This is me on the shores of Loch Ness. I love this picture almost as much as I love Scotland! I’m 24 years old and I’m a recent graduate of the University of Michigan (woohoo December 2008!). In June 2009 I moved to Hawaii with my husband because the army told us to, and spent about three months enjoying the weather and spending time with him. I have to admit thought, that I miss real winter, rain is not at all the same as snow. He left for Iraq in September and we are working through our first deployment. Being an army wife is a very unique experience so far. I also recently started a new job at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. I am the Operations Coordinator at the campus center. Its a lot like one of my jobs during college and its strange to me how much its like working at the Michigan Union, even so far from home.
I have obsessions with Scotland and Russia and I love history, literature and the great outdoors. I have two kittens to help keep me company this year, named Orbit — who has six toes on each of her front paws — and Hilo — who we got when we moved here from the Human Society. They are both a bit insane, but I love them. It’s hard to keep myself from getting a new cat every day, but I manage somehow. My husband Austin and I were just joking the other day about decorating our future house/apartment and he was making fun of me saying that I would decorate the house with kittens, which is probably true.
I’m a beginner knitter, but I’m hoping to fill more and more of my time that way because I love it. Hopefully blogging will help me learn how to learn from other people. Other than that first lesson of casting on, knitting, and purling, I’m self-taught and I have trouble taking instructions from other people. I’m usually an outgoing person, but I always have trouble asking for help. I’m that person who walks into a knitting store and wants to be invisible while I walk around touching all the yarn. I hate when I’m the only person because I feel awkward and out of place while the staff stares at me. Hopefully, some day I’ll get over that fear and be able to ask them for help.
When I’m not at work, reading or knitting, I usually spend time with my husband, but right now I am counting down until March when we get to meet for R&R. We dated for abou thrtee and a half years, after meeting freshman year because he lived across the hall from me in my dorm, before we got married. He was an Army ROTC guy, so now he is a 2 LT in the 2-6 Cav. He makes me a better and a stronger person, and I love him. Here’s a picture of us before the Military Ball in 2007. I have on my wellies which my mom ordered for me from Scotland, although I found out later that you can buy them in a lot of stores here too. They are hunters and I would wear them every day if I could. 
