just something to start the daily routine.
Daily Routine (Phaseone Remix) - Animal Collective
February 22, 2011
February 21, 2011
time capsule
Update. I'm applying to the Marriott School of Business this week (yeah I know, finally). For the application, I have to write an essay. This made me think of the essay I had to write for my original application for BYU. Amazingly enough, I discovered that from the BYU admissions site, I could still access the essay that I submitted as 17-year-old in high school.
And so I stumbled upon my very own virtual time capsule. Unlike the plastic tupperware containers with "treasures" that my siblings and I buried in our back yard long ago, this one survived erosion and the work of many landscape contractors. It's funny that these 500 words played a role in my acceptance into BYU and eventually led to where I am today. After reading over it, I laughed at how much I've grown in the last three years. For entertainment purposes (maybe just my own) here is that essay:
I guess I have to appreciate my 17-year-old self. Believe it or not, sometimes I forget what it's like to be young and naive, and yet so stubbornly determined. By no means am I suggesting that I am no longer these things, nor that I have peaked in my maturity (that's a scary thought), but I can't help but feel nostalgic toward that age and the ages before then. I clearly remember the years of having dirt backyards after moving into newly-contructed houses. These were the days when it was okay to have a mountain bike trail that circled your house, one that you could ride through at top speeds because there wasn't anything to ruin yet. I have to appreciate what it was like to have a place to call home and a family who I was able to see everyday.
It's remarkable that so much can change since the time that I wrote these words-- so much, and so little at the same time. I am grateful for the chance to be reminded of the 17-year-old me, the person that lived for the little things and the person that couldn't wait for it to rain in the winter so we could sneak on the golf course and go "mud-sliding."
In many ways I am still exactly this person. I am still the Lauren that is more likely to end up climbing a fence/tree/rooftop or playing soccer in her nicest dress than inside watching TV or some type of chick flick (is that what people do?). I am still very much the Lauren that sometimes prefers books to people and sometimes contemplates Einstein's theory of relativity before going to bed. Sadly enough, I still find that my interests are more similar to those of a 14-year-old boy than a 20 year-old-girl in college.
I can say however, that in the years passed, I have gained a monumental amount of experience and perspective. Fortunately, I have always been blessed with a proclivity for good judgment, but I shouldn't be so quick to forget the person that allowed me to become who I am today. So. Here's to the little milestones like finally making it to the adult age of 18. And now here's to still having to borrow someone else's i.d. for any worthwhile concert because I'm still underage as a junior in college. Hmmm, I guess not that much has changed after all.
The Naked & Famous "Young Blood"
And so I stumbled upon my very own virtual time capsule. Unlike the plastic tupperware containers with "treasures" that my siblings and I buried in our back yard long ago, this one survived erosion and the work of many landscape contractors. It's funny that these 500 words played a role in my acceptance into BYU and eventually led to where I am today. After reading over it, I laughed at how much I've grown in the last three years. For entertainment purposes (maybe just my own) here is that essay:
I wake up to the soft taping of rain outside my window, each drop falling to its end against the glass pane. This changes the plans for this weekend’s soccer tournament. I get up and find myself in a house full of people and love. I think about our future and wonder where we will all be. I know that some of us will not be here anymore, and the family I have grown so accustomed to will never be the same. I look into the faces of my younger siblings and I see anticipation and hopefulness, yet they are worried that the rain will affect their day. Determined to make the best of our day together, I grab them by the hand and take them out to play in the puddles of our dirt yard. I laugh as I watch them run and sing, carefree of the bitter cold and irreversible stains to come.
What makes me unique is not in fact my various accomplishments. Yes, I have excelled academically since grades became part of my life at school. Yes, I have served my community to the best of my ability through the help of my church; and yes, I choose to challenge myself and try hard in everything I do. However, what define me are the simple things that most take for granted. I value the love from my family, the strength from my faith, and the spirit in which I greet the problems of life. The simple things are the irreplaceable ones and the things I have overcome are those that define me. So, with my head held high and my loved ones in tow, I greet the day with nothing but high hopes. After all, life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It is about learning to dance in the rain.
I guess I have to appreciate my 17-year-old self. Believe it or not, sometimes I forget what it's like to be young and naive, and yet so stubbornly determined. By no means am I suggesting that I am no longer these things, nor that I have peaked in my maturity (that's a scary thought), but I can't help but feel nostalgic toward that age and the ages before then. I clearly remember the years of having dirt backyards after moving into newly-contructed houses. These were the days when it was okay to have a mountain bike trail that circled your house, one that you could ride through at top speeds because there wasn't anything to ruin yet. I have to appreciate what it was like to have a place to call home and a family who I was able to see everyday.
It's remarkable that so much can change since the time that I wrote these words-- so much, and so little at the same time. I am grateful for the chance to be reminded of the 17-year-old me, the person that lived for the little things and the person that couldn't wait for it to rain in the winter so we could sneak on the golf course and go "mud-sliding."
In many ways I am still exactly this person. I am still the Lauren that is more likely to end up climbing a fence/tree/rooftop or playing soccer in her nicest dress than inside watching TV or some type of chick flick (is that what people do?). I am still very much the Lauren that sometimes prefers books to people and sometimes contemplates Einstein's theory of relativity before going to bed. Sadly enough, I still find that my interests are more similar to those of a 14-year-old boy than a 20 year-old-girl in college.
I can say however, that in the years passed, I have gained a monumental amount of experience and perspective. Fortunately, I have always been blessed with a proclivity for good judgment, but I shouldn't be so quick to forget the person that allowed me to become who I am today. So. Here's to the little milestones like finally making it to the adult age of 18. And now here's to still having to borrow someone else's i.d. for any worthwhile concert because I'm still underage as a junior in college. Hmmm, I guess not that much has changed after all.
"I don’t want to repeat my innocence. I want the pleasure of losing it again."THIS SIDE OF PARADISE, F. SCOTT FITZGERALD
The Naked & Famous "Young Blood"
February 10, 2011
don't look, then leap
Admittedly, I am failing miserably at my goal of becoming a better blogger. What can I say though? I'm a college student that has hundreds of things I should be doing and thousands of things that I'd rather do instead. Yeah, surprise surprise.
This semester however, is the first time in a very long time that I have been able to "focus only on school" which, for better or for worse, has been quite the change. Last semester, I found myself working 40+ hours a week in Salt Lake which required the 2 hour roundtrip commute time. Let's just say working and going to school full-time while i was also supposed to be semi-managing a club was less than ideal. It went like this:
You have these options:
- work
- school
- social life
- sleep
Now pick two.
Well, I can say one thing for sure, sleep was always the first option eliminated and work was an obligation that I couldn't just opt out of. I wish I could say that I chose wisely with what was left but, that would be a lie.
So. I quit my job. Despite the fact that I heavily depended on the income, I took a giant (blind) leap of faith and now, here I am--with rapidly diminishing funds and a new found love for school. Without a doubt, I made the right choice. I just hope that sooner or later, i will grab hold of something in the form of a concrete plan for a secure future and thus end the leap of faith that is starting to make my stomach turn.
Am I worried? No. Should I be? Probably, but there's something enjoyable about living in the uncertainty and relative chaos that I have come to know as my life.
This semester however, is the first time in a very long time that I have been able to "focus only on school" which, for better or for worse, has been quite the change. Last semester, I found myself working 40+ hours a week in Salt Lake which required the 2 hour roundtrip commute time. Let's just say working and going to school full-time while i was also supposed to be semi-managing a club was less than ideal. It went like this:
You have these options:
- work
- school
- social life
- sleep
Now pick two.
Well, I can say one thing for sure, sleep was always the first option eliminated and work was an obligation that I couldn't just opt out of. I wish I could say that I chose wisely with what was left but, that would be a lie.
So. I quit my job. Despite the fact that I heavily depended on the income, I took a giant (blind) leap of faith and now, here I am--with rapidly diminishing funds and a new found love for school. Without a doubt, I made the right choice. I just hope that sooner or later, i will grab hold of something in the form of a concrete plan for a secure future and thus end the leap of faith that is starting to make my stomach turn.
Am I worried? No. Should I be? Probably, but there's something enjoyable about living in the uncertainty and relative chaos that I have come to know as my life.
"But I don’t want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin."
-BRAVE NEW WORLD, ALDOUS HUXLEY
February 1, 2011
blah blah blogging.
Okay. Being new to the blogging scene, I am starting to participate in the act of perusing/stalking people's personal web material. One thing I've discovered: 90% percent of it is completely awful. By awful I mean bland, mediocre, poor in taste, and just plain boring. But really, most of it is pointless garble that the writer's own mother would struggle reading without inducing a small coma. Twitter's 140 character limit has never seemed more genius. I hereby commit to making this blog at least mildly interesting (that's all I can promise right now). For the sake of the poor soul who has to grade these entries and my own dignity, I am going to re-vamp this pitiful blog.
#nowplaying the smiths- big mouth strikes again
"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all."
-OSCAR WILDE
#nowplaying the smiths- big mouth strikes again
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