The Calm Before the Storm

"It's General Conference weekend, everyone relax, take it easy, and be filled by the spirit. Oh yeah, did I mention Satan overcame me and I'm assigning you the most crap you will get next to mid-terms and finals??"

Classes have been chill, getting out early, being canceled, doing nothing but review; it's been rather enjoyable. However, this calm trickery the professors seem to love only masks the hell they have ensued upon us as their students.

• Read and grade 3 of your classmates 3 page papers.
• Complete a massive individual math project
• Study for your math exam
• Prep for wednesdays math class
• study for your science exam
• complete your weekly 'what I learned' entry for science
• read your book of mormon
• enter the inspirations you had while reading into your class journal
• create a portfolio for your Communication major
• Create a "what's news" blog. Make entries over the weekend
• Complete a news article with the facts of a hurricane I gave you
• Visit a Rexburg city meeting before Wednesday and take notes so that you may later write an article
• Practice your violin until you feel accomplished or your fingers fall off. Whichever comes first
• Obtain a letter of recommendation

And of course, they give all this to me the one weekend I decide to visit home. Lovely. Maybe going to Utah wasn't such a good idea in the first place...

Dearest

Dearest roommate,

I apologize. I'm not quite sure what I did to push you that far, but I'm sorry. I personally thought our situation was getting better. Yes, we are completely different;in every possible way our personalities are polar opposites. But, I thought we could try to make it work.

I'm sorry you feel like you must move. I hope you enjoy your new room and ward!

I suppose God answers prayers in ways we never expect....

"How Many Hours?"

Currently, I'm enrolled in the University Orchestra, and private violin lessons. Together, these classes are worth 2 credits. And require a total of 9 hours a week outside of class. That's right. 9. No doubling up the material you practice, or counting orchestra for practice time for the lessons. It's all separate.

I'm a communications major. What in the world was I thinking?

Stumbled upon a football practice this afternoon (on the way to, shocker, the music building) oh how I miss the yell of a coach and the sound of a whistle. Shouldn't have slept through the softball tryouts.

I'm at the 'crossroads' supposedly studying, and a large student tour group came through. They're all definitely younger than 18. Each passing student makes me more and more grateful that I'm 19.

This laptop is a piece. I need a new one.

Sat next to a poly sci major during a heated global warming discussion during science today. I found it extremely amusing, and he found me just as amusing. We were quite the pair. The poor professor was stumped more than once. This boy stole my phone to enter his number, when I realized how massive his hands were. He then says, "Well, I should hope so, I'm 6'5". Why I hadn't noticed this boy I will never know. But we will be friends in the future.

Less than 24 hours until I'm back in O-town. I can't wait, Rexburg is starting to affect me...

Did I mention that I missed my once a week lecture class? Awesome... I definitely need to start going to bed earlier.

Ghost

Parachute.

Dear cute boy and girl outside my apartment discussing feelings and relationship problems.

My window is wide open, and I can hear every word you're saying. You're adorably awkward, and you truly made my night.

Perfect

Simple Plan.

When the boy comes up, goes to church, and washes dishes, things become perfect.

When Stephanie cooks for 10, and won't let me help, just so I can spend time with him, things become perfect.

When you spend all weekend with some new friends that you're going to love all your life, things become perfect.

When you change rooms for next semester to be closer to friends, things become perfect.

When you can fall asleep completely at peace, things become perfect.

When things finally start to look up, and you start to think this school might be o.k. things become perfect

Welcome To My Life

Simple Plan.

"No chewing gum on the track, you're going to have to spit it out or leave." Are you kidding me? I'm not going to spit it out and rub it in to the precious track...

"Oh, you're from Orem? Do you know so and so? They graduated in 08" Definitely not. There's millions of people in Orem, and the chances of me knowing someone that graduated 3 years before me are extremely slim. But you're gorgeous, so I'm just going to smile and go along with whatever you say.

"I've never made it home on time, I've jumped the wall every night since we've been here."

At 11:00, "I haven't seen her since 3... Should we be worried?" "Yeah, should we call her?" "Nobody has her number" Ha, some roommates we are.

After doing a funny body roll, "That was inappropriate, you need to stop." Oh. My bad. I didn't know having fun was against YOUR honor code Mr. Uptight rm.

"Is that what your hair really looks like?" "Yeah, very curly" "It's shhhhexy. Wear it like that more often."

Thank you for giving the modesty/chastity lesson the one Sunday I wear a skirt barely above my knee. Make me feel like a prostitute...

"I'm from Orem." "Oh, so you're from Satan's corner of Happy Valley?" "umm... Sure." Has anyone else had Orem referred to in that way before?

and those are snippets of my life from Apt. 252

Celery Bunch

For someone who grew up in the home of a dietitian, you sure do eat an awful lot of popcorn and Top Ramen.

Online

Brad Paisley

I think there is something in the water here, something like the potion Alice drinks to make her smaller.

I've never thought myself to be tall, especially with a Dad at 6'2" and a younger brother at 6'. 5'7" is short to me, and I've always thought so. But here, I'm tall.

All the dashing men here are at least one inch shorter than me. Honestly....

Maybe it's because back home all my guy friends are athletes making me accustomed to being surrounded by taller boys and feeling extremely small. But here, there aren't all that many athletes, and they're all small. You'd think that there would be at least a group of good looking boys over 6 feet.

I've only met 3.

"Where Are You From?"

"Hi, my name is_______, and I'm from "Some small town" and Rexburg is the biggest town I've lived in!"

Wow.....

It Girl

Jason Derulo. So good.

Last night was the first night since I've been here that the words "I'm a freshman" didn't scare the boys away.

The night of the holy wars, so a new friend and myself went to the 'Crossroads' where they were playing the game on the big screen. We obviously wanted to engage in conversation with the opposite gender, so we picked a table with very decent looking boys and two open chairs. Turns out that one of the boys is from her home town, and one was from mine, although none of us knew each other.

Unless you were living under a rock this weekend, you now know the outcome of this game. It wasn't so hot for those who bleed blue. At the third quarter my friend and I got up to leave to perhaps find a party somewhere. The boys got up as well. But, since we didn't have solid plans, and they didn't either, they got our numbers to meet up with us later.

There was an exclusive, bouncers included party at the apartment complex of one of the boys. And since most of us didn't live there, we didn't think we would get it. But my friend with her small figure and flirty composure, distracted the massive men while we snuck in. She joined us shortly after.

It was an actual college party. Not a BYU-I party, but a college party. Weird to experience, but we rather enjoyed ourselves.

We left the party half an hour before curfew, to have a late night jam session at my friends apartment. Turns out I can play guitar chords I didn't know I knew.

We then listened to my friends acoustic cover of It Girl. So good. She's going to be famous one day. Even has the T-Swift hair for it.

California Girls

Beach Boys

I woke up this morning, at the beautiful time of say, 9:30? (I thoroughly enjoy no early class on Friday) And I woke up to the gorgeous sight of pouring rain. It wasn't a downpour, and cats and dogs were not involved, but it was a constant, steady rain. Me and my roommate Steph were thoroughly excited. So, I left for class, not wearing a jacket or sporting an umbrella, and absolutely loving the weather around me. My fellow classmates? Not so much.

BYU-I has a very high population of native Californian's. And you can easily pick them out of a crowd when the windy, rainy weather hits. I walk into my writing for media class, rather chipper, and get almost menacing stares from a few of the people in the class. "It's freezing!" "Oh, I know right? I'm wearing yoga pants under my jeans, annnnd, 3 shirts and my sweatshirt!!" Myself, and the girl in front of me laughed out loud. She's from Seattle, and I'm from Orem. This weather, to us, is no big deal. But to them, I suppose it's near the end of the world. The poor things have no idea what's in store for them. The winds, the snow, the ice? They're going to be haters sooner than they realize.

Bring on the snow and ice. I need a good laugh right about now.

Ring Check

I'm a freshman, taking almost all required generals. So, naturally, my thoughts were, "I will be surrounded by mormon girls and pre-mi boys." Wrong. Oh, so wrong. I suppose me and my naive, straight out of high school mind didn't process all of the countless returned missionaries and transferred men that would be taking these general classes as well. Shoot.

So naturally the eyes fall to the shirt lines, to determine if they have returned or have yet to leave. You also think that the eyes would fall to the left hand, mine don't. It's a curse.

Other than my writing for media class, I have sat by a married man in all my MWF classes, and in one on my TTH classes. I didn't think at first to check, that all the boys I would meet would be single. But I was so wrong. If I was a smart single girl, I would sit by an available boy next time. Only, I get along so much better with the older ones than the 19 year olds...

This could be a problem.

And in case any of you were wondering, the gorgeous mystery boy did not appear between writing and math. Maybe Friday...

The Mystery Man

With Freshman plastered thickly across my forehead, I turned my map all which ways, trying desperately to find my class in the short ten minutes I had. When out of nowhere a tall dark haired man with the muscles to go right along, asked me sweetly if I needed help. A desperate yes lead him to grab my hand and escort me to my building. Lucky for me his next class was right next to mine. On the way to my class, he asked me all sorts of questions, and we got a long rather well. At least, better than anyone else here. At one point he told me his name, but I forgot it.... I'm the worst.

But, before he left he told me he would find me on Wednesday so he could help me find my class again. This could be good.

Dearest

Dearest roommate who just moved in. I know your bed is closest to the window, but it's 200 degrees in here. Please open it.

Love, your wide awake and miserable roomie

At 1 a.m.

The Subways. (Rather sad song)

First weekend at college and I made curfew by 2 minutes, why I tried so hard I'm not sure. No RA, sleeping roommates, no parents.... A few boys were out walking around a little past the time I got home. Honor code. I suppose it's in place so as to guilt trip the students in to coming home on time. It worked? I think....

Making plans to scale the school, play pranks, and already barely making curfew? I might not be at this school very long...

I didn't actually explain the title of the previous post, and with a title like that, I feel like you all deserve an explanation.

Walking home from a late night activity, around the time of 10 or so, (don't worry everyone, that's 2 hours before weekday curfew) me and a roommate, Steph, got cat called the words below by a passing car. It was rather exciting. She then flipped the car off. I didn't think she had it in her, and I was rather proud.

"Have Fun In Sexburg!"

I apologize for the inappropriate title, and now that I am a BYU-I girl, following strict honor codes, I should be more aware, but I found this quote extremely appropriate for my first post away from home.

My church is at 9:30. Approximately 1 zillion YSA wards here, and I get stuck with an early time. I shouldn't complain seeing as all my classes start earlier than that, but I was hoping for a little bit of a sleep in day. Guess not.

My roommate has yet to show up. The room looks strange, all moved in and divided exactly in half.

Nobody here understands sarcasm. I'm in a whole heap of trouble, and a whole heap of people give me strange looks. I'm not as funny here as I was in Orem.

I miss my Oremites....

New people are great. I rather enjoy making friends.

My major has yet to change. But my emphasis might change to PR.

This 'Get Connected' freshman deal is nothing but a glorified EFY. Get me to my college classes please.

You can definitely feel the spirit here that everyone talks about.

I cooked my first meal away from home about half an hour ago. The hamburger helper looked fine until it made it into my bowl then it gobbed itself into a softish brick. I'm in trouble kids.

Well, I'm off to a talent show? Kirby Heybourne is appearing at I-Night tomorrow. But then again, what kind of a name is Kirby?

The Wonders of Technology

Yes future roommates, I have been frequently FB stalking you.

This is going to be one wild ride of a semester.

#5694

This post is long overdue, and I only have 2 shifts left, so I suppose now is a great time to let you all in to a building that has become a small part of me.

Lakeside Shopping Center. Although, nobody actually knows where that is. It's Ross, TJ Max, Old Navy, those stores on University Parkway. Hey, now you can finally say you learned something from reading this.

I got called in for an interview around October of 2009. And was interviewed by a girl who is now one of my dearest and closest friends. Nervous as could be, I answered all of the questions as best as I knew how. Once I discussed that I would not be available from Dec. 25th to Jan. 3, I figured the job wouldn't be mine. But for some reason, they hired me anyways.

Holiday Hire; Temporary position.

I made a few friends, got along with my bosses, and earned some money. But that's all it was to me.

Fast Forward to that next summer. When another one of my very best friends was hired. We now discuss everything under the sun, share all secrets and help the other through life's drama.

Now to the end of that Summer. New management team.
I almost transferred. We all almost transferred.

But I stuck it out. And that new management team is now my 2nd family.
1 knows my entire life story, helps me with boy problems, and has my matching sarcastic personality.
1 sings all the songs that come over the speakers a little too loud and gives me advice.
1 has the best laugh in recorded history
1 insults me more than anyone, but laughs when I throw it right back at her.
1 is a 5 year old in a grown man's body.

With my now very best friends, including Mr. Grinch, this store has indeed become my second home. I'm going to miss all the sparkling personalities there, and will visit as often as I visit Orem. I wish you all could come on my next adventure with me. I hope our relationships stay as tight as they are now.

I Will Eat My Words

Bring on the cold weather

The time consuming busy work

The 7 am class

the extra long, up hill campus

the 4 hour distance from here

the learning

Bring It On