Bliss

Well, I've officially entered the big, scary, ominous world they call College. And ya know what! I'm actually loving it.

Before I decided to go to UVU I was planning to go to USU. I'd been accepted, I'd registered for classes, I was ready to go. But as time went by I'd lay in bed at night feeling like I shouldn't be going there. But I really wanted to. I didn't want to go to dumb UVU! After all it was my only other option because I refuse to go anywhere down south (why? no particular reason.) and I had no chance of getting into BYU. (And let me tell you. After one day of being on BYU campus during school I am SOOOOO glad I'm not. I'll explain later). So I finally decided that I would just defer from USU for two years and go to UVU.

I was not thrilled. I felt like UVU was the lowest of the lows. But it didn't matter because I was still going to go. Then one week before school started I went to orientation. Still not excited. But then Monday happened. And I realized I am supposed to be at UVU.

In two days I've grown to love the school. It's great! I love that all the buildings are connected (granted it does cause me to get lost everyday. Unless I'm in my classroom or the library I have no idea where I am.) I love that it doesn't feel over populated. Which leads my to why I'm SOOOOO glad I'm not going to BYU.

I get overwhelmed very easily. Extremely easily. The other day I had to meet my brother Jeff at the Wilkinson Center at BYU to return a book I'd bought from the book store there, because I didn't need it any more. So I drove up there and tried to find a parking spot..... For 45 minutes!!!! Are you kidding me? And to top it off all the students think they can cross the street whenever they please! So annoying. Then I finally parked at the Marriott Center, and met up with Jeff. We then proceed to walk into the Wilkinson Center. And goodness gracious there were people EVERYWHERE!

Then we walked into the bookstore and it was like they multiplied. To say the least by the time I left, I was stressed beyond belief. And that is why I am SOOOOO glad I'm not going to BYU. Too crowded. Other than that (and the dumb pedestrians) I love the school.

That's another great thing about UVU. I'm pretty sure they surpassed BYU in enrollment but it never seems over crowded to me. Heck all of my classes are the same size if not smaller than high school classes. It's wonderful and just what I need.

I also love the Institute at UVU. It's the best. My favorite part of the day. I get excited just walking over to the building. I'm taking a Doctrine and Covenant class (which I'm excited for. I love studying the Doctrine and Covenants) and I'm taking Repentance and Forgiveness. That class is amazing. I'm so glad I'm taking it. My brother Jeff suggested that I take it because he loved it when he took it. Today was the first day and I can tell I'm in for a treat. Brother Durfey is the teacher and he's awesome. He's so adamant and sincere about the subject and has such a strong testimony of it. If you ever get the chance to take it, do it. You wont regret it!

Today I was walking down the hall and the Institute had a table set up. And at the table they had Missionaries there! Real Missionaries! How cool is that. You're just walking down the halls and school and all of a sudden you see Missionaries. There are lots of people at UVU who aren't LDS so I just thought that was so awesome that they were there inside the school!

That's another thing that I love about UVU. The fact that there are quite a lot of people there who aren't LDS. Provides for some great missionary opportunities. I had one yesterday, but kind of blew it. There's this kid in my English class from Canada whose on the golf team and UVU and he was talking about how a kid on the team just got back from and LDS Mission and you could tell he was saying that because he wanted to learn more about it. He even asked us all if we were Mormon and we all were except for this one other kid in our group and I wanted to tell him more but I chickened out. But that's A-ok because I've got all semester.

Anywho. I was just excited and wanted to write about how awesome college really is. Especially UVU. (BTW I was a little disappointed to find out that a Wolverine isn't like a wolf or anything, its a relative to the badger and pretty much looks like a badger. It was quite the let down to find that out)

Chopped

This last year my hair had gotten pretty long. And I LOVED it. It was so easy to do anything with it (especially on lazy days). It was easy to make look good, up or down, straightened or just let the natural curls do their thing.
This last year has also been very, VERY hot. The heat with my long, thick hair wasn't a very good combo. Whenever I left my hair down I always felt WAY hot. So I decided that even though I loved my long hair it was about time to cut it. I also had very bad split ends. When I say very bad, I mean very bad. You see I only trust one person to cut my hair. That one person is Schizler, Karen Schizler. She knows what she's doing and always makes my hair look exactly how I picture it, so no one touches my hair but her. And she hadn't cut my hair in over a year.
So this last week we went, she worked her magic, and now my head feels ten pounds lighter, i'm not so hot all the time, and I can run my fingers through my hair with out finding ratty ends. It's wonderful. Now I just need to actually get trims and I can grow my hair back out.
Here's the before:

 That pic is kinda embarrassing but you can see the length. For me that length was quite the accomplishment.

After:

 Kinda fuzzy, but right after I got it cut. 

Susie got a trim. Also, as you can see from the above picture, She is now taller than me. 

My face looks like a different persons face in each picture. Funny.

Today has been oh so stressful. Buying textbooks will be the death of me! And my bank account. I think now that college is actually starting I am never going to have spending money again. Looks like I can't be like those "freshman that walk around in packs of 15 with Aviator glasses and brand new clothes". Haha that's what my brother Jeff said as he explained why he hates freshman. Someday I'll feel the same way, but I can't right now seeing as I am a Freshman. 

Freshman orientation happened and now I can kinda make my way around campus now. Luckily for me all my classes are in two different buildings that are right next to each other, so the chance of me getting lost is slim. 

I'm excited for this next step in life. If you would have asked me a couple of years ago I would of told you that I would have wished that the world would have ended before I would have to go to college, just so I wouldn't have to go. But now I'm way excited. I'm just not so thrilled about all the money involved. (which honestly is so ridiculous to me. I just don't understand why it is so expensive to sit in a class and learn.)

So Monday, this new adventure begins. And I'm ready. I even bought myself some pepper spray! Haha. Lets just hope these next four years go by as quickly, if not quicker, than high school.

WANEGBT

Have you heard this little gem yet? I quite like it. Very catchy. Of course. Taylor Swift wrote it. But I am a little confused. I always thought T-Swizzle was a country singer, but with every new album that comes out her songs sound less and less country! I don't mind. Not one bit. I've grown sick of country over the years so I'm quite enjoying this here new tune of hers. And I'll be willing to bet the WANEGBT is going to become that song that we all get sick of hearing on the radio because it is so over played. But until then I'll keep on enjoying it.

Although there is one problem. I want to buy WANEGBT and a number of other songs on iTunes, but.... I can't. Why? Because growing up sucks. Why does growing up suck? Because you have to go to college and college sucks. But Rachel, why does college suck? You wanna know why college sucks? Because it is so STINKING EXPENSIVE!!!!! I paid all my tuition last night and now I have zero dollars in my checking account. I even had to have my parents loan me a couple hundred so my next pay check will be going to them. So it's going to be a while until I can buy anything. At all. I don't know what I'm going to do about the whole car needing gas situation. Maybe once school starts, for the first little while, I'll be brave and ride my bike to school.

If college weren't so stinking expensive I'd be a whole lot more excited for it. It really puts a damper on things. But I am really excited for my major. I'm going to love learning more and more about it.
What is it that you're majoring, Rachel? Well I'm gonna be majoring in Behavorial Science with an emphasis on Psychology. I'm way pumped. I'm totally intrigued by that kind of stuff. But don't ask me what I plan on making a career in, because I have no idea yet.

When I was still in High School (so long ago, I know) I couldn't wait for college because that would mean that I get to move out. But now, in my wiser older years, I'm more excited to live at home and actually have money. I'm really lucky that my family lives so close to two great Universities. This way I don't have to move far away and be forced to move out and waste even more money. Don't get me wrong, I want to move out someday, but not until I can handle it financially. I want to have a good savings foundation before I start having to pay monthly bills and dumb grown-up stuff like that.

This summer has gone by far to fast. I'm both sad and happy about that. Sad because that means that I have so sit and learn all day again. Happy because fall and winter weather are getting closer and closer. I can't wait until the leaves start to fall and they crunch when you walk on them. I can't wait til I can wear jeans and cardigans and boots. And I can't wait to have soup for dinner all the time (I LOVE soup) and I can't wait to look out the window and night and just watch the snow fall ever so peacefully.

Okidokie, that's enough rambling. Time to get my closet and under my bed organized. Then at eight my shows on. If ya'll haven't seen Trust Us With Your Life I highly recommend it. It's hilarious. It's on Tuesdays at 8 on ABC.

Dream a Little Dream

Tuition is due in 11 days. Boo! I don't want to spend 2,000+ dollars just to learn. I mean come one. Whose idea was that anyways? I really don't understand why college is so stinkin expensive. Maybe one day I'll understand, but I'm not going to bank on it.

With tuition being due so soon that means one thing. School is starting soon. Double Boo! This summer has gone by WAY too fast. I wish I could rewind time. There are a couple days I wish I could relive. Wouldn't that be so great if you could rewind, fast forward or pause time. Oh boy. That would AWESOME!!

My neighbors who have lived across the street, the whole time we have lived here are starting to move today. It's sad. Everyone in this neighborhood seems to be moving lately. Maybe we should jump on the band-wagon. Just kidding. I hope my parents never move out of this house.

The other night I had a dream that I got shot. It was a pretty traumatic dream but the crazy part was that it felt SO real. I woke up and I still felt like I had been shot. I was positive that I had actually, indeed been shot so I just laid there expecting myself to die any minute. Luckily I was not actually shot and I am still alive. But it was a very weird dream/experience and I hope it never occurs again. But after that I did fall back asleep and had one of those dreams you never want to wake up from. Sadly I did wake up and reality hit.

When I was younger I had incredibly crooked teeth. My top two front teeth were all wacko because my grown up teeth grew in before my baby teeth fell out. So because those were messed up all my other teeth were messed up. And people made fun of me all the time for it so I couldn't wait until I could finally get braces.
Then one night I had a dream that I actually had braces. I thought the dream was real, and I was so happy. So that morning I went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror to check out my sweet, new braces only to find out I'd only dreamed that I had braces. I was pretty bummed.I get excited to go to sleep at night because I can't wait to see what I will dream about.

I grew up listening to the music my Dad grew up listening to. Because of this I love listening to all the oldie radio stations and all my favorite bands/musical groups are ones that are no longer together or dead or something. One of my favorite oldies are The Mama's and the Papas. I especially love their songs California Dreaming and This song. It's just marvelous.

I've been going to Lowe's Xtreme Air Sports a lot lately. And I am proud to say that I can now do more than a crappy front flip. I can now do a cart wheel with no hands off of the trampoline. I believe, but I could be wrong, that the technical term is an Aerial. I am pretty darn proud of myself. I even made it to the actual tippy-top of the rock wall. This girl is a future Gymnast. I mean I've totally got the right body type and everything for it. I'll be the next Gabby. You just wait and see.