Forever red.

This past weekend was my last homecoming as an undergrad, and it could not have been more of an adventure.

Luckily, I got work off at the last minute. I was super pumped that I would actually be able to go to the football game, since it's my last year and all. Unfortunately, because of work and homework and doing an open house for SUU in Provo, I couldn't attend any of the activities Monday through Thursday.

Friday finally arrived and with it came Colby, who drove up from St. George to entertain his college girlfriend's homecoming excitement. The plan for Friday night was to go to Forever Red, which is always a big concert with free food, fun, and fireworks, and then of course to go to true T-bird afterward. We made pork quesadillas right before going to Forever Red even though there was going to be free food, because according to Colby: "When they say there's going to be free food, there's never food." (Amateur.)

I was a little nervous that Colby was going to think this whole homecoming thing was super lame, because first of all he went to UVU and secondly, he told me his first impression of me was that I was going to be an obnoxious girl obsessed with her school. (He still hasn't figured out that's exactly who I am... shh.) Luckily my fears were abated when we got to campus and were greeted by an a cappella quartet composed of 50-year-old men. Definitely the coolest and most un-lame thing that could happen.

We met up with some friends, got free food (which there was plenty of), and watched some great opening acts and fireworks before Hellogoodbye finally appeared onstage. They were incredible, just like I remembered from middle school, and even ended with my favorite song of theirs: Oh, It Is Love.

Then, it came time for true T-bird. Let me just explain that the worst thing that could have happened during homecoming week at SUU happened: I got a cold sore. The stresses of life became too much for my little body to bear and so from my lip sprouted a hideous fever blister. Luckily, though, my relationship is not based solely on looks and with the help of modern medicine, that blemish subsided enough for me to make my boyfriend a true T-bird. The real highlight, though, was watching some girl rape-kiss a member of Hellogoodbye. Classic.

The next morning, 7:00 came early as did the realization that I had made a horrible error: signing up to run the SUUper Sorrel 5K when I haven't run any distance at all since June and also it was an all time high temperature of 32 degrees outside. I reluctantly bundled up in all my Nike gear: shoes, socks, hoodie, gloves (and Forever 21 tights... no one can afford tights from Nike) and headed out the door to the starting line.

Mile 1 was a piece of cake. Then Mile 2 hit and I started choking on the bone-chilling cold air and almost threw up on the side of the trail. Then my cheap tights kept falling down and my ponytail kept falling out and my music kept getting too loud and too quiet. Then I hit Mile 3 and told myself I would run the rest of the way even though my foot really hurt. By the time I crossed the finish line I was literally near death. But there, lo and behold, was this saint waiting for me with cinnamon rolls and chocolate milk. Hashtag luckiest girl ever.

We went back to my house to eat and shower before going to the parade. The weather had magically turned bearable and I was supposed to actually be in the parade with all my PA friends, but my foot was seriously messed up from that run so I opted to sit on the curb and enjoy.

The tailgate was next, where Colby broke his 8 year long no-hot-dog streak and I accidentally nailed some kid with a football.

And finally, the homecoming game. We played Portland State and it was a lot of back-and-forth and a lot of standing on my practically broken foot, but SUU pulled it off, I learned the fight song, and Thor got to ride in a helicopter, so it was basically winning all around. I even convinced Colby to wear an SUU shirt and cheer for my team.

All in all, I wouldn't change a single part of my last homecoming. This weekend, along with everything else going on in my life lately, is bordering on perfection.

"Fall" in love with SUU. (Get it?)

If I could choose my favorite time of the year in Cedar City, it would definitely be October. Even though school is getting more serious and professors give out the bulk of their assignments for the semester during this month, there is nothing quite like walking to class in the crisp autumn air and going out of your way to step on crunchy-looking leaves.

This month it's finally time to put on boots and scarves and curl up in the library with a cup of white hot chocolate and a good book (or a textbook...). And then on the weekends, to put on your favorite oversized SUU sweater and cheer on our T-birds at the football game.

It's time for haunted houses that are put together by the greeks on campus, and to start getting together an original costume for the huge Halloween party known as the Scream that happens at the end of the month.

It's time to bundle up for Forever Red, the concert under the starts that happens for homecoming week, and to start putting on chapstick more often in preparation for true T-bird night.

It's time to gather all your friends for the next season of the Walking Dead.

It's time to start running on the indoor track in the PE Building when you're too scared to brave the cold mornings, and time for afternoon bike rides in Cedar Canyon underneath the changing leaves.

It's time to grab some warm cider and a blanket and watch the homecoming parade on Saturday morning.

It's time to start Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings movie marathons and eat s'mores with your roommates on nights it gets dark and cold too early.

Basically, it's time just to cherish being at SUU in October, because it's the best.

Chaos.

I'm resisting the temptation to begin this post with the words "It's already October." I know you know. We all know and we're all pumped! October is the month of pumpkin spice eggnog, crunching leaves, boots and leggings, changing colors, crisp air, canyon bike rides, haunted houses... Basically the best time of the year.

I'm hoping and praying that I will find the time to enjoy it, seeing as how my life lately has been chaos. I'm still working at the treatment center that I've been working at since April, but in addition to that I have taken on the responsibility of managing the #tbirdnation blog and the admissions Instagram page, as well as helping out with other social media. Plus taking 12 upper division credits and institute and probably getting a church calling. Good thing I'm happiest when I'm busiest! For real though.

However, in the relatively small amount of down time I have had recently, I've managed to pull off a few fun activities: nighttime mini golf and board games, a really interesting yoga class, a delicious and eventful birthday party for my roommate, a bike ride through Snow Canyon, and a trip to Sand Hollow. I just realized that even my free time isn't really that relaxing. (Yoga should have been... but just visit Sage Hills and you'll understand.)

In light of this, my goals for the rest of this semester need to include taking time for myself. I've been attempting to relax by watching Mad Men and have made it through a whopping one episode. So, over the next few weeks I plan on watching a few more episodes, spending some time with my family, and going to a normal yoga class. And maybe taking a few more YouTube breaks, because we all need more of those.

Here'e the winner of my favorite one I've seen lately! Watch it all the way to the end.

Why I love C-City.

Sometimes you may come across people who will say to you: "Why would you want to live in Cedar City? It's so small and boring." You may have even wondered these things yourself before you visited this little town. However, as anyone who has lived here can tell you, it's definitely the opposite of boring. Here are the top five reasons I love C-City, in no particular order.

1. The location. As I said in my last post, we live so close to so many awesome things. National parks, St. George, lakes, campgrounds, hot springs... you name it, we are most likely near it. Even Las Vegas is only two and a half hours away! I've spent a few nights seeing the lights down there myself.

2. Activities. Even if there's not something to do on campus (which there almost always is), there are plenty of things to do around Cedar. There are three movie theatres, one of which is a historic discount theatre where you can see shows for so cheap. There's a bowling alley and an old school skating rink, and in the winter there's an outdoor ice skating rink as well. There are plenty of hills for sledding and ice blocking, and tons of fields and parks for playing sports. It's basically impossible to run out of things to do.

3. The outdoors. When I say this, I don't only mean the national parks and hiking that are around. There's so much to do even in the boundaries of the city! There are running and biking trails that are surrounded by gorgeous scenery. A few campgrounds are less than 20 minutes away, and if you're in the mood for a bonfire, grab some friends and take them to one of the many spots that are nearby. Even in the winter, Cedar is gorgeous, because while we have similar temperatures and snowfall to the Salt Lake Valley, we don't have the inversion.

4. The shopping. You might be thinking, "Where on earth would you go shopping in Cedar City?" but let me tell you, there are some pretty cool stores! We have Rue 21, Sports Authority, Famous Footwear, and other popular stores, but we also have some real gems down Main Street. There is a shop that has an old fashioned soda fountain inside, as well as multiple thrift stores, a comic book shop, a used book store combined with a fantastic coffee shop, and many others. You'll have to check them out for yourself!

5. The food. Trust me when I say there are some amazing restaurants around here. It's hard to pick my favorite between Centro (wood-fired pizza), Brody's (amazing and authentic Mexican food), Boulangerie Marie (cute little French bakery), Pastry Pub (to-die-for Shakespearean sandwich shop), and all the other eateries around Cedar. There are even steakhouses tucked into Cedar Canyon and of course we have the new drive-thru soda stops that have been the craze lately. I spend way too much money eating out but it really is so worth it.

So, hopefully you have the chance to spend some time getting to know Cedar City. Maybe you'll find some hidden treasures that even I don't know about!

Here we go.

The first couple weeks of school have taught me a few things.

1. Not reading textbooks is not going to fly this year. Three quizzes a week on chapters from the book do actually require you to read the book. I learned this lesson the hard way.
2. Between going to school full time, working 24 to 40 hours a week, ambassadors, homework, working out, and maintaining relationships, I am not going to have a lot of free time, so it's extra important to keep life balanced.
3. I cannot and will not survive on popcorn chicken from T-Bird Grill. Healthy eating must be done.
4. That being said, that new Mexican restaurant called Brody's is to die for. I highly recommend you try it out.
5. I feel like this is the beginning of a semester's worth of panic attacks as I try to decide where and if and what graduate schools to apply for. I'm ready to graduate but at the same time I'm nowhere near ready to graduate.

If anything, though, number five has taught me one thing: I'm going to be stressed a lot, and I'm going to want to freak out a lot, which at times may be justified. But I've come to the realization this week that when these feelings come, sometimes the best thing to do is ride them out - whether that's metaphorically or by actually going out for a long bike/car/scooter ride. After all, everything will work out in the end, and if it hasn't worked out, it's not the end.

Where does the time go?

Well, here I am on the second floor of the library, with rain and hail beating down on the huge skylight, contemplating how it came to be that I have just started my last year at SUU. I still remember my first day here vividly: moving into Cedar Hall North with three girls I had never met, being nervous I would get hopelessly lost on the way to my classes, and feeling really small in a really big world.

Now, I'm a senior and my time is waning in this place I have learned to call home. I now know the best time to get Tiki Shack to avoid the lines and the easiest place to enter the sheep tunnels. I know not to go camping at Three Peaks when it rains and where to get the best chapstick in town (hint: True T-bird night). And I know that my third and final year in Cedar City is going to be the best one yet.

I spent the summer in Cedar this year instead of going home to northern Utah, and it was endless amounts of fun. Between shifts at work I snuck in trips to Southern California and Salt Lake City, soccer games, and hikes on hikes on hikes. I'm going to let you in on a little secret: there's nowhere better for hiking than southern Utah. With Zion, Bryce Canyon, Cedar Breaks, Snow Canyon, Kanarraville, and Kolob Canyon all practically in my backyard, I never ran out of adventures. I highly recommend that you use what's left of the warm weather to get out and explore some of these places!

Kanarraville Falls

The C Trail

Zion National Park

The Narrows

It was kind of weird when school started, to be honest. There was no big "move-in day" like in years past. One day I was just hanging out around town, and the next day school had started. I could not have been more excited! The first day of class is always a little nerve-wracking, whether you're a freshman or a graduate student. I spent an embarrassing amount of time picking out my First Day Outfit and then taking my annual First Day Photo.

I couldn't wait to be back at school and see all my friends again, and meet all the new people who are experiencing SUU for the first time. I was pumped to start a long-awaited Harry Potter marathon with my roommate and best friend who I met freshman year in Cedar Hall and have lived with ever since. The thought of riding my Razor scooter around campus made me grin from ear to ear. I was eagerly awaiting wearing red on Fridays.

Then, suddenly, school was in full swing. I've had papers to write, quizzes to take, chapters to read, Welcome Week activities to attend, people to see, places to be. It can get overwhelming pretty fast. Which is why I'm here, in the library, already in the second week of school, taking a deep breath and thinking about how I'm going to make this year incredible. I know there's nowhere else I would rather be and I can't wait to see where it will take me. Hopefully you feel the same!

Last first.

Today was my last first day at SUU. I don't know how I got here.

It seems like just yesterday when I was walking around campus the Sunday before school started figuring out where all my classes were so I wouldn't get lost. I didn't have to do that this time obviously (although I did have to ask someone what building "TH" is the abbreviation for). It seems like just barely when I was stalking my future roommates on Facebook and thinking I was going to be the only white girl in my room in Cedar Hall... who knows why I thought that. It definitely does not feel like it's been three years since I made the decision of where to come to school because the first commercial to come on after General Conference was for SUU, and that was clearly a sign.

It's amazing how much I've progressed since freshman year. Who knew that I would live in France for a month; become a Presidential Ambassador, a reporter, and an event planner; have to get glasses (you didn't even know I wear glasses did you?); develop a love for hiking; and think things like sheep tunnels, a tiny reservoir, or a snow cone shack are cool places to be on a Friday night? I've gone from a kid nervous about moving to a new place and making friends and getting good grades, to a slightly older kid terrified of making decisions and entering the grown-up world. But that's all part of life I guess: being scared of stuff and then doing it anyway. That's how we all grow.

Anyway, I guess it's just hard to believe that in eight months I will (assuming everything goes according to plan) be the proud owner of a bachelor's degree and be leaving this little town I have come to love so much over the past two years. Which means these next eight months should probably be pretty kick-ass. Bring it on, senior year!