Life So Far

So I apologize in advance, there will be no pictures in this post as my computer generally can't handle uploads of any sort. I have been thinking a lot lately about topics ranging from my new college life, insane amounts of Geology reading/studying, and mission coming up. I have so much happening but even in the midst of this madness, I have found time to write this post. Just an hour ago, I took a break and completely stalked almost all of the archives of my sister Emily's blog. I found it really interesting to compare her freshman year of college with my own right now. I was inspired by her posts to write this one, right now.

I always enjoy keeping people informed on the small details of my life. It is so fun relating to others and keeping others up to date. Although I live far away from many of my loved ones and friends, it's a great way to connect and share on a more personal level. So far here is how things have been.

-I have been studying for two tests before I leave for the Grand Canyon, yes the Grand Canyon. I leave on Thursday with my geology 111 class and I'm actually fairly excited to see the complexities of our nation's geography for myself. However, I have never been so busy in three singular days of my life. I am absolutely exhausted.

-I have a very limited diet. I have been trying to find more options at the cafeteria but I have been falling on about 3 or 4 favorites. I have been eating them far too frequently it feels like. I tend to get comfortable with certain things in my life. This is a prime example where change is a little hard for me. Sometimes branching out is really uncomfortable for me but I'm making it a goal to be more outgoing and do things that put me out of my comfort zone (within reason of course. I'm not going to drive to Pocatello and try meth even though it would put me out of my comfort zone).

-my roommate Quinten is awesome. He's a great guy and frequent The Office marathons are always welcome. We are currently planning a 6 movie Star Wars marathon as well. Yes, that is 13 hours of Star Wars. It will be awesome.

-although I haven't had time for anything else lately, usually a game or two of Dominion are seen at apartment 4 over the weekend.

-my cousin (second cousin, but no one is counting), Josh and I have found time to bond over Evangellion (an awesome anime), more dominion, video games, and jazz. We have a copious amount of hobbies in common. It surprises me that we haven't been friends for longer than just a couple months when I found out we were related.

-in the past couple weeks I've been struggling with my roommate who has very poor hygiene (sometimes to the point to where I can't sleep). It's a really personal subject and not easy to approach. Thankfully my friend Quinten is in a better position to talk to my roommate about this and he wants to help me out. It's such a relief that I have Quinten to help me out here. Also, did I mention my roommate is 10 years older than myself? Yeah, one of a couple reasons why Quinten is much better suited to talk to my roommate. I have really appreciated proper hygiene and cleanliness in the past couple months.

-I have been keeping up my grades. Maybe it helps that I want to transfer to BYU in Utah after my mission but I have been working my butt off to keep all A's. It is exhausting and tiring but hopefully it will pay off. Some of my classes are on the edge of A's but hopefully I can keep them high enough by the end of the semester. This is crazy for me because I barely did anything in high school. I kind of wish I would have tried just a little harder back then because I probably would have gotten more out of it, but I can't look at the past and think about whay a could have done, I have to think about the present. I've decided to just make the best of the situation I have right now. It is really hard keeping up grades with a social life, sleep and other responsibilities to keep up with.

-so I don't want this one to come off as arrogant, because I don't mean it that way. In fact, if you know me well enough, you know that I do not enjoy arrogance, it is a very unattractive quality in any person. But I have noticed that my peers often associate me as well dressed or in some cases, "classy." I do in fact enjoy this generalization of myself. I enjoy looking on top of things, confident, and well dressed. It is something in the past couple years I have really sought out and found satisfaction in, from this element of my life. Feeling more confident has really helped me in my day to day life lately. I stand out in a good way.

-some of my previous points might have alluded to this but I have been making a large amount of changes in my life lately. It isn't necessarily easy but it is important. I'm serving a full 2 year mission in a couple months, and that's scary but it's super exciting at the same time. The changes I'm making are good ones but it's still foreign to me to get good grades and be a more productive individual overall.

I thank you all for your support as I head into new stages if my life. It means so much to me to have people who love me and care for me. I look forward to the future.