fresh starts

Isn’t it a relief that each day we get a fresh start? We get to start all over and decide how we want to act and how we want to accomplish what needs to be done that day. 

& occasionally in life we get a chance to have an even bigger fresh start. Be it moving, starting a new class, making new friends, whatever it may be we have that chance sometimes. 

Every school year I seem to get nervous about meeting people or facing the new challenges…(& sometimes nervous is an understatement) 

But this year I am thrilled. Honestly. 

I have the best roommates & a new apartment, ward, schedule, so much new & I’m glad for the chance to have super fresh starts and a dream team of roommates. 

Here's a picture of Cinque Terre, Italy I took until next week when I hopefully have lots more pictures of all nine countries I visited on my computer

Six Years in Hiking: #sixthsummit

I love my mtns. 

Especially Mount Timpanogos

+I seriously considered backing out of summiting part way through my hike last weekend as I was nauseous, tired, & I've seen it five times. But we finished it & we finished quick. 

+ The internal battle was real but I'm proud of myself for finishing when I had fully justified taking a nap in the meadow instead. 

+So here's a timeline of the last six hikes and 5 summits just for kicks. 

[one year we had to turn around at the saddle for a case of altitude sickness]

Also, I haven't been able to get the first 600ish photos off my phone yet from the beginning of my 7 weeks in Europe so I can't post about that YET, although you can expect it as soon as those pictures get moved over. 

(several hours on the phone with Apple still isn't getting me closer..) 

2010:

2011:

2012:

2013:

2014:

2015:

Bonus:

I really think this is one of THE prettiest hikes. Otherwise Why On Earth would I keep doing it. I may have been asking myself that all last weekend.

so this is life.

"Not everything is supposed to become something beautiful and long-lasting. Sometimes people come into your life to show you what is right and what is wrong, to show you who you can be, to teach you to love yourself, to make you feel better for a little while, or to just be someone to walk with at night and spill your life to. Not everyone is going to stay forever, and we still have to keep on going and thank them for what they've given us."

Well I realized I only post here when I have some profound thoughts or need some way to arrange my thoughts, but then again my mind is always running and frequently dives into cycles of deep thought throughout the day. This quote [above] sums things up pretty decently. (although summing up is really an impossible feat)

Today I got a new swimsuit, shirt and skirt for Europe, sunglasses, &...guys: Europe? 

I leave a week from tomorrow morning..WHAT? 

I'm not packed.

I don't even know what I'm going to pack. 

I still have to take an Econ final (yiiiikes)

I have 4 more Econ assignments & a paper. 

I have 12 more online quizzes for my class & 5 days of class. 

2 days of work.

a handful of goodbyes (really only a handful like I'm going to be gone 6 weeks and not that many people will notice..haha)

But hey, this should be exciting! 

(I should be so much more excited but I'm so nervous) 

^real talk, but I will work on the getting excited bit.