Lessons Learned in Arizona

The 7 day countdown has started, and I am now at 6 days until I leave my favorite state. I know I will miss Arizona incredibly, but I am also very excited to begin a new semester and meet new people - I love a new start!! :) There's nothing like getting a chance to start over and put your best foot forward again.

I've been here since January for my internship, but the months have flown by. I'm learning that the older I get, the quicker time passes - and there's nothing I'll be able to do to stop that. It's helped me remember that although I can't slow time, I can make the most of the time that I do have. Here's what I've learned while getting to live here again:

1) I am a die-hard Southwestern girl. There are little pieces of me that I never connected to Arizona until coming back - and then I realized where those pieces came from! My list of reasons why could go on forever. This place is me to a T!! :)

2) I don't need a boy to be my best self. I'll admit it's nice to have a boyfriend... but I have gone for 4 months without one now and I've loved being single!! Some people don't know who they are unless they are in a relationship - they don't realize it, but they rely on being in a relationship to feel the most secure. I believe that you should love yourself and your life the way it is first, and be able to stand on your own two feet, before getting into a relationship. The relationship will be that much stronger because of it! I love my life and myself, and I'm doing great on my own. :)

3) I am a people person. Ok, I admit that I knew this already... :) but there were certain aspects that I had not realized until my time here. I do need my alone time just like everyone else needs, but I thrive on being able to interact with others. Having my own room here has actually been a difficult adjustment for me, having grown used to actually rooming with someone. There is strength in being independent, but there is strength in regular interaction with others.

4) I really do mean what I say. There are those that are friendly to gain social status, or who don't think twice about the compliments they give. There are those that don't give a second thought to their interactions with people or what they say. I am not that kind of person - and who I am has only been reinforced deeper from spending time here. I weigh my words carefully and heavily. If I give a compliment to someone, they can be sure that I mean what I said. If I am interacting with someone, they can know that I have a genuine interest in them - if I ask how they are, I really want to know. Life is too short to be someone I am not - so I'm not fake; I am myself. It's as easy as that. :)

5) Everyone we interact with has something to give us. I literally mean everyone - but only if we take the time to find out what that something is. The next time you are tempted to become frustrated with someone you figure is too ignorant to see your own standpoint, consider trying to learn why they hold theirs. The next time you catch yourself giving up on someone, take a step forward to ask more about them and think less of yourself. You'll be surprised at the lessons you learn in the people you thought were the most unlikely candidates. I've found that the best lessons I've learned - the most life-changing - were learned from people I would have guessed as being the last in the world to teach me.

6) I will not take those I love for granted. I have gained a greater appreciation of the relationships I hold with those I love - family and friends alike. First coming to Arizona, I spent a lot of time on my own - and I realized that the time we are able to spend with those we love is precious. We take that time for granted because we are normally able to see our loved ones daily, or often enough that it merely becomes routine for us. This is one of the greatest mistakes we could possibly make. We are blessed with the opportunity to see these people as often as we do. Instead of letting routine take hold of the way we treat others and making us desensitized to their presence in our lives, we must wake up each day with a renewed sense of gratitude for the time that we do get to spend with them.

7) There is someone greater than myself keeping an eye on me. I believe that there is a God, and that even in his infinite and sometimes seemingly-overwhelming power he is our Heavenly Father - someone that loves us and watches out for us. I know that He loves me, and wants the best for me. He helped me get here, and is making sure that I am going where I need to in life. Knowing that has been the greatest comfort and the biggest boost of confidence; I am taken care of.

Arizona, you've been so good to me. I have loved getting to experience your smells, your sights, your culture, your people again. I'll never regret spending 3 more months of my life here. I'm a different person, and I see things a little differently now from the time spent in this place.

Here's to the memories, and the road I'll be traveling next!! :)

(P.S. The included image is of me in front of just a portion of that beautiful saguaro forest I described in my last post. Keep in mind that each saguaro in this picture is somewhere between 10 and 30 feet!! Absolutely breathtaking!)