1,000 words

Three months later.....

HEY BLOGGIES

I promise I didn't die or forget I had a blog. & my sincerest apologies to those of you I assured I would be making frequent updates as I explored Europe during this cool opportunity also known as study abroad. I started off with every intention to write about each and every adventure, struggle and moments that made my heart the happiest.... and I did write about it all! But not here. As I jotted down things I wanted to remember and poured my heart out to the pages of my notebook, reflecting on moments just became more personal. I was already sharing all my pictures via EVERY social media site (sorry not sorry to those who likely developed a deep loathing toward me for my excessive updates... whoops, whatdoyado) and moments that made me laugh, smile, tear up and everything in between just felt too profound and life changing to be besmirched by simply sharing them the use of today's technology (but skype and facetime don't count... those baby's are game changers in and of themselves). But today, I am going to break my "personal space rule" (heaven only knows how many times Italians broke this rule) and share with you 1,000 words I wrote to describe what I have learned during my experience abroad.

1. There is something to fall in love with everyday. Whether it is a building, a city, a culture, a person, a moment, a meal, a pastry, the list is truly endless.
2. Personal time to gather and reflect on the simplest thoughts is both important and extremely necessary for one's sanity. 
3. It’s OKAY to be selfish! *sometimes* Do what makes YOU happy. If you live your life trying to please other people you will end up exhausted and disappointed. Whether we like it or not, the precious time we are given to live is limited and if you aren’t using your ticking time to make your heart happy you are only cheating yourself. Don’t concern yourself with the opinion of others… it just isn’t worth it!
4.  Life is NEVER going to be picture perfect… and ironically… this is exactly why I can honestly describe this experience as picture perfect. Traveling is seriously one ridiculous disaster after another. It isn’t until you have gotten lost countless times, steered in the wrong direction from locals you can’t entirely communicate with, stared at, pointed at, sat on the ground to collect yourself and wondered what on earth you have gotten yourself into that you can sincerely appreciate the beauty in every struggle that got you to each moment that leaves you speechless.
5. You are never alone. Even on the days you come home, flop down on your bed, shut your eyes tight and hope to open them to familiar faces and places, remember our Father in Heaven is ALWAYS there for us. Take a deep breath, keep those eyes closed and PRAY. Prayer has no time difference (this is something I have become sooooo grateful for). Even when every person you want to talk to is fast asleep back home and you have just lived a full day of exciting new stories and/or encountered situations you don’t feel adult enough to deal with, Heavenly Father is available to listen 24/7. He will never leave us comfortless. What a blessing prayer is!
6. Nothing is weird… only different. And that is what makes every inch of this marvelous planet so insanely cool! Embrace new experiences and dive into the unknown. Nothing astounding ever came out of comfort zones. So eat the food the locals recommend, put down the map and get wonderfully lost, discover how capable you really are and take advantage of single opportunity you get to taste the fullness of life! Never let life become a routine.
7. This one is simple, but so relevant! If a street performer makes you stop walking or gives you the chills as you pass by, you owe him/her a dollar (or euro… or frankly any kind of currency you are carrying). Show your appreciation of someone courageous enough to share his/her God given talent.
8. Sad as it made me for several (or many) weeks, we are not entitled to a fully functioning air conditioner or heating system. Neither are we entitled to clothing dryers, fitted sheets, garbage disposals, a dishwater NOT covered with mold, clean walls and floors, a peaceful nights sleep without dealing with mosquitos sucking your face off in the wee hours of the morning, or enough hot water in the shower to last more than 5 minutes (you know you are roughing it when you can’t wait to shower at a hostel). It is just as important to remember to be grateful for the little things, as it is the big things.
9.  Humanity is GOOD. It’s kind of funny that I am recognizing this while I live in a bustling city (I mean, I am faced everyday with people’s elbows jabbing into my ribcage as I try to get onto the metro and vendors on the street breaking all personal space boundaries as they attempt to rip me off). BUT when I encounter an act of kindness it absolutely changes my whole day. Smile back strangers who smile at you and say “grazie a mille!” when someone takes a moment out of their busy day to help the ‘confused American’.
10. Positivity is a choice and at times it is a more difficult choice to make than others. So surround yourself with good vibes and good people because there is no reason to further complicate already difficult situations. Choose to laugh because no matter how much something sucks, it will always become really funny story later (trust me, there are many).
11. If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you. I am coming home a different person than I was when I left. Change is healthy; it indicates growth. My confidence and my independence has been tested daily and because of that I am developing into the kind of person I’ve always looked up to. Growing up is scary but it is pretty cool. Make choices that you can be proud of. I have discovered I can handle myself in the midst of foreign languages and values.
12. Sometimes the most beautiful things we see are the things we see only once. Reflecting on all the sights I have seen and the things I have done, it is the moments I didn’t hold a camera in my hand that I cherish the most. It is the times I wasn’t talking or reading about the history plaque. I was simply looking and seeing, completely caught up in my own contentedness. The times I was not only falling in love with the place I was at, but life itself.
13.  Over planning ruins magic. Don’t be afraid to be spontaneous and make time for serendipity. Every moment will one day become a memory, so live now! As cliché at it sounds, don’t dwell on the past and don't worry about the future. Every step we take is part of a plan and things will fall into place exactly the way it is supposed to. Trust that gut. It knows far more than you give it credit for.

I have loved every second of my time here. I can't believe the things I have done or that I got to meet the people I have met. And can we all just take a second to boycott the calendar?? Someone out there has a time machine and they are using it to make time literally vanish before my eyes. Going home in less than a month is a thought that excites me and scares me more than anything ever has. I look around the city that has been my home for the past four months and the people that have made it possible for me to call this city my home and I can't help but swallow back the tears that are growing every day. I already know this goodbye is going to be the hardest goodbye that I have ever said. My experience here has shaped me in ways I didn't know possible. Studying abroad will forever be one of the greatest decisions I have ever made! 

Comic relief: I just successfully washed down a whole pizza with a spoonful (okay fine, *spoonfuls*) of nutella after a long day of shopping... This folks, means two things haven't changed 1) I still have a raging appetite and 2) living in Milan wasn't successful in teaching me to love shopping. So don't worry guys! I'm still Claire... just a wiser and fluffier version of me (: 

the little things

Okay, so here I am, studying abroad in Italy.... that is kind of a big thing!

But to my dismay and to no disbelief... things simply do not work out the way you picture them in your mind. Sound familiar anyone?

Cliche as it seems, when imperfect things happen you just have to shake it off, smile and look for the little things.

I've always been the type who has to talk out every problem in order to find a solution. Thank goodness God gave me a mother who is willing to listen to me vent and then to help me solve the problem. However, being located 8 hours ahead of anyone I can call up and talk things out with, I have had to resort to a less stressful method of just shaking things off and seeking positivity in every situation.

I have found this method has helped me become a much more grateful person. And let's be honest, the more grateful you are, the happier you can be.

Here's an example from last night:

I'll just start out by saying grocery shopping is never a pleasant experience here. I just attempted to write all the common things that go wrong and the list got too long. So just take my word for it... if you go grocery shopping you might as well just be buying a one way ticket to struggle city. Anyway, I got up to the front of the line, paid the guy with my silly little welfare token the school made us buy, start bagging my groceries and voila! My bag rips (bags aren't free here btw.. you have to pay for them every time) and my food spills all over the floor. So I just took a deep breath and picked it up as quickly as I could and moved to the side to wait for my roommates to finish shopping while cradling my spilled groceries because I wasn't about to pay for another bag. Apparently a man had seen the whole ordeal and sort of nodded his head in sympathy for me. I just shrugged my shoulders and smiled and waved my hand like "it's no big deal". Here's the best part! He immediately walks up to the cashier and says "sacchetto" (which means bag), pays for a new bag, and gives it to me! Although it was the smallest action, it turned my whole day around. I thanked him endlessly and wish I could have said more but we both just stood in the corner while we waited for our friends. When it was time for him to leave he turned to me and smiled and said Ciao (even though we hadn't been talking) and left. Now that is one of the little things that turned out to be a very big thing! A simple smile goes a long way.

I think I am especially grateful for little things like that after our little weekend rendezvous to Genova. I will be honest, I was less than impressed with the city. It was dirty, people were very aggressive and rude, there were sketchy alleys all over town filled with prostitutes and very obvious drug deals, and finding a meal was nearly impossible. I was sort of kicking myself for spending money on a trip like that but in the end I think I learned a lot from it. I came home to a closet full of clothes and a refrigerator full of food. We miraculously caught the only train back to Milan that day (Italy often has these "organized strikes" for public transportation). We found a lot to laugh at when all any of us wanted to do was crawl up in a little ball on the street. And I don't think I am the only one who had a change of heart after seeing the way the people of Genova live and the poverty that is there. No matter the situation, big or small, you can always find something good out of it.

So next time you are feeling down in the dumps and wondering what on earth you've gotten yourself into, look for something to brighten your day... even if it is the littlest thing.

Oh, the joys of a foreign country

Never take for granted: Towels, electricity, warm water, grocery stores, clean produce, owning a car or an American citizenship.

These are things that have caused me great grief since I moved to Italy.

The first item - towels - has quite a story to accompany it so I will save that for last.

Electricity: I can NEVER get a full charge on my laptop. I don't know if it is the power in my room or what but I have had to use my roommates charger since I have been here and I would really like to be independent please!

Warm water: Supplies enough for a shower and a half. So unless you like a serious wake up call during your morning shower, schedule an oddball time during the day and dedicate it to hygiene (which btw I am a constant sticky mess over here.... hello humidity!)

Grocery stores: For the love... no one speaks English...  and we were given these poor people meal tokens to use in grocery stores (which grocers don't know how to use)... long story short... I ended up having to purchase three 2 liter bottles of water in order to compensate (total scam, whatever) and then having to walk about a mile home with all my groceries plus tons of water. Oh and did I mention my plastic bags nearly ripped and my food almost spilled all over the road? As terrible as this sounds this is one of the stories we tell people and can't stop laughing over.

Clean produce: So my roommate bought a pepper last night and guess what surprise she found in it! Maggots. Yes, we almost puked. I guess they don't regulate imports here so you have to be very careful when picking out produce... YUCK.

Owning a car: We have blown so much money on the metro. We applied for our month pass this morning, but won't receive it for 15-20 more days. (And we even saw the passes sitting on the desk ready for use.... Now I know how the metro makes their money!)
BUT I don't know if I would want to own a car here anyway.... the traffic is bloody mad I tell you. If I come home with a missing limb, this is the reason why.

American citizenship: As residents for over 90 days we had to apply for a permit of stay which is basically just another way of taking 140 euros right out of our pockets.

Last but not least.... let me just tell you how difficult it is to obtain a towel in this city...

Half of our group did not pack a towel (because seriously, who had room in their luggage for that!?) So we took several detours around town before figuring out the only possible store which might sell towels would be good old IKEA. Little did we know as we left, we would trek for 5 hours before finding any towels! To get to IKEA we had to take two different lines on the metro, a train, and walk a 5K. Oh yeah, and the walking part.... on the freeway. No, I am not joking (Sorry mom&dad). Haha how nuts is that?! I am sure we looked like a bunch of orphans walking on the side of the freeway with all our belongings on our backs. It was crazy because we finally figured out which train we had to take because by some miracle we found a lady who could speak partial english (bless her soul) and as we were riding we eventually passed the huge IKEA sign... but the train kept going and going and going before it stopped, all the while we were pleading for it to please let us off! Haha anyways so we start walking back to where we had come from when we realize the only way to get there is to cross the freeway. So we hopped on the road and followed it while cars were zooming past us. A little scary but a crazy story! When we finally got to IKEA we looked through the whole store and to our devastation we did not find any towels. However, we found some very rad teeny baby towels (which I wasn't even mad about haha) until we got to check out and mahalla! There we came across some seriously dingy, but useable towels. This story doesn't even compare with the experience, but I hope you can imagine how my feet felt as I went to bed that night. Take that back... Imagine how my feet feel every night! I am a girl in serious need of a foot massage (and I hate people touching my feet).

Okay so this sounded like a rant, which it partially was, but I want to remember every experience, good and bad! And as bad as some of this stuff was, it has kept us all laughing from day one.

As my motto continues.... "It's all chill because we are in Milan".

Experiencing the missionary life

In my first week here I have had several really cool experiences where I get to share my beliefs with other people. Whether it is just a quick couple clarification questions or deeper, testimony strengthening talks, I've experienced both daily since people found out I am one of those "Mormons".

Less than an hour after I met my roommates, I got my first offer for a glass of wine. I have to say, although I expected people here to drink, it is far more often than I ever thought. But I have been so blessed to be surrounded by people respectful of my beliefs. In reply to the first offer I simply answered "no thanks, I don't drink" and the response was simple "oh, okay!" I was definitely expecting more questions or peer pressure but the first several times I said "I don't drink" people were very chill and respecting. The second night we were out to dinner and "the mormon culture" in Utah was brought up and that's when two of my roommates finally asked if I was a mormon. They asked a few follow up questions then but nothing too serious. It was later the next day when they started asking why some mormons dress so weird (haha this is when I explained garments) and it was later the day after that when someone asked me during dinner why mormons "can't drink". It is so interesting to be in the center of these questions because when one person asks, everybody else stops what they are doing to listen very intently to my answer. I have to say, that kind of close attention is intimidating because I have never experienced explaining why members of the church live the way we do to a group of people so unfamiliar with it. 

It was when somebody asked me to explain "why mormons can't drink" when I felt like I got to experience the life of a full-time missionary. Explaining the Word of Wisdom to people who have never heard the term before is quite difficult, which I never thought it really would be. It's mostly difficult because I don't want to offend them or sound self-righteous or anything of the sort. 

The conversation started in regards to my 20th birthday which was on Saturday. Everyone was saying "The 20th year was so lame, just wait until you turn 21!" And then starting talking about what kind of crazy shenanigans they did on their 21st (Oh yeah, I am the youngest people here btw). All I could really say was "well, turning 21 won't be much different for me considering I don't drink." Because this was one of the first times the topic came up when we weren't busy doing something (we were just eating dinner) the questions started coming, actually hoping for answers. It was really difficult at first (for reasons I mentioned above) to explain and I ended up giving a really dumb explanation that didn't give much information. I totally confused them by saying basically the Word of Wisdom keeps us away from harmful substances and things that are bad for our bodies. One kid was like, "We went and got gelato today... gelato is pretty bad for your body! Why can you eat junk food?" That comment really got me thinking about why the prophet has warned us to stay away from certain substances and even activities!

After the conversation had passed I kept thinking about a better way to answer the question. This is what  came up with: Having free agency is a huge keystone in our purpose of life on earth. Therefore, we want to stay away from things that are addictive. Because when you are addicted to something, that begins to control you, essentially stealing your precious free agency. This is why we stay away from alcohol, drugs, gambling, pornography, ect!

This answer came to me about an hour after the initial conversation. I really wanted another chance to explain it but I didn't know when I would get one. Not to mention I was having one of those "I have to tell someone or my heart will probably beat right out of my chest" moments. So, as we were waiting for our train I decided to just man up and bring it up. Because if they wanted to know the first time, why would they mind if you brought it up a second time? I simply said, "I have a better explanation for that whole Word of Wisdom concept I was trying to explain earlier if you still want to hear it." Naturally, they said they would love to get a better understanding of it. As scary as it was to bring it up, it ended up being soooo worth it. We ended up talking for like 30 minutes about my beliefs, lifestyle, testimony, how I gained my own testimony, goals, the blessing of the church, missions, ect! It was super cool. And as they asked more questions I was able to reply quickly with gospel doctrine and principles. I could truly feel the spirit guiding me through the conversation. As we kept talking, people kept saying things like " I really commend you  for following what your church has asked without any complaints" and "I really respect you for your beliefs" and "That is really cool how you have so much faith in your religion". I got a taste of what missionaries experience daily and it was so cool to be a part of sharing the truth! I'm not on a mission but I still have the opportunity here to spread what I believe and teach people about the church! 

I know this church is true and I am so grateful to have it in my life. I gained more gratitude for missionaries through this experience. People are dying to know what we believe and we just have to listen to the spirit about what to say and more importantly WHEN to say it. 

My first week in Heaven

I arrived in Milan about 1 week ago and boy how has time already flown by! There is so much that is happened and I don't even know where to begin. Basically Tuesday-Thursday we had orientation (that was not super helpful because the people showing us around either 1) could hardly speak english 2) had suuuuuper thick accents... But whatever). My motto through this experience is "I'm in Italy, so it's chill." Friday we FINALLY got our Italian Cell Phones, hooray! no more lost friends haha. The biggest thing that has made this week awesome is the crew we do EVERYTHING with. Seriously, I am so grateful for the people I have met. Basically we travel around with 12 people at all times. Which makes things take FAR longer than it should haha but it is so worth it! The majority of us are from Boscovich (the building I live in) but we have two other smaller groups from two other apartments tag along with us. I love it. It is so funny because every other student here goes around town with like mayyyybe 2-3 roommates but when you see our crew coming down the street we look like a straight up gang. And I am so thankful I am part of it. Hanging with all these people all the time is always entertaining because none of us are remotely alike... and somehow that works really well for us! We have every personality type and together we have the greatest time! Since I have so much I want to say I am going to split this blog into probably 3 parts... Which means I am going to end this post now. Ciao! Be sure to catch my adventures and stories on this bloggy blog (:

HELLO MILANO

See this screen? Yeah... I stared at it for 9 straight hours on my flight over to Milan. Watch movies to pass the time? Nope, not me. MY SCREEN WAS BROKEN :( I asked the flight attendant to reset it several times, and whether she did or not I'm not sure (she was awfully sassy- like sheesh do I have to be a hot Italian in order to get some attention?!) Anyways, this is basically my only complaint about the past couple days. But did it ruin my spirits? Nah... Let's just say I got to know myself quite a bit more with all the thinking and staring into the abyss I did to pass the time.....

Some of the cool Boscovich crew on our way to the first party in Milan. Funny story - one of the boys, Brenden (or Brandon haha) speaks Italian and is familiar with the city so he is our saving grace. However, I think we are a major embarrassment to him. Haha whenever we "act American" (aka selfies or foolishness) he walks ahead and pretends he doesn't know us. On the metro we tried talking to him and he just threw up a peace sign and continued looking down. Haha we drive him crazy but we wouldn't survive this city without him. 

Haha so the next 3 pictures... these are signs on the metro... and maybe we just thought it was funny because we hadn't slept in 48 hours or maybe it is truly hilarious because they show all the possible scenarios that could happen to you. (My favorite is one I saw today but didn't take a pic.... the butt gets stuck in the door! Lol like what)

Okay so this isn't the best picture.... but this is our train station! How cool is that. The station itself is art. Soooo lovely,

Breakfast.
We haven't gotten our meal plan tokens yet so we have been living VERY scarcely on food. This muffin though... Holy yum. Each blueberry was at least..... 3 times the size of a normal blueberry! (And yes that was a subtle Zoolander reference)

Everything about campus makes my heart skip a beat....

Can't get over the beauty

I love when balconies have plants hanging off. So beautiful!

Haha FUNNY STORY - see that guy on the left? About a half second after I took this pic he grabbed my wrist and tried to put a bracelet on. Knowing he was going to ask for money after I told him no and kept walking. However, he managed to tie it on my wrist. As expected he then asked for money. I told him I didn't have any and continued to walk. He was NOT happy about that. But hey! Don't give me something before asking me dude. 

My friend Erica experienced it with me. Haha so there are our FREE bracelets!

Milan's castle

These little water fountain things are all over the town! Super cool! Just bring a water bottle and fill up with (supposedly) clean, cold water anytime!! 

The lighting in this makes me die a bit inside. loooove it

My cute friend Erica and I! 

Cameron was being a dork with the camera haha but hey he got some good candid laughs out of us!

I only imagine this filled with alligators... or crocodiles... haha 

I did not expect Milan to be so green! The city has the most amazing architecture (and is surprisingly well kept and clean) and then there are little roads on the side that lead to gorgeous surprises like this! 

THOSE ARE TURTLES! I LOVE TURTLES! 

I'm making this pond my new thinking spot for when things get difficult... If I can find it again... Haha

People just tan everywhere whenever. No kidding Italians have that beautifully bronze skin!

LOL there's another tanner... going spread eagle.

This sandwich.... INCREDIBLE! Ham, spinach and pistachio spread on freshly baked bread! Mmm mmm good

My heart stopped when walked around the corner and saw this. Pictures do not even compare. 

So breathtaking.

So that is my experience thus far in pictures... There are like a million other things I want to write down while they are still fresh in my memory... But my housemates and I are off to get some pizza for dinner! (PS Italians don't eat until like 8 pm... you can't find dinner until that time)

Ciao for now!

my perfect place

In less than a week I am going to BE IN ITALY. Ooooo myyyyy goshhhh what?!

But I had one stop I had to make before I left on my four month adventure. And that place is none other than Logan, Utah.

Frick, how I love that place.

Crazy at it sounds, there were multiple moments where I wished I wasn't going to Italy and I was going to the school I love, with the people that I love, going on the crazy/ spontaneous adventures that I love. DO NOT get me wrong, at the same time I could not be more excited to go to Italy in 6 short days.

During the 3 1/2 days I got to be in my perfect place, I saw many people I love and am going to miss a ton and we did some really fun stuff together! YAY

I've come to terms with the fact I am terrible at summarizing so I am just going to go down my list...

Friday:

• When I left Sandy, it was raining cats and dogs! That being said, it took me 3 hours to get to Logan. Good Golly right?!
• When I finally got there I met up with my friend Travis and his brother-in-law and the 3 of us went to Taste of Logan (technically put on for the freshman but I love it so we went ;) )
• We got DRENCHED at Taste of Logan. So once we had devoured all the free food Taste of Logan offered us, we went back, got in sweats, and watched 4 episodes of The Office. 
• When we got hungry again we met up with our fun friends Bert, Joey and Ryan at Taco Bell. When I am around those guys I hardly speak a peep... they just play off each other so well and so quickly. They are some good entertainment.
• When we got kicked out of Taco Bell we met up with some other friends at a girls house and hung there the rest of the night. 
• When Trav and I both got tired we said our goodbyes, went home and fell asleep.

FRIDAY WAS A GOOD DAY

Saturday: 

• Travis had an early morning work meeting so I slept in a bit and then got ready to go to breakfast with my darling friend Baylee.
• We decided on The Crepery (one of my favorite spots in my perfect place).
• At The Crepery I saw one the girls I went on my trip to Zion with! It was so fun seeing her!
• The Crepery happens to be many people's favorite places in Logan... it was crazy busy! Bay and I waited over an hour for our crepes but hot dang it was worth it. 
• After we finished our food I got a call from my dearest Kenz Dawg saying she had arrived in Logan. So we met up with her and Kalli at the place that will be my home come spring semester.
• Glenwood- not at shabby place at all! The Landlord is super cool, it's pretty close to campus (minus the beast hill) and I love my roommates (the girls I know and the girls I didn't know). I really look forward to living with them in January (even if the shared room is going to be cramped as heck! Haha)
• ALSO our building is interesting because there are practically two countries in it. Our floor constantly smells of Indian food and downstairs smells of Japanese noodles. Never did meet the neighbors... just smelt them. Haha Kenz and Kalli will have to give me the update on them later ;) When I get back hopefully I can add to the ethnic flavor with some authentic Italian cooking! WOO
• While Kenz and Kalli moved in, Bay and I went back to Blue Square and watched two movies- The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller's Day Off - while eating froyo. What is a better activity for a rainy day? It was fun watching these with her because Brat Pack films are her favorites and she knows all the fun facts about them! For instance, did you know the majority of The Breakfast Club was not even scripted?! Nope, they gave the actors a general theme and let them improvise. How cool is that?
• After that I went back to Glenwood and got to know the roommates I didn't previously know a bit more! They are both way cool. 
• That night my other friend from the Zion trip invited us all to a party at Oakridge! It was sort of a dance party (our favorite ;) ) however the music unfortunately wasn't prime. It was a lot of fun to see a lot of old friends there though.
• When we had our share of the party we met up with Kenzie's cousin and his friends and had a game night! Utah State is perfect because there are tons of good kids looking for some clean fun. Despite my somewhat shy disposition I LOVE meeting new people, anytime, anywhere.

SATURDAY WAS A GOOD DAY

Sunday:

• Church was at 9:30 Sunday morning... after late nights in college that is awfully early. But it will so be worth it because I already love the ward. For one thing, the ratio of boys and girls is about 50/50 (compared to the 15 boys in our ward last year.... no, I promise, I am not joking about that). And the Bishopric rocks! Seriously, I love them already and really look forward to being in the ward when I come home.
• 3 hours later we met up with our friend Ty and met his hedgehog Hughie. Unpredictable animals freak me out a tad haha but he is a cute little guy.
• Later that day we went to our old and most dear home, Rich Hall. We had a very strange encounter with some very awkward freshman girls (Like really, it isn't that weird if four girls come to your new dorm and ask to look for a thong in the ceiling is it ladies!) Haha okay so maybe it was weird of us, but those weird moments are easily the best memories of college! In case you were wondering about the previous statement, no, we did not find the thong. :( Haha 
• That night Kenz and I went on a group date with two of our good friends, Dev and Kent. This may have been the highlight of the weekend, simply because spontaneous nighttime adventures are what I live for! We drove up the canyon, piled into the back of some guys truck, drove to a sweet cave under the stars and wandered around an old mine! It was sooooo fun. AND it was a pretty legit adventure because to enter the mine you had to army crawl through like a foot high entrance! Those are the kind of nights I am really going to miss these next four months.
• So that night I said some more sad goodbyes and got a good nights rest before the roommates first day of school!

SUNDAY WAS A GOOD DAY

Monday: 

• This is my half day.
• Kenz and I got ready together and then I drove her up to campus (because heaven knows she will have to conquer that beast of a hill many a time while I am gone).
• I talked to a coordinator about becoming a member of the A-Team next spring (how fun would that be? only time will tell though)
• Then met up with my friend Lauren and her friend Morgan for a delicious breakfast at Herm's Inn. Lauren is one of the sweetest girls and she will be leaving for a mission in November. I was so happy I got to see her before I leave because I won't see her for a looooong time. It was fun talking to both of them, even the girl I hadn't met. We all have so much in common! It was kind of crazy. I just kept thinking how cool it is that there really is no place you can be where you aren't meant to be. Does that make sense?! Maybe not. But the last couple days I have been getting feelings of comfort that I am on the right path. I've never felt that way so strongly and I think it's a real blessing to be getting these feelings right before I leave for my adventure of a lifetime. Obviously I am nervous about going somewhere I have never been, surrounded by people I don't know, speaking a language I don't understand. But I am overwhelmed with the feeling that this was in my plan all along. It just feels so right! I can't accurately describe it but I hope you can at least grasp the concept I am trying to communicate. 

THIS WAS A PERFECT WEEKEND IN MY PERFECT PLACE

Logan, I love you. Don't forget about me while I'm gone. I will be back in four fun-filled months! (:

Be A Nice Human

Hey people! Forgot I had a blog? So did I.

Fortunately I can give you a 99.99% guarantee you'll be hearing A LOT more from me in ten short days! Why?? Because that's when I leave for my semester abroad in Italy! Halla!

But that isn't what I want to talk about tonight. On a more serious note....

It's 11:32 pm, my house is asleep... (shocker), and I was scrolling through my twitter feed when I read "search #fatpig on instagram, it's rather disturbing". Being the curious type, I did just that, surprised at what I found.

What I saw was thousands of picture of girls far too thin for their own good health and a lot of negative self talk. One year ago I might have looked at it and probably not have had much sympathy toward any of these strangers. However, living with a floor filled with girls this past year has really changed my outlook on self image.

Growing up with two older brothers, I never heard much negative self body talk. I'm definitely not saying this isn't something boys struggle with, but in general, girls have a much different way of thinking. Neither am I saying I have never uttered the words "I'm chubby" myself. But it turns out this is a greater issue than I ever knew.

Boys... DO NOT JOKE ABOUT A GIRL'S APPEARANCE. ESPECIALLY HER WEIGHT.

Girls... DO NOT BRING DOWN ANOTHER GIRL'S CONFIDENCE. ASSERTIVELY OR PASSIVELY.

Comments regarding this, even snide remarks, will eat a girl up (figuratively speaking of course). Everyone has their insecurities. And there is nothing that compares to when somebody else points out a flaw you are already self-conscious of. (This certainly applies to other things besides weight)

This is merely a summary of my thoughts but I figured I would quickly share because I was in fact "disturbed" by what I saw. If nothing else, I hope I have given you a new perspective to 'chew' on....



In addition, here are two links I enjoy. The first has a cool insight for current and future mothers. The second... I just enjoy. For obvious reasons (: Whatever your body type, OWN IT!

How to Talk to Your Daughter About Her Body

It's All About The Bass

Killer weekend with the FDAC

FDAC: Frisky Dingo Adventure Crew. This is what the boys call themselves and they certainly know how to adventure right! 

This weekend I got to join Josh, Karl, Evan, Oakley and Whitnee down in Zion National Park canyoneering and I had such a blast! I've never done anything quite like it before and I was so happy I got to do it for my first time with this crew! The boys made me feel super safe and the girls made me feel welcome right away (I had never met either of them before). We took about a thousand pictures, but I selected my favorite 72 to show ya'll what a grand summer it is. Enjoy!

Final rappel in Keyhole Canyon. This one was 100 feet!

Having a jolly good time!

Josh had the idea to stick his GoPro to a giant log in order to take some fabulous selfies! He really is the selfie king.

This picture was taken right before the GoPro fell to it's [almost] doom! You can see in Evan's face... luckily he caught it! Haha

This was taken right before our 300 foot descent.... yiiiikes!

Kewl kidz

Coming down the 140 foot rappel!

For this rappel we had to switch ropes halfway through on this itsy bitsy ledge!

Going down the cliff 200 FEET above the ground!

'Twas a fun hike.

RATTLE SNAKE!

Just trying and failing to fit in with the boys

Freezing cold water! Oh, and the people watching us have this little photoshoot were NOT amused.... laaaame.

We found this giant log at the end of our hike and sat on it for about an hour waiting for someone to come take our picture... no one ever came... good thing Josh had his handy dandy selfie machine! Haha

Rollar coaster! Woo!

The best crew to adventure with. 

One of my favorite pictures of us all!

We waited for someone for so long we decided to take a little nap... teehee

Swangin' in my pond!

Swangin' in my backyard!