this is see you soon.

I never planned to create a blog. It just sort of happened. I was heading to Jerusalem for 4 months and, after looking at other people's "travel blogs," I thought it would be something fun to try. Knowing my love of writing, pictures, and wit, I should have figured that the whole blog-thingy would continue once I came home.

While I'm sure some people have stumbled across my adventures in this little corner of the web, I mostly look at this blog as a chronicle of my life for me and my future. Not to sound selfish or anything. I just hope someday my kids will enjoy looking back at it and laughing.

Tomorrow I start the next adventure of my life. I am serving a mission for 18 months in France for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I plan to serve with all my heart, mind, and soul.

To continue chronicling my adventures, my family will be updating my blog with my weekly emails (and hopefully pictures!). I'm excited to have these 18 months documented here and when I return, we'll see if the blog bug is still itching me or if blogging even exists. :) Until then...

I leave you with one of my favorite songs. Don't Panic, by Coldplay. haha.

Au Revoir.

british invasion.

England. My first "i'm-going-to-travel-there-someday" love. While kids were throwing out China and Fiji and Mexico as awesome destinations, my response was consistently "Great Britain, please." I'm not quite sure when the obsession surfaced. Let's just say it's been here awhile. And visiting the UK last summer only made me want to go back more, because two weeks is not NEARLY enough time to see/smell/taste/do everything. Really. I've added to my dream list a study abroad to London. (Don't worry. My next adventure is still my mission to France and I am beyond excited to study the gospel, learn some French, and experience the sites and tastes of France. Maybe it's just Europe in general that I'm obsessed with.)

Anyway. This sudden blurb about England surfaced because some of my friends are traveling/ studying in Europe and I'm a tad bit jealous. And then there's the whole One Direction boy band that's not half bad. Which translates to, "I've been listening to their music. A lot." (Just preparing for the fast approaching 18 months of straight classical music and MoTab). It's funny, they kinda remind me a little of Beatle Mania, what with all the recent hype here in the states.

And this picture...

...looks a little familiar.

A few of my loves of England:

Fish and chips. Harry Potter. The Lake District. St. Paul's Cathedral. Coldplay. Jane Austen. J.R.R. Tolkien. Muse. Green expanses of countryside. Oxford & Cambridge. U2. Big Ben. Red buses. Kate & William. Shakespeare. London Town. Musicals. The Rolling Stones. Hadrian's Wall. Pubs. The Cotswolds. Wimbledon. Stonehenge. Robin Hood. The Beatles. English breakfasts. Trains. The Police. Rainy days. The Cliffs of Dover. The Smiths. 

And in case you want a lovely video of places around London (plus One Direction), take a look at this.

Cheerio!

give me strength, reserve control.

Not getting sick once during the semester. Then getting sick during finals week. Now that's what you call ironic.

Sore throats and stuffy noses are lame.

To keep me going, I've been drinking lots of ice cold water, taking my medicine like a good girl, eating left over Easter candy, and cracking open my window to let in the Spring breeze. Not too shabby.

Oh, and also listening to the We Bought A Zoo soundtrack.

source.

You can listen to it here. For free. Seriously, listen to it.* It is beautiful and peaceful. It makes me happy. Also, it's mostly instrumental, so you can listen to it while studying.

I'd like to conduct an experiment to prove that listening to classical/ instrumental music while studying improves your test taking skills and your motivation to study in general. Someday.

Good luck fellow students with your finals. :)


*And, seriously, if you haven't seen the movie, go. You won't regret it.

Don't look before you laugh. Look ugly in a photograph.

Check. Mark.

I was listening to U2 today while working (sort of) on homework. Always a good choice. And my favorite song of their's came on: city of blinding lights. I love when Bono sings, "the more you see the less you know." You might be wondering what that means. But just think about it. It really is so true. The more I see and experience the more I realize how little I really know about the world and life.

Anyway, that awkward picture is simultaneously of Heather tickling me to death and Bekstrand showing  me something on the internet. In case you were wondering. I love candid camera moments.

And I love these girls. It's crazy awesome to see where we've come in the past three years. And where we're headed. It's going to be a while before we're all back together again and I'm gonna miss them. A lot.

Part of the Penrose Penthouse. 

slow down, you crazy child.

This morning I woke up and it was still dark outside, thanks to daylight savings. Lying in bed, I sorta felt like the life had been sucked out of me. Picture that scene from the Princess Bride with Westley in the pit of despair and you get the general idea.

source. 

To be fair, I probably shouldn't blame my exhaustion solely on daylight savings. The past few weeks have been crazy busy. I feel like I'm a rat running on one of those little treadmills.

So, continuing the hectic pace of the past week, I raced up to campus to not be late for work. My mind was running through the endless list of things I had to do for the week. I got right up to the corner of the Clyde building when I heard the music. What the, I thought. But don't worry, I wasn't going crazy. It was the national anthem. I've just never been on campus early enough in the morning to hear it. As soon as it started, everyone stopped walking and faced the general direction of the flag. At first I was a little annoyed about stopping, but the longer the national anthem played, the more I realized how grateful I was for this little reminder to slow down and breathe. Into my mind started flooding all these things that make my life wonderful. It was warm outside. Birds were chirping in the trees. My backpack was lighter then usual. I had a lunch packed for my job. Hey, I actually had a job! And the anthem was playing the final chord and everyone was honoring the U.S. by standing so still and I wanted to shout out loud that I loved America! Ok, that's taking it a little too far. :)

The song ended, everyone started walking again, and my day was ten times better. It's amazing those little moments that can change your whole day for the better.

Coincidentally enough, the song Vienna by Billy Joel popped into my head shortly after this experience, and it's been there all day. I thought I'd share some of the lyrics because they describe my feelings perfectly right now.

Slow down, you crazy child 

you're so ambitious for a juvenile 

But then if you're so smart, tell me 

Why are you still so afraid? 

Where's the fire, what's the hurry about? 

You'd better cool it off before you burn it out 

You've got so much to do and 

Only so many hours in a day 

But you know that when the truth is told.. 

That you can get what you want or you can just get old 

You're gonna kick off before you even 

Get halfway through 

When will you realize, Vienna waits for you? 

Slow down, you crazy child 

and take the phone off the hook and disappear for awhile 

it's all right, you can afford to lose a day or two 

When will you realize...Vienna waits for you? 

source.

For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.  

~Lily Tomlin

shout out to the beatles.

I've had a Beatles song stuck in my head alllll day. 

Which I guess is a ok, considering it's Valentines Day 

and the song was written by the all-you-need-is-love foursome. 

Then I remembered that there's an awesome version of the song 

on the movie A Hard Day's Night. 

So I looked it up on youtube, and sure enough, there it was. 

[Hooray for modern technology!]

I've posted it here for your enjoyment. 

Seriously, watch it if you're a Beatles fan. Or if you like beautiful music.

Or if you're avoiding homework.

1:56 is my favorite part. Paul McCartney singing straight from the heart.

[I may or may not have had a crush on him since I discovered the Beatles.]

I hope you had a brilliant Valentine's Day. 

I've just been smiling all day.

Here's a quote I found the other day. I really like it. And it's kind of Valentine-y. That's all.

A rush of blood to the head.

*You might be obsessed with a band if:

1. You own every single one of their songs.
2. You've been to their concert (and wish you could go to every single one).
3. You stalk their website.
4. You have been anxiously waiting for their new album to come out.
5. You cried when you realized it was going to be released when you were going on a field trip sans computer.
6. You listened to their new single every day on the field trip.
7. You returned home anxious to make a trip to Hebrew University to download the album, because your internet blocks iTunes, only to feel completely devastated because Hebrew U was closed. You go to a service project for 3 hours, feeling somewhat better because you're helping others. But then the last song at the service project is by the band and you start to cry.

*All of these things might not relate to you exactly. Manifestations of obsessions vary per person.

What I am trying to say, my friends, is that I am in love with Coldplay. Their music is beautiful, yet haunting; upbeat, yet deep. Their lyrics express my thoughts sometimes better then I can. Seriously, listen to their music if you haven't. And not just their popular songs, i.e. the only three ever played of them on the radio. Listen to the obscure ones.

My song is love

Love to the loveless shown

And it goes on

You don't have to be alone

Your heavy heart

Is made of stone

And it's so hard to see you clearly

You don't have to be on your own

And I'm not gonna take it back

And I'm not gonna say, "I don't mean that"

You're the target that I'm aiming at

Got to get that message home

My song is love, is love unknown

And I've got to get that message home