The Waiting Game: A Story of Stress, Learning Patience, and a lot of Support from those I Love

    I have been meaning to write this post for a while now, but midterms are this week (side note: Im halfway done with my last semester!). I thought my last semester was going to breeze by, but oh how wrong was I. This by far has been the busiest and most stressful semester yet. Not only have classes been so busy, but working on top of it all is crazy as well, especially with my position right now. However the thing causing the most stress has been trying to find my dream internship.
    At the beginning of August I got all of my Child Life Practicum applications submitted. Then I waited. And waited. And waited! I knew from the start that it would be a while before I started hearing back, and I figured I would just kind of forget about it for a while. Well that definitely didn't happen, instead I obsessively checked my email every ten minutes hoping each time I opened it there would be a response from one of the hospitals. It wasn't until the middle of September that I started getting responses. I thought once I started hearing back from people it would relieve some stress, but no it just added on because I started setting up phone and skype interviews. It was all starting to become real.
    I got through all my interviews, I felt really good about some and not so good about others. Im just glad I have a little while until I have to do it all over again. Then it was just another waiting game to see if I was going to get an offer. This was the scariest part of it all. But I knew all the work and all the waiting would eventually pay off.
    I have learned a lot throughout this whole process. Patience truly is a virtue and one that I've learned I need to work on. I found myself getting angry that I hadn't heard anything yet and realized I can't get angry, it was all out of my control. I learned that yes I can do hard things, even when I think I can't anymore. This whole being an adult and doing scary things on my own is not something I am particularly fond of, but this whole process has really allowed me to grow and gain confidence in my own abilities.
     Now there is no way that I did all of this alone! So here comes a little shout out to my wonderful and amazing dad, who really supported me throughout this whole thing. Whether it was calling him telling me not to apply somewhere because it wasn't the classiest of places, reviewing my resume, offering to help me with interview questions, to me calling him on the phone and crying because I was stressed and feeling like there was no light at the end of this very long and dark tunnel that is finding an internship. I really have relied on his great knowledge and strength and could not have done it without him (you too mom!).
     The waiting game is pretty much over. I have received and accepted an offer, but am just waiting for a few more legal things to get settled and then I will be able to reveal where I will be headed come January.

Stay tuned!

"Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting."

-Joyce Meyer

My First Week of My Last Semester of College

     Well I survived my first week of my final semester here at BYU-Idaho. I have to say I survived because it was a rough one. I was hoping my last semester was going to be low key, but oh how I was wrong. I am already so overwhelmed and ready to be done.
     I have mixed emotions right now because as much as I say I wish I could just be done already I know when the time actually comes I won't want to, but right now I just wish I could fast forward time.
     Not only do I have school, work, and a social life to worry about, my internship deadlines were a few days ago, so now all I do is obsessively check my email to see if I have any responses. I just wish I could skip over the whole interviewing process and just get an acceptance...IF ONLY! Its a process and I am excited about it, but also extremely nervous. There is just a lot going on and a lot changing, I have to get used to it still. I know it is all going to work out, I just wish I could skip over all the hard parts, but thats life I guess.

"Keep Trying. Keep Believing. Be Happy. Don't Get Discouraged. Things Will Work Out."

-President Gordon B. Hinckley

A Visit From The Parents

     The seven week break in Rexburg can get pretty lonely, especially when you have only one roommate and you are both on opposite schedules and maybe see each other two or three times a week. I have spent a lot of time not really doing much. My days include going to work, catching up on my latest show, reading, going to the gym, and going to sleep. It's pretty mundane. Every once in a while something exciting will happen, but Rexburg is pretty much a ghost town this time of year.
     Lucky for me I have the best parents in the entire world who came all the way from Connecticut to spend a few days here in Rexburg. It was so fun having them here and showing them around my town, granted it took a total of 5 minutes but it was still fun.
     The fires in Soda Springs, Washington, and Boise kind of messed up our plans a bit because of the smoke but we were still able to see some of the great things in and surrounding Idaho. We took a day trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, walked around the shops, of course took a picture at the Antler Arch, and had a yummy dinner.

     We also took a trip up to Yellowstone National Park. It was a gorgeous day. Saw everything from buffalo to elk, Old Faithful and the hot pools. Then we pulled off and hiked to Ferry Falls. None of us were expecting to hike that day, especially me, and let me tell you white converse are NOT hiking shoes. All in all it was worth it.

     It is hard having my parents so far a way while I am at school and I rarely get to see them so it was fun to have them come out for a visit for a few days. The next time I will see them again they will be back in Rexburg, but this time in the dead of winter for my graduation. You know that your parents love you when they commit to coming to Rexburg in December.

"I love you to the moon and back."

-Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

My Best Friends Wedding

     It's been about a week since I was in Northern California for Anna's wedding. It was such a bitter sweet day trip for me. I am so excited for Anna and her new life that she is starting but I am also sad to be letting my best friend go. I am so absolutely happy for Anna and Quinton and am so glad that they found each other.
     For the past 4 years Anna and I have lived together. For those 4 years came nightly pillow talks. We would talk about everything, including our futures. Neither of us knew what our futures held but we had big dreams, including living in a flat together. Well obviously that isn't happening...haha but we also talked ALOT about boys! I am happy to say that when talking to Anna about what she wanted her future husband to be like, Quinton embodies it all. So I guess I can't be too mad.
     Im only kidding, how could I be mad that my best friend has found her eternal best friend. I can't! I know that no matter where life takes us Anna and I are always going to be best friends. I know that even when she is living in Delaware and I am who knows where, we will always be able to pick up the phone and pick up right where we left off.
     Anna and Quinton's wedding day was absolutely perfect! They were sealed for time and all eternity in the Oakland California Temple. The weather was perfect, Anna looked beautiful (of course), I loved being one of her bridesmaids, and family and friends gathered to celebrate the happy couple.
      Even though saying goodbye to my best friend was hard, I know that Quinton is her best friend and that he is going to take the best care of her, and that he'll let me visit and take her away as often as I want;). I love you both and am so happy for you guys.

CONGRATULATIONS!

            

                                        

   

         

"Even though we change and we're all finding our own place in the world, we all know that when the tears fall or the smile spreads across our face, we'll come to each other because no matter where this crazy world takes us, nothing will ever change so much to the point where we're not friends."

I Am Back

     It's been a while since my last post and that just goes to show that 1) I forgot and 2) my life has been a little chaotic these past few months. Excuses excuses I know, but now I am on break and things have slowed down in a big way! I have finished yet another semester of college and only have one more left until I graduate. Wait what I am graduating in December?!?! This cannot be real life.
     So here's what's been happening the past few months:

• I taught preschool for a semester and absolutely loved it!
• I am still working at the library as a supervisor.
• My best friend got engaged!!
• Started applications for my internship.
• I am going to be an aunt again!
• Finished another semester
• I am listenting to Harry Potter on audio.
• Now I am living in Rexburg for the 7 week break.

     When I said life has slowed down in a big way, I meant it. Living in Rexburg when school is not in session is really interesting. There is probably only like 100 students that actually stayed for the break, nice for the locals, not so nice on my social life. Rexburg is a small town so when the majority of its population leaves it is quiet! Its only been a week but I am realizing I am going to have to start getting creative here soon. Luckily I have some fun things to break up the weeks, I leave for California in a week for Anna's wedding, then my mom and dad are coming to visit which I am stoked about especially since my dad has never been up here. It will take all of 5 minutes to show them around town so the rest of the three days we will have to explore other states near by haha. Then  after they leave its back to work for a few weeks, then down to Utah to watch Benson for three days while Sarah and Matt take a little vacation. So thats all I have to look forward to for the next 7 weeks, but it will be good. With all my time I am hoping to stay more caught up on the blog, so look forward to that!

"All we have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given us"

-J.R.R Tolkien

          

Puppy Overload

    I have a great love, okay it's an obsession, with all things puppies. People always talk about the crazy cate lady, well I am pretty sure that I am going to become the crazy dog lady. Seriously all I want is a puppy. I have decided that I am going to buy myself a puppy for a graduation present. I mean I worked four hard years in order to graduate, the least I deserve is a puppy!
    My obsession has come to the point where I almost brought home two King Charles Spaniels this weekend. There was a couple giving them away for free and it took every fiber in my being to not walk away with them after playing with them. I'm pretty sure my roommates would have killed me, but it would have been so worth it!
    So I had to fulfill my puppy need somehow. There is a business here in Rexburg called Pups4Play, and they have a bunch of puppies that you can rent. The point is to get them adopted, and you can rent them to give them a little test run. But you can also just rent them to play with them. So this is exactly what we did. I was talking to the owner the other day and I was telling him my plans of renting soon and he asked if I had made a reservation yet, and I hadn't and then he told me to wait a day or two because they had just gotten four husky pups. I was out of my mind excited and reserved one as soon as I could.
    Today was the day! I was distracted all day at work because I just wanted to get home and play with the puppy. We reserved Royce because he had the bluest eyes, but when they dropped him off they had his sister too and asked if we would want her too because she didn't have a place to go and they said they play better together. Of course we said yes, because no sane person would say no to a second husky puppy!

Pure Happiness

    We had Royce and Mila for and hour and a half and just played with them. So much that we wore them out and they both slept for like the last twenty minutes that we had them. Which was totally okay because they were just so darn cute! It was so hard to give them back I just wanted to adopt them right there on the spot.

How could you resist those eyes?!

"I heard somebody define heaven once, as a place where, when you get there, all the dogs you ever loved run to greet you."

-Robert Parker

Playing Catch Up

    It has been a crazy past month or so! I have majorly neglected the blog, but I am back to play a whole lot of catch up. I finished up another semester, and this last winter was definitely the hardest semester yet. I was taking 19 credits and working about 20 hours a week. It was insane! I do not recommend it to anyone, I don't care how dedicated you are, it was torture. But I actually ended the semester with the best grades of my college career, so that was a real treat. Having no time whatsoever for any sort of social life payed off I guess...But now that semester is over and I am just starting another one. This semester will hopefully be less stressful, and its spring so it is automatically better!
     Over the week break between semesters I was able to meet my dad in Texas. Why Texas you ask? Well I am working on becoming a Child Life Specialist and there are a lot of really great children's hospitals in Texas and it just so happened that there was a Child Life workshop being held at one of the hospitals over my break. So my Dad and I planned a parents weekend, but instead of at school we took it all the way to Texas. And let me tell you, I fell in love with that state! It was so beautiful and the weather was perfect. I also absolutely fell in love with a hospital that I went to. We were able to walk around Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth and was so impressed with it! I now have high hopes of where I want to do an internship come January.
     It was such a good weekend. Dad and I were able to go to so many places. We explored Fort Worth and Dallas, went to an American Airlines Museum and to The Sixth Floor Museum, which is all about the John F. Kennedy assassination. It was amazing!

View from The Sixth Floor Museum

    We also were able to go to a baseball game during the MLB Opening Week. I love baseball, in fact our whole family loves it. Some of my fondest memories with my Dad are at baseball games, whether they were my brothers, my own softball games, or the Dodgers and Cubs games we always went to. So it was so fun being able to go to yet another stadium with him! It was so much fun, and I am so glad that I am lucky enough to be able to do these great things with my dad. It allows for us to create so many great memories. It is great to just be able to hang out without him having to worry about work or me about school. It was just a few days for us to be together which is so nice because I don't get to make it home very often, with them being in Connecticut and me in Idaho. I love it, wish Mom could have been there too, but sometimes a girl just needs time with her Dad!

     And now like I said I am back to another semester, it is crazy to think that within the next few months I will be applying for internships and officially applying for graduation. It is so weird, it seems like I just started here at BYU-I and after this semester I will only have one more left. It is scary and exciting all at the same time. 

"Go confidently in the directions of your dreams, live the life you imagined."

-Thoreau

Happens Every Time

     I have never been really attached to my hair, I don't have problems making major changes to it, whether it be the color or the cut. My thoughts are it will eventually grow back, or I can always fix it somehow.
     I have always had fairly short hair, about right above the shoulder. However over the past two years I have just wanted to grow it out. I started to get it longer than I had had it in a really long time, and then one day just got sick of it and chopped it again. It wasn't even that long... Then after I cut it I told myself that this time I would let it grow. So for about 8 months I didn't cut it, yes I got the occasional trim to keep it healthy but no length really cut off.
    Well it happened again, I just cut it. My hair was getting to a point where it was just stringy and gross. I never really styled it unless it was straight or I curled it, and lets be real I wasn't waking up extra early to curl my hair before my classes, so most of the time it was just down and straight. Not cute! I was going back and forth for about a week, trying to decide if I wanted to stick with the long or not. I was sending pictures to my mom and sister trying to get them to help me decide. Then on Saturday I woke up and I just called my hair stylist and she got me in like 2 hours later. I am so glad I decided to go short again! Ive decided that short is the way to go for me, I don't think I will be trying to grow it out again.. at least thats what I say now...

     So here it is, 3 inches off the back and 2 off the front.

"A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life."

-Coco Chanel

California

     Thanks to President's Day we had a three day weekend. So Jenny, Kazia, and I decided to drive down to Los Angeles. It was the longest drive and we spent a total of 36 hours in the car over 5 days, but it was so worth it! We explored LA, Hollywood, South Pasadena, and of course spent a day at the beach. It was the perfect little escape from school and from the cold. Being in California really made me question why I ever decided that Rexburg, Idaho was a good place to go to school, especially in the winter.

      

"California here we come. Right back where we started from" 

-Phantom Planet

It's Okay to Act Young Every Once In a While

     Being a 22 years old in the town that I am in, I am considered old. Take my own apartment for example, I am the oldest one, and am four years older than one of my roommates. It is weird being the oldest out of everyone. It takes a toll on you. I feel like I have to be the most responsible and reserved because of my age. And lets be real in the normal world, outside of the Rexburg bubble, 22 is still young.
     Anyway lately I haven't been going out and doing things because I feel too old, everyone at the parties are so much younger than me. It just feels weird. I have learned though, that avoiding things because of the fear of being the oldest one, leads to a really boring life. I would find myself just sitting at home on the weekends doing homework. This is not how I want to be spending my last few semesters at school. Yes I do want to do well in my classes but I also want to have fun.
     I am here to tell you that it is okay to not act your age every once in a while. There was a big dance party that was being held at an empty warehouse here in town a few weekends ago, a party which I was very reluctant and pretty much refused to even think about going to. I had heard that they normally end up being pretty sketchy. These were the types of parties I would never miss my first few semesters here at school, but once again, the thoughts of you're too old kept coming up.
     This particular party was a paint fight, which meant you go dressed in all white, and be prepared to be doused in paint while dancing the night away. All I could think about was how the DJ would probably play music I didn't know and people would be dancing all sorts of nasty ways. But I had some friends that really wanted to go. They convinced me to go with them, because the alternate would be sitting at home doing homework like usual.
      I reluctantly put together an outfit and headed to the party with my two friends trying to make the best of the situation. We walked in to a dark warehouse with the bass of the music bumpin'! Immediately I was like a freshman again. I lost all sense of care and let loose. I was ready to party! The night ended up being so fun, and luckily we were able to avoid all the sketchiness that comes along with any dance party. It ended up being a really great night.

     I had an epiphany that night. I need to not care about what every one else thinks. Just because I am "older" doesn't mean I still can't have fun. Now this is not the type of fun I would want to have every weekend, but it helped me realize a lot. You should never feel constricted because of what society has constructed as acceptable or not. Again, it is okay to not act your age all the time! Let yourself have fun. If you are in a similar situation to myself, all I can say is do what makes you happy. There can be a great balance in your life between fun and responsibility. You just have to be willing to make the effort to find that balance. Growing up doesn't have to be miserable, it can be the most exciting time of your life.

"Do What Makes You Oh-So Happy"

Week 1 and Week 2

     This is the first time that I have gone to school back to back semesters with such a small break in between. Normally I either have a three month break in between tracks or I have a seven week break. This time it was only a week and a half. Really it just feels like it has been one continuous semester. I am having mixed feelings about going to school year round but I am glad because I am now only three semesters, including this current one, away from graduating!
     It has been the most stressful first few weeks of school yet. Normally it starts out pretty slow, but not this time. It has been non stop. First off I moved into a new complex, after living in Nauvoo House for three years, Ive moved to The Gates. It is more of a town home feel and I really like it. It was hard moving after living in the same apartment for so long, but it was a much needed change. I really love the layout of my new place. Anna and I live on the first floor and the other four live upstairs. Our bathroom is connected to our room and our kitchen has two fridges. If I am being honest those were the two selling points for us. It is a little smaller than what I am used to hence why my closet is packed in nice and tight. I had to really squish my clothes in there to get them to fit. I am farther from campus now too, but since its so bitter cold and snowy this winter I bought a parking pass so I don't have to walk to my classes so early in the morning. So thank goodness for that.

     School has also been crazy. Now that I am so close to graduating my classes are no nonsense. Luckily I love my major and my minor and like what I am learning, but it is definitely a lot of work. All of this on top of working at the library. So I am working 15 hours and taking 15 credits. It is busy! I am hoping this next week will be better because I will be in more of a routine. Even though this is going to be a tiring semester, I am going to make the best of it!

"I'm not telling you it's going to be easy. I'm telling you it's going to be worth it." -Art Williams

Where To Begin

     With the new year there is always a lot of talk about goals and resolutions. I have never been good at making new years resolutions and actually sticking to them. How many times have I said I was going to give up Diet Coke? Probably every year since I can remember, and has it happened yet... Nope! 

     Anyway this year instead of making resolutions about things I wanted to change in my life, I decided to make a list of things that I wanted to accomplish this year.

     I left the last few blank because I know that as the year goes on I will think of other things that I want to accomplish. I am hoping that by posting this I will hold myself more accountable knowing that you all can see this too. So here's to a new year and doing things that make us better happy people!

                                                      "The Best Is Yet To Come"