That's A First!

I am discovering that college is full of new things. Firsts. I am currently enrolled in my first semester of my first year! This is my first time (that I actually remember) living outside of Utah. It is my first time living away from my parents, the first time I have my own mailing address. Today I had my first college exam! I of course procrastinated (not a first for me..) and so ended up spending the entire weekend having a cram session and hoping that the information would stick in my brain. I was stressing out so much that many people who I talked to had one thing to say to me: don't stress. Easy for them to say! But then I realized, it's true. My coach gave us this piece of advice: there are two types of problems- those you can do something about, and those you have no control over. You shouldn't be spending your time worrying about the first, but getting to work. As for the second? There is no point in wasting time worrying, things will happen how they happen. With that advice in mind, I took on my first college exam and I think I did a fairly decent job!

The exam was definitely not my favorite first.


My first week here was my first time ever going to the Minnesota State Fair. And oh man, it was HUGE! I am used to little Box Elder County Fair, and it doesn't even compare. While at the fair..I ate a deep-fried Milky Way. (Now THAT's a first!) And yes, it was delicious!:) Normally, I don't even eat sugar, but in this case, I made an exception and oh.. it was SO worth it.




Speaking of new foods.. This week at lunch I tried my first veggie burger.

As I put tomatoes and lettuce on it, I wondered to myself- Do you put veggies on a veggie burger? Ah, the mysteries of life. It was actually really tasty!

First package from home:)

Along with my first year of college came my first real job. And with that job? My first paycheck! Yep, I must admit I am very much enjoying all these new and exciting things that I get to experience! And I still have so much time left at Mac!

When I Think About Rain..

I think about singin:) Today was a rainy day in St. Paul. In fact, it's been rainy on and off the past couple of days. For some people, rain means cold, wet, and miserable. But I LOVE rain! The only sad part is that my rain boots are sitting at home in my closet. But that in no way means that I can't go puddlejumping without them! There's something about rain. It's like the whole world is getting a little cleaner. The smell of rain, the sound of rain, I love every part of it. When I think about rain, I think of just how amazing this Earth is. I think of how much a lot of us, including myself, sometimes take for granted all of the natural beauty around us. Not just the large canyons and miles of rivers, but the fact that the sun rises every morning and sets every night. The fact that the flowers bloom in the spring and the leaves fall in Autumn. What a wonderful world we live in! :)

And Then The Sun Came Out!

Woke up this morning feeling like P Diddy... Wait.. No I didn't.... I woke up late this morning after a horrible nightmare and rolled out from underneath my warm covers. I wasn't looking forward to my lineup of classes (Mon, Wed., and Fri. are my hardest days). It was a solid 40 degrees outside and looking like rain. Things looked rather bleak under I remembered one thing- It's Friday! I make it past this and I get a weekend!

I decided to try my hardest to make this day a great one. I wore one of my brightest shirts, my favorite jeans (makes a difference in your day, I'm tellin ya!) and bright, happy socks. I actually loved all my classes today! I have been struggling with Spanish the past week and it just clicked today.. I walked outside after my last class ready for the weekend and then the sun came out! It is now a blistering 62 degrees (WAY better than 40!) I walked back to my dorm, soaking up the sun. Today was a good day because it reminded me that no matter what comes your way, the sun always comes out eventually. You wouldn't appreciate its warmth without first feeling the cold. You may have a rough week, but you always make it to the weekend. The forecast for St. Paul, Minnesota tomorrow is thunderstorms. I am a little sad that I left my rainboots in Utah but hey, bring on the rain! As for today? It's Friday, Friday.. :)

Living and Learning

I have made it past my first week at college! In fact, last Friday I got an email from the school congratulating me for that reason. The email then went on to say "only 135 more to go!" I instantly became overwhelmed. 135 more weeks of this? That seems like an ETERNITY. I have to remind myself to slow it down and enjoy each day. There are so many things that I have learned in college. There are obvious academic things that I will probably share later. But the things that have most impacted me are some of the things that I have learned that have absolutely nothing to do with schooling at all. I have come up with a list and I know I'll be adding to it every day!:)


 I am BLESSED.
 I am incredibly blessed in my life! Things that seem hard now just show me actually how much I have. I am blessed to have:

 An AMAZING family to miss.

Friends to write!(And to Skype, of course! I don't know what I'd do without my best friends:) They basically keep me sane..)

A home to come home to. This is Perry, Utah. A place I love and very much miss. But I am glad to have a home to come home to. This will always be my home, no matter how long I spend in Minnesota!

As you can see, I am SO blessed!

Another important lesson I have learned in college?

Just how much a cardboard box can mean when it has your name on it! First package from home.. Opened it and started crying! Not from sadness, but because I felt just how loved I truly am.

I am hoping these life lessons keep on coming.. Times will be great, times will be hard, time always keeps ticking! I am learning to recognize hidden blessings in hard times. :)

Dorm Sweet Dorm

 This picture was taken right before we headed off to Minnesota.. My final minutes in Utah! How exciting! I can't believe this day actually came, but it did, and fast!

WELCOME. To Doty hall! This is my new dorm! Crazy to think that this is my new home.. Well, home away from home.. Nothing could replace my good old Utah!:)

When I first arrived here at my room, this is what I found! Notes reminding me to meet at certain places and..

This awesome welcome message from my roommate!!

Meet Emme, my new roommate. She is from Wisconsin! My favorite thing is to hear her talk about drinking fountains, which she calls "bubblers". She is so nice and I am lucky to have her as my roommate!

Dorm Sweet Dorm. This is Doty 403.. the place to be:)

Welcome to St. Paul, Minnesota!

Made it to the Twin Cities! I've been here a week and absolutely loving it! The journey here was quite the adventure after having car trouble and a ten hour delay in Evanston, Wyoming, but as you can see, Mom, Dad and I had the time of our lives! We are all SO excited that I get to be here at Macalester! Everything is changing but it is turning out alright! I think I'm starting to figure things out but I guess we will see!:)