My 25 Before 25: The Update

For those of you readers who have been with me for a while, you might remember that shortly after my 23rd birthday, I made a bucket list. Not a lifetime bucket list, but 25 things I wanted to accomplish before I turned 25. I picked 20 of my own ideas and then opened up the floor to 5 additional suggestions. If you're a newbie to No End In Sight, here's the link to the original post: CLICK ME, I'M A LINK! I also followed that up with the completed list (SEE HERE BECAUSE I'M ALSO A LINK!)

Here we are in the last 6 months before the big quarter century mark and I figured I should probably check in to see where I stand on the whole completed vs. to-do thing. Some of these might be difficult to complete but (with the changes marked in Purple) I am determined for all of them to be completed by the big 2-5.

 MY 25 BEFORE 25!!!
1. Complete a mud run. (Completed May 2015) 
2. Get my Concealed Carry license. (Will do with Kaysea and Emmie, Winter 2016) 
3. Check off another state in my list of places I have traveled. (So far I'm at 41) (New York for My Birthday 2016!) 
4. Regularly maintain my blog for at least a year. (Almost two years strong!!) 
5. Go on a mission trip. (Or multiple day service project!) 
6. Attend a professional sporting event. (Go Blazers! Two games so far!) 
7. Donate more than $100 dollars to a worthy charity. (Charity Ideas are welcome!) 
8. Visit my grandma in Arizona. (March 2016) 
9. Keep a plant alive in my house or on my balcony :) (STILL GOING!)
10. Get my Zumba Instructor Certification. (February 2015) 
11. Camp on the beach. (Illegal in Oregon so I might have to get creative!) 
12. Have two months salary saved in my savings account. (September 2015) 
13. Go snow camping. (Winter 2016) 
14. Ride in a hot air balloon.
15. Pay for a strangers coffee. (Multiple times ;) ) 
16. Go fishing with my dad.
17. Make a time capsule to open in 15 years.
18. Pretend I'm really rich and test drive a sports car.
19. Attend an all-weekend music festival.(July/August 2015) 
20. Go on a 10+ mile hike.

And the Extra Five...
21. Take a class, just for fun... I'm deciding on a cooking class!- Alex Savory (Changing it to a sewing class!) 
22. Sell a piece of my own artwork. - Sabrina Bartell
23. Choose a Pinterest project to do each month. - Kelly Meyer (Not quite successful but I will try to hit a total of ten between December 2015-May 2016) 
24. Cook my way through a whole cookbook- Danielle Van Buskirk (and baby Matthew)
25. Play "Messy Twister." (Don't know what that is?! Look at the link here!)- Milan Laurent (With Kelly, Spring 2016) 


 I have got a LOT to do in the next 6 months! Who wants in on this? Anyone want to join me on my leftover items?! Thanks for stopping by and be sure to follow No End In Sight!

Why I went skinny dipping in the Pacific Ocean, and other life changes.

Skinny dipping in the Pacific Ocean was not on my bucket list. In fact, it hadn't ever come close to it. I had gone "skinny dipping" in college, but a sports bra and bikini bottoms does not a skinny dipper make. I'm a fairly modest person who gets uncomfortable when someone stares at me too long. "Is there something on my face? Is my fly undone?"

Why would I put myself out there like that? It's dangerous. It's cold. It's crazy.
Well, let me explain.


I am a 23 year old woman. In my life, I've done some pretty awesome stuff but I haven't done anything extraordinary. I wasn't Valedectorian. I didn't have perfect grades. I wasn't an incredible athlete. I didn't date much. I have lots of great friends but I wasn't "the popular kid." I didn't get a crazy awesome job right out of college. Sure, I've done well for myself, but there hasn't been anything that would necessarily make me stand out from a crowd AND THAT'S FINE WITH ME.

As a millenial in post-college life, you start to think about how you are living. You're not in college anymore. You can't just stay out until 3:00am four nights a week and expect to maintain a decent job from 8:00am-5:00pm. Drinking large quantities makes you do stupid things that you can't chock up to "college stupidity." Bills don't get paid with student loan disbursements, they get paid by long hours and real jobs. You have to start saving your money. You have the pressure of the rest of your life once you get that degree. For the first time in our lives, we are actually told to grow up.

I've been trying to grow up since I was 15 years old. I wanted to be the mature one who had her "stuff" together. I developed the moniker of "Momma Sarah" and loved it because I was the DD when we went out dancing; I'd cook dinner for my 20 closest friends; I took care of my friends after a pretty terrifying car accident, making sure they woke up every hour in order to make sure they didn't have concussions. I loved, and still love, being the caretaker of the group.

However, there is one thing that I have realized  at this point in my early-twenties journey. Since I can remember, I have been trying to act older than I am. I wanted to dress older (not even on the scandalous scale, just older styles), I would look into my future, I'd plan my life down to a specific timeline, and you know what I found? I was not living in the moment. I was planning for the person I was going to be instead of developing the woman that I am. This fact has bothered me a bit. I LOVE being a planner, but given some recent developments in life, I have realized you can't plan for everything. Yes... I know... I should have realized this fact much sooner, but hey, I'm stubborn, okay?

So on the chilly September night at the Heceta Head Lighthouse, on the Oregon Coast, I decided to live in the moment. I let my 23 year old self give in to the impulsive and slightly stupid idea of wading into the freezing cold salt water BECAUSE I COULD. I was living in the moment! With one childhood friend, and two strangers, we ran hand-in-hand into that icy ocean. I felt an electricity that only comes around when you are comfortable in your skin. All of my insecurities about my body were gone. Let's go even bigger... for a moment, my insecurities about LIFE were gone. I didn't think about my career path, my bank account, my relationship status, my family, my future. I thought about how freaking cold it was, yet how thrilling this adventure felt. I was in the moment.

Looking back on that memory, I realized that I shed more than clothing that night; I also shed an idea that spontaneity is bad. I gained the knowlege that a little bit of crazy is a good thing. It keeps you on your toes, it keeps you alive.

So yes, I went skinny-dipping in the Pacific ocean. Yes, I froze my rear-end off.

And yes, I changed my outlook on life.

College: I learned more about me than my major.

For some of you, you just started your last First day of School. For some of you, you started your First Day of College. And then there's those weirdos who have already been in school for a month, but were in the same boat. Regardless of where you are in your college career, you're doing it. GO YOU!

I love seeing the anticipatory posts of the new college babies. I love seeing the reflections of this year's seniors. It's a really incredible time of life.

There is so much to learn in college. DUH. It's why you're there; to get an education that will further your life aspirations and career goals. But what many people don't really talk about is how much you learn about yourself! I discovered myself in college. I'm not talking some crazy existential journey that miraculously opened my eyes, but I mean that I was able to develop parts of my personality that hadn't fully come around in the first 18 years of my life. I learned what I was capable of (like in last week's blog about the group that changed me in college! ), what I could survive, and what brought me a ton of joy!
So you might be asking, what did I learn MOST about myself from college?
1) I had to put myself out there.
College is hard. In high school, I was definitely an extrovert. When I got to college, I was out of my element and I was shy for the first time in my life. You go off to an area that is not familiar, and (I'm making an assumption here) you PROBABLY don't know everyone. You're probably going to have to talk to strangers, and not in a "Do you want a free piece of candy from my big white van?" kind of way.... however they do give out a lot of free candy on college campuses... But in all seriousness, you're not going to enjoy yourself if you sit in the back of the class, avoid eye contact with humans and don't make any friends. Take a step. Put yourself out there. Sure, not everyone is going to be your best friend, but every once in a while, you'll be able to share your mutual fear of your Rhetoric Professor and BAM! You have something in common. New besties.

2) Learn your limits. All of the limits.
When I say all of your limits, I do mean all of them. Learn about your sexuality. Learn about your alcohol tolerance. Learn how much stress you can handle. By learning your limits, I mean testing them. Push them. I'm not saying compromise your values or do things that you know will make you uncomfortable, but I learned my limits by seeing what was comfortable and what was not.

3) Trying to fit in with people you don't like is STUPID.
This was a mistake I made my freshman year, and other short bursts of time throughout the rest of college. If you don't like how someone is acting or treating others, you don't have to put up with it. The beauty of college is that there is a diverse population and there's probably SOMEONE out there with similar interests. Be patient and start looking!

4) It's a good thing to change in college, just don't change to impress others.
This was one thing that I saw from a bunch of my peers. They were pressured into doing things and they made the choice to change but not necessarily for the right reasons. I changed a LOT in college., but I never did the things that would change who I am morally. I didn't hook up with a guy because my friends wanted to hook up with his friends. I didn't smoke weed because the people around me were smoking weed. It goes back to your limits and also back to finding people with similar interests. Develop yourself but don't try to fit yourself into someone elses standards.

5) You will lose high school friends.
Not intentionally. And not all of them. Given the fact that you are not forced to be in the same class as 25-ish students every day, you will lose contact. They'll go off to different coasts, make new friends and new lives. That's okay. But the friends you keep in contact with will always be there for you. They'll be your rocks that you call and it seems like 5 minutes have passed instead of 5 weeks. You'll be in their weddings. You'll scream and cry for joy when they announce they are pregnant. They have a huge part of your life and they always will.

6) Sometimes you have to do things by yourself.
This was a new concept to me. I am a people person and sometimes independence scares me. College was very good for me in this scenario, especially since my parents moved 2,500 miles away. It kind of relates to the "Put yourself out there" point. There were times I needed to study by myself, or run errands alone, or even go to functions without a wingman. It was such a growing experience and truly forced me to find an independent confidence that I had never had.

7) You'll cry.
Because, sometimes, life is mean. But...

8) You'll laugh even more.
You're going to make incredible friends, go on ridiculous adventures, and see some hilarious things. Some of the things that happened to me during my college experience would have made for a phenomenal comedy/drama on a hit TV network. Some of the stuff was so far fetched that I could do nothing but laugh it off. Some of the laughs were alcohol induced. Some were from a delirious lack of sleep. Some, a mixture of both. Some laughs were a coping method when I was so stressed that it was the only thing keeping me from crying. Some of those laughs were to keep my friends from crying. But those laughs are some of the best memories I have from college and they will be forever with me.

Like I said, college was one of the best times of my life. I miss it daily, but I also reap the benefits of my college experience on the regular. I talk to my college besties every day. Literally, every day. I am so thankful for the person that college made me. I learned so much and wouldn't trade it for the world. Embrace this phase of life, whether you're just starting or if it's winding down. These memories will be with you forever.

Looking at the group that changed my life.

Have you ever had something happen to you that changed your life for the better?

I've had a few of these moments. Sometimes you realize in the moment that they're happening and sometimes it takes a little flashback to remind you of how much you were affected. I've had a few seasons in my life that definitely changed my overall course, and one particular organization had a large life-altering presence.

On Friday, I was asked to return back to my old stomping grounds, the Memorial Union at Oregon State University, to participate in an alumni Q&A session for the incoming coordinators of the Memorial Union Program Council (MUPC). I was so excited to go back to Corvallis and share my love for MUPC with anyone who would listen.

Anyone who has spoken to me for more than a half hour has probably heard me talk about MUPC, so for those of you who are scratching your heads and wondering what in the world it is, I will try and convey the awesome in one sentence.

MUPC is a student event planning group on campus to put on a huge variety of events and activities throughout the year.

That sentence (or any sentence that doesn't include firworks and pyrotechnics) does not do the organization justice. It sounds like just another student organization. How did that change my life? Well, let me tell you. Through MUPC, I was able to gain more knowlege than any other time/place in my life. I learned interpersonal skills, I learned the professional building blocks, I learned conflict resolution, and most importantly, I learned about my own personal potential.

The interpersonal skills were something I had already thought I displayed. I'm my mother's daughter. I talk to strangers at the grocery store. I am fairly confident when meeting new people, but MUPC and student leadership encouraged me to develop my skills further. We did trainings like StrengthsQuest to determine our leadership styles, which helped us learn what types of people we work with more effectively and how we can better our communication with those who may not be like-minded communicators. It also encouraged me to work with different organizations who have different motives and end goals than my own organization. We worked with diversity development in order to reach a greater target audience.

Along with the interpersonal focus, I was also encouraged to develop my professional skilss. We worked with tools such as timelines, GoogleDocs, Microsoft Office, riders, contracts, and so many other things. We were taught how to conduct meetings, how to market our own events and how to professionally handle difficult clients.

We learned that, on a campus of nearly 30,000 students and faculty members, not everyone will LOVE your events. We learned that you're always going to have that ONE customer who whines. We learned how to work with committee members that you'd rather drop kick across the football field. We also learned how to adapt. Sometimes your comedians show up ten minutes AFTER the commedy show is scheduled to start and that you have to get up on stage in front of 1,200 people in order to stall while they get ready to preform.

Most of all, MUPC taught me that I am capable. How often are 18-22 year olds in charge of an event with a $70,000 budget? How often are students in charge of over $100,000 worth of merchandise? How often are college 'kids' responsible for keeping 6,000 students safe at a free concert? Well, at least once a year for all of those with MUPC. The organization taught me that I am capable of putting 6 months of hard work into a single 40-hour weekend and creating memories for hundreds of students and their families.

Honestly, it was a little difficult going from so much responsibility to the "real world" where people my age aren't always held to the same work standards that we were held to in the Student Leadership world. It was hard since I had accomplished some big stuff in college and then I went back to the lowliest positions in the workforce. But let me tell you, once I was able to prove myself and to prove my abilities, I realized that MUPC had set me up for success. Looking back and talking with the new coordinators helped me realize how much growth I had seen in myself throughout the two years as a college event coordinator.

MUPC had changed my life. It had given me the people skills, the work ethic, and the confidence I had needed to prove myself to my superiors in my after-college life. It also gave me some of the best friends I could have asked for. I spent many days crying over tests, work frustrations and boy problems with my co-coordinators. We binged on coffee as the event date came up closer and closer. We shared event horrro stories. We shared event successes. We met each others families. We met each others' significant others. We lived one of the best times of our lives together and now share a bond that will always remind us of some of our best and strongest memories.

Going back this weekend came at the perfect time. I needed to "go home" and MUPC was a great place to visit. It reminded me of all the things I survived while sitting on those couches at the MU. I tried conveying my love for the organization to the incoming coordinators but they'll learn soon enough. They'll live it. It opened my eyes to how different of a person I would have been had I not joined the Programming council.

I loved looking back on the organization that changed my life.

Homesick for College

The place that I was raised is 273 miles away. I am used to homesickness.

My family lives 2,494 miles away. I am VERY used to homesickness.

First of all, let's talk about the term "homesick."  When I say homesick, I'm not talking about four walls and a roof. I'm talking about the laughter after your sister says something stupid. I'm talking about the wrestling match with your brother. I'm talking about watching Gilmore Girls with your dad (yes, I said dad... sorry for blabbing your secret, Pops). I'm talking about going on walks with your mom and discussing life. I'm talking about the RELATIONSHIP of HOME.

When my family moved accross the country, I went from an illusion of independece to a reality of literally being on my own. I went from home being just a few hours away in case I needed anything, even just a hug, to needing 18 hours and four planes to wrap my arms around my mom and dad. It was shocking and hard to get used to at first (let's be real; it's still not easy). The homesickness I felt back then was strong and the three hour time difference made it even harder to talk to the ones that I love.

Thankfully, as the time passed, Oregon State slowly started becoming the home I created for myself. It wasn't the same as being with my family (which is what I associate 'home' with, since they are no longer living in my childhood home), but I started to find a group of people that became my "adopted family". I had friends who brought me into their childhood homes. Their siblings became like my siblings. They hugged me when I needed hugs.

It wasn't the same as being home but it became MY home.

Four years later. I'm homesick again. But this time, instead of being homesick for my biological family I'm homesick for my college family. I miss having a hangout spot on the couch in my favorite coffee shop. I miss the friends that lived within walking distance. I miss going to Sharri's for horrible breakfast food at 3am. I miss the REALTIONSHIP of COLLEGE.

There was an article that went viral last year, right around the time I graduated college, called The Opposite of Loneliness . This article knocked me on my butt the first time I read it, and continues to do so a year later. It came from the Yale Daily News (the real one, not the Rory Gilmore version) and was written by a young woman, Marina Keegan, who was destined to do big things, yet her biggest fear was losing the "people, an abundance of people, who are in this together."

Yale is full of tiny circles we pull around ourselves. A cappella groups, sports teams, houses, societies, clubs. These tiny groups that make us feel loved and safe and part of something even on our loneliest nights when we stumble home to our computers — partner-less, tired, awake. We won’t have those next year. We won’t live on the same block as all our friends. We won’t have a bunch of group-texts.

This scares me. More than finding the right job or city or spouse – I’m scared of losing this web we’re in. This elusive, indefinable, opposite of loneliness. This feeling I feel right now. - Marina Keegan, Yale Daily News (2012)

Unfortunately though, her story ran just days after she was killed in a tragic car accident. But Marina had the right idea. She knew that she was blessed with the people who related, who experienced, and who lived the opposite of loneliness. They lived life together. Even if they weren't going through the same things, they were doing it together.

In college, I was blessed to make the closest friends I've ever had. We went through deaths, through breakups, through financial instability, through hangovers, through aced tests and failed exams, through engagements, through everything. It isn't until you don't see your friends regularly that you realze how much you love them.

I had this epiphany on Tuesday Night when I reconnected with some of my MUPC alumni buddies. We talked about life and jobs and memories of our crazy events and I realized how much I had missed them. I also realized that I am so lucky that I DO miss them. It means that our lives shared a special experience and it would always bond us.

So, yes, I am extremely homesick for the 20-ish friends who would come over for dinner parties once a month. I'm homesick for the study groups. I'm homesick for the friends who would pull me onto the dance floor when a boy was hurting my feelings. I'm homesick for the wine nights... all the wine nights. I'm homesick for sitting on the MUPC couches playing the Sausage Movie game and giggling like the immature goobers that we were (and still are).

But I am SO DARN GRATEFUL for those silly moments, those hugs and those tears, those life moments. The reminiscing and the memories are about more than my degree I earned and the massive amount of debt I accrued. They are about the love I earned and gave so willingly.

IT'S WORTH THE HOMESICKNESS.

CHALLENGE RESULTS: 25 before 25

HOLY MOLEY! I cannot believe it has been more than two weeks since my last blog. I am SO sorry and so humbled that a bunch of you asked when the next post would be showing up. It's crazy that I was still getting views even without new content.

YOU ARE ALL ROCKSTARS.

I am working on the perfect update to fill you all in on my ever-crazy life but I figured it was time to reveal the finalists of MY 25 BEFORE 25!!

There were some seriously awesome ideas. You are a very inspiring group of people, you know that?! I would like to add (most) of these to my life-long bucket list, but unfortunately, I do not have time to do them all in the next 22 months. So here I am, trying to whittle it down to only 5 additions to my list of 20 predetermined ideas, and let me tell you... IT'S HARD!

But here it is: The Official List!

MY 25 BEFORE 25!!!
1. Complete a mud run.
2. Get my Concealed Carry license.
3. Check off another state in my list of places I have traveled. (So far I'm at 41)
4. Regularly maintain my blog for at least a year.
5. Go on a mission trip.
6. Attend a professional sporting event.
7. Donate more than $100 dollars to a worthy charity.
8. Visit my grandma in Arizona.
9. Keep a plant alive in my house or on my balcony :)
10. Get my Zumba Instructor Certification.
11. Camp on the beach.
12. Have two months salary saved in my savings account.
13. Go snow camping.
14. Ride in a hot air balloon.
15. Pay for a strangers coffee.
16. Go fishing with my dad.
17. Make a time capsule to open in 15 years.
18. Pretend I'm really rich and test drive a sports car.
19. Attend an all-weekend music festival.
20. Go on a 10+ mile hike.

Drum roll please.....
21. Take a class, just for fun... I'm deciding on a cooking class!- Alex Savory
22. Sell a piece of my own artwork. - Sabrina Bartell
23. Choose a Pinterest project to do each month. - Kelly Meyer
24. Cook my way through a whole cookbook- Danielle VanBuskirk (and baby Matthew)
25. Play "Messy Twister." (Don't know what that is?! Look at the link here!)- Milan Laurent


It's crazy to think that in just under two short years, these fun tasks are going to get checked off!

Here's the part where I invite you to join me on this list!!!
Want to do one of these activities with me? Or even on your own? Let's do it. When you complete one of these activities, send me a photo! That's how I'll be documenting the adventure of MY 25 BEFORE 25 (and yes, that's going to be capitalized everytime).

Let's do it YO!

There were so many awesome entries! Thank you to all who contributed fantastic ideas! Here were some of the honorable mentions:

• Own Property
• Learn a language
• Get 8 hours of sleep every night
• Do a mini-triathalon
• Make a photobook on Shutterfly
• Rooftop Party
• Read the whole bible
• Play Messy Twister
• Take a long roadtrip with friends
• X amount of hours of volunteer work
• Go Wheelin with Jake (my cousin)
• Finish our brewery tours
• Enter a Country Western Dance Competition
• Sketch or paint a work of art and enter it in a competition, like the County Fair or a local Juried Art Show
• Plan and produce a national convention.
• Make a another trip to visit your Grandma in Arizona (Bet you guys can guess who suggested this one ;) Love you Gram Gram!)

Thanks again guys for checking back with No End In Sight. Now, more than ever, do I believe that positivity makes a difference.

Keep on keepin' on my friends. XOXO.

What I learned from a job I HATED.

Today is a really great day. It's cold and rainy outside despite it being June 27th, but it's a great freakin' day.

"Why, Sarah?! Why is today a great freakin' day?!"

Today is the last day working a job I truly dreaded every single morning when I left for work. It has been quite the task, trying to stay optimistic and learn from a job that I had initially expected so much from. When people asked me what I was learning in this position, it was hard for me to come up with a valid answer. I didn't really learn much about the industry. I didn't really learn any new skills. I didn't really learn the key to my eternal happiness... Well, that escalated quickly...

However, this morning when I sat down at my desk, I had a few things come to mind. It was like popcorn going off inside my brain, "Oh you learned this and this and this...."

What had I learned from a job that I hated?

That I am adaptable. To an extent.
It constantly amazes me that we as humans are able to adapt and change depending on our surroundings. My jobs in college were exciting, loud, inventive and full of life, but I adapted into a cubicle with little noise and lots of whispering. That wasn't as bad as it sounds. I also was able to adapt what little technology I had access to in order to make the projects successful, like creating graphs and diagrams in Paint. Yes, I said Paint, like the program you used to color on your parents computer when you were little. I also learned that our generation is much more adaptable to change. We're used to constantly learning new technological programs and we've been raised around constantly changing economics. We know that things happen quickly and that you have to keep up so you don't get left behind.

To stand up for myself.
I kind of HAD to learn this one. I was being emotionally trampled and manipulated. All it took was one coworker to come up and ask if I was okay (after about two months with the company) before I broke down into an ugly girl cry at the reception desk. I didn't realize how badly the negative workplace atmosphere was effecting my self-worth. At that point, my bawling made a scene (or at least it felt like it did), so the issues I was upset about finally made it to the front lines. I was brutally honest when talking with my supervisor about the things that bugged me and a few things actually changed. Finally, being forced to stand up for yours truly caused an increase in my self-confidence.

When to let things go.
I learned very quickly to choose my battles. It was the A-team against me on a few of my early issues with my supervisors. I realized that many times, my tasks were taken from me (not because I couldn't handle them) and I had to choose which ones to fight to retain.

How to work with the most unintelligent human on the planet.
Yep, I found this person. You can spell things out so that a fourth grader could do it but this person will still have questions. Working with such a difficult individual has not only given me a bajillion more grey hairs, but this person has helped me learn to hold my tongue. Many times, I let little sarcastic comments fly but I tried very hard to learn how to be graceful in the face of frustration.

That I have been very blessed with amazing coworkers and supervisors in my past.
Wowza, this one is so true. I have always known how big of a blessing my former coworkers and bosses have been, but this job made it even more obvious. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed the company of a handful of my cowrokers here but nothing like the camaraderie that I've seen elsewhere (SHOUT OUT TO J-Stop and MUPC). Also to the crazy awesome bosses in my past work experiences... I am who I am and I have the incredibly high work-place standards that I have because of the communities you created. Erin and Linda, I'm talking to you two ladies in particular :)

That I am a creative worker.
This position left absolutely no room for creativity. I don't mind routine and I don't mind data. But when you have nothing to do and very little creative freedom in the tasks you're actually assigned, you start missing that creation and independence.

That boredom is NOT my friend.
I LOVE being busy. Not in a "Holy crap I need to stay until midnight and work every night" kind of way, but in a "I constantly have something to do" kind of way. When you have 2 hours total of work in an 8 hour work day, you learn a whole new type of boredom and let me just tell you, it's absolutely exhausting. I'm looking forward to projects and tasks.

And last but certainly not least.
I learned that I LOVE blogging.
It's funny and completely unrelated to my job, but I think that this blog is my biggest take away from this whole experience. I had tried blogging in the past but hadn't found a real purpose behind my writing. NOW, I have found an edge, an excitement and an outlet to discuss what we're going through in our early twenties. I may not be a Carrie Bradshaw, but I have truly enjoyed the conversations that have sprung up through the course of the last two months. I've had mature conversations with friends about the issues in their lives. I've learned about the things to which people truly need support. I've gotten texts and emails saying that the things we're talking about here completely relate to what they're going through in life and that it's been nice to know that we're in it together. This blog has been a huge reason why I feel like my life has taken a more positive path and it comes from the conversations I've had around these topics.


Because of you readers, I have pushed myself toward a more positive outlook and in the last year, that hasn't been easy. In the last 12 months, I have graduated college, sifted through 4 jobs, moved twice (three times if you count my move in the next two weeks), thought I fell in love, then ACTUALLY fell in love, lost -and gained- friendships, fought depression, and made it out alive. Man, the last year has been a doosie. But with a positive outlook, I really believe that there is no end to this progress in sight.

Cheers to the next phase, my dears.

Hire me... please?!

Finding a job is just plain exhausting. Finding a job that you like, and you're passionate about sounds like finding a pot of gold under a rainbow; ideally awesome, but next to impossible.

With my long and crazy job search, I've had friends start up a multitude of conversations surrounding employment. We've talked about how to make your resume stand out. We've talked about how difficult online applications are (because you are unable to create a person-to-person first impression), and we've talked about interview skills.

All of these topics are equally important, but as a lover of nonverbal communication, I am always drawn to the conversations that focus on interviewing. Let me give you a little background on my personal experience with interviews...

I have been involved in a LOT of interviews. I have also been on both sides of the interview spectrum, the hiring committee and the hire-ee. In regards to the jobs which I have actually interviewed for and been hired on, I have successfully completed nine interviews. (Yes, I have had 9 jobs in 6 years... granted there was a LOT of overlap.) I've interviewed a few other times, maybe 3 or 4, without getting the position, but every interview gives me a little bit of anxiety, even though I am a people person and I enjoy meeting new friends.

On the other side, I have participated in two interview committees, helping interview for different teams that I have been on. It is a LOT harder than I would have thought. Many times you have more than one highly qualified individual who would be a great fit in the job, and you have to be the one to nit-pick any negatives, while highlighting the positives, to see the best person get the job. It's a very complicating and tiring process.


So now that you know I am a chronic interview junkie, I've put together my list of  8 SUPER DUPER MEGA AWESOME INTERVIEW TIPS:


1) Research the company.
Coming from and interviewer, it's always impressive when a possible future employee knows about the origins of the company. My recommendation is to find out some piece of info that you could generally "bring up in conversation," such as the mission or vision statement, the origin of the company, or any community related involvements of the company.

2) Research common interview questions.
Forbes writer, Jacqueline Smith, put together a KILLER list of the top interview questions (SEE HERE) that I really enjoyed looking at when preparing for an interview recently. Even if you don't have a lot of work experience, life events can definitely be used in examples to respond to many of these questions.

3) Be honest.
You might think that fibbing a little here and there in your experiences might make you look a little better at the moment but you want them to know the real deal. Plus, if you have to make up a story, you'll have to remember your story, and that's just a disaster waiting to happen.

4) Smile.
A genuine smile, nonetheless. A warm smile can instantly put the whole room at ease so flash those pearly whites.

(Image)

5) Talk with your hands!
Talking with your hands, or making gestures when you talk shows that you are actively engaged int he conversation. It's also demonstrative of your understanding and helps to emphasize your points.

6) Look at everyone on the interview panel.
Eye contact is really hard, especially when you're nervous. You don't want anyone to see inside your nerves or to realize that you have no idea what the question was that the interviewer just asked. My advice in this situation is to make sure you look at every single person in the room. This way, it won't feel like you're talking to one individual and again, it shows that you are actively engaged. I personally know that I have a tendency to look mostly at one person more than others, but taking time to "talk to each person" will help you connect to the whole panel.

7) Lean forward in your chair.
Can I hammer it in enough? ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT. Leaning in nonverbally communicates that you are drawn to the questions, the answers and the company. I'm not saying lean all the way forward like you're sitting on the porcelain throne, but lean (without slouching) about 4-6 inches away from the back of your chair.

8) Let them see your real personality!!!
If you're goofy, make a joke, as long as it's appropriate and still semi professional. If you work best in quiet atmospheres, tell them that! I love learning a little bit about the persons demeanor in an interview to make sure that he or she is a good fit for the nature of the company.


Interviews don't need to be scary. My mom always says that an interview is for the company to look at you but it's also for the employee to look at the company! Both parties need to make sure it's a good fit within the organization. Make sure you're paying attention to the surroundings of the company to get a feel of your comfort level in the workplace.

My best advice for an interview is to go in prepared. Research the company, prepare questions to ask the panel, do something to make yourself stand out from the rest. Whatever you may do, stay calm and stay YOU! You'll have an offer on the table in no time with no end in sight :)













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So much change, so little time.

I'm moving in a little over a month. For those who know me... Yes. I'm moving again. This will be the seventh time in 5 years. If I were in high school they'd call me an army brat. Or a gypsy. I also just had my second round of an interview for a company that truly excites me. I've lost ten pounds by working my butt off at the gym. My boyfriend is moving up to Portland within the next few months. This will be the first time we've lived in the same town in the seven months we've been together.

You're thinking, "COOL SARAH. Just throw out other random pieces of information. It's not like we actually wanted to read something relevant to our lives or anything."

Well, I guess I'll get to the point.

THERE'S A LOT OF CHANGE HAPPENING.

Normally, I turn into freakout mode Sarah when a lot of change begins to occur. I mean seriously... I'm human! Humans don't like change!

But here's the thing. As much as I don't like change, I actually love change. Why may you ask? Oh Okay... stop begging, I'll tell you.


Change is scary.
I'm not a fan of the terror that accompanies horror movies, or the fear that comes with sitting next to a dying loved one. What I am a fan of is adrenaline. When you're going through significant life changes, you get pumped with adrenaline. Sometimes those things give you a rush that gets you through the scariness.

Change is necessary.
"If there were no change, there would be no butterflies."- Some dead dude.
On a more serious note, if there wasn't change, there would be no growth. There would be no chocolate chip cookies. There would be no statue of Winged Victory. Change must take place to make room for new ideas, new growth, new awesome experiences.

Change makes you reevaluate where you're at in life.
It makes you look at where you're at, where you're going, who you want to be with, what makes you YOU. The changes I'm going through have caused me to look at relationships. They have caused me to figure out what's important in my life right at this moment in time.

I'm sitting here at work. I'm sitting here watching the news. I'm sitting here watching the coverage about a school shooting 8.6 miles from where I work. One student was killed and a teacher was injured. Even though I don't know anyone who attended this school, didn't know the teachers, the first responders or anyone else involved, I know that this act of selfishness and terror was done in my community, and that's pretty freaky.

I'm not saying this school shooting was change that should have happened, but it did. These kids, these teachers, these community members witnessed an event that will change their lives. This change was scary but hopefully, everyone will see a change that keeps kids safer and helps individuals with mental health issues. Despite the fact that I was virtually un-involved, this is change that will effect me, and it sure as heck has caused me to reevaluate where I'm at in life.


Change is not a bad thing. Like I said, it's scary and it takes a lot to overcome, but change is good. It keeps you on your toes and helps you to develop your path.

Make a good change today.

An open door isn't always the right path.

Firstly, I apologize for my blogging hiatus. No excuses, but to make you jealous, I had a rad camping trip for Memorial Day Weekend so I spent a large majority getting ready for the trip and getting stressed out about getting ready for the trip.

GOOD NEWS. I'm back and bloggy again ;)


Today is a two part blog. First I'm going to whine. Then I'm going to get over it. Ready, go.


WHINER ALERT:

I got the job I was interviewing for (YAY!). 

I turned it down (NOOOOOO!). 

This was a hard decision to make and it involved a whole lot of whining and a crying pity party on my way home from work that day. The position, since a few of you have asked me lately, was with Wilco, a farm and agricultural supply store, as the lead cashier. The company is fantastic and I really enjoyed the interview since I could see how passionate the committee was about their company. When it came down to it, I would have been taking a significant pay decrease by accepting the position, which was something I was NOT expecting. Despite the initial objections I had, I was really really sad to turn down a job that I know I would have enjoyed. Let me clarify, a job I would have enjoyed 5,000 times more than my current position.

Even though I was offered the position, I felt defeated that this opportunity wasn't my escape from a job that does nothing to stimulate my mental potential. I got wrapped up in an "I'm never going to get out of here" mindset and the pity party was pretty pathetic. It took some good friends and a super great boyfriend a few hours to wake me up into the real world and remind me about the ga-jillion possibilities that are still out there.

Like I've said before, it's easy to give up hope, especially when you are trying so hard to change a situation. It's easy to give up hope when your coworkers/supervisors are mean. It's easy to give up hope when you're being treated like crud. But like my dad always says, "Shake it off cowgirl!"

TIME TO GET OVER IT:

What did I do when I found out the job didn't make the cut?! I went to the gym, Zumba'd my heart out, and I applied to about 7 more jobs that next day.

I made a promise to myself that I was not going to let myself get down in the dumps. I wasn't going to take that as a sign that I'm going to be stuck here forever. This was a direct divine message, telling me that however great it would be to get out of where I'm at now, it's not the door I'm intended to open.

Until then, it's time to make my current job teach me something. It's time to give myself something to do, other than blog of course.

I know this blog wasn't exactly pertaining to everyone's lives but if you take anything out of this post, make it this:

Not all offers are meant to be taken. It takes faith and courage to hold yourself to high standards.

Be strong, friends. Make your life worth it.

I'm not settling... Am I?!

Our world is filled with encouragement, whether it comes in the form of corporate logos, inspiring stories or just plain pats-on-the-back from your friends and family.

Nike tells us to "Just Do It," the Army tells us we can "Be all [we] can be," school teachers tell us to go to college because that's how we're going to be successful. Encouragement is all around us, telling us to strive to be better than we were yesterday, last week, five years ago.

What happens when you are trying to better yourself and you find yourself stuck in the mud? You're trying to "just do it" but there's a roadblock. You're trapped.

Man, am I in this spot right now or what?

As I have made it pretty darn clear, you all have probably figured out that I'm pretty stuck when it comes to my current employment. I literally just spent 15 minutes playing with the Rubik's cube on today's Google homepage (which was stupid by the way because I have no idea how to figure out a Rubik's cube). I would consider that situation stuck and I'm not even talking about the puzzle.

My current job has made me reevaluate my strengths. It has made me question my abilities. It has put me in waist-deep mud with a little pink Baskin & Robbins sample spoon to dig myself out.

I have applied for a countless number of jobs in the last two months. FINALLY, I got a call back and an interview scheduled for a job that was kind of a fall back option, not because it's a lame job, but because it does not require much education and is in a field that I never considered as a career path. Retail. I don't want to go into too much detail since it isn't for-sure yet, but here's my dilemma. The job is salaried, with WAY more benefits than I currently have and (most likely) has a higher pay grade. The company gives back to the community and supports programs that I participated in as a kid. The company has many locations and what I would assume to be a pretty large opportunity for growth.

You're all like, where's the dilemma?! This is where I have reached a conundrum (LOVE that word). I don't know what I want to do with my life. There... I said it. I'm totally lost. I don't know what I want to do with my life. This position that I will be interviewing for is in a direction that I never really anticipated and people that mean a lot to me have sort of snubbed their noses at it. Not intentionally, but it has happened. That doesn't mean the job is bad, or good, but it makes me think about how I will get to where I want to go in my career. I have narrowed it down to a general field of what I want to do (community relations with an organization or corporation/business), but I don't know how to get there.

Well, actually I do. I have to start from the bottom, right? With all of the encouraging words surrounding us in marketing and in our personal lives, I feel that there is a negative stigma with starting at the bottom. People assume you're settling for something because it's easy and convenient. Now here's the difference between settling and starting: Settling is a verb, it's getting complacent, it's lacking the motivation to grow and become a better employee/person; Starting is a noun, it's the point at which you begin your growth, where you learn the basics in order to grow them. If you really think about it, how are we supposed to instantly beat out the people who have worked the lower ranks and climbed up the ladder? It's not fair to them and it's not fair to us.

Like I've said in prior blogs, we are NOT a generation of entitlement, therefore we cannot expect to be entitled. 

I'm not going to lie, I can see myself kicking butt at this job. I thrive on customer interaction and I know it would be a good fit for me, but can I get passed the negative stigma in starting lower on the totem pole? Can I see myself in a total career change? I guess we'll find out after the interview. Maybe they'll sell me like crazy? Maybe it will be a fantastic fit?

My advice to friends and e-friends is that it's never a bad idea to start at the bottom as long as you're not settling for something less than you deserve.

Don't get used to the bottom. 
Push for the top. 
Stay motivated and don't let yourself get stuck, because getting stuck sucks.

What do you think? Do you agree? Or do you think you should hold out for something better? I'd love to know!!!

Until next time. Sending good vibes to you and yours!

Inspired by.

Straight up, yo.

It's hard to be positive with an empty Bank Account.

Right?!

It's so easy to think everything is fine and dandy when your wallet has a good chunk of change tucked neatly in it's pockets. The saying that "money can't buy happiness" is totally true and I agree with it completely, but a little teensy weensy bit of cash can definitely ease stress.

I am no stranger to an empty wallet.

When the recession hit in 2007ish, my family was completely affected. My dad lost his job and it all seemed to get harder and harder. My senior year of high school, I began working at Dutch Bros to try and take some of the weight off of my parents shoulders. It was hard, working 35 hrs a week plus finishing up my senior year and trying to add all of my social activities in there too. It was the beginning of my long stretch working like a crazy person.

Since the family was in a financial rut, I (thankfully) qualified for more financial aid and began my studies at Oregon State University (GO BEAVS!). While going to school, I worked one or two jobs, participated in lots of social activities, kept an internship and somehow maintained decent grades. By doing this I wanted to A) pay the bills so my parents didn't have to sheepishly tell me they couldn't really help me -Side note... I know my parents wanted to help me and they really struggled with the fact that they couldn't at the time; I don't want my nonchalance to make it seem like they didn't care! - , and B) Make connections so that I would have a better network post-graduation.

Well, through the sleepless nights and hard work, my networking paid off and I was able to snag a job, or two ... or three. I was working up to 70 hrs a week of minimum wage and barely cruising by. There were multiple times that I would just eat a piece of toast with cream cheese because I couldn't afford to go grocery shopping. With how damn hard I worked, it wasn't getting any easier. But let me tell you, I learned how to stretch a dollar.

But apparently I didn't learn it super well, because now that I have a consistent (and slightly greater) income, I'm still forcing myself to stretch those dollars.

So here's my plan!
This blog is going to be a little bit different. I'm going to challenge myself and I want to challenge you too! I'm going to set us up with three money spending rules for the next month and then to infinity and beyond! If you want in on the challenge, comment in the comment section below. You can still remain anonymous if you'd like, just write something like "I'm in!"

Here are the rules:

1a) Make a budget.
You might think a budget is dumb or annoying, but having a general idea where your money is going every week/month/year is a good eye opener for some people. For example, I did not realize how much money I used to spend on Coffee. Redunkulous. I have a budget that I've already made, but now here's the catch.
1b) STICK TO YOUR BUDGET.
'Nuff Said.

2) Save 15% of your check on every pay period.
For me this will be the hardest challenge but also something that is completely necessary. I had a panic moment today realizing that I'll be moving in a few short months and I have not saved enough for a deposit. EEK! This is probably going to mean that I can't do as many fun activities that I have planned for the next month, but it's something that desperately needs to happen.

3) Track your spending.
I, Sarah, solemnly swear that I am up to no good... I mean... I solemnly swear that I will track my receipts/spending. I've gotten frustrated with this task in the past because it clogs up my wallet with receipts, but you know what?! It's worth it. It requires accountability for my spending which is what I feel I need. Check the receipts with your bank's online banking and enter it into your budget every night so that you know what you're actually spending vs what your projected budget guesses.

That should be easy, right?!

I work my tail off to make sure that I can pay my bills. So far, I haven't resorted to opening up a credit card, getting into any debt (other than those damn student loans), or anything else too dramatic, like selling a kidney or prostituting my bod. This is a personal challenge of becoming more financially positive.  It's hard. This challenge will test my self control, but it's what need to happen.

Let's do this together. Are you in or are you out?

Distance Sucks. But it's worth it.

Warning: I'm going to gush about feelings in this post. Insensitive people, beware.

Today is a pretty great day, you know why? Because it was supposed to rain all day and now it's going to be sunny and 68 degrees. Also, it's Mason and my 6 month anniversary. Go ahead, you can judge me for being excited about that (Mason still gives me a hard time that I get excited over those things), but I'm genuinely pretty stoked. I could spend this blog post telling the world how great he is and how I'm a better person with him, blah blah blah, but I'm not going to bore you all with the mushy stuff. Instead I want to talk about how we make this thing work with 80 miles in between us.

Awww how cute are we?!

So, you're probably like, PSH 80 miles?! No problem. That's only an hour and a half drive! You can't even call it a long-distance relationship because it's not a long distance! That's not even hard at all. If that's the case, I guess you can stop reading here because for us, it has not been easy.

In the grand scheme of things, yes, it is easy when you compare it to relationships that span across the country or military couples who rarely get to SPEAK to their significant others, let alone see them. I know that in the big-picture world, we do have it easy but it started off pretty difficult for us. 

When Mason and I started dating, I was oftentimes working seven days, pushing 70 hours each week. Getting to see each other every weekend just was NOT possible, but it was okay because we were newly into the relationship and it was still in the "No, I miss YOU more" stage. (Just kidding we were never that bad... I hope.) Every moment we got to spend together was short but cherished. I'd get into Corvallis at 7pm and leave at 9am the next day. It was exhausting, but like I said, worth it.

One thing that we had a difficult time with in that stage was our lack of everyday activities together. We didn't get a chance to binge-watch Netflix, or go grocery shopping, or hang out on the couch and just talk. Sure, we Skyped frequently, and texted/talked on the phone, but we could not wait to finally get the chance to "do life" together. 

Thankfully, that stage in our relationship was able to come to a conclusion when I took my new job. I was finally able to work a normal human schedule of 40 hours/5 days a week. This meant we were going to experience something new..... WEEKENDS! The chance to actually spend more than 15 hours together was such an incredibly amazing thought and we have been lucky enough to utilize those weekends in the last three months. We get Friday night, all the way through Sunday night, and sometimes even Monday morning.

So I've had friends ask me, "How do you keep things going so well when you only get to see each other every other weekend?" Usually my response is fairly unexciting, but here is my guide to surviving an "any distance" relationship. 

1) Find a time during the week to Skype. Seriously, this saves us because there's only so much that you can say over the phone or through a text. It also helps because if you're anything like me, you think your partner is pretty cute so seeing his/her face instantly makes you smile. (Insert corny eye roll here.)

2) Tell your partner when you miss him/her. This is something I fully believe in, but you have to mean it. But Sarah, of course I miss my partner.. we're in a relationship and I don't get to see him/her! I know this one seems obvious, but hearing it is one of the most comforting things.

3) Tell each other when you're grumpy. I'm always the one who does this because I know I get snappy or maybe sometimes I just want time without my phone. If you give your partner a heads up, he or she is less likely to take things personally if you accidentally snap at them. But don't snap at them. That's dangerous.

4) Understand that your partner has a life without you. And be okay with that. Distance relationships are not for the insecure. Obviously, you are not able to do everything together (but seriously, you don't want to do everything together even when you're dating in the same town!), so know that the one you love is going to have adventures without you. Sometimes this one is really hard for me. I see Mason doing the fun things that accompany living in a college town, and I get jealous. Not because he's doing things with other people, but because other people get to do things with him. That is one of those times where I have to step back and be glad though that he is out there making great college memories. I'm happy he's having fun.

5) Talk WITH each other, not AT each other. Being in a healthy relationship, whether you live 2,000 miles away or in the same house, requires the ability to communicate. The only way that a healthy relationship will work is if you're able to tell your partner what you want, what you don't want, what you like, what you don't like, etc.  If you and your significant other can be good listeners and good talkers, you'll avoid a lot of relational issues.

THIS IS MY FAVORITE TIP

6) You can still date even if you're long distance!!! HUH? Yes, you read that correctly. Mason and I still "date". We Skype while making dinner. We watch the same movie at the same time on Netflix (which takes some patience to match up what parts you're at at the same time). It's fun and it feels like we're doing things at the same time, in the same place. However, WARNING: Watching movies together on Netflix kinda makes you want to cuddle but that's the only downside.

It's not easy to be in a relationship of any kind and Lord knows that we've already been through a lot. But if it's right, then it's worth it and you'll find a way to make it work. 

Do any of you have any good relationship tips? My friend Craig and his partner Tayler, with a distance of MUCH greater than 80 miles, just recently blogged about their distance experience. They conquer the issues of asking for attention, being patient, and communication differences between personality types! They totally inspired this blog so THANKS CRAIG AND TAYLER! Check out their blog HERE.

Thanks for sticking with me, positive peeps. May your day be blessed!

Transforming Boredom

I don't know about you but I loathe boredom.

I was brought up in a family of three kids, but with our activity level, we could have made up for six. Each one of us was extremely involved with sports, school, 4-H (for you city folk, 4-H is a *mostly* agricultural youth organization and we showed livestock), and countless sleepovers. I legitimately don't know how we were able to do so much and have any hours left for sleeping.

Long story short, I LOVED IT.

Not only was I kept out of trouble (for the most part ;) ), but I was also introduced to so many growing life experiences. If you're a parent right now, please sign your kid up for t-ball, or ballet, or skateboarding. Whatever it is... SIGN THEM UP! It doesn't matter if he or she can't run in a straight line, or catch a ball. ALL that matters is that you're teaching these kids the values of team building, of persistence, of failure... which are HUGELY important lessons for kids to learn gracefully.

Okay. Rant over.

ANYWAY-

Growing up in such a busy atmosphere was wonderful. It made us appreciate down time, along with the busyness  too. When I got to college I realized I had SO much free time. But inversely, instead of appreciating the down time, I became lost because I didn't know how to fill such a vast schedule. The beginning of college was pretty difficult because like I said, I HATE being bored. Before I knew it, I was finding hints of depression popping up in my everyday life.

Fast forward four more years. I had the EXACT same thing happen at the end of college. I went from a super busy and exciting life of school work, two jobs, an internship, incredible friend groups and LOTS of country western dancing - yep, that's a thing - to a job that gave me anxiety attacks and absolutely no time for social interactions.

HOLD UP! This is supposed to be a positivity blog!!! (Hang with me, it's coming...)

Then, in a twist of events, I switched jobs out of the blue in an attempt to get back to the obnoxiously bubbly person that I am. However, I work at a job that plops me in front of a computer and all I do is scan Pinterest for eight hours. I witness grown adults acting like middle school girls. I watched the Olympics from my desk for two weeks straight. Sounds wonderful, right? WRONG. You are so SO WRONG. The boredom level is exponential.

Here's where we're going to turn these things to find the positive.

I've learned that I am a structure junkie! I love having a schedule (that can be bent, but at least it's there!). I also have learned that it's up to me to fill my time outside of work. I've started consistently going to the gym, and despite being tired after my hour long commute everyday, I make sure that I get at least one friend date in every week. These things are little changes, but it makes a big difference. When it comes to weekends, the grown-up in me knows I should clean the house/do the laundry. The long-distance girlfriend in me wants to go visit my man. The friend in me wants to hang out with EVERYONE. I've learned that my boredom throughout the week is practically GONE on the weekends so it comes down to balancing. Clean the kitchen on a weeknight, hang out with the boyfriend on the weekend, and later in the week you can incorporate a Kate Hudson movie in there somewhere with your girls. Get it on the schedule. You'll have something to look forward to!


I am also learning a LOT about the executive work force and I have learned tons about what I DON'T want in a career. (I can see the wheels turning and you're thinking, wait... that's still a negative. WRONG AGAIN!)

Learning what you do not want in a given situation is just as much, if not more important than learning what you absolutely do want. I have found myself to be in a position that a majority of my generation finds themselves. We finish college, try out our career and realize, that's not actually what we wanted.... SO NOW WHAT?

By learning what I don't want (a career in logistical transportation, large amounts of down-time, a sitting desk job, an office without people my own age), I am able to narrow down the things that make me passionate. I'm learning about the people I want to surround myself with and what kind of atmospheres I work best in. I am positively looking at this situation and realizing that I can do a lot more to make this a growing experience. I desire fast-paced excitement, face-to-face customer interaction, movement, relatable coworkers, a community atmosphere. I do not plan on staying at this job forever. But I WILL learn a great deal from the time that I do devote to this company. I know that I'll continue to learn so that I'm prepared for my next big change.

Who knows, maybe this blogging thing will work out ;)

Also, if you made it this far, you deserve a gold star! That was a long one!