Endings: 2013.

Time for that annual blog post called "see how I failed at my new years resolutions." This past year's resolutions, big and small, were as follows:

• Do 30 minutes of cardio at least five times a week. This definitely didn't happen. But I'm not super out of shape either, so I can't complain.
• Only drink soda on special occasions. Done. Pretty sure I only drank soda for headaches or 16 hour shifts at work. Plus a couple Martinellis at Christmas or something.
• Spend less time on my computer and phone and more time in real life. I probably did okay with this, especially in the summer. I definitely underestimated the amount of time I would spend writing papers this past semester.
• Eat healthier. I did this a lot more than I have in the past. Basically I can't afford to eat out all the time so I got forced into this one. 
• Visit my great grandparents once every two weeks. Ugh, I'm the worst.
• Take time to do things for other people. This one is a struggle because I'm so busy (which is not a good excuse), but I did pretty well overall!
• Take risks, come out of my comfort zone, and grow as a person. I've done a lot of this, especially with my job at a treatment center. I've made a conscious effort to work on my communication and be more open in relationships. It's hard for me as a quiet, independent person, but I'm doing well.

You win some, you lose some. Resolutions aside, though, this year has contained some awesome memories and amazing lessons, every minute of every day. Here are the best memories and the most important lesson of each month, along with some of my favorite pictures.

January

Memory: Reuniting with my Plato's Closet friends for dinner before all of us went our separate ways again to missions, college, or [real] jobs.

Lesson: Don't ever curl your hair with straws.

February

Memory: Ellie Goulding concert! (The first of many.) She's amazing. I'm so in love with her.

Lesson: Trying to trick your friends into giving you birthday presents four days early doesn't work. Especially if the day four days before your birthday happens to be Valentine's Day.

March

Memory: Spring break in Bear Lake with old and new friends, where we pretended to have fun on the beach but it was actually covered in snow and we weren't prepared. So we went back to the cabin and played "gang up on Shannon in ultimate spoons."

Lesson: March Madness is the worst thing that can happen to your life.

April

Memory: Meeting Colby at Smashburger when I was the biggest nervous wreck imaginable and therefore managed to say phrases like "oh good, you're a real person," "did you know they sell key lime pie at the Dollar Tree," and "one time I had to book an event for a porn author." Glad that turned out.

Lesson: Don't ever trust anyone with the name soulfulofluv on OkCupid.

May

Memory: Getting a new car and sadly saying goodbye to the old reliable Darth Evader. And then going to the Real game and eating cake.

Lesson: Save room for cheesecake at Cheesecake Factory.

June

Memory: Going to California with Colby which entailed going to a wedding, hanging out with his nieces, and playing on the beach. Aka five days of heaven.

Lesson: Don't let me get starving-level-hungry and then drive around for an hour before finding food, because I will rage. Who knew.

July

Memory: Governor's Honors Academy for sure. Ten days of life lessons, spending time with the coolest kids, touring national and state parks, and making lasting friendships.

Lesson: Getting very little sleep and working from sun-up to sun-down for ten days straight will cause you to get bronchitis for the next three weeks, stomping on your dreams of running a half marathon this year. Take care of yo'self.

August

Memory: Spending a whole carefree day hiking the Narrows in Zion National Park with Colby. Despite some weird old man stalking us through the whole thing without us knowing, it was one of my favorite days of the whole summer.

Lesson: College goes by way too freaking fast.

September

Memory: A very eventful scavenger hunt in Kanab with the girls I work with. And throwing my awesome roommate of three years a surprise [sober] 21st birthday party.

Lesson: Going for a lot of bike rides and runs to avoid stress about graduate school does not actually avoid it. But it does help a lot.

October

Memory: Colby's mission reunion and a haunted house made for one very interesting and fun weekend in Salt Lake City. Plus, later in the month was homecoming containing Hellogoodbye, the roughest 5K in my lifetime, true t-bird night and my last football game as a student at SUU (sad face).

Lesson: If you're going to Colby's mission reunion with him, don't expect to ever come back.

November

Memory: Is there really any better memory than Thanksgiving with my family? If you haven't heard that story, read it here. Plus there was the jazz game and playing pranks at Temple Square. Good times, good times.

Lesson: If you get embarrassed or offended easily, don't ever meet my family.

December

Memory: Lots of Christmas parties, especially one particular ugly sweater karaoke party where I [badly] sang Adele, Justin Bieber, and Britney Spears. Followed by multiple family Christmas parties which are a whole other story.

Lesson: Writing all those papers would have been worth it if I actually got the 4.0 I wanted. But since my senior transcript is stained by one sad little A-, I should have thrown in the towel long ago. (Jokes... I love that A-.)

Overall, 2013 has honestly been the best year of my life to date. I can't wait to see what 2014 has in store. I think it's gonna be good.

Wish list or something.

Are you sick of aimlessly Christmas shopping with no idea what to get for your friends or family? Does the prospect of ordering another lame tie from Amazon make you ill? Is your mother tired of receiving lotion or soap every year in her stocking? Well ache no longer, gifts.com is here to help.

On gifts.com, there is an incredible feature called "Personality." Yes, just Personality. Calling it something like Personality Gift Finder is just too long and would make too much sense. "Personality" is an amazing service that can help you find gifts for your loved ones by simply answering a few questions about the person. Personality will then accurately find gifts that this person will love.

When I heard about gifts.com, I just had to try it. So, with my mother in mind, I answered all the questions for a middle-aged woman. Unfortunately, my mom is a cool, down to earth person who actually does not need another pair of ear buds or a personalized birthstone dog tag. However, when I decided to answer the questions for myself, gifts.com hit it right on the nose.

My own "Personality" results were just what I thought they would be, with 35% professional, 35% spiritual soul, and 30% hipster. And luckily for me, gifts.com suggested (multiple times) the exact thing I've been missing from my life: a novelty tea infuser.

And just when I thought it couldn't get any better, I saw the one thing they could never have suggested unless they knew me and my Personality on a deep, deep level.

Wow. Just wow. If you need to find the perfect gift, I recommend gifts.com every time. It's truly incredible how well a website can know you, just from a few simple questions. I hope your holidays and merry, bright, and gift-shopping-stress free.

How to survive finals week: A guide.

Supplies:

• healthy snacks (granola bars, veggies, trail mix)
• water bottle (reusable - save the environment)
• scantrons and $0.50 to buy extra scantrons in case you lose/bend yours
• Indie Holidays playlist on Pandora
• textbooks and all your notes from the whole semester
• scratch paper to doodle/plan your ideas on
• tbirdnation.org or SUU Confessions open in a tab for your study break distractions
• ugly sweater

Step One: Go to the library. You can't get studying done outside the library. Trust me, I've tried. Set up your station on the third floor with your computer surrounded by notes, books, snacks, and water. You'll probably see your friends there but put in your headphones (playing Pandora of course) to get rid of the temptation to talk to them.

Step Two: Actually study. Bury yourself in those notes and learn, learn, learn. Or, if you're writing a paper or doing an assignment, make yourself work on it for 30 minutes before taking a break. Repeat.

Step Three: Take a break. Read tbirdnation.org or SUU Confessions to entertain yourself, walk around, say hi to one of your friends who is also taking a break (don't distract your friends who are working). Give yourself a time limit on your break and then get back to work.

Step Four: If you find that you can't concentrate at all and you're getting nothing done, head over to the PE Building and go for a jog. It will relax your mind and make it easier for you to concentrate when you return.

Step Five: Chances are, during finals week you'll be invited to at least one ugly sweater party. (I'm going to one tonight.) Allow yourself to go, at least for a little while. Ugly sweater parties are awesome.

Step Six: Get enough sleep. Then study some more.

Step Seven: Ace that final! You've done all you can and there's no reason to stress about it now. Don't forget your scantron, be confident, and walk out of there with your head held high. You did it!

Lessons learned on turkey day 2013.

My family has no shame.
It's Thanksgiving morning and the phone rings.

      Me: Hello?
      Grandma: Shannon! Oh, thank goodness! I need help! Bring Colby! I ruined the stuffing!
      Me: Oh, um, okay. We're about to leave.
      Grandma: Hurry!

Upon arrival in Bountiful, we are ushered inside to the helpless stuffing and my boyfriend goes on to not only fix the stuffing, but also carve the turkey and make gravy from scratch. Cue my cheeks to flush from embarrassment.

When the turkey is finally carved (and seasoned), it's time to eat.

      Grandpa: Shannon, you can say the prayer since you and Colby are running the show. (?)
      Chorus of children: Yay Shannon! Woohoo! Go Shannon!
      Me: (prays)
      Mom: (after the prayer) Did you even bless the food?
      Me: (blushing again) Oops. Don't tell anyone.

Thanksgiving dinner, luckily, goes smoothly. But next is the family Minute-to-Win-it tradition, except without the timer. Last three people to complete each game are out.

Game 1: Toss marshmallows into your partner's mouth. Colby and I win in two seconds flat on the first try.

Game 2: Slide a cookie from your forehead into your mouth without using your hands. I beat this one in about a minute. Everyone else slowly makes it in. Colby is still struggling. Blake is yelling pointers at him at the top of his lungs. It comes down to the last four. Finally he does it. Isn't even happy.

Game 3: Blow a bubble with really crappy bubble gum. I'm around fourth on this one. I learn that Colby doesn't know how to blow bubbles with gum (at all). He's out.

Game 4: "Water pong." (self explanatory) I win this one easily.

Game 5: Move sixlets by sucking them in with a straw from one cup to another cup on the other side of the room. I'm the last person to qualify on this one. Literally cannot breathe by the end and have to sit down because I'm so lightheaded.

Game 6: Hold a popsicle stick in your mouth and stack 6 die on top of it. I own this one. On to the final round.

Game 7: Hold a tennis racket between your legs and move a bead into a marked square. I get destroyed by my aunt who does this before I even move. Kiss the fame goodbye. I still can't breathe thanks to game 5.

At this point, Colby's pretty upset because he can't blow bubbles, I'm about to pass out due to lack of oxygen, and the day is only half over. I get dragged into a game of children's bingo while everyone else gets to relax. "Pay attention Shannon!"

Finally, we eat pie. Chocolate is greater than pumpkin.

Can't forget the other family tradition of adult bingo, though. I already won a Duck Dynasty novel from children's bingo but oh, that's not all. Adult bingo is still on the schedule and destined to last at least 14 hours. Children keep talking over the numbers being read, "prizes" are being rapidly traded or given away, and rules are changing by the second. At the end, I have acquired salt and pepper shakers, a fake rat, and a Post-It note handbag. Colby has a diary, a foreign sun hat, and a women's RSL shirt. (I was pretty stoked about the latter.)

It was definitely time to go. Thanksgiving was a pretty wild time.
And the fact that I still have a boyfriend amazes me.

How being a senior is not like being a freshman.

Sometimes I wonder how I ever became a senior in college. And then I look back at my life as a freshman and I'm like "oh."

Freshman year:

• Somehow have all the money in the world even though you have no job. Let's totally drive to Vegas, back to Cedar, to St. George, and then to Salt Lake all in the same week and pay for all the gas.
• Craziest social life ever. Stay up until 2 a.m. watching your friends play Call of Duty until they finally let you play and then ridicule you the entire time and then never let you play again. Or watch all the Paranormal Activity movies in a row on the floor of a dorm room. Or wander around Walmart in the middle of the night for no reason.
• Be an idiot about dating. But all the older guys are into you because you're so cool (*clueless)!
• Never have homework. Or maybe you do have homework but you never do it? Or you just have no recollection of doing it because you spent too much time watching Call of Duty and now your brain is fried.
• Don't go to class but also don't fail class. Freshmen never go to class and they're totally fine! How is that even possible? Also what do they do when they're not in class?
• Eat a ton of food but never gain wait. Freshman 15 is a total lie. I could eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted and I felt super great. Dining hall all day every day.
• Go home in the middle of the school day and take a nap. After all, you just live right across the street! And what else do you have to do?
• Keep the same backpack all year. You don't have any heavy books to carry. Most of the time you barely need a notebook, let alone your laptop. Sometimes you use your backpack to hold an apple you took from the dining hall.

Senior year:

• Work two jobs and never have money. Oh, you're going out for ice cream at Carl's Junior? Let me see if I have an extra 50 cents in my budget this month.
• No social life whatsoever. Sleep, eat, school, work, homework, sleep, repeat. And on the weekends, watch an entire season of New Girl on Netflix and don't talk to anyone unless it's your neighbor's cat.
• The only person you think about talking to is your boyfriend. At least you're not that clueless about dating anymore, I guess.
• Do nothing but homework. Write eight essays in two weeks. Oh and do a project, and write a speech, and then two more projects. But hey, also don't forget about your grad school apps.
• Go to every single class and have a full fledged panic attack if you have to miss a class for any reason even if it's valid. Oh my gosh did we have a pop quiz? What if I don't have the notes for the next test? Maybe the essay was explained and now I'm going to have no clue what to write. Life is over.
• Eat nothing but healthy food and work out for an hour every day and still gain weight. I swear I just ran fourteen miles so it's all muscle weight right? I knew I would never recover from eating all those crepes in France. But also... worth it.
• Stay at the school for at least 12 hours every day. There are a million essays to write and also who can afford the gas it takes to get home and back an extra time?
• Break two backpacks in the first three months of school. I don't understand why this $15 Urban Outfitters bag can't handle holding my laptop, five textbooks, and a massive planner. What a rip-off. 

Okay, okay, senior year isn't as bad as I make it out to be. It's actually a lot of fun! But it's definitely no care-free freshman year. I can't believe I only have one semester left.

College. Yikes.

This time of year can get crazy. Finals are coming up, projects are due, and you're trying to apply to college. Here's a list of ten pointers to follow when you're getting ready to submit those applications.

• DON'T panic. Deciding to go to college is a big step, especially if you're not sure exactly where you want to go. But don't worry, it will all work out. The more you panic, the more unnecessary stress you will put on yourself.
• DO apply to more than one school. Even if you do know exactly where you want to go, it's not wise to put all your eggs in one basket. If you don't get in to your dream school, you will want to have other options.
• DON'T only apply where your friends are going. If you actually want to go to that school for good reasons, go ahead and apply. But don't just set your sights on a school that might not have your hear just because all your friends want to go there. College is a new start and a good time to expand your circle of friends.
• DO apply to schools that you love. Even if it's not your parents' top choice for you and even if you won't know a single person going there. My choice fell in both of those categories and it worked out pretty well. In the end, where you go to college is about you and your life.
• DON'T wait until the last minute. Applications take time, and the sooner you get yours in, the better chance you will have of getting scholarships and other opportunities. SUU's priority scholarship deadline is December 1st, which is just around the corner.
• DO take your time. Most schools require essays as part of the application, and you definitely want to take the time to make sure you write a quality paper and don't just throw it together to get it over with.
• DON'T only look at schools online. Call or email your admissions counselors, talk to your teachers at school, learn from people in your community about their college experiences and what they recommend. 
• DO visit the schools you are thinking about. Take a tour, attend a class, get to know current students and what their life is like. At SUU, you can sign up for a campus tour any weekday and there are tons of upcoming events for high school students.
• DON'T worry about committing yet. Applying to a school and being accepted isn't a commitment until you make it one.
• DO attend events to gain more opportunities. For example, SUU has leadership weekends that showcase all of the leadership organizations on campus, and just by coming you will be placed in one. Many other universities have similar opportunities.

I know applying for college can be crazy and overwhelming. The thought of moving out and leaving your home and your comfort zone can be terrifying, but I promise it is worth it! I wouldn't change or take back the experiences I have had at SUU for anything. Don't worry. You'll make it.

On fire.

I have so much to do.

Two jobs, eight essays, two books, one project, two events, three tour hours, three grad school applications, two tests: one girl named Shannon. And that is just all I know of so far this month.

At work this past week we had a meeting about burnout and how to avoid it. Contrary to stress, which is mostly physical and involves trying to do too many things in a short amount of time, burnout is mostly emotional, more gradual, and involves not wanting to do any of the things you need to do. I'm not one to get stressed or burned out very easily, but I just wanted to share some of the ways I prevent it... for the rest of you who are in the same boat out there on the rough seas.

1. Exercise. I talk about this all the time but honestly I don't think there is any better way to combat stress and burnout. A lot of people think they don't have time to fit in a workout when they have mountains of homework and classes and meetings, but it doesn't even have to be long! You can find a million 15 minute workouts on YouTube or even get a free app like Nike Training Club that will guide you right through short exercises that can be as simple as stretching. I'm one of those weirdos in the library that always gets up to stretch because just moving your body for five minutes helps you focus better for the other 55 minutes of the hour. Plus, it keeps you healthier which makes it even easier to study!

2. Eat right. You have to fuel your body to be able to get everything done without becoming sleepy and lethargic. And that doesn't mean drinking two bottles of Coca-cola and eating a granola bar. It means taking time out of your day to prepare yourself an actual meal that will make you feel good. Just like exercising, this doesn't have to take a long time either. There are plenty of things you can make quickly that will end up making a huge difference in how you feel and perform. Here's a recipe I got from the Biggest Loser that is amazingly good - and good for you! Even though it sounds like it would be weird.

     1 sweet potato

     4 ounces ground turkey

     1/3 cup fresh salsa

     2 tablespoons jarred green salsa

     2 tablespoons fat free Greek yogurt

Poke the potato on all sides with a fork and microwave it for 6 minutes, 3 minutes on each side. (May need to be longer depending on the size of the potato.) Meanwhile, cook the turkey over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until it is brown on all sides, breaking it into bite-size chunks as you do this. Then, cut open the potato and load it with the fresh salsa, then the turkey, and then the green salsa. Top with the yogurt and enjoy!

3. Get enough sleep. I know that when I don't get enough sleep, not only am I cranky but I'm also super unmotivated. All I want to do is go back to bed. However, I have found that if I make myself get eight hours of sleep every night even if my homework isn't all the way done when I go to bed, I always have the energy and drive to get it done the next morning, plus I do a way better job on it than I would in the middle of the night. Sometimes when you're stressed it can be difficult to get to sleep, but there are lots of apps that will play soothing sounds for you to get your mind off of things. Or, try this website and add music in the background as well. It's so nice.

4. Budget. Money can be a huge stressor when you have to pay tuition, rent, car payments, gas money, feed yourself, and maybe have a little fun every now and then. Studies have shown that people who budget their money are happier, and probably less stressed as well! I'm all about apps today but there is this awesome one I found called Mint. Now that I can see where my money is going and plan how much I'm going to spend and save, life is so much less daunting.

5. Breathe. Just remember, you'll end up getting everything done, and even if you don't, life will go on. I find it helpful when times get tough to spend a few minutes breathing, stretching, or meditating. The best thing ever to do is look up a guided meditation on YouTube. You feel amazing after and they don't even have to be long. Plus, it can put you right to sleep if you have too much on your mind. Here is a short one and here is a longer, but good one.

Stress and burnout are real things that are definitely affecting me, and I'm sure it's the same for a lot of you right now. But I know that by taking care of yourself you can make it through... and even make life a little easier in the process!

We'll make it.

How do you say "I'm terrified" in French?

This was the story of probably the most terrifying but most rewarding moment in my life. I went to France after my first year at SUU for my EDGE (Education Designed to Give Experience) project. This is a program where you choose from one of five centers on campus - Outdoor, Leadership, Creativity, Community, and Global - and design your own project to do outside of the classroom. I chose to do a study abroad and it was definitely amazing: incredible food, museums, shopping, amazing food, school, beaches, hikes, new friends (and delicious food).

I had been taking French in school for seven years but I wasn't super confident in my ability to actually speak it to people, especially when I got there and tried to talk to my host family and all the students in my class, who were amazing at French. But, the longer I stayed, the better I became, and eventually it was all summed up in the situation described here. I missed my train and was all alone in a giant train station where no one spoke very good English. As I'm sure you can imagine, I was scared out of my mind, but I made it. It turns out my French actually was good enough for me to find myself a new ticket and the train I needed, and I've never felt more proud of myself.

If it wasn't for the EDGE program, I probably never would have had this amazing opportunity to spend a month of my life in France and grow personally in ways I couldn't even imagine at the time. Plus, I got to knock out half the credits I needed for my French minor in just four weeks, in a different country, while paying the same tuition I pay at SUU. It was basically winning all around.

And the food... ahhh.

It starts with a D and ends with ecisions.

If you've been reading my blog for a while, I'm sure you came to this realization long before I did, but I'm just going to come out and say it. My greatest fear is making decisions and I don't know how to face it.

I mean, I should have figured this out a long time ago, honestly. My entire life, I have either jumped into things without thinking about them or put them off until I was forced to do something. I only applied to one college, for heaven's sake. If that's not a fear of decisions, I don't know what is. And you have patiently read about my antics of changing majors and going on missions and other madness.

Unfortunately, I am nearing time to make one of the bigger decisions of my life so far: graduate school. I've already decided that I'm going, and after much deliberation, decided that I'm going to do student affairs. Just reaching those two conclusions has been awful enough. But obviously, I can't only apply to one school like I could for SUU because I don't have the knowledge that I will get in for sure. I'm panicking and I haven't even applied anywhere yet!

But seriously, even thinking about the whole process of applying and then deciding what to do makes me want to curl up under 20 blankets and never come out. I know it's not that big of a deal and that I'll know what to do when the time comes, but for some reason my body can't process that. I never get stressed out about anything except for this. I need help.

Someone tell me how to get over my fear of decision making without making decisions.

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!

The narrows.

Last weekend I got to cross one of my biggest summer bucket list items off: hiking the Narrows. Which meant I got to spend 6 hours between the walls of a canyon and up to my knees in water looking at this kind of gorgeous scenery. It was truly one of the most humbling experiences. Also, I got to wear really cool socks.

There were many highlights which included trying to eavesdrop on the conversations of French people, being up to my waist in water because I'm so short, thinking there was going to be an orange grove around the corner because someone peeled an orange, getting laughed at when I fell in the water, laughing at Colby when he almost fell in the water, doing parkour, getting hounded by some dad about where we went hiking, and mainly just taking in the beauty that is really right in our backyard.

If you get the chance to hike the Narrows, I highly recommend you take that chance! Next up: Angels Landing!

Honors.

From July 10 to 20, I had the opportunity to leave the world behind and become a counselor for the Governor's Honors Academy. Long story short, this is a nine day leadership camp at SUU for excelling high school seniors. I attended it myself at the age of 17, and this year I was able to return as a counselor.

For some reason I entered this experience not expecting to learn anything new, but just to help these kids learn about themselves and where life could take them. After all, I've already been to GHA so what else could it really teach me? By the end though, I'm pretty sure I learned more than they did about how to be the best person I can be every day, set and achieve goals, and start on the path to accomplishing my dreams (as soon as I figure out what those dreams are).

Here is a compilation of some of my favorite quotes from the speakers I got to experience:

"When they told me I couldn't do it, I said, 'you watch me.'" - Cyndi Gilbert

"Everything is always changing but it doesn't matter. You deal with the cards you're dealt every day." - Steve Gilbert

"If you have an idea, and turn it into a dream, and plan it and live with it until it succeeds, it will succeed." - Fred Adams

"Remember, working eight hours a day at something you don't love is hell." - Fred Adams

 "The 'good life' is always a beginning, not an ending. It's getting there, not being there. It's on the side of the mountain, not the top." - Don Gale

"Don't be normal." - Bruce Crankshaw

 "By changing our thoughts, we can change our lives." - David Litchford

There really are no words to accurately explain how GHA changed me and how it continues to change everyone involved every day. But, as Andy Andrews so eloquently put in The Noticer: "Life is a little like dessert. Keep your fork, the best is yet to come."