I love her because- Miss Bee

• she is one of the most creative people I know. More creative than Pintrest!
• she is constantly serving others. Whether it's making a cute project for them, a yummy treat, or cleaning. Especially cleaning.
• we can call to ask a quick question, and end up talking for a half an hour
• the only rules she plays by are her own
• she has the best laugh
• she is supportive in everything I do
• she truly has such an incredible testimony of Jesus Christ and his gospel. She loves it and wants to share it with everyone!

I love him because- Big Brother

• when he lived close by, I would get random phone calls to make a new recipe, record a song, or play a new game
• he has an enthusiasm for EVERYTHING
• no matter our distance, he always keeps me laughing!
• I get a new nickname from him every other day
• he taught me to be friends with everyone
• he has introduced me to the most amazing music
• he has taught me that life is an adventure
• I really hope that I can be a world traveler like him one day
• he has shown me that, even if you start a little late, do what you love

I love her because- Belly

• we steal each other's clothes. For some reason, no matter what, the others closet always seems cuter.
• she supports me in my crazy ideas. Even though you can tell she most definitely doesn't want to
• she stands up for me, in whatever situation
• we can drive around, with the windows rolled down, and belting out our favorite songs
• I always thought she was so much more beautiful than me. Then she taught me I was beautiful in my own way.
• I can talk about boys for hours on end and she never gets bored of it
• she can be sassy and joking one moment, and sincerely worried and concerned for my well-being
• we think in the exact same way
• she has the most hilarious blonde moments

I love him because- Chubby

• he buys me old fashioned glazed doughnuts because those are my favorite
• he fills up my car with gas randomly
• he lets me use the scooter even if he wanted to
• he illegally downloads movies for me
• he will randomly dance with me
• he often will say, "Aubrey, look at this!" with the excitement of a 5 year old. And most of the time it is worth looking at.

I love him. Partly because I have to. Mostly because I want to.

Life of a Scooterist

I've come to the conclusion that people are more likely to talk to you if you are on a scooter.


I don't know if it's the fact that there is less metal separating two people. Or that my windows are permanently rolled down. For some reason, people just feel socially obligated to talk to me. Which is funny because if you're at a stop light and you and the person next to you both have your windows rolled down, do you talk to them? No, you sit staring straight ahead, almost as if you stared at the light long enough, it's going to change faster.


Enough, this isn't a guilt trip about the lack of social interaction at stop lights.


Rather, it's about the social interaction that I've had at stop lights.


Maybe my physique has changed recently, but as far as I'm aware, I'm still the same little scooterist Aubrey.


Example one:
I'm at a stoplight when a van of 5-6 teenage boys pull up. Acting like... teenage boys. 


Obviously.


"Hey. HEY!"

I assume my stone faced position of staring straight forward, hoping they don't notice me sneaking a glance at them with my reflective aviators.

"HEY! HE-LLOOOO!"

I turn and smile.

Bleh, what a waste of time. They're obnoxious, and none of them are cute.

"That's a nice ride"

"Oh, thanks. Yours too. Is it your mom's?"

*cue a green light, and me speeding off dramatically*

Example two:

I'm walking into a building after having just parked. When I park my scooter, I generally park in places that wouldn't be legal for cars ie. places with yellow lines or right close by a sidewalk because I have on more than one occasion experienced that frustration of thinking you found a parking spot, only to see a scooter or motorcycle occupying it.

Anyway. I had just parked when I walk in. I'm looking for the door I have to go to, when a man comes running up at full speed, flustered, and out of breath. 

"Ex-cuse. (pants) excuse, excuse me. Is that your scooter outside?"

I immediately freeze. Is there something wrong with my parking job? Oh fetch. I'm going to get  a ticket. They're gonna tow me. Wait, can you even tow a scooter? How the heck would that happen?

"Oh, uh, yeah."

He lights up. "Oh great. I was just wondering, how many cc's is it?"

I exhale a sigh of relief. "Oh, she's 150."

"Oh! Awesome. How fast can you usually go?"

"Hmm....  I can get up to 65, maybe 70 on University."

"Oh wow! Great! Thanks so much!"

Example three:

I pull up at a stop light next to a motorcycle. Let me paint this picture for you. This guy is hard core. Leather chaps, big physique, beard, awesome bandanna, relaxing like he's at a spa at this stoplight.

Timidly, I pull up in the lane next to him.

"Hey there little lady!"

"H-h-hi"

"Nice paint job you have on that."

I glance down, and notice that we both have a silver body. "Oh, thanks."

"You like driving that thing?"

A smile. "Oh! Oh yeah, I love it."

"And I'll bet it's great for gas."

"Yeah,  that's why it's so great. It only costs me $5 to fill it up. I'd drive it everywhere if I could."

"Good on you sister."

*light turns green*

Last, but not least, example four:

I'm at the light, quickly alerting a friend that I'm on my way.

Note: it should be said that I'm an advocate of not texting while driving. That being said... WHILE DRIVING. I was stopped, at the light, knew it would be a longer cycle, and was just quickly letting a friend know I was coming. Don't text and drive. You'll die.

The light turns green, and I accelerate while sticking my phone in my purse and turning.

I'm driving down the road, when a car in the lane next to me drives by and the driver does a slow motion head nod.

The next time you are with me, have me tell this story in person because me acting out said head nod is a bajillion times better.

Bewildered, I begin going through numerous reasons as to why the heck he's nodding at me. My outfit? The way I just turned around the corner? Trying to discourage me from texting at stoplights?

It seems my questions would be answered at the next stop light. 

I stop, naturally, when Stranger Man pulls up in the lane next to me. 

"You're a natural."

"Pardon?"

"On your scooter. You're a natural."

"Oh, thanks!"

A sincere compliment? Or an attempt to hit on me?

"Yeah, you should get a real bike."

Hmmm okay, trying to find mutual interests. Hitting on me?

"Oh... I don't think my dad would let me."

"Oh, c'mon."

"Yeah, he calls them murder cycles."

"They're actually a lot safer, because they have more pipes you can hear them better."

"Oh that's my number one pet peeve! I mean, I'm driving a scooter, not an invisibility cloak!"

*light turns green*

"Well, see ya! Bye!"

Conclusion: People definitely talk to me more on my scooter versus my car or my bike. 

Not that I'm complaining. :)

It happened

Because life's too short

Why I can't stop smiling

I wouldn't necessarily call it depression.


Rather, it was the absence of happyness. 


I feel like there are so many who had their turning point in high school. The point when they truly are converted to the gospel of Christ.


I am one of them.




My Sophomore year was a great year and a horrible year for me. 
There was the period where after I got my braces off that I actually felt like something.


Someone.


Having a boyfriend only raised my self esteem and made me feel older, mature, and important.


That of course came crashing down when we broke up.


"Oh, the poor dear! A boy broke her heart!"


No folks, it was completely the other way around. 


I broke up with him.


I feel petty, writing about breaking up with a boy but it honestly was one of the hardest things I've done.


At the time, I had no idea why it had to be done. All I knew was that it hurt. It hurt a lot. And I sat on my tramp in my back yard, curled up in the fetal position crying. 

But this post isn't about some silly break up.

It's about what happened after.

You see, during the break up, something had happened. 

Because of all of my time had been dedicated to him, there had been no time for Him.

Not just Him, but my friends as well.

I felt like an awkward outsider who didn't belong.

I still had friends, people still talked to me. I still laughed and smiled and interacted with others. But there was just this feeling of lonliness. As soon as I was home, I just felt like no one cared. No one would care if I didn't go to school. Sure, they were nice when I was there, but would it really make a difference to them if I wasn't there?

I was there, on my bed every evening crying. Wondering why Heavenly Father would do this to me. I thought a lot. I asked Heavenly Father and learned to be fully reliant on him.

I never had a moment where one person reached out to me and said, "Aubs, I care." Rather, it was the opposite. It was me sitting there in my room and saying,

"Aubrey, right now you can go in two separate directions. You can sit here on your bed crying and feeling bad for yourself. Or, you can change.

You can grow! You can take this experience, look it over, and never go back. You can make the choice each day to stay depressed and upset. Or, you can decide each and everyday to be happy. You can walk these halls feeling like crap, but still being happy because we never want to feel this way again."

So it happened.

I changed.

And the funniest ting happened. 

Thanks to Him, I have never gone back.