, Colorado:

1. Discovering how many songs I had on my iPod begin with "ain't." It was impressive. I started listening alphabetically. :)
2. The passersby in Green River, Utah are very honest. My aunt left her purse behind at a gas station and it was still there 30 minutes later.
3. I am like Dory on Finding Nemo. I drove behind the UHaul that my aunt and uncle were pulling and I probably read the back of that trailer 100 times. Every time I would start at the top, and read it, like I'd never seen it before. MORE AERODYNAMIC! 25% EASIER TOWING! SAVES FUEL! Fascinating.
4. Colorado has a highway exit titled "No Name." Very original.
5. I LOVE driving by myself for long periods of time. I love road trips.
6. I am super skilled at writing things down without taking my eyes off the road. Don't tell the cops.
7. Discovering how stinking giddy I am to even be in Colorado. Best. Feeling. Ever.

So now I have been here for a little less than a week and I have visited with two probable employers, had my application for Colorado license approved, and have spent time with new guy friends. I was lucky to move out here knowing three LDS dental school duders. They invited me out to dinner on Sunday and I went to institute with one last night. I have been running with Dana too...trying to get back into it. I just need to give a shout out to Dana and Ryan, who I am staying with. They are the most amazing friends and I am so lucky for their generosity. It is making this transition cake. As for the job hunt...things are looking VERY good, and I will post when things get more, um, specific. I am very happy here. I know I made the right decision. :)

What's this brave stuff about?

Let's start out with some background. I am 29 and single. That coupled with the fact that I am leaving Utah has created some pretty strong objections across my social circles. Apparently you are a complete moron if you even THINK you can get married once you leave the state at such an age. I remember telling myself years ago that if I was still single when I was 'older' I would leave Utah. I never believed that by leaving I would subject myself to singleness forever and an abnormal interest in cats. Quite the opposite in fact. Even years ago, I knew that I wanted to prove critics wrong.

Ironically most of the weird looks I get come from singles. My awesome married friends think it is the greatest idea ever. "Lucky her, going on an adventure!" In fact, most of my fellow graduated hygienist friends that are tied down here expressed their jealousy. See, there ARE perks to still being single!

Now on to why I chose my blog title. There have been a couple girls who have said some pretty neat things to me this past week. Both of them are in my ward, and when girl A found out that I was moving on Saturday, she started asking me all these questions, telling me how amazing and brave I was and how she was jealous. She even said that I inspired her. Ha. Inspired eh? :) She said that she totally looked up to me and I joked that I was paving the way for all single girls to get up the guts to move from Provo. Now onto comment from girl B - posted on my facebook wall... "I'm so glad I ran into you...I'm suddenly feeling all kinds of motivated. On behalf of all of the girls still in Provo, thank you for lighting a fire under us--look out world, here we come! ;) Good luck in Denver, Erin, AMAZING things are in store for you~xoxo"

That makes a girl feel pretty good. And brave. I leave on Saturday. :)

Megan, I can't believe I am doing this.

Seriously, I am more nervous about starting a blog than I am to pick up and leave all I know and move to Denver. That probably attests to my personality. I visited with a good friend Meg the other night and she was the umpteenth person to try and talk me into keeping a blog. I am not that entertaining. Isn't there a law that you have to have children first, or at least be married? Don't you have to be witty? My sister in law Erin is queen of witty anecdotes. She is my idol. Too bad she hasn't written in a while. Nudge nudge. Anywho...Meg insisted that this was like a mini journal, and for her she just wanted to be kept in the loop about what was happening in my life. Well there you go, Meg mentions the word journal to me and I'm already hooked. Once a guy called me John Taylor. Just last week my buddy Clayton teased me about how good I am at journaling and how "in court, at final judgment you will win with all your the evidence." Well...I like to think so.

Long story short, here I go.