Running, dancing, and more running.

October is the best month of the whole year, in my opinion. Leaves crunching underfoot, chilly mornings and warm afternoons, haunted houses and apple cider.

Obviously, judging from my last post, it's been an eventful month. But aside from stressing about my future, I've done a lot of fun things too! Many of which I would recommend that you put on your schedule for next October.

1. Zombie 5Ks. Marissa and I were so pumped when we heard these things exist. Basically you sign up and get chased by zombies for five kilometers. We did one in Sandy that included a huge horde of zombies, fireworks, and free glowsticks, and then I just couldn't resist signing up for another one the next weekend with Ammaron. The second one was a gigantic obstacle course where we had to crawl through tunnels, climb ropes, and shoot walkers with paintball guns. I know you're jealous.

2. Haunted houses. I love haunted houses but I have very few friends that do. I try to make a habit of going to Nightmare on 13th every year and it's usually like pulling teeth trying to get anyone to come with me. Luckily I have some cool friends that I was able to coerce into coming with me this year. Keeping with the theme of zombies, the last third of the haunted house was full of them. Terrifying.

3. Dance parties. They never get old. DJ Marcus Wing was our BFF this month since we went to the ever-popular Hallofunkaween in northern Utah and then saw him again at the Scream at SUU. Just make sure you clear some room when Gangnam Style comes on.

4. Red Bull Rampage. This has nothing to do with October or Halloween, but I went to it and it was sweet. It's the biggest freestyle mountain biking in the world and happens in Virgin, Utah, just an hour away from Cedar City! I was reporting on it, so I talked to some riders and took one semi-cool picture.

5. Perks of Being a Wallflower. Amazing book/movie. Watch it/read it.

Throw in a couple episodes of the Walking Dead, some really good food, and great company, and you have the recipe for a solid October. I've enjoyed it. A lot.

PS. Thank you all for your words of encouragement about my last post, both on Facebook and in person. It means a lot to me and I'm pretty sure I know some of the best people out there! Love you guys.

An announcement.

Hi everyone. This is a post in the category of "time to get personal with Shannon." Welcome.

As many of you know, the past few weeks have been a rough time in my life, and the only advice I have received from anyone has been: "It's a choice between two good things." Incredibly helpful. So, I was left on my own to make this decision, and it has not been easy.

I haven't talked much about my religion, and unless you have visited my "About the author" page you might not even know that I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more commonly known as Mormons. I wish I could explain more about it but that might take a while, so if you're interested, click here to learn more.

I'm sure even if you don't know anything about my church, you have probably at least seen our missionaries. They are either young men in suits and ties or young women in skirts, both wearing black name tags and knocking on doors all over the world. Previous to this story, the men were encouraged to serve missions at age 19, and the women were allowed to at age 21 if they so desired. A few weeks ago, however, the church changed this to age 18 for young men and age 19 for young women.

I'm 19. This is where I had to make a choice.

As soon as this announcement was made, girls all over the world began crying, rejoicing, and texting their church leaders to start their mission papers. I was down in my little town of Cedar City, Utah saying, "This is crazy! This is awesome!" over and over again. I knew this announcement could completely change the next 18 months of my life, if not the entire course of my future.

Just a few weeks prior to all of this, I had been stressing hardcore about my major and what I want to do with my life. I had finally almost come to the conclusion I want and had about the next two years of school and opportunities planned out. Then, all of a sudden: "Oh yeah, or you could go on a mission." Cue explosions. Commence crisis.

As I saw it at the time, I had two choices: go on a mission and finish school later, or finish school now and maybe go on a mission later. I spent a week thinking, praying, meditating, reading, biking, hiking, going to the temple, and overall driving myself crazy over this decision. Finally, I had made a choice: I was going to go.

So, the next day I set up an interview with my bishop, the next day after that I made doctor and dentist appointments, and the next day after that I started filling out the papers. Then, for whatever reason, I put this all on the back-burner and decided not to think about it for a few days.

The next weekend I started wondering again. Had I rushed into this decision? Is this what I should be doing right now? Is it what I want to be doing right now? And that's when I realized there was a third choice: don't even make a decision yet.

I went to the doctor the next day and was stabbed with five needles after being told I am only five foot two and three quarters instead of five three, which was traumatizing. Then I went to the dentist and they told me I need to get my wisdom teeth out even though I am 100% positive that I went through that lovely experience last December. (I reminded them of this, don't worry, and they said, "Oh, JK!")

And after all this, I decided that my decision would be to not make a decision until I'm ready.

Which means I may have faced my deathly fear of needles for nothing.

Anyway, thanks for reading, if you've made it this far. A lot of people have been asking me what I'm doing, so here it is: I'm staying where I am for now. And if I do decide to go on a mission, it will be when the time is right for me, and I know then there will be no doubt in my mind.

Over and out.

Songs to ease a troubled mind.

If you're anything like me, the last few weeks (months) have been wildly stressful. Here are some songs I've been turning to for solace.

1. Whatever Will Be - Vanessa Hudgens
We all need a little advice sometimes from Baby V!

2. Times Like These - Jack Johnson
What will be will be. And so it goes.

3. Flower - Amos Lee
This is way up there on my list of favorite songs. It's also my ringtone. Just saying.

4. Hold On - Alabama Shakes
If this is not one of the coolest bands out there, I don't know who is. Her voice..!

5. Who You Gonna Turn To - Trevor Hall
And finally, the song that just might have all the answers.

It's the little things.

Rain when the sun is shining. Bare feet on hardwood floors. Snowflakes flying toward the windshield. Sunrises. Freshly washed hair. The smell of Christmas. City lights in December. Warm skin in the summer. Leaves crunching under boots. Crooked smiles. Eyes crinkled from laughter. Watermelon seeds. Loosely held hands. Blanket forts. Secret tree houses. Glow in the dark stars. Getting a letter in the mail. A good book on a stormy day. A brand new pencil. The sound of the ocean. Mowing the lawn. Running without purpose. Rolling down a hill. Swing-sets under the stars. A good view. Forehead kisses. Cookies and cream ice cream. Coloring a picture.

Butterflies in your stomach. Climbing a mountain without a path. Bike rides at sunset in the autumn. Pinky promises. Goosebumps. Apple cider. Star gazing and cloud watching and day dreaming. The hope the future holds. Changing plans. Singing hymns. Talking to yourself. Long showers. College campuses. Dewdrops on flowers. Poetry. Sun dresses. Corn mazes and pumpkin patches. Fruit trees. Clouds that hug the hilltops. Comfy slippers and classic movies. Unexpected eye contact. Shared secrets. Deep conversations. Sushi. The smell of a new book. Old fashioned newspapers. New friendships. Setting goals.

The stories that old people tell. Getting a ride when you thought you had to walk. River rafting. Paragliding. A huge dog that still likes to cuddle. Listening to music while cooking. Fresh chocolate chip cookies. Reading glasses. Polka dots. Movies that make you cry. Reunions. Children's cereal. A cup of tea. Missing someone. Framed photographs. Sunroofs. Bird silhouettes. Dust dancing in the sunlight. Afternoon naps. An inspiring quote. An unexpected phone call from an old friend. Bulletin boards. A thoughtful note. A lit fireplace on Christmas Eve. Harry Potter. Cliff jumping. Fishtail braids. Not procrastinating. Libraries. Inspiration and intuition.

We live in such a beautiful world.

Coming home.

It's been one of those weeks.

One of those weeks when your idea of a break is sneaking in a photo shoot between classes, work, and planning your future.

One of those weeks when you bomb a French quiz but decide to forget it about it and spend your night watching your friends compete for homecoming queen.

One of those weeks when you spend two hours wandering around campus learning the names of statues and the location of Grandma's Living Room.

One of those weeks when you only have one class on Tuesdays and Thursdays but you're still on campus until sundown, working, doing homework, and spending hours in the Welcome Center stuffing envelopes.

One of those weeks when you get a call when you're at a concert and have to fight your way out of the mob to cover a breaking news story.

One of those weeks when you go to True T-Bird for the free chapstick.

One of those really great weeks.

That being said, it's also been one of those days.

One of those days when you leave your apartment at 7:00 am and don't return until 8:30 pm.

One of those days when Thor fills out your race registration form for you.

One of those days when you're running on four hours of sleep, wake up at 6:30 am to run a 5K, then be in a parade, then go to a tailgate, then a football game, then go grocery shopping, and then take your roommate out to dinner for her birthday.

One of those days when after doing all of that, you think you're going to go to a party, but instead end up asleep in the fetal position on your couch for an hour and a half.

Then you take a shower and realize there's a lightning bolt sunburned onto your face.

Still, one of those really great days.

Homecoming 2012.

A glorious reappearance.

Remember back in the days of France when I basically survived off of crepes? Well, let me tell you a story.

Once upon a time, a few months ago, about the time I returned from France, I had dreams of owning a crepe maker. So I got myself two jobs and slaved away all summer in the heat in order to earn money to make my dream come true. My hard work eventually paid off, and a few weeks ago I bought something that looks like this:

Let's be honest, I didn't know what I was going to do with it. I don't know how to make cereal, let alone crepes. But I was determined to figure it out!

So, over the past few weeks, I began to accumulate the ingredients I would need. First milk and water, then salt, then eggs and butter, and finally, flour. They sat on the shelves of my pantry (except the milk, eggs, and butter, which sat on the shelves of my refrigerator) waiting for the day that I had time to cook something other than Easy Mac.

Thursday night, the time came to attempt to make crepes.

There's nowhere to keep my beloved crepe maker other than on top of our cabinets, so it began like this:

My first crepe was a fail because the crepe maker was on the highest setting which is obviously not where it should have been. The second crepe was a fail only because the recipe was not expecting me to be using a professional crepe maker and clearly underestimated my skills. Luckily, I corrected both these issues myself and finally created this masterpiece:

I know this is not the dainty, rolled crepe with chocolate drizzled on top that you're used to seeing at wedding receptions. No. This is the real deal: loaded with warm Nutella and a whole banana, folded in thirds like it should be. And it was amazing.

Basically, the first time making crepes was a huge success. I have dearly missed eating these while walking the narrow streets of the Parisian Latin District, or beneath the lights of the many Montparnasse theatres, or sitting by the Eiffel Tower. One day I will return to France, but until then...

While you're still young.

I found this on Tumblr and I kind of like it, so I'm sharing it with you.
Courtesy of January Nelson on Thought Catalog.

25 things to do before you turn 25.

1. Make peace with your parents. Whether you finally recognize that they actually have your best interests in mind or you forgive them for being flawed human beings, you can't happily enter adulthood with that familial brand of resentment.
2. Kiss someone you think is out of your league; kiss models and med students and entrepreneurs with part-time lives in Dubai and don't worry about if they're going to call you afterward.
3. Minimize your passivity.
4. Work a service job to gain some understanding of how tipping works, how to keep your cool around assholes, how a few kind words can change someone's day.
5. Recognize freedom as a 5:30 am trip to the diner with a bunch of strangers you've just met.
6. Try not to beat yourself up over having obtained a "useless" bachelor's degree. Debt is hell, and things didn't pan out quite like you expected, but you did get to go to college, and having a degree isn't the worst thing in the world to have. We will figure this mess out, I think, probably; the point is you're not worth less just because there hasn't been an immediate pay off for going to school. Be patient, work with that you have, and remember that a lot of us and in this together.
7. If you're employed in any capacity, open a savings account. You never know when you might be unemployed or in desperate need of getting away for a few days. Even $10 a week is $520 more a year than you would've had otherwise.
8. Make a habit of going outside, enjoying the light, relearning your friends, forgetting the Internet.
9. Go on a 4-day, brunch fueled bender.
10. Start a relationship with your crush by telling them that you want them. Directly. Like, look them in the face and say it to them. Say, I want you. I want to be with you.
11. Learn to say "no" - to yourself. Don't keep wearing high heels if you hate them; don't keep smoking if you're disgusted by the way you smell the morning after; stop wasting entire days on your couch if you're going to complain about missing the sun.
12. Take time to revisit the places that made you who you are: the apartment you grew up in, your middle school, your hometown. These places may or may not be here forever; you definitely won't be.
13. Find a hobby that makes being alone feel lovely and empowering and like something to look forward to.
14. Think you know yourself until you meet someone better than you.
15. Forget who you are, what your priorities are, and how a person should be.
16. Identify your fears and instead of letting them dictate your every move, find and talk to people who have overcome them. Don't settle for experiencing .000002% of what the world has to offer because you're afraid of getting on a plane.
17. Make a habit of cleaning up and letting go. Just because it fit at one point doesn't mean you have to keep it forever - whether "it" is your favorite pair of pants or your ex.
18. Stop hating yourself.
19. Go out and watch that movie, read that book, listen to that band you already lied about watching, reading, listening to.
20. Take advantage of health insurance while you have it.
21. Make a habit of telling people how you feel, whether it means writing a gushing fan-girl email to someone whose work you love or telling your boss why you deserve a raise.
22. Date someone who says "I love you" first.
23. Leave the country under the premise of "finding yourself." This will be unsuccessful. Places do not change people. Instead, do a lot of solo drinking, read a lot of books, have sex in dirty hostels, and come home when you start to miss it.
24. Suck it up and buy a Macbook Pro.
25. Quit that job that's making you miserable, end the relationship that makes you act like a lunatic, lose the friend whose sole purpose in life is making you feel like you're perpetually on the verge of vomiting. You're young, you're resilient, there are other jobs and relationships and friends if you're patient and open.

Side note: I do not personally drink or have sex in hostels. It's a copyrighted work, what do you want me to do?