Found My T-Shirt

Train

Thursday I had the opportunity to attend my first real concert in Salt Lake City for one of my favorite bands: Train. I had been planning this since August when I found out they were coming to Utah, but as it got closer to the allotted date, I found myself without a ride there (#firstworldproblems). Luckily, thanks to a last minute post on Facebook, I was able get the assistance of my friend Brice. We hadn't seen one another in many moons, so I was really excited to spend the time with him.

We met up on Thursday at 5:30 and headed up to SLC where we met up with my old friends Rebecca and Stephen Bowzer. It was so much fun to spend the night in not good, but great company. Distance sometimes makes you forget how much fun you have with certain people. I laughed 90% of the time (I spent the other 10% of the night trying not to pass out or contract some unknown disease from the mass amounts of bodies pressed together infront of the stage).

Brice and I were a little late, so Stephen and Becca saved us a spot about 20 feet away from the stage. You would think that would be a really awesome seat, but people have yet to create a rule that keeps 6-foot-somethings from dominating the front rows of the audience. Basically I only got to see the singers every 10-15 minutes (exaggeration there, but it was still pretty ridiculous). I am still incredibly grateful for the opportunity to attend the concert though.

The line up for the night was awesome. Andy Grammer started us off, which was pretty cool because I knew a few of his songs, but for the most part he was unimportant to me. He had this smirk on his face the whole time that just made me want to punch him after about 10 seconds of looking at him. Aside from the obvious fact that he was in love with himself (and rightly so, I guess. He has a great voice), I enjoyed him.

That face.

Then came Mat Kearney. Ugh, he has the voice of an angel. Man that man can sing. I was really excited to hear him, so it was a little nerve racking when he hopped on the stage for his first number, and no sound came from the mic. I'm not even kidding. There was smoke and flashing lights and screeching guitars, Mat comes running on to the stage with a big smile, steps up to the mic- and nothing. I mean, you could hear the guitars, but not Mat.... which was weird. It was even more weird that it took him like half way through the song to realize that it was happening (but I guess that had something to do with the deafening roar of his adoring fans). Talk about bad first impressions... haha. After he figured it out, he started the song over, and it was great from there. He even came out into the crowd like 2 feet away from me and was almost mobbed.

Such a stud.

So close, yet so far away.

He was looking right at me in this one.

Finally Train came out. Oh how I love them. They were just so much fun!

We weren't too far away.

Can you find me? My full face is in view.

Economics

Kind of makes me want to bang my head repeatedly against the small wooden desk attached to my poorly cushioned seat. I'm sitting next to this one guy who keeps reading everything I do over my shoulder. He's laughing now. His name is Quinton Riches. What a creeper. It's okay though; we're Facebook friends.

Today we had a fire alarm for all of 5 minutes before class. It was weird, having a fire alarm in college... I haven't had one of those in three years. i was half expecting to walk outside and see my old high school spanish teacher waving around her little Mexican flag shouting "Clase! Clase, aqui!" She was straight up whack.

Unfortunately, class was not canceled. I was hoping something would blow up so I could at least have a good story to share with you all. Like, maybe I was inside when the explosion happened, and I was caught behind a blazing fire and fallen debris. Then, right when it seemed like all hope was lost, this handsom fire man comes running in and saves me and we fall in love.

But it's not what happened. Instead, I'm sitting here in class, listening to my professor explain the equilibrium, or the market clearing price, and pretending not to notice Quinton looking over my shoulder (he is so embarrassed. Bailey-1 Quinton-0).

On a more enjoyable subject, my roommate Marie and I could not stop laughing at these youtube videos.

Seriously, this guy is so funny. I laughed so hard I'm pretty sure I don't have to work my core out for a good solid week (more cake for me!). Speaking of which, I really need to start going back to the gym. I occasionally take an Irish Dance class and, man, every time I leave, I am SO SORE. 

Also, I got to see Evidance on Saturday night (I also got to see BYU get their butts kicked, but I'd rather not own up to the fact that we decided to send our cheerleaders out to play for us). It really made me consider getting back into taking dance classes. Of course, I'd probably just look into auditing them or something, since taking them has nothing to do with my major. I'll have to do a lot of praying on this one. 

Oh great, now I'm lost. I'm going to have to do some extra reading tonight to make up for this. Oh well. I enjoyed writing today. I've learned that it's incredibly helpful to just get all of my thoughts and feeling out in one place. I'm especially grateful that y'all read this. It's awesome when people text or comment or just find a way to tell me that they read my blog! There's nothing like knowing someone else out there feels the same, or was touched by what I wrote. 

Thanks again for being amazing!! For your support, I'll leave you with this wonderful representation of true love:

When Life Hands You Lemons

Sometimes life requires you to do hard things, like write a 10 page paper, or work two jobs, or only eat one piece of cake when you really want two (or maybe even three). Wednesday night I had to do something that I didn't think was going to be hard at all, but it ended up being one of the hardest things I've done in a while... and it sucked.

Have you seen the Arrested Development episode where every time something bad happens to one of the characters, they walk around like Charlie Brown? (side note:  if you don't know Arrested Development is, stop reading, click here, and go educate yourself. What do you live under a rock?). That's how I felt, so basically I spent half my day looking like this:

I talked to my mom on the phone to try and figure out why I was being such a big baby about everything. I knew my answer and I knew I was making the right choice, so why laze around all day and pout? I had other things I needed to be doing... like homework, or eating cake. 

She suggested that at the moment I was feeling a little bit like I was backed into a corner. The way I saw it, all of my choices had been made for me; the outcomes were inevitable. That wasn't necessarily true. I was just choosing the options that were less 'fun', but would be better for me in the long run (e.g. to do homework or not to do homework). In other words, I was growing up.... and it sucked. I was learning about responsibility and that long term happiness far outweighs instant gratification. 

So what was the solution? Well, for me I was feeling a lack of progress. Although I was learning essential adulthood lessons, I needed to feel as if progressing right at that moment as well. I sat down with my mom and devised a list of things that needed to be done this weekend. We decided that I would take a few things a day, starting with the smaller tasks, complete them and then reward myself with, say, my ward's Nerf gun war activity (which, in case you were wondering, was awesome). It was really helpful. It put my list of tasks into perspective a really helped me feel like I was achieving something (which I was) while also feeling like I wasn't starving myself of being social.

Another solution was remembering that 'it is better to look up'. In the October 2011 General Conference, Carl B. Cook gave a talk with that very title. It's one of my favorite talks to this day. 

In his talk he quotes Mosiah 4:9 which reminds us to "Believe in God; believe that he is...". How wonderful is it that we have a God, a Father in Heaven, who loves us dearly, and who, among the infinite number of things in this universe, know each and every one of us by name. 

Elder Cook ask us the question: "Why is it a challenge to constantly look up in our lives?" Do we lack faith, trust, hope? I think it's a combination of the three. I know that I struggle most with trusting in the Lord, and even trusting in myself. But that's why we're here, isn't it? At least, that's why I believe we're here. To learn to have those things. To trust God, and to know he loves you.

In a talk I mentioned a few posts ago, President Uchtdorf mentions this: 

"[W]herever you are, whatever your circumstances may be, you are not forgotten. No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, He loves you with an infinite love. Just think of it: You are known and remembered by the most majestic, powerful, and glorious Being in the universe! You are loved by the King of infinite space and everlasting time! He who created and knows the stars knows you and your name—you are the [children] of His kingdom..."

How grateful I am to know that.

On a more secular note, I think there's still something to gain from these talks. It may not be God you're looking up to. Maybe it's looking up to that great vacation you have coming up in a few months, or that A+ you got on a paper, or even coming home to that last slice of chocolate cake after a long day. Find something to 'look up' to; find something to be grateful for. I promise you have at least one thing you can think of; I have many.

I know that just bringing a little bit happiness into you life makes living it easier. You don't have to throw up rainbows and unicorns on everyone you meet, but try smiling at a stranger, holding open the door for an elderly woman or a not so elderly woman or even a man. Go of your way to make someones day a little bit better and soon yours will follow suit.

I'd like to try something new. Of the few people who read this, will you share with me your ways to get over those days you find yourself in a 'funk'? Do you dance around your kitchen in your PJs? (I do.) Do you go for a run to clear your head? Listen to loud music? Share, please! I'd love to know what you think :)

Today

Today I just don't have it in me to write a real blog post. Today I just want to curl up and go to sleep. Today I did a lot of reflection on the past to determine the outcome for the future. Today was long and today was hard.

Sometimes, we just have days like this:

Maybe I'll give a better post tomorrow. Today I'm going to go nerf my rage out on my fellow ward members.

Sorry.

UPDATE: We are so cool: