Attractive April Completed!

This weekend Amy, Brad, and I went to Wuhan to visit our friends Peach and Danielle. We got to sample some of the new Wuhan Starbucks goodness, eat some great Greek pizza at Hello Pizza and stopped in at Dairy Queen for a Chinesy blizzard. We walked down by the river with Peach and her mom... careful not to be attacked by the rose-seller children. I got a new nose ring because my other one was having some "attractiveness" issues (aka- feeling too much like a booger!) We woke up Danielle at all hours upon our arrivals back to her house every night. (Sorry chicka!) Of course, no Wuhan trip is complete without first stopping by Metro for cheese! And that could have been a great weekend there, but there is more...

Amy had been wanting to get her haircut for quite awhile. Brad wanted to get his hair straightened. (If you are laughing at this then you don't understand how great his hair is...) And we decided this was the weekend to do it. We tromped in, wet from rain, into the salon. I expected to just sit and wait for my teammates to be transformed. Instead, I succumbed to peer pressure. (Okay, they really did not say anything about me getting my haircut, but I felt strange not getting anything done...) I don't know really what lead me to chop my hair a drastic amount, but I did it. I had not cut my hair in well over a year, but now those locks are gone. It looked sleeker at the salon than it does now. I, also, painfully regretted my length decision while running on the treadmill today with bangs flopping in my eyes. I had sworn I would never get bangs again like 10 years ago. What was I thinking?!?! Nah, I am actually okay with my cut.

On Sunday our plans were to head back early after Metro run. However, we got a little sidetracked when we found a tattoo shop. I got my first tattoo when I was 18. It marked a great time in my life. However, I had been itching for another since then. (Warning: tattoos can be addictive!) Then 2 years ago while at a training Amy, Brad, Dawson and myself got temporary tattoos of Chinese characters. We talked about getting tattoos together. (Half joking of course) I decided that a tree would be a perfect tattoo because it could symbolize growth and strength. I kept this in the back of my mind until this past Sunday. On Sunday it was at the forefront of my mind. I got my tree tattoo!

My time in China has been one of a lot of growing up. I feel stronger in a lot of ways than I have ever been. I feel as though I can say more what is on my mind. I am independent. Spiritually, I have grown leaps and bounds. This has been a good time and a good place in my life. The tree is fitting. The Chinese characters beside are "gen shen" (根深) It means "deeply rooted." I know what my life should be deeply rooted in and this is just a personal reminder. In the future I hope to add to this tattoo a little when/if I have a family of my own.

And that my friends, is how we completed Attractive April in just one weekend... ;) Still working on some of the "active" parts.