Mission Call

This is where I am going to quickly write about my feelings for the call. I had gone through a lot trying to decide if a mission was right for me. I didn't think I could be the kind of person who handled it well. I was signing up for my London Study abroad, and in the end I couldn't get myself to fully commit to it. Something kept coming into my mind: mission. I was the person who did NOT want to go on a mission. I had fully determined that it was not for me. Good for those who chose to go, not my thing. However, as I came down to these last few weeks, I didn't feel like I was supposed to do anything else. I put my papers in and in a matter of days my papers were submitted. I didn't feel totally sure. I was always edgy when I brought it up and I didn't want others to know or to talk about it. But flash forward to tonight, I was so anxious I think I could have laid an egg. I opened that envelope and when I saw the word Cambodia, I think my heart could have been so heavy it would have brought me to the floor. Nevertheless, I read on and sure enough, in a matter of minutes, I felt "that feeling". It is indescribable, really, but it is true that I felt so much love and excitement for this wonderful corner of the world. Who is to say that the Cambodians don't need the gospel any less than I do? I am so excited to go there. I thought I would never be able to live in a place like that, and I know it will be so difficult, but I am ready. I can hardly wait. I don't know what is coming, but I trust the Lord 100%. Something I will keep with me is that my grandpa said, "you learn the Book of Mormon in your head at home, but on the mission, you know it in your heart." I don't know if I will be a good missionary. I don't know if I am going to be able to live in a third world country, but I do know that the Lord trusts me. He knows I am going to survive. I am truly thrilled. I have never felt this feeling in my life. I am so happy. It is incredible. I love this church. I am so grateful that I have the opportunity of a lifetime. we are blessed.

A Penny for My Stream of Consciousness

Reading.
It may be an acquired thing; or something you were born to love. But the moment you are into a book that suits your taste and you simply cannot put it down, you have felt that indescribable moment when you are lost in a world of phonetics, sentences, clauses, and paragraphs. For that time, no matter how fleeting, you feel the complete feeling of being beside yourself. You aren't actually experiencing any tangible action, yet you are gaining experience.

I am all too familiar with this realm. It is probably a place where I have spent too much of my time. And not only am I obsessed with the experience of living in a world that doesn't exist, I feel the characters' mentalities and relate far more than is healthy.

It most likely all started with an 11-year-old boy who lived under the stairs. A boy most of us are familiar with whose iconic scar and knack for magic started a journey that changed a generation of people. The Harry Potter series arguably had little literary merit and probably will not be remembered in the way Twelfth Night or Romeo and Juliet are, however these books sparked a fire in the heart of a girl who fantasized and romanticized EVERYTHING.

Recently it dawned on me that I may want to incorporate reading into my life a little more than I have. I am sure I have read over hundreds of books, and this hobby of mine has led me to desire to record my own life in the form of literature.

My mind works this way:

• What is the point of life if I don't relate the experiences I am, well, experiencing?
• I could really tell a good story with the right placement and timing
• READING AND LITERATURE IS SO IMPORTANT OMG
• The world is amazing and I think I could really capture a fragment of it and I really want to capture a fragment of it and I love observing things around me so I better put that to good use darn it all.

So this realization made me do a few things. I decided that my major in college will have something to do with affecting the world around me (primarily through writing, ie a journalist, a Human relation specialist, etc). I also decided to read a lot more. I heard advice from an author that said writers who are pursuing that field need to a) read more, and b) write!

In conclusion, I just wanted to say I found out something pretty important about myself. I was talking to friends and some of them said they aren't readers because books start to bore them, and that is totally OK, however I pondered why I didn't feel the same way and why every book I read, or almost every, I had to finish. Then it hit me! BOOM! I like to know how things turn out! DUH!! That seems so obvious now that I am writing it on a blog that is probably only read by me and friends when I tell them to (thanks guys). But back to the "Ending Theory": I like to know endings. And it is probably because in truth, no one on this earth will know the endings to life events because our simple human brains cannot compute that sort of information. I do believe we can drastically change the outcome of things by the choices we make, but things like "how much money will I have by the time I am 40?" or "who will I marry?" are simply unanswerable until the time in which they have come to pass. So I guess I have this complex where I thoroughly enjoy finishing a book because it has an ending. Simple. But amazing, if you think about that.

So anyway I felt the need to record my thoughts on the all-too-permanent internet because I hope to one day look back be reminded that my 18-year-old self loved reading and "happily-ever-after" scenarios.

Pomp and Circumstance

OOOKAY... so it's been approximately over a year since I've blogged...

BUT now is the time more than ever. Why, do you ask? Well I am none other than completing only the single most important milestone in my adolescent years: Graduation of high school!

So as people know, I've never been too heavily in love with high school. We've sort of had this love/hate relationship. (sort of like unhealthy lovers many of you may relate to). And with that being said, I still have come to the conclusion that I indeed will miss my life as a kid. I may or may not have had a mental breakdown about growing up a time or two...

Now, many of you are in the same boat as me, or have been in it and are now sailing your yachts that are the future... Many as well may be trailing not far behind on your row boats, however, one thing is certain for those of us experiencing life as US citizens: we all have to go through high school. 

Yes, indeed, this blogpost just got so much more relevant to you! And why the totally cliche boat metaphors? Well it might have to do with the fact that I am speaking at graduation... *cue shy face. And the quote that I had to base my speech around goes as follows:

"We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained."
-John F. Kennedy

This quote is very applicable to high school, no? So between freaking out about speaking in front of thousands of people (can you say stage fright?!) and trying to maintain a good grade point average I would say I have a completely uninteresting life.

But that is what is so exciting is that I am soon going to enter a world filled with much excitement and experience and wonder! And not to mention cute college boys 

Also, I felt I needed to post my senior pictures somewhere and I am not too much of a instagram-selfie kind of person... So without further ado, my senior pics taken by the lovely and talented: Grace Brummer! (my cousin)

I promise I really tried to be photogenic!

Do You Hear the People Sing?

What a week. No really I don't know if I have slept a full night in days. Why, do you ask? Well it may have to do with the fact that I was in charge of making up a dance themed to Peter Pan... or that it was also the end of the term? Well it all had to do with student council elections.

So at the old T-H-S, we have a special tradition where after primary elections, the final two people running for each postion are placed into teams: green and blue. I was put on the blue team, and by some stroke of luck was with one of my best friends, Hailey Halford. We were put in charge of the dance, due to our uncanny dance abilities *cough cough*, and performed in an assembly at the end of the week.

The week was full of events and occurrences, and our team grew close as a family. In other words, it was the best, most emotional, and growing week I've experienced in a long time.

One of the days was a dress up day, and as you can see, blue really is my color...

All I am saying is check the chicken legs in the Nike socks.^

Some of the blue girls and I making the poster

My Tribe and me. We really rep the Native look

This is the blue team. They are a team to be with. Honestly have had a great time with them

 Our poster made by our amazing artist.

To say the least, I was really blessed to have the team I did. I didn't stress out once even though we had a week to pull it all together. I realized how great people are to work with.

AAANND through it all, I was elected! Thank you student body. But really I couldn't have done it without you. *sobs*

This is what happens when you find out if you made student council: a poster. Paper decides my fate and it really was in the stars for me I guess.

And through all the chaos of this post, I forgot to mention that I was running for Publicity. The most common question I get when mentioning this is "What do they do?" well I will tell you. They run the school blogs, twitter/insta/facebook which will be great for me since I waste a good majority of my time on it.

 BONUS: Within this hectic week, we had a cheer banquet which means I got some time with my one and only girls on Stack City Chicks (blogpost to come). And all my team which are some of the best people in my life. I truly am blessed.

So here's to senior year: Student Council (pronounced stuco if you are a part of it), cheer, two AP classes, two English classes, and NHS. Call me if you know a good therapist.

A Birthday for the Books

Oprah Winfrey once said, "The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate." 

I think she is right. When is Oprah ever wrong? 

So this past weekend I decided to take a leaf out of Oprah's books and celebrate life. And the day of celebration was indeed my birthday. 

Being the luckiest girl in the world, or at least in Utah County, I got to celebrate my birthday on our school's Preference. So undoubtedly, I got a new birthday dress and danced the night away! And the best part was that I got to celebrate with some of my best friends!

The only way to describe my delight is through pictures:

It started with my wonderful friends surprising me with icecream

And more treats later that night (my sweet tooth was in overdrive)

Our day date

Getting ready with help from my sister in law, Lize

Me and my Brit, Holly

And beautiful Hailey

Part of Dinner

Classic Mirror picture (Utah High school thing?)

My older brother, Will, lovin the fur coat provided by Haley Brinkerhoff

Sorry for the terrible picture quality! Iphones were put to good use this night.

I'm on the Bandwagon

I know this is somewhat of a hipster thing, but I caved. Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not a hipster. However, I have read a few good blogs here and there, so I channeled my inner Hemingway and decided to put my life into words. So consequently, this is what came of it. A blog. Sarah Collins has a blog. 

I can only hope to amount to your highest expectations and I thank you for reading. Although if you do not enjoy what you read, I probably wont care much because blogs are supposed to be personal posts about my inner thoughts.

(yeah right)