Why do I still look like a 15 year old?

I got a job!! I started about two weeks ago at Costa Vida. And if you've never been...the food is DEEEELICIOUS. (It is extremely similar to Cafe Rio if you've ever eaten there, but i think Costa Vida's menu is more extensive..although i'm not totally positive on that.)

Being the "new kid" at work is always a memorable experience, and let's just say...this time it has been particularly memorable. :) Most of the employees have been working there for years (a few of them have been there since the store opened about four years ago) and none of them are excited about training a new person that will only be there until the end of August. It's a great situation for me though because...well, i have a job :) and because the manager is a member of the church and is willing to not schedule me on Sundays!

Anyway, a few days after i started, one of the girls i work with asked me how old i was. When i responded that i was 19 turning 20 in a few months, i thought she was going to have a heart attack. I then asked her how old she thought i was and she said "16 or 17." (I later inferred that she also assumed i was a high school drop out. wonderful.) The other ladies at work then confessed that they, too, thought i was still in high school. One made an interesting comment though--she said i looked young (like 17) but when i spoke i sounded older. That at least relieved me some.  (It could have been a lot worse! She could have said that i looked old and then when i spoke she thought i was still in high school! haha)

So what's the trick?! How do i make myself look like i'm actually in college?! Wearing tons of make up is plausible option...however i refuse. Does that mean i'm going to be stuck looking like a high-schooler forever? (I guess someday i'll think that's cool right?!) Don't get me wrong, i don't want to look like a mom or anything, but at least passing as a high school graduate would be appreciated!

I'm an Awkward Hugger

Over the last few years i've been made to sit through criticisms of multiple people about my lack of good-hugging abilities. I've always thought that while what they said probably had some truth to it, it was extremely dramatized and my hugs really weren't nearly as bad as they made it seem.

In an attempt to prove all of these people wrong i've started paying attention more closely to the hugs i give. Much to my dismay, i discovered they were totally right! Which is why I am now publicly acknowledging the problem.

This realization really hit me hard just a few days ago at a singles ward FHE activity where someone i had never met before introduced himself and then gave me a hug (as he had done to the girls that were standing next to me that he already knew). It was in those few moments that i realized i was in the middle of quite possibly the most awkward hug that had ever been given- and it was all MY fault! I don't even know what exactly about the hug made it so unbearably awkward, but just take my word that it was quite painful.

Now for the big question: Why am i such an awkward hugger?!? I don't know! Genetics? It would appear that awkward hugs run in the family. Claiming that it's simply something genetic that i'll never be able to fix would get me off the hook pretty easy :) Maybe i'll go with that answer... haha. I suppose it's probably something i'll have to work on...although i've never really been much of a hugger so i'd really rather not.... Ha. (Which is quite possibly the root of the problem.)

Besides, what's the big deal about hugging anyway?! What ever happened to the good ole' handshake?! I've been told i give exceptional handshakes. ;)