A Girl Can Dream

It was the beginning of my sophomore year at USU when I realized that I was possibly the only girl who had not dreamed about her future wedding.  I seemed to be the only girl who didn't have her future wedding even planned out - all of the colors, the wedding dress, the ring, and the song that the first dance would be to.  Therefore, I began to try to dream about my own wedding and tried to plan it out like all of the others, but I naturally failed.  The most I got was that I want one of my colors to be aqua.  Woop-dee-do, one small detail.

However, I think I've come to terms with the fact that, as my twin brother would put it, I'm just not like the other girls - I don't always have to have a boyfriend, I'm not tied up in getting a date every weekend, I don't know what I want my future home to look like, and I don't have every detail of my future wedding planned out.  In fact, I don't care about the wedding colors, I don't care if tons of people show up to the reception, I don't care about the cake (although it would be nice if it were chocolate), I don't care about the dress, or even the ring.  In reality, there are only two things I care about and have dreamed about my whole life... the guy, and getting married in the Temple.

I admit it, I have been raised on Disney movies and Fairy-tales.  And while I do believe in fairy-tales and true love, I am very aware of the fact that Prince Charming is not going to come sweep me off my feet onto a white horse.  And let's be honest, who wants to walk around in uncomfortable glass slippers that could come to a shatter with any slip and fall (which I would be highly likely to do).

I guess what I'm trying to say is that my definition of fairy-tales is a little different than Hollywood's.  


I dream of a prince charming who will love me for me.  He'll love me for my weaknesses and my strengths.  I dream of a prince charming who will think that all of the embarrassing and dorky things I do are cute (perhaps that one does come from the movies).  He's someone who will call me out when I'm out of line or am in the wrong.    He's a prince charming who will make me want to be a better person.  

Not only do I dream about him and the kind of person he'll be, but I dream about our happily ever after. Our relationship that we will have for all time and eternity.  I truly believe that happily ever after's are not only meant for the movies and the storybooks.  Why and how?  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint Temple.  This is the beautiful place where I can be married to my prince charming for forever.  And as we draw closer to God and to each other through the fiery furnaces and the bright sunny days of life, our happiness will only increase.  The best part is that it'll last through eternity and I'll truly understand how it feels to live happily ever after.  If I must be so bold as to say, I can't imagine anything better than being someone else's princess in the Kingdom of God.  I dream of it endlessly.





I do want to point out that I know that marriage is not a picnic in the park and that my "prince charming" will not be perfect.  But as long as we are both working to draw closer to each other and to God, then I know it will work out, and the ending result will be all that I dreamed, and more.  And I do not expect my prince charming to be perfect. I, myself, am so far from perfect, so why would I expect it from him?  However, prince charming never meant perfection.  To me, a prince charming means someone who continuously makes me want to be a better person.  And to be his princess, I must do the same.


Well, this would be a good time to get my head out of the clouds because I have things to do here and now... but still, a girl can dream, can't she?

This song's for anyone who's having the worst day...

I'm going to be blunt.  Today was not a good day.  Actually, these last two days haven't been good days.  Things didn't go my way.  So, tonight, I did what I sometimes do to get myself to smile - watch Allstar Weekend videos.  Basically, this is a band that started out in a garage and is getting bigger and bigger.  The only problem (in my opinion) is that they started out being advertised through Disney because they won a music contest.  However, their music is not directed to the Disney age group anymore, so they aren't becoming as well known.  Hopefully this is changing as we speak because in my opinion, everyone should know them.  I've seen them in concert and for a band, they have the most energy and performance abilities than any other bands I have seen.  It was actually at this concert that I fell even more in love with them.

So why do I watch their videos to get myself to smile or laugh?  Well, they are just so light-hearted in all that they do.  Their music videos are just the "feel good" and dance kind, and their dorky home-made videos are just that: dorky!  And for those of you who have seen Sydney White, I, Callie Stats, AM A DORK. Therefore, their random videos are perfect for me.

The End.

Actually, no, I just changed my mind.  I'm not done.

Um... jk, I am done.

Wow. see what my problem is?

I'm thinkin' I should watch the video above over and over because I think that I, Callie Stats, deserve to party like it's not my birthday.  Who says you need a birthday to celebrate, anyways?

Ok, finally, time to jam.

Goodbye.

From moping around to Living the Dream

Have you ever had that feeling where you have no time to blog but have such a desire to do so? And then you finally get the opportunity and time and you don't know what to say (or type, I should say)? Yeah. That would be me. Now.


Regardless, it still feels good to get something down. Therefore, I'll just ramble.


First off, I have had a negative attitude all week and have been antisocial, which is not a "Callie" thing to do.  I've just wanted to be by myself and mope.  Why?  Not sure... I'm probably just looking for attention like a little priss or something.  So, to fix this moping and attitude problem, I've decided to list some things that I love right now, in this moment (this is me trying to live in the moment and not the past or the future).


I LOVE.....


           *Visiting home knowing I'll be taken care of by my mommy and daddy (yeah, I just said that).  Sometimes it's just nice to have people who show you they love you through action and not just words.

          *Exercise. Particularly at Sports Academy where I have a free membership because of my job (no, not at USU where little miss beauty queen with her straightened highlights and eyelash extensions is trying to get some).  Exercising at Sports Academy is where and when I can enter my own world and disappear behind the instructor (who is just happy you're there) and listen to the beat of the music running through the whole room.  I love that atmosphere in the classes where people are competing against themselves and not each other, aka no judgments.  I can just focus on improving myself without worries - homework disappears, work disappears, responsibilities disappear, and all troubles of life disappear. And all that's left is me, in my own little world.


.       *Walking home from school knowing that I don't have to be there for the rest of the day.  And those 7 minutes allow me to say hi to the friends I pass and to think to myself.  There's just one destination: home.  No options, no decisions, no pressure.  It also means that it's almost time for me to have around 10 minutes of free, lazy time as soon as I do get home. And those are minutes I often look forward to, especially on the days when I'm running from one thing to the next.


        *My true friends of whom I can rely on to be true friends at all times.  One of my dear friends once told me that there are good friends, best friends, and true friends.  Good, better, best.  And it's taken me a long time, but I finally know what she means, probably because I finally know what true friends are.  I do have many true friends, but I do want to make a cheesy shout out to Makenna B., Kylie W., and Jared H.  You are each amazing.  I love how it doesn't matter how long it's been, because each time we see each other, it's as though nothing has changed.  And between us, nothing has.  In the past, I've had friends who care about pleasing others more than being genuine, sincere, and truthful.  It's all just words.  But with true friends, it's more than words.  It's heart.  So to those who are true friends to me, thanks.  I aspire to be as good to you as you are to me.


      *Dance parties where I can let go and feel the music run through every molecule in my body.  This includes dance parties where there are 100's of people, or where there is only me in my room with my little stereo.

    *Crafts that make me feel way cooler than I am.  Particularly crafts with paint.

    *Talking with my roommate (currently Ashlena N.) until we fall asleep.  It's nice to have someone there at the end of the day.  Particularly a reliable, amazing, true friend like Ms. Nichols (P.S. Ashlena, please be an exception from statistics that past roommates have created and refrain from getting married, or even getting a boyfriend and forgetting about me, thanks.)


    *Sitting in the sauna after a beautiful workout.  Need a stress reliever? Go find a sauna.  Mine happens to be at Sports Academy where members often forget it exists, so I often get it to myself.  Time to myself? Nope, doesn't exist unless I'm in the sauna.


     *Having friends in so many different countries.  Let's be honest, sometimes it's nice to have bragging rights to something that most people don't have.  Yup, I'm a selfish gloater like that.  And I actually do love these friends I have and I do and will miss them dearly as they leave America within these next 2 weeks.  I can't think of the fact that they're leaving and that most aren't coming back. I don't like that at all.  I have never been so horrible at saying goodbyes.  But then again, the fact that they're leaving is not the point.  The point is that I got to know them, and I love them, and they are amazing, and they are so nice, and.... I can't wait to see them again whether it's in this life or the next.

My last night in Sun Valley with the best of my friends! I'm the only American!

       * Musicals.  Particularly ones that make your heart burst with feeling like Wicked or the Phantom of the Opera.  And fun ones that make you smile like High School Musical 3 and Hairspray (or I guess these could be classified as Zac Efron musicals).



        * My ipod.  It's my baby.  It makes everything better.  It's old.  It's white.  It's magical.



      *Disney.  What can I say?  Disney always makes me laugh, it's always wholesome, and I love that in their movies and shows they put jokes that only adults can understand.



       *Deep talks while looking up into the stars.



      *Movies and books.  I love escaping this world and immersing myself in new ones.



     *Sleep.  Need I say more?
I look like this when I sleep : D


    *Love. Yup, I love love.  Especially true love, which I will never stop believing in.  I know with everything in me that I will experience true love some day in the same way I knew that I was meant to do something bigger than myself this last summer.  It's just one of those things.



     *ADVENTURES!!!!


                                                                    Meeting David Archuleta

Moab with one of my truest friends in the world!

EFY: one of the BEST of my adventures. Indescribable

       Harry Potter 7.2 midnight showing with my Chinese friends and Kyle

 Babysitting for Angela, a supermodel, on set! (with makeup artist on left)

 Freezing Friday: Jumping into small Sun Valley Lake (it was freezing, obviously)

 Lazer tag at them park with Balint (Hungary) and Paulina (Slovakia)

 Just a few of around 15 or 16 foreigners I brought to FHE with me :) and (gasp) we had a blast and there wasn't even alcohol! Their first bonfire with alcohol replaced by s'mores!

 May or may not have snuck into a bar (me, in a bar... hard to imagine right?).   For those of you who worry, it's ok, I was only there to dance! I had no swallow of any form of liquid!

 Going KAYAKING through RAPIDS! (Balint is there, he just isn't in this pic.) And imagine this, our guide's name was Ian, from Centerville, and has a twin.  Yeah, I know. It's a small world.  (I have a twin named Ian if you didn't get that)

 Lagoon with Kylie White!

Selena Gomez and Allstar Weekend concert with my oldest niece (the one old enough to go). SO GOOD! And i'm not just saying that for all you who are suspicious!

Ok, well, I now feel like a hundred times better.  Especially knowing that my adventures and experiences haven't been limited to this blog.  How to heal a moping soul?  List the happy things you love in life.  Because now, I remember the fact that I am the most blessed girl ever.  

I'm living the dream.

P.S. I would love to know what you think about this blog, things that relate to this blog, your life, or anything. I just want to know what is in that brain of yours.  Therefore, please leave a comment!

P.S.2. Sorry for any misspellings or wrong English ways of doing any thing because I just wrote without editing. That is all..

EFY and Sun Valley! I've lived my dream!

I am speechless.  I don't even know what to write.  And when people ask me questions about what's going on, I have no idea how to answer.


The thing is, I lived my dream this summer.  How am I supposed to describe such a remarkable experience?  Even the word "remarkable" does not justify it.


Especially For Youth


First, there's EFY.  For those of you who don't know, EFY stands for Especially For Youth and is a camp to strengthen the testimonies and lives of the youth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or even non-member youth.  It's a program to remind them of who they are, where they came from, and why they are here.  And while the program is specifically designed for these amazing young people, my life was entirely changed.  I was the one reminded of who I am, where I came from, and why I am here.  And why I have EVERY reason to be as happy as I can.  As I got to teach and know the youth in my groups, I was the one learning from them.  They are truly amazing and they don't even know it.  They don't hear it enough.  I wish I could go through each of them individually to thank them for how they impacted my life.  And I hope, that by some miracle, and through God, that I helped them in some way.


That's exactly why EFY was so amazing, it was all through God.  I was given the opportunity and privilege to be His hand in their lives.  It wasn't anything I did, but everything that God did.  It wasn't my work, but His.  And I was simply blessed enough to be chosen to take just a little part in it - to open the door and allow Him into their lives.  I have no idea why He let me be a part of it, I'm so flawed with mistakes, but what matters is that he did allow me to be a part of it.  And it's because of that, that I know He loves me more than I ever knew before.  And I'm more than grateful.


And I can't forget my amazing co & friend counselors.  This is the part that so often overwhelms me.  They played a huge, gigantic part in changing my life. They are so much stronger and better than I could ever be and I grew so much from them.  I'm so lucky to have had them in my life at a time when everything seemed to be falling apart.  They didn't know anything that was going on, yet they were there for me and they helped me in ways that they will never know.  I have never had friends who have helped me in the ways that they did, and we only knew each other for three weeks!  (To all my other friends, I do want to make a point that you have also helped me in equally amazing ways, but also in different ways.  Neither is better than the other and I'm still so grateful for you.)


Overall, I have never felt so accepted, comfortable, peaceful, and happy.  And it's all because of the counselors and youth that I know how much God does love me. So, to each and every single one of you, I say thank you.  Thanks for showing me so much love and being such good friends. You were God's hand in changing my life.  I got to know all of you at a time of struggle, and you turned that hard time into the happiest time.  Words can't describe how you all made me feel. There's so much more I want to say, I just don't know how to say it.


Sun Valley


So there was EFY for three weeks, and then I went straight to Sun Valley, ID.  I believe that my last two blogs were about Sun Valley, and it was a stranger who wrote them.  In fact, I can't help but laugh at some of the things I wrote.  At first, going to Sun Valley was not a good experience.  It was a trial. It was hard. I was alone. And I was a little frustrated... why didn't I just stay in Utah doing EFY where I could feel the Spirit 24/7 and be happier than I've ever been before? Why did I make such a stupid mistake in leaving?


There were so many moments within the first two weeks where I literally almost packed up all of my stuff and left right then and there.  But something inside me stopped me and said, "Keep going, keep going. Don't you give up."  And that's exactly what I did.  I kept going, and I didn't give up.  For that, I am ever so grateful.  Did it continue to be difficult? Yes. Did I miss EFY so much that it hurt? Yes. But I wouldn't give back the experiences I had for the world.


Being the only LDS member in my part of the dorms was... let's just say an interesting experience. Originally, I hated it.  But, I grew to love it.  I got used to answering questions of every sort on religion.  More than anything, I got used to being different.  I got used to being the only one not drinking, not swearing, etc, etc.  


And for being different, I thought everyone would mock me. Yes, some did, but most did not.  One experience that I will always remember is when one girl asked in her beautiful accent, "Wait, you don't drink, smoke, or sleep around?"  And feeling a little on the defense side I said, "No, but I mean, it's not like I don't have fun, there's other ways to have fun."  She replied, "Oh no, I don't mean it like a bad thing.  I mean, I look up to you for that.  That's amazing."  She actually thought it was "amazing!"  And to my surprise, so did many others.


Another thing that meant the world to me, is how as time went on, people began cleaning up their language a LOT around me.  They went to a lot of effort to keep from saying inappropriate things and from swearing.  They stopped asking me if I wanted a "sip" and they began understanding that I was going to keep my modesty in check at all times - even while swimming.  Most importantly, they knew and respected that I would never budge from my standards.  They even began to just expect me to have high standards, which helped me to live what I believe even more.


If it's anything, I learned that most people around the world are actually respectful of religion.  The only two people who did bluntly (there were many who didn't do it bluntly) mock me were ironically Americans who had fallen away from the Church.


And oh my, did I end up talking about religion a lot.  There literally was not one day that went by that I didn't answer questions and explain what we believe.  Definitely different from Utah, right?  Every day was a missionary opportunity.  While teaching others about it, I learned so much myself.  And I'm so grateful to be a member of this Church.  I'm so grateful to know all of the truth, and not just part. I'm especially grateful to know it for myself.  To whoever is reading this (if anyone even is), I know that if you sincerely pray and ask God if the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true and is the right church and if the Book of Mormon is true, then you WILL receive an answer in some form or another.  I promise that to you.  Knowing what is true isn't about what people tell you is true, it's about what God tells you is true.  It's about feeling the Spirit and recognizing it and the message it has for you.


Ok, back to Sun Valley.  The best part, were the friends I made - friends from all over the world.  In the end, we are all the same.  We feel the same, we smile the same, we laugh the same, and we cry the same.  And I'm so grateful to the great friends I made.  These are friendships that will never end, even while being across the world from each other.  I'm extremely grateful for the way they accepted me the way I am - all my weird little quirks, standards, and all... Particularly my craziness, dancing in the car, saying very American things, being a goof!  Also, I'm so insanely excited for those of my around-the-world friends who will be coming to visit me in Utah!  I can't wait to show them real America! Or, my America that is!


Sun Valley ended up being one of the greatest blessings in my life.  To add to all that I mentioned, I guess it was only a plus that I saw Oprah Winfrey, the guy who invented FB, I babysat for the guy who WROTE the movie Elf, I babysat on set for a supermodel, I met and took care of the kids of the best lawyer in the middle east, the people I worked with were great, I made good money, I went to a waterpark, I shopped, went hiking, horseback riding, and I went kayaking through rapids, holy cow the list goes on forever!  Best of all, I became best friends with people from all around the world!  I am now known as the "American best friend" and the "American sister."  What can I say? I'm proud to be American, and I'm proud to have spent an amazing summer with amazing people, and I'm proud to speak some Slovak and a lot of Romanian ;) .


See what I mean about being so blessed? I'm the luckiest girl ever.  Before this summer, I had some disappointments, but those disappointments brought me to know that something even better was around the corner.  I knew and felt with everything in me, that something would come up and I would get to be involved in something bigger than me.  Bigger than Callie Stats - a plain girl living a normal life.  And I, that plain girl living a normal life, got to share the Gospel and the love of God with youth at EFY and with international friends at Sun Valley (or I at least made it clear that we are not polygamists, if anything lol).


Well, apparently I'm not as speechless as I thought... but still, this blog gives no justice to this remarkable summer! I am just so grateful... grateful to have been where I've been, and to be where I am now.  Let's just say, I'm in a good place :)




p.s. Leave comments :) I would love to know what you think, or even what dreams you have lived and will be living!

Just Better

Honesty

I'll be honest.  It's been hard living here at Sun Valley.  It's extremely rare to find someone who only drinks a little, let alone not at all.  Most people smoke.  Swearing in everyday casual conversation is extremely normal.  People have sex for fun.

For the last few weeks, I've been smiling and as happy as can be on the outside.  And every now again, the inside of me has believed in the masquerade, but when it comes to the end of the day and I'm alone and overwhelmed, not so much.  I've chosen not to let it show how much it brings down my spirits when the things listed above go on while still standing up for my beliefs and standards, but it's so hard being the only one doing so.

At the same time, I wouldn't have it any other way.  As hard as it is, I'm growing, learning, and am becoming stronger.  My standards, faith, trust, and beliefs have become stronger than ever against the opposition.  In fact, it's actually easier to have strong standards here than in Utah.  Well, maybe not easy.  Let's put it this way, it's easy to have strong standards and values here, but hard to be the only one with the standards and values. It's hard to have to defend myself against a group of people who are trying to prove that my standards don't matter or that what I believe is silly.  I often think that it would be so much easier if I was a missionary, because then I'd have at least one other person, a companion, who's got my back.

But I have two people who are even better - God and Jesus Christ.  Knowing that they've got my back every time I stand up for my beliefs means so much to me.  Knowing that they are so proud of me whenever I keep my strong standards means the world.  And that is exactly why I don't have the "one sip" or the "one smoke" because I'm just curious and want to know what it's like just once - just for a moment.  I'm on the right side and that is where I'm going to stay.  I don't want to do anything that keeps God and Christ from my side and in my heart.

It's a choice.  Have God and Christ by my side helping me, or limit the help I get and the love that I feel through bad decisions.  Emptiness, or fullness.  Hate, jealousy, envy, anger, sadness, or love and happiness?  Thanks, but I choose help, love, fullness, and happiness. And I'm going to make choices that allow me to have and feel such great things.

And while hate, jealous, envy, anger, and sadness do still exist because we are human.  Love and happiness will always come through Christ.

Sometimes, we just have to be patient.  As I have mentioned, the last three weeks have been hard on me and on the inside, I have often been sad.  It's a sad feeling to be alone. And being with a big group of people, especially people who are not doing good things, can make a person feel even more alone.  And this is exactly how it has been for me.  However, as of today, things ARE getting better. SO SO SO MUCH BETTER. And my prayers are being answered.

Blessings and Happiness

First, I've done some easy butt-sucking and have gotten most Sundays off!  When I first got here, I honestly wasn't sure if I cared to get Sundays off or not.  But I quickly learned that I DO care.  Sundays are the only days when I get to spend most of the day with people who do and say good things - and that means a lot to me.  It's the day when I am uplifted the most.  And I currently can't believe how many Sundays I took for granted in Utah!  If it takes me getting outside of Utah and in difficult situations to realize how special Sundays are, then so be it!

Second, for the last three weeks, I have prayed and prayed for even just one friend who has my same standards - someone even close to having my same standards.  I tried not to ask too often for a friend who shares my same beliefs because let's face it, it just wasn't likely.  Well, on the contrary, it WAS likely!  I've made about three friends who are active member of the LDS Church!  I can't wait to begin spending more and more time with them!  I've also made 2 other friends from China who are close to having my same standards.  And they are so nice, hilarious, fun, and good.  As it turns out, I don't have to CONSTANTLY be alone after all!

Third, my job is just a blessing.  Ice skating, playing tennis, feeding the ducks and swans, hiking, going on gondola rides, golfing, going on hay rides and picnics, and swimming with pre-school aged kids is so fun. Children are so special and I love spending time with them.  It's such a good thing.  And they're all the same, whether they're from America, Russia, New Orleans, or Dubai.  And besides, I fit in so well seeing as I live in my own little world - Neverland!

Lastly,  God has given me so much strength.  This whole experience is marvelous.  Yes, I so often am tempted to just quit and go back to Utah and do EFY again, but that would be the easy thing to do.  And I don't want to take the easy road.  I want to be where God wants me doing things He would have me do.  And while He won't outright tell me where to go and what to do (though I wish He would), I know in my heart that I'm at the right place doing the right things.  And because of that, I'm growing and strengthening, having amazing experiences, and having unique missionary experiences.

Ok, so this was so very long! I just had so much to express!  But in one blog entree, this is a lot... so I will be done... for this entree that is haha.

I hope everyone (if anyone) that reads this is doing well.  You are all my close friends, and I miss you all.  And I miss Utah dearly.  Please comment and let me know what you are up to and how you are doing, I would absolutely love to know more than you tell me in your topic-specific blogs.

Peace!

Callie

Mood: Frustrated... Diamonds shine better against a dark background... and Oprah Winfrey

Mood: Frustrated.

Frustrated that so many people take advantage of their friends.  They use each other when it's convenient, then toss them away and forget as if they're yesterday's paper.  Has it really to the point that people treat they're friends like they're less than human?  Let alone a friend!  They're careless.  Most of all, they don't know how to appreciate.

I'm frustrated that so many people can't take the minimal effort it takes to attend all 3 meetings of church because of the weakest excuses.  And some don't go at all because of a small "headache" or "cough."  Worst of all, they're "just too tired."

I'm frustrated that so many people don't see how good they have it, particularly those who have the Gospel surrounding them.

Most of all, I'm frustrated that I used to be one of those people.  Maybe not like some of the extremes I've described (of whom I've mentioned for a reason), but to a certain point.  And it makes me frustrated at myself.

Because here, at Sun Valley, I can easily see how lucky I was in Logan, or Centerville, or even Orem. Yes, Orem.

Because here, at Sun Valley, I stand alone.  I don't have one true friend here who doesn't drink, or smoke, or say the F-bomb every two words (literally).  I'm tired of being in this atmosphere and I still have about six more weeks to go.  I realize that is not long, but if you were where I am, in my situation, it would feel like an eternity.

Obviously, tonight I am not looking at the bigger picture.  And currently, I have no desire to.  Yes, I'm choosing to be miserable for the time being because I don't have the strength right now to be as optimistic as I usually am.

This morning, I woke up about every 20 minutes starting 3 hours before I needed to wake up to get ready for church because I was just that excited - excited to go to church.  A refuge.  A place where  people held my standards and believed what I believed.  I wasn't a black sheep.  And while I was there, I've never felt more at home.  I could feel the Heavens whispering to me, "This is where you belong." No one was drinking, no one was smoking, no one was swearing, and no one was being provocative.  And it was such a relief.  And when church ended, I cried knowing that I was going back to the place where I had no friend who held my standards.  I knew I would be spending Sunday alone in my Harry Potter (small, empty) room.

That's when I got a text from my work asking if I wanted to babysit tonight.  My first thought was that I wouldn't because I promised that I would take no babysitting jobs on Sundays (even though it pays over 12 dollars an hour), because that is the one part of my job, my hours, that I control.  However, I then realized that I could spend the rest of Sunday by myself, or with my friends here who would be doing very un-Sunday-like things, or with a 5 year old child doing good, wholesome things.  Well, I couldn't resist taking the babysitting job tonight - anything to not be alone.

In fact, my job doing Playschool (hiking, ice skating, tennis, golfing, bowling, swimming, etc with preschool aged kids) during the day is what saves me.  It's so good for me to have a few hours to get away from this atmosphere and be around children who laugh and smile (for the most part lol).

But when work is done... Ooooh what I wouldn't do for a friend.  A friend who holds my standards. What I wouldn't do for a friend who wants to do anything other than drink.  It's crazy what people around here will do, the efforts they will go to, to just get one drink every single night.

And I've been doing some major butt sucking in order to get as many Sundays off as I can... and I think I've succeeded in that.  Sundays are more important to me now more than ever.  They truly are my one day of rest from the world.  I guess it took the getting out of Utah and into "sin city" thing to make me realize the significance of Sundays.  Sundays are the one day where I don't force myself to socialize with the foreigners here.  Otherwise, throughout the week, I try to do as much as I can 1. for the experience and 2. to represent Christ and hopefully make a difference and be a good influence. We are told to live our lives as missionaries, after all   But on Sundays, I get to rest.  I get to hide from the worldly things going on.

If you can't tell, I'm just a complainer tonight.  It's just exhausting having to stand tall and stand alone.  At least I am not Spiritually alone.  I have God, Christ, and the Holy Ghost by my side helping me.  I'm just grateful to have this Gospel.  It's so comforting to know that I am on the right side.  I wish the people around me could see what they're missing.

And I'm doing as much as I can to show them - to represent Christ and the true church here.  I refuse to lower myself and my standards.  I don't care how much I stand out because of them (and I do - I'm the Mormon girl who doesn't drink).  I will do what I have to do.

So, as I do what I have to do - what God would have me do, I pray for a friend.  And until I get relief, I will stay strong against the current.  As John Bytheyway has said, "Diamonds shine better against a dark background."

That is all for my venting for now.

On the upside...  I SAW OPRAH WINFREY MULTIPLE TIMES THE OTHER DAY! I can't believe the things I'm experiencing here!!!

Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas, I mean Utah, anymore!

Question: When I thought I was coming to Sun Valley, Idaho, did I accidently go to Romania instead?  Lol just kidding.  But, FYI, there's more to Romania than the Romanian dragon on Harry Potter.

Here in Sun Valley, at the dorms where I live, the majority of the people are Foreign.  Originally, I was scared that I would end up being alone all of summer.  The first impression I got was that everyone already had their "groups" of friends depending on what country they're from.  I was worried that I would be the oddball out.

However, things worked out differently than I thought.  In fact, within just one week, I've learned a lot about the people here (and when I say people, I mean those from other countries) and I've made some great friends!  In fact, tonight I celebrated the 4th of July with two people from Romania and one from Spain.  I seriously love them, they are so nice and so much fun. This is the first time I haven't spent this holiday with other Americans!  Anyways, back to the point of this blog...

First, they are all always saying please and thank you (even the little 2 year olds that I sometimes babysit).  I've never met such polite people - really though.  The guys never fail to open doors for the girls, and they don't only open them, they HOLD them open. Every time!  Maybe I should move to Europe where chivalry is STILL ALIVE! I wish I could explain it better and give more details, but there'd be too much and my blog would explode (and we don't want that.... hopefully).  It's so incredibly refreshing to be treated so well.  Even the girls are so nice and inclusive.  I have yet to meet one that's an outright brat.  Overall, they are very, very kind and I'm learning so much from them (whether they know it or not).  They don't disclude because of differences.  Even though I'm one of the few Americans living in the dorms here, they treat me as though I am one of them.  And I am.  In the end, we all just want to have fun, make friends, and be happy.  It's not our differences (which are few) that matter, it's our similarities.  And when it comes to our differences, we learn from each other.  On the very first day that I met some of them, they were already treating me like I was one of their friends.  And having none here, it meant the world to me.  Honestly, I wish  more people were like that.

Also, all of those that I have met from other countries are very respectful of religion.  They don't put you down because of your beliefs and they don't judge.  None of them have literally mocked me for my standards.  Yes, there is a little teasing here and there, but it's just fun and we are all laughing, aka they don't cross the line.  They are actually so much more understanding and kind about it than some Americans I've met so far.  I wish I could convey how much it all means to me.  Even though I don't do all of the things that they do (mostly drinking), they still include me in everything.

I'm just learning to love it here.  I love getting to know people with different cultures and different backgrounds.  I've learned that we all have more similarities than differences. We are all the same.  And there is no "popularity" contest, or anything about status.  It's all about acceptance and making the best of what you've got here.  I've never experienced something like this and, until now, the most interaction I've had from anyone that's not American is when a boy from France came and stayed with my family for two weeks.  I'm just so glad to be here!  Heck, I'm even grateful that I'm single just so that I CAN be here and experiences these things!

In the beginning, I was extremely out of my comfort zone - entering a world where there's almost no Utahns and Mormons, let alone Americans to hang out with.

Now, I am getting used to this new atmosphere, new situations, and new people and friends.

In the end, I get the feeling that I'll be sad to leave this place and the people I've become (and will become) friends with.  It'll be sad to know that we'll be in separate countries - we won't be able to just hang out every night.  Also, it'll be weird to go back to Utah where there's not half as much diversity!

Luckily, there's this smart guy who invented FACEBOOK - meaning I'll be able to keep in touch with all of my friends here! What would we do without it?

Conclusion:  This is the best experience ever!  How many people out there get to say that they are friends with people from France, Spain, Romania, Slovakia, Argentina, Panama, Madagascar, Brazil, and more!?!  I'm so grateful for this opportunity!


Hey friends (if you are reading this, then you are my friend), I love hearing from you, so please leave comments!  Also, if you have a blog, leave a comment with the name so that I CAN FOLLOW YOU BACK!