Well, I was able to check my email quickly on Sunday at the house of a missionary couple here, but I didn´t get to write anything, so I thought that I would give some highlights of my life in the last little while. Last week we were in Swaziland and South Africa, and we visited Kruger Park and went on safari! We saw many animals outside of our cars. We only broke one rule, and that was out of dire necessity. There is a rule that you are not allowed to leave your car when you are driving around the park, and you are not even supposed to have your arm out the window. Well, on the way out of the park on our last day, we were driving along looking for animals when we heard this comment from Jeff, who was sitting in the middle seat of the minivan. "Um, guys, there´s a big spider up here on Autumn´s bag." We all kind of ignored him as we were paying attention to following the rest of our group in the minivan in front of us. I mean, sheesh, we shower with lizards, cockroaches, frogs, and mosquitoes, as well as spiders, and this guy is worried about some kind of daddy long legs or something? A second later I heard Autumn, who was seated next to him say, "whoa! That is a big spider!" I have to admit that at this point I was thinking rude thoughts about both of them being complainers. Why didn't they just open the window and throw the spider out? Or even just squish it? Well, I decided to look up there from the seat in back and say one of the biggest spiders I have ever seen (except for maybe on in Brazil) sitting on Autumn's shoulder bag. We all screamed for the car to stop and moved to throw the spider out (after trying to take pictures of it, of course). I am sure the minivan in front of us was in major confusion as we all jumped out of the car, as the danger of the spider inside was more immediate than the lions and leopards outside. Jeff tossed the bag out, shook the spider off, and only then did we file back into the car as we realized the possible danger of four or five defenseless humans standing outside in a place where lions, crocodiles, cheetahs, and leopards (to name a few) run free. It was definitely a humorous moment. (We found out later that the spider is not poisonous, just huge and ugly - it looked like a tarantula).
Monday was eventful as we were all standing on a street corner here in Maputo when we almost became casualties of a car accident as two cars collided and ran onto the sidewalk. Luckily, someone pulled on my arm and we all ran out of the way at the last moment. Car accidents are not unusual here, and we should have known not to stand too close to the curb.
This morning I had an interesting experience while showering. I had gone into the bathroom, brushed my teeth with my bottled water, and was going to take a nice cold shower. I went into the stall, stripped everything except for my flip-flops and threw them over the sheer material called a shower curtain. I turned on the cold water and noticed that the water pressure was really low, but easily forgot that in my eager haste to use the new loofah that I had bought in South Africa. I got wet, turned off the water, and lathered my whole body with a nice thick coat of bubbles. I even got some in my hair because I figured body wash and shampoo later might help it a little bit. I reached over to turn the water back on. To my soapy dismay, only three lonely drops came out of the spout. I pondered my options, and then I heard some water coming out of the spicket where we fill up the buckets to flush the toilets. I picked up my trusty water bottle, covered my soapy self with my towel, and ran out to fill it up. Needless to say, it was an interesting water-bottle shower. Some time and three or four trips later, I felt rinsed enough to dry off with my now soapy towel, put clothes back on, and walk triumphantly out of the bathroom. I was glad that I could be the entertaining white girl running back an forth through the bathroom to fill up my water bottle. Teh other girls were probably wondering why I wasn't doing a bucket shower like them, but we have not been supplied buckets here, and I tend to prefer running water when possible. Just one more thing to make them laugh at the Americans!
Well, I hope I made you smile with some of my experiences. I can't believe that I have been here so long, but it seems so short. A day seems like a week and a week seems like a day. We are going to the beach on Saturday, which should be nice. Hope all is well with everyone! I definitely miss my four white mothers!

So Sick

I am really sick…again. My Memorial Day weekend is ruined by the fact that I have a hacking cough, a runny nose, wheezing in my chest, and worst of all – no voice. I think I am going crazy. I don’t believe that there can be anything worse than not having the ability to talk. My mom thinks that if I ever went to Hell, my torture would be not being allowed to talk. I started getting sick on Tuesday of last week, and I probably made myself worse by staying out until 2:40am on Thursday, but…it was so worth it. On Thursday night I had the most random, surreal experience of my life, and I would get sick all over again to experience it once more.

Bringin’ Culture to Them Southerners

(Okay…so I started writing this post last Sunday, but I forgot to post it until today)

So, I finally found adventure and excitement in Clemmons, NC…well…actually, it was found in Winston-Salem, but I guess it’s close enough. My family and I went to a Greek festival on Friday night and an Indian festival on Saturday. And can I just say that pretty much the entire cultural experience was one of the most mystical experiences that I’ve ever had…well…maybe it wasn’t that good…I guess it was only an experience that made me “completely, perfectly and incandesantly happy.” Okay, okay…I’m being a little ridiculous, but I did absolutely adore the whole thing. I guess if you can’t be in Greece or India, their cultural festivals are the next best thing, right?

So as I was watching the Greek dancing, listening to the people clapping and yelling strange phrases like “Opaah,” and delightfully devouring sticky baklava, I realized that my cultural upbringing is so boring. I mean…come on…I’m white, American, and Mormon. If that doesn’t spell boring, I don’t know what does. My little sister’s friend, Chris, is Greek Orthodox, so he took us on a tour of their sanctuary. Chris showed us the rituals and explained the architecture and symbolism of it all, which I found fascinating. However, I couldn’t help but laugh as this 18-year-old boy casually interjected his seemly scholarly explanations with sudden unorthodox phrases like, “And over there are some more cool saints…there’s another cool saint holding some sort of weird looking little woman…oh yeah, and there is Jesus all pimped out in His jewels and robes and stuff.” I guess I should have known what kind of tour I’d get from a high school boy as the tour guide.

The Indian festival was not as exciting, but I did leave there with a souvenir. I was so tempted by all the things they had at the Indian bazaar, but I was sadly limited to the jewelry. What I really wanted to buy was a beautiful Indian sari, but there are very few Indian women who are a towering 5’9”, which makes it hard to find any type of Indian clothing that fits. I had to settle with a cheap Indian bracelet. The only drawback to buying anything at the bazaar was that none of it was practical, especially not the jewelry. I am sure I will never be able to wear a pink and gold bracelet that has bangles dangling from it, but it’s cool because it’s Indian, which makes it so worth it. My little sister mocked me for the rest of the day since I wouldn’t take off the bracelet after we left the festival. As I told my parents for the twentieth time how much I loved bangles while I shook them annoyingly, my mother, the seminary teacher, told me that I sounded like a “daughter of Zion.” However, I disagree. Just because a girl likes the fun tinkling sound that bangles make does not make her an evil, conceited, and vain figure of scriptural doctrine…

I did have a fun time at these festivals, and they were both able to satisfy my craving for world travel for the time being. Nevertheless, I do hope that someday I will actually be able to experience some sort of cultural experience outside of the United States.

Adventures of the Day

Today started like any other typical day. I woke up by the light of morning, looked outside, saw the rain, thought about what else I have to wear that is suitable for this weather, and got ready for the day. I hopped in my car, drove into town, and found - for the first time ever - that my favorite parking garage was FULL. Because of this, I had to go to a much more expensive lot a few blocks away and walk the unfamiliar streets on the other side of the Pearl District. I parked my car, got out, and was enjoying the moments of sun as I walked to my office. I got to the corner to cross the street when this man in the car next to me said something out of his passenger window. I, as an innocent citizen of the city assumed he needed directions or help, so I turned, leaned down slightly, and said, "I'm sorry?" Brace yourself for his reply. He said, "You're gorgeous. You have a gorgeous figure." I must have looked very confused as I glanced around to confirm that he was talking to me. Who are these people, honestly?

But I wasn't done. There were more surprises ahead; both of them pleasant ones. As I strolled down 13th Avenue, I noticed a massive piano store for the first time. And then right as I walked into my office, I saw an adorable car calling my name, "Sarah, Sarah! Buy me!" I know, I know - I can't really buy a car now. My goal for now is to sell my car. But you guys, it is so cute. It's a refurbished 1974 BMW 2002. It's boxy. It's sporty. It's bright orange. It's so hipster. It will be mine. I'm meeting with the owner after work to get more details. What I need now is a man who knows cars.

So, after spending my lunchtime playing a nine foot Steinway, I can't say that it's been anything less than an exciting day.

Nerd Fest

Tonight I stand in protest. My young single adult ward here in Portland is hosting its annual "Nerd Fest." It is a heinous activity in which participants are asked to dress and act like nerds and gather at the local cultural hall to share their theories about Harry Potter, games of tetherball, "tots," and all those things you "love to do in secret but never admit in public." My roommate suggested that as long as that is the theme, I should bring along a few issues of Playboy. Ok, maybe not.

But I really have a hard time with things like this. Call me insecure. Call me prideful. Call me what you will. But I refuse to dress like a nerd to go meet people and make friends. Isn't the mission of a singles ward to help the members not be members of the singles ward anymore? Oh, I can just hear the testimonials now: "Steve and I were sitting across from each other in the circle postulating about Anakin. He also thought he balanced the force to fill the prophecy known by all the Jedi. I had never met someone who was on the same wavelength as me about things like that. And then when he shoved his glasses up and scrunched his nose at me, I knew it was meant to be."

I personally do not intend to masquerade about pretending to know anything about Star Wars. If there is masquerading to do, it better make me look better than I do normally - not worse. And so I stand in protest. Are you with me?


P.S. I just posted a photo from graduation under "commencement" if you want to have a lookie-lookie. :)

Have I been PASSED on?

I have a date in 55 minutes. I'm not ready yet, and I don't know what I am going to wear. So I'm posting a blog. The whole thing feels a little weird. Why you ask? Well, I think I have been a victim of "The Roommate Switch."

That's right--this mother has a date with the roommate of the electrical engineer. About three nights ago, she picked up her phone to hear the sound of a male voice. This voice proceeded to explain that she and his roommate had been on a date about two weeks ago, and the voice was wondering what the mother was doing on Friday night. At first the white mother was a little shocked. She remembered that the voice had been nice and easy to talk to, but they had met when she was on a date with his roommate. Hmmmmm....

To my fellow white mothers, I have on question: is this normal? I suppose I'll find out in another 50 minutes. Until then, it's back to the closet. Unfortunately, I am not HBW, so deciding on clothes takes much longer.

Hot or Not? Definitely Not.

After reading one of the white mothers’ most recent posts, I feel obligated to respond to this whole ridiculous situation. In my own defense, I do not feel that three boys’ opinions warrant a conclusion that I am any type of “force to be reckoned with.” Besides the fact, I find it hard to believe that each of those boys construed their views independently, without any sort of influence from a certain aforementioned white mother. Due to these shady and corrupted particulars, I remain dubious about the credibility of the data our white mother has disclosed. This produces further skepticism that causes other questions to surface. How is it possible that these boys can now all of sudden adamantly believe that I am “hot” or “fine” if the entire semester they never acted as if they felt that way? And as that certain white mother will most assuredly reply, “Whitney, he had a girlfriend,” I counter that response by pointing out that there were two other boys that did not. Furthermore, if I am such a perfect woman, why is it that he could not bring himself to break up with his girlfriend in order to date me? These unmistakable concerns illustrate the only logical explanation – HBW is nonexistent. While this character was virtuously created for the purpose to help raise the self-esteem of a fellow white mother, I believe the development of this fictional individual has gone too far. I was fine when HBW remained an underground amusement for our apartment, but once one white mother decided to solicit the help of three unsuspecting boys, it turned into sheer mockery and cruel ridicule. Yes, I am deficient and am in fact as far from being “hot” as you can get, but I do not feel this entitles me to be subject to such humiliation.

Well…I am sick of writing this post. I hope it’s obvious that my bitter tone is only a joke. I really don’t believe HBW exists and am skeptical of those boys’ opinions, but I love how Jenny feels that it is her lot in life to convince me that I am HBW. Unfortunately, I think that is a mission that will remain unfulfilled.

H-B-W strikes again

Well, red seemed the only appropriate color for this post. It's official--three out of three boys think that HBW is just as hot as we do. (That sounds so twisted if you don't know what I'm talking about.) In a recent survey taken on a cement square, this white mother asked three cute boys what they thought of HBW. All of them, independent of the others, commented on how good-looking our braces-free friend truly is. One, who HBW is not opposed to, made a I-can't-tell-you-how-hot-I-really-think-she-is face and said, "She's hot." He then leaned back and said, "We all like her. Whitney's a hoot." When I explained that HBW never listens to me when I tell her the same thing, they all were aghast. Her ex-husband even suggested that we call her and let her know how hot she is. Good idea, I thought. We called, and each young man told HBW what he really thought. Comments ranged from "You're hot" to "You're fine," but the overall message was the same: HBW is a force to be reckoned with. Now add to this that she's smart, sensitive, funny, and well, she just turns out to be the perfect woman. So from one mother to another, good luck in your heart-breaking endeavors!

PS - I am annoyed about how one mother spoiled the final episode of The Office. I had plans to watch it this week.

Words of Wisdom

The following comes from an article on MSN entitled "Crazy Love Facts." I thought it could help us all in our summer plans... and provide some humor. :)

So it’s date night and you want to set the mood for romance…what’s the right plan to make? Interestingly, you should go to a movie, but not any old flick. If you want kisses after the credits roll, then a romantic chick flick should be your choice, according to a recent study by the University of Michigan. Researchers reached this conclusion after testing the hormone levels of three different groups of men and women who were shown a variety of movies. One group watched a romantic scene from The Bridges of Madison County, a second viewed a violent portion of The Godfather: Part II, and a third was shown a documentary on the Amazon rainforest. While the viewers watching the rainforest footage experienced no hormonal changes, researchers found that The Bridges of Madison County caused a surge in both men’s and women’s levels of progesterone, a hormone that triggers the urge to cuddle. [emphasis added] “Progesterone is known to have anxiety-reducing, soothing effects,” explains Oliver C. Schultheiss, associate professor of psychology at the University of Michigan and co-author of the study. In this way, progesterone can pave the way for romance and help couples bond, he says.

One, Two Princes Kneel Before You...

Once upon a time there was a white mother who lived in a certain village just outside the walls of Dockburg. After only a one week in the village, she found herself in a bit of a predicament with three young (we're being generous here with the word young) suitors of the same house. The suitors lived together, but were very much unaware of the other lads' involvement (past or present) with the white mother. Willoughby, whom the white mother once loved, continued to be only cognizant of her existence when reminded -- mostly at weekly gatherings for religious study.

Although Willougby plays a significant role in the past life of the white mother, the current story focuses on her relationship with the other suitors: Prince Charming (don't ask me why he's wearing ice skates -- it's the first picture I found) and Colonel Brandon.

It appears that Prince Charming is at least moderately interested, and Colonel Brandon pursues the non-threatening course of the casual date.

Colonel Brandon called on Monday to arrange a Saturday evening at the symphony. Lovely. And then Prince Charming came along and wanted to go running on Saturday afternoon. We all know that this white mother is one busy girl, but we also know that she finds time for potential suitors. And so it happened. A few miles with the prince, and a requiem with the Colonel.

And then the Colonel left town for a week and the Prince called for a Sunday evening of scrabble. So the white mother and the Prince sat together and laid down their tiles as the voice of Willoughby (presumably on the phone with his latest victim) drifted through the vents or down the stairs or somehow transported itself to be at least somewhat audible in the kitchen where the two were playing. And at the end of the game -- in which the Prince outwitted the white mother and won by several dozen points -- he arranged for a Wednesday night run.

Mostly, the white mother feels like she's setting herself up for disaster. Which is unfortunate. Dodging bullets, walking on egg shells, call it what you will. The suitors have done nothing to communicate that they are aware of the other house members' relationships with the white mother. But all are aware of the white mother's imminent departure; so she wonders if they need be aware, or if the outings are only perpetuating a friendship. The white mother is somewhat concerned for all involved in this mess of a twisted situation and would appreciate any advice from the Three White Mothers or any willing outside contributors.

Lest we forget, there is a lesson in all of this, even though the story has yet to conclude. The lesson to be learned is mostly for those who will never read this story. It is a lesson for the suitors of the world: learn to communicate with those of the same house. It would do you well.

First Kiss

No... not mine. I apologize in advance if anyone finds this picture offensive... but judging from HBW's cell-phone art, I think I'm ok. Did any of you see the season finale of The Office? Sorry if I'm spoiling it for you - but you'd find out soon enough. I only read about it online and then came home and bought the episode on iTunes. I've watched it twice. And I've seen the good parts more than that. It makes you want to stand up and scream. Or giggle. He finally made a move! Let me just say we all deserve to be kissed the way that Jim kissed Pam. W&T, my friends... W&T.

Are we living a lie?

Well, I realize that I have been delinquent about posting blogs, but life has been a little crazy lately. I am going to be better, though. I promise. I had a date last Saturday with an engineering student who is currently pursuing a PhD in electrical engineering. I decided against telling my dad about it since the aforementioned boy's major would have thrilled my dad far too much. The date was fun: Chinese food and games. However, that's about it. :) He's a really nice guy, but there was no spark.

Which brings my to my next question: are we living a lie? We had a discussion in English class about the crisis of modernity. Basically, with the onset of disillusionment, people sought for redeeming their life by finding a "true" love. Our teacher told us of a friend who ruined his marriage because he didn't feel that he married his "soul mate." His "soul mate" was a girl he knew in high school apparently. They had an affair. He eventually had a divorce. So are we convinced that love cures our personal problems? Granted Serendipity also made me unfit for marriage, but I don't want to search for something that I feel will "redeem" me. I want to redeem myself first. However, 19 year-old bridal showers should still be outlawed.

Miss you all.

Hello ladies! I decided to write to post here instead of write to my family, so I hope you appreciate it! Things here in Mozambique are amazing! We didn't have water for a couple of days, so I am now grateful for the bucket of water that I have to pour in the toilet to flush it and the water coming out of the spout in the shower even though I end up sharing it with frogs and mosquitos. It is so amazing to get to know the students here and learn more about them and their lives. My feet are never clean because I usually wear flip-flops and it is so dirty. I am teaching english to two advanced students every morning, and then we all do different activities during the day and evening. We go to bed pretty early because the students start waking up at around 5:30 and we are usually up by 6:30. We pretty much wake up with the sun. My portuguese is getting a little better, but it is harder to understand here because they speak more like Portugal and also have their own intonation. They also almost all speak Xhangana - one of the native languages in the area. I have learned a few words and will have to share them with you later. I don't have much more to write pretty much because I won't know where to stop, but I hope all is well. The picture that Sarah posted looks kind of like some areas or neighborhoods around here, but it is pretty dry right now since we are moving out of the rainy season. There is definitely a lot of poverty here, but the people are full of heart and have so many hopes and dreams for their country. Here at the school, about 1 out of 10 people have HIV/AIDS, and they have a big program going on to raise awareness for that. It is great! I love you all and hope that your summers are going well. Tchau from Machava!

Oreo Dust

I'm looking at my fingers and they are covered in black speckles of Oreo dust. If we're going to do the messy hand thing, we might as well go down with the Oreos, right? I just ate a handful of Mini Oreos with a glass of milk in honor of the memory of our nightly ritual. I miss you girls so much!

I feel like such a blog hog, but I really wanted to blog today about what has been happening here. Today was my first day of work at an ad agency. Euro RSCG is my new home from 9-5 on the weekdays and so far it has been great! It is in an old building in downtown Portland -- an open space with unfinished brick walls, hardwood floors, the general industrial feel, and great art, awards, flashing neon lights, and random sculptures adorning the walls, ceilings, and everything inbetween. From what I've seen so far, the people are just as good as the design - some of the most friendly and down-to-earth people I've worked with. I had the lovely surprise of discovering that a lot of the people there are either from Utah or have lived in Utah. Which means many of them are LDS. There are many Cougars among us, which is always comforting. I've been assigned to help out on the Adobe account and the Barclays Global Investment account (with five point something trillion dollars of assets) and I think they will keep me busy. I also learned quite a bit about online advertising today and buying adwords. It's all quite fascinating. There is so much to learn after college. :)

I think I'm close to nailing down my housing in New York - finally! I found someone to live with and I think she'll be a great roommate, but just talking to her on the phone tonight made me miss you guys even more. What am I supposed to do when I haphazardly end up sitting next to he-who-shall-not-be named at FHE? Or I end up giving a ride home to a random strange boy who keeps telling me about the fantasy trilogy he's writing? Who can I tell? Who will understand? I honestly get so sad when I think of coming home to just be... home...with no laughter, no conversation, no quote board, no oreos.

On a happier note, I have a date with Christian on Saturday. Indian food and the symphony.

Four Weddings and a Bridal Shower

While all I was wishin’ and hopin’ for was a summer fling, it appears that several girls from my youth are getting exactly the thing that they have been pining for since the day they turned twelve. On Friday I attended a bridal shower for a girl that is in my home ward. She was recently enrolled in her first semester of college at BYU-Idaho during this past Winter semester. She and her fiancée dated for two long months before he felt it was time to propose. The date is set for July 8th, and she can hardly contain her excitement. Frankly, the whole situation makes me sick. I sat there and could barely stomach Katherine’s performance as she incessantly reminded us that she was getting married. Disgusting reiterations of “David - you know, my fiancée…” and “Well, you know...I wasn’t even looking for it [marriage]” made an already unpleasant situation completely insufferable. Women in our ward only encouraged her behavior with statements like, “Oh Katherine, I always knew you’d be the first to get married.” The whole thing was absolutely revolting. I already despise bridal showers, but I should have known this one was going to be intolerably nauseating. But I played along and was cordial and supportive about the whole thing. Although, guilt set in as I realized Katherine knew that in reality I was thinking how her engagement was absolutely ridiculous. This realization occurred while I was talking to her, and she randomly felt the need to justify her present situation, even though we weren’t even discussing her relationship with David. She even felt the need to oddly preface her explanation in a way that made me realize she knew exactly what I was thinking, despite any type of supportive performance I gave. I made further efforts to congratulate her, but I still am struggling with the whole situation.

Our First News From Just North of the Rainbow Nation

I'm sure you all got this too, but here's the first email from Jo (and I picture I just found on google -- she'll have to tell us if it really looks like this when she gets back!):

Hey guys!
I just wanted to email everyone because I do not know when I will get the chance to send email again. We found this internet cafe in maputo that we can pay to go to. Things are going pretty well here, thought the conditions are pretty rough. It has been pretty warm for their fall season, and we just sweat a lot since it is so humid. Showers are cold, mosquitos are a plenty, lizards, frogs, cockroaches and many other unnamable insects are all around, we live in dirt and mud although we are in a town called machava and not out in the bush. The people are amazing and kind and happy, although so many of them live in such horrible conditions. We will probably start teaching on Monday. We came into the city today with about 60 people and a chicken on a bus that should have fit only about 20, but it was a definite adventure. The area is beautiful, especially the coast. They are working on building up the tourism here, and so they have a couple of nice hotels and things, but they are nowhere near where we are staying. There are so many things going on and different things to explain that I cannot take the time, but I just wanted to say hi and let you all know that I am here and safe and in Africa!!! I hope everything is ok at home and everything. I do not know when I will email again, but I am sure that we will try again in a while, so you can email me if you want and I might get it, but I might not respond personally because of time. Love you all!
Tchau
Joanna

MACHAVA

Hey ladies! I do not have any more time to say anything but that I am here in Mozambique and things are crazy but great! I love you all! Africa is beautiful!

Serendipity

I just finished watching Serendipity for the first time. I don't think I've ever been less fit for marriage than I am right now. I really wonder, though... I know that we make choices - our entire existence and progression thrives on that. But we also know through experiences we've had, personal and otherwise, that often there is a guiding power in the things that happen and the choices we make. Of course I don't write of destiny. I allude to nothing short Divinity. The quandary still puzzles me: which of our choices are entirely our own, and which do we have so little to do with, that we are merely acting out what was meant to be? And if it so seems that many experiences which are given heavenly credit are good ones, what is to be understood of the not so positive ones? Are we to take credit of all the plights that plague us? Or give the commendation for these great "learning experiences" to others that are involved? I suppose the solution to it all is to be grateful for whatever comes and learn what we can from it. Who thought that a romantic comedy would take me on such a journey of introspective philosophical thought?

I've been thinking about you girls a lot lately! I thought about you yesterday when I went to Ann Taylor to work on my New York wardrobe and needed some fashion consultants. I think of our dear Jo in faraway Africa learning clicking language and saying, "Oganawambula" when she can't think of anything else. I sure do think the world of you girls!

3 artists, 2 cds, 1 concert

Even though my visit home was meant to be restful, there haven't been five minutes of downtime yet. I woke up at 4:45 this morning, headed for the airport, and finally arrived at home around 7 pm. I jumped in the car with my friend, Mimsi and we headed to Jammin' Java for a great little concert in the smallest venue I've ever been to. I love it when it's so intimate like that. We sat at the front table and just soaked it all in as we absorbed the musical stylings of Landon Pigg, Ki Theory, and Lucas Reynolds (of Blue Merle). Lucas is a funny kid - he couldn't sit still. He's very into his music. While he played "Part of Your History," and "Lucky to Know You," I became very nostalgic. Perhaps my favorite of the night was Landon's "Can't Let Go." I'm sure you can imagine why it felt so relevant. You'll have to check him out.

So, it's midnight and I'm home. And hopefully tomorrow somewhere between the dentist, the haircut, the new guitar strings and the visit to my favorite high school teachers, I'll find some time to start breathing again.

I love you girls!

Campus Life

I'm glad to know I'm down. :)

As I arrived ten minutes late for class this morning, I realized that in my earlier years I would have been shocked by my tardy attendance. However, I don't even care now. Aren't all the mothers thrilled to hear about this new leaf I've turned? :) The old biddy has transformed into a school-weary senior--and I am enjoying the metamorphosis. I find myself comtemplating how little work I will have to do to still pass my classes. Surprisingly little. Someone should have filled me in about the slacker track a long time ago.

Everything feels too surreal right now. I drove down from my sister's this morning and haven't been back to the apartment yet. I'm too scared. Isn't that silly? I just don't want to return and find the shell of a place that once provided so much relief from the daily routine. I have to buy books still, and then I'll go "home," and I use the term loosely.

I laughed when I read Whitney's comments about how normal the people were at her "save the world" thing. I found it so amusing because I would have had the same reaction. I find it interesting that seemingly quiet, non-radical girls find so much intrigue in those who are radical and brash (to quote Seth). Do we want to be like them? I don't think so, but something about the personality attracts us. Kind of like my once obsession with skater boys.

For Sarah--I hope all is well in the real world. And I talked to he-who-shall-not-be-named's brother. So I'm a snoop! Anyway, she is not quite a girlfriend...just a girl. They are taking it VERY slowly. I don't know if that helps, but his next comment was, "He needs to figure out where he's going." I tried to pry more, but by that point the brother gathered why I cared.

Vomit

Yes, my subject line is vomit. As in, "I wanted to vomit when I heard that he was dating a girl in Utah who has a year left at BYU and he is visiting her this weekend."

Sound familiar?

Now - something to make you smile. Maybe.