coming up with 8 things is harder than you think

8 Things

8 things I am passionate about:
1) My family
2) My religion
3) Good food
4) Enjoying the journey
5) Knowing who I am (in the larger picture)
6) Planning ahead
7) Photography
8) Organization

8 books I have read and enjoyed:
1) The Wednesday Wars, by Gary Schmidt
2) The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield
3) Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson
4) Eat Cake, by Jeanne Ray
5) The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls
6) The Lord of the Rings trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien
7) Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling
8) The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, by Ann Brashares

8 words/phrases I say often:
1) Shut right up!
2) Not so much.
3) I'm tired.
4) I need a different job.
5) I have a headache.
6) What should I wear?
7) I love you.
8) But that doesn’t mean we can’t have a good time.

8 things I want do to before I die (in no particular order):
1) Travel through Europe with Somebody
2) Have a child
3) Go on a cruise
4) Own a home
5) Visit Australia, Ireland, England, and Japan
6) Take a real vacation (a trip with no schedule, agenda, or responsibilities)
7) Make a difference
8) Speak Chinese fluently

8 Things I learned this past year:
1) Enjoying home life is SO much more important than enjoying work life
2) You don't have to talk every day (or month) to still feel close to and supported by your friends
3) I get bored very easily
4) I married the most patient man alive
5) It is easy to get used to someone else doing the laundry, making breakfast, and cleaning
6) Having no debt feels wonderful
7) Wearing a ponytail every day is easy
8) I am a master at wasting time online

8 Things I miss:
1) Utah mountains
2) College friends
3) A six minute commute
4) Being able to get by on only a few hours of sleep
5) My Utah sister and her family
6) Pleasant, cool evenings
7) Having a distinct summer
8) Staff shirts (I never thought I would say that, but it was kind of nice to not have to decide what to wear each day.)

8 things I currently want/need:
1) A scholarship to culinary school
2) A new car (hopefully a RAV4)
3) An elliptical trainer
4) A Mac
5) More time
6) A fancy camera
7) A full-time job for Somebody
8) A swimming pool in the backyard

8 items I could not live without (or at least wouldn’t want to):
1) Rubber gloves for cleaning
2) A car
3) Foam pillow
4) Towels
5) Lotion
6) Sunrise alarm clock
7) Sharp knives
8) Sunglasses