British Columbia- "Splendour without diminishment"

So I got my call to Vancouver, Canada- Spanish speaking. A little freaky. I checked out the place, the Olympics will be there in February and March of 2010, so I'll definitely be there! Brett Steele said his family goes near there all the time and it's absolutely beautiful. Also, Stake President Tilleman has a cabin up in the northern part of my mission and he said we need to keep him informed of where I am so he can possibly see me on the mission. The entire place looks incredible.
there is a sport there called Ice Sailing....self explanitory?
who knows. As for challenges, Canada is peaceful, so they welcome everything. After doing research, I found a great deal of Gay-Pride support in Canada. With the rising tension in America, as well as the Church's stance on Gays, this could get interesting. Also:
apparently is grown a lot in Canada. BC Bud it's called. Catchy right? But it's all the same stuff. Anyways, Brett told me Vancouver Island (where the capital, Victoria, is-pictured at the top) is themed like a Swiss City and is said to be incredible.

I slept through Chemistry this morning to get sleep so I could stay awake in Biology and Humanities. (Don't worry I've compensated one hour of Chem lecture with 2 or 3 hours of T.A. tutored help). My goal was to wake up at 9:30 and go to bio at 10. 9:45 rolled around and there was a knock at my door. I answered it in my underwear since its the dorms...who cares? It was the fedex guy...and my stomach dropped. Who knows what slurred words I said to the shocked guy, but I signed the computer thing and got my package...opened it...stared at the envelop...then high tailed it off to Bio after putting some clothes on. The entire day I couldn't stop thinking about where I would go. It killed me to wait.

I found out soon after I opened it, my friend from summer, Michael Hoopes, is going on the EXACT same mission as me. leaving the SAME day, speaking the SAME language with the SAME president. he's from mesa! And I love the kid.


All in all I'm super excited for this change in life. (PS. we filmed me opening it, so once it's uploaded I'll find a way to show you all). Thanks to everyone who was on the phone listening and for all the support. I love you guys.

10 weeks and counting...

Tough Time

So, to sum up my last few weeks I'll say College is tough. I can't say I didn't expect it but I guess I just couldn't comprehend it. I took a Chemistry test (my class of about 300 students, 5 days a week at 8 am) that lasted two hours and gave my a 78%. I took a Humanities test that lasted 12 minutes and gave my a 67%. Honestly, my classes slapped me into shape. Slowly, but surely, my test scores are getting higher and higher and my eyes are getting more and more bloodshot.

Having an 8 o'clock class and being semi-narcoleptic (or just a really good sleeper) can make your mornings an interesting event. I walk to class with tired, bloodshot eyes with my brain completely turned off. Now if someone talks to me they will get some crumpled response that makes absolutely no sense. Constantly, other kids can stay awake because they are laughing at me doze off and bounce my head back and forth. REGARDLESS of what time I go to bed. I
promise.

ANYWAYS, today I fell asleep at breakfast while a friend was explaining to me how DNA can replicate itself. My head actually hit the table. Needless to say, I woke up.
Last week was a tough week, Mom and Dad, I promise I'm not slacking off.


So it being conference weekend and all, my friend, Logan, has a cabin about two hours away from campus, so we got a big group and all went up there to stay the night and watch conference the next morning. And we actually went to Priesthood at the stake center up in Ogden. We wore what would could bring. I wore brown corduroys and white shoes haha. My friend chase wore flip flops, and taylor wore bright blue sperrys. We got some looks from members who showed up in overalls. That's when you know you out of line.

Anyways, this is a view from the back porch from logan's. It had rained the whole drive and now there is snow on the mountains.


tried to eat these:
then we got ready for bed...
taylor was touching his toes I think.
So then we made breakfast and Ingrid and her friends came over. Then we watched Conference and went for a drive. I was loving it...obviously.
and we found snow!
Anyways, it was a nice weekend to just get away and let loose and have fun. I was caught up on work and tests and so I could finally relax a little and enjoy the nice weather and colors.

Summer ends, Fall starts

Fall Semester hasn't been half bad. The work load is nothing too crazy, even though kids complain about it all the time. Summer up here helped me find a way to stay organized and calm. But now I'm up here again, meeting a lot of people and surprisingly going to bed at about 12 every night.
remember jayden? This is me being stupid.
the group from Arizona, minus the weird girls on the far right. they really like pictures.

As for everything else, it's all going smooth. every morning I wake up at 730 and go to my 8 o clock chemistry class every single morning. It's been about 50 degrees every morning and last night I did my laundry. I didn't want to dry all my shirts, so I hung some up in my closet to dry. In chemistry there's something called conservation of mass, when you burn something, nothing is created or destroyed, just rearrangement and transportation. the mass is the same. Last night in my closet, there was a conservation of condensation. I opened my closet this morning and almost every single shirt in there was wet. including my sweatshirt. So I hiked across campus in damp jeans, shirt underwear and jacket. luckily I had dry socks.

For another class we are growing an ear of corn in each of our rooms. I'll make sure to update on the progress of ours.(Laying on my stomach in the grass.)

Miss you all!

Leaving Home for Home

SO I'm back at school. Out of the heat and into the 45 degree morning walks to my 8 o clock chemistry class of 100 students.

I've started my path to a medical career (hopefully), but first I had to leave home. It was a little more tough this time.

Me and my friends have been close since kindergarten and some since 4th grade. We made a slide show to watch before all of us split up (which mom and dad got to see). I have it on my ipod if you guys want to see it sometime. It was very sad.
It made me realize we have all be so close since we were little, and then i saw the pictures of us in our caps and gowns (most ridiculous looking outfit in the world), and it hit me that things were changing and it got me pretty sad.

I wont see forrest kennedy for 2 and a half years. he leaves on his mission before my grand canyon hike and then I'll see him christmas of 2010.

Despite the rough goodbye, I couldnt be happier with where I am now. In order to grow up I needed to get away.


this is our pose called "LOL"...laugh out loud. You can see why. Taylor was the only one doing it right. I was trying hard.

I usually make it a goal to ruin pictures...forrest beat me to it.

Our group over the last 18 years...watching the slide show. friends and family...our version of were's waldo...but its easy cause im in a striped shirt. but here's the game...find mom :) (hint: there are 5 moms)
our fun group. from left to right. the brown kid is fernando: ASU. then Jake: BYU/Salt lake center, Forrest: tacoma Washington, The blonde is Michael Tejadas girlfriend Kimmy: SDSU. then my head. then the other brown kid is Michael: Stanford. the chinese kid up front is Bryan lee (aka Bing Bong): U of A. Up top is Stephan: ASU. Below him is Taylor: BYU (he made the lacrosse team...of course). then theres matt in the white: ASU (roommates with stephan). On his chest is his girlfriend Ali: still in Highschool. Then the hairy kid in the back is Brian: he moved to Newyork begining of senior year, then to north carolina...he is now roommates with Alex fogle (not pictured cause he was breaking up with his girlfriend courtney) at ASU. Then Rude (pronounced roo-day) and Maddie, both in high school. Maddie is in red.


Every last second. Minutes before taylor left, the first one to really leave. Again...I try to ruin pictures, even when forrest doesnt.

There will be more pictures when I upload the ones I took at home.


"Youve done enough and if you fail well then you fail but not to us cause these last three years, i know theyve been hard but now its time to get out of the desert and into the sun even if its alone.
so now here i sit, in a hotel loft off Sunset, my thoughts bounce off of sams guitar and thats the way its been, ever since we were kids but now, now weve got Something to prove and i, i can see there eyes but tell me something, can they see mine cause whats left to lose"


"Well i made my way back down to the valley, right on past 83rd street that's where we once belonged, but im gone i swear im Long gone
So give it up, throw your hats in the air and change just as they land. youre saying "we'll get out of here"
But something tells me your'e too scared to go so the stairs that you could climb are the ones youve left behind and your Eyes light up when we talk about the past

god i miss those songs we used to sing, talking like getting away would be the Greatest thing
Well me, i got out, and you kept singing to me like that's really going to set this free"

Sleep? You kidding? It's overrated.

So just recently I've been getting a little homesick. I had talked to forrest about going on his mission to Washington and then Taylor called me about what he needs to bring to BYU. Stephan and Michael talk to me almost each day and I talked to Alex and Fernando about listening to Styx, Mr. Roboto.
Lots of people are going home for this weekend since it's Utah's greatest holiday- Pioneer Day. We don't have school thursday...but me and a few others have school Friday. BUT some people dont have class friday so it will be a huge weekend for them. People are talking about visiting home and seeing their wards and families and friends. I definitely miss all of you guys and can't wait til I'm home in 3 weeks.

In the mean time, I've really enjoyed my psychology class and learning all about nerves and how the brain works. So now I have another option for med school: neuroscience, like brother moss. I got lunch with my psych teacher (courtesy of freshman academy) and turns out his cousin is in Jimmy Eat World and lives in Mesa.

Last weekend was possibly the most fun weekend up here. I finished my 7 page rhetorical analysis friday and then asked Jarelle (I know dad...poke fun.) to the dance they had here. It felt a little like High School again, but oh well.

I got to test out my dinner jacket I bought for 6 dollars. Hold your breath mom:

this outfit is courtesy of J.Crew-Down east outfitters-and Savers.
That's right Mom, I used my jacket you hesitated in letting Alex bring to me :) it looks good admit it! Plus, it was easy to match jarelle cause it was black and white.
the theme of the dance was a mascaraed- so me and my friend made these masks on our own...he is wearing my mask, his was the exact opposite. he wore a black suit and a white tie. that entire mask is colored in by a sharpie. I hope it wasn't against honor code because I didn't really consider it as an inhalant....even if it may have destroyed a few brain cells.
Instead of dancing in the main dance area where there was a strange EFY air about it, we went to the ball room where there was a guy who was teaching ball room dancing. We learned how to swing dance, and then my new favorite-tango. He taught us kicks, posture and the basics. Whenever he needed to show the group an example, he'd ask jarelle for help. and each time she looked at me like "ah help" even tho I know she loved every second of it. haha

BUT I am now a pro at Tango dancing, and he told us of places around provo that they teach classes for free and dance. (Only in utah would a dance studio be so convenient and welcoming.)



After seeing the Midnight showing of batman, there were large bags of unbought popcorn in the trash, so our group of guys grabbed the two trashbags full (about the size of a small bean bag chair.) and took them home for a prank:
the trick is to hardcore tape the edges of a bag to the bottom half of a door and seal the edges, but leave the top open. then you pour popcorn into the space between the door and the trash bag so when the kid opens the door, it dumps cold buttered popcorn into his room and onto his feet.


we found a leak

anyways, I'm having tons of fun up here. Miss everyone down there and can't wait to come home. in three weeks!

Here we go

So, the first week of college is over and I've already begun the second. I've learned too much about writing persuasive essays (and found out what rhetoric means) and not enough about psychology. Dr. Allen, my psych teacher had knee surgery and was out the first two times we had class. He messed up his knee from playing rugby with somoans.
Turns out he is the coolest teacher and wanted to go into pre-med his freshman year...took the same class he's teaching and decided to go to Johns Hopkins to be an MD in psych. I'm having lunch with him mid July so hopefully I can jump in and work with him on some research. (which I already have done a little for extra credit).
Besides that I've been enjoying my freshman year. My roommate is great. Last night he went to watch a movie with a girl at 2. I got a phone call at 4 and he was locked out of the building. and I guess the convo went something like this (I don't remember it at all)

Josh: Hey, wanna come let me in down stairs. I'm locked out.
Me:wdhelockedout?whersnadfm
Josh: Yeah I don't know what you just said but I really hope you're coming.

haha we're good friends now and he has a scooter and so we play dodge ball and scooter at the same time down our dorm hallway.

SO since college is about trying new things, I've been trying to get out and do things I haven't done before...well at least not a lot.
went and had a campfire in the woods...but didnt camp.
we heard a noise in the bushes so we shined a light and saw a squirrel running up a tree. then the squirrel jumped and FLEW from one tree to the next, coolest thing I have ever seen. a flying squirrel in real life.
Went on a double date with some girls. Went to the top of a mountain that overlooked Provo. Didn't even hold her hand. That's right kimmie, I'm gonna make it 3 weeks.
Had fun with my new printer and put up pictures of friends and family.
And finally...I'm ironing my clothes. Yes mom, even some t-shirts, not just my dress shirts!
I may need to buy new clothes cause I could end up destroying them with the iron...on accident :(


I miss you guys! I love it up here and am having lots of fun. Miss the babies, and proud of Alex!

First days of college

So I made it here safely and I'm completely unpacked but still have to buy a few more things.
Last night jake adams and I had nothing to do and we're looking to drive around and explore. Then, Jarelle Fuller texts me and invites us to go to a bonfire her roomate was talking about. Thinking it would be about 12 new BYU freshman we agree and bring Shelby tanner, megan halverson, etc. turns out its a huge bon fire with upper classmen blaring music and dancing. Completely out of place we all look each other with that uncomfortable face that somehow says, "eee, didnt expect this, you thinking the same?" Then I see a girl dancing on a pic nic table...turns out its jami pond. Mind you we are in some canyon up on the mountain. completely random.

Anyways, we leave and go to bed. Today I got on to check my email and set up the internet and everything. I got an email from my Psychology Professor and he wanted to let his students know class was cancelled for monday (aka my first period of school on my first day).
Best news all week, my very first class of college was cancelled. I could really get used to this.

I'll make sure to let everyone know how next week goes, hopefully with more pictures.

Miss you!