Today is a cool day, errybody. Pay attention.
Halloween
Is a huge amusement to me every year. It was so fun to see everyone dressing up. We saw everything from princesses to James from Team Rocket to the university lawn to Star Wars characters and generic scary costumes and everything in between and it was incredible. There's something really wonderful about people so unabashedly being themselves and showing what they love.
Also, my costume of Sophie, from Howl's Moving Castle, was a rousing success- I was recognised and complimented and someone asked to take a picture of me and people were generally very excited about it, which was so much fun for me. :) Also, a few people exclaimed that I looked just like her, which was cool.
I just flippin' love Halloween. It's so much fun!
Nevada Day
Home means Nevada to me. Battle Born. Today is the day that Nevada became a state on October 31, 1864. Right there in the middle of the Civil War. We're pretty hardcore. And I guess this means I'm starting and ending this month with Nevada, but this time on a much better note. It's such a great thing to live in a state that celebrates its heritage so hard- state holiday, Friday off, parades and celebrations. It means so much to me to hail from a place that knows where it came from and celebrates that!
500
Years ago today, Martin Luther nailed those 95 theses to the door and kicked off the Reformation. I was on my mission in Germany during the beginning of this year, and let me tell you what, they were so HYPED about it. Books on Luther and copies of the Luther Bible and a new edition and all sorts of things everywhere and everyone has been talking about it all year. And they celebrated today! People all around the world did, because the Reformation is so important to so many people's faiths and stories and the general progress of the world.
Especially important is for me, is that this was one of many events that paved the way for the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and His true church, and that's why I'm here. And basically every good thing in my life stems from that.
So, basically, today was the bomb. :)
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Monday, October 30, 2017
Meddling in Mediocrity
Uni.
I am staring in the face of my own averageness.
The end.
....
Ok, but really. I grew up in small towns. I was brilliant. I was a good singer. I was in the band. I was Mormon. I ran cross country. I stood out. I had an identity.
And now I'm at BYU. And suddenly, none of that stands out anymore. I am average. I'm one of over 30,000 students who are 97% Mormon. I'm one of several hundred choirs. I'm struggling to keep up with my course load and dealing with the fact that this is way more competitive than anything I've ever done.
I don't stand out.
And this past week, that's been killing me a little bit. It's hard to adjust so completely into the ensemble and still be someone. I have to figure out what I'm doing and how to matter.
And I don't know how to do that right now.
So I'm meddling in mediocrity and trying to survive.
I am staring in the face of my own averageness.
The end.
....
Ok, but really. I grew up in small towns. I was brilliant. I was a good singer. I was in the band. I was Mormon. I ran cross country. I stood out. I had an identity.
And now I'm at BYU. And suddenly, none of that stands out anymore. I am average. I'm one of over 30,000 students who are 97% Mormon. I'm one of several hundred choirs. I'm struggling to keep up with my course load and dealing with the fact that this is way more competitive than anything I've ever done.
I don't stand out.
And this past week, that's been killing me a little bit. It's hard to adjust so completely into the ensemble and still be someone. I have to figure out what I'm doing and how to matter.
And I don't know how to do that right now.
So I'm meddling in mediocrity and trying to survive.
Sunday, October 22, 2017
Sunday Morning
It's chill, it's cool.
In things worth note.
GrandmaH and GrandpaH have set a goal to attend every temple in Utah- there are currently seventeen- and to make this happen, we're having a family temple day on the third Saturday of every month. Everyone who can come is invited. So yesterday was the first go, and we went to the Provo City Center Temple. GrandmaH and GrandpaH were of course there, and Est and Zap came to do baptisms and hang out, big brother and I also made it for the session, and we were joined by our cousin Cer and his girlfriend Ver.
Provo City Center is new- opened while I was on my mission, and I'd never been, and WOW is it gorgeous. I love being in the house of the Lord.
And it was extra special to me to be going through with people I love and care about so much. What was particularly interesting for me this time was things I've learned in my German culture and history class and in my Book of Mormon class that really coloured my temple experience. I'm learning to think so much more deeply about everything that happens, everything I learn, to look for symbolism in it all. I have so much to learn.
And a cool thought from my Book of Mormon teacher. He told us a story of attending a sealing, how they were waiting on the sealer, and he was looking around thinking how beautiful it all was, then the sealer walked in and said, "Brothers and sisters, welcome to the temple."
He went on to explain how he'd recently been back to visit the Holy Land, and briefly shared some of his experiences. "It is a holy thing to walk where Jesus walked," he said, "but it is a holier thing to walk where He walks."
"Brothers and sisters, welcome to the temple."
I've been thinking about that all week. And it was wonderful to be in the temple.
We finished up the day with lunch at a great pizza place, TwoJack's (10/10, would recommend), where we were joined by our cousin Taw and her year-old baby Saw. That brought the party up to 10, and it was just a good old time. We ended up discussing funny stories about spicy things that we'd experienced, mostly from the mission. My brother went to Mexico, where EVERYTHING is spicy, Cer went to Russia, where nothing is, my Germany is likewise, and Ver was just glad she'd been in Colorado where such spicy things didn't happen. Est had a really good one that involved her little brother Set and a spicy chicken wings challenge. I just love my cousins so much, and it is so wonderful to spend time with them.
After parting ways, I dragged the brother, Zap, and Est, on a thrift shopping adventure with me, as I was searching the perfect articles of clothing to make up a Halloween costume of Sophie, from Howl's Moving Castle. Studio Ghibli is my favourite. This costume is important because I actually have things to wear it for- a work party, a concert my sister is in, Halloween itself. I'm stoked.
In other things, Est and our roommate Mel, started this club, Barnacle Cobra, a while ago, where once a week we eat dinner in the elevator in our residence hall. This week, as part of our efforts to introduce Mel to the wonders of Studio Ghibli (we did Howl's Moving Castle at Aunt Jo and Uncle Ro's house a few weeks ago), we added a movie to our elevator dinner- Whisper of the Heart. Zap also joined us- it was a regular party. We finished the film back in our apartment, but MAN, do I love Whisper of the Heart. It is, quite possibly, the cutest movie in the world.
Also, I got a calling this week- I should be sustained and set apart today, and I'm super excited. Also, church starts in two hours and I haven't eaten breakfast or got dressed yet, so I should maybe get a move on.
Bis spaeter!
In things worth note.
GrandmaH and GrandpaH have set a goal to attend every temple in Utah- there are currently seventeen- and to make this happen, we're having a family temple day on the third Saturday of every month. Everyone who can come is invited. So yesterday was the first go, and we went to the Provo City Center Temple. GrandmaH and GrandpaH were of course there, and Est and Zap came to do baptisms and hang out, big brother and I also made it for the session, and we were joined by our cousin Cer and his girlfriend Ver.
Provo City Center is new- opened while I was on my mission, and I'd never been, and WOW is it gorgeous. I love being in the house of the Lord.
And it was extra special to me to be going through with people I love and care about so much. What was particularly interesting for me this time was things I've learned in my German culture and history class and in my Book of Mormon class that really coloured my temple experience. I'm learning to think so much more deeply about everything that happens, everything I learn, to look for symbolism in it all. I have so much to learn.
And a cool thought from my Book of Mormon teacher. He told us a story of attending a sealing, how they were waiting on the sealer, and he was looking around thinking how beautiful it all was, then the sealer walked in and said, "Brothers and sisters, welcome to the temple."
He went on to explain how he'd recently been back to visit the Holy Land, and briefly shared some of his experiences. "It is a holy thing to walk where Jesus walked," he said, "but it is a holier thing to walk where He walks."
"Brothers and sisters, welcome to the temple."
I've been thinking about that all week. And it was wonderful to be in the temple.
We finished up the day with lunch at a great pizza place, TwoJack's (10/10, would recommend), where we were joined by our cousin Taw and her year-old baby Saw. That brought the party up to 10, and it was just a good old time. We ended up discussing funny stories about spicy things that we'd experienced, mostly from the mission. My brother went to Mexico, where EVERYTHING is spicy, Cer went to Russia, where nothing is, my Germany is likewise, and Ver was just glad she'd been in Colorado where such spicy things didn't happen. Est had a really good one that involved her little brother Set and a spicy chicken wings challenge. I just love my cousins so much, and it is so wonderful to spend time with them.
After parting ways, I dragged the brother, Zap, and Est, on a thrift shopping adventure with me, as I was searching the perfect articles of clothing to make up a Halloween costume of Sophie, from Howl's Moving Castle. Studio Ghibli is my favourite. This costume is important because I actually have things to wear it for- a work party, a concert my sister is in, Halloween itself. I'm stoked.
In other things, Est and our roommate Mel, started this club, Barnacle Cobra, a while ago, where once a week we eat dinner in the elevator in our residence hall. This week, as part of our efforts to introduce Mel to the wonders of Studio Ghibli (we did Howl's Moving Castle at Aunt Jo and Uncle Ro's house a few weeks ago), we added a movie to our elevator dinner- Whisper of the Heart. Zap also joined us- it was a regular party. We finished the film back in our apartment, but MAN, do I love Whisper of the Heart. It is, quite possibly, the cutest movie in the world.
Also, I got a calling this week- I should be sustained and set apart today, and I'm super excited. Also, church starts in two hours and I haven't eaten breakfast or got dressed yet, so I should maybe get a move on.
Bis spaeter!
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