If you are considering attending a place called COLLEGE...

I write this blog post to anyone considering attending the wonderful and terrible place called college.
Because I wish someone would have done this for me.
Welp, here goes.

#1: Get used to a never ending, life time supply, ever present, abundant, mass amount...of homework. (when I say never ending. I mean it.)  ;)

#2: Say goodbye to any sleep you once had a relationship with. Sleep is foreign in the land of college.

I like to live by this rule:


#3: Get used to living in arctic conditions during the winter. (My roommates refuse to turn the heat on....) Get used to random people walking in and out of your apartment, waking up to random people sleeping on your couches in the morning, and a never ending amount of dishes to do.

#4: You might as well just bring sweats and tee shirts to college. That's all you'll ever wear. The choice will come down to getting ready and sleeping. Trust me, you'll choose sleep everytime...

#5: Home cooked food is the equivalent of gold here...eat it all while you can I say!

#6: You will soon be accustomed to every funny youtube video known to man.

#7: No curfew? Possibly the best (and worst) part of college.
Worst? Because sometimes at 2 in the morning you will be trying to sleep when all your roommates+friends are having a screaming competition in your living room....

#8: Learn to hide any electronic device that can connect to facebook, that is... unless you enjoy your facebook being hacked daily, in that case leave them out.

#9: The week before finals week you may feel like this:
  
 (that may be a bit racist...hahaha)

#10: But Christmas break/end of the semester will be the best thing that has ever happened to you in your entire life.





Oh, and one last thing...

Everyone else=getting married



Me: Forever Alone.

Hahaha:)

My Goal for November

So! For the entire month of November I want to do a random act of kindness everyday! But I'm going to need help thinking of ideas...
I have never done something like this, and I haven't been very good at doing service in the past. So this is my goal for the month of November:)
I need help thinking of ideas!! So please comment anything small thing you think of!
Also, I extend this challenge to anyone else who wants to join in! Think of how much good we could do!
November is a month to be thankful for what we have been blessed with, and we realize our blessings most when we are serving others. I can't wait for November.
Comment ideas!!
Thanks!

“The best antidote I know for worry is work. The best cure for weariness is the challenge of helping someone who is even more tired. One of the great ironies of life is this: He or she who serves almost always benefits more than he or she who is served.” President Gordon B. Hinckley

 

 

Two months down:)

Well two months down folks!
It's crazy how fast things can change in two months.
But let's start with the most recents matters...

TODAY! Today was a glorious day (even though it's only 11 am.) I woke up bright and early and went and ran Deer Creek Dam trail. This is my favorite place to run ever. EVER, including all my Vernal spots. It's the most beautiful place!
We ran about 8 miles in an hour and 10 minutes, so yeah it was a nice, slow pace:)
I ran with my teammates and amazing friends Mikesell and Shae. I love them! We have a good time together, and I am excited to spend these next years with them.

Days like today make me realize how thankful I am for a body that allows me to do something so satisfying and amazing as running.
I just love running. I don't even know how to describe it. I just feel so good when I go, nothing can really compare.
It's a blessing, really.
So funny story?? Okay.
Mikesell, Shae, and I are just running along and we are alone on the trail. We start telling scary stories about creepy stalkers and getting kidnapped, and as we are talking our teammate Seth came up behind us. I don't know how we didn't hear him coming, but we didn't. He says "Hey Girls!" and out of the corner of my eye I just see this man in a ski mask! (He was wearing this running head warmer thing because it was pretty chilly.)
It scared us so bad. We all screamed and I like crouched down into the fetal position,a nd Mikesell jumped into the bushes. Haha it was hilarious.
He chose a bad time to come up behind us. Hahaha.

Running has been going pretty good.
As I've said before, running in college was a huge change for me and it took time to get used to. But I'm feeling good now. I'm no longer injured and I almost feel like I have a hold on everything. (almost...)
We had a race at SUU a few weeks ago. It went really well. Both the girls and the guys took first so it was awesome! It was a 4K (2.5 miles). I like the shorter distances better, so I had fun!
It was my best race so far! My time was in the 15 minute range. So I was happy!

I'm super stoked for track to start up.

Weird coincidence???? Let me tell you a story.
Hillary Enloe held the 300m hurdle record at uintah high before I broke it last year.
Yesterday I was looking at the all time top ten record board for UVU and she is 3rd for the 400m  hurdles! #1 I didn't even know she ran here. #2. I need to break her record again. haha :)

I went to the high school state xc race last wednesday. It was so great watching everyone, but super weird to not be running in the race. I miss highschool xc sometimes...

I love getting letters from my favorite kidos:)

This is what we do on Sunday afternoons. Ride bikes and have a chalk fight. It's great fun.

I got to go home!:) I love home, and I miss it alot.

So as I'm sure you all know, our beloved prophet made a big announcement in General Conference. :)
I think this change is just awesome and so right. And I've been thinking ALOT lately...
I have always said that when the age of 21 comes, I want to serve a mission. I have always had that desire, especially after reading emails from my friend Elder Watkins and being in seminary council.
Now the age is so much closer. I could leave next spring

I have alot to think about.
I really do have the desire to serve a mission.
I want to go. I always have wanted to go. I don't want to miss out on that opportunity.
I just need to keep praying and talking to the Lord and my Heavenly Father to ask if that is what they want for me. The Lord's will is much greater than my own.
I don't need to make the decision now. I certaintly have time to think and ponder. :)
I sometimes wish I could see into the future so I could have the answers now!
Life is an interesting thing. :)

Vernal's Ocean...

In my english 1010 class we were assigned to write on this topic:
A distinct moment that changed your view on a person, a situation, or your life.

So here is my paper! (It's the first draft...so I have some revisions to make, but here's what Ive got thus far.)
Here goes..

Vernal’s Ocean

 

I remember when I was about eight or nine years old, I would spend my summers playing with my friends throughout my neighborhood. We would ride bikes, build forts, catch snakes in the ditch, and create many other invented games to keep us busy. One of our favorite games to play was ‘house’. We would all fight over who got to be the mom, the dad, the baby, and the teenager. There was a sense of excitement and delight that came from acting out our not-so-far away futures.  I would often claim the ‘teenager’ role. I would pretend to have my license and go on dates, and I would spend my imaginary nights going to the high school prom, and then off to graduation. As a child, I looked forward to the days of being able to do all these things for real. And just like that, it happened.

It was my senior year of high school. I had fought for the past three years to make a name for myself, and by my senior year I had finally found my niche in school. I had made so many friends, and had formed close relationships with most of the teachers. I was known as the ‘runner girl’ as my obsession with track and cross country soon created a reputation. I was supported and watched in sports, and I knew exactly what I wanted in life.

It was the last week of school, a week that is expected to be full of emotions and anticipation for the next step in life. But to me this week felt no different than any other week. We were herded from final meetings to graduation practice, and we got to miss a lot of class, but all in all I really felt as though nothing was changing. Finally graduation day had come. The day started off with our graduation class picture, and followed with lots of festivities spent with friends and family. The actual graduation ceremony flew past with a few tears, lots of smiles, and good byes to my younger classmates. And that was that. It was over. I felt no different than I did months before this moment. I felt no glorious sentiment of success, no big moment of triumph. I felt like Harley, the runner girl of Uintah High. I felt like the red headed senior that many knew and loved. It wasn’t until the next morning that everything hit me.

We spent the entire night inside the school for one last hurrah. We had a senior stomp and dance party, and then played various games for the rest of the night. For once, in that night, there were no cliques, no groups, or no divisions among us. We were one, and we were all friends. We were 2012. It was the last time many of us would ever see each other. The next morning, at about five a.m., we all tiredly shuffled out of the high school for the last time. The sun had yet to rise, so my best friend Matthew and I decided to go to Vernal’s Ocean to watch the sunrise. Vernal’s Ocean was a favorite spot on the outskirts of town. We hopped in his green Chevy Malibu and, after a breakfast run to 7-11, made our way up the dusty path to Vernal’s Ocean.

Vernal’s Ocean sits high on a hill right outside of town, and is made out of a cement slab covered in spray paint and messages. As Matthew and I began walking to the cement pad, I was reminded of the night my best friends and I joined in on the tradition and made our mark on the cold cement. Matthew and I laid our blankets over the faded paint, and ate our breakfast consisting of our favorite snack; A&W Cream Soda and a king sized Hershey’s Cookies and Cream chocolate bar. As we laid waiting for the sun to rise, Matthew slowly drifted to sleep. I carefully got up and went to sit on the edge of the cement.

I let my legs dangle off the edge and watched a rabbit scavenge the earth and hop through the sage brush several feet below my toes.  A constant breeze ungenerously brushed across my arms and legs, but it brought with it a sort of awakening. Light beams slowly started to pop up one by one over the eastern mountains, and in that moment of solitude, everything hit me. I finally realized that from here on out, nothing would be the same. It was like this realization had been bottled up, and when I was least expecting it, the bottle exploded. I’m not sure what set it off. Maybe it was a combination of the awakening breeze, the scavenging rabbit, and Matthew’s slow breathing mixed with the silence of the morning. But in that moment, I finally felt different. During all the days leading up to graduation and the last night being a senior I never felt different. I never felt the change that was looming ahead.

Sitting at Vernal’s Ocean that quiet morning, I become conscious that I was no longer the runner girl of Uintah High school, the records I set in track will be broken, and new athletes will take my spot. I realized that the friends I spend countless nights with all through high school were now beginning a journey of their own. Sitting on the edge that morning I didn’t know that the summer ahead would be filled with my first love, and my first heart break. Sitting on the edge that morning I didn’t know that I would fail a class for the first time at college, and I didn’t know that my friends and I would slowly slip apart. I didn’t know exactly what the future held, but I knew everything would change. As the sun came up that morning, my new life began.

The end! haha:)

ps...I promise another post is coming with what has been going on here in good ol orem ;)

Miracles, drugs, magnents, and peppers.

It's a miracle!! I'm healed. (Well, maybe...) But I could run longer than 12 minutes today. 40 minutes of glorious running with no calf cramps. Now that's what I call a good day.
How did I do it? A good long rest from running and some high powered muscle relaxer pills, that I like to compare to Lortab.
Funny story...The first time I took the pill I took it in the morning and I was so high at school, I honestly don't remember anything from that day. I remember going in the bathroom and not seeing things clearly. I also remember falling asleep 6 times through out the day in my various classes.
So now I just take them before I go to bed, and I sleep real good.

So hopefully my calves continue to feel better. Yesterday I had to go get my blood drawn so the doctors could do some tests to figure out this mysterious calf problem.
If you know me, you know how hard it was for me to have that done. Ew ew ew. Elbow pits gross me out. Actually, people touching me in the elbow pits gross me out.
(Weird I know, and no.. I don't know why, and no I'm not kidding.)
So getting a needle stabbed in there about killed me!
But I did it, and I didn't even cry like I did when I had to get an IV for my wisdom teeth.
(Yes, that's how bad I hate elbow pits.)
The results should come back tomorrow.

I also have an appointment with a special sports therapists next Tuesday and good old Coach Evans is coming with me.
Oh Coach Evans... :) He is a funny old man. He is an assistant coach that's 80 years old, and boy does he like to talk about... well about anything. He just likes to talk.
He knows alot about running though! Bless his soul. So he is taking me down to Riverton for this appointment. Should be interesting.

So let me tell you a story called "My roommate is a boy magnent and I am a red headed loser dork."
Once upon a time my awesome roommate and running buddy Kelsey got asked on a million dates in a week (literally.)
Today she went on a date with a man named Sylvan. Sylvan is no ordinary man. He writes her secret poems at church and passes them to her, but not in a creepy "I'm a weirdo" kind of a way.
Well today Sylvan came to pick her up for their date. He was driving no ordinary car, but a 2011 convertible CORVETT. Yeah. And it was black. And he's way cute. And he bought her a nice dinner.
The end.

No worries though, I have a cute picture of my boyfriend on my dresser. I'm a lucky girl.


Oh Dwight. You're the only man for me. Hmph.

My roommates and I have a new obsession with these videos. We may or may not watch them both at least 3 times a day. We also may or may not have them both memorized.

 

 And this following video could be me someday. (When I say could, I actually mean most likely will.)

One month down.

One month down...
I have decided college is an emotional roller coaster. I love it, I hate it, good days, bad days. Everything.

We had our first cross country race at Utah State on September 1st! We all woke up super early and traveled down to Logan.

 

College racing=way different than my high school races. But it was good nonetheless.

My signature pre race jump...haha

 

 

The race went well! (For being the first one of the season...). It was a 5k and my time was 19:53min.
Definitely not a good time at all haha, but it gives me a start. I can only get faster from here!
I think it's going to take me some time to get used to college running.
During this meet they also had high school races, and Uintah was there! They all got to watch me race and they cheered for me. It was such a comfort seeing all my old teammates and coaches supporting me. What a great way to start off my season.
My dad also came to watch:)

My favorite part of college running is my team. My teammates are so supportive. I mean really supportive. During this race, the second mile, I started struggling. My teammate Montana (who was running with me at the time) noticed and helped me through.
It meant so much to have a teammate that was competitive, but also supportive and willing to help me do my best.
In practice we all cheer for each other and we know each others' goals and where we should be and want to be. I love it! The older girls make me feel good about myself.
It's weird being at the bottom of the totem pole again, but at the same time it's nice to have something to work towards.

My IT band issues with my knees are gone! So that's a positive. Unfortunately, two days before Utah State my calves cramped up really tight, and I have been having major problems ever since. They haven't been able to release. I can't run longer than about 15 minutes with out my calves cramping. I've tried everything.
Increased amounts of calcium, potassium, and sodium.
More water.
Stretching
Massage Therapy
More sleep
Pickle Juice
Ice
Heat
Rolled out muscles
Ultrasound treatments
Stem treatments

You name it, I've tried it.
Its getting really frustrating and my coaches, trainers, and I can't figure out why my calves will not loosen.
So I just do what I can at practice.
Injuries are really frustrating.

On top of that I got pretty sick with a respiratory virus that was going around our team. So for about a week I was feeling under the weather and having trouble breathing at practice.

So basically this season is sucking so far.

We had our second race yesterday here in Orem hosted by BYU.
It was a really disappointing race, and I just want to put it behind me.
Injury and a mental block I need to get past=one of the worst days I have ever had.
My parents came out to watch, and it was nice to see them for a bit. I'm glad they were there:)

 

SO! Despite all these setbacks, I am ready for a freshstart.
I have had injuries, major mental blocks, negative attitude, sickness, and trouble adjusting to all this change.

But ALL of that is behind me now.
This upcoming week is the start of a new beginning, and the first thing I need to change is my attitude.
I will FOCUS.
Be POSITIVE.
Give a 100% EFFORT everyday.
I am ready to start again. :)

Alright, enough of that.

As for college adventures...
Classes are good, but alot of homework, and very interesting.
Did I mention I failed my Biology 1610 test? Well I did.
Also, my geology teacher is officially the weirdest person I have ever met, but I like him.
There's a kid in my Bio Lab that is a pro magician and he's awesome.
My english teacher is a clone of my friend Jonathon Wilson...weird.
For some reason the only thing we study in my American Political Science class is the history of England...Why?
Jamba juice is delicous and steals all my money.

Life is...well it's life.

Jacob got his mission call! Seattle Washington!

Reunited! Yay for getting to hang out all night with my best friend Angela:)
Miss her...

 

 

Let me tell you a story called "I woke up one day thinking about how great the day was going to be, then it turned into the worst day of college so far."

Once upon a time (yesterday) I woke up and thought "Today is going to be the best day." Why? Well it's friday, I have a race, I'm going to the John Allred concert with my best friends Shelbie and Austin, and everything is going good.
Wrong.
I woke up an hour early for nothing because my first hour got cancelled.
The race absolutely sucked.
The concert was nothing like we expected, and rather boring and tiring.
Rude comments were sent to Shelbie and I over the internet that were super immature and very hurtful.
I was locked out of my apartment when I came home from the concert and so I had to sleep over at Shelbie's apartment.
The End.

What was the highlight of my day yesterday?
Seeing my family.
And sitting in Shelbie's car with Austin after the concert until 4am being crazy and laughing at everything.

Looking back, yesterday's turnout is quite funny:)
And I have the best friends anyone could ask for.

Is it time for a new week yet?

Random statement of the day: An 89 year old man played the harmonica in our saturday session stake conference tonight and it was the coolest thing I have ever experienced. And for being so old, he had an extremely awesome sense of humor. And he and his wife are the cutest couple I have ever seen.

classes, kind citizens, workout from hell, mission call, parking boot, and stone henge.

Well, first week down...
My classes are just a little bit of everything. I'm majoring in Biology Education. My future goal is to one day become a Biology Teacher and Track/XC coach. This being major=lots of science classes, and lots of science classes=lots of nerdy teachers.
Here is my line up for this semester:
Biology 1610
Biology Lab 1615
Geology 1010
Geology Lab 1015
English 1010
American National Government 1100

American National Government and English seem pretty managealbe. They will be my easy classes, and the teachers are really funny.
My Science classes on the other hand will by challenging. My Geology teacher is so nerdy. It makes me laugh. He weres earthy suits with really odd ties, and he has his ears peirced. One ear has one hole, and the other has two. He even sounds nerdy when he talks. I can tell this class will be interesting.
Biology is going to be my most intense class. We had our first lecture on Wednesday and I was taking notes like crazy. Also, my first assignment took me two hours. It was a 35 question quiz online, BUT I got an 86%! Good enough for me.
Homework will soon become my best friend.
All in all I am happy with my classes.

Ps...Books are really really really expensive and I spent nearly $500 on them this past week.
BUT something cool that happened today! I was headed to the bookstore to buy my lab manuel for Biology, and a really nice man from my class bought it for me! Totally made my day.

Cross countryyyyy....

Well they are working us hard, that is for sure. On Monday I officially became a member of the team, seeing I threw up after our workout. It was A. Killer. We did hill intervals. So we did two 500m, two 400m, two 300m, and two 200m uphill intervals, the hardest part of the entire things was we were told NO stopping or recovering in between. So our only 'recovery' we had was when we would run back down the hill, only to start the next interval. It was blazing hot too! We started at 12pm-3pm.
The original workout also included an 800m interval as the last interval, but coach didn't make us do that because everyone was dying. Walking back down to where we parked I was seeing black spots, and I felt light headed. Pretty sure I nearly fainted. But I guess I'm glad I worked hard! Haha.

Today was probably the best day of the entire week because I got to work on the Steeple chase with Coach Houle. It was my first time ever doing it and it's super weird. Coach says I have some real potential in that event so I'm excited! He said I have a good shot at making it to the Junior National Championships this year. So we'll see! I really like it so far.


WAYYY too hot outside :(

All ready in my ugly polo for an Athletics Dinner

Steeplechase Shoes! :)

MY BEST FRIEND MITCH BESTENLEHNER GOT HIS MISSION CALL! I am so excited for him:) He was called to serve in Curitiba, Brazil. I got to skype with him as he opened it. It's so great to see all my guy friends turning in their papers and getting their calls.

Matthew is serving in Orlando, Florida
Riley is serving in California
Kiley is serving in Brazil
Keaton just turned in his papers
Jacob is waiting on his call
I'll have alot of letters to write...

Apartment parking lots+a thing called visitor parking+parking police=RETARDED!
I got a parking boot that cost me a lovely $65 to remove when I went to visit my dear friends Brinli and Shelbie. Grrrr....

So the college life has been pretty good. I've been meeting lots of new friends and it's super fun! I'm really thankful I have Shelbie and Austin here with me though, because without them I'm not sure I would make it. They help  keep the homesickness at bay. I'm glad I have them.

Austin's roommates are rather funny. We have been hanging out alot, and they spent a good 30 minutes trying to decide which candle to get for their apartment. Typical Guys...
Also, Austin didn't believe me that stone henge could be found in Orem, Utah. So we spent a good part of the day looking for it so I could prove him wrong. The reason it took so long...I couldnt remember exactly where I had saw it...so we drove around until we found it. HA! I love proving people wrong.

We asked some random girl on the street to take our picture....

 Also...this is the first time I have gotten ready while at college. One time. That is all. I hate getting ready for the day...

First adventures of college...

These past few days have been so great! Austin, Shelbie, and I have gone on a few adventures.

I had this coupon for free chips and queso at Chilis. We went, ordered chips and queso, then realized it was only free if you ordered an entree as well. So we ordered a cup of soup to share (The cheapest thing on the menu.) and then realized that a cup of soup is not an entree. So our free dinner turned out to be not so free.

We really have no lives. And so we spent a good part of our day at the mall...

 

We went to the coolest spot ever! I took my friend back up to good ol Squaw Peak. This time I didn't have to run up it, so it was cool. The view was amazing.

 

 

I met the rest of my roommates yesterday! I am so excited. Morgan Merkley, McKayala Thacker, and I already get along so well. I am so excited! I really like all of my roommates, and I think our apartment is going to be fun.

Yesterday Austin, Shelbie, and I spent a good part of the day at the mall, then we watched Transformers 3 (which is probably the longest movie known to man.), cooked tacos, and watched Brian Regan (most hilarious guy ever.)

Last night was quite the party. All my roommates finally came, Shelbie, Austin, Kooter, and Darren also came, and we all had a good time.

 

I have decided that I really love college. :)

At first it was so so hard to say goodbye to my best friends from Vernal. Especially Angela. She is like my sister, my best friend, and soul mate. She is going to school in Vernal, and may come here in the spring. I miss her, and all my other friends alot. But on the other hand, I am so excited to meet new people and make more friends. Moving away has been a huge change, but I am ready to be here!

 

 

 

 

Tonight is going to be exciting. Some boys from building I named Chance and Landon came looking for me last night. BriAnne told them about me, and now I am on their dodge ball team for our tournament tonight! I'm rather excited.

 













Lace up your shoes

Well I'm finally all settled here in my actual room!
I packed up my car on Sunday with what I could fit, and my parents brought the rest today. I spent the entire day putting everything away and organizing, and I actually liked it. Yes. :)

Mary wanted to come with me haha. If only, if only



I brought my piece of Uintah track. Ute at heart!

So I'm all settled in! I met one of my roommates. Her name is Morgan B. She is so nice, and a clean freak just like me. I have a feeling we are going to get along really well. Last night we went and ate at the Zupas. (Only the best restaurant ever.) It was really fun! She is awesome. I am excited to meet the rest of them tomorrow! There will be six of us here:)

Last night was really great. My best friend Shelbie and I went and got frozen yogurt. Did you know that the frozen yogurt shop is probably the number one spot for a date night? Yeah, Shelbs and I were the only ones there without a date. Welcome to Provo, the dating capital of the world. Haha. It was a really great night, and it definitely beat the way I was spending my previous nights here at college... (Watching spongebob on netflix like a loser and eating grapes...oh what fun.) Yesterday was also Shelbie's birthday! So it was a grand day indeed.

Cross Country! It's been going alright. We've done some pretty hard workouts, but nothing like lovely Squaw Peak. I still despise that peak. I really, really, really love the team. I am making new friends and it's fun! All the girls are so nice, and I feel like I fit right in. (Well now I do, the first few days were a little awkward, but things are better now.)
One setback is my IT bands are acting up again, and so I'm having to do some rehab everday to keep them strong.

Today was probably my favorite day of practice so far. We did a 6 1/2 mile run, and I really pushed myself. I felt really good. (despite the fact that my quads and hamstrings were stiffer than a board from lifting/squats yesterday.) After our run we all had personal interviews with Coach Houle, and then we got our gear. We got so much stuff!! I am so excited! We got an entire bookbag filled with UVU running clothes/normal clothes, and everything is Adidas which is cool.

Coach Houle and I talked about the Steeplechase. He says I have a really great chance of making it to the NCAA National Championships. So that's my goal.

GOALS:
18:30min 5k
Make the XC Traveling Team
Make it to the NCAA Nat. Champ. 3k Steeple


So all in all things are going good, things are falling into place. I feel UVU is where I am supposed to be right now, and I am excited for the future.