Snow Daze

Well, Happy "Snow Patrick's Day" as DCPS is calling it. Today is my 7th snow day this school year! Definitely a record. Here are just a few pictures to document the "Snow Daze" we have been in since December. Ironically, most of the days off have been cushioned by a weekend, so we have not had a normal 5 day work week in months it seems! What am I doing with my time? Catching up on some BBC shows, doing some work, going to the gym, and planning my Canada trip. It's a dream. It's nice to have this time off but I am also aching for the spring! Can't wait to put away my winter clothes and get set for some sunshine. When oh when will you come?!

Returning to the Motherland

I am heading back to CANADA! I am so excited! I have not visited my mission since I returned 6.5 years ago. It's been way too long. Oh memory lane...

And yes, it's going to be so grand. It's like returning to the Motherland. Although the U.S is technically my "motherland" there is something about Canada that makes me tear up. Of course, my time in Canada was a time that I spent serving the Lord for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (See Mormon.org). This experience changed my life for the better. My understanding of God, my relationship with Christ, an enhanced desire to serve, and the overwhelming love that I felt for so many strangers as I walked the streets of Ontario. No words can describe how much I loved my mission.

In addition to returning to beloved Ontario, I am also going to MONTREAL and QUEBEC CITY! Can you tell how excited I am?!?

Montreal!

Quebec City

The cool thing is I am going by myself, which a few years ago I would never have wanted to do such a thing, but I am so excited to discover these places on my own and have a little adventure. I will definitely be posting about this trip soon, don't you worry.

I love Canada. 

I can't wait to be there again and bask in all of its glory, poutine, mounties, and bagged milk, eh!

I have confidence!

I am obsessed with The Sound of Music.  It's definitely one of my all time favorite movies in the world. Who doesn't love Maria, Edelweiss, I am 16 going on 17,  and, of course,  the dreamy Captain Von Trapp? Yum.

I digress...

But one song I have been singing in my head lately is Maria's infamous "I Have Confidence" song. I love it! Some of my favorite lyrics include:

I've always longed for adventure

To do the things I've never dared

And here I'm facing adventure

Then why am I so scared

And mind me with each step I am more certain

Everything will turn out fine

I have confidence the world can all be mine

They'll have to agree I have confidence in me

I have confidence in confidence alone

Besides which you see I have confidence in me!

This is how I feel right now. I long for adventure. I long to stretch myself and to better myself. I have faith in the future and I feel EMPOWERED to do hard things, to be happy, and to live life to its fullest.

Although I still have my tough moments and, trust me, I have my pity parties and cry fests, I do feel like my eyes, my smile, and my countenance reflect a sense of confidence I have never felt before in my life. 

Where has this come from? I definitely attribute it to God. A few weeks ago I told him that if certain situations in my life can't change, that I would ask instead for him to give me strength and confidence in my present life. I feel confident knowing that God loves me and is aware of my circumstances. And he has totally come through with his promises. I feel a strength beyond my own. 

Additionally, my confidence has come from my determination to live life and to not let my fears and worries hold me back from embracing the woman that I want to become. I don't want any circumstance or person to define my happiness. Ultimately I am choosing to be confident. And you want to know a secret? Sometimes I just fake confidence (especially in social situations) and it works! I am not advocating that anyone here should be fake, but I do believe there is power in optimism and confidence because confidence is contagious! And it shows. Trust me, I've received a lot of compliments about it as of late (Oh and sometimes I'll still go home and cry when I am feeling down, so don't feel like you got to always stay this way because that's not realistic!)

And the more times I tell myself that I can be amazing and do hard things, the more I believe it, and then suddenly my attitude and my actions change.

Guys, I wish I could don my hat and run around Vienna with Maria because seriously, I have confidence in me!!!!!!

Life is grand.