Day 9: A favorite picture of your best friend

It's hard because I can't pick just one friend or just one picture. That's not to say, by any means, that I'm overflowing with friends and can't imagine only picking one friend. I try to keep a pretty tight circle of friends who I'm really close to. But when I'm close to them, I'm really close to them.

Meet Paige. She's an aspiring doctor, learner, one of the most spiritually mature people I know, absolutely hilarious, goofy, can mimic a Wisconsin accent perfectly, and is an avid fan of the University of North Carolina, which is the school she is probably going to go to next year. Paige and I have found that every time we're together, we take

a picture. It never fails. It's corny and ridiculous, but it's us. And most of them aren't necessarily serious pictures.

I love Paige and think she's one of the strongest people I know. Now for the pictures...

I'm on the left and she's on the right in both of these. Hey boys--aren't we pretty? Hehe :)

Day 8: Places I've traveled to

For only being nineteen years old, I'm fairly well traveled. I've been to four of the seven continents (only briefly for one, though...) and have been immersed in several of these place's cultures. Traveling has always been an eye-opening experience and something that I definitely want to keep doing throughout my life. So here are noteworthy places I've been to...

States:

1. Alabama--I was born there (Birmingham, baby!) and have also been to Gulf Shores on vacation

2. Arkansas--My cousins live in Fayetteville

3. Colorado--Skiing (me...skiing...yeah) and also for a family camp!

4. Florida--Disney World when I was young and dorky and then in Miami briefly for a layover

5. Georgia--Mission trip 2010 :)

6. Idaho--Stayed in this tiny town (Driggs) for a hiking/adventure vacation

7. Louisiana--Passed through many times and went on mission trip there for a week (hello New Orleans!)

8. Missouri--Silver Dollar City anyone?

9. Montana--Same trip as the Idaho one. All those states are beautiful

10. New Mexico--White Sands National Park on my first mission trip. Those dunes are unreal.

11. New York--The Big Apple with my mom and dad. See you soon, NYC, because 86:12 is about to take you by storm!

12. Oklahoma--I was interested in OSU and my cousins used to live there. I've also had many a campout there too.

13. Tennessee--Lived in Franklin for about a year. It's the first house I really remember.

14. TEXAS--I have spent 17 years of my life in this state and wouldn't want it any other way.

15. Virginia--My cousins lived here! Hello, Richmond!

16. Wyoming--This was on the same trip as Montana and Idaho.

Sixteen states out of fifty? Huh. Not doing so well on the continental front. My goal is to make it to all of them someday. How awesome would Alaska be?!

Countries (in order of arrival):

1. Peru. I went on a mission trip when I was twelve...so seven years ago. That's crazy to think about because I still remember everything with perfect clarity. I stayed in Lima and Arequipa and both cities are incredible. That was my first mission trip ever--and what a great one it was. If I ever got the chance, I would absolutely go back.

2. Mexico. Okay, so I want to Cozumel. It's extremely touristy and I stayed in an all-inclusive hotel. But it's Mexico! The water was beautiful and I fed biscuits to fish who ate right out of my hands. It was an amazing, fun-filled trip with half of my mom's side of the family. I think my grandmother put down 20 Coke floats in the 5 days we were there.

3. Dominican Republic. It shares an island with Haiti but it isn't nearly as poverty stricken. The area is beautiful and very European. Some stay there for two weeks--and I thought five days was a lot. The DR is one of the happiest countries on earth, which I thought was pretty awesome. You would see these guys soaked in sweat and working on the side of the road waving at you with these huge smiles. It was an awesome vacation.

4. England. Okay, so this is kind of a half-truth. I was only in Heathrow for six hours and saw none of the city besides what I could see out of my window flying in. But I've been there so I guess I'll count it.

5. Kenya. As in Africa. Never have I been more scared or more in awe of God than in Kenya. It's alive in every aspect of the word, from the people to the animals to the landscape to the cities. Kenya is a truly amazing country and I will never forget that trip and I hope to make it back in the future.

So yes. That's a brief summary of my travels.

Day 7: Favorite movies

Oh gosh, these change with the tide. It all depends on what I've seen recently but there are only a few that stay constant. As of this day, January 27th, 2011, these are some of my favorite movies:

1. The Proposal. Hilarious beyond hilarious. I've officially decided that if I can't have Ryan Reynolds, I want Sandra Bullock to. Some of my all-time favorite quotes have come from that movie ("So...so naked."). The two main characters have such a great chemistry and I didn't stop laughing through that whole movie.

2. She's the Man. I just watched that again recently. My favorite movie quote EVER comes from this movie: "When I close my eyes, I see you for what you truly are...which is ug-lay!" I laugh during that whole movie at how awkward Amanda Bynes is and how it was nice to see stud muffin Channing Tatum show his awkward/goofy side. A hilarious adaption of Shakespeare's already funny "Twelfth Night", "She's the Man" ties in modern culture to a centuries old comedy. Though it has some gross parts (Toby and Eunice's weird kiss at the end, anyone?), it is an all around great movie.

3. Tangled. I just saw this over the past weekend and loved it. The frying pan as a weapon, Maximus the opinionated horse, and an outlaw named Eugene. What could be better? A great take on the old Repunzel tale, Tangled had me laughing the whole time. Can you tell I like comedies?

4. Toy Story 3. A great finish to the amazing adventures of our friends Woody, Buzz, and their cohorts. It had my heart racing and kept me at the edge of my seat. Yes, I cried at the end and had an overwhelming compulsion to go home and play with my Barbies that I put in the attic years ago. It really makes you wonder about the secret lives of toys, doesn't it?

5. Step Up 1-2. Nope, 3 wasn't really my favorite, sorry. The first two were great though. I always want to get up and dance during those movies. Unfortunately, no one else wants me to. So I just sit and bob my head and pretend I have good dancing skills. I live vicariously through those movies. They're just so good! And the guys in them aren't hard on the eyes either...

6. Harry Potter 7 Part 1. Seeing as I have yet to see the second part, the first is my favorite. It stayed almost completely true to the book (unlike the preceding 6). It was a very emotional movie. I laughed, cried, gripped my seat, cut off the circulation of my friend's hand (sorry, Sarah Liz), and cursed under my breath to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. It was intense and dark and brilliant. I'm SO excited for the second part but also kind of dreading it. Because after that, no more Harry Potter. Well, that's a lie. Who wants to go to the theme park with me?!

7. Get Smart. I loved this movie. Great lines, great characters, great plot. Steve Carrel does an amazing job as the bumbling and ill-experienced Maxwell Smart and Anne Hathaway is perfect for the suave and complicated Agent 99. I could see this movie again and again.

So that's my list of awesome movies. I'm sure there's more that are some of my favorites but I can't think of them right now...whoops. Have a great day!

Day 6: A picture that makes me happy.

Meet Tyson. He's four years old. He is extremely ticklish. He likes suckers. He has long eyelashes. Sometimes he sings for you. He's little bitty. His laugh could light up the world if it were put on a global microphone.

Meet Tyson. He wore the same clothes every day I saw him (four days). He speaks very little English. He had scars on his stomach. He lives in a slum. He has missing teeth. He never showed me any of his family. He cried when someone didn't hold him.

I met Tyson when I went to Kenya this summer. He was kind of adopted by my friend Mary Beth and me. He wore these three necklaces every day. This picture is of him laying across my knees while I was tickling him. My camera was in one hand and my fingers were tickling his ribs with the other. I miss him. I pray for him. I worry about him. I don't know how much he gets to eat in a day, a week, a month. I don't know where he lives. I don't know who takes care of him. He's precious and has a contagious smile.

Whenever I see pictures of Tyson, I can't help but smile. Though I do worry about him, there was just something about his innocence, his laughter, that was comforting. God's got him--and, really, that's all that's important.

I miss you, sweet boy. Keep smiling.

Day 5: A song to match my mood.

Right now, I'm feeling both optimistic but frustrated. Here's why:

We'll start with the optimism. I just sold the TOMS I bought off eBay that didn't fit--so that's great news. I thought I'd be stuck with those for a while. On a bigger scale, I'm realizing that I'm a second semester senior--meaning that I am checking out. So long, hometown, because I'm ready for college. Literally, the only thing that motivates me to get out of bed in the morning is getting good enough grades so that I can be exempt from my finals. But I'm optimistic about becoming a college student and looking forward to this summer. Of course, I'm still focusing on the now and am living every day for right now.

However, I am frustrated. Even though I've been officially accepted into school, I have to spend eight hours in school because I'm required to by law. And my graduation credentials. I'm frustrated by the fact that TOMS.com doesn't have my size in the maroon pair that I want. Frustrated that I have math homework--this is the first time I've had math homework all year. And I'm frustrated by the fact that I'm getting sick. Awesome.

So here's the song: "Fight Another Day" by Brandon Heath. The lyrics are as follows:

It's an uphill climb

But it's all you know

So you spin your wheels and dig your heels

And down you go

So predictable

But it's not your fault

How can you expect to do your best when you're scared to fall?

'Cause the pain is real

But you will survive

It's how you know you're alive

'Cause it's okay now

Hey now

You can let go

'Cause when you find out, find out

Everybody knows

There just ain't no, ain't no

Easy way out

I know it might not look that way

But you're going to live to fight another day

There's a place I know

Outside of town

Let's get out of here

Where all our fears don't hang around

It's another chance

Take it while you can

'Cause it sure won't last

It'll move so fast

And it's gone again

You're on the edge now

But you will survive

It's how you know you're alive

And cause it's okay now

Hey now

You can let go

'Cause when you find out, find out

Everybody knows

There just ain't no, ain't no

Easy way out

I know it might not look that way

But you're going to live to fight another day

Another day, yeah

You wonder what you were made of

I'm telling you know

You're going to make it somehow

What are you so afraid of?

Hey now, hey now

You can let go

'Cause when you find out, find out

That everybody knows

There just ain't no, ain't no

Easy way out

I know it might not look that way

But you're going to live to fight another day

Now hey now

You can let go

'Cause when you find out, find out

Everybody knows

There just ain't no, ain't no

Easy way out

I know it might not look that way

But you're going to live to fight another day

Fight another day

Fight another day...

"It's an uphill climb"? Ugh, yes. I feel like I have to constantly dig my heels and spin my wheels. It's tiring, really. But you know what? It's okay when I let go. Everyone gets that we have struggles and I will continue to fight another day. Because what's high school in the grand scheme of things? What's a website being out of stock in the great picture of life? Nothing overly significant.

So that's my mood in a song. Ta-da!

Day 4: My parents

Ahh, parents. Gotta love 'em. So, without further adieu, here's my ode to Karen and Mike McCord:

My mom. She was an army brat growing up and therefore lived in several states and one other country (the Japanese island of Okinawa...or however you spell it). She's the third of four with a younger brother and an older brother and sister. She looks most like her younger brother (James) but acts more like her sister (Carol). And she occasionally burps like the last brother, John. But don't tell her I said that. She grew up Southern Baptist, so that's why the rest of my family is. Basically, what Mom says goes. And if she ain't happy, nobody is happy. Fact o' life. She's hilarious ("Mike, you don't put 2 pounds of lard down the garbage disposal!"), picky about clean rooms ("Linley, you had socks on your floor! No Facebook for the rest of the day."), an excellent cook ("I made spaghetti!"), a woman of the Lord ("I have a youth support team meeting today--those are so fun!"), and your typical mom ("I'm tired of cleaning up after everyone!!!!"). My dad and I make fun of her purely out of love because she gets annoyed with some of the simplest things (see "rewinding an annoying commercial over and over to see when she notices/gets mad" for more information). Yeah, we're a normal mother and daughter because we drive each other crazy. But we also love each other like crazy. Love you, Mam Mam.

My dad. Or, as I call him, "Tick" or "Pa". Long story that will be addressed in the upcoming "Nicknames" post. Don't worry about it for now. He is the oldest of three boys (Michael "Mike", Gregory "Greg", and Andrew "Andy") and all of them were the mascot at TCU. Family tradition that I will not be continuing. Sorry, boys. Anyway, my dad was actually born in Japan (some US air force base though) so he has dual citizenship, which is pretty cool. He lived in several places too, but went to high school in New Mexico and then moved to Texas when he started school at TCU. He told me that he worked at a ski shop only to talk to the cute girls who came in--my dad the player. He is now the family's errand man and money man and go-to man and "come fix my (insert whatever is broken here)" man. He can make pretty much anything grilled--and that's about the extent of his cooking abilities. Well, he can make cereal. But that's pretty much it. He's hilarious and my partner in crime when it comes to harassing my mom (see above paragraph). And we say "I love you" a little different. So, wuvins, Pa!

So yeah. Those are my parents. I wuv dem.

Day 3: My First Love

I am SO glad that I'm getting this one out of the way. Why? Because I've never really had a "first love". So this post will be sufficiently awkward and full of ramblings about the fact that I've never really had my heart broken by any one guy. But I pledged to do this 30 day challenge and so I have to do this post.

My first (and only) boyfriend came around when I was in eighth grade. We'd been best friends since probably fourth grade and are really good friends now (thank goodness). And in eighth grade we affirmed that we liked each other and should therefore date. And we dated until we were early into our junior year of high school.

We were each other's best friends--we told each other everything. We didn't pull the other away from our other friends and were there for the other when we needed to be. We went slow and didn't kiss until we'd been dating for awhile (yes, our first kisses). We were tight. We still liked each other from eighth grade to summer before junior year.

Then things changed. It was gradual. I realized that he wasn't the guy for me. After nearly 3 years of dating, we hadn't told each other "I love you" because we'd never meant it. We had no regrets with each other because there wasn't anything to regret. I'm glad that he was my first kiss. But junior year, I just decided that, as much as it would hurt both of us, I had to end it.

It was quite possibly the hardest things I'd ever done. But I knew I had to for both of us. So gently and explaining it as well as I possibly could, I broke up with him (in person, I assure you). I tried to make no mistakes in the process (no texting, don't be vague, etc) but used the painfully cliche "I just want to be friends" and "It's not you--it's me" break-up lines. But I realized that they were overused for a reason--they're true more often than you think.

.

He wasn't my first love, but he's the closest thing that is. I love him like a brother but not as a husband. I'm proud to say that we're back to the point of being comfortable with talking to each other and do so often. He's a great guy and I know that God has an amazing girl for him. Just like God has the right guy for me.

So, I guess if I wanted to be a bit corny, I'd tell you that God is my only one and true first love. Because it's true. But I thought I'd give ya a little insight into the love life (as small as it may be...thank goodness) of Linley. Sorry for boring you to death if I did.

Girls, guys will break your heart. It broke mine to hurt the guy I dated for so long. And I've had my share of drama as pertaining to boys, I assure you. But let me promise you this: God's got one for you. So don't chase boys. It's a waste of time. How about this? You run and see who chases you.

Guys, girls will break your heart. It's a fact. But I'm not a dude so I can't give you any sage words of wisdom to give you hope, other than the fact that God's got your girl. All you have to do is listen up and put on your running shoes.

Go.