BIG life changes!

First of all, let me just say, Holy cow! It's been a long time since I've posted anything! It's been a crazy last couple months. I'd like to start with my Germany trip, and work my way up to the grand finale of news! =D

So, I leave for Germany next Wednesday, I think. My days are all mixed up. The 26th though, and I am finally getting nervous! I can't wait to experience what Germany has to offer, after 8 years of learning about it, I know that it's a lot. I think I'm most nervous about flying by myself, getting through security, getting my ticket, etc. I haven't flown in maybe 4 years? And I just feel like a newb. Especially flying to NJ, then to Germany. But it will be an adventure and I can't wait to start it! I'd like to think I'll be blogging while I'm there for all you guys back home, but that probably won't happen, so don't get your hopes up ;)

Speaking of learning German, my German class put on a play a couple weekends ago! It was such a great experience, inspite of all the time and effort I put into rehearsals, and the stress it caused me. I'm so glad Gesa made us do it, and I really bonded with my German class! And it changed me, I think. I feel way more confident about myself (Not that I was lacking in that department. Do you know how big my ego is?!) And for those of you who don't know, I like to keep my friends close, so they're few and far between, but I became friends with Cameron from my class, and he's great! I'm proud of myself for making a good friend during my senior year of college... haha.

Which leads to my next order of business: Graduation! I graduate in May of next year! Holy cow, how did that happen?! Anyways, that's all I really have to say about that. I don't know when it is, probably May 18th or something? I haven't gotten any information about it yet, but woohoo! On to bigger and better things!

And by bigger and better things, I mean life! Particularly my wedding! =D Mike proposed on Tuesday night, I said yes, we both have rings, we're all set! Except don't ask us when the wedding will be. We have no clue, so if you haven't already asked, don't. I promise you'll all know when we do! Just know that it'll be epic, awesome, and beautiful. And probably the most bomb wedding you've ever been to ;) And that's my ego talking... ;) Anyways, I am so incredibly happy! Not only because I finally have my dream ring on my finger, but because Mike and I are finally on our way to actually getting married, and EVERYONE knows it now =D We've been talking about this for awhile, and it's finally becoming a reality. I get to spend the rest of my life with the most amazing man I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. And I no longer have a boyfriend, nor will I ever have one again! I have a fiance! =D Which is so weird to say.

Well, that's about all for now. I could go on and on about Mike and his wonderful-ness, but I'll spare you. For now ;)

Ayla

My soap box of life

"The other terror that scares us from self-trust is our consistency; a reverence for our past act or word because the eyes of others have no other data for computing our orbit than our past acts, and we are loath to disappoint them.

But why should you keep your head over your shoulder? Why drag about this corpse of your memory, lest you contradict somewhat you have stated in this or that public place? Supposed you should contradict yourself; what then? ...

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds... With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said to-day.---'Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood.'---Is it so bad then to be misunderstood? ... To be great is to be misunderstood."

Ralph Waldo Emerson- from "Part II. Self-Reliance" from Nature

In Summary: Change your mind! Then change your mind again! Don't be the same person you were yesterday; if you're sick of something, CHANGE yourself! Make yourself into the person you want to be! Don't say/think "I can't help it, it's who i am." DO something about it. change whatever it is you don't like.

Change your opinion; who cares if you confuse people! Be who you are, TODAY. Not who you thought you were yesterday, or who you think you've been your whole life. People would be SO boring and predictable if they didn't change their minds. Yes, it may be easy or expected for you to have the same views forever and ever (anyone else need to say "Amen" after that?). But you're not reaching your full potential if you stay the same!

Emerson writes "With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do." And he is right! Why should we bother even living our lives if we stay the same, never growing or changing or broadening our minds?
What, then, is the point of living? (I am NOT suggesting we all go kill ourselves). We are ever-changing beings; we need to change to survive.

I'll get off my soap box of life now =]] This is one of my favorite literary quotes EVER. I love everything about it, and I try to live by this every day. It's hard, and almost never happens, but I try to think about it.

Viel Glück! (That's "good luck" in German for those of you who don't know немецкий язик (and that's "German Language" in Russian =]]))

our own kind of sisterhood

Together we could take on the world. There was nothing we couldn't do. That's how we felt that summer. The summer before our lives changed completely. At the risk of sounding like a Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants novel, it's true. I don't think any of us could have guessed where we'd be in 4 years: Anna studying to be a teacher and soon to be married, Mary got a degree in culinary arts and is married with 3 stepchildren, Jackie studying Interior Design at ISU and interning at Shelter last summer, and me, Ayla, studying German Studies and English and interning at New Moon Girls, patiently awaiting my own engagement and subsequent wedding. It is so fascinating and amazing to see how far we've all come since that summer. We're not the graduated high school seniors we once were; we've grown, we've changed, we've learned, and we've aged. We've stuck together, but moved apart. There's STILL nothing we can't do, especially when we have each other.

I'd like to take this moment, this night, to thank my friends, the ones mentioned here and all the others, for all they've done to keep me sane throughout my life. I really wouldn't be who I am today, where I am today, without you all. You've all helped change me--we've all changed each other. We've grown up together and helped each other through everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. I can only hope that our lives won't take us farther and farther apart. Because I need you. And couldn't live without you.

Peace, love, and all things friendly,
Ay