Why I quit my Job, and went to work for Santa.

I quit my job, at the time I honestly didn't know what I was gonna do for another one. Some people may think it is dumb to quit your job before having another one lined up. But I needed out. I worked at Venture Data. It was an interesting place to work. I did increase my typing speed. Which was good, I also perfected my phone voice. There were good days, like when someone tells you sound cute, or when you get really good open ends. However there were bad days. Days when people who didn't even know me told me to go kill myself, or shut myself in my room and never come out. Or that clearly I wasn't smart enough to get into college because I was working at a call center. I would just shake off the mean things people would say, and just try to remember that they don't know me, and that they are wrong. Beside the people I would call, other things began to add to the flame of why I didn't like my job. I would have to call in each day to try to get onto the shift, and sometimes I wouldn't make it. My first week working there I worked one day, even though I was scheduled for six days. Sometimes it would take 20 minutes before someone would answer my call. Besides this it smelt so bad at work. The building didn't smell bad, it is what my coworkers did outside of the building that often gave me a migraine. My coworkers would constantly be taking breaks to smoke. They didn't just smoke cigarettes. I absolutely hate the smell of pot, and constantly people would walk by my desk and I would want to cringe. Don't even get me started on my coworkers language, or the things I heard people say that offended me.I decided after my birthday that I was done. I needed a new environment, and Venture Data was not the place for me. Congratulations to people who work there, and Love it. I gave my two weeks notice at the begging of November.

I came home from work one night, and found myself on the mall website. I was looking for the photo-booth information, I needed to contact. However the many searches I tried where I reworded what I typed into the search bar. Santa's information kept popping up, and telling me to apply. I figured I love Christmas, I love kids. Why not? I applied, and I got the job. When my new boss asked me why I wanted to work for Santa I said "Why wouldn't you want to work for Santa?" I am so excited to start this new journey, in a much better environment. Where I actually get to see the people I am talking with. I couldn't be happier with my move. I needed to be with people, and not sitting in chair staring at a computer screen.

That is why I quit my job, and went to work for Santa!

Confessions of the Perfect Camping trip!

Yes! You read that right! Confessions of the perfect camping trip! First thing's first, YOU NEED  the perfect checklists! I will attach my checklists as pdfs at the bottom of this post! This post is gonna be short! I am just gonna share some pictures! But I had so much fun camping! We went camping right outside of Grants Pass, at the most perfect campsite. It was well covered, and there was no cell service! Sometimes you just need a vacation from the world.
One of my favorite memories was when we went swimming in the Rogue! Makaila would stand and hold Braden, I would go down stream. We would let Braden ride the current right down to me, and then I would throw him back! It was so much fun!!

Personal Items:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ai-mEcpr-mCIWnOE01bQn1qxMNYnwV47Sm1r_o1F4V4/pub

Camping Gear:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IWdgVUvAwwEAPR24m63S8VQYjEy2I6WcOnvZf7mOsnc/pub

The Camp Kitchen:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1inKnvNkt_UvlzTK-Lm90RJq7up4n7PG-I0BHtutvdJM/pub

P.s you might think I overpack, but guess what we didn't forget one thing. We had everything we needed, and not once were we like "Oh shoot we forgot this"

Procrastination at it's finest!

Well I am putting off cleaning right now to write my blog!! I made a commitment to write every week and so I need to hurry and write this one before I forget! I stayed up all night, and got all my homework done, and all my packing! I am going camping for memorial day weekend, and I had lots of time to do everything, I just didn't do the things I needed to do. I instead indulged in my new favorite show the Unit! So Thursday came I had 6 video response due, a chapter test, and all my typing homework due. I had my thursday all planned out! I was gonna get up early, do all my homework, clean my house, get packed, and be ready to go around 5. Well I didn't get up early :) and around 10:30 my sister called and asked if I could help her taking her kids to the doctor and running errands. I looked at the time thought yeah I can do this. We got home around 2:30 which is when my other sister called and asked if I could drop her off at the doctors so she could take Blake in before our big camping trip. I was a little worried about time, but agreed. My tank was an empty (another think I put off was getting gas). I quickly got gas, got Alex, dropped Alex off, and was home by 4. I got two video responses done before I had to go babysit which was at 5. I was home from that by 9:30 and got my other 4 video responses and took my chapter test by midnight. At that time I went grocery shopping, and got lots of things marked off my checklist! Spent the rest of the night packing! Now I will spend the rest of the morning putting my house together before I go camping! Moral of the story I could have avoided all this stress by doing my school work ahead of time, and my packing, and my cleaning, and my shopping :) So plan your time wisely please! Checklists really do help though :) This girl is off for an adventure!!

"We're on each others team"

I am going to try to post something every week, and this weeks topic is something that is really important to me. Something I have wanted to talk about for a long time. You know how they say it takes a village to raise a child. Well I have a theory, that it takes a village to raise that child, and raise it forever. Let me see if I can make the gibberish make sense. First let me say that in this post I am not going to mention any names in fear of leaving someone out. So as you read this think this "You know who you are".

This village, or as I like to call it "team" is what raises us. We each were put on this earth with a family, however I believe we were also put on this earth with a team. This team is always changing. We are losing people, and gaining others. There are certain members that are always on your team. I have been blessed with a wonderful team, and I want to share some of their stories. However most importantly I want to thank them!

One of the times that I can remember was when I was in high school. I had a member on my team who came over very late at night once because I was having a hard night. Not only was it a school night, but it was past everyones bedtime. They asked me what was wrong, and we talked for a little bit. That moment I knew that I had a team, and that I was part of  a team.

Another time that is more recent is the weekend that Blake was born. I was put on Braden duty, and I had part of my team there to help me! We took turns getting up with him in the night, and making sure his diaper was changed, and he was fed. We played mommy while his mommy was in the hospital. I was so grateful for that. I remember at one point in that weekend I was proud of the people I was with. They were willing to help me when they could have spent their weekend doing something. Not only were they there helping but they were happy to do it. 

Here is a another time someone from my team stepped up to the plate. My sophomore year of high school I got pretty sick, and had to spend a night in the hospital. Someone from my team drove an hour and half just to stay with me. Trust me those beds for guest at the hospital are not comfortable.

A certain member of my team understands that sometimes I need maps, and more maps. So on a bad day they took me to store and bought me maps. They are always there to listen, and share a love of music with me.

There are countless amounts of times people from my team have comforted me when I have been sad, talked me through scary things, and they have laughed their butts off with me. I am grateful for everyone that has played a part in my life. There are people on my team who understand that sometimes its a sweatpants kind of day, and there is no judgy. They understand that Taylor Swift music is never too loud. 

I am also grateful that I am key member on other peoples teams. It has taught me that sometimes you need to keep a bag packed for when someone goes to the hospital and you are called in right after you got back from a vacation. Being on a person's team sometimes you have to sacrifice working to be there for them. Its being there for every birthday, blessing, shower, birth, wedding, and everything in between. Calling on and seeing how the doctors appointment went, asking how classes are going. Just being interested in each other.I am so grateful for my team, and the teams I get to be on. When I think about those people that have stood beside me while I have faced trials, and triumphs it makes me smile, and have a growing love and gratitude for them. I can't even begin to fathom what people have done for me. I love being loved, and I love loving. I have my village raising me, and I couldn't ask for a better one.  

You know who you. 

What in the world is Jordan doing with her life?

It has been about two years since I walked across the stage at the Hult Center, and said goodbye to my high school career. Most of my fellow students went off to Universities and are working towards becoming amazing things. They have traveled across the world, and have studied things that have challenged them in one way or another. I can’t say that I have been to another country, or that I am working toward a career that could someday change someone’s life. I am not going to sit here and compare myself to my fellow alumni either.

I would not take back the past two years, I have learned a lot about myself that has helped shaped me into the amazingly happy person I am today, and I have had my own adventures. In the past two year I have changed my major more times than I can count. Starting with Graphic Design, and then criminal psychology to an accountant. I had reached the middle of fall term year two, and decided I had no idea what I was doing, except that the I never ever wanted to be an accountant. I met with a counselor, and we talked about me. We talked about my book that I am writing, that I hated accounting, that I wanted to open my bakery, and that at some point I want to be a mom. My counselor informed me to never take an accounting class again.I laughed and promised it would never happen again. She also told me I should take a career and life planning class. Which she happened to be the teacher of. I took the class and did career assessments that showed different careers that fit my personality.

You and never gonna guess what career kept coming up that fit my personality. Drum roll please! Graphic Designer. There was that career, that when I was 15 I decided was meant for me. I interviewed a Graphic Designer, and fell in love with occupation all over again. So yes it took me 2 years to decide something I decided when I was fifteen. It was then and there that I decided it was time to move forward. There were many different roads I could travel down, but I knew that I wanted to decide fast because I didn’t want to waste anymore time.

In March I started the application process to apply BYUI, and this is where my first scenario comes into play. I have not heard back yet about my application but this is how things would go if Idaho is the place for me. I will be working until December of this year, and then I would move out to BYUI in January of 2015. Then I would start working on becoming a Graphic Designer, and would hopefully be on the winter-spring track. I would not go in the fall because I applied for winter term knowing that I would want to work to save up money for living on my own. After getting my degree I would apply for Jobs all over. Mainly in California, and back in Oregon.

Scenario number two: Lane Community College has a very good Graphic Design program, and I have already taken a few of the required classes. I would stay in Eugene, and move in with my sisters. Still working all summer, but moving in with my sisters for multiple reasons. As most of you know I have been doing online school, but for me to continue on the path to become a Graphic Designer I would need to spend lots of time on campus. Living with my sisters would allow for me to do that. They live quite close to LCC, and I would save on gas money. I would also be helping out my sister while her husband goes on vacation. It would be a win win for everyone. I would be in down in two-years, and then start applying for jobs.

There are pros and cons to both schools, and both scenarios. At this point I am moving forward with both plans. I will make my decision fully in August. This will not be a decision I make on my own, there will be lots of praying, and talking to my family. However I should point out that when I make choice I won’t be making it for someone else. I will not be staying for my sister, I will not be going to BYUI for someone else. I will make my choice for me, and what is best for me. If you have input I would love to hear it.

I won’t be saving people’s lives or studying overseas. But I will be working towards something I love, and something I know will make me happy. Now you know what my future is looking like.

AWAS

Wondering what AWAS is? I bet you are! Its the name of my book! Yes you read that right my book. No it is not a book I am reading that I want to claim. It is a book that I am writing. I am not even halfway done, but I want to share the start of my journey in hopes to inspire someone else, and to re-inspire myself. AWAS was originally titled "Setting". Laugh it up I know what an original title. Well it was first titled that because that is where it started. It started as a "setting" exercise in my literature class my senior year of high school. I wanted to write about a sunrise. I drew the picture in my mind. Someone walking up a grassy hill with a crisp air blowing to watch the sunrise over the mountains. I included things such as the cold feeling of the dew on the grass, the little bit of warmth from that sun rising. I went with it, and played with a character.
I ended up having to do other writing exercise for that class, and just kept rolling with "Setting". Soon a story developed in my mind, and I fell in love with my main character. I wrote in my spare time, did character profiles, and started writing up plot twist. I was in love with the story I had created. At some point in my journey I stopped writing what I knew, and let the characters tell me their story. Call me crazy, but it is the truth. It has come to a point where I am no longer writing what I want, but what my characters want. Now that it is two years later from when I started, I have lots of hard work to show for it. I have 16,000 words, millions of scraps of papers with different things on it, family trees burned into my brain, and I constantly have something on my mind that has to do with "Setting". I have written in so many different places including Sheldon High school, my house, public parks, in the car on my way home from somewhere or on my way to California, on a lanai in Hawaii, and in Sunriver. I hope the list can keep going, and some day it will be even bigger I just know it.
Who knows if I will ever get it published, I want it to. However for now AWAS is just a dream that keeps me sane, and keeps me coming back to something I know. Sometimes when I am rereading a chapter or a paragraph it amazes me just how much I have written. Sometimes I will read something and literally laugh out loud because I think "Wow I wrote that, don't remember that but okay!" This is such a long journey. But I am so grateful for it. Its hard work, and I wished I worked harder on it!
In a year from now ask me how its going. I hope to say its finished.