Hard to find, Lucky to have

A couple of my good friends are having birthdays, and I started thinking about friendship and how lucky I am to have amazing friends both back home, and here in Hawaii. Friendships can be really tricky sometimes so I'm going to talk about some things I've learned are essential to a healthy friendship, and random things I think can help a friendship progress smoothly. 

• One of the most important things I've learned is that in order to have a friend, you need to be a friend. If you go into a friendship only wanting to gain rather than giving, it can lead to a lot of problems. It's important to focus on giving and being a good friend, and if the other party has good intentions, then they will reciprocate that. I'm sure we've all been on the other end  of things; we've all probably encountered people who only take from us and it makes us feel really hurt and annoyed. If you have friends that only take from you, you should really evaluate that friendship and make sure their intentions are genuine. You can learn so much by putting yourself in someone else's boat or remembering how you felt during a time where you might have been in their same position. 

• Being a listener and a critic: Knowing when to be a listener and when to be a critic can be very difficult. Have you ever had a friend who rambles on giving you advice or always chiming in when what you really want them to do it just listen? It can be a really bad feeling because sometimes we just need someone to sit there and listen. However, just sitting there and saying, "yep", "uh-huh", or my absolute least favorite, "that sucks." Try to be an active listener by maintaining eye contact, through facial expressions, and occasionally asking questions. It might sound weird, but by being an active listener, the other person will really know you care. When a friend is asking for your advice or opinion, then you can chime in and give your two cents. When you do, make sure you're really being honest. Don't sugar coat things, but make sure you are still being kind and considerate. 

• Trust: Definitely the most important things in any relationship. Being trustworthy is one of the best traits a person can have. Friends should have a mutual trust and should be there to believe in and support each other. There are so many ways to develop trust: being kind, being nonjudgmental, and sharing with your friends. By sharing with them and showing that you trust in them, friends are more likely to trust you in return. 

Confession time.

Do little mishaps happen in your life and as they add up you just slowly feel like you're going to lose it? I think this happens even to the best of us, and it is not fun at all. We are all a little guilty of getting way too angry or irritated by such small things, and after a little reflection on the topic of patience I'm just going to take a moments and say, Mom, Dad, you were right! I most definitely need an attitude adjustment. And actually, I think a lot of us do. I'm not posting about this because I think everyone is sad, horrible, and cruel, I'm posting about it because I genuinely believe that making even the smallest changes in your mindset can really help you have a more cheerful countenance. One little inconvenience happened last night and it had to do with my car. One of my pet peeves is definitely car trouble. In high school I drove an older car and I drive an older car now as well, and it can be very frustrating when it randomly dies on you and decides to stop working. Anyhow, after this happened (and I was with some friends at the time), I kept saying how annoyed I was, how frustrated I was, and was just kind of being a brat. I'm not sure if my friends even cared or were bothered at all, but after trying to sleep and laying in my bed for a while, I just couldn't shake this ugly feeling. The word patience just kept entering my mind, so I decided to read about it in my scriptures (the Bible, specifically) and to just learn a little more about it in general. I looked up the definition and it wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but the synonyms I found really helped me reflect more on where I was at fault. So enjoy my rant I'm just going to spill the beans real quick. Something I've noticed from people's behavior, especially on social media, is that we like to act super tough. We sometimes express our anger a lot more than we should, and I can't give you a reason so I'm sorry about that. I don't know if we feel more bold or courageous expressing our anger and the things that push our buttons, but I've found that doing so actually creates the opposite effect. One of the synonyms of patience is self-posession which I think is so important. A lot of times we try to blame other people or make up reasons why something happened to justify our angry behavior, but by doing so we actually completely lose control over ourselves. Life pushes our buttons but we don't always have to react! I remember in my psychology class we learned about pain, and how we can train our minds to be able to ignore a certain amount of pain. I took this lesson to heart, and whenever I would stub my toe or scrape myself I would just say in my mind, "I'm fine, that didn't hurt, mind over matter." Just over and over. Surprisingly it actually did work most of the time! What I'm trying to get at is that, with practice, we can also train ourselves not to react in anger to certain situations, just how we can train our minds not to react to certain amounts of pain. It can be a really long process to acquire patience, but it will be time invested to save us a whole lot of regret that comes from acting out of anger. I saw this really awesome story on Pinterest (a.k.a. the greatest website in the world) and it says: 

An old Cherokee told his grandson, "My son, there is a battle between two wolves inside us all. One is evil. It is anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, inferiority, lies, and ego. The other is good. It is joy, peace, love hope, humility, kindness, empathy, and truth. " The boy thought about it and asked, "Grandfather, which wolf wins?" The old man quietly replied, "The one you feed."

I hope you enjoyed this late night rant. I challenge you guys to try to make tiny little adjustments because they'll eventually lead to big accomplishments! Good luck. Also, thanks so much for all of your feedback. Whether you agree, disagree, want to provide criticism, or have a question for me, PLEASE comment or contact me because I love hearing your thoughts. 'Til next time. 

Do your thing

Today's topic is to list some of my regrets and give my thoughts on them. To be honest this topic seems pretty depressing so I'm twisting it just a little bit. I personally think that living a life with regret is the first way to be unhappy with yourself. Guilt and regret are things that hold you down and keep you from improving, and if anything, those things I've regretted doing have fueled me to become a better person and have taught me the most valuable lessons. As of right now I don't have any huge regrets in my life, but I have learned so many things from my past mistakes so I'm just gonna talk about a few of those life lessons. This might seem super cliché, but I hope this post might help or apply to some of you.

1. Do not force things! If it is meant to be, it will happen. 

This lesson has been drilled into my brain since day one; my dad has always told me these exact words. I definitely have forgotten to live by them sometimes, and those were times where I was the most stressed and unhappy. Whether it had to do with a boy I liked, trying to find a job, or having problems with a friend, reciting these words in my head have always brought me so much comfort and ease. I choose to put my trust in a higher power, which really helps me believe that in the end everything will be okay as long as I am working hard and giving my best effort in everything I do. So props to my dad for teaching me my #1 rule in the game of life. And since I'm such a daddy's girl, here's a picture of us:

2. Don't let other people control your mind and feelings.

I had always heard this and just kind of brushed it off. We might all feel a little guilty of blaming others for how we feel or behave, I know I used to have a tendency to think that people were against me and there was no way to control what I was feeling. Just this past semester I took a religion class and my professor was absolutely amazing. He always stressed the idea that it is so important to have control over your own life despite the way you are treated. It is so easy to let someone anger you, and it is so easy to just treat them how they treat you. He would always say, "Act, do not be acted upon." To me this means that no matter how someone treats you, if you are kind and loving toward that person; only you have control. Reacting out of anger gives someone else control and makes it harder and harder to live your life according to your conditions.

3. The more you give the more you get.

Super cliché right?! But really, it is so true! Karma, you reap what you sow, what goes around comes around, whatever helps you understand it better. I have noticed that the better I treat someone or the harder I work, the more I acknowledge when someone treats me well or is working hard. Being the best version of yourself and giving back has always helped me appreciate when people do the same for me. You never know how much happiness you can bring someone just by striking up a random conversation, asking someone about their day or helping with your groceries. (So cheesy I know, forgive me!)

4. You don't always need to explain yourself!

Being a young person in college, even though I go to a religious school, there are always people being critical and trying to influence me to do things I don't want to. It doesn't even have to be anything major, but it is important to feel comfortable with who you are the decisions you make. You should never feel ashamed or embarrassed to do what makes you happy. If you don't want to do something for the sake of just not wanting to, if someone needs you to justify yourself, odds are they don't even deserve your explanation. 

Where is the love?!

My topic today is to blog about something that "fires me up" and I have chosen something that I am very passionate about, immigration. I'm not going to bash on people who have different beliefs than me because I'm trying my best to be understanding of their views. Instead of making it about politics and social issues, I'm just going to focus on a couple basic ideas.

I feel so privileged that I was lucky enough to be born into the United States of America. Sometimes I think I take it for granted and don't deserve all of the things I've been given. Growing up I got to recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning at school, and my favorite part is the very end: 

"One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

The reason I believe this country is so great and amazing is because it was created "under God." I consider myself pretty religious, and the first two commandments of Christianity, simply stated, are to love God, and to love our neighbor (emphasis on the word "neighbor"). So I guess what I'm actually going to talk about is love. I strongly believe that if a person has love in their heart and are basing their opinions and behavior on the love they have for others, they cannot be wrong.

Are we, as Americans, viewing others with love, respect, and understanding? 

Are we aware of the hardships these people face that force them to come to our country? 

Are we aware of the many sacrifices these people made in their lives in order to come to the United States? 

Are we aware that these people do not mean any harm, and that many just need help and are willing to work? 

Are we aware that these people are leaving the people they love to find a better life and to provide for their families? 

Are we aware that families are being broken apart? If your children were hungry or in danger, would you cross a border (even if it was illegal) to try to create a better life and more opportunities for them? 

I know I would.

If anything, I have a huge amount of respect and love for those people who left their lives behind, came to the land of opportunity, and worked their tails off to improve their lives; because I don't know if I would ever be strong enough to do the same thing. I'm lucky to know some of these people, and they are the most humble and hardworking people I have encountered; they will always inspire me to work toward a better life.

If we have love in our hearts, we will push for a more effective process for those who aren't privileged enough to have been born into this country to be able to come here. If we have pride in our hearts, we are not willing to open our minds and hearts to the perspective and struggles of others.

So, there is my opinion on the matter. My opinion is that whatever the heck your opinion is, make sure it is rooted in love and respect. 

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free"

Let's get serious.

Disclaimer: This might get awkward, so if you don't feel comfortable reading about this topic, I suggest you just don't read this post. It's just a little rant with my opinion, nothing too bad! But lately I've been seeing a lot of hype about this new campaign that is fighting to end pornography. I'm going to give my opinion on the topic in the least awkward way that I can, if you want to read more about the facts and how to get involved, just click HERE.
I am really happy to see something like this because before hearing about this campaign, I never really thought about how big this problem is and how it is ruining people's lives! Mostly in high school I'd occasionally hear guys talk about porn, women's bodies, and their unrealistic expectations for relationships. As a woman, it is hurtful to hear your peers in a conversation like this that totally objectifies women, but our society, through the media, is slowly but surely making this behavior seem totally acceptable and harmless. However, women are put in a very difficult place because they feel the need to fulfill these unrealistic and quite outrageous expectations. Obviously porn doesn't only target men, but I personally haven't been surrounded by girls who talk about this, so this is just my take on it. Even on social media it isn't rare to see men post extremely revealing pictures of women's bodies. It is something that really upsets and disgusts me. It harms people's brains because they literally get addicted to it like a drug and depend on it for satisfaction. It gives people a false definition of love and it is  MOST DEFINITELY a form of prostitution; not only are the people watching it being harmed, but the people who are in these videos suffer and are being harmed by this corrupt industry as well. Porn makes a person more critical of potential partners, and makes sex into something more casual and less meaningful. It is harmful to society because since porn portrays women as mere objects, the viewers start to believe that that is just what women are; objects. Long story short, pornography doesn't only harm its viewers; it harms their families, it harms society, it harms marriages, and it kills LOVE. So here's my short rant, I mainly blogged about this because I think more people should get involved and try to put an end to this terrible industry and addiction. If you missed the link and want to help support and fight the new drug, please click HERE. So now that that awkwardness is out of the way, feel free to comment or ask questions below! Until next time.

Like what you do

I hope you guys are able to read this and that you enjoyed it! Agree? Disagree? Questions? Feel free to leave me a comment below :)

Challenge Accepted

So one of my Sunday activities is scrolling on Pinterest and looking at totally random stuff. I came across this Blog Challenge that seemed interesting so I think I'm going to give it a try. Even though I most likely won't keep up with posting every single day, I'll try my best to keep you guys updated often! I can't say I have the biggest audience on here, but I hope these topics on the challenge keep you guys entertained. I was going to go in the same order as the blog challenge, but that seemed a little too boring for me. The topic I decided to do this time was "10 Facts About Me." Making long lists about myself isn't exactly one of my strong suits, but I thought it would be good to introduce myself a little more to any first time readers that might wind up on here.

1. I'm really terrible at naming pets.
My first pet was my dog who I named "Princess" when I was about 4 years old. I named my rabbit "Baby", and I also named my baby chick "Baby." I like to get creative with names as you can probably tell. My sister and I had a horse for a while whose name was Pal, but we wanted to spice his name up a bit. So we began to call him C.J. Pal, which stands for "cool jumper." So if you never need help naming a pet, don't ask me!

2. Most people refer to me as Ally.
Pretty much everyone calls me Ally, but my personal favorite is when people call me "Al." There's just something about it that I love. A lot of my good friends will randomly call me "Mcdub" which is a really random nickname but I still love it. Every once in a while my mom will call me Mcdub and it's awesome haha.

3. I've read about 5 books in the last month or so. They're all children's books because it's a part of my class reading list, but I'm enjoying them so much! So far I've read Oliver Twist, The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, A Little Princess, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

4. I'm likely to avoid conflict rather then engaging with it head-on. When I was younger, I could easily confront someone if I didn't like or agree with what they were doing, but now I just like to avoid conflict until it's absolutely necessary to confront it.

5. The most recent compliment I received that I remember well was on Friday when I was walking home from school. It was extremely hot outside and there was this old man walking and wearing a sweater vest and slacks. As I walked by (I was talking on the phone with a friend) he exclaimed, "Ooooooh girl, you are lookin' good today!" The way he said it was so hilarious and it made my Friday so much better.

6. A couple weird things I like to do when I'm alone is dance or watch the Cosby Show. I really love the Latin styles of dancing and am pretty familiar with them because of my background, but I was always jealous of my aunts and cousins who could dance better than me. Hopefully at the next family gathering I can surprise everyone by voluntarily getting up to dance rather than being dragged. And stay away from the Cosby show... It's highly addictive.

7. The last movie I watched was Life is Beautiful. It's about a jewish man, his non-jewish wife and their son who all end up at a concentration camp. The father (Guido) turns the Holocaust into a big game for his son, and the grand prize for the winner is a tank. I cried the whole time.

8. I can watch any sport and be amused. Even if I know nothing about it, I can be perfectly entertained while watching golf, baseball, or gymnastics. It's all interesting to me.

9. I had to wear braces for about three years. I don't know if my teeth were actually that crooked or if my orthodontist was just messing with me, but having braces was definitely an interesting experience.

10. Just because people ask me what I do in Hawaii. I actually live a pretty normal life, especially during school, but I do have the privilege on going some neat adventures and beach trips every now and then.

If you have any more questions about me or something you want me to blog about, leave a comment or contact me! Thanks for reading.

Reminiscin'

I was really hoping I'd be able to get a couple of blogs up while I was in California, but I was just having a little too much fun back home. There is no greater feeling than coming home to warm loving arms, as well as warm yummy food. My time back in California began with a scavenger/treasure hunt that I made for my little brother Sam so that I could surprise him! It's pretty darn cute, so click here to watch his adorable reaction. My trip back home consisted of many activities and adventures. I told my family I really wanted to make the most out of the short 5 weeks I had there and I definitely did. I met a lot of new friends, and had so much fun with old ones. I had a blast watching the World Cup games, not too excited about Germany winning though. One of my favorite things was horseback riding along the United States-Mexico Border and on the beach. It was ace because we were able to see Mexico which made me think a lot about my heritage on my mom's side, and riding horses reminded me of when I would ride horses in Arizona with my dad's side of the family. The horses actually got in the water which was really fun and it was definitely an enjoyable experience. I visited museums, fairs, Disneyland (twice), and saw the Independence Day firework show at Huntington beach. Something pretty cool happened while I was there in Huntington so click here to watch it all go down! Anyway, here are some pictures from my visit, enjoy! I miss it already.

Oceanside Pier (top row), Disneyland round 1 (bottom left), Balboa Park (bottom center), and Disneyland round 2 (bottom right)

Del Mar fair (top left), Yacht with friends (top right), Carlsbad village (bottom left), and the 4th of July in Huntington (bottom center & right)

Horseback riding, hiking, and dog beach which the family!

From Sea to Shining Sea: Memorial Day

I've missed you all very dearly! It's been a bit since I've posted last. I hope you all had a fantastic Memorial day weekend and took some time to appreciate those who fought and are still fighting for our country. A few friends and I went to the Punchbowl Cemetery. It's a cemetery for people who served our country and there is a beautiful memorial there as well. I was appalled by the countless number of American flags which represented the beautiful lives that were lost. We walked down the rows reading names and information about different wars that were written on the memorials. It was a really humbling experience and I'm extremely glad I went. Following that, we went to a Hawaiian Lantern Ceremony. It was an a mind-blowing experience. At first I just figured it would be cool and unique and I'd get some nice pictures, but seeing so many people gathering to appreciate and even mourn over their loved ones who were lost really helped me appreciate everything I have. Words can't explain how awesome that ceremony was so I'll just post pictures. Enjoy.

"The solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom."

Hawaiian Lantern Ceremony

"In proud  memory of the achievements of her sons and in humble tribute to their sacrifices, this memorial has been erected by the United States of America. These men were part of the price that free men have been forced to pay to defend human liberty and rights. To these men we owe a debt to be paid with grateful remembrance of their heroism."

Getting in the water in our clothes on was worth it. 

Wish I had more roses to leave on the graves marked as "unknown."

Refocus

I can't believe how fast this week has gone by, and it has been a hectic week to say the least. I went on many adventures this week, had lots of school work, and spent much of my time worrying about all of my people in San Diego struggling with these fires. My heart goes out to my friends and family who are struggling and afraid at this time, and I'm so grateful for all of those who sacrifice so much to help put these fires out. Although it is very difficult seeing many people I know evacuating and worrying about losing their homes, I have been touched by the stories of people showing compassion to complete strangers and to other people in the community. Through unity and prayer anything is possible and I know that something good will come from this situation! Even though I'm not even home to experience all of the chaos, I can definitely sense the panic through the media and what my loved ones are sharing. It is important that in these times of turmoil, we are treasuring those who are close and most important to us. My mom and I were talking on the phone today about how when something like this happens, life pauses for a little while and we all gain a better perspective on what really matters in life. Never have I had a stronger urge to call and text my friends and family, making sure they know how much I love them and care about them. All I hope is that when these fires are put out, and life is no longer on hold, that we do not forget that the most valuable things in life are not the big job offers, our finals tests, prom, or the sports games; but the people that are right there next to us everyday; our family and friends who love us so much.

Please keep these families who are struggling in your hearts, thoughts and prayers. And if you would like to help in any way, click here!

Belated Sunday Smiles (Magnificent Monday?)

I apologize for not posting yesterday as promised, my messy house seemed a tad more important. Now that it's all clean I can write this entry in peace! Anyways, here's some cute things I stumbled upon last week. (Follow me on Pinterest if you'd like to see stuff like this more often!)

1. Street art in Miami Florida. Not sure who it's by or what it's called, but it's marvelous!

2. I laughed at this for a solid 5 minutes. I just really want to meet the person who posted this on Tumblr.

3. Sometimes during my free time or when I'm feeling a little homesick, I enjoy looking through old pictures on my laptop. I found this one of my brother Sam and I throwing coins into a cute fountain in Del Mar. It's the little moments like these that I miss most! We'll be reunited in a few weeks :)

4. Another gem I found. Aren't my parents the cutest? I love them so much.

5. Call me cheesy, but this movie looks amazing.

6. Yeah, that was kind of sad, huh? I'm sorry. Here you go.

7. This is just great, enough said.

Hope you all have an amazing rest of your Monday and week. Work hard and be nice!

Sunday Smiles

So throughout my week, I'll always stumble on a few things that I really love and want to share with you guys. So I've decided that I'm going to make "Sunday Smiles" a weekly ritual. This was inspired by Lauren Conrad who does Friday Favorites on her blog. For the sake of alliteration, I will post Seven things every Sunday that make me Smile. These seven things will just be a collection of pictures, videos, or songs that may have made my week a little more delightful. Enjoy!

1. Gray Malin is an amazing photographer who takes aerial shots of different locations, mainly busy beaches. I'm in love with his pictures! Check out his website graymalin.com.

2. This picture frame has a quote from one of my favorite books as a kid! Such a cute idea, especially since Mother's Day is coming up! 

3. These Ray-Ban sunnies are so cute... I have a sunglasses fettish... just ask my mom..or any of my close friends.

4. I'm in love. That is all.

5. Happy birthday to this elegant lady! This quote is wonderful as well.

6. For all you Cinco de Mayo fans.. this is one of the easiest (and yummiest) recipes. Just make corn, spread some mayo all over it, add some cheese, lime juice, and chili powder, and voila! My mom makes it all the time, and it's one of my favorites!

7. I thought this music video was so adorable and the song is super catchy!

Well, I hope you got some smiles out of that, have a splendid Sunday and rest of the week!

Mother [muth-er] (n.) : one person who does the work of 20...for free (See also: angel, queen, saint)

Well today is a very special day! It's my beautiful Mother's birthday! I have no idea what I would do without her, she has been one of the biggest blessings in my life and she deserves to have a perfect day. I thought it would be interesting to see what her name "Martha" means. According to google, Martha means the mistress, the lady, it is the feminine for the word master. One thing I love about her name is that there is a woman in the Bible named Martha. In Luke 11:27 she said, "Yeah, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world." My mom is probably one of the most talented and crafty people you'll ever meet. She is the perfect example of a woman who uses her talents for good and she is such a loving person. One thing she always did that I admire was making little flower arrangements or bouquets for friends. Whether they were in the hospital, or just having a bad day, she made sure they felt loved through her little creations. My mom and I are both perfectionists, so when Prom season came around things got very interesting. Being the awesome mom she is, she helped me pick out the perfect dress (she wouldn't let me stop trying dresses on until we found the perfect one), she found someone to do my hair and make up exactly how I wanted, and she made my corsage exactly how I wanted it. Some might call me spoiled, but if being spoiled means feeling unconditional love from an amazing mother who puts your needs above her own, call me spoiled all you want! But anyway, my mom is pretty much the definition of beautiful, loving, and selfless. Happy 21st Birthday Mom!!!

"Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies." Proverbs 31:10

Small and Simple Things

So today I woke up at 7 in the morning, got dressed for school, walked to school and went to weight training class...after which my muscles felt extremely fatigued and I was convinced that I was going to have a miserable day. However, things turned around when I walked into my Book of Mormon class and saw my professor (Brother Frogley) with this radiant smile on his face. I really look up to him because it is evident in his face and attitude that he chooses to be happy every day. He said something that really got me thinking:
"The most important lessons come from ordinary events in life."

As he went on with his lesson he kept reiterating the idea that 

"By small and simple things are great things brought to pass."

I sort of chuckled to myself because I am the type of person that lets little, irrelevant things in life get to me; often resulting in frustration or annoyance. Our reading we had for homework brushed over the topic of grace and I was really touched by a story that my teacher shared; I'll try my best to tell it as well as he did. 

He was talking to a minister about the possible differences between the Protestant and LDS definitions of grace. This conversation provoked a lot of thought, and Brother Frogley studied, pondered, and prayed to gain a better understanding of how grace works in our lives. Brother Frogley then was having a conversation with another minister while eating lunch. Brother Frogley's intentions were nothing other than having a peaceful and intellectual conversation with someone of a different faith. Hoping to discuss the idea of grace, he brought it up and the minister sort of chuckled as if it was going to be a heated debate. Brother Frogley talked about the scriptures Matthew 11:28-30 which read, 

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

A yoke is "a device for joining together a pair of draft animals, especially oxen"(dictionary.com). In this scripture Christ is inviting us to take upon his yoke, so that we can go through our lives with his help and guidance. However, how can we take upon his yoke if we still carry our own yoke? We need to take off our yoke which is burdened by sin, bad habits/actions, and negative thoughts. In addition, the yoke is only effective if we trust in the Lord, and are both working together. With every step we take, he takes one with us; we limit Christ with how many steps we take. The more proactive we are, the more we will see grace working in our lives.

This anecdote really opened my eyes to how I can be happy by letting go of burdens in my life. By focusing my attention outward and being a positive person in the world, rather then taking in all the negative things of the world, I am allowing my Savior to ease my burden. 

This simple lesson really inspired me and after class a friend and I drove and saw this beautiful view at the Pali lookout. I'm so glad I get to live in such a beautiful place and have amazing people around me to teach me and remind me of why life is so precious.

  

  

Lost myself somewhere: Please return if found

Can't believe it's been 2 and a half months since I've made a post! I apologize for my time of absence, but I am back! During my blogging break I've been adventuring like crazy and trying to focus on school. I recently changed my major to Elementary Education and I'm so excited and can't wait to learn more. I moved out of my dorm and I now live in the cutest little house right across the street from the beach. All of the student houses here have their own nicknames and my home has been dubbed, "The Bus Stop House."  I've taken up cooking and I think I'm doing pretty well even though there have been a few dishes I've totally messed up. It's a work in progress, though. I've decided to continue going to school for both summer semesters which means I will only have 5 weeks to spend at home in California this summer, so to all my friends from back home, please make time for me! But anyways, here's some more Hawaii adventures I've been on since my last post.

"Seashells are love letters in the sand"

"May every sunrise hold more promise"

"Lighthouses don't go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining"

"Do sharks eat people? Yes, they do"

From now on spelling it "doughnut" rather than "donut". It makes me feel more educated.

As you all know, Valentines Day is slowly but surely creeping upon us (dun, dun, DUN). Even though I've never really had any cute experiences besides my parents giving me cards and candy, I actually love this holiday. I LOVE watching romantic comedies and I LOVE sweets. I figured I would post a couple of cute things I really like about Valentines Day. I've always wanted to exchange mix tapes or CD's with cute songs on them, but never really got the opportunity to. Instead, I'll be posting a few of my favorite"lovey dovey" songs on here. Enjoy!

There's nothing wrong with a little nerdy humor...

Chuck Bass & Blair Waldorf... My favorite couple of all time.

I love this romantic comedy!

Feel free to make me a mix tape/cd this Valentine's Day ;)

One thing I love about living in Hawaii is the fascinating scenery; whether you drive a short or long distance you can always come across some pretty neat spots. I had the opportunity this past week to take some pictures with my friend Kylie for her photography class (she's so talented!), and I also got to bring my friends Claire and Lauren with me for a little photo shoot with another local photographer. Despite the aftermath which consisted of about 30 itchy bug bites, I had a blast and both of the photographers captured some adorable moments.

Kylie Stucki

instagram: kyliemorganphotography

kyliestucki.blogspot.com

John Courtright

instagram: courtrightphotography

CourtrightPhotography.com

"I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it's the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person." -Audrey Hepburn