Five.

30 day challenge, part 5.

5) What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?

1. Long drives. These always make me happy, but especially now, since I won't be able to go for drives much longer.
2. Getting stuff for my mission. I know, I know. Materialistic. But seriously. Nothing has made me happier the last few weeks than finding the perfect shoes for me to wear everyday.
3. Missionary letters. These always make me happy, but even more so now that I'll know more of what my Elder friends are going through in just a couple weeks. Plus, I miss all my boys, so hearing from them is the best.
4. Talking to friends. I love talking. And I love friends. And I've had some of the most deep, meaningful, and spiritual talks with friends over the last few weeks, than I've had my entire life. And I'm loving it.
5. Sitting at home. I'm antisocial. Oh well. Last year I never wanted to go home, but now I go home at least once a week. And I love nothing more than eating leftovers, playing with Chief, and watching movies with my family. Especially when it's Lord of the Rings, and my dad fast forwards through the talking so all we watch is the fighting. My family might be a little cooler than yours.

Four.

Thirty day challenge. It's taken me a lot longer than thirty days. Oops.

4) List 10 things you would tell your 16-year old self if you could.

1. Just because you've known someone for forever, doesn't mean they'll always be there.
2. There's more to a friendship than having fun. And you'll find some of your best friends in college.
3. Study a little harder. You won't regret it. It'll make the transition to college so much easier.
4. You deserve better. It's not you, it's the people around you who aren't measuring up. Remember that.
5. Try more food. You aren't as picky as you once were, and there's a lot of good food you're missing out on. Also, learn to cook. Spaghetti and grilled cheese gets old after a while.
6. Don't quit piano! You'll miss it!
7. Read your scriptures more often. It's a good habit to have.
8. Slow down. Try to keep the van on four wheels when going around turns.
9. Learn to budget. Just because you've got lots of money now, doesn't mean you'll always have lots of money. Sometimes you won't even realize how much you're spending until you're broke.
10. In 4 years life will be completely different than you ever imagined. And you'll love it.

Get me out.

I NEED TO LEAVE PROVO.
Like now.
Guys. I can't handle it anymore. I know I should be enjoying my last few weeks of freedom before I leave on my mission, but I can't take it.
I'm not a patient person. I decided I was going on a mission. I'm ready for it. So now I want to leave. I want to get out there. Nothing is happening for me in Provo right now. I don't want to hang out with people because I'm just gonna leave and they're not gonna write me and all my friends will probably get married while I'm gone. I just sit in my room in my apartment and watch netflix, then I feel like I'm wasting my life away. So I go and hang out with people and I hate every moment.
I have no idea what my mission is going to be like. But it's going to be different from being here. I'll have a purpose to what I'm doing. My life will have meaning - something I've been missing for a long time.
Sorry to be a downer, and to complain so much. I know I really have no reason to complain at all. Still.
I need to get out of here.
New Hampshire, I'm ready for ya.

Three.

Hey guys. Remember when I said I was going to do this? Ya, I'm really bad at posting regularly. So sue me. But I figured I'd try and complete this challenge before I left on my mish. Which is in 20 days. Just so you know. Anyway, here's number three.

3) Describe your relationship with your parents.

My parents are the best. Hands down. No contest. They win all the awards. Why? Oh I could go on and on.

My dad is the hardest working man I know. He regularly works 60+ hour weeks. He delivers babies in the middle of the night, and sleeps at the hospital at least once every 6 days to take care of people who need it. He listens to people complain when they don't feel well and he tells them how to get better - even when he knows that sometimes they won't follow it. And he does this all while being caring, sympathetic, and attentive. And that's just his job. He also brings my mom flowers for no reason, watches movies with us on Sunday nights, brings home donuts and fancy kinds of cheese, takes us on horseback rides, plays catch with us, wrestles with my brother, reads us books, teaches us to take care of ourselves, takes us to cool places, takes us camping, fixes our cars, supports us in everything we do, and teaches us that we can do hard things. My dad has taught me the importance of family and to appreciate not only what I have, but where I am as well. He's also taught me how to be strong, independent, honest, loyal, and to always do what is necessary - even when it's hard. Thanks to him I've got a very sarcastic and dry sense of humor, I know how to throw a softball and change my brakes, I love classic rock, I've hiked Mt. Kilimanjaro and the Inca trail, and I can saddle a horse.

Also thanks to my dad, any guy I date has some very, very high standards he's gonna have to meet. Sorry not sorry.

My mom is just as amazing. She takes me shopping, she listens to me vent, she makes me lunch. She makes me clothes when I can't find anything that fits, she fixes my clothes when I don't take good care of them. She cries during commercials, she reads books faster than anyone I know, she makes a mean mac&cheese, and she hates camping, but will go with us anyway. My mom is smart, willing to help anyone at any time, and she keeps me on the straight and narrow. When I lived at home she'd wait up for me to get home at night and she would wake up at 6:30 during the summer and make me a lunch to take to work. She takes me to store after store to find cute missionary clothes because she knows I don't want to look Amish and she always takes me to Zupa's after. She'll make extra of my favorite dinner, just so I can take left overs back to school with me and have a break from my typical spaghetti. She buys my friends and I pizza whenever I have friends over, and will usually make muddy buddies as well. She's my chauffeur, my cheerleader, my therapist, my confidant, my teacher, my guide, my best friend.

I've always had a pretty good relationship with my parents. I've never really had any major arguments, no screaming matches, nothing. I don't think I've ever been grounded, and my curfew is usually pretty reasonable. I think part of that is because I've always had pretty good friends - I never had any real reason or pressure to go against what my parents said. But I think it's also because I always understood the reasoning behind the rules and standards they gave me. I have to say, the older I've gotten the more I've realized how great my parents are. I hear friends talk about how their parents are super strict, how they don't get along at all, how they never listen to what they have to say. My parents listen to me all the time, even when I have no point to my stories that go on and on. My mom doesn't necessarily agree with my style choices - or some of my other choices - but she'll accept it because it's what I want to do. My parents have taught me not to take life too seriously, to laugh about the mistakes I make. They've taught me to give my all, and to never do anything I wouldn't be proud of. They've taught me that I can do anything I put my mind to and that it's totally fine to have some fun along the way.

I could probably keep going, but I'll stop here. This should be enough to prove that my parents really are the best. I have no doubt in my mind - and I've never had a reason to doubt - the love they have for each other, for me, for my siblings, or for the gospel.

Here's to hoping that one day I'll do as good a job as they've done. Because so far, we've all turned out pretty awesome. And some of that has got to be genetic.

Couch surfing.

You guys. Watch these videos. The second one is kind of long, but I promise you won't regret it.

I'm crying. Funniest story ever.

Ranting at 3 in the morning.

If there's one thing I've learned whilst taking a creative writing class this semester, it's that I've got a very particular style to my writing. A style full of sentence fragments, vague descriptions, misused commas, and very little rhythm.
And sometimes when I'm attempting to write a paper at 3 in the morning during finals week, I get frustrated. So I write my own form of poetry.
Enjoy.

Inspiration is a devil

Lurking right beyond your grasp.

Arriving at the worst times -

Late at night; early in the morning;

Right in the middle of something else.

He teases, he taunts, he mocks.

He guides you down a path,

Then abandons you in the dark.

Inspiration is a cat

With no loyalty to his owner.

He never comes when called,

But shows up when you’re preoccupied,

Yowling for your attention.

He is fickle and picky,

Giving you the impression

That you’ll never be good enough.

Inspiration is a song,

Just one line you can’t get out of your head

And it continues on repeat.

Yet the rest of the song is a mystery,

That won’t stop playing until it’s discovered.

So it circles around like a vulture,

Hunting all clarity still found in your mind,

And driving it away.

Inspiration is that one warm day,

Right in the middle of March,

That reminds you of sunshine and shorts,

Taunting you with freedom and happiness.

Because when it snows the next day,

You can still feel the warmth on your skin,

The hope that summer will come again,

Just not today.

Inspiration is a whore.

She flirts, she begs,

She leads you on,

Yet has no intention of staying around.

She’ll love you for a moment,

Make you believe she’s all you need.

She’ll leave you wanting more,

Then she’ll move on.

Inspiration is a dream,

Hiding on the edge of consciousness.

Yet the more that you reach,

The more it retreats,

Leaving you with nothing more than the belief

That something was there,

Something not quite solid,

An image lost in shadow.

Inspiration is the worst kind of friend.

It only takes, never gives

You can never depend on him,

Always bailing at the last minute,

Never there when needed most.

Like while writing a paper for a class.

Inspiration.

Where are you?

I know, I never thought I'd serve a mission either.

Believe it not kids, I'm going on a mission.
Yes, the girl who has said for her entire life that she would never go on a mission - me - actually has a mission call.
To the New Hampshire Manchester mission.
I actually got my call a couple weeks ago. I just haven't had a chance to blog about it. So sue me.
Anyway, I leave on March 13th. I'll be in the Provo MTC for two weeks, then I'll get shipped out. The Manchester mission covers most of Maine, almost all of New Hampshire and Vermont, and even goes into New York and Massachusetts a little bit. So I'll probably be all over New England.
And guys. I'm stoked.
I've always thought I'd love to live on the East Coast, especially up in the New England area. And this is my chance to do it. On top of that, I get to be serving the Lord. I'm so excited!
I've already found and throughly stalked my mission president's blog, and looked up what the areas are like. From what I've found on Wikipedia (since I've never been to New England), I can expect lots and lots of humidity. Pretty mild summers, only like 70s or 80s. And then a nice and cold winter, like in the 20s or 30s. Yesss.
I've already bought rainboots to wear.
So now I've just got to wait to leave. I'm staying in Provo until February, living in Kelsey's apartment, since I already sold my contract. I'm planning on just working and going to school. Since I have to take 6 credits to keep my job, I signed up for a few first block classes that end at the end of February. They might be a little rough to get through though. Already I have no motivation to do anything in the classes I'm in now. I just want to leave!
Gah. It's great though. I have so many other friends getting their mission calls now too. When I get home I know I'll still have some single friends - unlike Kelsey, who came home to find every single one of her friends married.
Isn't it funny though? When Kelsey came home from her mission in June I was still saying I wasn't really thinking about a mission. Now, only 5 months later, I have my own mission call. It just works out so perfectly. I had been kind of thinking about going next fall when I turned 21. But then in General Conference they announced the age change, making me eligible now. And it just works out so much better. Everything has fallen in place. I can leave before I get too involved in the Advertising program, I sold my contract (and with all the girls leaving to go on missions, it's pretty difficult to sell a contract in Provo right now), and I just feel like I need to go.
It's a little hard to do for sure. Right now is when all my guy friends are starting to come home from their missions. I'm going to miss seeing most of them. I was really excited to start the Advertising program, and now I'll be a little behind when I come back, since Advertising changes so quickly. I was going to go live with my cousins in Maryland for the summer, and we had so many great plans that I won't be able to do now. On top of that, I'm leaving all the friends I've made already this year, as well as everyone else.
It's gonna be rough. But in all honesty, I can't wait.

(If you're reading this and for some reason don't know what kind of mission I'm talking about, click on the 'I Believe' link in the right column. Or go here.)