Tales From my Bowling Alley Days

The Good, The Interesting, The Bad, and The Lessons!

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✶ Memories Of My Overall Employment ✶

✰ It was a cold night in November of 2019 when I was working as a cashier at the Manchester Home Depot. I checked out a middle aged gentleman who chatted with me kindly (I learned later he was Bob).

• He asked: "are you looking for a job?"
• I said: "maybe...?"
• He asked me how much I made.
• $11.50.
• He asked: if you could make $13 an hour, would you come work for me?
• I said "...Maybe...?"
• He gave me his card, and told me to swing by the bowling alley after work. 
• "ok".

I wasn't going to do it. Truly, I wasn't. But, rather impulsively, I decided to drive over. I thought to myself: "if I don't see this Bob guy immediately, I will leave". There he was at the front. He took me to the bar area for an "interview" (He basically just asked me to work for him). I started working in the evenings, part time for $13 an hour.

✰ My first night, Bob bought me an entire pizza to welcome me, and I ate the whole thing in one sitting! Everyone was shocked cause I was S K I N N Y at the time. Little did they know I ate like that all the time! 

A picture from the time period

✰ My boss Bob was a big fan of teasing. When he found out I was homeschooled, he would tease me about it (nicely, it was all in good fun). My first night, he was teasing me about being homeschooled, and that I was "sheltered". Later that evening, I made an office reference and he didn't know what I was talking about. So I sassed him: "Who's sheltered NOW"? It made all the other managers go "OooooohhhHHH!"

✰ They let me clean out and organize their closets and storage areas. I didn't mind, cause I liked to! 

✰ After I met Cody and we got engaged, sometimes he would wait outside in the car for 8 hours, waiting for me to get off work so we could drive home together. Incidentally, my boss Bob told me he and his wife used to do that too. He said it's all part of being in love! 

✰ One night, Bob went a little too far with his teasing (accidentally)! Every night, he would set the closing alarms (which had a 90 second timer for everyone to leave and the doors to be secured) before I was fully ready with all my belongings (phone, keys, water bottle, etc.), and it was his way of teasing me cause I had to scramble to gather my things in time.
I was fine with this joke UNTIL: One night he did it, and I accidentally left my phone. Unfortunately, I didn't realize until I was in my car and everyone else had driven away!!

I could not contact my boss.
I could not call my mommy.
I didn't even work the next day.

The next time I worked, I said... "Bob, we are done with that joke". He never did it again.

✰ I was one of, if not THE most efficient people at the front desk. Not only was I really fast with the buttons, but I was also really good at explaining the pricing. As a result, customers were much less confused, which I always felt proud of.

✰ I got to write my own schedule and they just kinda let me (Bob was pretty chill if you haven't noticed). My Full Time job was Home Depot. So Bob let me schedule myself based on my availability. I guess he trusted me cause I didn't abuse this... I was pretty faithful and consistent. 

✰ About two years into my employment, I was encouraged to apply for a salaried position as an assistant general manger. I interviewed with the district manager as well as Bob. Apparently the interview went well, because Bob told me the DM said "that was one of the best interviews he'd ever conducted". I ended up turning down their offer in favor of pursuing my goals at Home Depot. 

A picture from the time period

✶ I Learned All About Bowling! ✶

✰ Maybe as no surprise, while working at the bowling alley for 3 years, I learned a lot about bowling technicalities and culture. Did you know that the lanes are oiled with this giant machine, and some patterns are harder to bowl on? The hard patterns they apply for the pro leagues. For everyone else, they apply the "easy" pattern.

✰ During my employment, I started bowling a lot myself, since employees received discounted games.

✰ Occasionally, I was allowed to go in "the back" behind the lanes and watch the pinsetters. Sometimes when the alley would close, I would walk between the lanes and look at all the pinsetters up close. I felt pretty cool being able to!

✰ While working, I was grateful for my employee discount, because I learned that bowling can be EXPENSIVE. During my employment, at most they were $19, PER GAME, PER PERSON! PLUS SHOE RENTALS!! Weekdays, they had specials (thankfully). The moral of the story is - DON'T GO DURING PRIME BOWLING HOURS.  Unless you're like, rich or something, don't let me tell you how to live your life. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

✰ If you know about bowling, you know about leagues. Leagues were fun and you came to know the same people every week. It was a pretty cool community and culture. It felt like the bowlers and employees were all a big family as one.
When I was a kid, I thought that getting 2 or even 3 strikes in a row is dang near impossible. But at this job, I learned that a perfect 300 game is fairly common amongst the pro leagues!
I also learned that there are basically three different types of leagues - a "serious" professional league, and the "just for fun" leagues, or "special" leagues, where people with disabilities would play. 

Bible study before my shift one day!

✶ Working the Holidays ✶

✰ Whenever the week between Christmas and New Years came around, I would take vacation at Home Depot so I could work extra long hours at the bowling alley. I did this cause it was fun, I got extra money, AND I liked to help Bob out, because it's the busiest bowling week of the year!
I would usually be given free food all week too! Choosing my own hours, I would typically work over 8 hours a day during that busy week. Back then, I had seemingly endless stamina, so the long hours were more fun than tiring. 

✰ On Christmas Day, 2019, I worked in order to avoid family drama. A guy who liked me at the time came to visit me on Christmas day and brought me a book as a present, and I thought that was really sweet. 

 My husband Cody during the time period

✶ Bartending (My Favorite!) ✶

✰ One day, Bob asked me if I wanted to cover some bar shifts, since they were short handed. It sounded fun, so I said "yes". On my "training night" let me make my $13 an hour base pay on top of tips. I ended up making $400 just in tips my first night ... on a THURSDAY! All the customers were so nice that night about me being new! 

✰ I only had one or two times where I had to deal with someone drinking too much. Both times, I talked to Bob. This one dude kept ordering drink after drink, at one point I was serving him some water and he was trying to order another drink - I straight up interrupted and said a straight-faced, deadpan "no"! His friends got a kick out of that response. 

✰ Once, a woman and her family came to the bar. They were celebrating with drinks and bowling because she had just beat cancer. With Bob's approval, I surprised her with a fun, fruity alcoholic drink to congratulate her! She loved it. 

My room during the time period

✶ The "Questionable" Stuff... ✶

✰ I never got a raise in my entire employment. I made $13 ever. To be fair to Bob, he tried to get me one. It was the District Manager who continuously turned it down. Saying "I didn't work enough hours per week".... which didn't make sense because even a part timer should get a raise after minimum a year of employment. 

✰ For a while, we had a new manager working with us. He was creepy and kept flirting with me, even though he had a girlfriend. I eventually had to report him for touching my butt "by accident" (he didn't last long. He had it coming for lots of reasons).

✰ Every night,  the very inappropriate "What Do You Mean" music video by Justin Bieber would come on the lane screens at 9pm (The company's intention was that they wanted their centers to be more adult-focused starting at 9pm onward. Problem was, a lot of times kids were still present even during the late hours). Employees had the capability to change the song or pick a song in our software twice per hour, as enforced by corporate. Every night I worked, as soon as the music video came one, I would rush change it to "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd instead. Always that song, every time. 9pm, each shift. It ain't much, but it's honest work (meme reference).

✰ During my time working at the bowling center, I got myself in trouble by flirting too hard with too many people who flirted with me. I had never been taught about male and female attraction, sex drive, dating, or really any part of dealing with men in the wild. So when guys were giving me attention, and I LIKED IT, I foolishly reacted positively by reciprocating, not realizing that by reacting this way, I was sending a message that I was "DTF", as they say.
I had to learn this the hard way. I did not know how to speak up for myself and say "no". Thankfully, now I know better.

 · · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

A hike I took during the time period.

I really enjoyed my time at the bowling alley. I look back on it with fondness. I learned a lot of lessons during my time. I think it's safe to say that I was a very different person by the end of my employment, and I like to think that my coworkers noticed, and hopefully gave the glory to GOD. My life definitely revolved around GOD a lot more by the end of it! 

I ended up quitting because I reached the point where I didn't need the job anymore, and my life had changed so drastically (for the better) that I didn't want to spend all my spare time at a job just because I had nothing better to do. I was with Cody at the time and we didn't need that much extra finances, so I went back to doing only Home Depot full time, and no extra part time job. 

✰  That's All, Friends! ✰ 

~ Amaris // ☆

Life, Grief & Gratefulness.

Hello, Friends.

It's been awhile! 

I had a whole post I was writing that went into great detail of the last 2 or so months of my life. But it was getting to the point that I knew it was too long but I didn't know how to trim it down and still say what I wanted to say. So, I'm going to leave that post in the drafts for now and try again here. 

Life has been....life. 

Changes in Childhood

Due to shifting job situations, I actually worked full time for a short 2-month period, while my husband was the stay-at-home-parent. During this time, our oldest son Malachi developed a LOT. Vocabulary, behavior, capabilities. It was like he was a completely new kid from 2 months earlier. 

Malachi meeting his first cat! He had seen only pictures of cats prior to meeting this one. Her name is "Mrs. Timbers".

The sad part of this is that I was at work and I feel like I lost touch with him a little bit. I lost the hang of his lingo and swiftly changing habits. 

But, that all changed when in February our lives changed forever with the birth of our second son...

Then Came Abram

My sweet little son was born late in February, who we named Abram. 

How did the birth go? Well, to put it shortly, we started with the attempt at a VBAC and ended at a second-time C-section. But, I feel like the birth experience overall was as redeeming as it could be, and a strength and bravery was revealed in me that I didn't know I possessed. 

We had to induce at 37 weeks due to polyhydramnios. We tried the induction for two days before we landed on a c-section due to failure to progress. But up until I had the C-section I was completely pain med free, which is a huge personal accomplishment for me. 

Once we had to do the surgery, at first I was greatly anxious due to my trauma from my first rather dramatic and difficult C-section (and subsequent recovery). 

But this one went completely smoothly, and I was able to overcome my feelings of dread and panic and instead showed myself to be brave beyond my expectations. 

My Valentine's Bouquet which I took with me to give birth at the hospital.

There is an underlying disappointment with the fact that I had to have another surgery. 

My greatest wish was to have a VBAC. 

But my gratefulness and happiness far outweighs that feeling, knowing the personal journey I went through to be strong and stand up for myself, and advocate for myself in the process, and standing face to face with the thing that scared me, and choosing to be brave rather than succumb to fear or discomfort. 

All resulting in a sweet tiny child at the end, who I could take home and love. 

This blanket is the finished crochet project that I worked on during my pregnancy. I was trying to go for the old fashioned "granny" look while still creating something that I liked as far as colors and design. I'm really proud of how it turned out!

Since the birth, my life has drastically changed with the expected way that a new baby typically brings.

Late nights, messiness, diapers, tears, tiredness, adorable-ness, laughter. 

There's something about the late nights up with a baby. A vulnerability. A sense of space, and peace. A sense of holiness. These moments are sacred and few in life. 

Today, my son will never be this young again. And tomorrow, he will be older than he ever has. 

There is no going back, only forward. 

Each passing moment contains both a grief of the passing of time with the moments it leaves behind, and gratefulness for the present moment, with the joy ahead to be had.

Having a Spring baby means I can go on walks with a tiny bundle strapped to me!

So... what else has been going on? 

Watching Movies

I have been on a huge movie kick lately. I have been living in the "free with ads" section of YouTube lately. BUT... I've also bought some to rent (I don't do streaming services). I'm planning a whole entire post to speedrun through some of my movie opinions, but here is a sampling of a few favorite movies from that list: 

• Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) - 4 out of 10. Funny, iconic. Also stupid. Also not my type of movie. 
• Letters to Juliet (2010) - 10 out of 10. A rewatch from my childhood. The perfect rom-com, no notes.
• Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) - 10 out of 10. My husband and I adored this movie. So sweet and heartfelt. 
• Age of Adaline (2015) - 2 out of 10. Stupid, took it self way too seriously, tried so hard to have meaning when it didn't have much at all. Also, Blake Lively. Ew. 
• Last Holiday (2006) - 10 out of 10. This is a trailer I saw when I was a kid and I never watched it until now. Worth it, loved it. Adorable. Hollywood has changed so much for the worse since they made movies like this. Was nice to go back in time. 
• Groundhog Day (1993) - 10 out of 10. A classic. Even my husband loved it. Adorable. Thought provoking. Timeless.

Last Holiday (2006)

Discovering New Tastes in Beverage (And Enjoying Classics)

I tried matcha once or twice 3 years ago and disliked it greatly. My official takeaway from that experience was that I was "not a matcha person". Well, flash forward to now. I decided to try it again, because who knows. I got a new seasonal drink at one local coffee shop, Upshot Coffee Brake Shop. It was a strawberry matcha. And well, I really liked it. I got it a few more times, and still liked it! 

Could it be, I wondered, that I actually like matcha after all?

I got some matcha of my own, to further test it. I also made some strawberry syrup (dice up strawberries, cover them in sugar, leave on your counter and shake it or stir it once a day or so in an airtight container, once there are no more sugar crystals, strain the strawberries, and voila!). 

Now I drink an iced strawberry matcha latte once or twice a week, and I think there's no going back! 

It's hard not to take pictures of strawberry matcha lattes, even if the lighting is bad, because they are just so pretty!

Finding Time to Make Art

I really miss the days of 2018 and 2019 where I was drawing very consistently and thus improving consistently. It was very enjoyable to me. I often think about those days, and wish I were doing that again. I feel this way about many things, actually (will probably write a future post about that). But, I'm trying to spend more time doing those things, instead of wishing I was doing them. So, I started with something pretty easy and satisfying. Ink patterns! Most ideas I find on Pinterest, but a few patterns I've come up on my own. These patterns I speak of are not quite like optical illusions, but they are adjacent to that, and have the same vibe. 

Here are a few recents (as well as my first ever "junk journal" page, which I made from a chocolate bar package and a tea package): 

Made with a chocolate bar paper package, a tea bag box, and the rest with markers. I winged it and I like how it turned out. 

New Plants to Love 

I am always trying to improve my skills when it comes to keeping and caring for house plants. 

I have had many plants die over the years, some sooner, some later. 

The goal is to keep pushing the dying later and later until we rarely experience a death! 

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A recent acquired plant, a Tokyo Sun. Isn't she cute?

At least I know which plants I'm most likely to keep alive at this point in time. Golden Pothos! I like to bring in a new on every so often, as well as difference species. 

Pictured are a few new ones I've got recently, and my hope (and prayer...) is that they will last as long as possible!

That is all for now!

Farewell, friends. 

~ Amaris // ☆

pictures from a day // (From my Old Blog Post Drafts)

(Starting from 2025): 

Hello Friends!

This is one of the old posts in my drafts that has been sitting gathering digital dust for years! It was fully written and edited years ago, so I decided to just post it. 

2019 was a fun year where I just started to feel like an adult (I was 21, but due to my sheltered upbringing, I didn't really "feel" adult like until 2019 onward). In any case, this is one of those good memories from before the pandemic craziness that I got good pictures of, edited by VSCO! I hope you enjoy -

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Location : Main Street, St. Charles, MO
Day : Sunday, August 4th, 2019
Company : My sister

--

A worn brick wall //

My sister always likes this particular wall, so depending on what she's wearing, we will take pictures whenever we come here.

Hanging Plants //

The window was too aesthetic to pass up :3

Coffee //

Our blended coffees were melting pretty fast so we could've just gotten iced coffees and there wouldn't have been a difference *shrug*

Chandelier //

Upstairs at one of the vintage shops, the attic was all decorated with old lighting, old bed frames, and old looking wallpaper. It was also super hot up there.

Bookshelf //

It smelled really good and old and papery right here. :3

Mirror //

Another one of the many cute shops on that street.

Plants //

"Wait, stop right there, let me get a pic the plants are really pretty..."

Aquarius //

The embroidery was really cute. They had all the signs, including this Aquarius which is my sign (p.s. I don't do horoscope or anything like that fyi... I just like stars and constellations. :3).

Hello? //

We found a rotary phone in an antique shop. We tried to call mom but it didn't work.

That's all. I just wanted to share a few pics from our day.
Hope you guys are doing good.

~ Amaris // ☆

The Flower Fades

I don't know about the rest of you guys, but so far 2019 has been crazy for me. I don't mean bad, necessarily... well, a lot of it has been, unfortunately, bad. But a lot of it is good.
And a lot of it is neither good nor bad, just different.
I'm trying to keep up with it all, to be honest. 
There's too many changes.

The most recent change being... I lost my job at the embroidery place that I have worked for 2 years.
Oh, don't worry- I didn't get FIRED exactly. They just had to let me go because the business is (sadly) dying. Our owner was busy trying to run another business, and as a result we weren't able to get the maintenance we needed to fix certain issues that were keeping us from getting business, such as faulty phone lines, faulty (and very old) email accounts, our software which was infected with a virus, among other things.
It's a sad way to end, but that's the way it is sometimes.
Businesses die.
The strong becomes weak.
The rich become poor.
The first become last.

Everything changes.
Everything.

I think there's a sort of brain complex that people get- I'm not sure the psychological term (or if there even is one), but I feel like the human mind tends to think as if things will never change. Oh, we believe that change exists, and we even look forward to it at times. We are not surprised when the season of the year changes, or when we buy a new device, or when we get a new haircut. We look forward to and even plan for those changes.

But I think when certain things actually do change, we're caught off guard.
Especially when the things we thought never would change, do. Like relationships. You're with someone you love, and you imagine as you laugh together that things will always be this way. But chances are they won't. Time goes on and you watch them become a stranger. Changes like that are a unique level of pain. And yet, they are surprisingly freeing..?
I don't know. It's weird to think about.

Anyways, that's happened a lot with me this year. Literally every month so far in 2019, there has been a change so in my life. Some of them quite major.
Being let go of this job being one of the major ones, especially since it was unexpected.

There is a verse in the Bible that I think of during times of change.

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our GOD will stand forever." Isaiah 40:8

Rather poetic, isn't it? It is sad, yet hopeful. That is the way with most seasons of change. It is sad, and often a very difficult time, but where would we be if we never moved on? How would we learn, grow, and flourish, if we are never torn from our comfortable cubby holes? (am i channeling Gandalf's energy right now..? i don't know.. but if i am, it wouldn't be a bad thing).

Life isn't meant to stagnate. It's meant to flow and change course and ripple... like a stream on a spring day.

I will always look back fondly on that job. It wasn't even like a job. I never clock-watched there. I never wondered or waited impatiently for my "shift" to end because there were no shifts. I went to that old house in the morning and opened everything up, and at closing time I closed everything down and locked the door behind me. I didn't pay attention to the time there because I loved all my various tasks there and never wondered when or wished I would be finished.

If it was a slow day (the kind which increasingly grew towards the end of my employment), I would do my Bible study or read a book at the front counter, stashing it away if a customer came up the front steps.
While being employed there I went through some of the hardest times of my life, and some days I loved being at work more than I loved being at my own cramped home. They say home is where your heart is most happy and comfortable. If that is true, my job was my home.
So, in a way, I've left not two, but three homes in the last year and a half.
Take the emotional (and physical toll) that moving once puts on a person, and triple it. Now you can understand why my heart feels like I've lost a dear friend.

I'm only 21, but honestly I feel so old. 
What will I feel like at 71, I wonder.

I know I care about things too much. I put care and love into things and then it changes or gets taken away. Why do I do that to myself? It's as if I like letting myself down. To quote Michael Scott: "I am ready to get hurt again."

Last year, Owl City (one of my favorite musical artists since I was 16) finally came out with a new long- awaited album, Cinematic. One of the songs was "Firebird", and in it there is a lyric:

Tell me why I look back, and I want to cry,
Sometimes I feel like we grew up too fast.
 
You and I had the time of our younger lives,
Sometimes I sigh and think about the past.

But it's alright, 'cause everything changes.

If 2019 keeps up like this, I think I might have to name those lines the official lyrics to describe my 2019. We'll see when I post my new year's post in December. *shrug*

Well anyways.
I'm gonna end this post now. It's admittedly sappy and sad and if it's all the same to you I think I'll just post this and forget I ever wrote it.
It is a lovely evening. It's summertime and almost twilight and the sunlight is streaming through my window, casting golden stripes onto my stacks of books on top of my dresser. So I want to go take a walk in my backyard and enjoy the cool evening temperature.

Here's a picture if it seems like I'm just making the golden sunlight part up to sound even more sappy:

Goodbye, friends.

~ Amaris // ☆

Spring // 2019

I got to hang out with my best friend:
It was really good to connect again because our busy lives kept us apart for almost 3 months... which is too long. We also decided to read 'The Circle Series' at the same time (a re-read for me) so that we could compare opinions. It's quite a series to swallow, but I am excited to go through it again.

I went to my third ever baseball game and rather enjoyed it:
Watching baseball in real life is more fun than I remember, and definitely more fun than watching it on TV. Apparently the STL Cardinals haven't been doing well this season; but I wouldn't know. All I know is they creamed the opponent on the night I went with my mom and sister and it was very enjoyable.

I spent a lot of time sick:
I endured a miserable three weeks with nausea, constipation, and jaundice, and it eventually put me in the hospital. They never did figure out what it was, and I got better naturally soon after the hospital visit. Most of the doctors thought it was Hepatitis A, but every time they tested for that it was negative. I am feeling great and I'm back to normal now, so... whatever it was it's gone now *shrug*.

We moved:
This time last year we moved into an apartment, but but as soon as our one year lease was over in May, we moved to a slightly larger (and nicer) townhouse, which I'm very happy with. I have my own room again! And I have a perfect view of the Western sky, and have been enjoying the sunsets every evening I'm home. God has truly blessed me in many ways.

I watched some movies and shows:
Five Feet Apart (2019)
It was ok- but not great. Pretty cliche and melodramatic. I feel like I would've liked it better had I seen it when I was closer to 16, but I'm 21 and it didn't do much for me.

The Office (2005-2013)
Not the cleanest show, and I'll probably not re-watch certain episodes, but it's very funny and extremely quotable. I can see why millions of people like the show. I feel like it's almost worth a one time watch-thru at least. For appropriate audiences. Idk.

Breakthrough (2019)
It was ok. It was kinda surreal watching a movie about an event that happened very close to my own hometown. It wasn't great but it wasn't a bad movie altogether.

Julie & Julia (2009)
What a sweet and heartwarming movie!! I watched it late one night with my mom, who also loved it.  I love Amy Adams soo much! I don't love Meryl Streep as well but she was good in this movie. I think there was a few cuss words but definitely worth a watch.

Smokey & The Bandit (1977)
Kinda funny, a little bit exciting, a tiny bit sweet, overall not really my thing. Sally Field helped a bit, as she is one of my favorite actresses. Overall, probably won't watch again.

The Matrix (1999)
Very intriguing. It wasn't my type of movie, and it didn't "change my life" the way some male family members told me it would, but I can see why it was revolutionary for it's time and why it was a huge hit, and it did get me thinking a little bit. Also I'm a Keanu Reeves fan now. Bless.

The Founder (2016)
SO FRUSTRATING AND UNFAIR. But also good. I loved it an hated it. Ugh.

Julie & Julia (2009)

I started reading books again:
~The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume II - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (currently reading)
~Scarlet - Marissa Meyer (finished)
~Cress - Marissa Meyer (currently reading)
~Sex, Purity, and the Longings of a Girl's Heart - Bethany Beal & Kristen Clark (currently reading)
~Conscience - Andrew David Naselli & J. D. Crowley (currently reading)
~Where We Belong - Lynn Austin (finished!) Here's a post about it.
~The Circle Series - Ted Dekker (just started)

I am writing VBS lessons:
My VBS partner and I will be teaching the VBS lessons at our church again this year- we are teaching from the book of Acts about Paul's second missionary journey! The theme of this year's VBS is Athens - so everything is Greek themed! We're going to wear togas and leaf headpieces. It's coming up soon.. on July 15th. I can't wait!

On June 19th, my favorite job I've ever held had to let me go:
A small post is coming soon about that.

I tried being positive:
A post is coming soon about that as well.

A Few Other Things:
~It rained a lot, and some tornadoes almost tore apart my city. But we survived.
~God is faithful when I am faithless. He's also unchanging.Thank God.
~I have the best friend I could ask for.
~I discovered arguably the greatest most practical YouTube channel for introverts and people with social anxiety (like me...): Charisma on Command. Check it out. The psychology is super intriguing. And there's a recent episode on Keanu Reeves and introversion... i am cri.
~God used 2 Samuel 11-12 and Psalm 32 to change my life.

Music:
~Bee Gees "Too Much Heaven". I love those chill vibes. ☀
~Studio Ghibli Piano Music. Perfect for taking a walk with a twilight sunset.
~BTS "Make It Right". Pretty much any BTS song is guaranteed good vibes.
~Queen "Spread Your Wings". A newly 'discovered' Queen song for me.

Spring Words:
Sunsets
Crescents
Chills
Chopin
Ablaze
Golden
Quiet
Change
Wait

☆ // Amaris // ☆

How was your Spring? Did you do anything you've never done before? What has God done in your life lately?

// 2018: A Summary //

Hello, peeps! I have returned with a 2018 review... and I'm only about two weeks late, hehe. :)
But that's ok. This year, I decided that I will do the 'New Years Tag' thing that I've seen floating around various blogs for the past couple of years.
Let's get started.

From my Instagram @amaris_todd

// The Year 2018 // 

What did you do in 2018 that you’d never done before?
I went to an outdoor theater for the first time!!! It was such a fun experience.

Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make one this year?
I only had one goal, to try to watch more movies. And I succeeded!! I watched over 50  movies this year! I am planning on publishing my 'big epic movie list of 2018' soon, so that you can see what I thought of each movie I watched this year.

What would you like to have in 2019 that you lacked in 2018?
I would like to have more education in art, and a laptop. :)

What date from 2018 will remain etched upon your memory?
This might sound dumb, but that would be the day I got my first smartphone, the iPhone X. The day we got it, we went to Lion's Choice afterward, and every time we go to that same location, I remember the mood and the vibes I had from that first day I got my phone.
Oh, and also May 20th! The day we officially moved! I remember what it was like to spend the last night in my old room.... a very unique feeling. It's like going away for vacation, knowing you'll miss your home but you'll soon be back... except you won't be back. And you know it.

@amaris_todd

What was the best month?
Possibly July, because the VBS that I taught in was absolutely amazing. October was also really good, because I attended an art class and did a lot of other fun stuff with my best friend that month. :)

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Probably just the things that God taught me this year about Him, and how that will affect my teaching children about God.

What was your biggest failure?
That I didn't read more books.  :( I really love books, but unfortunately at the end of many stressful days this year, I just didn't feel like a book. I hope to improve on this more in the coming year, though!

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Seeing a moon exhibit at our local science center! They had the entire command module from Apollo 11. :) It was really fun to see. I also just got generally more excited to hang out with friends more, which is more than I ever used to do.

@amaris_todd

What was an unexpected surprise? 
God brought a few friendships to me that I didn't know would be so important to me, and I'm so glad He did. <3 I also started going to a different church. It was difficult, since I'd been going to my previous church for 10+ years, but I'm so glad I did and I know I'm supposed to be at this new church.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If I had gotten out and exercised more. :/

How did you spend Christmas?
It was just a small party of me and two others. We spent the day inside relaxing and doing activities. I worked on drawing. It was rather nice.

How did you spend New Year’s?
We pretty much did the above answer, but add watching 'Forrest Gump' and eating homemade chili. :)

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2018:
I don't have to do or be anything to make God love me more. He already loves me, once and for all, whether my day is good or bad.
Also, if you pretend to be something you're not to impress/make other people happy, it's gonna get old eventually. Be you. If you don't know what 'you' is, figure it out and don't be afraid to be it. Negative people are everywhere. Even people you think are close to you might be a source of negativity in your life. Watch out for them, and don't change who you are for them unless you know God is using them to change you. <3

@amaris_todd

Compared to this time last year, are you: 
Happier or sadder? Sadder.But don't be alarmed... I'm a sad person in general. It's the way of things for me right now. Nothing has directly caused me to be sad.
Thinner or fatter? I have to admit a bit fatter. But I am hoping to walk more this year, and also eat more vegetables, to live the best life of taking care of the body God so graciously gave me! :) 
Richer or poorer? Well, I'm definitely making more money than this time last year, but I also have more expenses now... so it kind of evens out. 

Five things I want to do in 2019:
1. Make memories with my friends more, and be there for people.
2. Keep drawing!
3. Take overall mental and physical health more seriously.
4. Keep growing closer to God and learning from Him.
5. Explore more of my hometown- such as best restaurants, places to go, attractions, etc.!

What kept you sane?
God, my best friend Tessa (This Great Adventure!), and my good friend I made through VBS, Maggie.

Did you move anywhere? 
Yes! We moved about 20 minutes away from our old house on May 20th, 2018. The good thing is that I am now 2 minutes from my job, which is right down the street!I love that setup, hehe. I also quit my job at Michael's in April. But that was a good change.

Did you try anything local from your hometown that you've never tried before? 
I'm planning on exploring more of my town this year, but I did go to an outdoor theater during Summer 2018, and I really liked it! :)

What countries/states did you visit? 
Absolutely none. This, unfortunately, was a source of depression for me this year, because I love to travel and see things and go places (my mom calls me a 'free bird'), and I didn't have the money or the time to, nor was I in a position to travel, which makes me rather sad.
The saddest part is, this is the 4th year in a row I haven't traveled far from my home. I feel kinda stuck sometimes. Also I'm poor.
...
Ok that answer was depressing. *fake laugh*

Where did most of your money go?
Other than general expenses from living in an apartment (which are b o r i n g), probably clothes. I kind of figured a style for myself in 2018 too... but I'm still learning about that.

What was the best thing you bought? 
You know the answer! :) My iPhone X.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
Thankfully, no.

What did you want and get?
Better drawing skills. :)

What did you want and not get?
So many things...like an iPad to start drawing digitally. :|

@amaris_todd

Did you fall in love in 2017?
Nope. I'll admit a few people caught my eye tho (*nervous laughter while hoping they never read this hehe ehe*), but nothing came of that.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 20 on my birthday, and.... if I remember correctly, I think we went shopping. I bought myself some clothes and makeup and stuff.

Did anyone close to you give birth or get pregnant?
Nope.

Did anyone close to you get married?
Nope.

Did anyone close to you die? 
Thankfully nope.

Who was the best new person you met?
I actually made some good friends online, once I got my phone. Several who actually read my blog, but blogging is kind of impersonal as far as chatting back and forth individually, so I didn't know what great peeps they were until I started chatting with them on Instagram! Social media also helped me re-connect with people I used to know when I was younger and doing homeshcooling, and I'm so glad because I never knew what great people they were and now we can hang out.

@amaris_todd

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2018?
Trying, haha.
Actually, towards the end of the year I started taking my person fashion style more seriously. As mentioned previously, I'm still figuring things out and learning with fashion, but overall I'm more confident about my clothing choices than I was this time last year, and I'm happy with a number of clothing items I acquired in 2018!

What was the best book you read?
Show Them Jesus, by Jack Klumpenhower. Second most influential book I've ever read so far, hands down (the first being the Bible, of course). I actually read it twice in 2018, hehe.

What were your favorite books of this year?
I sadly didn't read a lot of books this year. :P I am working on 'Where We Belong' by Lynn Austin right now, which I started late in 2018, and I'm halfway through! It's pretty good. :)

What was your favorite TV show?
Poldark seasons 1-3 (we're gonna catch up and watch season 4 soon!). I also started randomly watching Victoria (with Jenna Coleman) one evening, and I kept watching because I looovee it. I am sad there was only a couple of seasons. Apparently they are making new episodes for 2019 and I can't wait! It's a beautiful, beautiful show. :)

@amaris_todd

What were your favorite films of this year?
I'm going to save that for my 'big epic movie list of 2018' post. :)

What was the best concert you’ve been to this year?
I don't really enjoy concerts very often because I get sensory overload (and big dark loud rooms with flashing lights kinda trigger my anxiety), but I did go to see MercyMe and I loved him. <3

What song/album will always remind you of 2017?
Owl City's Cinematic album came out on June 6th! I loved listening to it this year.

What was your greatest musical discovery?
The old band, Queen! I saw the movie 'Bohemian Rhapsody' in theaters and loved it, and it further assisted my growing Queen obsession. :) I don't recommend all the titles, but there are a lot of songs I do love. :) Same goes for Michael Jackson, whose music I also 'discovered' this year!
It was a good year, musically. I also started listening to more oldies (Dean Martin... ahhh... *heart eyes*), and reconnected with how much I love vintage. <3

@amaris_todd

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

Tell me why I look back and I want to cry,
Sometimes I feel like we grew up too fast
You and I had the time of our younger lives
Sometimes I sigh and think about the past

But it's alright, cause everthing changes.
Owl City - Firebird (Alt. version)

// The End //

Well, peeps, that about sums it up. It was the craziest year of my life, and I changed more this year than I ever have. You know how there are some things you think will never change? Well, if you're between the ages of 15-25, think again, because it probably will. Almost everything I thought would never change, changed in 2018. That's the biggest reason it was such a crazy year!

It was a lot of change, but somehow I'm ok with it. I can always look back with fondness on the things I used to love and on the way things used to be, but there's so much more ahead. So, so much.
I read a (rather basic) quote on Instagram the other day.
 "Don't look back, you're not going that way"

Even though it's kinda basic and cliche, it inspired me.
I can't wait to see what 2019 holds. I am so excited.

Until next time, friends.
-Amaris