a week without facebook.

I've recently taken a really microscopic look at myself; trying to re-evaluate where I am in regards to the goals that I've made. I didn't much like what I had to see. So in an effort to become the me I want to be, this week I decided to not use my facebook account. It's unbelievable how much time it sucks away from, well, life....LIVING. Granted, I have cheated a couple of times. This week a massive game of assassins is going on, and I need some information on my hit :} But other than that I've been pretty good I believe. Not perfect: NEVER PERFECT, but pretty good.

In some ways I feel like doing this has helped me to not focus on myself so much. Dad and I recently had a conversation about the "pitfalls of technology". The topic of conversation isn't a new one to either of us, but I definitely feel like I can understand his point of view more. Maybe I'm growing up or something? Anyways, he told me a of a study done that evaluated people's self-esteem and how that was dependent on the number of friends they had on facebook. Don't ask me how one measures self-esteem, but apparently it can be done. Dad said that the people who had 700+ friends typically scored lower on the self-esteem tests compared to the people with 200-300 friends. Obviously this inverse trend was just an observable pattern; there are exceptions. Interesting stuff right?

Instead of getting on facebook during my morning routine, I "tuned into" the New York Times. Basically I just sat and ate breakfast while reading the paper on my laptop. I'm amazed by how much goes on in the world literally undetected. Maybe it's just me, but I had NO idea about nearly everything that's been happening in Libya, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and even within my own country (politically speaking). Reading the articles, while not understanding a lot of it, has been so enlightening and disheartening at the same time. Enlightening in a intellectual sense; disheartening emotionally. Last night Carly, Liz, Kimmie and I got into a discussion about whether or not we agreed with Obama's decision to declare the Defense of Marriage Act (1996) unconstitutional. We discussed how these changes might affect our futures, our kids and the socioeconomic structure of our nation.

To make a long story short, I really wish to encourage people to take some time to step outside yourself. I'm not sure how you'd  be able to tell if you're outside yourself or not; maybe that's something each person has to determine for themselves.

Either way, look out, up and away. 

The view of yourself can be a lot better the further away you look.

There is a reason for my beliefs.

I miss Washington

Ok I'm not gonna take credit for all of these pictures... some I did take though.

But the point is... can you blame me for missing this state?!

A conversation with Ethan

Jess: So what are you giving out for Valentine's day tomorrow?

Ethan: Oh, just some Star Wars Valentines...

Jess: WHAT?! That's it!?

Ethan: well I'm giving out kisses too; chocolate kisses..

Jess:  uhhhhh what other type of kisses would you be giving out Ethan?

*awkward silence.....

Ethan: uhhhhm I don't wanna be handing out THOSE kisses.... yet....

What a great child.

update!

I haven't died :)

Although some days I feel like dying because I just want to sleep forever!

This past weekend was absolutely insane! Friday night a group of friends and I camped out for the BYU vs. UofU basketball game for the following Saturday. 10 people, in a 2-3 man tent... at least that's crossed off my bucket list now!

The game was so intense! We killed them of course, but it was amazing to literally feel the camaraderie!

For those of you who haven't heard yet, we have an phenomenal player on the basketball team, the name is Jimmer Fredette. He's a senior from Glen Falls, New York, and he is literally incredible. I'm not going to try and push the "Fredette religion" down your throat (mostly because I really don't understand basketball well enough to do that) but if you get a chance to watch him play, you'll start to understand why BYU is buzzing with his name 24/7. Regardless of the hype... I am a fan :)

Life's been good so far. Last week was an amazing week for me and I think I owe that to my determination to make it so, and because the week prior was so bad that any new beginning would've been amazing.

This week started off a little rough for me. Thanks to the camp out, all of Saturday I was running on the fumes of an oily rag, (thanks for that saying mom!) so I ended up having 5 hours of sleep over the weekend. Never have I felt so old in my life; sometimes I swear 18 is the new 40. Saturday DAY was fun because my good friend Aaron came down with his roommate Dylan, as well as a bunch of their friends from BYU-I. It was fun meeting all of them and getting to visit with Aaron again because that didn't happen at all during Christmas break.

Last night was crazy! 4 of my friends got their mission calls! 2 FHE brothers and 2 friends that I knew from back home. Of the FHE brothers, one is going to the West Indies, and the other is ironically going to Lubbock, Texas... Spanish speaking. Of the friends from back home, one is going to the Vladivostok, Russia mission; the other is also going to the West Indies. I had never heard of anyone getting called to the West Indies, yet 2 friends were called there on the same day!

It has been astounding for me to see all of these guys preparing to leave for 2 years. Never before have I realized the importance it is to these young men.

A couple of weeks ago some roommates and I finally found housing for next year :) Carly, Liz and I are all going to room together again, with Natalie and some of her roommates as our neighbors! Jillian's family owns a condo down here, so it was more practical for her to live there. Honestly though, she's probably going to be at our place more than her own haha. We're living at this place called The Brittney, which is a couple blocks south of campus. So glad that's all taken care of.

Classes are going ok. I have determined that I will NEVER be a chemist, which is just fine to me. I asked my TA a couple days ago if chemistry was really that important to having a major in Exercise Science, and he said that unless you know upfront that your career is going to require you knowing chemical equations, than most likely not. Why it is a requirement? I have yet to find out.

Anatomy is just as amazing as ever :) We recently took a look at all the structures of the Central Nervous System (basically brain and spinal cord.) Everyday I leave that class with a deep appreciation for a Supreme Being who organized such an amazing creation.

Carly and I have recently begun a new workout regime. We go to the gym nearly everyday, and if we continue that pattern for a month we are going to treat ourselves by going shopping! Not that I need it at all, but it will be nice to just poke around the mall and check out the new spring lines. MWF is cardio, and T,TH and possibly Saturday are weight days. Having done this for nearly a week now it's surprising how good I feel; I hadn't planned on immediate results! As a dorm we've decided that we're going to run a 5k for the American Red Cross foundation in March. So I guess we're kind of training for that as well. I can't tell you how good it feels to finally be back into some sort of exercise pattern. Not having a sport every week has been a major source of sadness for me.

I know I've mentioned this before, but people are so amazing to me. What amazes me even more is how quick I am to judge them, and how wrongly my judgments usually turn out to be. I've recently been able to get to know someone, and initially I never would've guessed that they liked doing the things they do. I sincerely believe that every person has a very "deep" side to them. "Deep" being defined however way you like it because that's all your frame of mind will be able to understand. "Deep" to me means something very different than it does to you. Weird how all adjectives are relative like that huh?

Anyways, that's basically all that's been happening so far... and this was mostly a post just to post something because some days, I feel like I've got to blog, but there's no specific reason backing that desire up. Maybe next time I'll have a genuine thought for the day haha.

Optimism.

I wish I did this every morning.

Mom would be so proud!

This was my lunch today...

and it was delicious!

what words can't express

This has not been a good week for this kid. A lot of things (ok maybe 3 things) all happened seemingly at once, and it just made the week terrible really. One of my good friends is going through a hard situation right now and the effect it's had on me is rather... inexplicable actually. I don't know why I'm so upset by the whole thing but I am. I want to tell him that things are going to work out, that he'll be fine, and that people love him still! Anyways after hearing about his circumstances.... I promptly failed a chemistry test. Not as in "I didn't do well on it", but failed as in 42% on the test. Doesn't get much worse than that people! Then one of my friends almost got engaged and it completely threw a whole new perspective in front of my face. I could be getting married in the next 2-3-4-5 years!!!! Marriage was something that was joked about, discussed, dreamed of etc. etc as a teenager but with the mindset of "oh that will never happen" because at that age, it wasn't even a possibility. Now, it is.

Well, regardless of how this week went, I'm determined that this next one will be much better! Which really won't be too hard to do. Only way is up right?