Newsflash: I'm 19.

I pride myself on being 19 and being in the place that I am in my life. I'm mostly self-sufficient. I pay for school all on my own. I'm getting close to paying bills (but not that close because no one needs to grow up that quickly).
And I meet people that think the fact I'm 19 is a bad thing. Or a testament to immaturity. Or that I just don't understand.
And for many aspects of life that's totally 100% true.
And you might be thinking that I want to back up the other side that says no, my age is just a number. And maybe I will some other time. But I think right now it's important for me to embrace the fact that I'm ONLY 19. I have so much life left to live. I have so many things to experience. I have to remember what being 19 means outside of the bubble.
And to me, that means to be a kid while I still can, and to never let those feelings leave. Because who really wants to grow up?
So I'll eat with my Ariel & Rapunzel place settings with Amber.

I'll get excited about Disneyland and new animated kids' movies and Disney songs.
I'll eat too much food - and nothing nutritious at that.

I'll live like I'm crazy and stay out too late and not sleep enough and ditch class every once in a while.
I'll take pictures with trees.

I'll move my bed into the living room and sleep on the floor with my friends.
I'll meet new people and make new friends and lose friends and make memories.

I'LL LIVE.

I spend all this time telling people to "Let them be kids" when I talk about Camp Kesem.
Isn't it important to let me be a kid too?

We live, we learn. We crash and burn.

Y'all know H, right?

Um, babe much, am I right? Really this post has less to do about her and more about our conversations.

H is getting ready to serve a mission. I'm at BYU.
We both blog.
Mama Hen, Momma Goose.
We both turned 19 this year.
And we both learned a lot.

It's hard to explain sometimes, how much we've grown.

To sum it up:

To my self,
When you go our and don't come home until 6 am embrace it.
When you don't sleep, complain. But gain perspective that you did something worthwhile.
When you break down because you can't follow someone's thought process, eat the Phish Food and call the friend that's always been there.
Swoon for those kids that look like they're 12 just because they can sing. Also, they're legal.
Be inspired.
Recognize the importance of people before they're gone.
Enjoy the attention but protect yourself. Humans are imperfect. Don't hold someone to too high of a standard.
It's okay to be conceited. You're freaking worth it. You deserve an equal.
Age is just a number. Some people take longer to realize it than others.
"I was dumb. I learned and I grew."
Take every moment and let it be a learning experience.

Above all else?
#yolo
#iaintevenmad
#wishicared
#hashtag

There's Those Moments On Campus When I Hear Things And Think, "Only at BYU..."

Like today, when I was walking to my last class and I hear a guy shouting into the phone, "IN THE ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE OF THINGS..." and he proceeded to shout while I carried on my merry way to class (PS I'll tell you what, class in the Benson and then in the Heritage Central Building with 10 minutes to get there is nearly impossible. Note to self for next semester).


And while I laughed to myself about the irony of what he said with the tone of which he said it, I realized that's an important motto.
The eternal perspective: what REALLY, TRULY matters?
Does it matter what we did in high school, how many things we're involved in, how many parties we've been to, the number of hours we've slept, how much money is in our bank accounts, how many friends we've had?

No.

It matters more how we carry ourselves after our experiences.

How we spend our time and the knowledge we've gained.

What did we do with our life? What did we leave behind?

How are we living now?

Do we dwell in the past? Or do we set our sights on the future? 

We keep moving forward.

"Stand ye in Holy Places"

The greatest miracles I see today are not necessarily the healing of sick bodies, but the greatest miracles I see are the healing of sick souls, those who are sick in soul and spirit and are downhearted and distraught, on the verge of nervous breakdowns. We are are reaching out to all such, because they are precious in the sight of the Lord, and we want no one to feel that they are forgotten...
You cannot lift another soul until you are standing on higher ground than he is. You must be sure, if you would rescue the man, that you yourself are setting the example of what you would have him be. You cannot light a fire in another soul unless it is burning in your own soul.

-President Harold B. Lee