"Adventure may hurt you, but monotony will kill you."

            So here’s the thing, I’m going to start by being honest and saying that this blog post is going to be very different than what I originally thought it was going to be, and I’m really happy about the new direction that I was obviously inspired to take it.

            Monotony. The day-to-day grind. Doing the same thing, day in, day out. We’ve all been there. It’s killer. I don’t think I’ve found a single thing that makes me dream of adventures the way monotony does. I’ve come to find that adventure takes on two different meanings for me, depending on the context of what I’m saying. Two. No more. No less.

Adventure- n. Something grand and exciting that happens; a story that’s one for the books- you know it will be one of your (obviously many) go-to “look at how awesome I am and be jealous” party stores; when it happens, if you stop for even half a second to appreciate the moment you’re living, you can’t help but think, “wow. This is my life. I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

Adventure- n. A small moment, not always noteworthy, but light-hearted and fun in the middle of a crazy, busy, and stressful (read: normal) life.

            I’m going to make a generalization here, and say that many people like to dream about the first definition. However, I’m come to learn that while those adventures are very close to my heart, and always amazing experiences, it’s the second definition that keeps monotony from killing you. Those are the adventures that may hurt in some way- your health, your grades, whatever it may be- but they’re also the ones that make you smile when you look back on them. They’re the ones that make life interesting. Here are a few of mine.... I hope they inspire you to make your own. Also, as I started looking through pictures, I found a lot more than I meant to. So.... #sorrynotsorry

 Sometimes your adventure is throwing a watermelon out your 8-story window....

 ... Or taking a picture laying in the middle of the road...

 ... Buying a 10 gallon bag of popcorn.... 

 ... Dancing in the rain in the middle of a parking lot....

 .... A bunch of Mexican kid ganging up on you while arm wrestling....

 .... Doing homework like this....

 .... Having a junk food Lord of the Rings marathon for your birthday....

 .... Coming to a stalemate with Poli-Sci majors in a match of Lord of the Rings Risk....

 ... Sitting on Joseph Smith's floor and taking a picture even though you're not supposed to....

 .... Chalk drawings. I won't say where. 

 Sometimes your daily adventure is a paint fight with friends...

 .... Finding the giant "cans of Coke" in Idaho....

 .... Supermanning in Glacier National Park....

 .... Experiencing gravity is an unnatural way....

 .... Randomly stopping to pick huckleberries with your dad....

 ... Getting caught in a rain storm trying to go to your first BYU game....

 ... Putting your niece in a conveniently-placed, totally stable bowl on the counter....

 .... Or facing a fear and acting like a child, all in one night.

 Sometimes your adventure is the most exhausting 24 hours of your life. Questival. If you don't understand, you need to learn. 

 Sometimes your daily adventure is a week of creating something truly special with truly special people. #dreamteam #dreamathoningforlife

 Sometimes adventure is playing in an Old West- themed shooting range....

 .... Or developing a love/hate relationship with some teenagers....

 .... Driving a 1928 bus.....

 .... Jumping in freezing cold mountain water. In August....

 ..... Teaching a friend how to properly road trip....

 .... Laying upside down on the Y, because peer pressure....

 ..... Eating a "Weird Food of the Week" that only happened one week....

 .... Painting a new friend's face....

 .... Watching the lunar eclipse at 3 a.m.....

 .... Taking desperate measures to get a real Christmas tree in your apartment....

 .... Playing wheelchair basketball....

 .... Going on a road trip to Canada with your two best friends. Just for breakfast.

 .... Falling in love with your best friend....

.... Or creating unforgettable memories. 

Whatever your adventure may be, go find it. Don't let monotony kill you. And don't think that your adventure has to be something big and grand, just do something silly and enjoy the moment.

I have a friend named...

I have a friend named Stella. Or Kelsie. I call her Kelsie. Usually. And this blog post was inspired by a blog post of hers. She wrote about her two very simple goals for 2016: be present; be intentional. That's it. Sounds simple enough right? In theory, maybe, yes. Absolutely. In practice, not so much. Apparently Stella used to have a blog. One that she gave up on awhile back. But she's determined not to give up, and to work to do this thing she's always wanted to do. Stella has always inspired me. She's inspired me to follow my dreams and to make my passions a part of my life. She's inspired me to work hard, find balance, and not make excuses. So, this blog post, is a shout out to Stella. And all of the rest of my friends (not all of them are mentioned) who have provided me with form of inspiration or life lesson that happens to be sticking out to me on this night while I'm avoiding my homework that requires a significant amount of effort. Clearly I'm not quite living up to Stella's hard work ethic at the moment.

I have a friend named Heather. Heather is one of the most persistent and determined people I know. Heather never gives up. She always keeps going. Even when life is getting her down and she's not sure what to do and everything seems to be falling apart, she keeps going.

I have a friend named Nicole. She also happens to be my big sister. She has always been my hero and one of the people I look up most in the world. She's taught me a lot of things over the years (including what happens when you are pulled across the carpet wearing nothing but your underwear. Spoiler alert: you get a rug burn on your butt). But most recently, Nicole is teaching me what it means to be a mother. Nicole teaches me how to create memories for my family and how to make a home. She teaches me how to teach kids that it's ok to feel different emotions, and how to deal with them. She teaches me that pinterest really does have recipes worth not only finding, but actually trying. And she teaches me that no matter what, your sister will always be your best friend.

I have a friend named Jackie. Jackie has been my saving grace more times than I could count. She made the torturous classes fun, the boring homework entertaining, and was my sassy with mild swearing friend when I needed to lighten up.

I have a friend named Tess. Tess taught me to just relax. Tess taught me to hold on to the things that I love. She taught me that there's always time for hobbies and talents and friends. Tess taught me that sometimes you can be best friends with someone you might never fully understand- because you're so different. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Tess is on her mission right now, and I miss her like crazy, even though I'm terrible at writing to her.

I have a friend named Aubree. Aubree taught me that you might come to really value someone you thought you could never get along with. She taught me that sometimes you need to talk to someone with a different perspective, and sometimes, that perspective will give you the encouragement you need to make one tiny decision that will change your life.

I have a friend named Michelle. Michelle taught me that it's ok to do things in life just because you want to. Just for the experience. She taught me that it's ok to not have your life figured out, as long as you're enjoying the ride and living life to the fullest.

I have a friend named Karsen. Karsen taught me that everyone needs a little bit of the South in their life. That a girl can take on the world as long as she has a pair of cowboy boots and a solid set of roots to remember where she came from.

I have a friend named Macie. Macie taught me that some people really can be a friend to anyone, and still be a real, normal person.

I have another friend named Michelle. And Michelle taught me how important it is to be intentional in keeping God in the middle of you and your husband's relationship. She taught me how to keep Christ in your family.

Tonight, on this night of avoiding homework, I'm realizing that my friends have taught me so much more than I'd realized, and I'm so incredibly grateful for them. 

A few of my favorite things.

v My husband

v Gilmore Girls

v Good food

v Road trips

v Interesting podcasts

v Mountains, mountains, mountains

v Rocking out to good music in the car, in the shower, pretty much everywhere

v Friends (the real kind and the classic TV show)

v Date nights

v Stars

v Rain

v The sound of rushing water

v Adventures

v The first drive after getting off an airplane in a new place

v Hostels

v Paris

v London

v Wicked

v Temples

v Family

v Electricity

v Indoor plumbing

v Education

v Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

v Papa Murphey’s cookie dough

v Mexican food

v The beach. Good beaches. I have high standards. I didn’t use to be a beach person, but the Dominican Republic turned me into a beach snob.

v A River Flows in You by Yiruma.

v Snow

v Flowers

v Traveling

v Babies. Nieces. Specifically.

v All things Harry Potter.

v Harry Potter Studio in London

v Butterbeer

v Wintergreen Lifesaver’s mints

v Christmas lights

v Sodalicious

v Boots

v Scarves

v Hoodies

v Leggings

v Hot showers

v Sleeping

v Naps. Naps, naps, naps.

v Technology

v Soft blankets

v Nintendo 64

v The sound of rain

v The sound of sprinklers

v Clean laundry

v Mascara

v Crack. Not the drug kind. The addicting dessert that I named after the drug.

v Travel gear.

v Driving

v More mountains

v Plants

v Movie marathons

v My wedding ring

v Swimming

v Painting

v Sodalicious sugar cookies

v Rainbow chip frosting

v All things Disney

v Disneyland Paris

v Laughing until it hurts

That awkward crack in bathroom stalls.

            So here’s the thing, I was in the bathroom in the Tanner Building on campus yesterday, because I know the world wanted to know that, and was annoyed by the giant crack between the door and the walls. You all know the crack that I’m talking about. Everyone hates it. And I’m prepared to back up that blanket statement. You introduce me to one person who likes or maybe enjoys that awkward crack, and I will buy you a king-sized candy bar. Creepers don’t count. Sorry, not sorry.

            I’ve been to my fair share of countries. I mean, I just broke double digits in my Countries Visited category this last year, but for a broke 22-year-old, I think I’m doing alright- especially because I’ve now been to Mexico twice and lived in 3 countries besides the U.S. For some strange reason, a significant amount of other countries, but not the grand ol’ U-S-of-A, have figured out a magical way to make that crack either shrink significantly or disappear completely. My favorite bathrooms are the ones that are a completely enclosed room. Not the kind with one toilet that are just like normal house-bathrooms, because I hate waiting for people to finish in those, but the ones that are like normal public bathrooms, but the stalls are their own room. The privacy is magical. Sometimes it’s just nice get away from people and be alone for a minute, and what better time to have that than when you’re doing your business? Alright, I’ve now talked about bathrooms significantly more than I typically would under almost any circumstances, so I think this is enough for now. All I’m saying, is a society, we really need to figure this issue out. The end.