oh what a night.

today was the first day of class! i started out in british politics, and then had british literature. i think they're going to be great!! lots of reading, but i know i'm going to learn a lot. After class we dashed to the Museum of London- it was kind of an information overload since i don't know any british history, but i learned a lot. After the museum we went to St. Pauls cathedral- it was absolutely beautiful. we climbed tons of stairs to the top where we looked out over the entire city. we learned about admiral nelson and duke of wellington and how they helped conquer napoleon. after dinner at the london center me and a bunch of the girls went to the broadway play jersey boys. Eight of us went, and we had SOO much fun!! the music was just amazing and we were able to get tickets for only 25 quid. we sat on about the 6th row and were surrounded by these adorable old british couples. currently we're all sitting in the dining room on our computers blasting the soundtrack and having so much fun.

i love all these girls.

and i love london.

bennifer.

Last night i met up with one of my best friends rupert! rupert interned in senator reids office while i was in DC with the senate republican conference. (i miss that like crazy ps) AND HE IS FROM VICTORIA!!! so last night i met up with him and his brother for dinner at wagamamas and we went to the "cinema" which was so much fun! they made my birthday great. it was also great because it made me stay awake till late and i was able to sleep THE ENTIRE night. amazing! it was just lovely. this morning we had a little orientation and the professors sent us out to get familiar with the tube. it's really quite simple, and reminds me of DC more than anything. we stopped at big ben, northanger abby etc. After that i met up again with rupert and his brother (they're leaving to "uni" aka school on sunday so we're trying to get together as much as possible)! We met up in south kensington and went to the natural history museum. it was the greatest time. afterwards we went to the Victoria and Albert museum- AMAZING. Rupert and his brother, Jamie, told me all the history behind everything there. it was so much fun to not just look around but to learn all about everything in the museum. ruperts godmother is the deputy curator for the museum!! my favorite part was learning all about the kings and finding out their little secrets. afterwards we went to lunch at a hole in the wall chinese restaurant and it was probably the most amazing chinese food i have ever had in my life. it was kind of like a mix between thai food and chinese noodles... i WILL be going back there. hanging out with rupert and jamie has been so much fun because they harass me for being american and teach me all the british ways. i'm grateful more than ever that i know them here and they are helping me feel right at home. We had more meetings this afternoon- i found out i will be attending the crystal palace ward! Later in the evening i met up with rupert and his family for dinner at their house in victoria... i ate lamb. enough said. we watched the prime minister debate and i had the most fun i've ever had. Rupert's dad is an absolutely amazing man and i am so happy i met him. british hospitality is the greatest thing in the world i think.

ps. i got SO many texts and messages from all my friends and family saying happy birthday and it made me feel so great. so thank you!!

good day.

i got to LONDON! despite some major issues with my passport, everything worked out and i was able to make my flight! here i am, in beautiful london, what more could i want?? i am living at the byu london center on palace court right by hyde park and it's an amazing area. the building is beyond beautiful! the taxi driver said we were lucky to arrive today because it was the hottest day of the year!! all the trees have blossomed and it is THE MOST beautiful thing. i can't believe i get to spend the next six weeks here- i honestly can't think of anything better. the girls are so great, and the professors are wonderful. i'm completely convinced this is going to be an unforgettable experience and i am so excited for my adventures to begin.

*did i mention that jet lag has made me SO tired i think this entire day will be a haze... (a funny parallel to most peoples 21st birthdays :)

red velvet.

happy. happy birthday.

*this year i changed my birthday to two days earlier.

1. i love to travel, learn new cultures, and pretend i'm not a tourist.

2. i've recently developed the greatest appreciation of art, even though i'm not very creative.

3. sometimes i talk too much, and other times i'm an introvert.

4. i'm probably the most baby-hungry girl in the world, but i'm single.. (enter dilemma).

5. i have the best friends in the world and my family is the greatest.

6. i'm in my element when i have 300 things going on at once. i get lazy with spare time.

7. i want to live in a big city and be surrounded by all different kinds of people.

8. scratches on my laptop and dust on my picture frames keep me up at night.

9. i like to think everyones head works like mine, but i've recently learned my brain is a mutant.

10. a big part of me wishes i could commit to anything at all.

11. i like to pretend i never need anyones help, but often i do.

12. i don't like change, but i hate having strings attached to me.

13. i wish i was more mature than i am.

14. i'm terrible at writing in a journal, cooking meals, and going to the eye doctor.

15. i miss people really easily.

16. i love watching sports. [go jazz]

17. i get way too competitive in board games... and i will cheat if i'm losing.

18. i dream of an east coast wedding.

19. i'm a logical thinker and i can't cry in movies.

20. i'm thoroughly convinced i have abnormal memory loss.

21. getting ready for bed takes me as long as getting ready for the day.

i'm 21.

and in 21 years i've realized more and more that i'm kind of weird.

but the part of me that isn't insecure loves that.

beauty

day.earth

'music appreciation' while overlooking all the lights of the valley.

it may have been perfect.

this year

what could have happened in vegas will be staying in vegas...

my friends and i always promised we would road trip for our big two-one's, but instead i will be spending mine on a plane. [not that i'm complaining- london?? hello!]

but part of me is kind of sad that we wont be flashing our eligible ID's and partying it up for a weekend.

maybe a big part of me.

i always get like this- the coldest of feet right before something out of the ordinary happens... i start second guessing everything. my jr. high boyfriend was right when he said i overanalyze everything. i know london is going to be amazing and i know i'll realize that the second i get there, but right now i'm feeling anxious and a little sad about leaving home!

papi

i recommend that every single person in the entire world has their dad take out their wisdom teeth.

it was SO smooth sailing, and i'm SO grateful.

best.daddy.ever.

now my 5 page list of things to get done in the 1 week i have left in the states seems somewhat manageable.

gracias papi.

three little birds

i woke up this morning to birds chirping outside my window...

that means today HAS to be a good day, right?

because today kind of HAS to be a good day.

i think it does.

i can dream

and you thought facebook was stalking?

i'm obsessed. ridiculously obsessed.

if i can dream has become my most treasured hobby. [it beats out studying for finals]

sure, i feel like a stalker

sure, people think i'm a stalker

but i don't even care at all.

i may or may not audition with no talent, just a dream to be in the house

simon fuller is a genius.

*alex lambert from american idol is on it- what more could i want??

**thank you, brother taylor who enlightened me of this masterpiece

skyrise

once upon a time i thought i might like to be a lawyer.

i'm logical, i'm persuasive, i love pencil skirts and arguing...

then i took business law.

and my dreams changed into a tearful prayer to pass the class...

corporate life-here i come.

physical education

im comfortable here..

yesterday i was in the tanner building for a meeting with my market research team and it felt good.

it felt like home.

second block i started a class... a class NOT in the tanner... for the first time since my freshman year... and yesterday i realized it does not feel like home.

i'm comfortable studying balance sheets, and being the only girl in some of my classes.

i'm comfortable listening to lectures about market trends and economics.

i like going to class at 8 in the morning.. never having to worry about a parking spot [and frequently sneaking by in faculty parking]

i think this is something college does to you.. you forget what it's like to be forced into 12 years of PE.

instead, you get to choose your classes, and eventually they all seem to "go" together...

part of me loves this. and another part of me hates that i feel out of place studying british history. i used to love history- i used to be good at it...

but now i sit through class wishing for a GM or EBAY case study.

since when am i so stuck in my routine that i resist change??...

since when am i an adult?

not.that.funny.

is losing april fools what happens when we grow up?

remember when your school class tried to pull something on your teacher... and it never worked.

remember when you couldn't trust A THING your friends said on april 1st.

remember how your prank always escalated, and usually ended badly.

remember when march 31st was dedicated to intense brainstorming.

remember when you always did something ridiculous to your mom or dad and thought it was the.greatest.thing.ever.

remember how now all anyone does is get married on facebook??

we.are.lame.