Big Girl in Brazil

Fun fact: I am going on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I will be serving in the Brazil São Paulo West Mission, speaking Portuguese, from August 2013 to February 2015. For those who struggle with calendar math (such as myself), that's 18 months in which I will be a full-time missionary in a foreign country, on a different continent, speaking a language that I currently don't know. While I am doing all of this, I will be completely dedicated to teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. (Go here for more information about what a mission is. Or feel free to ask me any questions you may have!)

There will come a time in which I have much, much more to say about what all of this means to me. In fact, those posts are currently drafts.

But I wish to post something in the meanwhile. So stay tuned for the deeper stuff, it's on its way.

You know, my mom sometimes tells a story of my younger self. She always sang a lullaby when she tucked us in at night--usually whatever we chose. "Oh, Hush Thee, My Baby," was among the favorites. But it didn't take me long to catch on to something: my sneaky mother was trying to con me into thinking I was still a baby. And guess what? It wasn't working. On at least one occasion, my fiery red-headed self boldly informed my mom that, "I'm not a baby. I'm a big girl." And, in order to appease me, she changed the words. "Oh, hush thee, my big girl; a story I'll tell..."

(She also tells a story about my 18-month-old self running away from her, wagging my finger and yelling, "No no, Mommy, no no." But that is another tale for another day.)

I report to the missionary training center in 44 days and counting. Which means the deadline is fast approaching. The little details can't be overlooked for much longer--like the fact that I have only purchased a fraction of the wardrobe I will be needing to get me through 18 months of missionary service. So I'm becoming increasingly aware of the things that need to be taken care of and, apparently, so is my mother.

Every so often, my mom contacts me with various questions. It's usually sparked by troubles that other members of our congregation are having as they work through preparations for their missions, so the questions are along the lines of, "So-and-so is having trouble with his visa because of this, have you done that?" And I remind her that I was applying from the other end of the country and I applied through a different consulate.

Sometimes, however, the conversations are more varied. The following are samples of things I have said to my mother regarding my mission:

"Yes, I have been checking my church email. But remember, my mission is a new one and won't open until July. It doesn't exist yet."

"No, I can't go to Canada--I don't have a passport. Don't panic, I have a passport, but not with me. Yes, I know I will need it to get into Brazil. Mom, the church has my passport. They'll send it to me a week before I go to the MTC. I don't know how my visa status is, they'll tell me a week before I report if I'm going straight to Brazil or if I'm going to Provo first."

"I know I need clothes. Yes, I will need a suitcase. Mom, I can't bring that to Brazil with me--it's a giant teddy bear, I don't have room in my suitcase."

"Okay, I will try my hardest to get a present to Benny before Christmas. But remember how the mail is there. Sometimes the post office goes on strike and things."

"Yes, I've heard of the protests happening in Brazil, but who told you? Mom, you cannot keep reading the news about Brazil. It'll put you in a panic! You don't need to be that informed. I'll write you and tell you how things are going. Mom! This is like the time you watched a video of a hip replacement surgery before you got the surgery. You thought you needed to be informed then, too, and it turned out to be a horrible idea. Mom, really, don't follow the news in Brazil."

I am of the firm belief that my mom and I will be having the same conversations for the remainder of . . . forever. Because apparently we've had this one before. And you know how it ended?

If I recall the story correctly, the song went along the lines of something like, "Oh, hush thee, my big girl."

Baby Steppin' it Along

Like the ever-diligent college student that I know you all believe me to be, I woke up long before the sun rose a few mornings ago to write my second to last paper of the entire semester. While persistently writing, I took a wake-myself-back-up break and searched my kitchen for any food that might have my name written on it. I hadn't (and still haven't) gone shopping for food to put in my freezer for quite some time, but I thought I'd check again. Just in case.

And you know what? Normally all I see is my roommates' ice cream and frozen goodies. But oh, this day was different. For on this day at precisely 5:43 in the AM (maybe not quite so precisely, but around that timeish) I discovered this little beauty:

Words will never be adequately capable of describing the excitement I felt. I simply could NOT wait until it was lunchtime and I could gobble down this microwavable delicacy. But I had to. I mean, there are papers to be written, classes to be attended, and breakfast to eat before it was time for lunch. My goodness, I couldn't just skip straight ahead to lunch with so many things to accomplish beforehand!

But eventually lunch did come. However, I have a question for you all. Maybe you have more wisdom than I. As I read the instructions for cooking my meal in the microwave oven (I contemplated the conventional oven for all of 30 seconds, when I realized that my roommate was already using the oven and I would have to wait an additional 12 minutes to the already prescribed 25 of cooking), I came across some...interesting instructions. I thought I'd share the joy.

And I quote:

1. Cort y retirela la película que cubre el filete de--

--Now wait just a minute, I do not speak Spanish. How am I supposed to underst...oh, I found the English instructions. Here we are:

1. Cut and remove film cover from beef steak and potatoes. Microwave on HIGH 3 minutes.
2. Stir potatoes. Microwave an additional 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Microwave ovens below 1100 watt may require additional cook time to reach proper temperature. 
3. Let stand 2 minutes. CAREFULLY remove as PRODUCT WILL BE HOT.
4. Check that product is cooked thoroughly. Internal temperature needs to reach 165ºF as measured by a food thermometer in several spots.

Now, I would just like to explain the things that are my favorite about these instructions. I would also like to continue to phrase my sentences as awkwardly as possible.

Moving on. 

I am a big fan of the words that they have chosen to bold or type in ALL CAPS. But it makes me wonder, if those words are the most important, shouldn't we just save on ink and only print those words? 

1. Cut remove Microwave HIGH
2. Stir Microwave Microwave ovens below 1100 watt

And so on. Let's be considerate of the environment here, people.

My other favorite part of these highly informative instructions is the small print found on Steps 2 and 4. I know I memorized my microwave oven wattage the moment I set foot in my apartment--safety first. And I'm sure that, by now, we are all aware of the fact that a food thermometer is a must-have when it comes to microwave dinners. Again, safety first.

Oh! While I'm on the safety track, don't forget to wear your helmets, safety belts, turn off the sink while brushing your teeth, and look both ways when you cross the street. Barney has a song to teach you about the importance of these things, so if you can't quite remember why it's important, contact me and I can provide you with a catchy little ditty to help you out.

Let's just baby step our way on through life, shall we?

Among the Interference Patterns and Entropy

Student: Is there a review PowerPoint online for the final?
Professor: This is it. It's not a very good review though, there's just no way that I could fit all of the review into one PowerPoint. It's best to just go though each unit's review PowerPoint and study that way.

It's always comforting to hear your professor say that there is so much material to cover for the final that he couldn't possibly fit it into one PowerPoint. He's demonstrating to us that he sees our vast potential to retain knowledge and understand the world around us!

It's a good thing that I strangely find the contents of my massive Physical Science book fascinating, otherwise this could be an incredibly stressful remainder of the week.

{Nostalgia} Capable of the World

Balloons, candles, all things blue and orange. It was my teammate and best friend's birthday--and it was a big race. Little trinkets to celebrate. Scripture mastery showdowns. I remember.

I had potential to do well that day. I had the drive. I had nothing to fear, I knew nothing but hope. The world was still new.

I remember the dew on the pristine golf course lawn. I remember the tension, the excitement in the air. I wanted to laugh. I wanted to throw up. I just wanted to run.

I was running the frosh race. We started our warm up late and couldn't get a cheer in before the start, so we did it in the first straightaway. The gun shot off, and so did we:

Where do we come from? We come from T-I-M-P-V-I-E-W, orange white and blue!

We settled into the stillness of footsteps and heartbeats. The top 20 of each race got an award, and I was going to get one of those--I had decided. I ran hard. Step by step, I was keeping with the top girls. I ran past the spectators, I ran around the cones. Step by step, I was behind the rabbit--a golf cart. And I was tired. Somewhere in that middle mile, I lost the pack. I fought to close the gap. My lungs ached for air, my legs begged for rest, and still my heart longed to keep pace.

I crossed the finish line. Relief not quite as sweet as I had imagined for the past 23-something minutes. Clinging to the flimsy flags of the chute, I knew that I had run harder than ever before. Waiting for the lightheadedness and nausea to pass, I knew I had finished a few places behind 20.

But I had set a goal, I had gone after it with my whole heart. I later learned how to run even harder, even faster. This was the wake up moment. This was the time I first knew to push past pain for something more lasting. This was my first race.

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In other news, there are exactly enough talks from General Conference to take one every week until the next session in October. I hereby declare the beginnings of Conference Weekly--a more directed attempt to bring the words of the prophets into my life.

View President Boyd K. Packer's address here.

His Divine Sacrifice

Snapshots and quotes from a weekend of love, inspiration, devotion, and revelation. We are lead by living prophets by a loving and living Savior. For more about General Conference, go here.

To read any of the full addresses from which the following quotes are taken, visit this link. [The quotes come in the same order as the list.]

"Sometimes the most powerful way to teach our children to understand a doctrine is to teach in the context of what they are experiencing right at that moment." 

-Sister Cheryl A. Esplin

"The Lord wants the members of His Church to be fully converted to His gospel." 

-President Donald L. Hallstrom

"The feeling of love from our Heavenly Father is like a gravitational pull from heaven. As we remove the distractions that pull us toward the world and exercise our agency to seek Him, we open our hearts to a celestial force which draws us toward Him." 

-Elder Paul E. Koelliker

"I am confident that our Heavenly Father's arms are constantly extended, ever ready to embrace each one of us and say to each one with that quiet, piercing voice, 'I love you.'" 

-Elder Paul E. Koelliker

"Knowing what my Savior did for me--His grace in suffering for my sins and in overcoming death so I can live again--I feel privileged to make the small sacrifice I am asked to make in His service." 

-Elder Dallin H. Oaks

"It is never too late to strengthen the foundation of faith. There is always time."

-President Henry B. Eyring

"His concern is for the faith at which you finally arrive, not the hour of the day in which you got there."

-Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

"Let the redemptive, loving power of Jesus Christ brighten your life now and fill you with the hope of eternal promise. Take courage. Have faith and hope. Consider the present with fortitude and look to the future with confidence."

-Elder David S. Baxter

"You can't be right by doing wrong; you can't be wrong by doing right."

-President Thomas S. Monson 

[quoted by Elder Ulisses Soares]

"Mothers and fathers praying with children may be more important than any other example."

-Elder Quentin L. Cook

"Persistence is the answer, and a sense of humor helps."

-Elder Quentin L. Cook

"I'm grateful that that same support can come from a beloved companion on the other side of the veil. Thank you, Jeanene."

-Elder Richard G. Scott

"When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following: Stop it!"

-President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"For the Atonement of the Lord and His gift of resurrection--for this sublime message of Easter--thanks be to God!" 

-Elder Russell M. Nelson

"Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where do we go after this life? No longer need these universal questions remain unanswered."

-President Thomas S. Monson

"Remove any of your fear with faith. Trust in the power of God to guide you."

-Elder M. Russell Ballard

"Of all the help we can give ... young people, the greatest will be to let them feel our confidence and that they are on the path home to God and that they can make it."

-President Henry B. Eyring

[quoted by Elder Larry Y. Wilson]

"As you ask, 'What thinks Christ of me?' you will know that you are His disciple; you are His friend. By His grace He will do for you what you cannot do for yourself."

-Elder Neil L. Andersen

"I assure you that our Heavenly Father is mindful of the challenges we face. He loves each of us and desires to bless us and help us. May we call upon Him in prayer."

-President Thomas S. Monson

Herald, My Love

I wish I was cool enough to be a nerd.

I wish I was brilliant. I wish I understood the world, I wish I could could completely relate to all the nerd quirks that are out there in this world. (Side note: I love this blog--Nerd Quirks.)

I mean, just look at these:

When you're allowed one note card for a test.

(All photos found on this blog.)

I'm close enough to understand them, to see the beauty in them, but not enough to feel justified in calling myself a nerd. It pains me--truly, deeply. I feel broken inside, not being nerdy enough. There is a dagger just hangin' out in my heart. I may as well just lay down on the table and let the true nerds dissect me so I can at least serve some purpose to the nerd community that I so long to be a part of.

On the bright side, I'm starting to figure it out. At least a little bit. I may never be a genius math major, or neuroscience, or whatever brilliant person it is that I see next and deeply covet their nerdy qualities, but I do recognize that the library encompasses all that is good in this life.

I may be a Recreation Management major, but I do love studying with all of my heart. I love to read, to learn, to grow. I love that I can hold adventure--true adventure--in my hands. I love how one little piece of knowledge can carry me through a day's worth of thought. I love to experience life, to soak it in, to make connections, to see the world around me. I love that learning is never over, that there is always something new to be experienced--to be discovered.

I think it's high time that I return to my love and bury myself in my studies. I miss it. Don't worry, my dear friend, I'll be coming home to you soon!

But for tonight, I'll make believe that I am the nerd I've always longed to be, and in my dreams I'll find myself adjusting my slightly oversized glasses while checking my stopwatch as I solve an unbelievably complex math problem. I'll quote Shakespeare and Thoreau with the best of them, and I'll spend my days in the most unknown corner of the library soaking in the knowledge of the world.

Good Morning

Despite the fact that it's daylight savings and the clock jumped from 1:59 to 3:00 while I was asleep, I intentionally set my alarm to wake up a couple of hours early. I like my Sunday mornings--they're peaceful. Sunday mornings are among the best times sit, take a couple of deep breaths, and absolutely soak in the joy of life.

Good morning!

Blankets and Pushpins

Sometimes you just gotta build a fort and have a picnic in your kitchen.

With 11 other people.

And you have a blast. Life is good.

One Step at a Time

Here is how it goes down. Before the month of February comes to a close, I will successfully complete the following: a quiz, two papers, five exams, and scholarship applications. In addition to the usual load of everyday craziness. Finals week is going to be a piece of cake by comparison--there's a plus.

This is me. Until July.

"And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."

-Doctrine and Covenants 84:88

Live the Adventure

Photo Credit

Okay, let's be honest here. Is the above picture not the best thing you have ever seen? (Also, why is that a phrase? "Is this not the [insert adjective here] thing you've ever seen?" It doesn't even make any sense.) I love love love this quote. Life most certainly is one adventure after another.

Take, for example, the kid that was dressed up as a Pokémon trainer--complete with a stuffed Pikachu--in the library.

Or my Physical Science professor who taught the lecture about the weight of different molecules by breathing in helium and sulfur hexaflouride.

Or the guy at the next table over reading the Police Beats from today's paper out loud at lunch. Sounds like BYU police are keeping campus safe, questioning one George-Foreman-chicken-griller occupying the library at a time.

June 9, 2012

Today my official marathon training program started. Today I ran three quarter-mile hill repeats--nothing too long, nothing too fast, but man it sure did feel good.

Today I could conquer the world if it came up against me. I feel so strong, so blessed, so supported. I can do hard things. And this will be hard. This will be months and months of early mornings and healthy food. It will be working hard and early bed times. It will be running my butt off, it will be strength training, it will be a whole lot of icing the entirety of my aching-so-good body. (Similarly, it may be a cortisone shot, though I certainly hope to never reach that point.) It will be pushing past feelings of inadequacy, and it will be digging down to the deepest part of me on a regular basis.

I will overcome my fears and my roadblocks. I will work towards my goals and I will achieve something fantastic.

123 days to go. The countdown begins today.

Saving Lives

There was a blood drive on campus yesterday. As I rushed back to my apartment for a faster-than-a-sub-2-hour-marathon lunch before I ran off to my internship, I saw the sign announcing an opportunity to save three lives and get a free t-shirt while I was at it. 

Words cannot describe the conflict my soul felt in that moment.

"It won't take that long," I argued to myself, "It just barely started--I bet there's not even a line."

"But you haven't even had lunch yet," myself argued back. "Also, you most certainly did not sleep enough last night...or did you? I can't remember. Well, if you can't remember how much you slept, it's only safe to assume that the memory loss can be attributed to sleep deprivation."

"What if I just grab a quick and oh-so-delicious pork barbacoa wrap, eat it on my way, and then save three lives?"

"The lines might have appeared by then. So then you'd have to wait in line, answer all of those dumb but important questions, actually give blood, recover, walk back to your apartment, make yourself dinner to eat in your Book of Mormon class, walk back to your car and drive to your internship. Honey, I guarantee there is not enough time for that today."

Whoops, apparently I got a little sassy with myself there.

In the end, myself won. The self that wanted me to forgo the blood-giving, that is. Despite the fact that I rarely pass up the opportunity to kill three birds with one stone (that may not have been the best phrase to use in conjunction with life-saving), my selfish self did have an incredibly valid and influential set of points.

Regardless, I may not have saved three lives through the giving of my very own [here is where I google a synonym for "blood" and come up with the result "mass murder"--you can fill in this blank as you please] but I was repeatedly told that I am a life-saver for loaning a poor soul a pen for about three seconds.

One life saved, two to go.

In other news, I found a most glorious quote from a most inspired man of God which falls splendidly in line with this whole life-saving business.

"The Savior taught His disciples, 'For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it' (Luke 9:24). 

I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish--and in effect save their lives."
-President Thomas S. Monson, "What Have I Done for Someone Today?"

How grateful I am to have living prophets and apostles to turn to for guidance in this day. What a blessing it is to have their words to add to the words of the prophets of old.

Well, I best be off to conquer the world, one college assignment at a time. Check back for January quotes--coming soon to a Dani Girl Days blog near you.

Happy Friday!

For This Day

The walk back from the testing center is surprisingly soothing. Regardless of how little I knew or what score I found on the screen downstairs, by the end of that walk I invariably find a smile on my face.

The middle of that walk, however, is often filled with a turmoil of emotions. Disappointment in a score, hope for future scores, determination to work harder, joy in the precipitation, shock at the disapproval of said precipitation from an otherwise adorable girl (my jaw literally dropped), and gratitude for the opportunity to live this crazy thing we call life.

Isn't it great that there is always tomorrow to wake up, try again, and be our very best selves? Each day is a blessing--a miracle--and I refuse to see it as anything less. I thank the Lord for every day that I have to live, and improve, and become. I thank Him for His endless mercy, and for the strength and support He continually offers me as I strive to grow into His plan for me.

Because of Him, I never have to give up. There is always hope.

Some Days

Some days you trip on literally every bump along the way.

Some days you spill ketchup on your brand new shirt.

Some days your entire body seems to fare pretty well in the chilly weather--all except for your right big toe.

Some days you get really excited to eat sour candy. So excited that, as you attempt to gently sprinkle the remaining powder into your tongue, you actually dump half of the remaining contents under your tongue and experience such a powerful sour taste that you can't help but sit in the back seat of the car and weep.

Some days, after it all, your favorite jeans in the whole entire world rip in an unforgivable place as you flop onto your bed.

And all you can think about is how grateful you are that it happened in your room and not where you had been all day long--in the overcrowded streets of New York City.

My days are filled with tender mercies.

In the End

I would begin this post with a catchy phrase akin to, "Well kids, it's that time of year again!" or "I know you've been waiting for this post all year long, so I am here to inform you that today is your lucky day!"

Except, I've never done one of these posts before. So I guess I'll just let you know that my day has been spent reviewing pictures of my life from January 2011 onward, and they have officially been organized in a manner that I feel is presentable to whoever in the internet world may stumble upon them.

You may now proceed to enjoy my year in review.

January:

In January I made my first-ever skirt. It was among the most frustrating things I have ever done. Let's just say that my skills do not lie in gluing cotton balls and ribbon to felt.

I made many an excursion to Salt Lake City for various musical purposes, including performing Dona Nobis Pacem in the Salt Lake Tabernacle, performing in the state capitol building, and watching some friendies perform at All-State Band.

I went dumpster diving at Krispy Kreme well past midnight. Free donuts!

I successfully donated approximately one pint of my own blood to save up to three lives.

And, I apparently turned my little brother into a shopping, sunbathing gangsta.

February:

It seems that much of February was either spent watching every showing of my school's production of Two Gentlemen of Verona or gallivanting around dressed as a cat with five friends, four of which were crazy enough to join me.

In other news, I began my lifelong goal of actually decorating my room. In hindsight I realize that I never did print off the pictures to go in those empty frames, and thus I have yet to complete the aforementioned lifelong goal.

I finally became someone's sweetheart, though it was only for a day.

Also, I received love-post-it-notes all over my car.

March:

Apparently nothing happened in March but my first ever half marathon (Canyonlands Half, with a time of 1:53.30) and deciding to fit four teenagers and a two-year-old inside my little brother's tent.

But I'm sure the month was great, just the same.

April:

Ah, April. The month of love. 

I'm not exactly sure why I said that, but it seemed fitting.

In April, I experienced the joys of attending a Morp dance with the theme of, "Ugly Prom."

I had a most wonderful reunion with my Fiji girls in which we remembered what a picky eater Anna is, but somehow still managed to satisfy everyone in our pizza choices.

I turned 18, which greatly benefited my ultimate frisbee skills, as you can clearly see in the photo above.

I discovered that Benjamin was born in the wrong decade, for he clearly is a flower child at heart.

I found peace and comfort in early morning hours spent at the temple.

May:

In May I ran a half marathon on a whim. And when I say on a whim, I really mean on a whim. I was informed that a friend had an extra spot the night before--so I took it, won my age division, and ran 7 more miles to make it the 20-mile training run I needed that day.

I fought the most epic and raging Nerf gun battle that has ever graced this planet we call Earth.

And the day that I had been painfully longing for since January finally came--it was the day that I no longer needed "Pomp and Circumstance" as my ringtone to get me out of bed, it was the day of my graduation! Which, of course, includes our flash mob to "Don't Stop Believing" and the senior all-night party, followed by the symbolic hiking of the Y--moving on to bigger and better things.

June:

Two significant things happened this month:

1. I ran my marathon! It was a bit of a family event--aunt, uncle, and mom ran the full; grandma and other aunt ran the half. If ever you are looking for a fantastic marathon, the Utah Valley Marathon is where it's at. Among the most enjoyable 3:59.18 of my 19th year.

2. I went hiking with Stephanie. We started a blog together, which neither of us have touched in months.

Also, I started working full time as depicted by the trash can overflowing with paper edges that I ripped off all day long.

July:

I sent my family off to their new home in Connecticut in July.

I moved in with my aunt and uncle, and my life was composed of three main activities:

1. Work

2. Driving to and from places

3. Experiencing the great outdoors via running and hiking

Also, I attended the same rodeo twice--a decision I absolutely do not regret.

August:

In August, I got to see my family's new home.

I ate some of the best ice cream known to mankind.

I traveled to New York City for the first time in my life, and saw The Lion King on Broadway. It was incredible.

I had a most wonderful visit from my most adorable and hilarious sister.

I started college.

I learned that putting an umbrella over the toilet may stop the ceiling from leaking on you, but it most certainly will not stop the floor from turning into one giant puddle.

In August, I fell in love with hearing "Come, Come Ye Saints" ringing from the bell tower every single hour.

September:

September was my first full month of college. (For your benefit, I'd like to inform you that I almost spelled "first" with a "u"--"furst." College has done me well.)

I developed a very real obsession with all things chocolate. Especially if followed by the word "syrup."

I baked waffles outside until 6:00 AM.

I ran the Dirty Dash. Now THAT was a fun run.

I attended my first BYU football game as a BYU student.

I wholeheartedly participated in an activity entitled "Mess Fest." The term "food fight" has now acquired an entirely different meaning in my vocabulary.

October:

In October, I tried out a little slacklining--with real, though limited, success.

I adored every moment of the chilly, blustery, colorful, and wet falltime season. I came home soaked from head to toe on many occasion due to the irresistible urge to splash through every puddle in sight.

I learned from Taco Bell that "big things come in big packages." Though, due to my remaining hunger after consuming the product pictured above, I determined a more accurate slogan would be "small things come in small packages" since neither the box nor the food were actually that big. But I imagine that wouldn't do much for the sales.

November:

In November, I began the internship of my dreams at Humanitarian Experience for Youth.

I finally got around to decorating my room--there are real pictures up on my wall!

I went for a run at 4:00 in the morning.

My roommate and I built a fort and we spent the night inside it.

I enjoyed a most lovely sunset.

I traveled home for the first time since school started for Thanksgiving. It was a much needed booster to get me through the rest of the semester.

December:

In December, I met Buddy the Elf. His favorite color is blue.

I studied my brains out for finals week, and learned that apparently no matter what you do, you will fail. (See above picture.)

I received some lovely gifts from caring people, including but not limited to the pictured flowers and butterscotch pull-aparts.

I went on a spontaneous trip with my dear friend Stephanie to see the Christmas lights on Temple Square.

I received letters from and wrote letters to some of my very best friends who are currently serving missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I finished my first semester of college, pulled off some decent grades despite a desperate effort to learn how to balance everything, and found sweet relief in traveling home for the holidays.

I built a fire from nothing but a single leftover ember and some wadded up paper.

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Thanks, 2011, for the memories, the growth, the experiences, and the life. I wouldn't trade you for anything.

And yes, I did just personify a year.

(Linking up to: Silver Lining)

Google Image

Dear friends, have you ever Google Image searched yourself? I hadn't--until about five minutes ago. Want to know what the first picture was?

Photo Credit

An exact likeness, if I do say so myself. I only wish all photographs would depict me as this--because that is precisely what I see when I look in the mirror every morning after my shower. Except, when it's after my shower I look a little soggier. Allow me to share with you a few of my other favorites.

Photo Credit

I know it doesn't look quite as close as the last one, but that's only because I'm hiding my face between an orange, purple, or yellow rectangle. I say all three colors because, to be honest, I'm not exactly sure which one I am at the moment. But, rest assured, I am one of them--because Google Images knows all, and it said so.

Photo Credit

Though these twin boys are clearly not identical, it's still difficult for me to determine which one I am. It might be the fact that they are boys and I'm a girl. Or that neither of them have long, lovely locks of red hair cascading down their backs. Either way, it would be beneficial if Google could include an arrow addressing which part of the photo it believed to be me. It's only the least it could do, just a small favor, but it would help monumentally.

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You know, I do seem to recall this moment. Although, when I recall it, I recall it as if I were a spectator rather than the actual competitor. Funny, how the memory can play tricks on us in such unsuspecting ways.

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This, however, I remember distinctly. I do remember a time in which I was a black man who went by Lenny Kravitz. And yes, my greatest hits were absolutely fantastic. Also, I am playing the role of Cinna in the upcoming film The Hunger Games. I hope you're excited! I know I can't wait to see myself on the big screen.

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This image is my personal favorite. Though I can't remember this specifically, I'm sure these days were the ones of glory. How could they not be? I was in a Polish production and that, my friends, is the measurement of all of our success.