Questival

I honestly can't explain this event better than the video you can see here: http://questival.cotopaxi.com/questivals/salt-lake-city-ut/

Ryan and I were in a group of 5. We went out to Wendover, to the salt flats, to the salt lake, to Provo canyon, to sleeping wherever possible (it's not really), to eating for other challenges.

Holiday Leftovers

We all love getting together with family and friends for the holidays (at least I do) and everyone loves eating yummy food. And then the next day the preparer of the food, and any lucky participants the yummy food was delegated to, have, well, a lot of leftovers. The leftovers I'm talking about here are the turkey and ham. Both so delicious, but what about after they're cold? My dad will not eat turkey cold, and it is too much effort to heat turkey up when he could eat ham cold. A few weeks ago I stumbled across this recipe, like almost literally, I was jogging on the treadmill when I found it. And OH MY GOSH it is so good that I made it three times and served it to people.

Leftover rolls
Shredded mozzarella cheese, enough for each sandwich
A few pieces of ham and turkey
1/2 C butter
2 T brown sugar
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T yellow mustard*
1/2 t onion powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a casserole dish. Slice open each roll and place in casserole dish. Place in each roll in this order: mozzarella cheese, ham and turkey, mozzarella cheese. Close rolls.
In a small saucepan melt butter and stir in rest of ingredients until well combined. Brush generously on top of rolls, letting the sauce run down the sides of the rolls.
Bake 15-20 minutes, eat warm.

*I didn't have any Worcestershire sauce so I used brown spicy dijon mustard (or something like that).

Yield: sauce will cover approx 8-10 sandwiches

Recipe was found on Good 4 Utah.

Interesting People

You know, in my mind I'm a pretty cool person. I'm funny too. And I'm good at comebacks. And I'm a good writer. But in reality I don't come across that way. I don't know exactly how I come across, but it's not the cool, funny, witty person I hear when people hear nothing. And they usually hear nothing because I think of the witty comment a few hours after the opportunity of saying the comment had passed.

Sometimes I think my life could be a book or a movie.

But I hate drama, and dramatic happenings are the plots to movies and books.

And I'm not very interesting. In fact, the most interesting things in my life have nothing to do with me. I'm connected in some sort of way, you know, like how Yzma is Pacha's third cousin's brother's wife's step-niece's great aunt. Twice removed. But I, myself, am not very interesting.

My book's plot would somehow get turned into someone else's story. Like how Goosebumps made you turn to a certain page to finish out the rest of the story, my book would turn you to a different book. It would be a great money maker, for other people's books. Pretty soon my book would be good at collecting people's shelf dust and would have a never ending cycle of being encircled about by other people's books.

Let's face it, the most interesting subjects in my life are the people I know. The excitement in my book would come when I talked with other people, because their lives are exciting.

Like the seminary class I've taught for the past two weeks. Two of the kids went to prom together. One always has a family story to tell. One is nicknamed Beyonce. One used to have the hair of Will Smith when he was the Fresh Prince.

Or like my cool brother. Anything he is doing is interesting. He's just graduated, is moving to a new city, and has a sister who looks up to every move he makes.

Or like my cool brother's darling little girl. My niece. Anything she does is so captivating. And almost everything she does is so funny. The way she sees the world as her constant playground, the way she walks when she's tired and "tipsy," the way she plays with hair by flipping her hand back and forth, creating more tangles, really.

Or like my beautiful cousin (who wouldn't be closer to me if we were from the same parents). She is surrounded by friends, everyone loves her, and she's constantly doing spontaneous acts of funness.

Or like the lives of close friends. The other night I went through my contacts with the intention of deleting people I no longer remember or ex boyfriends (it's relieving, really) and ended up texting several friends because I simply hadn't heard from them in a while. One just moved and has a darling infant boy. One is getting married in a couple months. One is working on getting her body in shape (which, come one, she's a dancer, she is in shape, she should be working on getting my body in shape) (just kidding) (maybe). And one just bungee jumped off the stratosphere.

So, really, my life is only interesting because of the people I'm surrounded by and the people I keep in contact with. I have no children. I have no husband, heck not even a boyfriend. The only way I could be remembered at this point in my life is because I listened to other people tell their stories.

For now I'll chase the sun and keep in touch with people because I want to. I'd consider that a high honor as something to be remembered by. The book of people I had the pleasure listening to.

Vegetable Pizza

This recipe came about by accident. I didn't have much food in my apartment, but I had a pizza crust and a few vegetables. I knew these vegetables would be good together because Lindsay Stoker taught me a vegetable/cheese medley using most of them, and I have a white pizza sauce recipe from a spinach-broccoli pizza. So here is a healthy pizza, I eat this when I've had a lot of meat and I want some veggies and I want something filling.


Vegetable Pizza
Shaylee Droubay

Sauce:
1 Tbsp butter
1 Garlic clove, minced (or ¼ tsp garlic powder)
1 Tbsp flour
Pinch of Fresh ground black pepper
Dash of nutmeg
¾ cup Milk
6 Tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese
Salt, to taste

For assembly:
Pizza dough or precooked pizza crust
Olive oil, for brushing
1 Tbsp butter
½ Red onion, sliced thinly to make small rings
1 Green bell pepper, diced
1 Green zucchini, large dice
1 can Kidney beans, drained
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1-2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese (enough to cover the pizza)
Finely grated Parmesan cheese (enough to cover the pizza)

Preheat oven to 425˚F (bake/roast), or according to packaged pizza crust instructions. Place a baking sheet in the oven to get hot, if using dough.

In a small skillet on medium heat, melt the butter. Add onion and sauté until clear and soft. Add bell pepper and zucchini, sauté until soft. Turn heat to low, add kidney beans, cover. Remove from heat if kidney beans get too soft.

In a small sauce pan over medium-low heat, heat the butter and garlic. Whisk in flour, black pepper, and nutmeg. Let cook for 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in milk. Cook until bubbly and thickened, about 3-4 minutes, whisking frequently. Whisk in the finely grated Parmesan until melted. Add salt. Remove from heat and set aside.

If using pizza dough, dust counter with flour and gently stretch pizza dough to a 12—14” round pizza, or divide to 3 miniature pizzas. Or use pre-made pizza crust. Place dough onto parchment paper that is sized to then pan.

Brush a ½—1” border of the dough with olive oil. Spoon the sauce onto dough, leaving a small border for crust. Evenly drop/spread vegetable medley onto pizza, may need to rearrange onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Remove pan from oven and place parchment with pizza onto the pan. This will give a slightly crispier crust to the pizza.

Bake for 13—17 minutes, until dough and cheese are browning. Or according to packaged pizza crust instructions, cheese should be melted and slightly browning.

The Fellowship of the Unashamed

I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The die has been cast; I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, I won't look back, let up, slow down or be still. My past is redeemed; my present makes sense and my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, small planning, smooth knees, and dwarf goals. I no longer need preeminence, position, promotions or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk with patience amplified by prayer and labor with power. My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven. My path is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few. My guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, divided or delayed. I will not negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won't give up, shut up or let up until I have stayed up, stored up and paid up for the cause of Christ. I must go until He comes, give until I drop, preach unto all I know and work until He stops me. And when He returns for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me, my banner will be clear!

Elder Henry B. Eyring

Stuffed Zucchini

This recipe can be made simply or according to directions. I almost always have zucchini, tomatoes, onions, and ground beef on hand, and cheese is a staple for any refrigerator. These few foods can give you a great tasting meal. If you do the full recipe with wine and specified cheeses, you will have a flavorful dish that pairs greatly with a side salad, corn, and rolls made with No Bread-Maker Bread.

If you want to do the simplified version, omit the wine, use any cooking oil you have on hand, use Italian Seasoning instead of figuring out an herb combo, and use whatever cheese you so happen to have. And you can guess on the amounts to save time and dishes.


Stuffed Zucchini
Recipe adapted and altered from Shanna Bridegan's recipe

2 LARGE green zucchinis
½ lbs ground beef
Your favorite Italian herb combo, to taste (possibly
garlic salt, basil leaves, and parsley flakes)
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
¼—½ cup olive oil
½ onion, diced
3 small tomatoes, diced
¼—½ cup Sweet Vermouth, a fortified wine (Lejon
brand is great. Once opened, wine will last about
4 weeks.) Optional
¼ cup parmesan cheese
½ cup mozzarella cheese (enough to top zucchinis)

Slice the zucchinis long wise, scoop/scrape out the inside and
reserve. Place hollowed zucchinis in tight casserole dish.

In 2 separate pans cook the ground beef with the Italian herbs,
garlic and onion powders, salt, and pepper. Let that cook down
until browned and juice has evaporated. In the other pan, add
olive oil, onions, tomatoes, and chopped zucchini centers, sauté
until soft, add salt and pepper to taste. If using wine, turn heat to
HIGH and add wine, reduce until the liquid is almost gone, stop
before mixture burns.

Preheat oven to 400˚F (bake).

Combine the vegetable and meat mixtures, add parmesan cheese
and mix. Once combined, stuff zucchinis (really pack them), and
top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake zucchinis for 20 minutes, until they are heated through. Turn oven to broil to brown the cheese. Remove and serve.

No Bread-Maker Bread

In a previous post I mentioned that I make my own bread. I haven't bought bread in over a year because I use this recipe. It is very filling, one slice will fill me more than two slices of processed grocery bread. This bread is also really great in French Toast, Cinnamon Rolls (I'll post that later), and anything else bread is used for.

This recipe is so easy, no bread maker is needed, no worry about when yeast foams, bread rises for 25 minutes, cooks for 25 minutes. You could have fresh, hot bread in 1 hour, and all dishes cleaned, makes for very easy entertaining. And everyone will be impressed with your skills.

Read the full recipe before making. The yeast must be SAF-instant yeast, and it combines with the dry ingredients first, not with hot water like most bread recipes.

No Bread-Maker Bread

5 ¼ cups (1 lb 10 ¼ oz) White bread flour
¼ cup Granulated sugar
½ Tbsp Salt
1 ½ Rounded Tbsp SAF-instant yeast
1/3 cup Vegetable oil
2 cups Hot tap water

Mix flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a large bowl (if using the bread
paddle on a KitchenAid, don’t use faster than speed 2). Add oil
and water. Mix for 1 minute, check consistency. Should be very
sticky; if dough is too dry, add more water. Mix for 5 minutes. (Do
not add more flour after it has finished mixing).

Grease counter and pans with butter.

Divide dough into two, shape loaves, place loaves into pans and
cover with plastic wrap and a dish towel. Let rise for 25 minutes in
a warm, moist environment with little air-flow.

Bake at 350˚F for 25 minutes.

Yield: 2 small loaves.
Note: can double recipe if not preparing in a KitchenAid or similarsized appliance

Want More Money? Spend Less on Food

The other day my friend mentioned to me, "Instead of paying $70 for a new suit, I went to the grocery store and spent $70 on food."

I completely understand how someone could spend $70 on groceries, but I know that if one pays attention to what he is buying, he will pay less out of his pocket, thus spending less than $70 on a large grocery trip.

Because of a few smalls steps I've taken, I keep a food budget of $30 per week. Here's how.

Pay attention to where each dollar is, you'll spend less of them.

I keep track of my expenses and income. Always. Anything that changes my bank account even the slightest penny, I know where that penny was coming from and what it's going to. There is a great app for this purpose, I've used it for over two years now, it's called iReconcile. Enter your accounts, enter deposits, withdrawals, and transfers, and keep track of your cash flow. With this app I can enter all my withdrawals, deposits, and transfers the moment they happen because my phone is with me.

Pay attention to what you're buying and what your options are.

I used to buy only the name-brand products at the highest prices, at the most posh grocery stores in town. I've since learned that food from other brands tastes the exact same. This took a couple months for me to figure out. I went to all the grocery stores on my most common routes to find the one with the best prices for the best food. I also looked into some less-popular options for food, I'll get to that in a minute.

In my experience, produce from Harmon's is the best and most expensive, from Wal*Mart is the worst, and from Smith's is slightly better than Wal*Mart but still nasty. 

Super Target is my winning grocery store. Good prices, good selection of food, good produce, and I can buy almost anything else there, too (i.e. housing decor, prescriptions, etc). Thus Target is where I buy food.

Though I love Target as a grocery store, I buy my produce from a company that gives me an even better price for an even higher quantity. My number one produce stop is Bountiful Baskets. Bountiful Baskets is a contribution co-op that puts all cost into the produce. You sign up on a Monday or Tuesday for 1-3 baskets (baskets are about 10 lbs of vegetables and fruits) and, if you want, other food products (i.e. bread baskets, peach cases, tortilla mix, etc). Then you pick up your order the following Saturday morning. It's $15 per basket. Fifteen dollars for 10 lbs of food. That's unheard of. One basket will last me for two weeks. Seriously this is such a huge money saver. Go to BountifulBaskets.org for information and to find a location near you.

Pay attention to what you eat.

Almost all of my meals are home-made. I've found little tricks to make really simple, quick, and delicious meals, usually involving the produce I got from Bountiful Baskets. I'll share my recipes in later blogs. And if I do eat out, it fits within my budget because I save enough to splurge on a restaurant meal.

Tricks for storing meat and bread:

I buy the meat, separate it into portions, and put all portions in Ziploc freezer bags, then in the freezer. If I want to cook with the meat, I pull the portion from the freezer the night before and let it thaw in the fridge. I also date the meat with the date I put it in the freezer. This keeps the meat the freshest it can be.

Bread. I make my own bread. Such an easy recipe, and healthy. No preservatives--not like I care anyways. I'll share that recipe later, too. Store bread in the freezer. When I want a slice, I stick it in the toaster and hit the defrost setting. Or heat it up on the stove. My bread lasts for weeks and is fresh every time I eat it. Another huge money saver.

This is my system for saving money on food. I hope you found some tips and tricks that could work into your life. If you have your own system, I would love to hear about it!

Thanks for visiting

Leave You Luscious Lipstick

This lipstick has become my all-time favorite. I won't stray from this because it is so wonderful. And truly, it leaves you luscious.
I've been using Bare Escentuals foundation for four years and it has been really good for my skin (health and looks-wise). A couple months ago I decided to try using their lipstick, so I bought the bareMinerals 100% Natural Lipcolor. This lipstick is awesome! I use it almost every day, it lasts until I wipe it off, you know because I'm a messy eater.
One of the best things about this lipstick is that it looks like lips, none of this dry, crackly lipstick, just pure lip and color. I have the Cherries on Top color, it's a bright, flirty lipstick. The picture below shows Bavarian Creme.
My favorite lipstick, $15, extremely long lasting, natural-looking (plus color).

Thanks for visiting,

                                       

Photo Update

If you follow my Instagram (@Shaylee_Droubay) then you have probably seen most of these. Enjoy!

                    

                    

                            

                              

Thanks for visiting,

                                

Must-have Products for Every Girl

Here is a small list of products I have been using for at least two years and pretty much cannot live without. I hope you find this helpful!

Oil Blotting Sheets

If you have ever had oily skin, you have wanted to use this, not kidding. These blot sheets take your face from late-day-look to morning-matte-beauty. I carry oil blot sheets with me everywhere and have multiple packs so I can keep one in a purse, backpack, and bathroom drawer. There are many different brands, I've tried name brands to knock-off generics, they all work and do the job well, just go get some.

Certain Dri Roll-On

Sweating excessively runs in my genes and it shows; well, it used to. Now I use Certain Dri every third night and my problem is all taken care of! No more embarrassment over sweat rings, which results in a happier, more confident Shaylee. PS, I have turned two roommates to the product already and it has changed both of their lives like it did with mine.

Always Infinity Pads

I find tampons very uncomfortable and pads can become irritating. I had seen the Infinity pads but hadn't thought them to be any better than other pads. Then my sweet cousin Kayla said I should try them because they are wonderful.

People. She was right. Wonderful. My body doesn't get irritated with these, it hardly feels like I'm wearing a pad (and they hold a lot, sorry for the TMI).

MAC Paint Pots

These keep eye shadow lasting until it's washed off, they keep the eye shadow from clumping, and give eyes a smooth, finished look. The paint pots come in many different colors according to your skin-type and base eye color preference (I use "bare study," a pale, shimmery base). There are many products like the paint pots from other brands, the reasons I like these are because I can better control the amount by using a brush (versus the product being in a tube and squeezing out too much), and it's a MAC product, always great quality from MAC.

Seche Vita

If nail polish top coats had a hierarchy, this would be the king of all top coats. It makes nail polish dry extremely fast (still need to be careful, of course), gives the nails a nice finish, and makes polish last for a very long time. Not kidding, my polish won't start chipping until one-week of wear.

Thanks for visiting,

Donate to Moore, OK

Now thru May 31 I am donating all profits from print sales to Mercury One's tornado relief fund to help those in Moore, OK. All profits means I will donate all sales minus print costs to the tornado relief fund.

So pass the word along, all profits from every print sold are going to help those in Moore, OK.
Click here to order prints.

Be Confident

Today I didn't have any of my own makeup and hair items to get ready like normal because I was super sick yesterday and spent the night at my parents' house. But after I got out of the shower this afternoon (yes, this afternoon because my morning was spent sleeping to recover) I felt so pretty. This made me wonder how many women will feel so pretty then go out into society and instantly feel inadequate and underdone.

Lynn Butler once told me that even though my body may appear to be under par, that it works. My legs can walk, my back can be straight, my limbs allow me to work. My body works!

So what if my makeup isn't done and I leave the house with my hair wet and left to its own interpretation of "done," I feel pretty because I am healthy and clean, and my body works pretty darn well too.

So be grateful for what you have and use your body while you can.

Thanks for visiting

Revamped

Welcome to my revamped blog! I started this blog almost exactly 5 years ago, wow! And I've been meaning to revamp it for quite some time, "shaybabe904.blogspot.com" isn't the best url to remember, so now I give you "ShayleeTheSunChaser.blogspot.com."

I know I've shared a few times this story about a cute girl's dream and her mother's interpretation and realization, but I figured I should share it again since it is the inspiration for my blog's new title and URL.

For the sake of the author I will lead you to her site because I cannot do this story justice. Please read it, it changed my perspective on living and I think it could have profound insight on yours. Enjoy!

The Girl Who Chased the Sun.

Thanks for visiting

Neglect, much?

I just realized it has been SO long since I've blogged on my personal blog. I've been so busy with work and school and getting used to roommates that I haven't blogged here. Speaking of.. Yes, I did move to Provo. I have good roommates, three other girls, who are really nice and fun to be around.
I have a goal to blog more about favorite things, special memories, yummy food, and good times had with great people. Till then, here are some pictures.

Coconut Macaroons

1/3 c. butter, softened
3 oz. cream cheese
1 egg yolk
2 tsp orange juice
1 tsp almond extract
1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
14 tsp salt
3 3/4 c. coconut

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a mixer, beat butter, cream cheese, and sugar until well blended.
Add egg yolk, orange juice, and almond extract, mix until combined.
Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Add dry ingredients to mixing bowl and combine.
Stir in coconut.
Drop by spoon onto greased or lined cookie sheet.
Bake for 10-15 minutes.
Yield: 2-3 dozen, depending how large/small.

*I used a #40 scoop, made 35 cookies, baked for 13 minutes exactly.

Recipe thanks to inspiration-ave.com

Daughters of God Project

I'm doing a new project, not for school or work, but because I want to. Please see the details of the project at www.daughtersofgodproject.blogspot.com. Details can be seen in the "About" tab.

I posted the Introduction, shared it to Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, and I keep checking back at the stats. My heart is full that people are viewing the blog. I really want this project to reach as many people as possible, but I can't do this on my own. I need as much help with this as I can get. Only a handful of people follow this blog, but if I may, I'd like to ask each of you for help. Please link to this blog, share it with your friends, your family, your cousins, your relief societies, your book clubs, anyone! If this project could be posted in a room in Salt Lake City as a gallery-type of view, it would be such a blessing. It would be a great blessing because I know that sharing, listening to, and reading testimonies can only strengthen your own testimony.

Not many women know their true value as a daughter of God, not many men know of their true worth either. I strongly believe that this project can reach out to those people and strengthen them.

Something I didn't mention on Daughters of God blog is how this idea formed, and I'd like to share that here.

Back in the fall of last year (2011) I was attending a barnside (much like a fireside, only held at the bishop's barn/lodge) with my Alpine singles ward. We were listening to a woman tell us of how to love and appreciate the bodies we've been given, without loving ourselves too much (a topic for a much longer blog post). At the end of her presentation she showed us a video of women, happy women. While watching this video I had a strong impression to do a personal project about women of all ages not only know who they are, but whose they are--being that they know they are daughters of an all loving Father in Heaven.

And here we are now. So please, follow and share the Daughters of God blog with the people you know so that testimonies can be shared and strengthened.

The Droubay Family

Some facts about us . . .
We were all born into the LDS church and love it. My mom is the second youngest of eight, born in '66 (and she looks like she's 29). My dad is the second youngest of five, born in '62 (and gloats my mom every chance he gets). My parents met on a blind date, and my mom was not impressed. But somehow my dad won her over. When they got married in '86 they lived in Erda, Utah. My brother Skyler was born in '88, and I was born in '90. In '91 we moved to Grantsville, Utah, which is where my mom grew up. We moved to Alpine, Utah, at the end of '99 and have been here ever since. We LOVE it here, our neighbors are good, and we live next door to one of my mom's sisters and her small family.

Fun facts . . .
To put it simply, the Droubay family is a simple family. We enjoy each others' company. We like playing card games that aren't too complicated (or are, some people just take a little more time than ever necessary). We play jokes on each other--such as placing an Austin Powers cardboard stand-up around the house to get someone to jump a few feet in the air out of fright.
No one makes us laugh harder than each other. Skyler can make anyone laugh their socks off on a whim regardless of how well he knows them. My dad is quite the jokester; he has a creative mind that, most of the time, can get people rolling with laughter. I'm the prankster; if you had food on your fork or salsa on your chip, I'm the one who will knock it off before you take a bite. My mom is the witty one; she is the first to think of our jokes before we can say them. Caitlin (Skyler's wife) is the one who will say a joke under her breath just to get those right next to her laughing out loud.
The Droubay family is tightly knit. We will defend and stand up for each other to the death.
Needless to say, we love each other very much.

Photography done by Yan Photo

Unexpected Feeling

A few weeks ago I was taking some images around my house test-driving a Contax 645 camera (medium format film camera).

I had only 16 images to take so I was running around trying to make compositions in the house. I figured that if I was test-driving the camera I should probably photograph that which I will be photographing for work: people. So I stopped my mom as she was on her iPad, told her to look at me with a soft smile as I got the focus and lighting.

I've never photographed my mom like that before. I've taken her picture while on vacation or at a fun event, but I had never photographed her.

I ended up doing 3 images of her (because I failed to count and she blinked the first two times) and each time there was a distinct feeling there that I still can't put into words.

It felt as if...

It's seriously difficult to grab suffice words, so just go with me on this...

As if I were meeting my mom for one of the first times ever in my life.

The feeling was an immense amount of love plus a connection of heart and personality. It felt like I was peeling back the layers to reveal the true woman she is.

Now, this was my mom; we know each others' personalities better than anyone. So why would I feel this? What layers have I not seen shed in our 22 years together?

No idea.

All I know is that when I viewed her through the camera, layers fell, and the wonderful woman my mom truly is was revealed.

I Chased the Sun

I want to write about an experience I had Saturday (Feb 21) morning.

I woke up at 8 and was so happy that is was raining, pouring rain! I love the rain so much, even when it's cold! I thought about all that I needed to do: homework, run errands, photograph Kayla's preference group, hurry back to go to Brian Regan, and... Hmm... I want to be in the rain.

I didn't care what I would do in the rain, and, to be honest, I didn't know what to do. I just wanted to be in it, I wanted to live this moment because I knew that if I didn't, I would regret it for weeks like I have in the past. I wanted to live that moment to the fullest and chase the sun even though I knew I wouldn't catch it.

So I hopped out of bed and grabbed some warm layers. As I went downstairs I ran into my mom, then dad, and later my brother. Each one asked what I was doing, to which I responded "going outside," and they each asked why.

Why.

Did I not have other obligations that would keep me busy? Of course I did, I have a constant "to-do" list that never seems to end.

Why.

Couldn't I have spent that time getting ready for the day and gotten some of my "to-do's" accomplished? Absolutely.

Why.

I'm sure that my family was just curious as to why I would want to be in the rain. I know they weren't asking these accusatory questions in their minds. (I just thought those questions would be the "average" person's thoughts.)

Why.

Why not?

I chased the sun. I the let cool water spatter onto my face. I spun in circles and felt the rain fall for me. I let my body fly in the air like a raindrop (thank you, trampoline). I didn't worry about what was happening in the chaotic world around me. I didn't worry about who was watching or who would care. I chased the sun. I stopped thinking, I stopped caring, I just was.

"Sometimes the trick to being yourself is to stop thinking about who that person is, and just to be." --Yan

If you ever get a moment to just be, take it. Live it. Chase the sun.