Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving

Today is my birthday!

I'm 30? Whoa! That's crazy! My life is not what I imagined at 16 that it would be, and while I could complain, I'd rather list 30 adventures and accomplishments that I have been privileged to experience:


1. I learned to walk, talk, read and write.

2. I have completed the run of 43 community and school plays in addition to many roadshows and one-acts for acting classes.

3. I earned all of the Young Women medallions.

4. I took ballroom dancing in 5th grade, and had a blast during the recital, during which Adrian Dayton and I jived to the Happy Days theme.

5. I graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelors of Arts degree in English.


6. I appeared as a stand-in and extra on Promised Land, and a featured extra on Touched By an Angel.

7. Travels within the U.S: Miami, Florida; Spokane and Coeur d'Alene (multiple times), Washington; San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles, California (multiple times); Yellowstone National Park (at least three times); Billings, Montana (too many times to count); Disneyworld, Florida; Disneyland, California (at least six times); New York City (at least 5 times) and Palmyra, New York; Washington D.C. (twice); Hershey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Williamsburg, Virginia; the islands of Kauai and Oahu, Hawaii; Lake Powell many times; Phoenix, Mesa, Prescott Valley, Williams, Winslow, Flagstaff, and the Grand Canyon in Arizona (technically, I lived at these places in Arizona); Idaho Falls and Pocatello, Idaho; Cedar City and Saint George, UT; Bryce Canyon and Arches National Park in Utah; Las Vegas, Nevada.

8. I got an "A" in my beginning tap dance class at the Y and used those skills in 42nd Street the next year.

9. I served a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Phoenix Arizona Mission.

10. I have read the Book of Mormon at least 7 times (probably more, but I don't really keep count).

11. I graduated from Cottonwood High School.

12. I learned to sew, and made several pillowcases in Junior High.

13. I have read all of the Harry Potter books at least four times...

14. and the Lord of the Rings three times.

15. I have been good and kissed at least once.

16. I have been a Technical Writer for the last year.

17. Temples I have patronized: Salt Lake, St. George, Provo, Mesa Arizona, Jordan River, New York City, Billings Montana, Manti.

18. Other temples I've visited but not been inside: Idaho Falls, San Diego.

19. I've met an insane number of wonderful people, many of whom I'm still privileged to call my friends.

20. I performed nearly every type of job available at DDN at one time or another during my 3 1/2 years there.

21. I have seen paintings by Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh, and da Vinci, and sculptures by Michaelangelo in person.

22. While in high school, I taught a session of dance classes for what was known at that time as City Rep Theatre.

23. I earned and have kept my driver's license.



24. Accents I mastered for one show or another (they were good during the runs at least): Cockney (Oliver!, My Fair Lady, the Secret Garden, Toad! The Wind in the Willows), French (the Phantom of the Opera, The Three Musketeers), Southern (Tom Sawyer, Inherit the Wind, The Haunted Mansion), German (Kindertransport), high British (Scrooge, A Christmas Carol), and Scottish (Brigadoon twice).

25. Travels outside the U.S: Paris (twice), the Loire Valley, and Normandy in France; London, Bath, and the Cotswolds in England; Cardiff, Wales; Cozumel, Mexico; San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Johns, St. Maartens, and St. Thomas.

26. Behind the scenes work: Costume Assistant in the Masque of the Beauty and the Beast, Stage Crew for Crimes of the Heart, Sound Technician for the Princess and the Pea, Assistant Director for Wait Until Dark.

27. I learned how to french braid my own hair and other people's hair (though I cannot do both at the same time).

28. I bought a condo and had a sizeable amount of money saved for the down payment.

29. I was the 5A Regional Best Actress in a One-Act my junior year of High School. The play scored first place at Region.

30. I have played four of my dream roles: Hero in Much Ado About Nothing, Ado Annie in Oklahoma, Amy March in Little Women, and Kim MacAfee in Bye Bye Birdie.

I cannot imagine a different past -- it's been pretty terrific! I like who I am and I'm proud of what I've done. I am grateful for the people around me and the opportunities I have had so far. Thank you to everyone that has helped to make me who I am, and for the endless supply of fun! I'm excited to discover what will happen next!

Hooray for 30!