Just staying one day ahead of yesterday

For myself personally, the meeting of one's boyfriends parents can be a slightly terrifying experience.  For the most part I would categorize myself as a fairly normal person, but for that brief moment in time you start to realize all of your quirks and short comings.  You try and tell yourself to refrain from making slightly inappropriate comments, or drinking your wine too fast at the dinner table and that even though you are extemely nervous the worst possible thing you can do in that moment is excuse yourself to the bathroom to throw up (Matt...please do not share with your family how many times nerves has made me barf!) But let me tell you, the one thing I did not expect to experience while spending a lovely weekend in Golden, BC with two very sweet, loving parents was the reckless abandonment for bear chasing! Before visiting the beautiful town of Golden, B.C., I was not informed of the very important fact that certain wildlife like to roam the backyards of the home

I'd be lying if I didn't say I have had my heart broken a time or two. And for those of you so fortunate around me to get to witness these events, first off I must apologize and second I must thank you for still loving me after all is said and done. But through it all thank you for standing by me as I learned this is how I, Rachel Lootens, deal with a broken heart: I usually start out by crying, a lot, and then cry some more ~ I cry in bed ~ I cry in the shower ~ I cry in my car ~ I cry at the grocery store...~ some may even say I act a little pathetic ~ I skip out on showers ~ for days on end ~ sometimes too many days on end~ I lay in bed for days ~ no one has ever accused me of laying bed for too many days though, as I feel as this one is socially acceptable ~ I get irritable ~ I pretend that I am better, putting the biggest smile on my face ~ only to have a relapse the moment I walk through the door at my house and my roommate asks if I'm OK? ~ I master the eyebrow raise

In a moment of self reflection the other day, I realized that while 25 was still quite a young age and I have plenty more years ahead of me to fill up with life's lessons, I was surprised at how easily 4 pages of scribble were produced when thought about some of the things I have learned in the first quarter of my life and even happier that for each lesson a wonderful memory went along with it. Be where you are; otherwise you miss your life....so I've learned that: You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk It pays to believe in miracles and tell the truth When you wave at people in the country they always stop what they are doing and wave back You can tell a lot about a man by the way he hands 3 things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangles Christmas tree lights You can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life It's a lot easier to react then to think I can't visit a bookstore without buying something When the light turns green,