Thursday, March 25, 2010

Shocker!

Two posts in a week! AMAZING!
So, just spent the last hour getting my cap and gown! WHAT? CAP AND GOWN? Yes! Cap and Gown...meaning I am ONE step closer to graduation! Woot woot! Happy day!...I think.
I have come to realize over the past few weeks how very lucky I have been to be here at BYU-Idaho. This is such a wonderful school where I've recieved so many opportunities I wouldn't have had anywhere else. The professors here (for the most part) genuinely care about the sucess of their students. I honestly love the smaller class size. I get to know my teachers a lot better this way. I love going to the local grocery store and seeing my professors there! This town is like one big family. There might not be a lot of flashy entertainment here, but we still know how to have a good time.
I feel sad that I'll be leaving soon. I never thought this day would come and I will desperately miss the wonderful people I've grown to know and love. Thank heavens for Facebook and blogs right?
So...inspirtational thought for today: Take advantage of where you are right now. Realize how lucky you are to have the friends that you do as well. Take a minute to think about how blessed your life is. I've been doing a lot of that lately, and kicking myself that I haven't done this sooner!
Love you all so much!

Monday, March 22, 2010

Sands of Time...

Hey friends again. My customary once-a-month-post is long overdue. I come to you, teetering at the edge of graduation. It only felt real once, for about an hour during Graduation Night. Honestly, by my calculations I've been an enrolled student for the past 17 years. It feels like I will be a student forever. It just doesn't feel real yet. Perhaps when I go and pick up my cap and gown later this week it will.

I love everything I'm doing right now. My projects in class are so fun! My Professional class just finished editing a full length novel and now we're in the middle of preparing the travel book for the upcoming BYU-Idaho British Literary tour. I'm on the research team that gets to look up maps and authors and quotes for the day-to-day activities. (And of course become insanely jealous at those who actually GET to go!)

I've learned some very important lessons over the course of the last few weeks. The most important one is: Put work aside and have fun. It's the only way to keep a good and healthy mental balance.
I'm not going to lie. It's been tough over the past few months. I arrived home from my 18 month mission at the end of August, was home for 10 days (count 'em, 10) and then came back to Rexburg to finish out my education. I put my nose to the grindstone and only focused on homework and class projects. I just obsessed over getting everything done three days before the due date. I almost didn't go to DisneyWorld with my family because I was so stressed out! I just wondered why I was so unhappy when I had plenty of homework to get done. (Duh in retrospect). When I went home for the Christmas break it took me a full week to let go of finals stress. (Poor Mikelle can attest to my precarious mental health!)
However, in stark contrast, these last few weeks of the semester have been the happiest I've ever had. I have put homework on the back burner and been social! (GASP!) I've made some amazing new friends and we all wonder how in the world we all made it to graduation without ever being friends before this. I've learned that you have to make time for YOU if you want to be sane in this life. And surprise surprise, I still have time to get my homework done. I just wish I'd learned this earlier, like back in Septemeber.
So, bottom line is, life is too short to be in a constant state of stress. Time runs out no matter what we're doing. Why not spend that time doing something you enjoy? A good friend once told me that on his mission people would tell him that they just didn't have time to read the scriptures. He realized that they had plenty of time, they just didn't choose to make scripture reading a priority. He told me that we make time for what's important to us.
This is my challenge to myself and to you: Make time for fun in your life. Choose to be social. Choose to make friends. It IS your choice. Have a happy life. It IS up to you.