Well, perhaps it's time for a review of the many intriguing, exciting, and sometimes boring events that happen at New Student Orientation (NSO).
I moved up to BYU on Wednesday, after spending the night at my uncle's house in Provo. My family accompanied me to check in and helped me move my copious boxes up to the room. After they left, my roommate and I were the only ones at our apartment, as our other four roommates would not completely show up until Friday the 29th, when our last roommate finally moved in. Our roommates seem pretty cool and I hope we have a great time living under the same roof.
NSO has been fun so far. We were put into Y groups and go everywhere as a group. We get lots of free food and do many fun and boring activities (each activity is not fun and boring, but most activities are fun and few are boring). We have listened to lots of information about campus, been led by a very fun and very cool Y group leader (who is also our peer mentor for Freshman Academy), eaten lots of food, and listed to lots of live entertainment. We have seen a very humorous presentation on the Honor Code and Jericho Road came and preformed live for us.
There are lots of people here. Lots of people. I like the feel of the campus. The Honor Code and the people here are very strong in the spirit and the gospel. We begin everything with a prayer, and embrace the whole "disciple-scholar" thing. It is very cool.
And very expensive. I spent $540 on books. For my first semester. Crazy, eh? Although today I did get my scholarship rebate direct deposit - I logged into my bank account and thought I logged into somebody else's. The number surprised me! I like scholarships... Now I can pay for the new MacBook Pro I bought last week. It has shipped but now I'm waiting for it to arrive and will be very excited when it does!
There are lots of people here who are willing to help. We have an awesome peer mentor, an awesome RA (resident's assistant), an awesome college advisement center, and more people.
Today I watched the BYU Women's Soccer game, and tomorrow I will watch the football game. I found myself doing something I've never done before - cheering on the Cougars. It paid off - we won the soccer game 4 - 1. It was a good game. I guess that while I'm at BYU, at least, I must become a cougar fan. Ah well - I must find the courage to plunge into the world of the blue.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Skydiving! *Video coming soon
(Beware - the problem with describing skydiving and friends is you quickly run out of different appropriate words like, "awesome", "exhilarating", "intense", etc...so there may be some repetition)
Well, I finally did it. My dream that, as my mom pointed out, I would never have done before moving to Hurricane. IT WAS AWESOME! EXHILARATION! INTENSE! Lots of people have told me they would never do it because it is scary. There is some truth to that, but I believe that it is NOT as scary as a lot of people believe. Whoa! As I'm writing this I keep reliving my favorite part of the whole deal, and that is the actual part where you jump out of the plane.
Skydiving creates a feeling that is really hard to explain. Falling from 14,000 feet above sea level at 120 miles per hour is exhilarating. The first mile and a half go by in about 45 seconds of pure, unadulterated joy. The ripcord pull signal came WAY too quick for me, but I am sort of glad that it did come - another twenty seconds or so and I would have made a small crater. Whoa! I just keep feeling that feeling!
I got to the skydive place and there were two other people there ready to go - since we booked first, I was the first to go. We received about an hour of training. Most of that hour was signing legal documents and watching a legal video. After that the instructions seemed really simple! Jumping tandem is the way to go. The awesome skydiver guy took care of everything and I just had FUN!
After the training the pilot warmed up the engine and we took off. The awesome skydiver guy was videoing pretty much the whole time, too. If you go, I would recommend paying the extra money for a video. As much as I hate watching myself, I have to admit that it is fun, and good to watch with friends and future posterity.
The best part of the jump, for me, was falling out of the plane. Being on your back, falling, looking up at the increasingly small plane, is a thrill like no other. After three seconds I arched, like he told me to, and we stabalized. Then we went into the free-fall part, which is so fun! Too soon he motioned for me to pull the ripcord, and then the parachute opened. When it opened the wind immediately died, and we could talk as easily as anybody can on the ground in calm weather. It was so awesome. I took off my goggles, popped my ears, and then proceeded to thouroughly enjoy the ride down, where awesome friends were waiting! What a perfect way to spend your time! I want to do it again, for sure. (On my own funds, mom)
The place is really easy to get to, it's run by the same guy strapped to your back on the way down, and it's highly recommended. The guy was amazingly awesome, fun to be around, and responsible. He gives you personal attention and makes sure you understand before you jump. He's had over 4000 jumps and is very experienced. I would HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend skydiving and particularly this establishment as a form of exhilarating entertainment. You have to be 18 though. More information can be found at http://www.skydivezion.com.
I would especially like to thank my parents, who surprised me with this trip for my 18th birthday. They are so awesome! I love them so much and will miss them greatly when going off to college. Thanks mom and dad!
Well, I finally did it. My dream that, as my mom pointed out, I would never have done before moving to Hurricane. IT WAS AWESOME! EXHILARATION! INTENSE! Lots of people have told me they would never do it because it is scary. There is some truth to that, but I believe that it is NOT as scary as a lot of people believe. Whoa! As I'm writing this I keep reliving my favorite part of the whole deal, and that is the actual part where you jump out of the plane.
Skydiving creates a feeling that is really hard to explain. Falling from 14,000 feet above sea level at 120 miles per hour is exhilarating. The first mile and a half go by in about 45 seconds of pure, unadulterated joy. The ripcord pull signal came WAY too quick for me, but I am sort of glad that it did come - another twenty seconds or so and I would have made a small crater. Whoa! I just keep feeling that feeling!
I got to the skydive place and there were two other people there ready to go - since we booked first, I was the first to go. We received about an hour of training. Most of that hour was signing legal documents and watching a legal video. After that the instructions seemed really simple! Jumping tandem is the way to go. The awesome skydiver guy took care of everything and I just had FUN!
After the training the pilot warmed up the engine and we took off. The awesome skydiver guy was videoing pretty much the whole time, too. If you go, I would recommend paying the extra money for a video. As much as I hate watching myself, I have to admit that it is fun, and good to watch with friends and future posterity.
The best part of the jump, for me, was falling out of the plane. Being on your back, falling, looking up at the increasingly small plane, is a thrill like no other. After three seconds I arched, like he told me to, and we stabalized. Then we went into the free-fall part, which is so fun! Too soon he motioned for me to pull the ripcord, and then the parachute opened. When it opened the wind immediately died, and we could talk as easily as anybody can on the ground in calm weather. It was so awesome. I took off my goggles, popped my ears, and then proceeded to thouroughly enjoy the ride down, where awesome friends were waiting! What a perfect way to spend your time! I want to do it again, for sure. (On my own funds, mom)
The place is really easy to get to, it's run by the same guy strapped to your back on the way down, and it's highly recommended. The guy was amazingly awesome, fun to be around, and responsible. He gives you personal attention and makes sure you understand before you jump. He's had over 4000 jumps and is very experienced. I would HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend skydiving and particularly this establishment as a form of exhilarating entertainment. You have to be 18 though. More information can be found at http://www.skydivezion.com.
I would especially like to thank my parents, who surprised me with this trip for my 18th birthday. They are so awesome! I love them so much and will miss them greatly when going off to college. Thanks mom and dad!
Excited before going.
My funny shirt I thought was appropriate...
The awesome friends who came to see - thanks guys! You are incredible!
In the air - thank Janessa for the good pictures.
After landing
The awesome skydiver guy and I after the jump - he was cool.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Final Days
Echoing a post by Whitney, I have mixed feelings about leaving home for a year at school. I went to my last Stake Dance tonight, and a wave of sadness swept over me as I thought about the transition from high school days to college. At first it was a bit weird being one of the oldest there, but then I realized that these people were my friends, and I stopped caring. It was sad to think about the fun I've had at Stake Dances, from my first one three years ago to this one today - I can't even imagine how many times I've danced to "Boot Scootin' Boogie" in the interim. Although a lot of my friends my age weren't there, there were still a bunch. Plus, I do have younger friends, believe it or not.
I think I'm waxing eloquent on the subject because it hit me tonight exactly what I'm doing. Moving away from home, never seeing most of the people going to Hurricane High, not even really associating with Hurricane High anymore. As Whitney said in her post and I learned three years ago when we moved here, your family is the one of the only things you can count on to be there for you and support you and one of the best things that one can do is to be supportive of everybody that they associate with. I really tried to do that and I hope that I have.
I am excited for the future - I'm not saying that I'm not - but right now I am just so grateful for all of my family, the church, and my friends. My family and the church have stuck with me my whole life. My friends accepted me and still continue to be friends even after they get acquainted with some of my...quirks. For that I am eternally grateful. It has changed me for the better by example.
Moving was hard. I had to stick close to those two pivotal anchors in my life, now joined by a third. They say triangles are the strongest shape. This is kind of a more personal, emotioinal post them I'm used to writing, but I will miss everybody very much (unless by some good stroke of fortune I see you again, which should happen). I can't think of a single person I don't like right now - I love you all! Of course, people have their own quirks, but since I have some I can understand other's.
Goodnight!
I think I'm waxing eloquent on the subject because it hit me tonight exactly what I'm doing. Moving away from home, never seeing most of the people going to Hurricane High, not even really associating with Hurricane High anymore. As Whitney said in her post and I learned three years ago when we moved here, your family is the one of the only things you can count on to be there for you and support you and one of the best things that one can do is to be supportive of everybody that they associate with. I really tried to do that and I hope that I have.
I am excited for the future - I'm not saying that I'm not - but right now I am just so grateful for all of my family, the church, and my friends. My family and the church have stuck with me my whole life. My friends accepted me and still continue to be friends even after they get acquainted with some of my...quirks. For that I am eternally grateful. It has changed me for the better by example.
Moving was hard. I had to stick close to those two pivotal anchors in my life, now joined by a third. They say triangles are the strongest shape. This is kind of a more personal, emotioinal post them I'm used to writing, but I will miss everybody very much (unless by some good stroke of fortune I see you again, which should happen). I can't think of a single person I don't like right now - I love you all! Of course, people have their own quirks, but since I have some I can understand other's.
Goodnight!
Friday, August 1, 2008
Exciting Events
Well, there are really three parts to this post:
- I got an iPhone for graduation. It's kind of a reward for the hours and hours of homework, the 4.0, the 35, the Valedictorian, the scholarships, and the honors. My mom and dad don't have to pay anything for my college. Anyway, hesitant as I am to post up a phone number to a public website in case of spammers or any drive-by cell-phone number collectors or weird people, I will tell you that there are beginning to be lots of people that know the number, so you'll have to get it from them. I was trying to think of a way to tell you so that only those that know me would find out the number, but it's late.
- I finally, finally succumbed to the mountains of pressure coming from blog posts telling about how to earn money on it, the countless friends who have one, the countable but still numerous friends who asked me or, rather, told me to get one, and even the pressure of my sister, mom, and grandmother. I am now on Facebook. It is interesting, and there's no way I have time to write and respond to every single one of my 94 and counting friends on there, and I'm still trying to figure things out with it.
- I am going skydiving. It was a present for my birthday. Every time I think about doing it my stomach knots up, but I'm super excited. You can all come, I'll let people know when.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)