My Future Husband

So the other day I was going through some old journals and I found this list that I made as a teenager. Remember in Young Womens one of the activities that we would do was to make a list of things that we are looking for in our future husbands, well I found my list and I thought I would share it for kicks and giggles. So here goes:
My future Husband:

• Taller than me (at least 6 inches or tallers)
• Strong enough to carry me
• Attractive
• Good at saving/budgeting
• Likes to go to plays/musicals
• Loves Lord of the Rings
• Will sing with me in the car
• Loves children
• Can cook
• A romantic
• Will surprise me
• Would die for me
• My Edward Darcy
• An awesome communicator
• A good conversationalist
• Return missionary (doesn't have to be)
• A good provider
• Has a testimony
• Loves me for being myself
• Spontaneous (to a certain extent)
• Isn't caught up in the popular culture
• Patient, kind
• Will tell me I'm beautiful
• Can dance
• Isn't into material things
• Has a good education
• Has a good, supporting career
• Loves to laugh
• Will watch chick-flicks with me
• Loves God
• Active LDS member
• Will let me make my own choices
• Hardworker
• Will look me in the eye when we talk
• Would rather talk to me in person
• Let's me have a choice of my own
• Is on the same level as me, religiously
• Loves to read
• Will be good to me
• Will have similar ideas for raising kids
• Likes country music and musicals
• Well toned/built
• Has a sense of humor
• Loves to travel
• Loves animals
• Will let me have a library
• Will watch movies such as Pride and Prejudice with me
• Will carry me to bed if I fall asleep on the couch
• Will wear a wedding ring

Do you think I have a lot of expectations? I started this list in high school and added to it over the years. About a year ago I decided to make me a new list a more realistic list.

Here is my current list:

• A worthy Priesthood holder
• An active member of the church
• Taller than me
• Loves Lord of the Rings and will play Lord of the Rings Trivial Pursuit with me
• Will surprise me once in a while
• Wants children
• Tells me he loves me everyday
• A good communicator
• Has a steady career
• Strong enough to carry me
• Is willing to work on our relationship
• Will share the work, won't make me do everything
• Will take me out on a date once in a while
• Enjoys watching movies

I hope you all enjoyed my silly lists, they definitely made me laugh.
These lists may seem silly, but I think it's a great idea for every woman or man to have a list of traits they are looking for in their future companions. Some of the things I want may seem silly, but I'm a romantic and I love the idea of a man who can carry me in his arms.
To be completely honest, what I'm looking for is Mr. Darcy, at least my Mr. Darcy.

I really need to stop reading Jane Austen because she has given me unrealistic expectations for men. Anyway I hope you all enjoy and get a laugh, I know I did!

What Have I Been Up To?

So the last few months have been busy. As many of you know my Honda Civic was stolen a second time, but you can read about that and my new car Elanor in a previous post.
So in August after my previous trip to Chicago my roommate Allison and I went to the Church History museum for the Boy Scout of America exhibit. They had several Norman Rockwell paintings, and that was what we really went for. After exploring the Church History Museum we decided to wander around Temple Square. It was a lot of fun, and the last big thing me and Allison got to do before she left on her mission in September. She is now in the Rancho Cucamonga, California mission, and is a great missionary.

After Allison left, I had to find a new roommate. Allison actually owns the condo that I live in, so she asked me to stay here and look after the place while she is on her mission. After two weeks of living alone I finally got a new roommate. I will say that living alone was fun but I don't know if I could handle it for longer than a few weeks. I got really depressed and mostly stayed inside, but now I have a roommate who barely talks and is more introverted than me.
In October I went to Chicago for a second time. This time I went with my cousins Anisa and Summer. I arrived Wednesday around noon and rode the train all by myself to my sister's apartment. My parents were very worried about me, but I enjoyed the independence. Later that day Summer arrived and Libby and I went and picked her up at the airport. After we picked her up we went and met with some of Libby's friends at a bar for dinner. We got some burgers and I got the best damn Sweet Potato Fries that I have ever tasted. I don't know if I was starving or if they were just that good, but damn they were yummy! The next morning Anisa arrived and we started our adventures. First we went for Pizza at Giordano's then we went up to the top of the Sears (Willis) tower. Last time I went up to the top of the Sears tower I cried because my cousin Ethan was trying to force me onto the glass box, luckily this time my cousins were nicer about it. They tried to convince me to go out on those boxes but they didn't try to force me on. Libby, Summer, and Anisa had fun on the box while I stood next to one of the windows freaking myself out. Then we went to Millennium park and saw the bean and then we walked to the Buckingham fountain. The next day we went to Navy Pier and rode the Ferris wheel and wandered around Downtown and did the Magnificent Mile. We also went to Wrigley Field and Goose Island bar and got some delicious Ginger Soda. We ate at several different restaurants and had a lot of fun together. On Saturday, Libby got called to work so Anisa, Summer, and I went to a place called Mindy's Hot Chocolate for breakfast on our way to the airport. I got this rich, thick dark hot chocolate that coated my esophagus and was too much for me to even finish. Then we headed to the airport and headed home.

As many of you know Halloween is one of my most favorite holidays. The weekend before Halloween my friends Kymn and Russ had a Psych themed Halloween party so I went as Detective Juliet O'Hara. This year my friend Shelby got married on Halloween so I got dressed up for her wedding. During work I didn't want to get my dress dirty so I gave myself a broken nose and a gash on the side of my face. For her wedding I went dressed as Merida from Brave. There were several people from work so I had to get pictures with them.

Now I need to explain this following picture. The only reason that I am posting this is because I'm so entertained by it. So several weeks ago I finally went to an Allergist because I have some pretty bad hay fever, especially this time of year and I wanted to go see what I was allergic to, and if there was anything that might help. So as you can see by the picture there are several things that I am allergic to. So what they do is take several different samples and scratch them into my skin and let them sit for about ten minutes then see what I have a reaction to. So I am allergic to several weeds, several of which are native to Utah, dust mites, Cottonwood trees, and Timothy Grass. I don't have any allergies to animals or food that we know of, so it's just lovely hay fever. My doctor said that I could get allergy shots which I would have to get twice a week but I don't have the money or time for that. He told me to just keep taking whatever allergy medicine best works for me.

This month I was able to go home twice for Thanksgiving. Because Libby had to work Thanksgiving weekend we decided to do an early Thanksgiving two weeks early since Libby had that weekend off. So I drove down with my cousins Ethan and Libby and had an intimate dinner with my family. It was the six of us plus both of my brother's girlfriends and Ethan and Libby. It was very nice and fun. We had lots of fun and laughs playing Balderdash.
This weekend I flew home Thursday, which flying on Thanksgiving is great, I walked right through security and the flight was about half full. We had a small Thanksgiving with my aunt and uncle and cousins in Kanarraville. Soon after we finished eating we went black friday shopping at Walmart and I got a few movies. Friday we had lunch together and just sat around talking and I flew home Friday night. There were only five people on my flight home. I think I know how I'm going to get home on Thanksgiving from now on!!!
Last but not least I must tell you about an awkward date I went on last week. I went on a date with a guy I work with. Apparently he has liked me for a while and was shy, so I needed to help him out a bit. So after I encouraged him a bit he finally asked me out. I made him be the man and decide what to do, which took a while, but finally we decided on a day and time and made plans. So the night came and first of all he was a half hour late and waited for me in the parking lot. Then we went bowling and he was so boring! While bowling he showed no emotion, I thought maybe he's just being shy or having a hard time easing up. After two rounds of bowling, some minature golf, and a little time in the arcade he took me home. He did talk a little more, but for the most part I was the one doing most of the talking. Anyway when he dropped me off he just dropped me off. He pulled up and said goodbye, but I wasn't content with that, so I asked him for a hug which was an awkward side hug INSIDE the car. Then I walked to my door alone! Seriously it was so awkward and too much work, and boring! I tried to have fun and I did have fun bowling and what not but I would like someone who would actually try and talk to me. He apparently had a great time, and of course he did because I'm a fun person, but I would like the other person to be as fun as me.
I was happy to go on a date since the last date I went on was quite a while ago, but seriously will I ever be able to go on a fun date with someone who actually interests me and will actually converse with me! So if anyone knows of any single guys please set me up. I'm not getting any younger and apparently the only way I can actually get a date is to get set up.
It's been a busy and interesting couple of months and now it's time to get ready for Christmas!!!!

In Memoriam

It all began February 2006. I bought a Silver 1998 Honda Civic from my cousin. I was a senior in high school and ready to become an independent adult, I know, I was young and naive.
This lovely lady helped me get through the rest of high school, three years at Dixie State, three years at Southern Utah University, and a year in the city.
Sadly a few weeks ago my dear, sweet Amelia was stolen for the second time.
First let me go back to May. I woke up one day in May to find my car missing. Luckily my car was found a few hours later a few blocks away from my condo. That time around a few things were stolen, thank goodness I didn't have anything really valuable in my car, except for my voice recorder.
After that experience I should have learned and bought a steering wheel club, but alas I thought I would be safe.
In the middle of July I took a trip to Chicago to visit my sister. I was gone for four days and when I came back I noticed that my car was missing. I was much calmer about it this time around, but I was also resigned this time. The longer the car is missing the less chance of getting it back in one piece. Well a week after I had reported my car stolen, I was actually taking a nap when my phone woke me up and it was the police calling to say that they found my car. They said that it wasn't driveable, which led me to automatically assume that my dear Amelia was dead. My awesome roommate Allison drove me to my car.
Amelia's windshield was shattered and everything loose was stolen from inside, as well as my license plates. The only things left were a pair of snow gloves and my ice scraper. I had her towed, and after my insurance looked at it they said she was still running just fine. At which point I got the windshield fixed and had decided that I was going to keep Amelia, at least until I could afford to get a new car. The next day my brother Flint called me and asked me if he could buy my car. After some discussion with a few different people and a night of thinking, I decided to sale her to my brother.
This weekend I drove Amelia for the last time. I drove her and we had our last road trip together.
My dearest Amelia, I will miss all of our time together, and all of our deep conversations. I came up with a lot of story ideas on our drives together, and we cried a lot together. The last seven and a half years were amazing and difficult, but you helped me get through.

This last weekend after I dropped off my car, I went and bought me a new car. I got me a 2011 silver Nissan Versa hatchback. She is so cute!!! My sister Libby calls it a Hobbit Mobile, which is why I have named her Elanor. Because I'm a nerd, I named her after Samwise Gamgee and Rosie Cotton's daughter Elanor from Lord of the Rings.
Everyone meet my new friend Elanor.

Farewell Amelia, I hope Flint treats you well. I will never forget you!!!

Have you ever heard of pie shakes?

So today Allison and I tried a little restuarant called Sammy's. There is a location near by, so Allison and I decided to go and try it out. Sammy's is famous for their pie shakes. Allison and I ordered some burgers and fries, I got sweet potato fries, and some delicious shakes. Allison got the mint oreo pie shake and I got the red velvet cupcake shake. Both of them were amazing! They had a lot more flavors available, so don't be surprised if I go back for more.

After Sammy's, Allison and I went and saw Here Comes the Boom. I have to say that I loved it! However, I did have a hard time with the actual fighting, but other than that it was awesome!!! I will say that it made me cry a little bit, but for anyone who knows me well knows that I cry in a lot, A LOT, of movies. My brother will definitely like this movie, especially the UFC fighting.
As for the holidays, they were spent with family. A very chaotic week, but lots of fun. I got a bedspread, a sewing kit, and money to go shopping, and I got a lot of cute clothes. Let's see, I saw Breaking Dawn, Part 2, The Hobbit, Les Miserables, and Life of Pi over the last few weeks. Yes I enjoyed Breaking Dawn, I loved The Hobbit, Les Miserable was good, and Life of Pi was ok, I did enjoy it more than the book, but I felt like the book went on forever! Now back to The Hobbit, I absolutely loved it! Now I know that ya'll know how much of a Lord of the Rings fan I am. Well I totally enjoyed it, plus it had my newish love. A few years ago I discovered a wonderful British movie called North and South. It stars a beautiful man called Richard Armitage.

 See how beautiful he is!

 

He is in The Hobbit and plays Thorin Oakenshield. Even as a dwarf I think he's beautiful, my roommate thinks I'm crazy, but I can't resist his beautiful blue eyes. Honestly I think Richard Armitage is my dream guy: tall, dark hair, amazing blue eyes, and British, seriously I think he's my soul mate, now I just need to find him and meet him ;)

I'm also in love with David Tennant, who is the 10th doctor on Doctor Who.

I think that it's official. I'm in love with British men. I think I definitely need to move to England.

That's about all of late. Until next time.

“Life is All About How you Handle Plan B"

So it's been a while since I really blogged about anything, so I thought I would give it a go.

Everything is in place for London in May. I've got my plane ticket and tuition paid for, so now I just have to wait.

I'll be graduating in May! You're all welcome to send me presents and money for graduation and my birthday, which is the day before graduation ;)

As for being single, it doesn't bother me anymore. I've decided that there are many things to be grateful for in my life, and being single is a blessing as well as a trial for me. As much as I'm sick of being alone there are many things that make me grateful to be single. For instance, I get to go to London this May. I can go to school back East if I feel like it. I've decided that I'm going to love being single, and even though it will be hard for me sometimes I've turned to some talks from the Ensign. Here's a few I would recommend to anyone, even if you're not single, but just struggling:

• Single and Steadfast: Lessons in Hope
• Recognizing God’s Hand in Our Daily Blessings

I've also pulled out one of my favorite books to reread called The Power of Positive Thinking.

This is such a great book. It has helped me out a ton. It helped me out recently when I was feeling very negative about things in my life. One chapter in particular called "How to Create Your Own Happiness." It sounds silly but it wasn't until I read this chapter again that it dawned on me. If I want to be happy I need to choose to be happy. I want to share some quotes that might help more than just me.

"The happiness habit is developed by simply practicing happy thinking. Make a mental list of happy thoughts and pass them through your mind several times every day. If an unhappiness thought should enter your mind, immediately stop, consciously eject it, and substitute a happiness thought. Every morning before arising, lie relaxed in bed and deliberately drop happy thoughts into your conscious mind. Let a series of pictures pass across your mind of each happy experience you expect to have during the day. Savor their joy. Such thoughts will help cause events to turn out that way. Do not affirm that things will not go well that day. By merely saying that, you can actually help to make it so. You will draw to yourself every factor, large and small, that will contribute to unhappy conditions."

"...if you visualize and affirm an unhappy outcome, you tend thereby to create just that type of condition. So affirm happy outcomes at the start of every day, and you will be surprised at how often things will turn out so."

"The way to happiness: keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Fill your life with love. Scatter sunshine. Forget self, think of others. Do as you would be done by. Try this for a week and you will be surprised."

I hope these quotes are helpful to you like they have been for me. Life doesn't always work out the way we plan. I remember thinking that things would work out after I graduated from Dixie. Now I'm getting ready to graduate from SUU and I have no idea what I'm going to do. That's just life I guess.

To end this post here is an inspirational poem for anyone who finds their plans not working out the way they planned. :-D

“Life is All About How you Handle Plan B
Plan A is always my first choice.
You know, the one where
Everything works out to be
Happily ever-after.
But more often than not,
I find myself dealing with
The upside-down, inside-out version --
Where nothing goes as it should.
It's at this point that the real
Test of my character comes in..
Do I sink, or do I swim?
Do I wallow in self pity and play the victim,
Or simply shift gears
And make the best of the situation?
The choice is all mine...
Life is all about how you handle Plan B.”
- Suzy Toronto

Here's to Life

So the last few weeks have been...interesting. First of all nothing has happened with Roberto, so sorry to anyone who got their hopes up. I'm sorry but I got sick of being the one initiating everything. I don't want to be the one doing all the work in a relationship, so goodbye Roberto.
Now let me share a...I guess funny story. So a couple of weeks ago I wasn't having a very good day. This day happened to be a Saturday, which are kind of the bane of my existence sometimes. My day started out well with time at the temple, and I'm glad that I had that time of spirituality because after that my day went downhill. After the temple I went to work at the chocolate factory. It was the Saturday just before Valentine's day and it was surprisingly slow, and when it's slow at work I have a lot of time to think, sometime too much time to think, and when I think it's usually a bad thing. Well it was the week after my big date and I hadn't heard from Roberto, and I had even tried inviting him to a game night, but nothin'. So I was trying to figure out what I did to scare this boy away because that seems to be my M.O. Well I was getting depressed and them my boss Ben came in to the store for a minute. Ben is the one who set me up with Roberto, and Ben is determined to get me married off. He also thinks that I should do everything, not really but sometimes it feels that way.. Anyway Ben came in and I was telling him how upset I was. Does this make me sound like a baby? I really don't understand the whole relationship thing, I'm trying to, but I seem to just make a mess out of nothing. I'm not desperate either, well maybe a little bit. Give me a break I'm going through a hard time. Which brings me to what made my day even better. So after talking to Ben and him making me cry, I left work to go decorate heart shaped cookies with Kymn, her boyfriend and her family. Well after cookies Kymn and I were supposed to go ring shopping. Well there ended up being a slight change of plans. Kymn's boyfriend decided he wanted to come along. So now it was me and the happy couple. Well we ended up at the mall and while they were choosing rings I decided to wander off for a minute because I felt very out of place. Well when I wandered back into the jewelry store I ran into another one of my best friends looking at rings with her new fiancee. Now I'm happy for both of my friends but it was not a good day for me to find out that two of my best friends are getting married, and one of them is the person I was supposed to be moving in with in June, which apparently isn't happening now. Anyway after I ran into Erika I had to go wander off again. I ended up in a corner of Barnes and Noble trying to hide my puffy eyes behind a book. It wasn't until Kymn text me that I went out of hiding and wandered back to the jewelry store. Russ was purchasing a ring as I walked in and Erika came over to talk to me. After that Russ took Kymn and I out to dinner. I'm pretty sure he felt bad for me. When we got to the restaurant there was about a half hour wait and I had left my phone in his car so I went back to his car and I just broke down and sat on the curb and cried. Luckily Kymn was there to comfort me.
It's stupid that being single bugs me as much as it does, but I think I'm just frustrated with the fact that I'm in my twenties and have never had a boyfriend. Plus it gets annoying being the third wheel all the time. I don't mind hanging out with my friends and their boyfriends but sometimes it can get awkward being there, even though they claim they want me to hang out with them, sometimes I feel like I'm intruding and that they're just trying to be nice because they feel bad for me.
I'm trying to see the positive in this.
So here's a list of reasons why it is great being single (Some of these may be a bit irrational but I'm trying to make myself feel better ;) ):

• Being single means you don't have anything or anyone holding you back. If I had a boyfriend or was married there is no way I would be going to England in May. 
• Since I don't have anyone depending on me I can be spontaneous and take a road trip to anywhere if I wanted. 
• I don't have to check in with anyone. 
• I only have to pay for one at the movies, at dinner, whatever. 
• I don't have to worry about what my significant other is doing or if he is cheating on me or doing something stupid.
• I can flirt with whomever I want.
• I don't have to share anything with anyone.
• I can look at hot guys and fantasize about them.
• I can cry at a movie and not have my boyfriend make fun of me.
• I can watch all of my Jane Austen and other sappy romance movies without a guy complaining.
• I can be myself and not have anyone judge me or try to change me.
• I can travel, go to school, do pretty much whatever I choose without having to compromise.
• I don't have to compromise.
• I can have a cardboard cutout of Legolas in my bedroom ;) yes I still have him, and Edward too.

Some of these may a bit irrational and things that I would probably never do but they are some awesome things about being single. I know I'm not ready to get married but I'm going through a slump at the moment but just because relationships aren't working out for me right now doesn't mean that other things shouldn't work out.
In May I will be graduating, then I'll be going to London for two weeks, then I'll be working all summer to save money so I can move to Salt Lake with my friend Allison, fingers crossed. This is just one trial I have to work through and I know someday, in the Lord's time, I will eventually find a man who will love me and treat me like a queen. Until then I will enjoy being single and seeing the world.

If you think of any other reasons why it is awesome to be single please comment and share. I need more reasons to love being single.

Most Miraculous Monday

Now my title might be a bit exaggerated, but this experience I'm about to share felt like a miracle to me.
As many of you know I work in a library, and one of my jobs is working with ILL or InterLibrary Loan. I'm not going to explain what ILL is because that would be boring, all you need to know is that working in ILL I package books to be sent to other libraries.
Well on Monday I had a lot of packages to run over to the post office, and when I have too many packages to carry I take a little red flyer wagon. Well on this day I had a bunch of packages and a box full of magazines that I was taking to someone. I went and dropped off the packages to the post office and I still had the box of magazines. I was turning the wagon around when I hit a crack when the wagon and the box of magazines just tipped right over. Before I even had a chance to bend down to pick them up three guys from three different directions ran over and picked up the wagons and magazines for me. I was shocked! I thought that I must have stepped into a time-space continuum that transported me to a different universe. Seriously no one does anything like that anymore, most people look away or walk past. I thanked them and they all went their separate ways.
As I was walking away I felt like I was in a haze. I remember what happened clearly, but a part of me is wondering if it was just my overactive imagination. Guys don't even open doors for girls anymore let alone help a girl when she drops her books. It makes me sad that gentleman are becoming an endangered species, but it's nice when you get a glimpse that maybe there are still a few out in the world.
Just know if this ever happens again, I'm getting some phone numbers ;) That's another shocking thing about this I wasn't dressed cute, my hair was in a bun, and yet they still helped me. Now do you understand why I see this as a type of miracle?

My name is Jessica and I'm a Jane Austen Addict

"Hello, my name is Jessica and I'm a Jane Austen-aholic."
Now everyone say "Hello Jessica":
"Hello Jessica."

The Best movie version of P&P.

Yes I admit that I am addicted to anything Jane Austen: books, movies, sequels, fan fiction, etc. This all started when my friend Jessi J and I watched the Pink Pride and Prejudice, also known as the LDS version. I believe it was my Junior year of high school and since then I've been hooked. After watching the movie I read the book which Jessi gave me as a Christmas present, then we watched the other movies like Sense and Sensibility where Alan Rickman plays Colonel Brandon, I think this is the only movie that he actually plays a good guy, but if there are others please let me know because I really like him as an actor. I don't remember the first time I watched the six hour P&P with Colin Firth but that is history because I will admit that I've seen the movie hundreds of times, but I can't help myself I love Mr. Darcy, I named my teddy bear that I like to cuddle up with Mr. Darcy, as well as my beautiful laptop. I know pathetic right?
All this started because of my wonderful neighbors, they're the ones that put me in the direction of majoring in Creative Writing, and I thank them.

My annotated copy of P&P

But since eleventh grade this has exploded into something more. I have all the Jane Austen books including five copies of P&P, which includes an annotated version. I have a completed works of Jane Austen in one beautifully bound book, a complete set of all of Jane Austen's major works that I got second hand, and all of the books that either I bought or were given to me as gifts. I also have sequels to the Jane Austen novels that other people have written, and almost all of the movie versions of all of Jane Austen's works, even some silly ones like Bride and Prejudice. I think that I've seen all of the movies based off of Austen's novels such as Lost in Austen, but I refuse to buy that, to a Hindu version of Emma, which I had not realized was in Hindu.
If anyone feels the need to get me a present you  could get me the Annotated Persuasion, the Pride and Prejudice Graphic Novel which just makes me laugh, the Black and White Pride and Prejudice movie, which is really cheesy and funny, or pretty much any of the sequels. I've been wanting to read the diary series by Amanda Grange they are "Diarys" of the heroes in Jane Austen's major works. One of my favorite series that I have read were by Pamela Aiden it is a trilogy of Pride and Prejudice from Darcy's point of view. I read them and loved them, or course they were written by a woman so I don't really feel like it does Darcy the credit he deserves, I think that there needs to be a book written from Darcy's point of view by an actual man, that is one that would be interesting to read. If you are worried that I might have a certain book or movie, please ask me and I'll let you know whether you should get it for me or not. ;)
A couple of semesters ago I was also able to take a Jane Austen/Virginia Woolf class at SUU. I was able to read Emma and Mansfield Park for the first time. Now I have listened to all of Jane Austen's major works on audiobook, and have all of them on audiobook so that I can listen to them whenever I please, but there are still a few I have yet to read, but I'm working on it. This includes Sense and Sensibility and her Juvenilia works, I'm looking hopeful toward next summer to actually read these.
What I have been into lately, well pretty much ever since I started becoming an Austen-aholic is fan fiction, which include sequels to Austen's various novels, the novels from different point of views: Mr Darcy's Diary for example, and even some crazy ones such as Mr Darcy, Vampyre. However, I refuse to read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. No way will I read that book.

Right now I've been into the Mr and Mrs Darcy Mystery Series. The series starts at The Darcy's wedding and moves on from there. This series brings together romance, murder, adultery, and paranormal all into one. They're somewhat silly, but I can't help myself, once in a while I need an easy read for pure entertainment, and this definitely helps fill that quota. My mom likes to help me in my endeavor by bringing home audiobooks for me such as Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict which is about a woman from modern day California who wakes up in Regency England to discover that it wasn't exactly like she imagined full of gentlemen and love, but is instead filled with chamber pots, a bath every couple of weeks, and jerks. However in the end she finds herself back in California to discover that she does love the man she was fighting with at the beginning of the novel.
I know that I go through my different phases, heck I did a previous post on this very subject, but even though most of my obsessions eventually faded away: aka Twilight, Spice Girls, etc. some of my obsessions may have faded but are still there such as Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Grease, etc. Jane Austen is one obsession that I don't believe will ever really fade away. I know better than to expect to find me an exact replica of Mr. Darcy, I don't think that I could really handle Darcy all that well, but hopefully someday I will find the Mr. Darcy I've been waiting for. Gosh that sounds cheesy. Maybe that is why I love the stories as much as I do. I'm 23 and in Utah standards that's old enough to be a spinster, which is very similar to Jane Austen's time, but I know I'm not ready to fall in love. No I have lots of things to do before I even consider marriage, and as many of you know it has taken me a long time to come to this conclusion, maybe I'll be like Anne Elliot from Persuasion and I'll have Captain Wentworth walk back into my life at 27. Or I'll be like Elinor Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility and fall in love with Edward Ferras only to discover that even though he loves me that he was already promised to another woman, of course in the end his fiancee will fall for someone richer and he'll come find me and ask me to be his. I once hoped that I would be like 17 year old Catherine Morland and go on vacation and fall in love with Henry Tilney, but my vivid imagination gets carried away and I end up coming up with impossible solutions to why Henry's mother died and I get sent on a long trip all alone, to end with Mr Tilney arriving at my home weeks later to apologize for his anger and admit that there was some truth to what I had imagined.
Maybe someday I'll be able to write a story about how I fell in love. Someday I would love to be the next Jane Austen. As for now I'll just live through the different stories while still living my own story. Who knows where it will take me next? I think my next Jane Austen post should be a list of all of the Jane Austen works, and all the fan fiction that I have read. That would be a long post in itself, but I feel since my blog URL is ilovejaneausten.blogspot.com that I should divulge my Austen addiction once in a while on my blog. We'll see ;)