It's Time to Turn the Page

So this is it. I've continually put it off for as long as possible. But it's Saturday night and I don't have much more time. I don't know why I'm so scared of it... everyone grows up, everyone does this! It's not that I don't know that... I'm not quite sure what it is. All I know is that this means I am "Grown-up Ali" now, and there's no going back. This part of my life is complete and it's time to move on.

My mom and I gathered up all my stuff last Wednesday and took it down to the new apartment (it doesn't feel right to call it mine yet). We loaded the cars slowly but surely, taking one load after another down. I tried so hard to hold it together, to be excited for this change. But each step I took got harder and harder as I realized I was really moving out and away from the most amazing family on this Earth. When I looked at my mom and realized she was in tears too, I wondered why I was even doing this...

"No one ever said it would be this hard."

Sometimes I just want to be a little kid again

"...to go back to the start."

I need them... I don't want to leave yet.

But I know it's time...

Goodbye room and closets and bed.

Goodbye nightly family dinners.

Goodbye morning walks with my sweet mama every day.

Goodbye to Trey's shiny quarters and rocks and to Dax's never-ending questions.

Goodbye to joking and teasing from Bray, Matt, and Coley all the time (I secretly love it).

Goodbye to Dad's late-night text messages reminding me to squeeze his hand to let him know I'm home safely and in for the night.

And goodbye to much, much more.

I'll miss you while I'm gone.

But I WILL be back (and often!).

I'm still your daughter, sister, and niece;

I'm still your grandaughter, cousin, and friend.

I'm moving on to another chapter of my life.

I'm not closing the book but simply turing the page.

Wish me luck, and I'll see all of you soon!

xo-Ali

The End of My Beginning... Paris

Goodness gracious, it has been awhile! Now that I'm home and am (finally) through with my teeth trouble and getting back into the swing of things, I must share with you the last bit of my adventure... Paris!

Emily and I were so lucky; we were able to go without kids, which meant we could eat out, spend our days however we wished, and yes... walk down stairs without tripping over the stroller! ;)

The first day we were there, we got our museum fill by going to the extensive but ever-so-magnificent Louvre. Of course we couldn't get through even a fourth of what was there, but we were able to see the Mona Lisa, as well as a lot of amazing Dutch art.

We had lunch at the Rodin Sculpture Garden and enjoyed both the beautiful art as well as some good fun posing with the statues there! :)

Don't these statues remind you of Beyonce?!!

"All the single ladies, all the single ladies..."

I'm a thinker too...

We also saw Monet's famous Waterlilies at the Orangerie!

We even gave a shout-out to good ol' Napoleon in his tomb!

Later that night, we had dinner outdoors at a picturesque place recommended by our hero-vacation-guide, Rick Steves. I even got to try lamb for the first time!

Afterwards, we went to one of the most amazing places I've ever been: The Eiffel Tower. The brilliant lights, enlivening music, silly street dancers, breath-taking views, and just the energy of it all almost brought me to tears... it was incredible.

The next day, we woke up early and went to Notre Dame, which I absolutely loved! The mosaics, stained glass, and crazy architecture completely stole my heart!

From there, we were planning on seeing a Ballet, but we got a little side-tracked with the fabulous shopping. We walked into Minelli and were soo infatuated with all of the gorgeous shoes! It is not often you score a day of shopping in Paris, so we decided... what the heck?! We spent the rest of the afternoon getting lost on the Champs-elysees and other shopping boulevards. You like?!? :)

My favorite museum came next... the Orsay! Oh my goodness, all of this Impressionist stuff was so magical and really spoke to me. I HAVE to see more and go back again someday.

I had to laugh when I saw this painting because the whole time I was there, dentistry took over my life, and yet once again, here was this reoccurring motif haunting me in the Orsay!

Later on, Em and I had dinner at another fabulous restaurant on the streets of Paris! We had so much fun dining out and wearing our adorable new shoes! ;) Then, to end our lovely little excursion, we got some perfectly-sculped French gelato.

Bon appetit!

It b-r-o-k-e my heart to leave Paris! It was definitely a HUGE highlight of those six weeks, so a grateful thanks to cute Emily for introducing the city to me!

After a few days of unwinding, it was time to pack my bags and head home. It was so sad that all of my adventures, learning experiences, and time spent with family were coming to an end. It had truly been the TIME OF MY LIFE, and I was totally despondent about leaving. The one thing that this journey has taught me though is that this is only the beginning for me. I can't wait to see what the future holds as I head off to BYU in just a few short days! It is so weird (and a little nerve-racking) to be growing up and beginning a whole new adventure now, but ya' know what?! Bring it on because I'm ready for it! I'm going to work hard, live it up, and make the most out of every moment of this exciting

TIME OF MY LIFE.