"Welcome to the real world"

Guess whose 10 year high school reunion is coming up? Everyday I think about, I get more and more convinced that I shouldn't go. Not all of us ended up like John Mayer, alright? (Note: He actually did go to his reunion like he said he would)

As for me, I've got no career, no husband, no car, no kids. Nothing much that I need to report. I've still got 18 days to decide if I'm going, but as for now, I'm leaning towards NO. Someone else want to fill this google survey they sent out to us for me? Any and all suggestions appreciated. Exaggeration encouraged.

Name


Where are you currently living?


If you went to college after graduating, where did you go? If you finished, what was your degree in? If you did graduate school, where did you go, what did you study, when did you graduate (or will you graduate) and why did you do that to yourself?


What is your martial status?


•  Married/In a Partnership
•  Not Married
•  Currently on the Bachelor(ette).


Do you have any children? List their names and ages (and genders if you're into that sort of thing).
List on those that you know of... skip those from that shady weekend in Malibu.


If you are working, where are you currently working?
And feel free to share any cool jobs you've had since walking down the aisle at graduation.


Share something cool you've done that you want to brag about to people you've not seen in 10 years.
Go on, you know you want to.

This is all so exhausting.

Anyone wanna stay home and watch Romy and Michelle with me? I'll only force you to reenact this dance scene a couple times.

Book of Mormon in 30 days... I did it!

I just finished reading my last chapter in the Book of Mormon! This is the fastest I ever read it! Now I admit, I had to listen to a lot of it on my iPod at double speed in order to get through in time. But I am in charge of my goals, so I get to decide what "counts" and I'm fine with it. haha. Going through the Book of Mormon quickly helped me understand it's teachings in a different way. Here are some things I noticed:

1. Heavenly Father is sooooo patient with us. You read of people making the same mistakes over and over, falling into the same destructive cycles. But the Lord's hand is STILL outstretched to bring us back. It is such a mercy.
2. The worst sinners are usually member of the church. It's always been like that, and always will be. And that's ok, as long as I'm trying to do what's right. One of the biggest challenges to my testimony as I was growing up and serving my mission came from seeing church members act contrary to what we believe. When I was in high school, I blamed the church for those inconsistencies. When I was on my mission, I realized that it was individuals using their agency, and I would feel very bitter and angry abou their choices. Now, I'm trying to step back, and keep myself from getting angry and too wrapped up in other peoples mistakes. Getting angry doesn't help anything get better, and it doesn't help me keep the spirit. We have thousands of instances of church members gone wrong in the Book of Mormon. I mean, some of the first stories we hear are about Nephi's struggles with Laman and Lemuel. It's oddly comforting that saints in all times have gone through the same trials and faced the same discouragement that I have.
3. We must to love one another. We need to need each other. We have to have other peoples welfare at the forefront of our minds. Pride starts with the virtue of self-improvement that sneakily evolves into self-obsession. I hope that I don't get so caught up in my efforts to become "better"  that I forget others who may be in need, whether that is spiritual or temporal.
4. The gospel is simple. We love God. We show that love by serving his children and keeping his commandments. Anything else is just fluff.
5. God loves us. So much.

I've loved having this goal for the month. It's helped me maintain the spirit and have an eternal perspective. I think I'm going to pick one goal at the beginning of every month. For December, I've chosen to study the scriptures for a 30 minute minimum every day. Wish me luck!

To sign out, I want to leave you with this scripture: 

I know that this is true. Much love to you all!

watcha watcha watcha want pt.1

I'm almost half-way through my VISTA year. It's unsettling doing one thing in one place for so long. Time to start thinking of the future...

TOP 5 JOBS I WANT TO HAVE FOR A MONTH

1. Wedding Singer

Still think it would be the best job ever. 

2. Google Street View Driver/Bike
You can see some crazy stuff:

 See more here. I love to drive. I love to wander. Sound like a perfect fit.

3. Part of J-Lo's entourage.

First off, I like perks. I want the kind of life where I get regular mani-pedis, go on expensive juice cleanses, and travel the world. Essentially, I want the perks of being famous, without being famous. What better way to do that then be a hanger-on? I already have nanny-skills, and I can cheerfully do meaningless tasks like picking up coffee and laundry. No problem. I would be GOOD.

Plus, Jennifer Lopez is awesome, and I wish I was her. I could use some of her life tips. Plus, she can get away with ANYTHING.

4. Alpaca Rancher

My mom went to Colorado and visited an alpaca farm. When she got back, she told me she could totally se me doing something like that. She was right! It would be awesome. 

Alpacas just seem like they're from some sort of other universe. What strange looking animals.

Look at those eyelashes! They look like magic!

There's even an alpaca ranch you can visit in Utah! I'm going to Denver in July, and I'm seriously thinking of asking to do an apprenticeship at that ranch. For reals.

5. Envelope stuffer/paper stapler/data entry girl

Every once and a while, it's nice to have some mindless tasks. Give me an iPod full of books on tape and "This American Life" podcasts, and I'm good to go.

reLENTless

Go big or go home.

Or...

try something different?

My goals for Lent were a bit ambitious. A lot ambitious. I only lasted about 34 hours.
I'll let you guess which one of those resolutions I broke first.

But I don't feel to bad about it. I'm not Catholic anyway.

Instead of finding a new way to deprive myself, I'm just going to try and be better person. So I made some new resolutions that I'm mostly going to keep to myself. Except for this one. We had a lesson about morality in institute. I know, I know. But it was actually a really good lesson!

There are a lot of negative influences that we can't avoid. It's not a matter of choice, they are just always there. We'll think of those influences as pollution or second hand smoke. The only way to 100% escape those influences is to totally separate yourself from the world and become a reclusive hermit.

But other things are choices. We choose what media we'll "ingest". We choose (for the most part) how we'll use our bodies. We choose how we'll react to situations that are out of our control. When we choose something that's wrong, it's like doing double-damage. It's like choosing to light up a cigarette in an already smoke-filled room.

ANYWAY.
Starting today, I'm really going to try and be more discerning about my choices. I haven't set any real hard rules about it, except I'm not allowed to watch Gossip Girl, Glee, or New Girl. I have a destructive relationship with those three shows, and I need it to stop.

I know guys. I'm really sad about it too. But we're just not good for each other.

Don't worry! I'm going to watch Psych instead because it is popular, innoffensive, funny, and uncomplicated.

Oh boy.

Resolutions 2012

Today was Fast Sunday, so I'm just going to pretend that it is also the first day of the year as well. Here are my resolutions!

1. Put myself first

When I'm out-on-the-town/busting-a-move/at-the-singles-ward-"break-the-fast", I'm not going to try and be like the cool kids anymore. I won't dress like them, I won't act nonchalant and aloof (or conversely out-of-control and raunchy).  I won't act one way, simply because it's expected of me. I will wash my hair more (this is a real problem). I will wear more makeup when I need to, and less when I don't need to. I will do what I'm supposed to even if it seems a) boring, b) difficult, c) exhausting, d) potentially embarrassing because this is no time to be a wuss.

 2. Put others first

When I start to judge other people, I will stop. I will recognize that we face similar problems but deal with them in different ways. I will text/call/e-mail/talk to people more. I pick meeting new people over a Gossip Girl marathon. I will find ways to serve people instead of looking for new music. I will spend time with my family instead of spending time with my laptop. I used to regularly pick art, books, tv, movies, music...everything over people. But now, I will try and be more like Lucy from A Room With a View: "...you may understand beautiful things [sad she to her one-time fiance]... but you don't know how to use them; and you wrap yourself up in art and books and music; and would try to wrap me up. I won't be stifled, not by the most glorious music, for people are more glorious".

3. Put the Lord first

I will start and end the day in prayer. I will go to the temple more. I've always had a hard time with regular scripture study. Reading schedules never really fit. So now I'm just going to focus on studying lessons for Sunday School. A novel thought! I'll regularly record my testimony in my journal. 

At first glance, it may seem like these goals are in competition with each other, but really, they compliment each other. Succeeding in one will help me succeed in the others. What are your resolutions?

Firmes y valientes en la lid

Did you watch the devotional last night? If you missed out, then here it is:

It's easy to get caught up in everything. What are we to do with Libya? And Wisconsin? Did you hear about the girl in West Wendover? We have to get out of debt sometime soon. And they really might cut funding to NPR. And the end of the semester is in 5 weeks. And there is not enough time for everything and not enough determination to use that time wisely. 

But, in a round about way, we already have the means to address what troubles our heart.  If the solution to the world's problems is the gospel of Jesus Christ; then shouldn't that be what we are focused on? Shouldn't we be sharing it? Sometimes chances to talk about the things we believe will spring up naturally. Most of the time, they probably won't, and we'll have to take the initiative. Either way, we need to be prepared for when that chance does come. We have to be brave about it. It's funny how we are all kind of afraid of each other. We really shouldn't be. There are so many people that are trying to follow Christ, like these kids. We are more alike than we are different. We chose to come here. That makes us all allies, even if it doesn't seem like it at times. 

24th Year Resolutions

This is my year. The year of the rabbit. Chinese New Year started a week ago; totally in line with my birthday. Which I guess I should probably tell you about.
Melinda, Katie, and Melanie visited me up at Aspen Grove on Friday. We ate massaman curry, funfetti cake, and reminisced over some choice episodes of Freaks and Geeks. Lovely.
I woke up the morning of my birthday to see this chap looming over my bed:

The twins had bought a cardboard cut-out of the Biebs, taped balloons onto him, and sneakily left him in my room while I was sleeping. 

Homeboy almost gave me a heart attack when I woke up. 

P.S. Whoever will go with me to see "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never 3-D" will be my new best bestie.

After work, I zoomed down the canyon to meet up with Mum, Pops, and Broseph to see the Carl Bloch exhibit (that experience deserves a post all to itself, so stay tuned). Dinner at Brick Oven followed. My dad made sure to tell every employee that my mom worked there back in the day. He also told them that it was my birthday...so yes...I was one of the poor suckers that they make stand on the table while they sing some variation of happy birthday because if they sing the "real" happy birthday song they could get sued because it's under copyright or something and that's why you never hear the whole song in tv or in movies or anything either. As a reward for my humiliation, they gave me a plate of whipped cream and pie crust. I loved it. 

Afterward, we headed over to Tiana's and Allison's for cake and stuff. I slept over, so of course we had a pillow fight and played "Truth or Dare" and painted our nails, and put curlers in our hair, and slathered our faces with gooey cleansing masks, and read seventeen magazine, and watched the whole Twilight movie series including the documentary "Twilight in Forks: The Saga of a Real Town"*. On Sunday it was churching time, and then back home to SLC for dinner with family and friends. Perfect perfect.

Basically my 24th birthday was no different than what a 14th birthday would look like.

In honor of a new year in my life, I've put down some resolutions. Really, I think that it is best to make resolutions on your birthday, because that is really when *your* year begins. This is what I will do, be, and accomplish in my 24th year:

1. Be more reverent

          It's too easy to be irreverent. Especially when you're trying to be funny. Or when you are living with boys. Or when your home is isolated from most of civilization. I've been listening to way too much Kanye. My internal dialogue is riddled with curse words. The self that I was on October 17th 2009 (the day I came home from my mission) would be appalled by the self that I am now. But that's what resolutions are for, right?
          Just like the primary song says, "Reverence is more than just quietly sitting". It doesn't mean you have to be boring, you just have to be conscious of what you are doing, and considerate of the spirit. If what you are doing, watching, or listening to offends the spirit; then it shouldn't be happening. What a simple standard. So I will be more discerning about the movies I watch, more selective about the music I listen too, and careful with the way I speak and act. I also want to set aside more time for the temple. 24 temple visits in my 24th year. I can do it. Twice a month. Starting tomorrow. Who's with me?

2. Sincerity: Don't be so American**

        
          Speaking English is tricky. Katie teaches English, and has found it difficult to explain to her students why we speak the way we do. Like why we are so disingenuous, for example. It doesn't matter how you feel, you will always say you're "fine". You always tell everyone, "We should hang out sometime," even if you don't really want to. And, if you fancy someone...well, for a lot of the time, you are supposed to pretend like you don't. Apparently this was really hard for her students to understand.
"American's are liars!" they said.
"Yes, we are," she said.

I'm going to try to follow my instincts, which probably means I will look foolish sometimes. I will stop being worried about what people think of me, and just say what I want to say, and do what I want to do. Be friendly; no more acting disinterested or cool.

How does one put this into practice? I'm not really sure. For now, I'm just trying to act like I'm Brazilian. They always seem confident and friendly enough.

3. Make some noise
          My brother Jeremy is pretty good at music stuff. I like music a lot too. It's high time that we form a brother-sister musical duo. Especially since there is a a gaping hole in the genre now that The White Stripes are over.

So we'll be like them, except we're actually brother and sister. And I'm guessing we'll just be doing covers. It will be fun! I think I'm more excited about this than Jeremy is.

4. Be featured in the Daily Universe's Police Beat
          I know that some of you are schemers out there. Let's make this happen.

*Some of these things didn't really happen.
** I use the term American as a title for residents of the United States.