#6. Hardest Thing Ever Experienced

20 Til I'm 20:  #6.  Describe the hardest thing you've ever experienced.

For me this is actually an easy one to answer.  The hardest thing I have ever experienced was my summer in New York working at a special needs summer camp.  Besides overcoming my fears of getting lost in an air port and getting robbed on the subway, there were a lot of other hard parts about the summer too.  The schedule was very demanding, working almost 24 hours a day, 6 days a week.  Thankfully I was able to get Sundays off and found a little LDS branch to attend while I was there.  That helped a lot.  The living arrangements.... not so hot.  There was also a unique set of challenges working with special needs campers, especially with so many put together at once.  Campers running away, waking up to a naked 15 year old standing on his bed, being bitten, hair pulled, punched, and trying to keep some of the campers from doing these things to other campers (point of clarification: not all the campers were like this.  They all ranged on levels of functioning and what not).  Though this was an extremely difficult part of the summer, it was also my favorite part.  Working with these people was the most amazing experience.  They all have such unique, beautiful spirits and I feel extremely blessed to have had the chance to share that little amount of their lives with them. They taught me SO much.  I learned a lot about myself and what my limits are and what I can handle.  It has been over a year since this experience now and I can honestly say that not a day has gone by that I haven't thought about those campers and how very dear they are to me.  So you may be wondering why I said this was the hardest thing I've ever been through then.  The main reason why this experience was so hard for me was because of the way that all the other counselors lived while we were off-duty.  I was completely alone in my beliefs and standards while I was at camp and I was given a hard time because of that.  I watched people that I care about and had grown to care about make choices that I knew could effect their lives in very negative ways.  That was hard for me.  I had never felt so alone in my entire life.  But I must say that good things definitely can come from the bad.  I really decided for myself the way I want to live my life (not that I hadn't decided before, but growing up in Utah you are hardly ever faced with what's really out there and you are never alone in choosing the right) and I proved it to myself.  I felt much stronger and solid in my beliefs morals and standards after this experience, and even though it was so hard, in the end it was worth it.

#5. 3 Fears

20 Til I'm 20:  #5. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and how they became fears.

Some of these fears that I have may be legitimate but they are also a bit irrational, but, they are still fears nonetheless.

#1.  This fear has to do with my feet.  I blame this fear on Disneyland's "Honey I Shrunk the Audience" 4D video.  Once upon a time when I was a wee child, I went to Disneyland with my family.  We decided to go watch the aforementioned show.  Bad idea.  This was no ordinary show.  It's not just the 3D, things popping out right in front of your face kinda of show, hence the 4D part of the title.  This show interacts with the audience:  squirts water at your face when some one sneezes, blows air on you when the dog is sniffing you, and (right here is the cause of this fear) blows air at your feet when little micey are running around.  Now, I cannot have my feet down during movies/uncovered when I go to sleep.

#2.  From the above listed fear I'm sure you can assume my next fear.  Mice.  I hate those little creatures with all of my being!  Hamsters, I can handle.  Gerbals, I can handle.  Guinea Pigs, I can handle.  Rats, I used to be able to handle until my teacher in 7th grade put one on my shoulder and it climbed behind my neck and got stuck in my hair.  Different story...  Anyway, mice, I cannot handle.  This fear started again when I was a little child. I was living in Diamond Valley and we had mice in our house.  I was watching TV with my cousin and we saw a mouse run across the floor in front of the TV.  Both of us ran into the office and did not come down from standing on the desk and chair for a good long time. 

#3.  Wooden roller coasters.  Now, I'm not the type of girl who is scared to ride roller coasters and other thrill rides.  I really love them actually.  But I am not the biggest fan of wooden roller coasters, especially the really old white one at Lagoon.  That's how this fear came about.  Once when I was walking into the park, I saw blots dropping from that old white coaster track and from then on, the wooden ones have always made me nervous.  Despite my fear, I still ride wooden roller coasters.  Most of the time it's because I have someone with me who wants me to go and I cannot look afraid to ride the roller coaster, while inside I'm freaking out a little to myself.  Overall I end up enjoying them once I've completed the ride and realize that I didn't die though.  I guess my fear adds to the thrill? 

#4. 16 Year Old Self

20 Til' I'm 20: #4.  List 10 things you would tell your 16 year old self.

1.  On all of your big projects, start early.  It will make the world of difference.
2.  Skip the writing portion of the ACT.  It won't help you at all anyway.
3.  If you spent two years not really liking someone, don't go to his/her house.  And avoid movies at said house at all costs.
4.  Don't worry too much about friends in high school, most of them go away.  College friends are where it's at!
5.  Remember to wear sunscreen.
6.  It may be awkward, but listen to your school counselor.  He knows what he is talking about.
7.  Wait until you are out of high school before you develop crushes on RMs.  Haha!
8.  Rebellion can sometimes be good.  Don't fear it too much.
9. Be bluntly honest from the beginning.
10.  You will eventually get to drive, and you'll even get to drive the convertible, so don't fret!

#3: Soundtrack of Life

20 Til I'm 20: #3.  What songs are included on the soundtrack of your life?

This one is actually kind of a hard question for me but only because I have SO MANY songs that I relate to different points and people in my life.  I know that the theme song/title of my soundtrack would be "On My Way" by Phil Collins (of course!).  I guess from here I'll just list a few...
Bye Bye Bye - Nsync
I'll Stand By You - The Pretenders
Time of Your Life - Green Day
We Are The World 25
Dream Catch Me - Newton Faulkner
Gotta Be Somebody - Nickleback
My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly Clarkson
Keep Your Head Up - Andy Grammar
We Are Family - Pointer Sisters
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
And I would also add something by Elvis and by Def Leppard, I just can't choose only one song from each of them right now.
I guess that's the soundtrack of my life.  Each of the songs has a special meaning and a special story for me but I don't need to bore you with all the details.  I would add so many more songs on there, but we would be here forever.  And I know that there are some major ones that I'm forgetting.  But for now, this is it!

#2. 5 Things That Make You Happy

20 til' I'm 20:  #2.  List 5 things that make you the most happy right now.

1.  Missionary emails.  Almost every week I get to hear from my brother and one of my dear friends, both of which are serving missions for our church right now.  I absolutely love hearing them and their emails make me happy every time, without fail.
2.  Having a full tank of gas in my car.  With my nanny job this summer, I drive so much more than I ever have before.  I have to go to the gas station at least once a week and it drives me crazy but I love the feeling of having a full tank of gas in my car. 
3.  Hearing from friends.  My best friend wrote on my Facebook wall just to say hello the other day.  Love her!  I also have been able to talk to some friends that I've been missing and I have a trip planned in the near future to go visit them!  So excited!! 
4.  Seeing my family.  I haven't seen my great-grandma for almost two years now because I've been away at school every time she has been in St. George but I was able to see and talk to her as well as other family members last week.  I also got to see both sides of my family for my little sister's birthday party.  It has been a lot of fun to catch up with all of them.  I am blessed to have such a wonderful family and I've learned these past two years that they are what I miss most while I am at school.
5.  Getting my textbooks.  Now, this may make me seem like a total nerd but I really have been loving this!  I only had to pay $1.96 for all of my textbooks this semester and that alone makes me feel happy.  I've been getting the books in the mail for the past week and each time is a little reminder that makes me smile and giggle a little to myself.  Normally my books cost between $200-$500, so can you blame me??  What can I say?  I'm a poor college student.  :D

#1. List 20 Random Facts About Yourself

20 til' I'm 20: Random Facts

1.  My middle name is Dwan, not Dawn, even though people commonly think that I spell my own name wrong.
2.  I love Def Leppard!  As a kid, my dad would always play Def Leppard in the car and it stuck.
3.  I have a little obsession with pet fish.  I have owned 7 fish since I started college in Fall 2010.  Two of them are still living.
4.  I am almost a twin.  My brother and I are exactly 10 months apart.  When we were in intermediate/middle school we told people (mostly our teachers) that we were twins just so see how long it would last.
5.  I cannot have my feet on the ground during a movie.  "Honey I Shrunk the Audience" at Disneyland ruined me as a child.
6.  I have a growing crush on Andy Grammar. 
7.  I am a huge fan of roller coasters and thrill rides.  This one always surprises people for some reason. 
8.  I graduated with a science degree but I do not like science very much.
9.  I hate regular milk.  I will not drink milk unless it is chocolate (or sometimes strawberry).
10.  I love horseback riding.  I used to have a horse back in the day.
11.  In elementary school, I won the science fair both times I entered.  The best part was that I got to miss a day of school to go to the regional science fair at Dixie State College. 
12.  I am very stubborn.
13.  The movie Batman scared me as a kid and to this day I still cannot watch a batman movie.
14.  I am a huge football fan, especially Peyton Manning.  His team switch may or may not still be a major dilemma in my life.
15.  I wear a size 8 shoe, although sometimes it can range between 7.5-8.5.
16.  Once I was in a singing group called EWIT (Eternal Wives In Training).
17.  Some of my biggest pet peeves occur while driving.  I regularly talk to all the other drivers on the road. 
18.  When I was young my two favorite singers/groups were Nsync and Britney Spears.  I owned multiple CD's of both.
19.  I have never donated blood which always makes me feel guilty so I volunteer at blood drives instead.
20.  As a child, my favorite book was called "A Porcupine Named Fluffly."  I tried to tell the story in our school's storytelling festival but I didn't get in. 

20 Til' I'm 20

Since I am almost out of my teens (getting close!!!), I've been thinking about doing a count down list of 20 things until I am 20.  I tried my hardest but I just couldn't think of what I wanted to do and then today I realized that I am a day late!  So... to spice things up a little I will be posting something random about myself each day for 20 days  .I think this'll be super fun and I invite you to play along! I would LOVE to read what you have to say about yourself in regards to these questions!  This could potentially be rather funny.  :D   Enjoy!  

P.S.  To make up for my lost day, there will be two posts today.  I apologize!

THE LIST:

1. List 20 random facts about yourself.

2. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?
3. What songs are included on the soundtrack of your life?
4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.
5. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.
6. What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?
7. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
8. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.
9. Describe your most embarrassing moment.

10.  If you could eat dinner with any person from history who would it be and what would you eat?

11.  Describe 3 significant childhood memories. 

12. If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do?

13. If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose?

14. What did you do growing up that got you into trouble?

15.  Who was your favorite celebrity as a child?

16.  Describe your 3 greatest accomplishments.

17.  If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would it be and who would it be with? 

18.   If you could own a non-traditional pet which would it be?

19.  Do you have any favorite stories from your childhood?

20. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.