answering the tough questions

Let's get a little deep on the blog today and answer some tough questions.

Erin over at Living in Yellow (one of my must reads) posted these ten questions yesterday and I decided to take a stab at them. After you read mine, go on over to LIY and check out Erin's ten things and then read the rest of her blog, because it's just that great.

LIY

1. If you could do one thing differently in your life, what would it be?
See yesterday's post about my career choices.  I would have also learned to appreciate my parents & their rules much earlier in life. I would have also never stopped running. 

2. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hopefully married (right Sammy?! :) ) with hopefully a house and hopefully healthy and hopefully with the thought of a brown haired brown eyed baby. Not to rush things, or anything. 

I imagine that my house will look something like this: 

source

Or maybe like this:

source

I guess I also assume nurses will earn about 5x more in 5 years than we do right now.

3. Do you honestly want kids?
See numero dos. Absolutely.

4. What has been the best moment of your life so far?
The minute my mom called me from Washington D.C. and said to me, "Well, it looks like I'll be dancing at your wedding because my tumors are shrinking." I don't often cry from happiness but this was one day I cried an awful lot of happy tears.

Then

And now.

5. What is your life theme song?

Can I just pick my favorite song? This is so hard. All of my favorite songs are depressing songs, sad songs, the songs that make you want to go for a drive on a summer night with your windows down and just let the wind blow in your hair.  Generally, I'm not a depressed person, so picking a favorite song and correlating it to my life isn't easy.

Anyway, I guess I'd pick Paradise by Coldplay. 

When she was just a girl
She expected the world
But it flew away from her reach so 
She ran away in her sleep
And dreamed of paradise 
...
And so lying underneath those stormy skies
she said "oh oh oh, I know the sun must set to rise." 

Life doesn't happen the way it expects to, but I think what the songwriters are trying to say here is that "when He closes a door He opens a window." That is how I try to live my life--by not counting missed opportunities, but instead focusing on what happened for good instead. 
 

6. What is one thing you have yet to accomplish that you want to do before you die?

I want to learn and know and live the meaning of the words "Forgive and Forget."

source

 
   
7. If you could choose one thing to be known for, what would it be?
Being a loyal friend & daughter.

8. If you could do anything you wanted right in this very moment (no consequences, no fear, etc), what would it be?
Elope and then move to Europe for at least a year. Preferably planting myself right about here and not moving. Okay, I would move to tour all of the Irish castles. Then I would come right back.

Coast of Ireland

 

9. What has been the most challenging moment in your life?

Learning my mom's cancer we thought was in remission was back and not responsive to treatment two weeks after I graduated from college. I will be forever thankful for the doctors at the National Institutes of Health. Say what you want about our government and health care reform, but know that they are developing life changing treatments for a lot of devastating diagnoses in Washington D.C. 

10. Summarize yourself in one word.
Tenacious.