A smile will make it better.

A spunky friend of mine retaught me a valuable lesson today. 

While sitting at a table in the MC, attempting to work on a case study, I was thinking through (or rather, dwelling on)  a ton of different stresses that I have been letting plague my mind. Apparently (because it is almost impossible for my face to hide any sort of emotion) it was easy to tell that I wasn't getting along particularly well with life. 

Then, out of nowhere, my friend James (who is from Congo and is pretty rad) calls out to me while he's quickly passing, points to his bright grin, and says, "A smile will make it better!"

He was right.

A smile made it better.

It didn't take away any dilemmas or stresses or problems. 

 It didn't help me figure out how to resolve or fix anything either. 

It did, however, make my attitude about it all entirely different. 

And although having a different attitude or thought process about a situation didn't fix it, it did make it all better, in a sense. I was happier and it changed my thought process from being entirely selfish to thinking a little more about those around me and the many, many blessings in my life.

So thank you for the lesson, James.

A smile made it better. 

Horseback Discovery

  During the first week of my second semester at BYU-I, Spring 2013, I found out about an awesome class called Horseback Discovery. It was four credits (two for environmental stewardship and two Living Prophets) and you spent every Friday in the mountains on horseback. So, naturally, after finding out I could get into the class, I dropped everything and made a new schedule centered on Horseback Discovery.   

And it was the best spontaneous descion I've made.

Rain or shine, I had the opportunity to go find enjoyment and peace in the mountains. On a horse. Once a week. For a whole semester. 

It was bliss. 

I got to meet some really great people, 

and see so many wonderful places I wouldn't have been able to otherwise. 

The class really opened my eyes to what Idaho had to offer.

I would never have known that BYU-Idaho owns an old Mafia cabin up in the mountains. 

or seen half of the land I was able to 

or meet the wonderful people from so many different backgrounds. 

I never would have guessed that I would love horseback riding as much as I did. 

Or that I would embrace the cowboy culture at all 

(Yes, that is a chick on my head) 

or bond with a horse named Jimmy. 

But I did. 

And I am so grateful. 

It really was a wonderful experience full of discovery and an obsurd amount of fun. 

I would drop it all in a heart beat for another experience like it. 

Carnivores Eat Cars.

Once upon an Autumn day in the year 2007 my oldest sister, Micah, decided she wanted to go Mexico. And being the overly generous and thoughtful older sister, invited my seventh grade self to go with her (may God bless her patient soul).

We (and by "we" I mean Micah, and Micah alone because I really just hate planning in general, let alone trips) decided it would be fun to stay at a pretty lo-key resort down in Puerto Vallarta. I worked (relatively) hard to earn half the money and a couple months later we were off!

After we landed in Puerto Vallarta we headed out the curb to hop in a van that was  to take us to the resort. While we were waiting, Micah and I noticed this cute family with two little munchkins, a little boy about five and toddler girl, that were toe-head blond, full of personality and wouldn't stop babbling. And I loved it. 

Anywho, when the van showed up this little family hopped in with us-- turns out we were all staying at the same small(ish) resort. They had been there before and were telling us all about it and how I would love surfing and how we should be sure and try this popsicle stand and so on. They told us how their family was planning on meeting some friends over at the resort who also had two little ones the same age. The little boy, Finn, kept jabbering away and the wife kept repeating random Spanish words like panadería, which would be followed up with a slightly audible explanation of why (panadería, for instance "Oh, it's like pastry! You buy pastries at the bakery! Panadería means bakery. Got it, got it, got it!"). Between the four of them, and our driver muttering rude things about all the other "conductores ridículas",  the ride over was rather entertaining. 

Then we got to Costa Azule. 

And this was our view. 

And I fell in love. 

We ate heavenly Mexican food (and I did algebra homework) on a beach front deck with this view.

And had many an adventure. 

(I am pretty sure it was right around this time I decided I would be 100% OK with owning beach front property)

 Micah and I had a grand ol' time galavanting about

 horseback riding (Where Micah realized I had a mischievous side as I used her horse's competitive nature to the best of my ability)

hiking

walking the beaches 

 Exploring the town 

Discovering the best soda on the planet (Lift)

Going to cultural events 

Enjoying the beaches (This was also the first time I read Scarlet Pimpernel. Rocked my 7th grade world.) 

learning to surf, 

and, best of all, snorkeling. 

(I fell in love with snorkeling. It was like a whole new world was opened up full of awesome creatures that I had only seen animated [thank you Finding Nemo] )

It worked out that the family and their friends that I mentioned came on quite a few of the escapades with us and we got to know them pretty well. On one occasion the two dads decided to go surfing, the spanish-word-explainer-mother stayed with the babies, and the friend-mom decided to take the two little five year old boys snorkeling on the same adventure we were. The ride out to the reef was beautiful and the little boys did awesome. 

The snorkeling was amazing, per usual (and, don't get to excited, but I'm almost certain that I saw Dory from Finding Nemo). 

 On the way back to shore we sat by the mom with the two little boys, again. It was a pleasant ride back  and the little boys kept talking about all the fish they saw and saying the most random things.  Finally, right before we got off, Finn, the little boy from the van, turned to the other and said with a matter-of-fact tone, "Carnivores eat Cars." 

And that was the end of the boat ride. 

I'm sure Finn isn't a little five year-old with floppy, curly blond hair anymore, and I'm sure he wouldn't remember us. However, Micah and I will always remember that carnivores eat cars, and, as the last six years have proved, will frequently inform one another of the fact. 

With woe, we said goodbye to the blissful town and the sweet little families the next morning. 

I loved Mexico.

It was my second time out of the country and my first time on a vacation with just Micah (which, much to my pleasure, has sense turned into a sort of thing for the two of us). 

I had always loved having adventures and novel experiences, but this trip was the first that really started to fuel that adventurer in me. I learned that there are so many wonderful people meet, cultures to explore, and lessons to learn. However,  my favorite lesson from this trip would have to be that there is always a good story. You just have to be listening. 

Don't forget-- Carnivores eat cars.