Recently

I haven't really blogged recently and it's weird for me. I'm seriously so busy these days; I don't know if I am coming or going and I have barely enough time to shove food down my throat; never mind sit down and pour my feelings out onto my blog.

Just to give you a snap shot of what my daily life is right now:

Yesterday, I was on campus at 7:45 for class. Worked 9-12. Went home real quick and grabbed some stuff. Went grocery shopping because I hadn't gone since before the semester started. Back to campus to do homework until 2:00. Class from 2:00-4:00. Pick up Sam and Janna and take them home, grab some snacks and then back on campus from 4:30-9:30, doing homework.

Today, I have been on campus since 8:00. I ran home between classes to grab my Great Wall scroll and  went back to class. Then I have homework. Class from 3-4. Work 4-7. Sam's hip hop class 8-9. And more homework.

So, I'm busy. I'm constantly on the go. And it's draining. But I love most of my classes. I love the friends I have made. I absolutely adore my roommates. And I love spending time with my sister.

And conference this last weekend; conference was every thing I needed and every answer to my prayer. It gave me the confidence and motivation to be better, to do better and to work to reach the potential that my Father in Heaven knows that I have in me.

I'll try to write more consistently again. After all, I am an English Major.

There is no place like home.

I don't know how to blog and not talk about China, so I haven't written in what seems forever; especially on here, at "Into the Wild". It's weird to look back at the time where I wrote here regularly; before China, before my students, before I lived abroad. It's weird to remember how I viewed life then and how differently I view it now, after seeing the other half of the world. It's all just weird.

I've taken my week to adjust to America and being home and not teaching every day. Granted, I still accidentally say 'thank you' in Chinese half the time, I've almost run a few stop signs while trying to remember how to drive and I don't know what time of day I should be sleeping or eating, but all in all, easing in to life in America has been as smooth as I could ever hope it to be. There are times where China seemed like a dream, a little blimp of time that passed all to fast and doesn't seem real. And there are times where the vacant spot in my heart where my kids are supposed to me aches so bad that I have to stop and collect myself. I miss their cute faces and their hugs all the time.

But being home has been fantastic. I love New England in the summer time. I love the way the lightening bugs light up my backyard and the way the cicadas sing to me during the day. I love the way the roads wind around giant trees and follow little brooks and bend around ponds and lakes. I love the way the thunderstorms roll in during the late evening; the way everything smells of fresh dew and incoming heat during the morning. I love my family and serving at camp and spending full days at the beach with Julianna like the good old days of our high school summers.

New England sets my soul on fire. And while half of my heart will always be in Weihai, there truly is no place like home.

Back to School

I was thinking about writing this morning-catching everyone up about how incredible it's been to be back in Idaho and to be reunited with my Idaho Family. I have been on. the. go. ever since my feet touched the ground in Salt Lake. I've been reunited with Symone and Trish and Russel and the Klenotiches. I've been reunited with Brian, Mike, Benjamin, Mark, Jaron and Jared-all friends from my first semester who are back from their missions. I went back to work. I've made new friends. And I've become huge fans of my roommates already.

I was going to write about how happy I am and how everything looked so promising this semester.

And then tonight, I came home to my brand new apartment and to my brand new roommates. And we found out that two of them (who I already have become such big fans of) were in a terrible car accident, leaving one of them in the ICU and both of them probably out of school for the rest of the semester. We spent the evening running around, making phone calls, talking to our managers and sitting in the hospital until two in the morning. And all of a sudden; everything has lost it's sheen. Everything that was all bright and shinny...it's all dull and shades of grey now.

And I keep thinking: "How do i go to school on monday, when everything all of a sudden has been turned upside down?"

I'm back!

My blogging has lacked lately. I apologize, But, oh my gosh, the end of August has been absolute madness. And by madness, I mean, absolute insanity. 

Not only did we have the last week of camp to run while mom was at work and the Bratt's were in Arizona, but we had a tropical storm come into New England that we had to prepare for. Zion's Camp, the Beach House and our own home all needed to be locked down and ready for torrential rains and high winds. My family was also on vacation for a week, and then started going back to school and work and I had a plethora of doctor's appointments, physical therapy and oh yeah, Juli was home so I spent a ton of time with her because we haven't been able to go on adventures in a long time.

And now, I'm in the middle of house sitting for my grandparents, spending the last weekend with my family and trying to pack my room back up to go back to school in two days. It's craziness. But I'm excited. I'm going to be back in school, back at work and back with my roommates and friends (old and new) in just a few short days. I'm highly looking forward to seeing Paige, Tara, Elysha and Sebastian, and of course Misao, the Klenotichs, Trish and Russell and baby Elliot! And above all else, I'm so thrilled that soon I'll be able to talk to my best friend and missionary and hear all about the incredible experiences he's having first hand and tell him about the amazing summer I've had serving at camp. September, you are looking pretty dang promising.

current guilty pleasure: Lucky charms

current color: Neutrals

current playlist: Nicki Minaj 

current read: East of Eden

current drink: Barqs Rootbeer

current food: American Chop Suey (homemade by my mama bear)

current favorite show: Criminal Minds (LABOR DAY MARATHON, YES!)

current wish list: Kindle from Amazon

current needs: Money. 

current triumphs: 5 YEARS CANCER FREE!

current bane of my existence: packing

current celebrity crush: Orlando Bloom

current indulgence: Make up

current blessing: Rexburg, Idaho

current outfit: Grey shorts and Dustin's t-shirt

current excitement: REUNITED WITH SYMONE IN TWO DAYS

current mood: torn (don't want to leave my family, so pumped to see everyone in Idaho)

current link: Kid History, Episode 6