When life gives you lemons...

On November 1, 2013 the one roommate that I didn't know, threw water on my laptop. You may be thinking "Was it an accident?" Let me be the first to clarify that for you, no it was not an accident. I guess that I just rub her the wrong way. She called me out on facebook saying that she didn't like me because I thought I was "all that and a bag of chips", whatever that means. So Friday night my two roommates that I know from home were watching a movie with three of my friends. We had just about finished eating dinner when the one roommate comes home. She had been slamming doors all week and we were all just walking on egg shells around each other. I was in the wrong also because the two nights prior I hadn't asked if one of my friends could spend the night. However, we are all adults and I think it is kind of ridiculous that I have to ask my managers if I can have someone spend the night. Anyway, she came in and ripped off the sign on the door reminding us to lock it. She went upstairs and threw the sign down. We were all a bit confussed but we chuckled and contuined our movie. She then came downstairs and rudely asked my friend if she was spending the night again. My friend and I could have handled the situation better but basically it came down to my roommate threatening to call the police on my friend. That wouldn't have done anything. So my friends are all shocked by this so they laugh. My roommate then grabs a cup of water and goes upstairs. And not even two minutes later she comes to the banister and pours it on me, but mostly my laptop. It automatically goes blank and all fuzzy before the Grudge comes out of your tv looking. There was yelling and crying on my part, and some taunting from her. We then went to our managers apartment, but they weren't there. Luckily our assistant managers where there and they were able to help us. A mere 15 minutes after it all happened I call the police and filled a damage report. The officer came when we were talking stuff through with all the roommates and our assistant managers. I only agreed to not press charges on the grounds of her paying for the damages.

So a week passes and things are looking up, but then our mail key goes missing. Our roommate was the last to use it, but refused to believe that she had lost it. She flipped out on us and because of the previous incedent I had to inform our managers and someone at the school. With all that talking she is still very pissed at all of us, and refused to change her attitude. So one night when our manager was in our apartment talking to us I brought up the issue of her paying me. It was the second time I had done so, and I was trying to see what would be easiest for HER. She snapped at me with the meanest tone I have ever heard. Our manager had a talk with her and I guess they couldn't agree on things, and she is moving out on Friday.

I wish this whole thing had never happened, but I guess this is what is best for everyone. Personally I can't wait until she is moved out. That means I can have friends over again, and be myself and not worry about if my laugh is annoying someone, and I can play my music when I get ready in the morning and I can cook fish!

Through this experience I have learned how to stand up for myself, and how some 19 year old girls are more mature than some 27 year old girls. After everything kind of calmed down it made me consider going on a mission.

After all the hurt and fear was over, I could recognize that I have an amazing family, and I am so very grateful for the way I was raised. I don't ever remember being bullied in school before, and so being bullied in college was really odd, especially because I thought that we were supposed to be mature adults, however I have quickly come to realize with this situation and with interacting with the male population on campus that being in college does not mean you are mature.

I hope that my roommate, soon to be ex-roommate, will get the help that she needs to overcome her anger issues and the other things that she claims to be struggling with. I know the she is a daughter of God and that makes it a bit harder for me to feel angry with her still. I'm still pissed that she has yet to pay me back and that she murdered my laptop, but I have forgiven her of her involvement as much as I can at the moment.

Hopefully after she moves out the semester will go smoothly again.

Sydney

Single and waiting? Or not waiting?

Recently there was an article going around facebook that was very interesting! It is on the topic of just graduating college and being single. It involves the fact that in the Christian society, it is almost frowned upon to be single. While I agree with this to a certain degree I also think that your upbringing has an affect on your views on this subject. I was taught at a very young age that I matter. It doesn't matter what I was doing, I mattered. I grew up with this in my head, but I am an introvert, so I still am a bit cautious of strangers, and sometimes my friends. This comes into play when there are guys that I like. I get really nervous and I hate talking to them, because I feel like I am making a fool of myself. I have a very different personality, and sometimes feel as if I am annoying people, or boring them. I am very guarded and really dislike putting myself out there.

I am at Brigham Young University- Idaho. A church school. For Mormons. People here get married at the age of 18 after knowing the other person for maybe a semester, which is 3-4 months. I think that is crazy. I think that something the author of the perviously stated article has some very interesting things to say about the Christian culture and relationships,

"People talk all the time about pursuing people or things for the wrong reasons, but maybe we pursue God for the wrong reasons. Maybe subconsciously I’ve been treating God like he’s a vending machine. And my pursuit of him has really been a pursuit of someone else. When did Christ cease to be enough?
And when did I stop finding my identity, self-worth, and fulfillment in Him, only to place my life on hold for someone I’ve never even met? Each day is a gift, and I’m not waiting for it to get here. It is present in every moment, and it begins anew daily.  Man-less or not, I want to wake up every morning and be excited because I get to spend my day with the God who created the universe."

"When did Christ cease to be enough?" When did I stop caring what Christ thought of me, and started caring what young men thought of me? I have always be very confident in myself and who I am. When did I forget that the only people who I should be trying to impress are Christ and myself? I think it was somewhere along the lines of my first semester at college. There are gorgeous people here that seem to have it all figured out. And here I am, having struggled with my facial quality my entire life, and doubting my career choice. After my trip to Ireland and England, my confidence in myself has returned and I could care less that I am single. For heaven's sake I'm only 19! The only men I need in my life at this point are, Christ, God, and my Dad.

That is something I wish the young girls of my faith were being taught more. That God, Christ, and your Daddy should be the only men you try to impress. If you are trying to impress a young man into liking you, he is not worth it.

That is something I need to live by. Impress yourself, Christ, God, Dad and Mom, and don't worry about anyone else.

You're only young once, travel now.

Traveling, I've done quite a bit for someone only 19 years of age. I practically lived in Canada every summer until middle school, but that happens when your dad is Canadian. And with my dad's job we got to travel fairly often. We went to Mexico and the Carribbean for family vacations. We've been to Disney World and Disney Land. I've been to Germany, and while I was there I set foot in the Netherlands as well as France. I have also been to Ireland, Wales, and England.

Traveling has made me who I am today just as much as my religion, family, and own believes. I am an adventurer. My Papa has said that I inherited his "Travel Bug", and that is so true. Traveling is what I do. It's my favorite thing in the world. I love the thrill of the plane take off, the different tastes of the food, the foreign sound of a different language, the feel of the currency in my fingers, the excitement of seeing one more stamp in my passport. I love it all, even the fear of trying to figure out if you've missed your stop on the Tube, or not knowing if you really did understand the directions that old German lady gave you. I love the entire thing.

So why should you travel when your young? An article I read today explains why. In the article the author tells a story of a time one of his professors said something to him that changed his life. His professor said, “The habits you form here will be with you for the rest of your life.” This wasn't in reference to traveling, in fact it was said in a locker room one early morning. The author continues to say, "The words reverberated in my mind for the rest of the day. Years later, they still haunt me. It’s true — the habits you form early in life will, most likely, be with you for the rest of your existence."

The habits that you form now will stay with you for the rest of your life. What are my habits now? Surfing tumblr, facebooking, watching youtube? Is that what I want to do for the rest of my life? HECK NO! I want my habit of traveling, reading, doing family history work, running, painting, and being a cultured and artistic person to be the habits that I keep for the rest of my life.

So, what does this have to do with traveling while your young? I'll tell you.

 “No, this is NOT great while I’m still young! It’s great for the rest of my life! You don’t understand. This is not just a thing I’m doing to kill time. This is my calling! My life! I don’t want what you have. I will always be an adventurer.”

Traveling while your young shows you the world. It shows you the difficulties of different lifestyles. As a young American, my life has been fairly easy. I haven't had too many life changing trials in my life. The ones I've had have shaped my life, but my life has mostly been shaped by the traveling I've done. Seeing as I'm only 19, I don't have the "wisdom of age" yet, so I will let the author explain some more,

 "As we get older, life can just sort of happen to us. Whatever we end up doing, we often end up with more responsibilities, more burdens, more obligations. This is not always bad. In fact, in many cases it is really good. It means you’re influencing people, leaving a legacy. Youth is a time of total empowerment. You get to do what you want. As you mature and gain new responsibilities, you have to be very intentional about making sure you don’t lose sight of what’s important. The best way to do that is to make investments in your life so that you can have an effect on who you are in your later years. I did this by traveling. Not for the sake of being a tourist, but to discover the beauty of life — to remember that I am not complete."  

He puts it in words that I couldn't, "Traveling will change you like little else can. It will put you in places that will force you to care for issues that are bigger than you. You will begin to understand that the world is both very large and very small. You will have a newfound respect for pain and suffering, having seen that two-thirds of humanity struggle to simply get a meal each day."

Like he says, traveling changes you in ways that are difficult to explain. Whenever I return home from a trip people without fail ask what my favorite part was. I have no answer. Everything. The things I saw were all amazing! They were so different! I can't compare them. At all. I can tell you that my least favorite part is returning home.

I will leave you with words from this insightful author,

"While you’re still young, get cultured. Get to know the world and the magnificent people that fill it. The world is a stunning place, full of outstanding works of art. See it.You won’t always be young. And life won’t always be just about you. So travel, young person. Experience the world for all it’s worth. Become a person of culture, adventure, and compassion. While you still can."

Does reading make you more empathic?

Reading. I've always done it. I was branded a "nerd" early in my life because I was reading books like Gone with the Wind when I was in 7th grade. I read the entire collection of the Nancy Drew books that our library had when I was in Elementary school. I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 7 hours. Reading is my life. I don't know who I would be without it.

I recently read an article on the topic, do reading fiction make you a more empathic and compassionate person? It was very interesting! Before I start talking about it here is the link! Does reading make you more empathic?

"The idea that reading is an ethically salutary pursuit gets more appealing the more time you spend doing it. There’s something basically reassuring about the notion that you might be a better person—not just intellectually, but morally—for having read a lot of literature."

Most people view reading as an intellectual activity. If you read, you're smart. But does it really make you a better person? I think back to when I read The Book Thief. I remember being horrified at the actions described in the book. I felt sick to my stomach that my relatives were forced to participate in the Nazi movement. I felt the sorrows and the hopes. Reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, I felt the pain of being rejected by Harry and Ron that Hermione felt. I remember reading The Fault in Our Stars and feeling the deep lose of a loved one when Augustus dies. I felt the anger and frustration that Elizabeth Bennet felt towards Mr. Darcy, in Pride and Prejudice. The point is, you connect to the characters. You fall in love when they fall in love. You get jealous when they get jealous. You cry when they cry. You scream when they scream.

You are connected. 

But do you keep that connection? What do you really remember about those many novels that you've read? Do you remember names? Places? Events? The plot? What has stuck with you? What has changed the way you think?

"I found myself trying to quantify the residue of all this reading; what was it that it left behind, and how had it changed me, if at all? There was, surely, some cumulative effect, some way in which I could be said to be a better or wiser person for it. But all I could think, really, was: Christ, if all this reading has made me a better or wiser person, I’d hate to think what kind of monster I’d be without it."

In the article it references a study that shows evidence that social skills are improved by reading fiction,  "specifically the high-end stuff: the 19^th-century Russians, the European modernists, the contemporary prestige names." 

 "The experiment, conducted by psychologists Emanuele Castano and David Comer Kidd, found that the subjects who read extracts from literary novels, and then immediately afterward took tests measuring empathy, social perception, and emotional intelligence (looking at photos of people’s eyes and guessing what emotions they might be going through), performed significantly better on the tests than other subjects who read serious nonfiction or genre fiction. Their basic finding was that reading literary fiction, and literary fiction alone, temporarily enhances what’s known as Theory of Mind—the ability to imagine and understand the mental states of others."

"Finally, science has given its approval to one of the literary world’s most cherished ideas about the value of literature."

George Elliot wrote “the greatest benefit we owe to the artist, whether painter, poet, or novelist, is the extension of our sympathies."

 David Foster Wallace said:
“We all suffer alone in the real world. True empathy's impossible. But if a piece of fiction can allow us imaginatively to identify with a character's pain, we might then also more easily conceive of others identifying with their own. This is nourishing, redemptive; we become less alone inside. It might just be that simple.”

'Books are, as Susan Sontag put it, nothing less than “a way of being fully human”.'

"We have, I think, an anxiety about the place of literature in our world, about the usefulness of reading fiction. If we can answer the question of why we read with the empirically verifiable assertion that it makes us more socially attuned, then that seems to give literature an identifiable job to do, a useful function in our lives."

Based upon all this information, I don't know if reading has made me a better person, but it has made me that person that I am today. I've built my believes and standards upon the principles that I've come across and been influenced upon by reading books. I am me, because of my books. Who are you?

Poetry will Keep You Alive.

As I'm back at school I will be posting more writing assignments to my blog! For my Medieval and Renaissance class I wrote a synthesis essay comparing Shakespeare's Sonnets 55 and 60.

Everyone knows Shakespeare for his plays, his sonnets however are less known. Simply for the reason that we don't read them in high school. Let's face it, the average American reads the most while in high school and the amount of literature that they read after decreases drastically. While I love a good Shakespeare play, I found that I love his sonnets. They are often declarations of love and are short enough that I don't get lost in them, and not the good kind of getting lost in literature. Most people know that William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway. However did you know that Anne was 26, an average age to get married for women, but William was only 18. Which was VERY young for a man to be getting married. And the reason lies in the fact that Anne was pregnant. Their first child together was daughter Susanna. Two years after her followed twins Hamnet and Judith.

At his burial site in the Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-Upon-Avon there is a curse upon his gravestone! It states:

Good frend for Iesvs sake forbeare,
To digg the dvst encloased heare.
Bleste be ye man yt spares thes stones,
And cvrst be he yt moves my bones.

(Modern spelling: Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbear, | To dig the dust enclosed here. | Blessed be the man that spares these stones, | And cursed be he that moves my bones.)

I had the opportunity to see Macbeth in the Globe Theater and Hamlet in Stratford performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company.






Here are some photos of the Globe Theater and Macbeth being performed. A perk that was unexpected was that Billy Boyd, who plays Pippin in The Lord of the Rings, was in Macbeth!








Hamlet was amazing! It was a modern interpretation, so the actors were dressed in our style of clothing, however the language was still how Shakespeare had written his play.

Back to the Sonnets. I analyzed sonnet 55 and 60.

Sonnet 55
Not marble, nor the gilded monuments
Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme;
But you shall shine more bright in these contents
Than unswept stone besmear'd with sluttish time.
When wasteful war shall statues overturn,
And broils root out the work of masonry,
Nor Mars his sword nor war's quick fire shall burn
The living record of your memory.
'Gainst death and all-oblivious enmity
Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room
Even in the eyes of all posterity
That wear this world out to the ending doom.
So, till the judgment that yourself arise,
You live in this, and dwell in lover's eyes.

Sonnet 60
Like as the waves make towards a pebbled shore,
So do our minutes hasten to their end;
Each changing place with that which goes before,
In sequent toil all forwards do contend.
Nativity, once in the main of light,
Crawls to maturity, wherewith being crown'd,
Crooked eclipses 'gainst his glory fight,
And Time that gave doth now his gift confound.
Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth
And delves the parallels in beauty's brow,
Feeds on the rarities of nature's truth,
And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow:
And yet to times in hope my verse shall stand,
Praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand.

Words Secure Immortality in Time

“And yet to times in hope my verse shall stand,

 Praising thy worth, despite [Time’s] cruel hand” (Sonnet 60, Lines 13-14, William Shakespeare).

Thesis: William Shakespeare’s written work depicts the immortality of words; they live on while the physical manifestations crumble and decay.

Shakespeare’s example of words outlasting time is shown in his Sonnets 55 and 60. Time is triumphant over nearly everything and in both sonnets is depicted as “sluttish” and “cruel”.  The theme of time is a common occurrence in all Shakespeare’s works; it is seen as a cruel inevitable force that cannot be prevented.

Sonnet 55

 In Sonnet 55 it is stated “Not marble, nor the gilded monuments Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme” (Lines 1-2). Shakespeare is explaining that the physical will disappear while the writing will live on. The entity of Sonnet 55 is that the monuments will crumble and disappear and with death they are forgotten. But through the verse the speaker’s love will carry on. Shakespeare states that through the poetry the subject will live on.

Sonnet 60

 He does this again in Sonnet 60 writing, “And nothing stands but for [Time’s] scythe to mow: And yet to times in hope my verse shall stand, Praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand” (Lines 12-14). In these lines he is expressing his hope that his words will outlive the cruel destruction that time enacts. Sonnet 60 as a whole is about time destroying all things beautiful. The speaker closes with the hope that the words will live on unlike the physical. In Sonnet 55 that is quoted earlier, Shakespeare is bringing forth the idea that poetry can defeat time, as poetry is insusceptible to destruction in the physical sense, which is seen in Sonnet 60.

In both Sonnets 55 and 60, Shakespeare suggests that time is the enemy of beauty. As, with time, one grows old the beauty is lost. In Sonnets 55 and 60 Shakespeare indicates that, through poetry, beauty will live on. The ending lines of Sonnet 55 read, “So, till the judgment that yourself arise, You live in this, and dwell in lovers' eyes” (Lines 13-14). As poetry is likened to love, when one dwells in love or poetry they shall live on.

On the English Study Abroad we saw several Shakespeare sights. One that fits the theme of immortality in words rather than the physical is the Globe Theater. As one of the main Shakespearean sights, it will now live on in the minds of all quite possibly forever. However the only reason that it is so, is because of the influence of Shakespeare’s words. The original Globe Theater could not stand the influence of time and burnt to the ground. The only reason that the replica theater stands in existence today, is because actor and director Sam Wanamaker wished to recreate the magic that happened in the original. He was inspired by the words of Shakespeare several hundred years after Shakespeare himself had departed from this world.

 Many of the other Shakespearean sights that currently are in existence only stand because of the influence that his writings have had on life today. His birth place, his wife Anne Hathaway’s home, his daughter’s home “Hall’s croft”, they all stand in the condition of Shakespeare’s time only because his words have immortalized them. His works are known worldwide and their influence has preserved locations from his life and areas depicted in his works because people love his plays and other writings.

Something that resonated with me was the fact that Shakespeare is still so prominent! There is a theater dedicated to his works. In his hometown there is a theater company solely for performing his plays. There were so many things, statues, buildings, monuments, and souvenirs dedicated to Shakespeare even after the passage of time. He has become his hope in Sonnet 60 “And yet to times in hope my verse shall stand, Praising thy worth, despite [Time’s] cruel hand” (Lines 13-14).  William Shakespeare’s works live on through the reading, acting, and loving of his written work. The physical may not have survived, however his words have endured time, immortalizing themselves among the great works of the written word.

Glee and the not so glee-ful.

I just watched Glee's Quarterback, and although I'm no longer a huge fan of Glee, I cried through the entire thing. It was difficult to see where the actors ended and their characters began. I can't imagine how the Glee family is feeling, nor how they filmed that episode. I read that Naya Rivera's break-down in the middle of Santana's song wasn't scripted and I feel like that is how all of those family members must be feeling. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that Cory is gone. He was such a GOOD person.

My heart goes out to all those who actually knew him. I hope we can move on and stop being so sad, but never forget who he was or what he accomplished.

Cory will forever be in our hearts.

Life abroad.

I have found out so much about myself on this trip and its only just begin. I know I am a lot more grown up than I had previously thought. I know am I prepared for more adult things in life and that I want to include more art, music, theater, and genuine passion in my life. I want to be living my life to the absolute fullest. Something Natalie said today stuck with me. She said while we are on this trip we are doing things we normally would not do. We are putting ourselves out there and not worrying about the consequences. She said that we should do that when we return home as well, and I completely agree! I need to be doing everything I possibly can with the time that I am given. I need to tell people how I feel. I need to do things that inspire me. I need to write and paint and cook. I need to live a life full of passion. This is one of the things that I love about traveling. I learn so much about myself and how I want to live, however I desperately need to apply the things I learn to my life when I return home. And I did for a little while when I returned from Germany, however I am really going to make a conscious effort this time around. I am going to apply this to the gospel in my life as well. However at the present moment I should be taking a shower and then sleeping.

Goodnight or good morning to those where ever you may be!
Sydney

In the land of one thousand welcomes

I am finally in Ireland! Today we flew all day and went to Malahide castle. The grounds were amazing! I have made some fantastic friends with some girls on the trip! Its always great when you make friends by feeling out over TV shows and books! Tomorrow we are going to the cliffs of Mohr which were the cliffs used as the cliffs of insanity in the princess bride! We are also going Ennis island and biking around it tomorrow! Its going to be loads of fun! Well I'm waiting for my mom to call me on skype so I better go!

Sydney

I'm closing up shop for awhile!

Alright guys! I'm feeling much, MUCH better after a full nights sleep, and I couldn't be more excited! I will try to keep this updated as much as possible! I've got a very long drive ahead of me!

Sydney

Growing up and moving on.

I'm honestly so scared right now. I have yet to be in a different country without a family member or friend. I know that this is a trip of a lifetime and I've been dreaming of it for basically my entire life, but I am so nervous that everything is going to go wrong, that something will happen and I won't get to go, or that something will get stolen or lost while I am there. I just wish I wasn't such a worrier, and with my anxiety on top of that this is not fun. I can't take any medication for my anxiety because I haven't been prescribed any, which I think was stupid on my part, and I should have let my counselor know how crippling it actually does become. I should be over the moon at this point. I am excited I promise, but I am so nervous that I feel like I am going to throw up.

The scene from Tangled where Rapunzel is worrying about the lanterns not being everything she hoped for but also worrying about if they are better than what she hoped for comes to mind. I have been dreaming about London since I was a little girl, and I want this so badly, but what happens when I do fall in love with the city, and can't go back? I know it will be everything that I have dreamed of and more, I'm not worried about it not being as good as I've dreamed it to be, but, what I literally just realized is, that, I would like to share this very large step in my life with the people that I love. Yes I can send postcards and stay connected through the internet, but I want some of the people that I love to be there with me.

I have a 12 hour drive that I have to drive by myself ahead of me and I can freak out and calm myself down then. I think that is part of the reason I am so scared. Is that I really dislike making disissions on my own, and I have never driven that long and far on my own. What I think I fear the most is that because of this and the things that I am doing, I am becoming an adult. I am 19. This is my last year as a teenager, I feel as if my childhood is slipping from my grasping hands.

I have a very hard time truly expressing my deep, heartfelt feelings and that is why I struggle with relationships that are anything more than platonic.  I really, really, REALLY want this you guys. I don;t want to be this worried and scared. What can I do to get rid of this debilitating fear and anxiety?

Sydney

Posting with the tablet!

Just trying out the tablet, because that is the device I will be using to update this blog while I'm in the UK. Hopefully this is working. It's gonna be a pain to type long posts on this. Oh well life is pain.

Study abroad information

Hi guys!

I just wanted to inform you of what will be going on while I am on my study abroad. I will be posting on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and here on my blog. I will not be sending out daily updates like I did on my Trip to Germany, however when I get the chance to send out an email I will. I will have a global phone, but because it costs and arm and a leg, you will want to contact me via internet. If you want to track me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Tumblr I will be using the tag #sydneyabroad2013

Hopefully I can keep everyone as updated as I can! I am so excited and I can't wait to share this experience with everyone!

Some of you know that I made a travel blog. I will be updating that more frequently due to the fact that I will be traveling! Hopefully I can add some pictures, but because I am taking a tablet and not a laptop this time, pictures will be sparse until I can get to a computer!

Good luck to everyone in whatever you are doing! Wish me luck!

Sydney

So much to do and so little time!

Hello everyone!

It's been a long while since I updated here (as well as in my personal journal, shame on me) but I have been so busy with finals, packing to come home, a tire blowing up on the way home, moving bedrooms, the family business and work, that I barely have to do anything! In fact, my stuff isn't even all unpacked! Yesterday my Mom was nice enough to unpack all of my clothes and help tidy up my new bedroom! I also have a bunch of study abroad homework that I need to finish as well as packing for that trip as well as re-packing for school!

I recently got back from a trip down to Utah for a small Smith family reunion. It was so much fun and I had a great time with almost all the cousins and Aunt and Uncles. I can't believe I will be back in Utah (even if it is just to fly out of the airport) in less than a month! Life is flying by and I can't help but feel a few steps behind.

I've been going to the YSA branch we have here, and finally convinced my friend Lauren to transfer her records to the Branch from our family ward. Now I just have to do the same with Alli!

Rebecca and I have been talking a lot. About Doctor Who mostly, but its fun! No one else likes talking fandom with me and so I appreciate one of my "big sisters" participating in it with me.

When we were at the family reunion, my Mom and I brought up the idea of forming a Ragnar team for next year, so I have to train for that! Yesterday my friend Michael invited me to go hiking. I invited Lauren and three other people from the YSA Branch came. It was really fun and a great work out! Work has been pretty average, not super stressful, which is a relief. However I, unfortunately, have to work today (on Sunday) which I never wanted to do, however Brittin will be working with me tonight as well! How ironic is it that they scheduled two of the three LDS girls that work at DQ to work Sunday night? But we are working on training four new employees. Once they get the handle on things, no more Sunday shifts for me! 

At this point I had to pause and think if there was anything else I wanted to add to this post, but I think that is qualifies as getting everyone fairly caught up, after all there are some things that I want to save for later and some things that I just don't want to post.

Happy Sunday!
Sydney

School ends but that doesn't mean that our realtionships have to end.

As I sit in the living room waiting around to go take my Education final, I have been reflecting on this past semester. Although it wasn't quite successful in the grade department as I had hoped it would have been, I believe this semester was full of success. I met some amazing young women, who have changed my life and whom I will be friends with forever. They became my family and it has been very hard trying to accept that I won't see them until the beginning of October. While I am very excited for my study abroad, I wish I could take them with me. I don't have an older sibling, and Rebecca and Katie have stepped in and taken the position of older sister in my life. I have also come to terms with the fact that yes, Sydney, you do struggle with depression and anxiety, and that is fine. I have learned how to control is and keep it in check most of the time. I have also put myself out there more this semester. I went to things and met new people. For heavens sake I am going on a study abroad!

I am all packed a ready for my white glove cleaning check. I really hope that goes smoothly. Because then I can leave and Anna, Erica and I can hit the road and head home. I have come to love Rexburg even more. I really love the Spring Semester other than the fact that it goes into July. I am looking into getting a job here and staying through the winter semester. I will have to discuss that with my parents, but I think it could be a good thing. We'll just have to see.

This 7 week break is going to be so busy for me! I have to unpack, just to repack for school and pack for my trip, I have a ton of family events that I am going to and on top of all that, I have to complete all my study abroad homework, as well as working. I may have to reduce the days that I can work, mainly that would be I can't work weekends. So I can get all that homework done.

I am also trying to sell my Spring contract at Hillcrest so I can move in with my friends from 310. I really want that to work out, but if it doesn't I guess that is fine.

Well I should probably study a bit for my final, although it's more of a class evaluation than a final.

It's been a fantastic Spring semester and I can't wait to come back!

Sydney

Money, and Finals, and Worries oh my!

When you have anxiety issues, worrying is something you should avoid doing. However, I am a worrier. That's just how Heavenly Father made me, to quote my little sister Kacey. I have started having doubts on whether I will be successful at teaching. I love English and I love teaching it to people, but I have doubts that I will actually be able to teach high school students.

I started this semester out with less money than I did in the Fall. I wasn't too worried about it, but I wasn't as frugal this semester as I should have been. I just worry that I won't be able to pay for the things that I have to pay for. And recently I found a ring that I want to buy my mom. When I turned 11 she gave me a ring her parents had given her when she turned 16. And guess what I did with it, I lost it. My parents replaced it with a simliar one that next Christmas, and I bawled my eyes out because I still felt so badly, I still do to this day. However today I found a ring that looks almost exactly like it. The diamond may be a bit bigger, but when is that ever a problem?! ;) The only problem I have, is that it costs more money than I have at the moment. I really want to get this ring, if not to give it back to my Mom, then to appease my guilty conscience.

On top of all of this I have to worry about finals. The only one that is really causing me stress is my Education final. I have to go into class and take it. On Monday. At noon. I check out of my apartment to leave at one. So with that I have to have the kitchen all cleaned and ready to be white gloved, with all my stuff out and packed in my car, and finish a final within like 3 hours that afternoon. I'm just really stressed out and wishing that I hadn't taken 17 credits, but I can do this. I know I can, I wasn't sorted into Ravenclaw for nothing!

Oh and I am trying to sell my spring 2014 contract at Hillcrest Townhouses so I can move back to Birch and live with my lovely friends that I basically live with anyway.

I will try to go to sleep now, however difficult that may be.

Sydney 

A bit of hard work and a lot of dreaming.

HELLLLO FINALS WEEK!

This week is going to be a living nightmare between homework, classes, packing, and finals. I also have all of my study abroad homework to complete before September 11th! I recently was pondering on my future and career choices. I still want to teach, but my dream job would be a travel writer or travel blogger. So in hopes of semi-fulfilling my dream I have started a travel blog

http://wanderlust-by-abstractlysydney.blogspot.com/

It will include all of my adventures from my study abroad trips in Germany and England/Ireland to Seattle and West Yellowstone. I hope that it goes well. As always a goal is to gain followers, but at the moment I just want to write. I want to travel. I want to experience other cultures, and the different ways of living. I want to find a bookstore hidden in a corner of an alley in France, and a cafe in Amsterdam, and a Gelato shop in Italy, and a plethora of art museums and hostels, and little shops and flower shops, and local grocery markets, and fresh fruit stands and soft, silky beaches.

I was given a taste of the world and I crave more my every waking moment. I want to experience life. I feel like there is no way to describe how traveling changes you, at least mot in any language that I know of.  It's like a piece of your soul is missing and when you venture out into the world you gain bits and pieces of that missing part back. It's like a tapestry that only has one color until you experience adventure. 

But alas at the moment I am participating in an educational adventure and it is coming to a close, so I need to study and sleep as much as I can! So it's off to bed for this young lady.

I'll be counting sheep, will you?
Sydney

There's no Place like Home.

I am back in Wenatchee! But sadly only for a short time. I will leave Sunday afternoon! I totally surprised my parents thanks to the help of Michael Sauer! He called my house and asked if he could come say hello, and I showed up! I rode back from Rexburg with Brian Nygard and Anna and Erica! We met Brian's fiance! She is super nice and very cute! I am so glad that I am home! I love my family and friends here so much! I am grateful that the semester is almost finished and then I can come home for a longer period of time, before I leave for my study abroad! :) I believe we are set to go boating tomorrow! YAY!!!! I am sleeping in my own bed and it feels like a cloud compared to my bed in the apartment! Plus my bed at home has a kitty sleeping on it! :) Even though my body's used to it being 1 AM, I'm not that tired at all... But I am going to end this post now!

Sydney

After deciding I like my face, this happens.

Oh. My. Heavens. I have another reason to HATE Idaho summers. I have been cursed with several cold sores. I don't think it's ever been this bad. I have a total of five. You read that right, FIVE COLD SORES!!!! Three on my upper lip. One on my lower lip and a HUGE one on my left cheek. And they hurt so much! The swelling is horrible, I can barely talk it hurts so badly. To top of my insecurities, it seems like mother nature is even out to destroy me. I don't even know why I get them! My parents don't get them, so how the heck did I get the stupid virus! And none of the medication that is out there seems to work for me. I just want them to GO AWAY! I would be fine with one little one on the corner of my mouth, a normal cold sore, but oh no! When I get them it's like leprosy, once one is there, more come. I just want my face to be normal. Is that too much to ask?! What did I ever do to deserve this horrid thing? I don't want to go to class because their so bad. I have to wear my old glasses, because my new ones go too far down on my face and rub against the swollen cheek. I hate this. Gosh I wish I could just sleep for the next week of my life, or at least until they disappear from my face.

Self Worth and the Person I see in the Mirror.

Lately I've been struggling with liking the way I look. I've always struggled with what my face looks like. I'm not the typical "pretty girl". I'm not tall and skinny, nor blonde and tan. Coming to BYU-I hasn't really helped with that because I see all these gorgeous people with wonderful comments in class, and they seem to have a rock solid testimony. Last semester I actually was doubting if Heavenly Father loved me. And I know that that was extremely silly of me, but self worth has always been something that I lacked. It stems from having friends that always got attetion from boys, while I was used as the butt of the jokes for the group. In eighth grade I finally had enough and decided that I didn't care what they thought of me. Now that I am in the stage of my life, where getting dates kinda depends on what your face looks like, that insecurity hit me like a brick wall. One day I was looking in the mirror and said, "Sydney, you are pretty. You have a wonderful personality, you are a great friend, you are fun, you have a strong testimony, you are a daughter of a King." I no longer struggle as much with my aesthetic appearance, but recently I have really struggled with how my body looks. I'm not tall. I'm actually quite short. And I have curves. They were something I craved in middle school and now I hate them. I'm very envious of those girls that have those skinny, toned bodies. I work out and I eat well. I just can't seem to drop the weight that I gained after my Junior year. I was at a constant weight of 115 pounds. The heaviest I got what probably around 135 pounds. Currently I'm stuck at 125 pounds. Technically it's a healthy weight, but I HATE the way my body looks.

I was listening to the Hairspray soundtrack while doing homework tonight and the lyrics "Tracy I'm in love with you no matter what you weigh" and "You can't stop my happiness because I like the way I am" stuck with me. I need to be easier on myself. I can't help feeling that (and I know that this is stupid) the reason that boys don't pay me any attention is because of how I look.

Some good news in my life, my counselor said that she thinks I don't need to come in anymore this semester! I've got my anxiety and depression under control for now! And that feels wonderful! I just need to get over my worries about appearances

I really do love who I am, and my family loves me the way I am and I know that Heavenly Father loves me and that is all that matters at the moment.



Sydney

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.

I think I'm melting! It's been so warm lately! Today it was 95 degrees! So to remedy this ailment my roommates (and by roommates I mean my lovely ladies in 310) and I went to Rigby Lake. And yet again, I got a sunburn. We left around 11 in the afternoon, and we stayed until around 2:30. The city of Rigby was having their 4th of July celebration, and so there were a ton of people at the lake. After we left, Rebecca and I made shish kabobs. Rebecca marinated shrimp in a lime sauce and we added green bell peppers and onions. Rebecca grilled those and I cut up some pineapple and mangoes! After we had dinner we watched Chuck for awhile and then we and a bunch of kids from our ward went to the Sand dunes and had a fire and played Frisbee and had general frivolities! Katie and I left a little earlier than everyone else and we walked back to the car, unfortunately we got a bit lost and ended up wandering around until we found the road. It felt like we were in the opening sequence of a Supernatural episode! It was slightly terrifying! And every time that I laughed my abs hurt so bad! I did a wicked obliques workout on Friday. I loved it though! And yet again, my school family and I had a wonderful weekend! I can't believe that it is July this next week. Time sure does fly! I look forward to returning to school and my study abroad.

Sydney 

From Bad to Good.

Today started out horribly. I was sick this morning and so I didn't make it to class. I had one of my home-teachers and another guy from our ward come give me a blessing. That helped, as did the very long shower that I took. I then watched Back to the Future. I forgot how great that movie is! After that I headed over to 310 and we hung out for awhile, we watched some Chuck and then Rebecca and I went to the gym. I did the stair stepper for about 20 minutes and then we headed to Zumba! It was great! I think I'm gonna go every week now! I'm really trying to be healthier, especially if I am going to run a Ragnar race next year! And I'm not quite happy with how my body looks. I know I am a healthy weight, I just need to change some things. And I would like to get back to the 115 pounds that I was before Germany. That's only 5 pounds away! I can do this! I should probably go back to doing homework, so that is it for now! I hope Jordan is having fun in Germany!

Sydney

I mourn the end of the weekend.

As this weekend comes to a close, I realize how amazing life actually is. I have an amazing ward family and I am so glad that I am getting to know everyone better! Our stake party was great, I wish I could dance better, but you know we can't all dance like black women! I am doing well with my workout routine. And I am postponing my counseling session for another week. I can't believe that my 19th birthday is only a month away! Sometimes I still feel like I just turned 16! I was super excited to see some Germany pictures from Jordan on instagram the other day! I hope she is having the time of her life!

We got out of church early today so we could go to the Leadership broadcast. It was amazing! So many wonderful talks and messages given! Hasten the Work! Then after that we went home. Home for me is 310. I do love my roommates, but the 310 girls are my family. Candice made bitterballen and I made peach lemonade that Elisa's mom Doris made when I stayed with them in Munich. I also made two trays of Nutella brownies.

We watched Up, and I gave Chris a back rub. He gave me a "tattoo" it's super good! I think I may like him again, but my 310 girls are going to hate me for saying that. I just don't know what to do anymore in the relationship department. Part of me thinks I only want to be part of a couple because I'm surrounded by couples. But then there's part of me that just wants to have something special with someone else.

I don't know guys, I should just love traveling. Life would be so much easier if I didn't have romantic feelings towards people that I can't read.

My Mom and I want to do a Ragnar race next year! We are going to start training and set up a team! I'm so excited! :) This week at Devo, I opened my scripture/church journal to take notes and Kacey had written in it awhile ago "Kacey was here :)" and it made me cry because I miss my little sisters so much! I would never have thought previously that they would become my best friends but they have. And I am so proud of them for all that they have done and what they will do and what they are doing. They are such an inspiration to me and I love them so much!

I am also grateful for the rest of my family, blood related or not. They make me who I am and I love them for that. This week has been amazing and I can't believe that we only have 5 weeks of school left. I will be very sad when the time to leave comes, but I will be back soonish (Europe here I come!) I love my ward family and I am sad that I won't be in this ward next year. I will probably move back after the next two semesters. I don't particularly love these apartments, but I love the ward I am in right now and the location is ok.

I am going to go to sleep now!

Sydney

Twitterpated + Brownies = Sydney

It's been a week and a day since Eric called me. I have had the biggest crush on him since high school. It's kind of embarrassing! He is one of my best friends and I don't want to do anything to ruin that friendship. He makes me laugh and that is something that I desperately need, especially because so often all I want to do is curl up into a ball and cry. This week I decided that I am going to do a race called the Extreme Race. I'm only doing the 3K, because we have to run through mud pits, and rivers and climb over hay bails ect. It is the day before my birthday, so July 13th! And I'm doing it as a birthday present! My mom is sending me my old running shoes so I don't have to ruin my good ones! I am so excited! All the proceeds are going to orphans in Ecuador I think... and I feel like that is a good cause! I've been eating healthier and more often. While I'm at school I struggle with eating more than once a day. It's really bad, I know. I talked to Jordan today before she left for Germany! I am so excited for her! I couldn't be more proud! I thought I would be jealous but I'm not! I'm just super excited for her! I am getting a new phone sent to me because when I charge mine it over heats. I have burns on my neck from talking on the phone when it was charging. Hopefully, the new phone they send me will have the same problems so I can just get a new model. I feel like a horrible person saying that, but my mom said it too, and if she said it I can say it, right? ;)

It has gotten so hard to go to class! The sun is out and all I want to do is play! But then I remember what my purpose here is and that is to prepared and become the best English Teacher I can become! I want to be like Mrs. Symonds and Mr. Cloke. They were the best English teachers I have ever had and they pushed me to my full potential and they never made me feel like I couldn't do something. I want to be like that!

We finished Supernatural yesterday. So naturally, we started BBC's Sherlock! It's fantastic! I loooove Benedict Cumberpatch's voice! I wasn't expecting that, but I do!

We watched Tangled and ate brownies and then we turned on 'Say yes to the dress' and talked about marriage! Already two of my quasi-roommates have had the "marriage talk" with their boyfriends. And that is exciting! Nothing is official or anything, but it's still exciting and fun to think about!

I was talking with Anna today, and I can't wait to move into our new place! We will have so much fun together! I am sad that I won't be so close to Rebecca, Katie, Madi, Candice, and Alli, but we will still have so much fun together! And it'll be nice to have my own room! Even if it is a bit more expensive. Plus it's WAY closer to the counseling center!

My counselor's name is Sister Northrup and she is amazing! I am so grateful for everything she has helped me with. I'm still not okay, but when will we ever be perfectly okay? I am just grateful she has given me ways to better handle things that used to terrify me and still do, but I'm working at it. Like a few weekends ago, we went to Rigby Lake, and those of you who know me, know that I HATE swimming in water that I can't see anything in it! And I did okay there, I only freaked out once and that was when I was swimming on my back and my braid floated around my neck and bumped into my shoulder and I didn't know what it was (i totally thought it was a huge bug or something).

But overall, life's been grand! And honestly I think it's because I've been so happy that Eric and Michael are home, and that Jordan is going on an amazing life changing adventure and that Nina is going to be back home with us soon!

Life is great, school is great, and brownies are great too!

Sydney

We're all a little broken, and that's okay.

My sleeping routine has been super messed up lately. I will wake up super early, or like today, I slept through my alarm and missed my Education class, but I was still tired around 3 in the afternoon. So naturally I was set to take a half hour nap, well until it turned into 3 hours! What in the world! Why am I so tired all the time!? I finished all my homework by 11:30 tonight! SUCCESS!! I also finished Supernatural season 6! Only two more seasons to go! I am so excited for this weekend! Friday nights are always fantastic! Then on Saturday my school family (Apt 310) and I are going on an adventure to Rigby Lake and we are having a picnic and fun times! Then on Sunday after church I am making dinner for 310 and friends, and I am making döners and some fruit tortes! I am super excited! I am also going to to running this weekend! I can't wait!

My shoulders feel a lot better now! Thanks to Alli and Chris! Hopefully they won't hurt me anymore! Stupid pain! Tomorrow is Graduation at WHS! I so wish I could be there for my seniors! I am so proud of them and I love them all so much!

Well it's nearly one in the morning so I am going to try to get some sleep!

Sydney

Pure Nirvana

Prayers had definitely been answered. I started counseling this week. My counselor is amazing! I have only been to see her once and she has given me so many things to help me! She believes that I suffer from anxiety. Which comes as no surprise, because honestly, I've always been a worrier. And with my deep fear of the unknown there are so many opportunities that I could have taken that I didn't because I was afraid. I am supposed to be doing things outside of my comfort zone. I am trying new things and pushing myself to improve. I think that the Study Abroad next semester will definitely help. Going to the meeting on Tuesday was kind of nerve wracking, but once I got past the fact that I didn't really know anyone, I was fine! I was able to talk to people and I was myself. We figured out that I don't open up to people easily because I am afraid that I will get hurt, or that if something goes wrong I will lose that person forever. I have to break down the behavioral laws I have put in place for myself. An example is that I believe that I have to be perfect in all my relationships and that when they fail it is my fault, while at the same time I don't hold the other person accountable at all.  I have a journal specifically for counseling and I hope that this will help.

Eric got home today! I so wish that I could be home in Wenatchee this weekend! To see him and to see Lauren and Kasey graduate. I am extremely sad that I won't get to run onto the Apple Bowl Field and hug them both so tight and tell them how proud I am of both of them! I'm just glad that Kasey will be in Utah for school next year and that Lauren will be here in Rexburg with me! I love them both so much and I can't wait to see them! I hopefully will get to watch them graduate on the online live feed that the school hosts on their website!

I got all of my homework done today before midnight! Score for Sydney! But I skipped all my classes today. This morning I had a migraine so I skipped my 7:45 class then I got in the shower around 8 ish and my shoulders were so tense that I couldn't lift my arms up to wash my hair. So then, because I was in so much pain and I felt sick because of it, I skipped my other ones. But don't worry, I let all of my Professors know why I wasn't there and asked what I could do to catch up. I'm not that irresponsible.

I got my Dad's Father's Day Gift. It is being shipped home as I type this! I hope it gets there on time! The shirt I ordered from Forever 21 got shipped home instead of to my apartment! OOPS! :) My cousin Jess eloped on the 1st! She looked so pretty in their pictures! I hope they are happy!

Today in the afternoon, the power went out at our building and the internet was down. It was out for probably and hour and a half to two hours. What can we do?! we can't watch t.v., do our homework (it's all online), do social media, or cook! So I went over to 310 (like I always do!) and hung out with my favorite girls! 

Well, I'm off to dream land, I have my favorite class schedule tomorrow, Education and Art. Sweet.

Night everyone!
Sydney

My shot at a vlog...

Hey you guys!
One of my new years resolutions was to have a new hobby, so I'm trying my hand at vlogging. we'll see how it goes... here is a link to my very first vlog. Help me with what I should talk about please! Thanks!
 
Intro to vlogging

Sydney

A little ray of sunshine...

And gore! Let me explain before you call the police. I watched Supernatural today! We are on to season TWOOOO!!!!!!

Today was actually quite good. Other than finding out that assignment that took my three hours to do was the wrong one, everything was ok. Devotional today was amazing and I really needed it today. I am on the waiting list for a counseling appointment at the student healthcare center. And Rebecca and Katie came over to see how I was doing, and then we went back to our home (their apartment is basically my home now. I'm there more than I'm in my own apartment and come this weekend I will have slept there for like 3 or 4 nights) and Katie made me a delicious grilled cheese sandwich, we watched Supernatural (SEASON TWOOOOO) and played Cards Against Humanity, as well as doing homework.

I finished writing my research paper on censorship. Well the draft at least. I know there is stuff I want to add and some stuff I want to fix, but I need to have a "complete" copy for class tomorrow.

Life is okay. I know that there will be more bad days. I just hope they aren't all in a row.

Sydney

Frustrating.

The more I've learned about SAD, the more frustrated I become with it. I don't want to be this way. In my last post where I talked about it, I realized it was the first time I've actually told people that I have it. A mental illness is not something you want people to know you have. People don't believe you. Especially if you are me and you tell someone you have a form of depression. They say, "But you're always so happy!" or "How? You're always smiling." It's extremely frustrating. One of the symptoms is having difficulty concentrating. That has become extremely prevalent in my life at the moment, which sucks majorly because school work is my life right now, and I can't concentrate on it, that leads to bad things. I've been trying to do ONE education assignment for nearly three hours now. I just lose focus and can't get it back. I just don't know what to do anymore. I want this to just go away.

I'm going to try to finish my assignment,  I only have two more pages.

Sydney

Wishful wantings...

As I sit on my raised bed (thank you cinder blocks) and drink some mint tea, I can't help but look at my life and wonder if I should be farther along than I am. Granted I'm only 18, soon to be 19 in July, but I look at the other students here at BYU-I and wonder, should I have a significant other by now? Should I be working? Should I volunteer more? I guess though the biggest question is the whole "boyfriend" one. Although at this point in my life, with a study abroad next semester and taking 17 (that's right 17) credits, I feel like having a piece of sexy-man cake (thanks for the reference Lizzie Bennet Diaries!) in my life would only complicate things. Like what happens if when I go to London and I'm strolling down the hallway in an art museum and our eyes just meet. He will be tall and dark (think Mr, Darcy but without all the brooding), he will be outdoorsy, but also have an appreciation for the arts, he will think my obnoxiously loud laugh is endearing, and that my obsession with Harry Potter is cute. He will think I'm pretty even when we have to meet at 5 in the morning to go out to the Stonehenge. He will think that my career path is honorable, and he will listen with earnest to the wild and crazy things I have to say about mythology and how it's used in everyday entertainment, like Harry Potter, LOTR, and Marvel comics and movies. He will love watching me watch movies, because I get so invested in them. We will one day travel all of Europe, fulfilling a life-long dream of mine.

I will love that I have to stand on my tiptoes to kiss him. I will love his nerdy love for whatever it is that he loves like I love Harry Potter, I will love the bleary-eyed, mussed hair and stubbly face when we do things early in the morning. I will love that he lets me gasp and yell during movies without complaining.

Alas, we both know it's too good to be true. For he is someone made up in the head of a tired teenage girl, who is not wearing her glasses and has a sore throat for the seventh night in a row. However she does know that there is a boy out there who will fit her perfectly. She doesn't know where he is from, what his family is like, or if he even knows her  yet.

I trust that God knows us so well that he only wants what is best for us. And if I have to wait several more years to find that, I guess that is what is best. It still kinda hurts to see everyone else so happy, but I know that I am in no way prepared to be a wife yet.

Yesterday was really hard, my seasonal affective disorder flared up and I just couldn't get happy. We tried Dairy Queen, that didn't help at all, and then I went over to my friends apartment and we watched a whole range of movies, from Safe Haven to Aquamarine, and finished with The Wrath of Khan. That helped a lot, just being around people that make me laugh!

For those of you who don't know what seasonal affective disorder or SAD is I will explain. It is also called winter depression or summer depression. It is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depression in the winter of summer. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders it says SAD is not a unique mood disorder, but is "a specifier of major depression". They may sleep too much, have little energy, and may also feel depressed. Though symptoms can be severe, they usually clear up." The condition in the summer can include heightened anxiety.


I have it  in both the winter and the summer, the past few years have been fine, but yesterday it just hit me like a crap ton of bricks. And it sucks, because I want to be happy, but it just drains all my energy and I feel like I just can't do anything.

Any who! There my depressing rant of the week. Better news, I'm going to see The Great Gatsby next weekend! I FINALLY found someone to go with me! He is my Home Teacher( What is a Home Teacher? ) and I'm super excited to be going! Other good news, it totally rained last night! :)

Ta-ta for now!

Sydney

Abercrombie & Fitch Gets a Brand Readjustment #FitchTheHomeless

Watch this. Do this.

It's BAAAAAACKKK!!!!!!

On My Way- Teaser

Gigi D is back in our lives, so hopefully we will see some Dizzie!!!!

On My Way - Teaser

It's baaaaaaackkk!!!!! :) :) :)

Back to work...

This is my third week back at school, and I already can't wait for it to be over. Mostly so I can go on my study abroad and being living with my friends Erica and Anna again. Today we signed contracts for a housing unit called Hillcrest Townhouses. They are really nice and we have a cupboard under the stairs. You all know that we are totally going to make it a reading nook that is covered with Harry Potter themed things! My classes this semester are harder than last semester which is to be expected, I just don't like how some of my Professors run their classrooms. SIGH oh well. I am also a lot more nervous about money this semester. I have no idea how I'm going to pay for all of next semester and my study abroad, along with basic grocery needs. I'm sure I will be fine, it's just a little nerve racking. My friends and I went and saw Iron Man 3 last week! It was fantastic! I can not wait to go see The Great Gatsby! This weekend I'm going down to my Aunt Heather's house which will be super fun! I'm glad that my new phone has a GPS on it! It sure helps a lot! Well I should probably finish my proposal paper on censorship in classrooms.

A Fangirl Emerges

I have been watching a web show called The Lizzie Bennet Diaries that is a modern adaption of Pride and Prejudice. It is in the form of a vlog. It is amazing! All the characters have twitter/facebook/tumblr! And today William Darcy, Gigi Darcy and Lizzie Bennet are out exploring San Fran. And it so happens that Gigi is live twitting pictures of the outing! THANK HEAVENS FOR GIGI DARCY! I can't wait for Monday's episode! It is going to be fantastic!

In other news, I just got the $500 charged to my school account for my study abroad! EEEKKK! I am so excited! Working at Dairy Queen isn't so bad anymore. Now all I have to worry about is not eating too much ice cream. Man oh man are blizzards tasty and quite hard to resist! :)

I also cleaned my room today! WOW!!! And I did laundry! I also worked out today! I am just on a roll! I went to Target this morning to buy a new sports bra, because Kacey lost the one that she borrowed before I went to school, so I needed a new one! And I fell victim to Target, and bought some more lipstick and some boot socks while I was there!

So ya, that's been my weekend so far!

Syd

PS Here is the link for LBD: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

As of lately

I have been working and doing pretty much nothing else. I am house sitting/ kid watching for a friend's family, which has been pretty fun. With my work schedule and my mom's work schedule I feel like I never see my mom. But neither of us work on Monday, so we will get to hang out then! :) I have to keep reminding myself that this job (no matter my feelings of dislike for it) will help pay for me to go to the UK and continue my education. The co-workers are nice, but the work is so mundane. I feel like I am going nowhere. That is why I want even more to get my degree and become a teacher. I love learning and teaching and progression.I finally finished knitting the scarf I started last Christmas! It's pretty awesome! 1 N.Y.R (new year's resolution) completed! :)

-Sydney

And a Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! I have some pretty steep New Year's Resolutions this year! I'll list them out for you!
- lose 5 lbs
- exercise 3 times a week
- be nicer ( speak kinder words)
- Be happier (no negativity)
- 5 visual journal pieces
- 5 canvas paintings/drawings
- eat healthier
- all A's 2nd semester
- blog every week
- finish knitting scarf
- start and finish the baby blanket
- Go on the English Study Abroad Trip to England, Ireland, and Wales
- write Papa's story
- read 1 book every other month
- find 3 new bands
- Index on Sundays
- get 1 new hobby
- journal everyday
- floss everyday
- volunteer at the Cat Shelter 2nd semester
- go to bed at a good time every night

So that's that! I am officially going on the English Study Abroad trip and I couldn't be more excited!  I am also working at Dairy Queen. While I am not excited about this, it is a easy enough job and the people that I work with are very nice and really fun! And I desperately need the money!

-Sydney