Bucket List

I am a strong believer in goals. And not only in goals, but in the fact that we should always be working towards something.

I have always had a bucket list. Ever since I was 10 and didn't know it was called a bucket list. My list then consisted of meeting about every Disney star ever, and riding a train. I have since ridden a train and lost interest in Disney stars.

I am on my 4th or 5th revision since my first list 8 years ago. Some of the things on the list are things that I am actually working towards, others are things that, although it would be cool to complete them, they're there more for fun, not really because I'm working towards them. Some of them are goals that will be taken off as I outgrow them. And some of them are personal goals.

I'm posting this because I like being understood, and this is one of those things, like someones movie collection and key ring, that really help you see who they are.

I just really like having organized lists, okay?

So, some of the items on my list will not be included, just because they're more personal. I'll just leave an empty number there.

No judging, yo.

1. Get in a taxi and yell "follow that car!"
2.
3. Change someone's life.
4. Go to London.
5.
6. Ride a horse on the beach.
7. Go to an airport and buy tickets for a random flight.
8. Write something in wet cement (handprints when I was 6 don't count)
9. Send a message in a bottle.
10. Cover the entire driveway with chalk.
11.
12. Publish a book.
13. Eat spaghetti like in Lady and the Tramp.
14. Propose to a stranger with a ring pop.
15. Travel around the world with someone I love.
16.
17. Throw a dart at a map and travel where it lands.
18. Ride an Elephant.
19. Marry my best friend in the Manti Temple.
20. Sleep under the stars (completed 8/15/2013)
21. Ride a dolphin.
22. Make melted crayon art.
23. See a broadway play.
24. Hang a lock on the love bridge in Paris.
25. Become a professional photographer.
26. Be on an episode of Doctor Who.
27.
28. Be in two places at once.
29. Go on a road trip with no destination.
30. Run the Disney Princess Marathon .
31. Play hide and seek in IKEA.
32. Work as a Disney Princess.
33. Have all my grandparents at my wedding.
34. Set foot on all 7 continents.
35. Learn how to surf.
36. Catch the bride's bouquet.
37. Learn how to longboard.
38. See the Aurora Borealis.
39. Go to the Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff.
40. Go to the San Diego Comic Con.
41. Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
42. Hold a baby lion.
43. Learn how to tie a tie.
44. Ride a mattress down the stairs.
45. Experience a White Christmas.
46. (completed 6/16/11)
47. Visit a nutelleria.
48. Visit the bookstore dressed as Belle.
49. Own a black dog named Sirius or Padfoot.
50. Go to Boston in the Fall.
51. Sleep on the beach.
52. Visit a castle.
53. Be a guest on Ellen.
54. Visit Hogwarts Castle.
55. Take Pictures at "Lake Silencio".
56. Go zorbing.
57. Go skydiving.
58. Ride a Hot Air Balloon.
59. Go to Disney Land.
60. Lay in the middle of the road at night like in the Notebook.
61. Kiss a dolphin.
62. Go to Time Square.
63. Sing in the rain with someone I love.
64. Go to a masquerade party.
65. See the Roman Collosseum.
66. Bungee Jump.
67. Straddle the equator.
68. Straddle the Prime Meridian.
69. Go on the Color Run.
70. Go to India.
71.
72. Study Abroad.
73. Photograph a wedding.
74. Run a Marathon.
75. Visit Niagara Falls.
76. Go to a temple in every US state.
77. Visit the Caribbean.
78. Ride a gondola in Venice.
79. Meet Benedict Cumberbatch and tell him that he floats my boat.
80. Be on the radio.
81. Go to Stonehenge.
82. Be in a movie.
83. Zipline in Costa Rica.
84. Drop a watermelon off a building.
85. Learn how to juggle.
86. Make an adventure book like in Up.
87. Cosplay as Doctor Who Character.
88. Ride the highest roller coaster.
89. Have a shaving cream fight.
90. See Mount Rushmore.
91. Feel David Tennant's hair.
92. Go on an LDS Mission.
93.
94. Meet JK Rowling.
95. Knit a sweater.
96. Go to all the Smithsonian museums.
97. Go to the Olympics.
98. Learn Sign Language.
99. Become Fluent in another language.
100. Pee in every ocean.
101. Make cotton candy.
102. Climb K2.


So, you may have learned a lot from this list. I'm a hopeless romantic, I love to travel. A lot of the things on there, I'm afraid to do. But I want to do them nonetheless.

The ones that weren't included just didn't feel like things I wanted on the internet for the whole world to look at and criticize. Those things will be shared with people that I'd like to share with as I feel necessary. It's good to have personal goals, yes?

Moving slow and moving out

 As you all know, I moved. If you don't know that, please refer to the last million posts where I referred to moving. And then weep because you're not my roommate. And then weep because you feel bad for my roommates.

Today I went to the wrong class on accident and sat for 3 hours wanting to take the apple from my roommate because I was so hungry. So I guess you could say that school has started off with a bang.

Moving is hard but it's also fun. Well, the aftermath is fun. I love living so close to the temple, it's like the BEST thing. I can sit outside on my porch and look at it while I eat Second Breakfast.

My roommate, Bonnie, likes putting her feet on people and I think it's funny.

I spend so much of my time with my sister and her husband and I really love that. In fact, my roommate, Bonnie, thought that Dustan was my brother, like by blood. We thought it was pretty funny.

I miss my dog. Anyone that goes and sees him, please give him a kiss for me and tell him I love him and that I'll see him for Christmas.

Now, here's the real reason for this post.

So this post is long overdue. Last year, right before Finals began before Christmas, I decided that I would redo my bedroom as a reward for finishing finals. So, that's what I did. My mom and I talked colors, and I scoured pinterest for ideas, came up with a few of my own, and then the following pictures was the result. I meant to post these in January but my room was never clean enough...haha...and when I moved, my bedroom became sadly clean. And now this wonderful bedroom is the guest room. So if you ever wish to spend the night at my house in New Mexico, expect to stay in the coolest bedroom EVER.

K, this is the coolest thing ever. This is a section of the 4th Harry Potter book, right before the second task. That's my favorite book and it mentioned Dobby, who is my favoritest, so it had to be that part. It took me 30+ hours to paint that. Bam.

Although I'd like to take 100% credit for this, Rachel painted Tink there.

Again, I'd like to take the credit..but I can't. Rachel is the artist in the family, not me. When she visited for Christmas she painted this. Just so you know placement wise, this is flying over my wardrobe. 

Yeah, this is a TARDIS. Yeah it took me like, 15+ hours to make. Thank goodness for little sisters who will hold levels and help you make straight lings with painters tape and don't even get that mad when you rub paint on their pants. 

This is my sock drawer. And it's way cooler than your sock drawer. When my dad saw it for the first time he looked at me quizzically and then said "Who's the Master?" I then went into an indepth explanation of who The Master is, a Timelord from Doctor Who. And then I realized he was referring to the dresser and I had to again explain indepth the rold of the house elf. He hasn't asked me anything concerning my room since. ;) 

This is French for "Let's Go!" It also happens to be the Tenth Doctors catchphrase. 

Dumble-door. Get it? GET IT?! Okay I think it's really funny...

So yeah, my new bedroom is about a million times less cool, but I'm sure that my roommates appreciate that at least somewhat.

Holla.

I can taste the healthy

K, so I moved.

What?

Like, what even?

I'm not sure either, still trying to process it.

Living in Salt Lake City is a little strange. It's so weird living without your family/parents, and buying groceries for the first time was mega weird. But I'm really lucky to have my sister and brother-in-law to lean on. They let me come over and use their wifi(mine still isn't set up...) and they let me hang out with them alll the time. Without them as a support, this would be a million times harder.

Now, I've realized an issue: I don't like people. Well, this is part of the problem. I love people. BUT I don't like people I don't already know. "How does this make any sense?" you are asking? Well, last night as I was talking to my sister and a few cousins it hit me. My cousin hit me over the head with...just kidding. It hit me metaphorically.

I haven't had to actually get to know people for a while. Because my school is online, I get to know people really well online before I actually meet them. Living in the real world is hard, people. All the friends I've made in the past few years, I met online. The boys I like? I met them online. So, I like people. Love them, even. If I already know them before we meet. This is such a first world problem, I can't even handle the irony.

Anyway, off of that onto another tangent. Before I moved I started an "Awkward Thursday" post. I got about two items in and then remembered how extremely boring my life is. SO, I will just let you read those now.

Awkwards:

Whilst working out with Brooke a few weeks ago, we were doing yoga. It's required two days a week. SO. I never switch off of the workout playlist when we do yoga. It's not exactly peaceful music, but it is what it is, yo. Sexy and I know it comes on and it gets to that bridge that goes "wiggle wiggle". You know what I'm talking about. Well...Because it's us, I started shaking my booty. Aaaaand an old man walks past. And stares. And I stop abruptly because it's awkward to continue, but it's also awkward to stop, ya know?
(btw, he passed again 5 minutes later. Thank goodness we were done with yoga at this point.)

Okay, so that was only one.

Last night, I was hanging out with said cousins. You know how everything is funnier when you're tired? It's only like, 11, but this was the funniest thing ever. So, my cousin had gotten a book for a friends baby shower, called Mr. Seahorse. Well, in case you weren't aware, Male Seahorses carry the babies. So...this book was all about that...but uh...it was actually a pretty awkward book. My cousin read it out loud to us as we laughed our pants off. It didn't help that he kept adding things like "and he yelled 'you did this to me'!" as he read how the babies "wiggled their way out of his pouch". I encourage you all to read it. Yes.

That was weird.

Lucky for you, I have something else.

My brother in law may or may not hate me for this.

#thingsdustansays

Me: So, I was just a really really awkward person back then...
Dustan: Aww, Aurora, don't say that...you still are really really awkward.

Dustan: No one likes being bored.
Me: Your mom likes being bored.
Dustan: Hey! Hey! Hey! That's not ni-actually yeah, she does.

Dustan: I'm sorry I pained you.

Dustan: I'll stab you in the neck with this key.
Me: How will you drive home?
Dustan: Uhm...we'll just have to still use it...in your neck.
Rachel: That is so gross.
Dustan: Hey hey, do you dare me to drive with the key in my neck?

Me: *coughs*
Dustan: That was so gross. It sounded like you coughed up a small child.

Dustan: Guys, look at that man!
Dustan: I thought that man was wearing a cape. And then I realized that it was just some trash bags.

Dustan: Do you have a date tonight?
Me: Yeah...
Dustan: Ah-ha! That's it! That's why you smell good. I knew there was something in the way you smelled.
Dustan: Not like I study it tho...

Me: Hey, Dustan, this is the drink my mama wants Rachel to start drinking.
Dustan: This smells like alcohol. Are you giving me alcohol?
Me: Yeah, sure, just drink it.
(This was Kumbucha. He is now hooked.)

Dustan: You flabbergasted butt nugget.

Dustan: Oh gross. I can taste the healthy.

Some of you may have seen these on twitter. Just read it and laugh anyway.

And we laughed...and had a really, really, really good time.

I can be serious, guys. I can talk about serious things. I know, this is a huge shock to like, all of you. But hear me out a little bit.

Life moves so swiftly. It's like life is a huge, coursing river, and it's all I can do to stay afloat as I'm rushed past amazing people and experiences.

It's funny the little things that stick in your brain. It's funny, knowing how far you've come, how LITTLE we used to be, and to see yourself as the person that you've grown into.

I'm growing up. And it scares the crap outta me. Don't get me wrong, being a grownup is awesome. I'm moving out, going to college, no curfew, just me. It's awesome, having all this freedom and knowing that the world is at my fingertips and that I can FINALLY pursue it, no questions asked. And then I really start to think and it's scary, because LIFE is literally RIGHT around the corner. If anyone knows what corner that is, let me know, and I'll avoid that corner like the plague.

Recently, my sister got married. Okay, like almost two months ago. Still, semi recent. This summer has been absolutely crazy and absolutely FULL of wonderful experiences that I will never forget, that I will hold near and dear to my heart for years to come. But my sisters wedding was the best experience, hands down. Now, she's not the first of my siblings to get married. She's the third. And I love all my siblings equally (right...ha ha ;) ) but Rachel and I are so so close. There have been times in my life that I have called her my best friend. And by that I mean, my sister is my best friend. Absolutely. The best part about having your sister as your best friend is knowing that, no matter what, she'll never go away. Friends come and go, but family is forever. That doesn't mean that there aren't some non-family friends that I adore and love to pieces, but my family is first, ya know?

This is where it's gonna get kinda mushy. So you can skip ahead a few paragraphs to some slightly less mushy stuff if you'd like. I'll let you know when that is. ;)

Rachel and I didn't always get along. In fact, when we were little, we hated each other. Life was a competition for us. She was the creative tom boy, and I was mommy's little angel. In her eyes, it seemed that my mother thought I could do no wrong, and that she always took the blame. If you ask her, she'll confirm this. So please don't ask. ;) In my eyes, I wanted to live up to her. I wanted to be like her. I admired her so much, so I would follow in her footsteps, driving her up the wall in the process. I remember, specifically, one day, her trying to compete and see who had woken up first. We were sitting at the kitchen table and she says, "Now, did you wake up right as it turned from 5:59 to 6:00, 6:00 right on the dot, or right before it turned 6:01?" And I answered with "Right on the dot," and she jumps up, triumphant, and basically yells, "I WOKE UP FIRST!" That's how our life was.

I remember my mom saying to me when I was about 10 or so, that her friend so-and-so used to hate her sister when she was younger, but now they were super close friends. I didn't believe her. I was pretty sure she was lying to make us be nicer. I was POSITIVE that was impossible.

I was wrong.

Starting at about age 15, my sister and I became friends. It was slow, and there were a couple things (always involving boys, duh) that made it hard to get along. Last summer, mid-August, she comes home from a trip to Utah. I'm showing her some pictures of a photoshoot I'd done recently, before we went to go get breakfast at Wecks. All of a sudden she blurts out that she's going to go to college. She was 19 and had opted out of college and was waiting for a missionary. I had to try really hard not to cry as she explained how soon she'd be leaving(a few weeks) and why she was going. And I missed her terribly while she was gone. I would cry every single time she left from her visits home.

In February, she brought a boy home. When she announced that he was her boyfriend, I was dumbfounded. She had told me, previously, that she had no feelings for him. Which turned out to be a lie, because they're now married. But, she brought this boy home and it scared me. I wasn't ready for her to get married, and he asked my parents for permission to marry her while he was here. They got engaged less than a month later. It wasn't that I didn't like her fiancee, cuz I really did. He's awesome and such a good match for her. I wasn't ready for Rachel to step out of the life I was comfortable with and step into a new life, with someone else. It was hard for me. And I know you're all sitting there like "get over yoself gurl. It's not yo life, it's hers." Thanks, I get it. Allow me to feel.

June 7th, 2013, Rachel and Dustan Copeland were sealed for time and all eternity in the Mt. Timpanogas temple. She looked beautiful, her hair strung in pearls, her cream colored sash over her lace dress. And she looked so so happy, which is part of the reason that I think she looked so beautiful. We went to the reception and shared zebra popcorn and lots of ice cream. And we danced. And we laughed. And we had a really, really, really good time. (Macklemore reference, for anyone paying attention. ;) ) Well, there was the Father Daughter dance. My dad always cries. At my last sisters wedding it was like "FINALLY SHE'S LEAVING THE HOUSE". Not that I don't love my oldest sister, but she was a bit of a bridezilla. Rachel was pretty calm about her whole wedding and she wasn't living at home. So at my oldest sisters wedding, zero tears were shed. At Rachel's? Let's just say that yesterday, when going through pictures from the wedding, the photographers got at least 34567323434 pictures of me crying. Mostly during the daddy dance. It was real emotional, kay?

My sister has been married for almost two months now and is so so happy. And in a few weeks, I'm moving to downtown SLC, about 5 minutes away from her.

Which brings me to the real point of this whole post. Life is fast. And life is crazy. And I'm not always sure how I feel about it. And as I sit here, on a Sunday morning before I go to a Singles ward for the first time, life scares me. My room is filled with boxes and things waiting to be packed. My inbox awaits the arrival of an acceptance letter to George Wythe. My heart aches with the change. I'm excited, but I almost feel like I'm not sure if I'm ready. It scares me, this whole growing up thing. It really scares me. I leave in less than two weeks, and things are beyond hectic. But I know this is the first step in the beginning of the rest of my life. I'll move to Utah. I'll go on a mission. I'll meet a boy. I'll get married in the temple. I'll have kids. I'll get old. My kids will have kids. And life will beautiful. And life will always be a little bit scary. But that's what makes it worthwhile, right?

(Note: I wrote this post on Sunday and didn't post it til now. So, don't be confused about the dates and all.)