Last day in Utah for a while!

Well. Till the 3rd, anyway. Cause I'm going HOME today!

Yesterday, I took my last final, which happened to be for Chem 101- and as I was leaving the building, I saw a bulletin board filled with ads for graduate schools. The first one I saw had Emory's logo on it and I didn't even think a thing about it- till I realized that I was in Utah at BYU and Emory is in Georgia! I took it as the fates wishing me well on my travels home.

ANYWAY, I have a new book to read and a couple of redboxies to watch and some peppermint hot chocolate to sip on. I'd say see you in the ATL- but let's be real. I'll probably get bored in Denver and post again.

So.. see you in DENVER.

All done.

First semester's in the bag.

 

Now, here's an idea-steal from Chelsea.

 

Things I learned from:

•         MESA201: The Palestinians really do have a reason to be angry. I get it now.
•           Islam and the Gospel: More people should study Islam. We'd all do well to learn some more about it, anyway.
•           Writing 150: I still enjoy writing- and failure is OK. Not that I failed- I didn't.
•           Chem 101: I'm not cut out to be a doctor. Or a nurse.
•           Book of Mormon: History nerdiness applies to scripture.
•           PowerPoint/Excel: Um...stuff about PowerPoint and Excel. Also, the Tanner Building is legit.
•           Career Exploration: While it's okay to fail sometimes, I am not DEEMED to fail entirely, I probably don't need to be so scared of making choices.

 

 

Small shout-out?

 

Dr. Spencer warned us about these peer groups; she said,

 

"Hold each other’s hands (metaphorically, though I guess literally would be amusing if you did it during class and I got a picture for my blog) and be generally awesome for each other.  Help each other get help.  Be there for each other if you’re sick and can’t come to class.  Go out to eat pancakes together because your bond has gotten so deep over the vast trauma of work that is Honors 150.  Study groups are the best part of BYU, I think.  Learn to use them now and your whole university experience will be richer."

 

Chelsea, Bryce, and Zack:

 

 

 

I'm...

nineteeeeeeen!

Iss kindof SCARY...

But mayyyn. Look at all of this!

I been spoilt. Flowers, books, cards, mugs, CHEERIO'S, soapies, candies, a tiara, a tie, a headband, hot chocolate, AND a typewriter. Not. Bad.


But ALSO, and much more importantly, great great friends and family.

1. A night out with the girls

2. A princess party in the Walmart parking lot

3. A decorated room

4. A breakfast date





5. And a roommate that took good good care of me today!

Iss been a good, crazy day. <3

12, 13, 14...

15! THURSDAY...is my birfday:]


Only I have recieved a surprising number of birthday wishes TODAY- and it's been really fun! First of the day came from the FAFSA man; I was on the phone renewing my financial aid application and had to give him my date of birth. Smart little man.


And the typewriter from Evan came a few days ago, of course. That's been pretty stellar- I'm still working on getting it fixed, but I'm planning on taking it to the Mending Shed tomorrow, and I have fingers and toes crossed. (Also, a little shout-out to twinkle toes for his Firefighter of the Year award from Chesterfield's Engine 10! There's been a lot of hard work put into that title and I'm proud of him for reaching it!)


Sometime between lunch and my final, my RA, Hannah, brought me a cupcake from the Cocoa Bean- I don't know what kind of cupcake it was, but it was derlicious!


Robin brought me that cute little rose arrangement, from herself and Miranda, who are my visiting teachers and were awfully kind to think of me as Miranda's own birthday is the sixteenth and Robin's is the twentieth.

I took my MESA final around 7:30, got out two hours later, and stopped by the Cannon Center to pick up a package- I was expecting something from my mom that I needed to have for my new JOB as a Cannon Center cashier (thanking Barbecue Street for the ability to put that on my resumé) but it turned out to be a little birthday present too- a giftcard to and headband from my favorite, favorite, favorite store! Plus a cute leetle card :]

I GET TO SEE MY MOM IN FIVE DAYS!

So, anyway, I've been very surprised, but pleasantly so. And on another note, I'm halfway done with finals! Three down, three to go- and it's gonna be a good week.

الحمد لله (Alhamdulillah)

Truth about me.

I love, love to study the Middle East. It's a passion that began with one story,

Expanded and grew with another,

And found me in a place where I never expected to find it.

You never know where life will lead you, or what kind of impact you'll have on others, just by helping them realize a potential and pushing them to do something with it. A little shout-out to all my teachers who knew what I could measure up to and pushed me to reach for it.

In a couple of hours, I'll be off to take my Intro to MESA (Middle Eastern Studies/Arabic) final; I'm looking back at the journey it's been.

Santa, Bryce, and Gingerbread

First of all, let me just repeat that age-old adage:


There is (indeed) a first time for everything.


Every so often, there occur little moments in the day that remind me how true that is.


Today, I was driving on State Street, trying to find a place called the Mending Shed- a.k.a. my one last and only hope for getting my typewriter repaired without having to ship it outside of this Beehive State- when I stopped at a light, and saw, from the corner of my eye, someone drive up next to me on a motorcycle.


I looked over, and...

Yep. It has a flame job.


Anyway, the Mending Shed is only open Monday-Friday, so I turned around and went to Wal-mart to pick up some stuff. And there, I beheld...gingerbread house kits. For eight bucks!


So I bought one.


And then, I recruited the assistance of my friend Bryce for construction. It was a thing of beauty, complete with a landscaped walkway, leetle heart gummy things all over the roof, and a doorknob, and stuff. And our little gingerbread man, whom we decided to make a war hero; he is missing his right arm. (He even has a purple heart.)

And then tragedy struck.

The following video may contain disturbing material. Parental discretion advised.

Welp, folks, that confirms it- I did not inherit any construction savvyness from my Grandpa or my Father. Oh, well. Neither did Bryce. (Note: I just previewed my post and realized that it'd be weird if he had inherited construction savvyness from my Grandpa OR my Father. Oops on that one. You know what I meant.)


Tomorrow is Sunday; the choir is singing a superb arrangement of "The First Noel," that kindof overlays Pachelbel's Cannon- to quote Stef, "I SO CITED!"


And while we're quoting Stefani...

"Give me all your MONEY!"

Welcome, Stef :]

I luff you too :]