The End.

Well, this is it.

This is The End.

Not of my blog.
It's the end of this semester.

I learned a lot of important things this semester. About life, the universe, and everything.

That might be a bit of an exaggeration, but even though I'm not in school, this was a study of...living.

I had my first full time job. 
I learned how to deal with 40 hours of doing the exact same thing, standing in one spot. I learned that if you let them, your co-workers can be a kind of second family. I met a lot of people I never thought I would learn to like but now, I'm sad to leave. I learned that multi-tasking is possible, but NOT good customer service. I learned that I love to make people laugh, and it is possible to flirt with someone in a 2 minute conversation. I saw people of every walk of life--homeless, students, rich, middle class, beautiful, homely, happy, sad, black, white, brown...I connected with people from each of these classes. I love to make a connection--a smile, a joke, a shared feeling about something random like periods or going to the gym. I learned that people love being remembered, especially their name. Names are powerful. Listen to your boss, be helpful, be PROACTIVE, and be happy. No one likes a grumpy cashier.

I learned that age is really not that important. My ward was, on average, 7 years older than me. I loved them, though. They had a lot more life experience and wisdom than I did but I never felt excluded because of the difference. One of my favorite people in the ward was 9 years older than me but we got along fantastically. People are people are people. Never discount someone because of their age--old or young. 

I learned that family is the best (but I kinda already knew this one).
A hard week could be turned into the best week if I spent a little time with one of my siblings, or maybe even saw my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. Never forget how important your family is.

I learned that being happy is a choice. Sometimes I'd feel very alone, bored, unexcited, and just over it. Going to the gym, reading a book, talking to friends, or just listening to music could help everything feel better. But I had to WANT to feel better. 

I learned the value of a good night's sleep. In the fall, I'd stay up til at least 1 o'clock every night. I couldn't do that these last few months, because I often had to wake up at 6:30am. Working 8 hours on 4 hours of sleep is NOT fun. I went to bed before midnight almost every night. THAT was a good thing to learn.

I learned a lot about myself. I learned that I'm not a partier. And that's ok. I learned that I'm way more of a people person than I thought I was. I'm not really an introvert anymore. I love making Ceasar Salad. I don't like dogs, unless they're shorter than 15 inches. I flirt with too many people. I'm overly fearless. I have a sugar addiction--legitimately. I learned how to spend money and how to tip my server.

Last of all, I learned this: Mom was right. About everything. I love you, Mom. <3