Last Fourth of July... I did something crazy.

This time last year I was in Colorado with Chelsey and Stephanie and we celebrated our countrys birth with piercings. What a memorable fourth. Pretty sure I couldn't talk or eat anything. A year later and I finally said good bye to my rebellious piercing. It was time to move on. Happy Fourth of July!

Confession. I don't like fire works. I know it makes me some sort of un-American or something, but the noise is where it gets me. I love the pretty colors but I'm always the one covering my ears and squinting to brace myself for every, "BOOM" at firework shows. I also gained a lack of trust in fireworks at a young age, as i watched many firecrackers blow up my barbies that my brother had stolen...OH and those stupid poppers that you throw on the ground! GAH i was practically tortured with those when I was little. Just picture me, screaming and running down the street as my brother chases me throwing the poppers at my feet. haha and yet, they are still fond memories of mine.

So I went to a wedding reception with my sister (the one home from China) this weekend in Illinois. Talked with random people I don't know, but at least the champagne was really good. The best part about the trip was the drive. It took us 5 hours to get there from St.Louis and we haven't really had that much time to catch up in 3 years. She has been in China all that time and only came home for a few weeks in the summer time. I have changed tremendously and so has she.

My sister is my exact opposite. If you know the personality test- I am an ENFP and she is an ISTJ. The way we process things is very different, obviously. She is definitely a more critical person and I take everything personally. When we were younger it was a challenge, but since time has allowed for both of us to mature and grow, we really mesh well. She's become less of a negative person who points out flaws and I have learned that becoming defensive just makes you get emotional and frustrated and never solves anything. So maybe I'm still learning ;)

No but honestly, I love sharing life with her because she has such a different perspective. She challenges me, which i love. It was great to fill her in on my life and to hear about living in China. I will say that after hearing her stories and being around her as she adjusts back into American culture, I am so glad that I live in America. We stopped to get gas and inside the gas station grabbed a snack. She walks out and exclaims, "Wasn't that so exciting! All that food, so many options!" Ignorantly we think...well most of that is made in China, right? They must have options upon options! Nope. America is all about convenience, a gas station can hold almost everything you could need. We drove through miles and miles of corn fields and farms, she was taking it all in saying every 5 seconds, "I love America...look at how green it is, and the sky is so blue! There is no smog from pollution!"

There were some funny things that she did and I had to remind her that in America, we don't do that. Personal space is not a common concept in China, and there were several times that my sister was standing uncomfortably close to a stranger. I guess that's something she has to adjust back to. Apparently Chinese people hack loogies and spit it on the ground all the time, and let there kids pee and poop in the streets! How gross!

My sister couldn't get over how everything is just bigger and better here. We really are a blessed country. It's so pleasant being around someone who is so grateful for all the little things that I normally take for granted.

Be grateful to live in such an awesome country and don't forget to thank those who sacrifice their lives to protect it!