The End of A Beginning.

End of freshman year.
WOW.
Ironically everything I feel like I've learned this year really didn't relate in any way to academics. Okay... maybe I should say that I learned the most outside of a classroom than in one (that actually sounds like I learned some things... ha!)
Anyways, in many ways I feel like this post is a lot like the one I did during Christmas break: a "recap/regroup" if you will. Conversely there are so many new challenges and growing opportunities that happened this semester. A lot more than I can regurgitate or even think about right now. I think I've changed a ton since the end of senior year. Some things that used to bug me no longer have space on my radar. The things I should have been paying attention to my whole life are now filling the space.
Sleep is now a #1 priority.
just kidding!
.... sometimes.
My style has changed a bit as well. Hobbies, "ideas of a good time", food tastes, comfort zones and even BIG life goals have changed. My appreciation for the small things has changed also- I actually appreciate them! In some ways I really feel like I'm becoming the ME I've wanted to be my whole life! In other ways I know of habits and ideas that I have that I would love to change.
The people I've associated with the last 8-9 months have literally changed me. I struggled for a bit watching/observing them because I really couldn't look past what THEY had that I didn't. I think I'm getting better at learning to love the fact that other people are better than me. That probably makes me come off as conceited.... and honestly, maybe I was? Wouldn't surprise me.
It's an incredible thing to realize how much power and potential there is in the differences that exist between the lives people live. Recognizing that has proven to be really useful to me.

On a different note: this last week has been the most emotional one of my life. And not for THAT reason people.
It is the last week of the semester (sorry if that wasn't made clear earlier in the post) and as a natural result of that I've done a lot of serious reflecting on this year and how I've handled myself throughout it. Besides that there's been some tension between really close friends of mine and that's been hard. Not unbearable, just hard. Oh and not to mention trying to deal with the sadness of saying goodbye to the guys in the ward who I realistically won't see again and even to those I know I will see again.. OH and how did I forget? IT'S FINALS WEEK.
So yes, it's been a very emotional journey for this kid lately. Sunday was nice; I got some things resolved personally and our ward had a 4.5 hour testimony meeting. I used to be slightly freaked out by the idea that the church leaves it's expansion to the care of 19 year old boys. Not because I don't trust them, but because I'm friends with a lot of them, and frankly, (as Carly put it) "they can be morons sometimes." After the testimony meeting though, and honestly after this year, I can really say that I have no hesitation in trusting these boys to represent our church and more importantly, our Brother Jesus Christ in the various places they are called to labor.

It's probably one of the most frustrating things ever to not have the creativity or words to clearly put my feelings into the written word. There's just been so much that has happened in the last year, month, week that it's hard to even think about let alone describe. Especially when all I REALLY have time for is to think about how in the WORLD I'm going to understand Chem 105 enough to take the final tomorrow.

ANYWAYS, so I had this really odd moment today. After my Anat final I went to the Benson building to use the bathroom. AND NO ONE WAS IN IT!!
(ps: that bathroom is HA-UGE)
So that fact almost made my day.... (please don't judge, privacy is a precious commodity for any college student). THEN I heard something way weird. This girl at the end of the stall was talking on the phone! Yes, while using the the bathroom. Like.... USING the bathroom.
ummmmm, who does that?
Ok so yeah, I know I have before, but that was when I was in my own home/dorm, and the other person was like... Liz or Nicole or something. Everyone knows it's pretty taboo to talk in public bathrooms. Obviously it's a LOT different when using a girls bathroom versus a guys bathroom. But still. I thought it was just kind of common knowledge that you DON'T do that! No one wants to hear you.... yeah. you know.
Anyone else think that's really weird?

It's so crazy: I'm going to be back in WA by Sunday. What a great birthday present :)
so UNTIL then... have fun with life people! Because life sure likes to have fun with us all.