My Empire State Of Mind

So this past March, I got the incredible opportunity to travel to New York City with my yearbook class to attend a workshop at Columbia University. I'm not even sure what words I could use to describe how fantastic the trip was, but basically it was: amazing, awe-inspiring, empowering, and simply wonderful. Here's some pictures, enjoy!

 Sleeping in the airport, we were exhausted.

 After our 6 hour flight, we were excited to land.

 Our very first subway ride!

 American Museum of Natural History.

 Funny faces during dinner time.

 Columbia University, absolutely beautiful.

 Our Staten Island ferry trip took us around the Statue of Liberty.

 I guess this one needs a little more explanation. We went to Bubba Gump's for dinner one night and had a wonderful waiter named Alex. It all started when I reached for a napkin and Alex grabbed a huge roll of paper towels and gave me a napkin scarf. After that, he added a paper product to his "design" each time he walked past our table. By the end of our evening I was wearing a large garbage bag for a dress, a paper towel scarf, belt, and bracelet along with a cup for a party hat (not pictured). I have never laughed as hard as I did that night. Especially when Alex took my hand and guided me through the restaurant and encouraged people to take pictures and tweet about the crazy napkin queen at Bubba Gump's. I will never forget that night.

 Of course we had to stop by the Disney store!

 And eat a famous New York hot dog! (or maybe 3 of them)

 I wish this photo did more justice to that delectable slice of cheesecake from Juniors bakery.

 Heather and I may have been the only non-sushi eaters at Planet Sushi but I think we had the most fun.

 The breathtaking view of Times Square from my hotel room at the Marriott Marquee.

 New York also introduced me to my new best friend Ryan Pace who is quite simply the greatest.

Walking through the bright lights of Times Square.

Summer is here, and so am I!

Okay so I am actually pretty terrible at this blogging thing but I think it's mostly because I've been so busy with school and school related activities lately. Now that I'm finally finished with my junior year, I'll have a lot of time on my hands and I'm going to use that to update you on my life! I realized I have to rewind a few months though, all the way back to March and my incredible New York trip. So look forward to that coming your way sometime this afternoon or evening.

survey says...

Rules

1) Post the rules.

2) Post a photo and 11 random things about you.

3) Answer questions.

4) Ask questions.

5) Tag.

I was on Broadway. :)
(new york travelogue still to come)

Random things:

1. I put Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing on 90% of the foods that I eat.

2. I hate swimming as much as I love it.

3. One of my major life goals is to become fluent in the Italian language.

4. I would rather spend my Friday nights with my family over my friends.

5. I deserve an award for my skills in cyber-stalking.

6. The future excites me.

7. I prefer that my socks coordinate rather than match.

8. At age 10, I had a nightmare that Frankie Muniz licked my cheek.

9. I wish I had stuck with piano lessons.

10. I'm most excited about getting a kitten when I move out.

11. If every outfit I pinned on Pinterest could show up in my closet, I would be much happier.

Answer questions:

1. What makes you happy?

Hmm, my hilarious family, delicious food, the gospel of Jesus Christ, unexpected calls/texts, good hair days, swim team, memories, Mormon pick-up lines, wearing pretty dresses, my friends, surprises, baby kittens, going on dates, etc.

2. Do you want to live close to your parents when you grow up?

Yes, I love having my sisters so close that we can have sleepovers at my house and I definitely want to be able to do that when I'm older and have all our kids running around together.

3. Is there a recurring dream that you like?

I always have this one dream about my future house and eating breakfast in this giant bed, it's pretty nice.

4. What's your favorite place to go out to eat?

Taste of Tuscany. Antelope's little piece of Italy.

5. Would you rather have someone tell you straight about something you're doing that they don't like, or have them sugar coat it to protect your feelings?

I would like them to tell me in a straight-up way, without being unnecessarily rude.

6. Do you play any musical instruments? If so, how long have you played?

I can read music and poke out notes on the piano but I only played for 3 years on and off.

7. Is it flattering or creepy when someone likes all of your pictures on Facebook?

Depending on who it is, probably flattering.

8. If you had a million dollars and couldn't give it away, what would you spend it on?

I would build my dream home with a butterfly garden, a treehouse and an olympic sized pool.

9. Are you afraid of death?

I think I'm more afraid of the death of my loved ones than my own death.

10. What's your favorite kind of tree?

Probably redwood trees because they remind me of going to my family's cabin.

11. Who are you planning on voting for in the presidential election?

I'm not.

Ask questions:

1. If you could give a single piece of advice to the whole world, what would you say?
2. What would you do differently if you knew no one would judge you?

3. What's your power animal?

4. What is your favorite memory?

5. When's the last time you said "I love you"?

6. Are you doing anything exciting before 2012 ends?

7. Would you break the law to save a loved one?

8. Do you treat your friends better than you treat yourself?

9. What would be your dream profession?

10. What makes you smile?
11. Who is your role model?

Tagging:

1. Stephanie

what makes me different

Feel free to quote me on this: Mormon isn't my religion, it's my lifestyle.

Check this out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-BDxTOMQTw

a blog story

On January 7, 2012, this blog was born. Truly a miracle when you consider how often I've pondered whether or not to make this and what I could possibly have to offer in this blogosphere full of creative, deep, and honestly interesting people. However, as the new year was approaching, my Facebook newsfeed was flooded with statuses packed full of hopes and resolutions for twenty-twelve which led me to my own thinking about what this new calendar year holds for me. Last year, I made a 2011 to-do list and accomplished roughly seventy-five percent of it, but this year, I wanted to do something a little more challenging in addition to my annual to-do list. Inspired by Lynn G. Robbins, I decided to make a to-be list which I realized is a lot more insightful and a heck of a lot more personal. Hopefully, this blog will be a witness to the changes I aim to make this year and hopefully, it will be, at some points, entertaining, relatable, and maybe even--dare I say it--inspiring. I would however like to add a quick disclaimer that this blog is not guaranteed to be entertaining, relatable, inspiring, or even interesting but I hope that whenever you decide to stop by after getting bored of stalking weirdos on Facebook or celebs on Twitter, that you come away knowing me a little better or maybe...even knowing yourself a little better. :)