Really, What Could Go Wrong?

Shannon and I both love to travel.  A series of events over the last couple years, however, has given us pause.  It seems that when we go places together, things go wrong.  Very wrong. 

 I signed up for a race in Sedona and Shannon signed up for a race as well so that I didn't have to go alone.  I had been sick with a cold all week and didn't feel so great after the race.  Shannon got sick after the race as well and we spent the rest of the weekend sleeping.  What were the odds we would both be sick over the same weekend?

Shannon had an interview in New York so we went out for the weekend.  I missed my flight on the way out (accident on the freeway at 5am, of course!).  The next morning Shannon got stuck on the metro underground for an hour with no cell service because someone fell on the tracks.  I was a bit of a nervous wreck for about a half hour.  The next day we left our show tickets at our hotel in Brooklyn but luckily we had just enough time to rush back to get them.  On the way home, Shannon lost her wallet on the plane.  She got it back a few weeks later.

We still hadn't gotten the hint.  After Christmas we drove back to Arizona from Utah together.  After a few hours of driving we came across a small suitcase in our lane on the freeway.  There was a shredded tire to our left and a truck in the lane to our right which left us no option but to hit the suitcase head on.  It shattered her front bumper and we found a new use for dental floss when we had nothing else to tie the vibrating parts of her car together.  At this point we were laughing about our ridiculous bad luck.

And yet we kept going!  While in California for our powderpuff football game, the two of us went to Sea World for the day.  My GPS took us through a toll road and I didn't have enough change so the lady told me I could pay it online.  On the way back the worker told me I could pay for both of them online.  Turns out the option to pay online is a one-time courtesy for only one toll.  This left me subject to a big fine due to my unpaid toll.  I don't like toll roads.  Fortunately, I was able to get the situation resolved by emailing the main office.

And finally, last week we both met up for lunch in Utah.  I left my car next to a gas station and when we came back, my car was gone!  Apparently my car was in a tow zone and we missed the itsy bitsy sign.  They charged me over $200 to get my car back!  Crooks. 

At this point we have decided we have a problem but we just laugh and keep trying.  We have, however, decided not to travel outside of the country together just to be safe.

Never Say Never

No, this has no reference to Justin Bieber (I actually had to look up how to spell the kid’s name).  I am referring to when someone says, "I will never _______."  I’m still trying to decide if we say "never" because we don’t want to do something but deep down we know that it will happen anyway, or if fate is simply cruel.  Perhaps it is a bit of both. 

 

In junior high I was voted “most likely to become a teacher.”  I was so upset because I did not want to be a teacher and vocally expressed my intent to never pursue that career.  In 2009 I graduated with a bachelor’s in secondary education. 

 

I grew up as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which encourages young men to serve 2-year missions.  Girls are able to go as well, but it isn’t expected.  I knew several girls who had determined that they wanted to serve missions.  I had no desire to do so and was totally okay with it.  Those girls were all married by age 21 and I returned from serving a full-time mission in Oakland, California in 2007. 

 

School work is not my favorite thing and graduating with my bachelor’s took me long enough.  Many people asked if I would pursue a master’s when I was done.  I explained that I had no desire to do so and had multiple good reasons to back up my decision.  In 2013 I was accepted to George Washington University for the Fall where I will pursue a master’s degree in Organizational Management.

 

In all honesty, things have turned out for the best and I am very happy, but I think I will stop using the word "never" just to make life a bit easier to swallow in the future!