My Life is Hilarious! Hahaha

So my life is hilarious. I am always just laughing to myself about all the things that happen. Here's what's been happening this week:

On Wednesday, I was flying back to Orlando from Phoenix. In the Phoenix airport, I was thinking over my trip & how much fun it was to see everyone when I saw my friend Dillon...on an advertisement...for a tech institute. What???? It was random, fo sho. *NEXT* While sitting, waiting to board the plane, an older man came up to me & my first thought was "Clearly, this man has a rough life..." (his clothes were dirty, he smelled kinda bad, and he just looked kinda homeless) In fact, he looked a little like this:

 But this guy asked if I was going home or going on vacation & we made small talk for a bit. He was older, and I'm terrible at guessing ages but I assume at least 55 or 60..., had 2 grown sons, one of which committed suicide a few years ago, and this man LOVED yoga. And I mean LOVED. I have never met anyone with such a passion for ANYTHING ever before! So he told me how he came allllll the way from Virginia to Sedona, AZ to do yoga and get in touch with his 6th sense, feel inner peace, and tap into the mental resources not usually reached by the human mind...It was hilarious. But then I boarded the plane (his # hadn't been called yet) and we parted ways....until we got to Charlotte, NC, where we were each catching our connecting flight. I got off the plane & BEHOLD! there he was. In his disheveled glory. Waiting for me. Since I was in a hurry to catch my next flight, I just said "Hi, sorry I can't talk. Good to meet ya!" and literally ran away. Haha

Wednesday night, I get to Orlando and had planned on taking a shuttle to my apartment since I couldn't find anyone to pick me up. My flight landed at 11:30, I got to the shuttle desk at 11:45 and their was a sign saying the desk closed at 11. Haha! Of course! So a long line, awkward cab ride, and $55 later, I got home at 1am :)

Thursday, after my Marketing Class, I was waiting for the C bus to take me back to my apartment complex. I saw the C bus down the street, at the drop off stop (it drops off in one place, picks up in another), and continued to text somebody back. Well, the bus pulls up, I quickly glance at the screen that says what bus it is and get on. Well, it keeps driving....and driving....and driving....and DRIVING! (It's only like a 10 min bus ride, but it was now closer to 25.) Finally, it pulls up at the Florida Mall. WHAT THE?! I look at my bus schedule and it says this bus won't leave the mall till 11:30 & won't get to my apartment till 12:15. *Awesome!* It's 11:05 right now. I ask the driver if I can just stay on the bus & he says "No, I need everyone off the bus." -__- "Perfect! I'll just go buy some lunch from the food court!" I think to myself. So I wander all the way to the food court, to realize: I left my wallet at home. -__- *Go me!* Already long story short, I wasted the nest 15 minutes, then got on the bus & went home. With now no nap time before work.

Friday, (today) I was supposed to shadow a guy from the Disney Special Events team today. But he never...told...me...where...to...go...? So I asked all around and the most common answer I heard was "The special events HQ is at Epcot. Behind the Convention Center." Though the Disney Hub said it was on Lake Buena Vista and this guy's profile said it was in Celebration, FL. *VERY different areas* So I get up at 7 today, get ready, and go to Epcot. After wandering for about 25 minutes and asking 5 different cast members if they knew where I was supposed to be, I found a guy who's shirt said "Disney Special Event Operations." I asked him & he was able to call the guy I came to see. Turns out, his office IS in Celebration, FL. And I had no way to get there today. Haha! So we rescheduled for next week and I went home. I was SUPER excited to take a nap! But I went and got a few groceries first, came home, ate some breakfast (didn't have time this morning), and had JUST finished when someone knocked on the door. I opened it and there stood 2 little Hispanic gentlemen who said, in broken English, "We come to do new carpets." -__- No nap time for Erika. So here I sit. At my kitchen table, watching now 4 guys put in new carpet. And get this--the carpet is HIDEOUS! Brown with gold and black stripes. Hahahahahaha. I'm dying here! Seriously, my life just keeps getting more & more hilarious!

Anyways, "There's a great, big, beautiful tomorrow! Shining at the end of every day!" --The Carousel of Progress

All my friends are Missionaries

Since the announcement in the October 2012 General Conference, lowering the missionary age to 18 for men and 19 for women, there has been an incredible amount of people turning in their papers. ALL my friends included. It was a really tough decision for me, but after much prayer and scripture study and personal reflections, I decided that serving a mission wasn't in my cards. I needed to continue with the plans I had already made. However, like I said, pretty much ALL my friends that fell into this age group decided to serve. Including my very best friend, Kaitlyn.

I met Kaitlyn over the summer of 2009 at Girls' Camp. I went with her stake because I would be attending Mesa High in the fall and wanted to meet some people before I went there. I knew 2 of the girls in her ward from elementary school so I hung out with them mostly, but got to know her as well. Since then, we've become much better friends and know each other a little too well. :) We've been through a LOT together...lots of bad times, bad friends, bad grades, dumb boys, etc, but also a lot of good times--good grades, big accomplishments, fun times, good friends, and happy experiences. No matter what, she's always been there for me. Even if it was only a text message or phone call. When she told me she wanted to serve a mission, I knew it was the right thing for her to do. She'll be GREAT! She got her call in March and will be serving in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As soon as she opened her call, I bough a plane ticket the next day & was able to come home for a week to spend some time with her and see her farewell.

I rarely cry anymore, but I have been a mess yesterday & today--I'm gonna miss her like CRAZY and it finally sunk in....But 18 months isn't that long. She'll be home before we know it! And we'll still write back & forth. And her cousin's going to keep a blog for her. Hakuna matata. But until then, I say, "Good luck out there, keep the faith, return with honor, & Carry On! See ya in 18 months, Sis. Crockett!" :)

(Pictures to come later...ha)

"Because I knew you, I have been changed for good." --from the Broadway Show "Wicked"