OMG ORLANDO!!!

I have arrived alive!!! YAY! The sunshine state lives up to its name...it is so bright and beautiful here.  I don't really have a lot to share from today.  The driving has def got to me I'm exhausted.

So close yet so far away!

Point to ponder:  


The way you see your life shapes your life.  If asked how you picture your life, what image would come to your mind? That image is your life metaphor.  If you think life is a party, you value having fun.  It you think life is a race, you value speed and will always be in a hurry.  If you think life is a game, you value winning.  God's view of life: Life is a test, Life is a trust, and life is a temporary assignment.

Life on earth is a Test: 
God continually tests people's character, faith, obedience, love, integrity, and loyalty.  Character is both developed and revealed by tests, and all of life is a test.  You will be tested by major changes, delayed promises, impossible problems, unanswered prayers, undeserved criticism, and even senseless tragedies.  A very important test is how you act when you can't feel God's presence in your life.  When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life.  Every day is an important day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your character, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God.  The good news is that God wants you to pass the tests of life, so he never allows the tests you face to be greater than the grace he gives you to handle them.      
          - Chapter 5 - Purpose Driven Life

____________________________________________

My journey in a nutshell... I woke up at literally the crack of dawn so I went swimming and hot tubbing.  Then I began my insanely long journey to some place I've never heard of which is on the other side of Atlanta, Georgia.  Let me tell you a little story about Atlanta traffic...it's intense.  I'm used to passing the good ol' Amish folk on my way to Kville.  In Atlanta, at one point there was eight lanes of traffic going the same direction.  A couple times there was three merging lanes...what!!!  Also they are chronic speeders...I'm not talking 7 mph over I'm talking 15-20 mph over.  Barb logic...Maybe they don't have speed limits on Sunday (Sadly she was dead serious. Oh and in case you are wondering they do enforce speed limits on Sunday!).  Anyway, I thank my lucky stars that I am able to write about it.  Also, no one informed me of the time change.  I type in my Garmin the address to my hotel and I'm just driving along...I look down and see it's 8pm...5 minutes later it's 9:05 pm and I arrive at my hotel.  Nice surprise!  Another fun fact, there are a zillion palm trees outside my hotel room and not a drop of snow in sight! Feels good!  I can't believe tomorrow I'll be in ORLANDO!!!

Sweet Suite!

I missed a day... so sue me.  =D

Point to Ponder:  I am beyond too tired to come up with one... Words of Wisdom from a Good Friend: "You can sleep when you're dead!" I feel like I've been living this statement to the fullest and I doubt it will change much in Orlando! 

Friday- I'm pulling the number four exception card... spending one last awesome evening with amazing friends takes priority over blogging.  Friday was CrAzY busy.  I left most of my packing until Friday morning...oops (I will try NOT to do this in the future).  Then I drove to Kville...good people...good times...GREAT memories.

Saturday - Woke up...said a few important cya laters... drove to Cape Girardeau, MO.  I am so tired.  My suite is awesome.  They put chocolates on my pillow! Oh the simply joys in life! 

Maybe I'll add to this tomorrow.  Good night world! 

My Last Full Day in Mtizzle for A LONG TIME :/

Point to Ponder:  The Swine Flu is not the only thing you can catch.  Turns out you are just as likely to catch someone's bad mood!  Emotions are contagious.  That's the bad news...but there is also good news!  Positive emotions are just as contagious.  You are NOT a creation of your culture but rather you are creating it everyday through your thoughts, beliefs, and actions.  The energy you share with others, whether it's positive or negative, really matters.  You can be a germ and attack another's immune system or you can act like a doe of Vitamin C and strengthen it.  Remember: you are forever contagious and you and your emotions impact the world around you.  

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today was my last 24 hour day in Marshalltown... eek!  I wish I could say I was super productive and got all kinds of stuff accomplished but that would be lying.

I did take my car into the shop today.  It thankful started squeaking annoyingly yesterday.  Apparently the blower was messed up.  I don't know cars so that is all the knowledge I have about that!  Just think how awful that would've been if it were to squeak all the way to Orlando.  I probably would've drive off a cliff.

This brings me to my next thought.  I had a dream last night that I was driving 90 mph and couldn't stop.  A car was headed straight for me so I swerved...next thing I knew I wasn't swerving off the road but driving off a cliff.  I woke up and swear my heart was beating outside my chest.  Please pray for me that this was NOT foreshadowing for my impending doom.

I also packed quite a bit today.  It is all in the living room.  I wish it would pack itself into the car.  It's been a few hours and it hasn't moved.  This leads me to believe I will have to do it myself.  Fail.

The highlight of my day was going to ice cream at DQ with creigh creigh...just like old times!  I loved every second of it minus the see you later part (I'm a firm believer in NOT saying goodbye!).  I said most of my "see you laters" to my friends when they went back to college, so today wasn't nearly as bad as it could've been.  Saying peace to Barb and Lars may be a bit of a struggle.  :/

Launch time scheduled for Friday, January 28th at... "sometime in the afternoon".

Day 2

So...it's 10:46 which means I have approximately one hour and fifteen minutes to finish this post before I become a liar.  Here goes it...

I decided I was going to incorporate some profound question or quote at the beginning of my daily blog.  That way even if you get nothing out of reading about my life maybe you'll learn something about yours.

Point to ponder: Without a purpose, life is motion without meaning, activity without direction, and events without reason.  What drives your life?  Maybe the better question is...what would your friends and family say is the driving force in your life?  What do you want it to be? It is never too late to change it! If you want your life to have impact, focus it!

Now for the Wonderful Adventures of Princess Sparkle:

So I had a business meeting with Lars today.  We finalized my route.  Some words of wisdom: women - it is smart to incorporate your father in travel plans...he is usually much more knowledgeable about these sorts of things (well at least in my case)!

Day 1: Friday
I will drive from Mtizzle (Marshalltown, Iowa) to Kvegas (Kirksville, Missouri).  Friday evening, I will most likely get into some random last minute shenanigans with my friends.  I've discovered the most important things in life are not things at all.

Day 2: Saturday
I'll wake up and gather myself together just in time to drive 7hrs and 33mins (which will probably be closer to 7hrs...but don't tell Lars that).  I will be driving from Kirksville, MO to Olive Branch, Mississippi.  I'm considering throwing a hotel PaRtY that evening!!! Okay... in actuality I'll probably pass out as soon as I lay down.

Day 3: Sunday
Sunday...the day of rest...or the day I drive 8hrs and 40mins.   I'll be driving from Olive Brand, MS to Valdosta, GA.  Lars informed me that Valdosta is the onion capital of the world (I haven't formally researched this... so he may have been lying to me).  Garlic keeps away vampires so what does onion keep away!?

Day 4: Monday
My shortest day of travel...only 3hrs and 14mins from Valdosta, GA to Orlando, FL! I'm planning on waking up super duper early so I can spend the whole day staring into the big blue ocean!  (I realize there isn't an ocean in Orlando...so I'm going to have to figure that out...Seriously though it can't be that hard to locate an ocean!)


Random Side-note:
Number Four: I had to take a phone call mid-blog... so that falls under this category =D

New Year. New Places. New Blog.

My mission to steal Mickey's heart starts Saturday at sunrise...or when I wake up and leave.

I will be headed to the Sunshine state to live for the next few months. I'm really excited about the Florida Orange Juice.  Do they have palm trees in Florida?  If they do I want one...or two...or ten!!!

I will miss some things about Iowa...I'll come up with those later.  Seeing as I'm still here, it's a bit tricky to figure out what I miss.

I am beyond excited to meet new people and be besties with Cinderella.  I hope we go to tea parties together.  I'm semi-nervous that my new roomie and I will have an all out brawl for Mickey's heart.

On a serious note, I am currently packing which is hard to do! I have never packed up my life for 4 months...okay lie, I have never packed up my life for 4 months in ONE vehicle.  I also mapped a driving route which most likely means I will spend a few hours here and there in places I didn't intentionally plan to go... but I'm excited for those places too!!!

Random side-note...
Number One: I hate writing so someone better read this!
Number Two: I'm bad at spelling/I don't proofread so bare with me!
Number Three: I'll try and write daily but... let's face it if Cinderella wants to go to tea or I'm busy working on Mission Possible (stealing Mickey's heart) I won't be able to blog. :p
Number Four: This is like an exception...I can use number four whenever I want for whatever reason.