LMP

 Ballet on Friday was probably the funnest class I've ever had. My technique teacher was a donkey, and he's hilarious. At one point, he was like "I'm sorry I'm such an ass, but point your toes!" Hahaha. My pointe teacher was a butcher because on Thursday she cut off part of her pinky making dinner. Sierra was a mouse and I was a black cat. I live how close the dance department is and that we work hard and play hard.

I have wanted to go on the zipline at Sundance for a while, so when they had a deal on Halloween Ziptours, I recruited my roommates, bought four tickets online and booked it for the day before Halloween. Hallows Eve. Perfect. We had to reschedule due to my own stupidity and another roommate's dinner date. We ended up getting in on the next tour, but had to pay $10 each to reschedule. Oh well. After getting the gear on, awkwardly not being able to tighten the straps around my chest and bum, we put the 20 pound backpacks on and headed for the lift. The ski lift was really pretty, even though it was dark. They had some random spooky scenes below the lift, like skeleton/aliens, a traveling circus, voo doo, clowns. Only one person popped out to scare me, so it was just my scare-level; LOW. Looking down at Sundance was like looking down at the Christmas village from A Nightmare Before Christmas.  We (Ellis, Emmy, Sierra and Gentry and I) did the 50 foot practice run, where I boun...

There are so many things that make up a person. I know that "things" isn't the right word, but I can't think of something that adequately describes what a person even  would  be made of. Dreams, accomplishments, interests, regrets, mistakes, wishes, relationships, etc. I love ballet. I want to teach ballet, and I want to dance ballet. It's part of who I am. But my heart also yearns for the actress side of me. The little bite of real acting that I got at the age of ten in a production of Babes in Toyland in Salt Lake City. The countless drives to Ogden for rehearsals of Music Man when I was twelve. The ten-hour dress rehearsals of Jana's plays throughout high school. I miss that. My heart yearns for the flute. The peak of my playing my Senior year when I was practicing daily and could play Carnival of Venice like a pro. When I began to see what my practicing had accomplished and considered going on to play in a symphony. I miss French. Learning an entire other ...

The perfect vacation; timing, place, people. It could have been a little longer, but college town was waitin for me I didn't take like any pictures, but I did get stung by a jelly fish. Which hurt...like H-E- double hockey sticks The Schuellers came which was so fun and we got to see Nikki and Clint & kids, and Jeff and Richelle & kids. I love the tradition of going to IB and all the little traditions in IB. Katie's, Bibbey's Shell Shop, Cow-a-Bunga, the hotel for lunch, sleeping in the living room on mats listening to the ocean, Seacoast Pizza, The Dollar Store....it's a dream!! It felt a little different coming back to a place I've come to since I was a kid. In a lot of ways I don't feel like a kid anymore. I felt different coming back this year. And I think it will be like that every time from now on. First time going back after my mission, after living abroad, after getting a job, after graduating college, after getting married, etc. Life changes...

Today after ballet Sierra and I went to Provo to get some pizza and see what Downtown Provo was like. We got an XL because it was half off and we were starving. Plus, when you're a college student, leftovers are amazing. Downtown Provo is so cute and fun! We went into the Covey Center where we'll be performing in a few weeks (first Nutcracker rehearsal is tomorrow!!!!) Aah I'm so excited! I loved Arabian when I did it at Clytie's and now I get to do it on pointe! After looking in an adorable bookshop and super duper adorable boho chic, modern floral and gift shop, we got an old-fashioned Coke and sipped it at an outside table. It's feeling like fall and I can't get enough of it! Autumn is my favorite time of year, but it seems to slip by so fast! The leaves change and fall so quickly, and Halloween comes right after school starts I swear! I'm just trying to bask in the pumpkin spiced sunshine for as long as possible! My daily walks to school are some of my...

You need a little chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star ~Friedrich Nietzche Doesn't that quote just give you chills? Since I'm a dance major, it really applied and hit me when I first read it. But really, couldn't it apply to everyone? Everyone needs that inner fire, the unorganized but driven, passionate part of their souls. One of my ballet teachers explains it as a dragon, sleeping below your ribs, ready to be awakened. I love that image because it makes me want to take initiative, to be strong, to let go of fear, and be a little wild. It's exhilarating, and freeing for a girl like me to tap into that more powerful, tenacious part of myself. For me, dancing lights that inner fire. I feel free to express myself and I feel vibrant and strong. Sometimes it's strange to have what used to be my "hobby" and "outlet" be my focus of study and possible career. You have to balance the academic, progressive part of it with the passion an...

As we took off from the impossibly cozy airport and beautiful, green city of Portland, I couldn’t help start singing the song from Peter Pan. The one about flying...  Look at me! Here am I, suddenly, without even trying! I’m flying!!  The song echoed in my head as we raced down the runway, about to be airborne into the mysterious stillness of the night sky. I felt literally giddy. I wanted to bound up and down the narrow aisles, skipping and smiling and dancing. I wanted to do cartwheels and run a marathon and kiss someone. It was like all these childish emotions and feelings bubbled over into an intoxicating, over-the-top episode of pure delight. The world was wonderful, life was wonderful, everything was just WONDERFUL! Then, suddenly, we were in the air. We were descending upward as the ground below grew smaller and smaller. Cars became funny props, streets became strands of twinkle lights, fields became patches of ebony. It was like the Peter Pan ride at Disneyland. For...

As we took off from the impossibly cozy airport and beautiful, green city of Portland, I couldn’t help start singing the song from Peter Pan. The one about flying... Look at me! Here am I, suddenly, without even trying! I’m flying!! The song echoed in my head as we raced down the runway, about to be airborne into the mysterious stillness of the night sky. I felt literally giddy. I wanted to bound up and down the narrow aisles, skipping and smiling and dancing. I wanted to do cartwheels and run a marathon and kiss someone. It was like all these childish emotions and feelings bubbled over into an intoxicating, over-the-top episode of pure delight. The world was wonderful, life was wonderful, everything was just WONDERFUL! Then, suddenly, we were in the air. We were descending upward as the ground below grew smaller and smaller. Cars became funny props, streets became strands of twinkle lights, fields became patches of ebony. It was like the Peter Pan ride at Disneyland. For all the im...

The other day in ballet one of my fellow dancers said "Ya, I'm not very good at adulting." I just laughed. Being an adult is hard! This fellow dancer was older than I thought, she wouldn't even tell me how old. And she was married! Something I didn't realize because she didn't wear a ring. Anyway, 'adulting' got me thinking. First of all, I know this is not a real world. Kind of like the word 'ponderize' (you know, from General Conference), I just feel it gets the point across and is a term I have adopted from collegiate life. ;)

Today I was the last one out of the apartment. I got to wear real clothes because I had a modern meeting with my teacher instead of actual class. I locked the door and thought about my upcoming trip to California where I'd meet my family. The sun was shining and the autumn air was as golden and promising as ever. I felt so independent! I just love those moments when life catches up to you in a good way. One of the things I've learned living on my own is that I'll never lose with the gospel. And that is a pretty big deal. Because I am a worrier. But I never need to worry much about the big stuff. As long as I take one day at a time, and read my scriptures, keep the commandments, pray and have faith, I am going to make it! Those primary answers...there's a reason they are drilled into our heads! They are the most important and most easily forgotten things you can do. It's easy to run out of time for those things. When life gets crazy busy, those things can fly out the...