8 reasons why finals week is actually not the worst.

There are a lot of awful things about BYU finals week. There really are. But by my 7th experience, I've noticed a few things that I actually enjoy about it. Yes, I said it. Call me crazy, but I secretly kind of like finals week. A little bit. Wanna know why?

1. It's completely acceptable to eat an excessive amount of junk food during finals week. The Cougar Eat and Twilight Zone lines are longer than ever, full of people making exceptions to their diets because, well, they deserve it. Extra stress burns extra calories, right?

2. During finals week, BYU's everyday pageant show is nonexistent. Grungy clothes, smelly bodies, unkempt hair, bad breath... this description fits almost every student at one point or another. It just happens.

3. Music is a saving grace. I always make a playlist of my very favorite songs of all time to get me through the week, and I enjoy them even more than usual.

4. The pink and purple blossoms of the campus trees come alive just in time for winter semester finals. The tulips also make their appearance. Big, bright flowerbeds full of them. They even survived the snow this time, because they knew how much we would need them. Just like always.

5. The smallest of successes are celebratory during finals week, and the smallest of kind deeds are greatly appreciated.

6. If you're a people watcher like myself, you'll find great humor in finals week. Students are insane. They run around like chickens with their heads cut off, hustling from place to place to place. (Yesterday I watched a poor zoobie sprint all the way across campus at full speed... with a severe limp of the left leg. Picture it now.) When they're not hustling, they lock themselves indoors, and don't come out for hours at a time. These hermits cause the library to exceed its capacity. They also cause it to stink like the smelly bodies mentioned in #2. Ok, maybe I don't enjoy that particular part... but hey, it's a little bit funny.

7. I like to push myself, and finals week is always a stretch. I like to watch scores appear on the screen in the testing center that I didn't think were possible given the circumstances. (Doesn't always happen, but it's satisfying when it does!) Things always work out, and it's a fascinating process to watch when you just can't figure out how they will. It's cool.

8. Most of all, I like finals week because it builds up to one big party the following weekend. Get your party on, y'all. We're almost there.

-CJ

City baby.

All my life, I've lived in the beautiful little city of Mapleton, UT. I've loved it. I loved being able to run in the streets and play in nearby fields. Our young neighborhood crew caught grasshoppers in mason jars and dared one another to eat them, chased deer until we couldn't run any longer, swam in the irrigation ditches and splashed in the wet fields, spent hours playing on the pear tree swing with popsicles in hand, and played "wolf" and other invented night games during the warm summer months. It was the ideal small town childhood, and I swore I would never outgrow it.

And I haven't. I visit it often, and I still appreciate the feel of that pretty place. It will always be home.  However, in recent years, I've also learned to appreciate diversity. I love my visits to the city; I'm becoming a city baby. This past weekend, my family headed to Chicago to visit Ryan and Marilyn. That breath of fresh air came at exactly the right time. Back in the big leagues, with so many different kinds of buildings, people, entertainment, food, music, and transportation. Bigger ideas and more to choose from. A break from the calm of Utah.

Exciting.
                Exhilarating.
                                      Motivating.

Although it used to make me claustrophobic, I'm really beginning to enjoy the feeling of not being able to see what's miles ahead of me . I like it when the skyscrapers block my view. I'm starting to like the unknown.

In the end, I'll always go back to the small town feel. I know I will. But for the time being, I'm loving how those cities are calling my name.

Happy Place

Find a happy place, find a happy place, find a happy place!

When I heard this quoted recently (Dori from Finding Nemo--tell me you know this), I started thinking about where this happy place of mine would be and what it would be like. A place full of all the things I love. Christian's would be on a soccer field. Taylor's would be chocolate-covered. In Amanda's, she'd be a Disney princess. My mother's would consist of gardening and black licorice. In Kel's, she'd ride horses and drink Diet Coke all the day long. Aaron's would likely involve a baseball field, country music, and Remember the Titans.

So what about my happy place?

Daisies and tulips and yellow roses. My cat, Dori (fitting, right?). Music of all kinds. My guitar and my own recording studio. SUNSHINE. Nash and Samantha and Sawyer. Diet Coke with lemon. Laughter. The beach. A picnic in the park. Football and softball and volleyball and soccer. An array of self-help books. A whole watermelon to myself. Peanut butter ice cream with a little bit of crushed Reese's on top. A truck. My family and my lovely friends. Denim jackets. Plenty of blankets. Cafe Rio. A bonfire in the mountains. And the biggest open sky you've ever seen, perfect for gazing at stars, clouds, and sunrises/sunsets.

THAT is my happy place.

What's yours like?

-C.

Miss Kris!

My best friend, Miss Kristalyn Boseman, leaves the Provo MTC today to serve in the Rochester New York Mission. GO, KRIS! She's been in the MTC three weeks longer than she expected, but took on a great attitude about it and has had a really good experience there. Time for the big leagues. She's going to be incredible.

The other day, I saw this beautiful lady at the Provo temple! I thought I saw her pretty blonde head from a distance, and could tell that she recognized that it might be me... we literally ran toward each other and hugged for a very long time. We both cried a little and talked for a few short minutes, then went our separate ways. I MISS THAT GIRL. Can't wait to see her again in two years!

Back to blogging business.

I'm back! Back in blogging business, with a new title and a new "Springy" layout... just in time for the snow. Nice.

I last wrote on the final day of my London adventure. It's been quite the ride since that post. So many new friends, 12 BYU classes, exceptional roommates, a wonderful ward, the return of a special missionary, and my own mission call. It has been the greatest school year thus far. But I happen to say that every year.

Today's focus is the last item on that list. A mission. It's been on the forefront of my mind (obviously) and I've wanted to blog about it for quite some time. Why serve a mission? Why me?

There are a lot of good things in this world. There are so many good people everywhere. There are good movies and good music and good books and good theories. There are good ideas about life and love and everything in between. There are good religions. Lots of them. As I've thought a great deal about the good things, I've come to recognize their imperfections and shortcomings. Yes, they have truth. Sometimes a lot of it. But unless it's the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a good thing will never be 100% perfect.

My religion, the very thing that's most important to me and central to every other aspect of my life, contains ALL truth. It contains the keys to a happy life and a promising afterlife. The Gospel teaches us, guides us, and protects us--three things which are crucial in this whirlwind of a world. It's something to hold on to through thick and thin. We can't make it without it; we need it in our lives. And not just you and I, but every person on this earth and beyond.

That is why I am going on a mission. Not because it's currently a "trend" among women, and not because somebody told me to go. I want the people of Poland to know the blessings of the Gospel, just as I do. They need the Gifts that I've been so fortunate to have had placed in my hands since before I can remember. And they need me to introduce them.

I'm excited for Poland. It's going to be cold, and hard, and long, and hard.... but it's undoubtedly going to be the greatest thing I've ever done. I CAN'T WAIT.

Cheers, London!

Most of the girls in my group either left yesterday or took off this morning. I'm staying the night in Kyla's flat, then finally heading home tomorrow. I'm excited to go home. I really am. I can't wait to see my family and dear friends, but I already know how much I'm going to miss Europe after a few days of being home. Saying goodbye will always be bittersweet, won't it? It's hard to leave what you love. But I've done everything I wanted to here. I've crossed off my bucket list items and so much more. I've been culturally enlightened, more than I thought was possible. I've grown a great deal here.

London has really become my home, and I'll think about it often. I'll miss the city, and I never ever thought I'd be able to say that. Success. I'm gonna miss these girls I've grown so close to. I'm going to miss constant excitement all around me. I'm going to miss running through big colorful parks flooding with people. I'm going to miss European treats. Who knows, I might even miss the underground system after a while. I might just miss the bums on the street, the druggies running around, the smell of smoke... alright, maybe not the latter few, but you get the picture. I'll miss London. But it's time to go home. I'm going to the home where the heart is; to open fields and backyards and mountains. To little roads and a single stoplight. To my favorite weather. To STARS in the sky! To friendly neighbors and a happy cat. To my favorite people in the world.

Goodbye, London. You've been good to me. Somehow you've managed to help a small girl find a few more pieces of herself in the midst of your big city. Thank you for that! I'll be back again; I'm not sure how long I can stay away from my European roots. See you again... when I find a rich husband. Until then........

CHEERS!!

Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew).

Wednesday, 7 June 2012:


This was a very packed day. First, I took my Shakespeare final in class. 96%, baby! Good enough for me. I wrote about the journey of becoming an appreciator of Shakespeare... it's been a journey, alright. But I really can say that I enjoy it now. I understand it so much better than I did six weeks ago.

Taylor and I tried to go to the orangery near Kensington Palace after class, but it's closed till Saturday, dang it. Instead, we walked around Kensington Gardens and had a nice chat. We'll hit up the orangery next time we're in town here. :) I'm excited to room with Taylor this Fall. It's gonna be one big party.

The Orangery.

Kensington Gardens. Lucky Kate Middleton.

Next, I went with Caroline, Taylor, and Hadley to Evensong, which ended up being Evenprayer because they don't have Evensong on Wednesdays. It was still really good... I love attending different religions' services. Afterwards, we decided to treat ourselves to a nice dinner at the Med Kitchen on our own Gloucester Road. Although the name wasn't too enticing, the food may have been the best I've had here. Chicken with rosemary and lemon and a side of fresh fries. Oh, except the side was enough to feed a small country... check this out:

Fries, anyone?

Outside of Westminister Abbey.

We'd been hearing that Liverpool Street was a fun one to explore at night, so we decided to give that a go once it got dark. We made the trip there on the tube, only to find out that it was totally closed off due to construction! It was the dullest, most silent street in all of London. So, instead of finding a party somewhere else, we brought the party to the flat. We rounded up all the girls that were home, dragged them downstairs, and had ourselves a dance party. I love these girls.

Thursday, 8 June 2012:

Today was one of my favorite days. Period.

It started out slow, because it took a while to get most of my things packed away. I still don't know how I'm going to fit everything, but I'll find a way. I decided that my guilty conscience would be too heavy if I didn't make it to Kew Gardens (AKA Royal Botanic Gardens) like I promised Grandpa Tobler I would, so I spent the majority of the day doing that. This whole trip I've been begging the other girls to come with me, but no one seemed to want to. So I finally went on my own today, and I can't believe that I ever even hesitated for a second. It was AMAZING.

I walked through forests and glasshouses and gardens in the pouring rain for over three hours, and I loved every second of it. Really, it was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. One of my favorite parts was the waterlily house with enormous waterlilies floating in a pot filled with one ton of water. I also loved the rose gardens, and the Princess of Wales' Conservatory, which was split into ten different "habitats" with ten different climates. It was so neat! I'd walk in one room and get hit with a wave of humidity, then the next room would be a dry desert. There were gorgeous ponds with swans and ducks roaming like sheep in an open field. There was a place where I climbed eighteen meters for a birdseye view of Kew from several different locations. There were Japanese and Australian and Chinese sections. Banana trees and henna plants and bamboo gardens. Acres upon acres of quiet forest with dozens of paths to choose from. Because it was raining so hard and most of the paths had turned into puddles, the majority of the visitors left so I felt like I had the place to myself. I had such a great time walking and admiring and thinking. It was the perfect place to think; I was able to do so more clearly than I have in a long time. Thanks for the suggestion, Gramps! I loved it!

Waterlilies!

The Chinese Pagoda.

Evidence of the pouring rain. I was soaked from head to toe, even with an umbrella.

"Minka" bamboo hut.

I went to the symphony tonight with Caroline; the Philharmonia Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall. I've decided that a symphony is another great place to think. A silent audience and live classical music to think to... I definitely did a lot of thinking today. I really wish there were more symphonies and plays and musical performances at home. They're there, but they're often an hour away and cost a fortune. I went to this incredible symphony for 5 pounds! At home it'd be at least $40 or 50 for the nice seats we had. It's been so great to have a student discount here, on top of the already decent prices for shows and such. I would have only been able to go to one broadway show near home (in SLC or Vegas) for the price that I paid to go to four or five here. That's insane. It's going to be strange to have to turn to things like movies for entertainment once I'm home. No live entertainment on every street corner? I don't like the thought.