Summer Reflection

Seriously, after I heard this song, it instantly reminded me of my summer adventures with the greatest group of people I could ever have the pleasure of knowing. Of course, there are so many other people who I've had the opportunity to spend time with over this past summer, but this song reminds me of the time I spent with my roommates and neighbors, specifically.

Thanks for all the fun times and memories! I may have moved, but I'll see ya around! :) I look forward to the future adventures we'll share!

 

Love you! <3

New Place

I moved! This is now my room.

I left everything that I loved about my previous home (roommates, neighbors, church, etc.). And the only thing I didn't love (dishes). Now I am to find new things to love. (Although they will most likely also be roommates, neighbors, church, etc... just different.)

Change is hard. I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before already, but I don't deal with change very well, at all.

However, ever since I came to the decision to not serve a mission, I felt very strongly about moving.
Especially to this particular house.

My dear friend, Charlotte, came to visit me in my new abode and shared with me something that Pres. Uchtdorf said:

Endings are not our destiny... there are no true endings, only everlasting beginnings.

I pondered this and started thinking that I probably don't like change because I feel like something is ending. Whether it is the possibility of a friendship ending, or a lifestyle.

This kind of understanding made me realize what has been helping me transition more smoothly than usual.

All the memories, relationships, and lessons I experienced over the past year are, and will be, with me. I get to keep those, and that won't change.

To everyone I've met in the past year: Thanks!

RE: Matt Walsh's take on Robin Williams' suicide

First of all, I just got off of work (now, a couple of hours ago... Haha), at my early morning job, when I read Matt Walsh's blog article. So I'm about to go back to bed (in the morning), but I feel like I need to write some feelings out before I forget. Which means this probably won't be written very well... With that being said, this is all based on my personal opinions and experiences; I could kind of care less about scientific blah blah blahs. Anyways, there's some heavy stuff in here, but bear with me.

I agree with most of what Mr. Matt Walsh has stated. Suicide is a choice. A very bad choice that may be a result of depression, but not because of depression. While I may not seem to be all that credible regarding depression, I too have had my experiences - whether it was with myself, or with others. I can't say that I've experienced the extreme/clinical depression that my close friends have suffered, as theirs is absolutely indescribable. However, I would believe it if someone told me that my past tendencies to pill pop were a result of depression. This seems confusing, right? Were my attempts at overdosing caused because I was depressed? On the contrary, I chose to attempt such actions as a means of escape. I knew that there were other ways I could overcome the evil voices overwhelming my mind. And I knew that there were other ways to fill whatever void I felt.

The trouble with most other people is that they may not know that there are other ways to escape, or other ways to "free" yourself; or they know, but are in denial. They have convinced themselves that suicide is the only way to escape from their bondage, when perhaps sub/consciously, they knew that they could talk to someone. In fact, maybe sometimes, they have even wanted to tell someone, but unfortunately chose not to. They consciously choose to not tell anyone because "they can't help me anyways" or "I don't want them to feel hurt because of me." I can also promise anyone who thinks these things that if they just talk to someone trustworthy and loving, some sort of positive effect will occur. Before anyone jumps to accusations: no, I am not blaming anyone who has committed suicide for not going to anyone. I'm sure they have tried, and if not, I can understand their fears.

The truth is, people suck. There are some people in this world who are downright scary. Who look down upon those who face depression. People who tell others that they just need to "suck it up." To "stop being over-dramatic." "Get over it." And sometimes, these scary people are the ones who have overcome depression. People are so unpredictable that it makes sense as to why "victims" have such a hard time mustering up the courage to seek help.

Now with all of this said, I'd like to reach out to everyone. Please practice being sensitive about the topics of suicide and depression (or anything else, for that matter). It's a very real thing in our world today, and we need more people who are willing to just love. Instead of saying things like, "They're going to go to hell" or "they're dumb, stupid, idiotic, cowardly, etc.," just love. If you can't love them, love and appreciate the people you care about and those around you for simply living. (Although I guarantee that there is someone within your peer group who is suffering from something if not suicide/depression.) Ultimately, the best way to help anyone is by loving them.

Our job is improving the quality of life, not just delaying death.  -Patch Adams

I am really grateful for the friends who have not only been there for me, but also to those friends who have chosen to talk to me (about anything, really), whether I could actually do anything for them or not. I'm grateful that they felt that they could trust me enough to talk about it. I'm grateful that I was given the opportunity to express my love for them, and support them. I am grateful for the fact that they are still alive, and a part of my life, today. Life is beautiful. We just need to find it. We're not supposed to "live to survive," we're supposed to "carpe that diem!" (Evelyn)

Carpe. Hear it? Carpe. Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary. - Dead Poets Society

Rest in peace, Robin Williams. I'm sorry that you suffered so much. I'm glad that you were able to live a good life. And thank you for all the joy you have brought to people all around the world.

PS. Please feel free to shoot me a message if you're curious about the specific details to my agreeing with Matt Walsh. It may be different from what is expected when initially reading that I "agree" with him.

The Mission Decision

There are many people who didn't know, but since about February, or March, I have been contemplating and preparing to serve a mission. It's been a long process, but I have ultimately decided to not serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

However, I want people to know why. The process itself has been a great experience and it needs to be recorded. (Plus, this is probably a more efficient way for people, who did know, to understand my decision.) If you don't care for the details and just want to get to the end, then just read the last 2 paragraphs. The details are mostly just for me anyways.

When I first considered serving a mission, I was probably on a little bit of a spiritual high and I was eager to keep my spiritual streak. I wanted to spiritually progress as much as possible, and what better way to do that than to serve a mission, right? Don't get me wrong, I still want to progress, but I feel less of in a rush to do so. I jumped into the process, getting the next possible meeting with my bishop to discuss paperwork. I got a new bishop that very Sunday, but it didn't stop me. He was just as excited as I was when we made plans to gain access to the paperwork. Since it was his first Sunday being called, he didn't have the necessary preparations. It was good though because it also gave me time to continue to ponder the decision before proceeding. 

The mission app photo

The pondering stuff was the tough part. I felt that I wasn't receiving an answer from the Lord as to whether he wanted me to serve a mission or not. Many people told me that both of my options (mission vs. preparing for marriage) were good things, but a mission would be great, or it's not required for me to go, blah blah blah. I knew all that, I just wanted to do what the Lord wanted me to do. Honestly, in my head, I became one of those people who would serve a mission if I didn't get married. Part of that could be because of my patriarchal blessing, but that's a bit more of a personal thing. But anyways, I didn't feel particularly moved towards any direction. Eventually, I was became exactly what I was trying to avoid - stale. From repetitive messages in church regarding prayer, I knew that I had to take action towards something, so I decided to continue working on the mission papers. I figured that I'd rather be ready to serve a mission if that was the eventual choice, than have to restart the process. As I was working on my paperwork I was actually pretty excited. At the end of April, I just needed my dental work to complete, then I'd be done with the paperwork. 

For those of you who have had cavities before...

I went home after the semester and had appointments arranged to get my dental check up. I expected a quick clearance with maybe a few cavities to work on, and that's it (I don't have wisdom teeth, so that wasn't a concern). Unfortunately, I had an infection under one of my molars. I ended up having to stay home longer as the process required surgery and drugs. During this time, I started hesitating about my decision and whether I WANTED to go. I even thought, maybe I just needed to go through the process to catch this infection before it turned out to be worse. Granted, I also lost my habits of scripture study and prayer, and reverted back to some not-so-good habits. So when I came back to Utah, I pondered more about what I wanted to do. I started to understand that the Lord wanted me to do what I wanted.

I believe I was at work when I eventually realized that it wasn't even a matter of whether I got married or not. I didn't really want to go anymore. I was scared. But still, more than anything, I just wanted to do whatever the Lord wanted me to do, and if the Lord wanted me to serve a mission, then I would go do it. I started to read my scriptures and pray again, and even though I didn't receive any answers for me specifically, I did my best to read with a humble heart, and I would find peace. For a while, I pressed on like normal, continuing to exercise my faith of knowing that I'd be okay as I trusted in the Lord. And as I pressed on like normal, I found that I would act as if I would stay here. I'd respond to my friends serving mission currently as though it wasn't even a possibility that I'd be on my own mission. This wasn't the determining factor, of course, but it was definitely interesting to think about. 

The determining factor really happened upon me within the last few days. My friend, Kris, was over at my place when he asked me, "What is the reason for you WANTING to get up every morning?" I couldn't answer. He wouldn't accept the answers of school or work, as those were "have-to"s. He encouraged me to find something I felt passionately about, that could keep me active and excited to get up everyday. I was kind of at a loss. Then later that night, my roommate seemed to be going through a hard time, and I talked to her. I did my best to speak by the spirit as I shared what I felt needed to be shared. During this experience, I realized that this was how I feel the most useful to the Lord. I don't know if it could be considered a reason for wanting to get up, but I want to be able to help the people around me. I know that I would be able to do that everyday for the people I meet on the mission, but I feel like I would be able to appreciate and be more effective for the people I meet in my ordinary, everyday life. When I initially felt these things, it felt good. I guess I just needed something really confirming it. That happened yesterday (Sunday) when I went to my friend's mission farewell talk. Now, usually when people attend a farewell talk, they might feel inspired to serve a mission or rekindle their post-mission work, or something like that. It's not that I didn't feel those things, but I felt that my mission was wherever I end up, not through an official call. Coincidentally enough, I had an interview with my bishop for the mission, and he wanted me to commit to something, rather than loosely receiving a call to serve a mission. I told him about how I didn't feel that I would go and explained to him how I came to this conclusion. I am really grateful for his support and for the spirit that was in his office. Everything felt right, and that I was going to be okay. 

I still don't really know where I will end up after the summer, but I know that I'll be wherever I'm needed as long as I continue to trust in Him. The Lord knows who needs my help, and whose help I need. He knows who I need to meet and what I need to say. I'm excited for my life and just knowing that the Lord is with me is a reason to get up every morning. I know that I left out some details, but throughout this process I've felt what it's like to be totally and completely alone, peer pressure, realizing my Heavenly Father's love for me, the blessings of the priesthood, and scripture power. I also had the great opportunity to build my relationship with my Heavenly Father as the decision was between me and Him, only. If perhaps in the future, He wants me to serve a mission, then I will go and do so, but I feel confident that I have other things I need to do here, as a member missionary and as an example. For those who are contemplating a mission, I encourage you to really contemplate it. Converse with your Heavenly Father about your concerns and excitements regarding a mission. Don't let yourself feel pressured by the people around you. Male or female, there will always be someone (and most likely more than one person) who will support you no matter what, and encourage you to do what you think is best for you. And hopefully whatever is best for you is decided with the spirit. Finally, for those of you who have already served missions (or not, and for whatever length of time), we hear it often, but your mission hasn't ended. Everyday is a mission, and whether your way of serving that mission is to preach the gospel, pull weeds for someone's yard, or care for others in some way, there's something the Lord would like you to do. Seek out what seems to be right for you and trust that the Lord will guide you to where you need to be.

Feel free to contact me however if you have questions about my experience, the gospel, or anything!

Once Again...

I apologize for my lack of writing. I suppose it doesn't really matter to anyone, but myself though. Haha
I've had a lot on my mind recently, and hopefully someday I can express it all in a post, but not today. I also realized that I've been neglecting my blog a bit, due to my consistent updates on Instagram. I figured I didn't need too many words to describe what I've been up to.

After completing my finals I returned home, to Arizona. I didn't do very much. I had some dental work done and met with a few friends, and missed seeing other good friends. It was nice to be home with the family though, where I got to hang out with one of the coolest kids ever: my brother, Nathan.

I also got to visit the new Gilbert Temple. It is absolutely beautiful, and I love that I live so close to it!

Due to the dental work that had to be done, I was unable to properly say goodbye to the household that became a sisterhood. As I had originally planned to return to my Utah-home a week before some of the girls were moving out, I would've been able to spend more time with them before they left. However, some things just happen. Fortunately, I still feel very loved and connected to all of them. I will still be roommates with two of the girls, although one of them will be at her home until summer.

It's been bittersweet as I would reflect on all the memories that we shared and the relationship we have built up through spiritual endeavors and emotional trials. We've been through so much together in what felt like a short-but-long few months. I have personally grown and learned so much from these girls and will always remember the love that we have for each other as sisters. (Thank you! I love you!)

Recently, I was driving out to Salt Lake to deliver something to my good friend at the airport. I didn't know that it would turn into a spiritual experience after completing my mission. As I was exiting the airport, I saw the sign to "No. Temple St." and felt that I should go visit Temple Square. It was a little bit rainy and I had only brought a light jacket with me, so I was a bit hesitant. But I had read an email from Sister Bybee that morning and daydreamed that I maybe I would bump into my best friend if I went. In the end, I didn't bump into my missionary best friend, but I saw my eternal best friend, namely my Savior, Jesus Christ. 

 I sat before Him, wondering what I was doing there, but knowing that He wanted me to talk to Him. I knew that He knew that there were things on my mind, and that I haven't prayed to Him in a while. So there I was, wondering how I should go about it when two sister missionaries came up to me and started talking to me. If I can recall correctly, I believe their names were Sister Tsang and Sister Costas. What started off as a friendly conversation, turned into me confiding in them about my troubles. I was grateful for them as they helped me to understand some of the thoughts that I was having, and for simply loving me. The spirit was present and even though we had just met, I knew that they were truly concerned about me and cared for me. I was grateful. I hadn't been able to clearly and fully describe to anyone all of the things on my mind until them. Sister Tsang briefly noted how they may have been inspired to talk to me as they had seen me walking by and felt that they should. When they saw me again, that's when they said "Hello."

When we finished our conversation, I felt so much lighter. I called my former roommate, Charlotte as I walked around the temple grounds. As the sun started to come out, as I spoke to Charlotte about what had just happened, and as I admired the Lord's house, I knew that my Heavenly Father has been looking out for me. Even though I had been neglecting my studies and my prayers, He knew what I needed. I know that as I work to regain those habits, the Lord will continue to bless me. I can feel light all the time as I continually turn to Him. I feel so grateful and so loved. How could I have forgotten it. 

It finally comes to an end...

This semester has not only been long, but pretty rough too. My grades are not the best, and my motivation had hit an all time low. However, today was the LAST DAY of classes. So I still have finals to do, but I cannot describe how grateful I am that this semester is ending.

Now let's see if I can make all of the updates I had been meaning to do before, but got too busy... The photos uploaded in reverse order and I don't want to un-reverse them. Haha So this goes from most recent to least recent...

I bought a ukulele!

I went paintballing and kicked some serious butt!

I also got beat pretty hard.

My coworkers and I looked through the student suggestion box - there were suggestions from 2005 in there!

I finally got to meet the beautiful Faith, in person!

JOSHY.

Held a snake on campus!

I can eat 8-9 pizza slices in one sitting...

I think these were things that had potential to be great blog posts, but I got busy and couldn't make them. So here I am, compiling it all in one go. Haha So it hasn't been too bad of a semester as I look at my other blog posts from the beginning of the winter, but academically.... yeah. HAPPY LAST DAY OF CLASSES FRIENDS! (BYU, at least.) Next up, take down those finals and going home!~

PS. Some of these photos are from my instagram... Feel free to follow me: theasiantwinky

Team Zoe

The beautiful Zoe!

Hello Friends and Family!
My "Team Zoe" shirt came in yesterday!
Zoe is my roommate's 4-year old niece.
She was diagnosed with leukemia, and I was happy to help contribute to her funds.

I read the story of getting her hair shaved, and she is such a champ! I may not know her personally, but I can see the love that others have for her. She is beautiful, caring, and so full of love.

If you are interested in reading her story you can go to Caring Bridge. And if you would like to make a donation, you can make a check out payable to Zoe Blossom Fund.

The check can be mailed out OR taken to ANY PNC Bank across the east coast to be deposited. Or if you'd like, you can mail it to:
PNC BANK
Zoe Blossom Fund
3001 Richmond Rd

Lexington, KY 40509

If you experience any difficulty in this process, please feel free to let me know!

I don't feel like there is too much I can do, but I hope to bring awareness to Zoe and her family. My prayers go out to them and I hope yours will too!

Rockin' my own shirt!

My roommate rockin' her shirt!

A Good Deed A Day

...keeps Satan away...?

Sorry I haven't been posting. Life has been weird and suuuuuuper busy. Which is unfortunate because I really do love this blog. Anyways, I've been having a hard time feeling motivated, and after a spiritual experience I had, I have started to think about trying to do one good deed a day.

It's only been about 3 days since I've come up with this, but it's been pretty good so far! I feel like I'm doing less of thinking about myself (which I, admittedly, do a lot), and more thinking about other people.

They are very small deeds. For example, I just flipped a penny to be heads up on the floor so that it could be "lucky" for whoever finds it. I'm not particularly superstitious and it really probably doesn't make a difference, but It's the thought that counts.

I could also improve my praying habits, so if I think about trying to do good deeds, it reminds me to pray for opportunities. Anyways, the point of sharing this is to: 1. Have it on record for myself. And 2. Maybe help someone else out who might be having a hard time like I have been.

"We all have our things, I guess." -Bryce Avery (music video).
Let's think about how to help make other people's things easier than stress about our own things.

What's A Liebstar Award?

I was nominated for this but I have no idea what it is, nor what it could possibly mean. Nonetheless, my beautiful and wonderful friend, McKenzie from In The Mix gave me this great honor! She's awesome, and hilarious, and definitely one of the weirdest people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting! Haha So without further ado...

1. What is your favorite section of the grocery store?
Probably that produce area. I like to think that I'm healthy. But if we're talking about my favorite section to buy from... Juice. Definitely the juice section. I probably drink more than juice than water. Juice IS my water. ...That's probably not the healthiest thing, but ya know... VITAMIN C.

2. How do you plan to survive the zombie apocalypse?
I don't.

3. What is the color of your carpet?
In Provo: What carpet?
In Arizona: The same color as my dog.

4. What is the current status of your food storage?
Uhhh.... We have a shelf full of pasta boxes! (I'll post a picture later.)

5. What would you want written on your tombstone?
"Died happy." Or something along those lines. The status of my death. (Hopefully I die happy!)

6. If you were a worm, how long would you be?
Hahahaha Whuuuuut. Uh. Not long at all. The length of my thumbs! (I'll post a picture later.)

7. Why does X stand for kiss and O stand for hug?
Because it's the shapes! Xs are kind of like lips locking, and Os are like arms around each other! (Did I get it right?!)

8. If you could only answer one of these questions which one would it be?
The zombie apocalypse one!

9. If you met the president what would be your one question for him?
Have you ever heard of the Book of Mormon? etc.... 

(Are these questions supposed to be about blogging?)
10. Why did you start blogging?
Because McKenzie (the girl who nominated me) inspired me! And I figured it be nice to have a place where I can write happy things about my life! (My journals are quite depressing...)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Next, next, next! I'd like to nominate my dear friend, Nicole over at Small and Simple Things. :) Maybe help her with her blog goals.

So here are your questions...
1. Who inspires you, and why?
2. What's an embarrassing moment you've experienced?
3. What frightens you beyond belief?
4. What is something you've tried once, but would rather never try/do again?
5. What song makes you cry every time?
6. If you could show your blog to anyone specifically, who would it be?
7. If you were famous for something, what would it be?
8. What do you enjoy about blog writing so far?
9. In what ways do you want your blog to grow?
10. If someone asked you about blogging, what would you tell them?

I hope you are well!!! Good luck, and have fun with this! :)

< 3

I feel like I may have talked about this on Facebook or something last year, but Valentine's Day is about love!!! It doesn't really matter if you're in a relationship or single... What matters is that you love and feel loved. (Let me know if you haven't been feeling loved. I can help you out.) So without further ado, Happy Valentine's Day! :)

Testimony Tuesday

I love my alliterations... can't you tell? :)
Anyways, I don't plan on doing this every Tuesday, but I felt like I wanted to share some spiritual things.

Gilbert, AZ Temple (Taken by Jennie Byers)

First of all, in case whoever is reading this doesn't know, I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Please feel free to go to mormon.org for more details.), and I love it! I have had (and still sometimes have) my fair share of trials, and I don't know where I'd be without this gospel. The doctrines that are taught regarding the Savior's Atonement, and of God's love, have saved me so many times.

So the question one might ask from this would be, "Can't you learn that from anywhere? What's so great about this church?" My response: I don't know! I mean, I do, but I don't. I know that this is the Lord's true church. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet called of God, and that he restored this church with guidance from the Lord. How do I know? I just do! Through personal interactions and experiences with no one but myself and Heavenly Father, I have built a testimony of these things being true. I also know that He loves me, and that He does answer my prayers, which means that He's there! He exists! He lives! And while I am grateful for the blessing of knowing these things, I also have a testimony that anyone and everyone can be blessed with this knowledge.

No, I'm not trying to convince you to join the church (although it'd be pretty cool if you do), I am just expressing my feelings. I want all to know that they can pray. It doesn't really matter how you pray, as long as you "come unto [Him] with a broken heart and a contrite spirit" (3 Nephi 12:19 in the Book of Mormon). I've prayed the "Mormon-traditional" way of kneeling, folding my arms, and bowing my head, but I've also prayed in my car (parked), looking up, with my hands in my lap... He answers, is present in both ways, and all ways. I have felt His presence as I prayed. "Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart" (Doctrine and Covenants 8:2).

If you are confused or feel like you don't understand what I'm saying, or if you are a member and just feel like you haven't been feeling His presence lately, I highly encourage praying out loud. In my personal experience, that is when I have felt His spirit the most. It may feel stupid and awkward. You may feel like you're crazy. But after you're done praying out loud, just wait. Wait for Him to fill you with peace and comfort, before you go off saying, "I don't feel like anything's changed. Now I feel dumb. I'm never doing this again. etc." I promise, that He is with you; and He is waiting for you to come unto Him. I don't know if this is appropriate, but I leave these things on the internet for the world to see, in the name of my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, Amen. :)


*NOTE: I do not speak for the whole church. These things are not endorsed by the church or by the general authority, but is definitely written through the Spirit. These are my own individual thoughts and feelings that may or may not apply to other people. etc. Also, this was not meant to offend anyone. Please excuse me if it does. If you have contradicting feelings either against the church, or against the things I have said, I ask that you share them with me in private, or elsewhere. I would rather not have contention caused by my post. Thanks!

Mx3 - Sungha Jung

Man... These are gonna end up being a Tuesday thing with my record. But then there won't be any alliterations! D: Anyways...

Here's the Monday Music Muse of the week! :)

His name is Sungha Jung. He's a 17-year old Korean fingerstyle genius. I discovered him maybe 3 years ago and his covers still blow me away. When I close my eyes and think about it, I can't believe it's coming from just one guitar.
This music muse doesn't really have any deep thoughts behind it. It just never ceases to amaze me. :)

Delayed MMM

I may not be doing super great with the whole Fearless Friday thing, but I REALLY want to keep up with my Music Muses. :) SO! My delayed MMM...

"Demons" by Imagine Dragons
(Please watch the video if you have not seen it before.)

So please excuse me, but for my analysis of sorts, I plan on using my personal interpretations and personal feelings regarding this song. If you can relate, then great; if not, feel free to just continue reading out of intrigue... Or don't read at all! Haha
Whenever I hear this song, or watch this music video, I just think... We all have our things. And I think of the sins that I've done, and how I have a fear of being vulnerable. I remember the times that I've felt utterly hopeless because of my past. I think about how I wanted to hide that part away from everyone. I still do.
I mean, I've been making changes in my life that have been helping me get through life despite my past, so it's not so bad. But the memory of the darkness I felt is powerful when I hear this song. While this song may not be particularly "hopeful," it reminds me of when I struggled, and how I feel proud to have made it to where I am today. When I sing along to this song, it feels freeing. Like I am admitting to the fact that, yes. I have my Demons, too. I'm not perfect. Nor do I have to be. I am even revealing the fact that I don't want people to get to close to me. I don't want to feel vulnerable. And that is freeing in itself, as well. Either way... I feel a connection to this song.

This is kind of a weird post and my thoughts probably seem a little scattered, but it feels good. :)

Spontaneous Excuse

I know that I've been slacking, but I have a good reason! This past weekend has been insanely amazing! So...... My friends have been planning a trip to go to Disneyland for at least a month now, and I was planning on going, but decided that I probably shouldn't for financial reason. When the day of departure came, 2 of the 3 drivers decided to not go anymore, but were still willing to pay for someone to go in their stead, so I was re-invited 7 hours before the time to leave. I was convinced seeing that it was basically free and they mostly needed another driver. So, a couple of hours later, I decide to go. We had a cleaning check, so I did that for a couple of hours after I got out of my class at 4, passed off the cleaning check, and did homework until the time we planned on leaving... 8PM. I asked to get off of work for the night, and it was fine as long as I was back in time for work on Sunday. And here's the extra kicker... It was my first time driving stick shift. It was awesome. And we were off! :)

So here are some photos of my very spontaneous Disneyland adventures!

Seriously, my favorite ride at Disneyland.

M^3: San Francisco

I know, I know. I didn't do Fearless Friday. But look! I'm doing my Monday Music Muse, so I'm still kind of on top of things...? Haha

ANYways, my MMM for today is... San Francisco by The Mowgli's!

I seriously want to make a music video of my roommates to this song. It's like... our theme song. It's our go-to song to sing to. In fact, I'm going to dedicate this post to all of my lovely roommates because half of them are sick. <3 I not only love this song because of my roommates, I love the lyrics. It's all about love! It doesn't cost a single penny to just be a little bit nice to someone. So reach a hand out, say hi to someone new, heck, just smile at everyone! I'll admit, this is something I'd like to work on some more, but this song is really inspiring! Just love.

Here's the thing about "love." It's both overused, and and not used enough.
There are some people who use "the L word" as if it's some other word like "the," or "ok." Making it almost meaningless whenever that individual uses it. Then there are other people who don't say it enough to the people they care about. I know that we all have different love languages, but I think it's healthy for both parties to just say it every once in a while (and mean it). :) Which brings me to my point: say it just enough for it to be known and meaningful.
I've been saying it more often recently, but I feel like, if it feels right, then just say it. I'm not going to over-think it and be concerned if "they take it the wrong way" or "should I have said that?" It feels right to say it, and for all I know, maybe they really needed to hear it from someone that day, hour, or minute. We all gotta stop stressing about "LOVE." <3

Monday Music Muse

So this is another themed day idea I had to help motivate me to continue updating my blog. This is a more common idea, but I love music and I always find something that impresses or inspires me. For these music muses, I want to be sure that I post a song that really does inspire me or means something to me personally.

The first song I'm going to post is Matisyahu's "One Day."

I am choosing this song for a couple of reasons. First, I sang it last night at my ward prayer. It was terrifying and I couldn't have done it without my lovely roommate, Meka. Note: That was kind of like my second time performing in front of people. Second, these lyrics. They're freakin' amazing. "One day we'll all be free, and proud to be, under the same sun, singing song songs of freedom..." Peace and love, friends. Not only in the country, but across the world. I'm taking a Multicultural Education class and it's just helped me to realize how much people (including myself) have the tendency to misjudge others. Even if we're "not a judgmental person," we still think we have ideas on what other people of other countries, races, and beliefs are like. "One day." Thirdly, I dig me some reggae. (Reggae-pop)

Fearless Friday

So.... Last night while I was at work, I decided that I wanted to try this themed weekday. FEARLESS FRIDAY. I was hoping that this idea would motivate me to get out of my box, and do something I either don't usually do, or something I'm always scared to do.

Today was the first day of Fearless Friday, and every time I think of something I'm afraid to do, singing in public always comes to mind. So what do I do? I went on campus, sat at a table in the student center with my dear roommate, Meka, and sang San Francisco by The Mowgli's. I had it recorded.............. And I thought it was in my SD card..... Turns out it wasn't.... But I did it! Meka is my witness!!! Maybe I'll try it again just to post it up. Anyways...

LET THE FEARLESS FRIDAYS BEGIN. >:)

A Different Kind of Mold

Explanation: So, for one of my classes, I was given an assignment to make a cultural diorama about myself. It basically highlights 3 things from my life that connects to my culture, and how these things made me the person I am today. I was hesitant to put this up due to some personal things being revealed, but I feel very passionate about it. I want to be able to express on my own blog how I became "me," why I love "me," and why I have confidence in the "me" that I am.

1st Artifact - Social:

This photo of myself and my friends when we were in 5th grade show the cultural diversity I was surrounded by, growing up. And later, after moving from California to Arizona, I found myself surrounded mostly by caucasians and other white ethnicities, causing me to still be considered as a “minority.” This has shaped the person I’ve become in that I don’t really see other races as “different.” I feel very blessed to have been able to befriend so many cultures and am able to embrace, and take interest in, others’ cultures. I am not limited by my own race. That is something that I have grown to believe and love.

2nd Artifact - Cultural:

My home was probably not the best environment to have been raised in when I was young. For various reasons, it was uncommon for there to be a day when there wasn’t yelling, arguing, or abuse. It’s a childhood that a child can’t really forget. There was one thing, however, that helped me make it through. Whenever there was an argument or other things happening, my older sister would always tell me to watch something with her instead of listening to what was happening outside of our room. This would usually come in the form of either a movie or a Japanese cartoon. Because of this, I am fond of these things even today - whether it is to escape and take a break from reality, or bond with the people around me.

3rd Artifact - Ethnical:

Excuse me if I am being… racially insensitive, but I felt that a Twinkie would represent myself well. I believe that culture is more than just the color of your skin. While on the outside, people only see the “yellow” side of me, on the inside, they don’t realize that there’s a whole lot of “white” there, too. Many people have placed me into a label, or made stereotypical remarks because they only see my appearance. It isn’t until they get to know me that they realize, I’m extremely Americanized. Some people are even shocked by my religion because of my race. I still love my traditional culture, and I love my race, but these experiences have also molded me into the person I am today. A person who desires to be “American” and considered as such without judgments according to my race. I now have desires to be as far away from the stereotypes as possible. While this may seem like turning away who I’m “supposed to be,” I don’t believe anyone is “supposed to be” anyone or anything. I believe that we can create our own molds and be a different kind of label in itself. We can be someone who is different from how we appear.