891

- Best roommates ever.  .    .

Getting a roommate that is as awesome as Kate is like one in a million. . .

. .  .   . and getting a whole apartment that I Love is like winning the lottery

4 8 15 16 23 42

in all my asking for good roommates, I never would have dared to think I would get 

Jen, Sara, and Kate

What I will remember:



 #totesdefholla #Getitgirl #yes

"Ah-freak-cus"
"no you wouldn't"
"oodles and oodles of noodles"
"look at it"
"soft friends"
"guitar hero or ....."

Gwen Curtis
Toto
water bottles
Pennsylvania Pittsburgh
Dq and Sammy's

I will never forget these amazing girls
nor the best BYU semester I have ever had


(Kate was such a good sport for taking some roommate pictures even though she is not a fan)

891 forever

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”

I think this might become a new hobby of mine

I found another abandoned place this saturday. There is something so exciting and addictive about a broken down over grown buildings.

I was so surreal- it was dead quiet and I was the only person as far as the eye could see

Beyond the awesome half structures that were there

the lighting that morning was perfect

and the land itself was beautiful with all the muted colors and such

I just scratch the surface of possibilities at this place

I am definitely planning on going back. . . and finding a few more places

My Books

I am in between books right now and I do not know what to do with myself. Every time that I close a book I feel so sad. It is almost like I have lost a friend. Some books have done this more than others. I have decided to make a list, not just of my favorite books, but rather books that changed me. These books have altered forever how I view and think about the world around me.

 GONE WITH THE WIND

This book was the most amazing experiences I have had. Yes, experience. Scarlet O'Hara was my friend for over a year as it took me that long to read its 1448 pages.Scarlet is one of the most endearing and strong characters ever written about. This book captures the life of the Civil War and Reconstruction years through the eyes of the south. I have a hard time looking at history the same anymore as I feel like I have had a personal experience; as well as a view from the other side of the war. Everyone should read this book!

JANE EYRE

This book is probably my most favorite books I have ever read. The language is beyond compare as it beautifully captures the moment, emotions and all. I have never read anything quite like this book and believe that Jane Eyre will always be my high standard for books. This story is about a strong heroin who is true to herself and has true integrity. I can relate so well to Jane and her commentary on life. When I was in London, I found the most beautiful 100+ year old copy and I will treasure it forever.

THESE IS MY WORDS

I read this right after I had finished Gone With the Wind and I could not help compare the two. But even in the wake of such a book, These Is My Words stood its own. This was such a personal account of life in the territories. Over all this book showed me the human spirit and what we are all capable of doing. Sarah Prine is one of the most amazing women ever to have lived. While this book is mostly fiction, it is loosely based off of Nancy Turner's great grandmother.

THE HUNGER GAMES 

I have to put this book on my list. Not a day goes by that I don't think about this book in some form. I read this way before it was known or had any hype and expected nothing when I went to read it. I was Blown away from what I read. The first book is truly my favorite as it was so new and exciting to me. It was a breath of fresh air; it was so innovative and creative.

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY

This is a remarkable study comparing the Enlightenment to the new incoming Romantic movement. This book is wonderfully rateable and like all Jane Austen books, have such strong character archetypes. It was when we read this book in English class in London that I fully gained my appreciation for this book. There is so much more to this story then a "romance."

 HARRY POTTER

No list would be complete with out the Harry Potter series in my taste. I am a part of the Harry Potter generation and I am so proud. Ever since first grade Harry has been apart of my life through books and movies. J K Rowling told us of one of the most amazing worlds and now ours will never be the same. Severus Snape is by far my most favorite characters of all time, ever since the first time I read the sorcerers stone. He owns the saddest most complex tales of all time. 

THE BELGARIAD SERIES 

This is one of the best fantasy series I have read. I grew so attached to all of the characters as they grow and learn throughout the five books. I love the world that David Eddings created in his books and relativeness of the characters and plots. My all time favorite heroine comes from these books. Polgara is a strong, independent, complex, caring. beautiful, stubborn, smart, powerful woman who gets what she wants. 

BLOOD RED HORSE

This was one of the first historical fiction novels I ever read and I have loved them ever since. This book is about the crusades and how two boys, both from different sides of the holy wars, were healed because of this horse. It has been a while since I have read it, but I truly loved it and it got me hooked on historical fiction.

Project: Rediscover Utah

So today at around noon, my new roommates Jen and Sara joined me on my first adventure for my project: ReDiscover Utah. This spring I went on study abroad London, and it changed my life forever. It got me thinking that possibly there was a Utah out there that I maybe did not know about. I lifted up every rock in London I could and lived it to the fullest, and came home realizing that I had done more in London then I had ever done at Home!

                      SO- we drove out to Santaquin Utah in search for a good time. What we found was an open highway, sheep, sage grass, and low and behold- THIS. .  .   .    .

It was a truly fun place to explore and play. The wreckage was fun, the graffiti vibrant, and the photo possibilities endless.

on our way back, we saw on the side of the road a place called One Man Band Dinner- we had to have dinner there. 

It had the perfect little town dinner feel to it as there was one girl working, the only people there eating were to old men and ourselves, and that the only music playing were the songs we choose in the jukebox. 

So while sitting next to Audrey Hepburn and other famous people, I enjoyed a mean BBQ hamburger and Fries- a Utah original

Sat Oct 27th: Found Utahs Fountains Abbey 

ReDiscovered Utah? Check

So yesterday we took our English final and then had History class. . .

UGH

so Kelsey, MaCall, and I went to Camden Market

And I went grocery shopping and bought a sweatshirt

We had our last dinner as a group in the center

And we spent the Whole Night Studying for our History Final

Which we took today!!!! 

WE are all DONE with finals and Spring Semester!

to celebrate our freedom Kate, MaCall, Kelsey and I let out bikes and had a great ride through Hyde and Kensington Gardens 

I will forever Love and Miss Kensington Gardens

Everything we did was for the last time today. . .

.    .  . way to emotional and sentimental

And in true british fashion, our last group event was to see Henry the V at the Globe

in the standing section

After the play we were left to wander the breathtaking beauty around us

I got to check my to do list all the way down to visit St Paul's one last time

Before we left we had to say goodbye to our friend the "waffle man"

He was the man for all of our needs

We told him it was our last night here and as a parting gift the waffle man gave us free candy

I will miss Waffle Man

along with just about everything else over here in London

I have grown and learned so much here

Through tough times and fun times

I am so grateful for my opportunity to enjoy living in a foreign country

to be surrounded by such great beauty and art

to have hands on learning

to meet such great people

And to learn to appreciate so much what I have

Our last trip on a coach. . .

It was a rainy windy day

We went to Blenheim Palace and boy was it Beautiful. Quite a spectacular building full of Baroque and Rococo design. 

We spent the day in Oxford 

It was a fun college town. Very different then what I thought it was going to be

We found the original Ben's Cookies and had to get a few

My new favorite is definitely coconut!  

We had a blue badge tour of oxford and got to see what our tour guide thought was important

Luckily for Kelsey our tour guide liked dinosaurs. 

It was a shame that the wind and rain was so hard. We were all cold and wet- not the best weather to explore. . .

Sadly the weather was so bad that we had to cancel going to Stonehenge 

But we cheered ourselves up with Wagamamas that night

Today I checked off my final to see building

It was the Westminster Cathedral

Since the central line was closed I took the circle which broke down- so I took the district. . .

This Cathedral is in the Victorian Style. . .

Singularly fascinating and extremely unique. I have never seen anything like this!

So, since I had so much fun getting to the Cathedral. . . I decided to walk back to the center. . .

Ha, a lovely 2.5 miles later I had gone through the city, under a triumphal arch, around hyde park, and through Kensington Gardens

I had to get back to meet up with a group who was going on the Mrs. Dalloway walk

I loved it. We got into deep discussions and stream of consciousness. This walk forced us to go where we would not have gone otherwise.                                

       

. . . Plus we walked right by Tiffany's!!!

Since it was such a lovely day, Kate and I decided to ride the London Eye!

It was a lot faster then anyone had told us....

but we had a great time bonding 443 feet in the sky. . . 

. . . surrounded by the city that was our home for two months

 breathtaking

after a whole day without food we went to tuk tuk and dug in