Schooling.

I had a hugely wonderful opportunity to volunteer up at a school in Salem. I have gone up every Friday for the past 5 weeks and stayed throughout the whole day interacting with the children and observing the teacher and her teaching methods. I didn't realize how attached I would get to these kids in such a short amount of time... I think I'm going to be a "crier" when I eventually start teaching, every time my class moves on I'll start bawling.

It was very different being in a classroom for a full day rather than just part of it. I also liked being in a different district where I saw some things that they don't do here in Eugene. The school in Salem was low-income, and so they are trying out a new type of curriculum. The kids get there every morning at 8am and go to "team time". Team time is when the kids get exercise in, helps reduce tardies, and gets the children awake for school. The kids then come into the classroom and eat free breakfast while the teacher starts up the day. The kids are in school until 4pm every day except for Fridays, when they get out at 2:30. It was interesting for me to see how the kids showed up tired, then got energy, then their energy drooped towards the end of the day. This is something that you don't get to experience when you are only in a classroom for a few hours out of the day.

The kid's personalities were absolutely ridiculous and I loved 'em to death. Each one had his or her own way of doing things, thinking, acting out, being kind, and learning; it's making me a little nervous for how I'll adapt my curriculum to fit each and every one of the kids in my classroom. It's somewhat of a good nervous though. I was waffling when I chose teaching as my major, I didn't know if it was right for me or not. After going up to Salem, however, I know that teaching is for me :)

Photo Website.

I've been working super hard on this photo website and have finally published it. Take a look and give me some feedback!

Sienna Stanley Photography

Kumijaka!

It's officially summer! And by that I mean that the weather has finally made up it's mind to be sunny. I just recently made a trip to Utah to see my friend's wedding and had a great opportunity to snap some shots while I was there (hence the pictures on top). Their last name is Malovich, can you see it? I was trying to be creative :) We got into a FREE Modest Mouse concert. It was nuts! There was a gigantic line to get in so we hopped by fence and were on our merry way. It was super good, definitely worth being squished, smooshed, and stepped on haha. After we left we found out that there were 40,000 people there.

So one friend was just in Europe, one is studying abroad in Australia, one just got back from study abroad in Switzerland, one is going to China for humanitarian aid... I think this is telling me that I NEED TO GO TO ANOTHER COUNTRY! I think I'd love to study abroad somewhere. With my major (currently) being elementary education, it'd be awesome to be able to visit another country and teach little kids, I love 'em.

I enrolled in two summer classes that are only 4 weeks long. I think that is the best idea ever. Granted, I may change my mind by next week when I'm super behind and cramming for a mid-term, but for right now it's super. I'm taking a biology class and some gender identity comparative literature class - both actually seemed interesting for the first day of class today so that was definitely a plus. We get to watch the movie 300 in my comp. lit. class because apparently it has some very good points in it that relate to our studies... uh huh, whatever, fine by me!

I got to see the Avett Brothers in concert up in Portland. They were awesome, the venue was awesome, the weather was awesome.... I don't think it could've been any better. Except maybe if the root beer floats weren't freakin' $6 for a teeny one! We got there about an hour and a half early to get a good spot and the line was an unbelievable like mile long to get in. However, we only had to wait in line for a couple minutes before it started moving. We got in, spread out our blanket, and napped in the sun until the show started.

(Semi) New Apartment

I got a new apartment... again. I've lived here since December.

It's time for updates.

My roommate is Courtney. She's wonderful :)

We live next to Autzen Stadium. (Perfect for duck games!)

We still have mistletoe hanging from the ceiling from Christmas.

We have bathtubs! So great.

Now I'll introduce you.

This is our living room.

Dining room.

My bathroom.

Kitchen.

My room was too messy to put pictures up.

So... on with my life. I'm going to University of Oregon and Lane Community College still.

I have been liking Eugene except for the weather (I think I say that in every single one of my posts).

I got accepted into the Elementary Education major at the University of Oregon.

I went to Sun Valley for spring break and it was AWESOME.

I've been going to lots of concerts and heard some good bands play.

I'm working on being more organized.

I want to join a yoga club in town, I think it will be good for me.

I'm trying not to eat dairy - no milk, cheese, butter... or ice cream :(

I just finished with a photography class at Lane and I'm pretty proud of my work.

I have a new baby named Giselle.

Kidding.

I am saving my money for a trip to somewhere I don't know yet.

Truth.

I am learning a lot about myself on what is good for me, and what isn't.

I don't think I'll ever stop learning that.

I don't want to ever stop learning.

and I kinda want to move again... It gets boring having to stay in one place for too long.

Where will it be next?

Any ideas?

hoi polloi.

So I figured that since I said I would put up pictures of my apartment (and I've now lived here for 4 months) I should probably do that. Anyway, here it is!

Living room.

Bathroom!

Kitchen.

Kitchen side 2.

My room!

and the other side. (I sewed those curtains, very proud.)

So I haven't really been doing much besides school and work. I cut back on work so I don't work Mondays and Wednesdays now which is super nice. It's good to have some time to yourself :) I haven't had much lately so I'm enjoying it. I went to the coast and got to see some sun! eat at Mo's, and see how fast my car could corner ;)

I've decided (once again) that I'm going to major in elementary education, but also hopefully minor/major in art. I've come to conclude that I really do love kids, and would love a job where I get to be with them and teach them every day. Not to mention that summers off will be nice...

I'm a little tired of the grey skies here in Eugene, but that's part of the package right? I just applied for my passport. That was an irritating process. I went during my lunch break and waited for AN HOUR and the line didn't move a SINGLE PERSON. I went the next day at 8:30 in the morning and it took a whopping 10 minutes. I guess you just have to catch them at the right time apparently.

The power just flickered off and on... oh shoot.

One thing I REALLY dislike, is when Christmas music is playing on the radio before Thanksgiving is even here. I like it, but by the time Christmas gets here I'm so tired of it that I don't want to hear it anymore. Christmas is my favorite holiday, but it's just not supposed to come before Thanksgiving; turkeys should get their fair share of fame.

I really like my classes that I'm taking right now. My teachers are super helpful and seem like they actually want to be there, haha. It's nice when you have a teacher who seems like they really do care about how you're doing. I hope that's how I'll be someday :)

peregrination.

Since I have almost seven more hours of work sitting behind this boring desk, I think it's a good chance to elaborate on my short entry...

Summer is practically gone! I don't really know what to think about it. It seemed like it lasted forever when I was in the middle of it but now everyone is leaving for school already. Taking classes, working, and attempting to be social takes a lot of effort, I don't know that I'll be up for it that much longer - maybe I'll cut one of them out soon?

I moved into an apartment inbetween 11th and 12th on Charnelton Alley. It's a cute little two bedroom apartment with a kitchen, bathroom, and a living room (the bathroom is practically as big as the living room). Kim and I have somewhat opposite schedules, but we've been getting along super well and we seem to have everything we need for right now as far as the apartment goes. It gets VERY hot in the apartment if we don't keep the windows open and fans on at all times, so I don't think we'll have any trouble keeping it warm during fall and winter.

I finally almost have my room put together/finished, I'm just waiting for a bed-frame and I'll be all set. My room in my apartment is bigger than either of my rooms at my parents house so that part is nice! Kim has a sewing machine that we've used to make curtains for our apartment (I made mine all by myself, woo!) we put fabric up on the walls as wall-paper, and we went to ross to get random things for the shelves that run around the ceiling in the kitchen (everyone always has random things up there, right?).

I just sold my Xterra a couple of days ago. I've been thinking about it for awhile, so I finally put it up on craigslist and got a call back about it a couple days later, and sold it! I wanted to sell it because it gets absolutely horrible gas mileage! I got 12 miles/gallon <-- bad. When I thought I was going to move to Bend it would've been the perfect car, since I'm staying here and "commuting" to work 15 minutes away it just makes more sense for me to have a car that is more fuel efficient. I'm looking at getting a volkswagon golf or rabbit, but we'll see what I end up with. And let's hope the grandparents will co-sign on another loan for me...

I'm dual-enrolling at Lane and University of Oregon this year. No going back to Hawaii for me :( Dealing with school has been a pain! I finally got admitted into U of O, but now I have to wait for orientation to sign up for classes, and guess when orientation is? The WEEK BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS! What is this?! I think they are trying as hard as they can to make it not possible for me to attend school there. I'm supposed to be giving next month's work schedule in by the 15th (two days from now) and I still have no idea what my class schedule is going to be like. Oh geez, I hope something works itself out.

My roommate and I have decided to get our motorcycle licenses... Haha. She might be getting a vespa, and in order to get one that goes over 35 mph you must have a motorcycle license. So that's what we're going to do! They get like 60 miles/gallon on fuel so we figure it's a pretty good investment. The training is only three days! Granted, they are going to be very long days, but it's going to be worth it. Wish me luck!

I've been a little more relaxed the last couple weeks, and hopefully it will stay that way until school starts (and maybe after?). I've gone to the coast a couple of times, ridden my bike, hiked Spencers Butte, eaten at Sweet Life, and slept. Really, how much better can it get?

I also just found out that flights from Portland to Hawaii, roundtrip, in January are $219. I AM GOING.

flower.

Yes, I am finally updating much needed to be updated blog. Lots of things:

• Moved into my own two-bedroom apartment with Kim!
• I'm going to be dual-enrolling at Lane and University of Oregon
• I just sold my Xterra, not quite sure how I feel about that decision yet
• I went to the Xavier Rudd concert up in Portland (awesome!)
• Just went see Michael Franti
• Also saw Band of Horses (can you tell where all of my extra money is going?)
• I want to go to take a road trip to Canada (as soon as I get a passport)
• I'm turning 20 in one month and three days, WOO!

There is my life.

elbow tag.

I've been back in Eugene now for about a month and a half. I'm really missing Hawaii, but Eugene has been fun too. I haven't written in awhile, so I need to fill in the big blank space... I've found a job as a lifeguard at the Eugene Swim & Tennis Club, and I'm taking a writing class at Lane to make up for my passed A.P. English class senior year (long, horrible, boring story). Those two things are pretty much what run my life right now, but I'm still getting some time for myself so it's worked out really well. My writing class is very (un)iteresting. My teacher, Perry Ma, came over from China and taught himself english. Why he is teaching my writing class? I have no idea. It's very hard to understand him and he seems so stressed all of the time that I really don't know how he goes through the day. He also has a funny tree branch theory he uses that involves his arm and finger... HA.

I got the amazing chance to go see Coldplay. SO NEAT! The coolest concert, by far, that I've ever been to. They were better live than they are on their cd's. So good. It was up in Ridgefield, WA (right past Portland). We thought we were going to miss it because of traffic but we ended up getting there right before Coldplay came out so it was perfect timing. There were thousands and thousands of people there. I had only gotten my tickets like a week before the show, and I ended up sitting in the same row as my mom who had gotten her tickets back in February, it was pretty funny.

I've been admitted into University of Oregon, and hopefully I'll be attending this fall, but we'll see how everything goes. I'm adjusting to life back at home as a college student and it's been going fairly well. It's definitely different living on your own for a year and then coming back home to parents and everything you left behind. It's been fun, but it takes some adjusting.

I have signed my life over to the bank to be the proud owner of an Xterra. So excited, but let's hope I can keep up with the payments. and GAS! The car gets freakin' 14 miles per gallon and the gas goes so fast... I literally watch the needle go down as I drive. It looks like it's going to be back to the bike for me!

Nutrilligator.

I am back in Eugene. Besides the weather, I love being home. It's been amazing to see friends again and be back with family. I've gotten settled in and have been making up for lost time. I have already succeeded in losing my tan I had in Hawaii, but hopefully that will be somewhat coming back if the weather ever decides to get nice here.

I take that back about loving being home (well, the job department anyway). Finding a job in Eugene = Impossible. I've turned in like 15 applications and haven't heard anything back... I'm really starting to stress out because I need to be able to find a job this summer to be able to save up some money. Besides the job part... home is great.

I've been camping, been on a nutrilligator bike riding adventure where we encountered snakes and an alligator, been trying to get my body adjusted to the 3 hour time difference, and played a softball game with the IB Roof Systems softball team (IB Ballers...). I missed Eugene, I'm glad I got to come home.

Fillip.

I've been counting down the days until I go home, and it's down to 11... I don't know if I want to go! I really like it here, and have loved meeting new people and making new friends. It's so much fun having people come out to visit me, and just getting to be a goofy kid. I do miss Eugene, but I know I'm going to miss it here so much! I'm liking classes, biking, the beach, the swap meet, the people, oh boy... I don't know what I'm going to do when I have to leave. Here's a group of us waiting at the bus stop to head home from the Swap Meet.

I had my last day of work yesterday and I was actually really sad. I mean, who would've thought I'd be sad about not having to wash dishes for hours upon hours a night? Tui brought pizza for my last day! That was nice, I haven't had pizza for like 2 months, it was great!

My friend Cait came to visit with her family and they were so nice! It was fun getting to the other side of someone's life that I met in college. It was kind of wierd seeing her like 4,000 miles away from where I met her, but it was nice to see a familiar face. We went to Matsumoto's shave ice down in Haleiwa, and I took them to a secret beach spot where we saw turtles!

I'm so excited to go home, but I'm just not too excited about leaving here. I wish I could just have both as once, that would be the life. But oh well, you can't have it all. However, I have to say, having to choose between Hawaii and Home... neither is really that bad of a choice :)

Whoop.

I don't know what it is but, lately, I have been very into sepia. Hmm, maybe it's an idea for a new photo shoot?

Not much has happened since camping. I met a girl who seems like she fell straight out of Eugene, but she's from Utah! It's one of the wierder things I've come across. She's super nice and really motivated. Maybe she will help me in that department. We've decided that we're going to make a business making and selling lava lava pants. Woo! I'll try and remember you when I'm rich and have 20 houses all over the world.

My friend Cait, from Utah State, is here with her family and I get to see her on Wednesday! I'm SO EXCITED! She's coming up to the north shore for the day and I'm going up to visit them in Haleiwa. I can't wait to see her!

It's official, I'm going back to Eugene for summer. I'm hoping to move into my own apartment, so if you hear of anything cheap then please pass it on! I'd very much appreciate.

Mmm, I have my bio midterm this friday, and pretty much I'm only writing right now because I am procrastinating - I should probably start studying now. Ugh... Have I mentioned that I hate bio?

Corrigible

I still hate biology. We took our first test last friday and over 3/4 of the class failed (yep, me included). The teacher said we did so bad that he had to revise it so that our scores would be better. There were 50 questions, and an essay we had to write. 38 of the questions got thrown out... I think it shows you something more about the teaching style than the learning, wouldn't you think? There are study groups next week and whatnot so we'll see if those help. We have our midterm this coming up friday, I hope I amaze myself.

I experienced camping on the beach last night and it was one of the best things I've ever done. It was absolutely amazing sitting and being able to listen to the ocean all night long. It was a full moon and so it was light even at 2:00 in the morning, and especially lighter with all of the sand reflecting the light. We got there about 10:30, built a campfire, roasted cinnamon rolls (they are actually pretty good toasted!), talked about life, and fell asleep in blankets next to the ocean in the sand. I don't think my night could've gone any better.

Big Jumps

So, today didn't have the best start in the entire world. I woke up, looked out my window, and thought to myself, "Hmm, it's wierd that it's light so early... AHHHFSDJDKFDJ!" Looked at the time and it was 5:49 A.M. (my jogging class starts at 6:00 A.M.) I fell out of of my bed and into some clothes and ran out the door. 

I ended up making it just in time to change into the mandatory workout clothes they have here, and was on my way for our 1.5 mile run today around campus. I forgot to mention, last week I ran a total of 6.2 miles! Yes, some people do that everyday as their warm up, but whatever. Go me.

I am pretty sure I am going to fail my biology class. It's from 7:30 until 9:30 in the morning monday, wednesday, and friday, right after my running class. I'm awake when I get there from running and showering and whatnot, but that class is SO incredibly boring. I have absolutely NO need in my life to know that,

"By forming a two-layered membrane, or phospholipid bilayer, the hydrophobic parts of molecules stay away from water, while the hydrophilic portions remain surrounded by water." 

-Essential Biology, third edition.

Why can't we just say something like, "Some things like water and others don't. It's like that because that's the way it is." I'm all for it. Props to whoever is majoring in biology, it takes a lot of effort to try and understand all of the gibberish coming from those boring textbooks.

Besides my morning.... my day was great! We got let out of biology half an hour early, I took the kids to the beach, I saw my friend Akane perform amazingly well at her senior percussion recital, I  walked to Foodland and ate a Melona Bar (try them! I think the green ones are the best), and cleaned up my room. Now I'm off to bed (and yes I double checked that my alarm was set, and on this time). Goodnight!

Idiosyncratic

I started spring term at BYUH on Monday. My teachers all seem really nice, and I'm hoping that I can meet some more people in my classes. I found out that my biology teacher is a math prodigy (GENIUS), and also that he's OCD about background noise (so, basically, if we talk in class he straight yells at you). Other than that... he seems nice. My jogging teacher is from the land down under and has the coolest accent, and is in very good shape for being an older woman. My other class (which I switched into taking a class that hopefully I'll be able to get certified as a lifeguard) is a small class, and there's a teacher and two assistant teachers. She knows what she's doing. We have to swim 550 yards the second day of class (THURSDAY!). In other words, Sienna + swimming a lot = dead. Oh boy, I can't wait.

I also had a really good weekend. Carly, Hailey, and I went down to town Saturday night and went to Jammin Hawaiians. They had J Boog and Ten Feet and some other people there that played, it was a lot of fun. We stayed in a hotel and then the next morning we played in the pool, went down the water slide, swam in the ocean, and sat in the hot tub. We wanted to order pina coladas (yum!), but when a hamburger is $27, I don't think I'm going to like the price of the drinks either.

Outré

So, I have managed to keep my job for the last week. Hopefully that will continue! I eat subway every night for dinner, and have some leftover ice cream for dessert. The girls I work with tell me I'll gain 15 pounds within the next little bit of working there. Oh joy, so many good things to look forward to from working in an ice cream shop.

I registered for school today and got my official BYUH ID card! You need it for absolutely everything here, so I'm glad I finally have it. I start my classes next week. I'm taking a jogging class, biology, and some lifesaving deal that will get me my lifeguarding permit deal - hopefully I'll score a summer job with it!

I have yet to use my film camera here. I've just been kind of on a digital streak, since I don't want to pay money to develop my film. I like being able to go to school and do it myself! Oh well, it will probably be better for me anyway because I take more pictures this way. I've taken some cool ones that I never would've thought to take with my film camera.

I rode my bike to Kahuku the other day. It was a pretty nice ride, it took about 25 minutes each way. I rode my nice little cruiser all the way down there and had a grand ol' time. What I didn't factor in was that the way there was much easier than the way back would be (I forgot about the wind!) I was wondering why I looked like I was speeding compared to the people coming back the other way, and I didn't realize until I was on the way back that the wind has a nice little way of making you pedal with all of your effort to go like 1 mile an hour.

My mom visited last week. It was nice having her here and getting to spend some time with her. We went to Waimea, Sharks Cove, and Haleiwa (I don't know how to spell it) and her and Omar and his kids seemed like they had a good time. The weather wasn't too great for them, but they managed to tour and hit the beach and have a good time anyway. Mike and Amy also were here for Amy's birthday, and they were happened to visit the PCC and I live about 5 minutes away, so we met up for ice cream where I work! I introduced them to the "Angel's Halo," it's a giant shave ice with ice cream on the bottom, the flavors, condensed milk swirled over it, and whipped cream to top it off. The BEST thing in the whole entire ice cream shop (except for maybe the cookies n' cream milkshakes, or the bubble drinks, or the...) I guess everything from there is good.

I also met a kid who sounds exactly like Sid, the sloth, from the movie Ice Age. He's super nice, but it's just really hard to take him seriously when there is that constant slur in all of his words. I didn't think I would ever meet someone who talked like that, but now I have! I think I'm going to try and record him talking someday. It's great.

Chimerical

I've had a some firsts in the last couple days:

-I was psychoanalyzed

-Hopped over a fence to get into a grocery store

-Made stir-fry (Yep, I cooked!)

-First day of work at the ice cream shop! :)

-Saw a centipede as long as my foot IN MY ROOM

-Been backstage/upstairs in the P.C.C.

The psychoanalyzation was actually one of the coolest things that I've come across. Depending on how much you really think about it and answer truthfully, it's amazingly accurate and intriguing to learn things about yourself that you "know but don't actually know/can't put into words." You must answer four questions with as many details as you can and then you get your answers.

1. What is your favorite color? (Don't say it, or say "the color of grass," use adjectives like, "happy, friendly, relaxed, natural, striking... etc.)

2. What is your favorite animal? (Again, don't say the actual animal or what it looks like, but HOW it is, for example, "unique, playful, social tendancies, awkward...etc.)

3. You're in a white room, how do you feel? (Anything you imagine, just describe how you feel.)

4. You're in water, how do you feel? (Any way you picture yourself in water, then describe it.)

Once you have the answers to these questions, they describe different things about you and how you view things. Want to know what they are? Ask me! :)

I just got a job at an ice cream shop. I've learned how to make lots of good stuff! I just need to learn how to do the cash register because I've messed up on that a couple times... oops. The girls that I work with are super nice and they help me a lot with learning everything. I work nights, so if you ever happen to be in Laie at night then stop by for a visit!

Diaphanous

So I attempted a run on the beach the other morning. PATHETIC. I made it to the beach, stopped for a rest, stashed the sweaty shirt, shoes, and socks in the grass, ran to the curve and sat on a log to watch the sun come up. Yes, yes, it would have been more rewarding watching the sun come up if I had actually run the whole way; but whatever, I got off my butt and  tried so I'm a happy woman.

It's been windy, cold, and rainy the last couple days (always reminding me of Eugene) but today was nice enough to where we could go to the beach for at least a couple hours. We all got our swimsuits on, made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (the best kind in my opinion), got in the car, and were on our way. We went to a beach called Sharks Cove. I hope the name has nothing to do with the creatures that are swimming around it besides the one I'm about to tell you about. The kids hunted for hermit crabs and waded around trying to catch fish. We were just beginning to climb on some rocks when everyone looked right behind us and started cheering - there was a WHALE! (Way out in the ocean of course). It was breaching and spouting water for everyone to see, it was really neat to get to experience how beautiful nature can be.

Also, I cooked dinner tonight. DANG right I did! Woo! Yep, it was only pancakes and bacon, but oh baby did I do it! Slowly but surely, I'm learning to cook. Hopefully I'll have this business down sometime soon, otherwise I'm going to starve.

Quote of the day :)

"Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And one you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it."

--Bill Cosby

(I tried laughing hysterically at my running attempt, but it didn't help. Hmm, this quote must be talking about other things...)

Corazon

I got the chance to go home for "Spring Break" (I've been on a break for almost five months now) and it was a blast. The flight there was horrible having screaming kids directly behind me the whole flight, but... I got to see friends, family, and attend my dad's wedding so it was worth enduring the blue-faced babies. I loved being back in Eugene, it's one of my favorite places. I experienced the cold, rain, Cafe Yumm, Spencers Butte, learning actual guitar, Portland, Burrito Amigos, Alton Baker, bowling, Sweet Life, MY BED, Pita Pit, nice fluffy carpet (we don't have that in our house here), and guitar hero; how much better could it have been? Not much! Maybe being able to stay a little longer. (I just now noticed that like every other thing I mentioned had to do with food... I guess I like to eat!)

I somehow managed to be one of the last four people to board the plane even though I made it to the airport with an hour to spare, but oh well. At least I made it! The flight back home was probably the best flight I've ever had anywhere. I think I was awake for a total of ten minutes the entire time. It was glorious. I also loved being able to walk out of the airport into the bright, warm sunshine. I love Eugene, but you can't beat having to go back to Hawaii :)

Quote of the Day :)

"Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up."

--Robert Frost

Warbling

I've figured out what path in life I want to be on the for the moment.

I've been admitted into BYU Hawaii.

I've caught hermit crabs and collected shells at the beach with my cousins.

I've met some girls. They just so happen to be softball girls. Super nice :)
I've also been to the basketball games here. Our team is good! They'd give the ducks a run for their money.

I've decided that I like it here. A LOT.

I've learned the benefits of a bicycle. Doesn't cost money to fill up (all human power!), easy to fix, faster than walking, you can park almost anywhere, and it's healthy. I ride it everywhere.

I've also peeled a couple good inch long chunks of skin off of me from my sunburn, but I figured pictures of that wouldn't be so great...

To conclude!
I like it here. I'm happy here. I hope I'm here to stay.

Come visit!

h.i.

     So I got here a couple weeks ago. I'm living with my Aunt Jenica and her family and they've done a wonderful job at making me feel at home here. We live five minutes away from BYU campus and about two minutes from the beach. The beach. Yes, the beach. Love the beach. I've already been sunburned, and hope to not have to experience it again since I've already had to go through it once.

     Today I got accepted into BYU Hawaii and I'm stoked. I'm going to be starting spring term and can't wait! I've walked around the campus and, yes it's small, but it's open and light and the class sizes are going to be small which will be a big help. The students that I've met so far have been super nice and very helpful with directions! I love that there are so many different kinds of people at BYU. There are people here from like seventy different countries or something. 

     I feel pretty blessed to have everything work out as well as it has. The last couple of months have been a little rough, but I think things are going to be smooth sailing from here on out. I'm learning more about myself and (I think) more of what life's really about. It's been a neat experience to come out and actually live, not just stay in a hotel for a week. The people are very simple and so happy. Yes, we don't have all the pretty little decorations and nice wallpaper and baubles, but we have a roof over out heads and are as happy as can be. I like this different lifestyle. It's been very eye opening for me, and it has made me realize that I don't need half the things I thought I did. Although, I could really go without the bugs, but it's a package deal ;)