I'm late, but I AM grateful!

This is kind of a late thanksgiving post. That's how crazy busy life has been lately! However, I had a great thanksgiving.

I spent thanksgiving this year with my cousin Megan in Pocatello, ID. I'm so thankful to be loved by them and that they always welcome me to their lovely cozy home. I was SO ready to get out of my apartment! It's those little things such as nicer facilities that I REALLY miss and appreciate. I took a legitimate bubble bath twice while I was there and I think it was one of the most pleasurable things ever. I got to go see Catching Fire (again), which was super fun. And, of course, watching Snoopy movies on the comfy couch with Taylor, Ashton, and peri, was probably my favorite. The simple PEANUTS cartoons make me feel so happy and make me thankful for the cute, little things in life. 

I am thankful for the amazing HUGE thanksgiving meal I had. I think this is the fullest thanksgiving I've experienced. I could NOT stop eating! When I woke up on Friday morning I was STILL full. 

After hearing some amazing, traumatic stories from a man who served an lds mission on the Ivory Coast, I really don't think I will ever complain again. I'm grateful for the mostly safe town of Fort Worth, my home, and the safer town of rexburg, Idaho. 

Overall, I'm grateful for family, food, shelter, and my savior Jesus Christ! Cheesy but true. 

Aaaand now it's Christmas season! Happiest time of year for me!! I love everything about Christmas. I am so excite and thankful to go home. I did not think I would get homesick here but I definitely did. I miss Texas and everyone in it. I hope that ice storm goes away before I get there, though!

In the meantime, our baroque ensemble got to do a day tour in Utah and we got to walk around Temple square. This was my first time ever in temple square and oh man, it is BEAUTIFUL! And we didn't even see the Christmas lights since it was daytime. But, just look how breathtaking that Salt Lake Temple is!! It is a castle. I felt so much peace around it.

My first semester of college is coming to an end. I must say it has been an incredible one. Well I still have finals so hopefully I don't completely bomb those and ruin my GPA, but I think I will be okay. 
I have never met so many incredible people in such a short time, and I know I am making lifelong friendships. 

By the way, Rexburg has finally his the negative degree weather. It is INSANE. I have never lived in this much snow. My dear friend Alex and I decided to embrace the snow one day and Pixar-ize all the cars in a parking lot, and we made a snow shark! I do love snow, hehe. Ski weather has arrived!

OMG IT SMELLS LIKE CHRISTMAS AND I HEAR THE MUSIC EVERYWHERE AND I JUST LOVE THE SPIRIT AKDFGJHALDKFJGHALDKJFGHALDKFJGHALDKFJGHADLKFHGADJFKG. 

happiness galoooore

Walking on A Tight Rope, literally

It's that mid semester stress I'm sure. 

I have had tests to study for and concerts to perform in with extra rehearsals and the daily practicing and homework on top of that! My emotions have been all over the place. I keep telling myself "balance! Balance and time management is key!" I guess it's one thing to manage your time and plan out your days/weeks, but it's another thing to manage your thoughts. Sure, maybe I planned on doing my science homework right now, but my mind is totally not focused on it. Why can't my focus coordinate with the plan?! AGH. 

Tonight I attended a slack lining activity, which is walking a tight rope. I generally have pretty good physical balance (thanks to surfing those Hawaiian waves!) and I picked it up pretty fast. There were different lengths and tightnesses of ropes. The looser ones were harder, especially as you moved toward the middle. Once you get past that middle part, though, the end becomes tighter again and it's easier to walk. I feel like this semester is like that tightrope....right now I'm right in the middle and it's wobbling back and forth and if I don't control my balance with my core and keep my eyes focused on one spot, I will fall off. Of course I can always get back on, though! Luckily there's not lava underneath this rope. It's just the gym floor. (Also, it's not that high off the ground at all. No worries!) 

I noticed tonight that I always fell off just about instantly when someone was talking to me as I tried to walk, or if my mind was racing and thinking too hard. I had to really zone out and completely empty my mind in order to walk across the whole length of the rope. When it comes to things like this, sometimes I just have to tell myself "Don't think, just do." (This does NOT apply to everything so be careful with that phrase, haha!) what I mean, though, is to not think of every complicated detail... think simply. 

Reaching the end of the longest length of the longest tightrope felt so fulfilling. It was the perfect way to end this crazy week (tests, concerts, Halloween craze). I wasn't leaving that gym until I did it, either. The feeling of relief is one of the best feelings after so much hard work, and you realize that the hard work really is worth it in the end. 

This semester does not end until mid-December, but I am determined that it will end nicely! And, in the long run, I hope all this hard work somehow leads me onstage with Josh Groban! :D

On the bright side, I am LOVING the fall leaves here in Rexburg! 

Happy Fall, everyone! But, don't fall. 

People, People, People!

What a crazy week it's been! 

I am still pretty starstruck from meeting Josh Groban and his violinist, and I probably always will be. However, life must go on. If I wanna actually PLAY with him one day, I can't just sit on my butt and retweet his tweets all the time. I gotta WORK. 

The homework and practicing is definitely loading up now and the amount of sleep is decreasing. Tuesdays are my longest days. I am busy back-to-back from 9 am to 5:30pm! 
Last Tuesday, I was planning on waking up early to get some things done before my long day, but I overslept and missed my morning practice. I felt so unfulfilled. :( Luckily, devotional is at 2:00 pm and I felt better after that, since my day felt so long already. However, as I rode my scooter to my violin lesson, I totally wiped out, in a skirt, and in front of an attractive human being who kindly helped me. I skinned my hand a little and was late to my lesson. WHY?! That day I really faced the reality of balance and managing time in college. You really cannot do everything. I had meetings to attend and homework to do and still needed to eat, and of course practice (I am NEVER done)!

Thank goodness for weekends, though! Even though I have an essay due Monday. . . 

I actually felt like Superwoman this weekend. 
On Friday night, I ran the Glow Run 5K. Don't ask me when I last ran, but I ran the entire time and it felt amazing! I felt so alive and free and crazy when people threw paint at me as I ran by. I finished this race, and continued my night at a crazy 80's dance party. 

That feeling after a run covered in glow paint >>>

I was so sore the next morning. Sure, I guess I can go randomly run a 5K without dying, but I totally forgot to stretch. My left leg is PAINFULLY sore. And, I had another performance at BYUI's Got Talent that night! A performance involving some dance moves, something I have never done before. I was actually a little nervous for this one because it involved some coordination. But, I did it!

Here's a video of part of my performance. Just an iPhone recording. I think I can access a better recording sometime later. 

In the middle of my performance, my track stopped playing! AHH WHAT THE HECK! There was some sort of technical difficulty, but I kept playing. No choice! It's unexpected times like these that we MUST keep going! Plus, it's not like I messed up (or maybe I did, shhh. No one shall know). As long as I don't react to the mistake or problem, all is well! In-the-moment trials like this are to be faced later! (when there is NO audience!)

 Luckily I had some great inspiration beforehand. 

So, yeah. I've met another famous violinist this week. Her name is Jenny Oaks Baker. If y'all haven't heard of her you NEED to look up her music. She is beautiful and talented and has spectacular arrangements of our favorite songs and hymns. She performed here at BYUI and I got a picture with her afterwards!

Not too satisfied with my awkward smile here but JENNY IS GORGEOUS!!!

I experienced two incredible performances on Saturday.
There was one very moving part of Jenny's concert. Jenny herself actually got choked up about it. A girl named Claire had lost some of her fingers on her left hand in a car accident when she was young, and was so sad she could not play her violin. Jenny was able to meet her and told her that she could still play, and that she would. Now, her violin was readjusted, and she plays the violin BACKWARDS. As in, she sets the violin on her RIGHT shoulder instead of left! It was one of the most incredible things I have ever seen. Together, she and Jenny played a duet of "I Know My Redeemer Lives." I was in tears. That one got a standing ovation for sure. 

During BYUI's Got Talent, a girl who talked kind of funny played the piano and sang. This girl was deaf, and she sang BEAUTIFULLY. Perfectly in tune! She may not articulate well, but the fact that she played piano and sang with such passion without being able to hear just took my breath away. 
I wish I had pictures!!! Sorry about that!

I am SO grateful to meet so many amazing people, especially those who kick their trials in the face and come out stronger than ever! These people have taught me that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! It just takes WORK. 

Speaking of, I have homework to do now. *Deuces*

Adventure Groban: Mission POSSIBLE

BEST. NIGHT. EVER. 

Here are the series if events of October 2nd, 2013. BEST day of the year so far:

Macie and I left Rexburg for Boise via salt lake express bus. We almost missed it! What an adventure haha! The ride was long but a beautiful scenic drive. Macie socialized with some Chinese people where we learned how to say Guthrie in Chinese, and later we met a kind LDS woman named Pam who was also attending the Josh Groban concert. 

We met my aunt Debbie and uncle Jim at Boise airport and they dropped me off at Taco Bell arena. In case y'all didn't know already, I won a Meet and greet with josh. I was SO excited. I had to be there an hour early. I got my tickets and VIP pass for the meet and greet at the will call office. They did NOT let me bring in my violin, which I was gonna have Groban autograph. I was so disappointed! I guess a bow can stab someone. They kept it safe in the security office for me though. Don't worry, though. It gets better.

There were actually lots of winners for meet and greet. Some were from the FOJG fan club, like me, and some others won through radio and stuff. Before meeting josh, a professional photographer person interviewed me about my love for Josh's music and excitement for this "in the round" concert. It may be posted on the fan club page or on Josh's YouTube soon! 

The actual meet and greet was brief, but it went smoothly! Since he couldn't autograph my violin case, he signed my violin arm (never washing it again) and I gave him a copy of my cd along with my twitter name. Hehe. 

Our conversation:

"hi I'm Crista! I am your future violinist!

J: Sweet! I'm pumped! 

C: (Hands him cd) Here's my cd. I did my own version of Brave so you should check it out. 

J: Wow! Really! yeah I'll listen to it on the bus! (And he's serious!)

C: Awesome! Will you sign my violin arm?

J: Of course. You're not gonna tattoo it are you?

C: Well isn't that what you're doing? I mean it's a Sharpie. 

(Takes photo)

C: Look for my poster! Thank you!

Thank YOU!"

He's so CHILL. 

Yup. He's awesome. I actually cried afterwards I was so happy. (Fan girl mode) The concert hadn't even started yet! I met up with my roommate Macie and we found our seats. Floor 8 BB. That's SECOND row. We were in spitting distance. Amazing. I had my poster ready: Josh~MAY I BE YOUR VIOLINIST? Bright neon yellow, glitter glue. Can't miss it! 

Before josh, Judith Hill from the Voice sang. She's also AMAZING. She used to be Michael Jackson's back up singer! She also did The Prayer with josh in the concert. 

Many times through the concert, josh would come around to our side and he totally gave me the head nod to my poster, basically answering "hey, yeah! I remember you!"  Basically saying yes to the question on my poster. And, later when both he and Christian Hebel his solo violinist came to our area, josh POINTED at me and to Christian, basically hiring me and firing him right there haha! It was hilariously amazing. Christian walked by me many times and nodded with a "heck yeah!" grin as he played. He's an incredible violinist. 

Not only is josh an amazing singer in all sorts of languages, he has the best sense of humor. If you don't follow him on twitter yet DO IT. Don't have a twitter? Make one and follow him. He is absolutely hilarious. He interacts with his fans so well. 

After the concert I got many comments and "good luck, hope to see you on stage with him!" comments on my poster. Such supportive fans! Most people there were middle aged or older haha, but they were all so nice and hope to see me with josh one day! (Praying!!!) Now, I wanted to go meet this violinist! 

Josh sings The Prayer with Judith Hill. 

The photographer from earlier found me and wanted to do a post concert interview (sure why not?!) so we did that. Oh also this photographer took many pictures of me with my sign throughout the concert. What a nice dude. 

THEN, I saw Christian! Turns out he was actually looking for ME! What the?! He was just walking around eating a fudgesicle bar like whatever. I chatted with him for like 20 minutes. He used to be the concertmaster of the orchestra of the broadway show Wicked! He's from michigan and attended MSU and later got his masters somewhere in NYC (can't remember the conservatory name). He asked about my violin history and stuff and I got some pictures with him and my sign! While we were backstage, we also met Josh's pianist (can't remember his name AHH!) but he had some WILD hair and he was totally bro. He recognized me as well. That neon yellow poster wasn't hard to miss!

Friend or foe? Or coworker?

Christian led Macie and I out the "VIP" exit and we passed by Josh's tour bus, which he was in, and all the fans by the gate around the bus. He gave Macie and I a goodbye hug and I went and fetched my violin. I actually pulled it out and played some of Josh's songs! It was chilly out , but it was so fun. The fans loved it and Christian heard me! Macie actually yelled out to Christian and pointed me out to him. According to Macie, Christian stopped whatever conversation he was having and watche me for a sec and said something like "That is SO cool!" Everyone loved it. It was incredible. I hope josh heard me from the bus...surely he did, i was like RIGHT there. I played as passionately as I could! 

Tonight was definitely a milestone. I think I got some connections. Maybe I WILL be up there with him one day. I just gotta keep working at it! And obviously I can't stop practicing. Ever. 

Thank you Josh, Christian, and crew for a MEMORABLE night! It was LEGEN.... DARY!!!!

Insert Quote about Disney and Dreams Coming True

Wow. So much has happened within my first two weeks of college! The first week was pretty slow, since I was still getting used to the flow of my schedule, this past week zoomed by. 

Gosh, where do I even start? So much good news!

First of all, I am still surprised I am 2nd chair in symphony orchestra. It's a big responsibility for sure! I can only imagine the responsibility of the concertmaster.....

Lots of people complain about how "there's nothing to do in Rexburg". Are you serious?! Look around! There's stuff EVERYWHERE! I've done ballroom dancing, a hip hop workshop, other fun, social dances. I've gotten ice cream for $1 (did not know this was possible in America), Capoeira (Brazilian martial arts), had a Belgian waffle dinner. . . and there's a ton of other stuff I still want to do but haven't done yet. 

I have many performing opportunities here. The other day, I decided to go audition for BYUI's Got Talent. I auditioned with the same hip hop piece I performed at the Freshman Talent Show. The judges seemed to like it a lot, but then they asked what Disney song it was? Wuut? Turns out, BYUI's Got Talent Auditions are NEXT week. That day's auditions were meant for Disney numbers. So, they asked if I knew any Disney songs. I knew Pirates of the Caribbean, so I spontaneously played an excerpt from He's A Pirate, and they seemed pretty satisfied. Today I found out I AM performing in this Disney show called Magic Moments! Maybe I'll also perform in BYUI's Got Talent. . . we shall see! Anyways, after my random Disney audition, I was interviewed by the BYUI Scroll (college newspaper. I'm not sure how I feel about all this attention, but I guess I better use it in the most humble way possible; can't get prideful here and slack off!

Speaking of the newspaper, I Instagrammed a picture of myself blowing this GIANT bubbles last Friday and it ended up in the BYUI newspaper! That bubble-making was amazing. A random guy on campus just had a big bucket of soapy water and some rope and people came by and made bubbles. 

BUBBLEZ!!!!!! Perfect distraction.

Okay, now for the REALLY exciting news. . . Yes, it gets better. (drumroll please)

This Wednesday, my roommate, Macie, and I are attending a Josh Groban concert in Boise. SO EXCITED. Yesterday I checked the fan club page that I'm a part of (I'm so obsessed) just to check it out. I randomly signed up for a possible chance to meet and greet Josh Groban before the actual concert. GUESS WHO WON. 

FREAKING OUT. I AM STILL FREAKING OUT. I GET TO MEET JOSH GROBAN OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is one of those things that I've only imagined. I don't usually win raffles like that. I mean, I almost didn't really care if I lost because I already have REALLY good seats! But, HOLY MY COW I get to meet him! He gets to meet ME! (I didn't mean that in a cocky way) I want to be his violinist so badly. This is my chance! THIS IS IT. God is POURING blessings on me; I am so overwhelmed! 

Now that my life is absolutely PERFECT right now, let's hope things don't get out of hand. . . I know God can use me in great ways, but I gotta make sure Satan does not take over. 

In other news, I got to FaceTime my mom and the Fox family this morning. My first violin student, Rebekah Fox got baptized today! This is really the first time I have missed home. . . I wish I could have been present for Bekah's special day and eat my mom's delicious cooking and homemade salsa at our house, but I know Rexburg, Idaho is where I am supposed to be right now. 

Look at this precious nugget! Baptized and ready to become a true Daughter of God

I can testify to everyone that amazing things happen when we get out of our comfort zone! So, don't even think about the fear, just DO it. You'll be amazed at the impact you can make on the world. 

I'M MEETING JOSH GROBAN. 

Big Fish

COLLEGE. OMG.

It's finally here. The place I've dreamed about and talked about for years and now I'm really here in big kid school. My classes start tomorrow. 

This past weekend was freshman orientation, or Get Connected, as BYUI calls it. It was SO much fun! So many fun, social activities. I've met hundreds of amazing people from all over the country, and even outside the country. 

I had an amazing opportunity to perform in the talent show this past Friday. About 75 people auditioned and only 19 people got to perform that night. I made it, and I was the first to perform?

I'm not used to being the first to perform in concerts and shows like this. I'm usually toward the end. But, FIRST? Like, do they want to get me over with or something? It kind of freaked me out for a minute. 

I performed an original composition that my producer, River White, and I wrote. He named it "Dragon". It's definitely a Lindsey-Stirling-type-ish song, very dubstep and hip hop, so it was definitely one to pump up a crowd. As I did sound check and as showtime became closer and closer, I did not feel nervous one bit. I just got even more excited. I was so excited to have this opportunity to shine and show this new world who I am. I recalled performing in Carnegie Hall earlier this year in February with an orchestra. That hall is BREATHTAKING. The depth of the audience, the acoustics, the SIZE of the audience. I realized that I would rather perform for 5000 over 5 people any day. I have no nerves whatsoever. I absorb all the energy from the audience, whether they're screaming or not, and I spit it back out at them, and they give it back, then I give it back. It's like a cycle. 
So, I played my piece and had a paparazzi later, along with the other amazing talent show participants. BEST NIGHT EVER. I'm SO pumped to perform more often this semester, both classically and contemporarily. (is that a word?) I feel like a rockstar here. 

This wasn't actually during my performance, but I LOVED the view of all those iPhone flashlights. So beautiful. 

Aside from all the partying and socializing, I do have a degree to pursue. And what is that? Oh, yeah. String PERFORMANCE. Haaa! Perhaps some of this socializing does help get me an audience! The only thing I fear this semester, and future semesters, is balance. Balancing good grades, sleep, health, study time, practice time, fun, sanity....it's gonna be an adventure, that's for sure! 
And I'm SO. EXCITED. 

I am so blessed to have the House of the Lord just blocks away. City on a hill. SO BLESSED.

Dear, Father in Heaven, you spoil me way too much. 

“I am mentally preparing myself for the five-year-old mind. I want to come down to their physical limitations and up to their sense of wonder and awe.” ~Shinichi Suzuki

He's right. Either everything is a miracle or it's not. It just depends on how you look at it. 

This past Saturday I took a violin teacher training class at my music school in Dallas; teacher training for the Suzuki Method specifically. 

Shinichi Suzuki is one of the most incredible people I have ever learned about. For those of you who do not know this name, this passionate man started a method for violin (and many other instruments) that changed the world. No, not every child who learns the violin becomes a professional or even continues it, but it teaches them a wild amount of life skills. Discipline, focus, a good ear, problem solving, respect, posture, memorization, speed reading, coordination, passion, and many other things that I may not be thinking of. Another amazing thing is that ANYONE can learn the violin. Suzuki proved this. Everyone is different in the way they learn.

My own violin teacher, Nicolette Solomon, took from Suzuki as a child, and now I think I understand where she gets her enthusiasm and ENERGY. Suzuki was hopping around on stage with a thousand children at the age of 76 or 77, as if he could never age. My own teacher teaches probably around thirteen hours a day and gives each student 110%, with or without lunch. People like this blow my mind so much, they inspire me to want to blow other people's minds. 

Age is ONLY a number!

I'm a new violin teacher myself, and still learning on how to teach well. I have lots of work to do. I did learn, though, that children are amazingly brilliant in their own unique ways. Each individual child is a miracle to the world. Since they are still developing as human beings, they use what they know in everything they say or do, and entertain and teach us all. I was explaining something about bowing to one of my students, Peter, and apparently something I said clicked (since he had been having a problem with this bowing for a few weeks) when he started going on some tangent about Star Wars and got all excited about it, and then did the bowing correctly (and quite dramatically, so to speak). I definitely started using more Star Wars references with him after that. 

You can make anything fun, even the boring stuff. You just have to think of something you love and connect it to that boring thing somehow. I think this also helps find your passion. What is that one thing you keep constantly referring to? Be silly with it! Physics was my worst subject in school and I found it painfully difficult to find the "fun" in it, but it did make more sense when I found music connections to it, and any other random, witty connection. 

Still not finding any fun in it? If it's reading, read it in Morgan Freeman's voice, or Ellen DeGeneres' (Dory). Works every time for me.

Like a boss.

So yeah, approach boring THINGS with something interesting or fun. As for boring of difficult PEOPLE, approach with love. Accept their flaws, look around them, and think of something that brings out their strong traits, and then focus on strengthening the weakness. 

This takes practice. Repetition is another important thing Suzuki taught. "Knowledge is not skill. Knowledge 10,000 times is skill." When a baby says its first word, they say it ALL THE TIME. Whether that's "mama" or "no", they'll respond to everything with it until they learn more words, and they'll use the new words, but still use the first one they ever said. "Twinkle twinkle little star" was the first song I ever learned on violin, as it is for many other violinists. I learned that song sixteen years ago and I still remember it. In fact, I've played it so much that's it's impossible for me to forget it!

Repetition doesn't just apply to music or studying. Repetition is consistency. I know someone who had a bad habit of cussing. They repeated "replacement words" in their head all the time, and got rid of the bad habit. They did not completely forget about the words, but they did put a stop to saying them. In fact, it made them think more positively. When they'd stub their toe, they'd be grateful that they didn't break it instead. 

If you want to lose weight and you know running will help, you don't run a whole marathon in one day and suddenly lose the twenty pounds you wanted to rid of. (If that happens then you must have a freakishly fast metabolism) You run a little bit every day, and you eat healthy. Step by step. 

I couldn't really figure out the one point I was getting at in this blog, but these are some things I have learned this past week. Hopefully it doesn't sound like babble..

In other news, I'M GOING TO COLLEGE THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I AM SO EXCITED IF YOU COULDN'T TELL. The only thing I'm nervous about is balancing everything. . . I guess I'll just take it day by day! Step by step.

Farewell, lovely Texas. 

How big is your wave?

August 30th, 2013. (My 19th birthday) Port Aransus, TX. 

What's that one quote that's like "I can't adjust the winds but I can adjust the sails"? Something like that. Same goes for surfing. Well, and life. 

For Labor Day weekend/my birthday, my dad and I took a daddy-daughter trip to Port Aransus, TX, located on Mustang Island. Port aransus is known for its fishing, not surfing, but surfing is what I wanted to do there. I wasn't expecting to see really any waves at all, since I've heard there weren't many on the Texas gulf. I rented a board anyway just to try. I've surfed in Kauai, Hawaii and St. Augustine, Florida this year already, Hawaii obviously having the best waves. I guess I never really thought about how different ocean waves are in different places. I mean it's all one ocean, right? This may sound kind of preachy, but I think ocean waves are like the trials in or lives. They're all different sizes and come in all sorts of forms, but it's up to us to either swim over them, or duck dive right through them, if they're that big. 

The waves in Port Aransus were pretty choppy and were all very close together, making it hard to catch one. A lot of times I got quite frustrated because I probably looked so foolish out there, only barely catching 10% of the waves. I was even starting to think we had just wasted our time and money (and gas) to come here. I didn't want to quit, though, because we were there and I had a board so I might as well keep trying. I met another blonde girl out there surfing, and we chatted for a little bit. I didn't get to know her that well, but she and I would say "take this one! Go!" And that's when I caught two or three decent waves. It's amazing what we can do with some support. After being out there for about 4 hours, I called it a day since I could definitely tell my face was getting fried. 

I went surfing again the next day. The waves were really rough and actually quite big, which made me excited at first. I took my board out and tried to catch some, but I felt like the more I paddled out, a giant wave would crash in me and push me closer towards shore, or I'd stay in one place. I didn't realize that there was a really strong current as well, pushing me closer and closer toward the pier. When these weird 13 year olds started flirting with me, or trying to I guess, I finally caught an AWESOME wave. (Thank you, Lord for that timing!) I wasn't up for long because the poles of the pier were right in front of me. I jumped backwards off my board to avoid it, but the wave still crashed on me, whacking me against the barnacle-covered pier. At that point my dad had come out in the water to come help me. My left foot was really stinging and I felt like something bit me. Nothing bit me, don't worry, but those barnacles are sharp! My foot was bleeding pretty bad, but not so bad to where I needed stitches or anything. 

It's not bad at all. I tried to clean off most of the blood before taking a picture to scare mom. 

I'm so thankful my dad came out there and helped me because if he hadn't, I would have continued to get smashed up against the poles of the pier and get cut up, especially since I had just swallowed a gallons worth of salt water and kept coughing. As I was resting, I was really frustrated with myself for not being a stronger swimmer/better surfer. I had been swimming all summer and had surf lessons, so I thought I'd be able to get right up and just go on these junk waves. My dad then reminded me of all my gifts and talents, and then pointed out in the ocean at the the other surfers that weren't catching many waves, either, including the more advanced surfers. "You don't have to be perfect at everything." Ugh my dad and his dang wisdom. 

The whole purpose of this weekend wasn't just to surf, it was to spend time with my dad. After my foot quit bleeding for the most part, my dad came out with me in the water, AWAY from the pier. We both had trouble fighting that current that kept pushing us back toward the pier, but it sure did help to have an extra hand of support. We really can't do it all on our own, no matter how much we want to or think we can. I know the basics of surfing, but I didn't have quite enough arm power for these weird waves in Port A, so my dad gave me an extra push. That extra push is really all I needed. Sometimes it's the only thing we need to get goin. The best wave I got that day was a small, junk wave, but there were a ton of fish riding the wave with me, which was something I've never experienced. And, I heard some little kids on a tube near me go "whooooaaaa!" as I rode that wave. That was a pretty cool feeling. This trip was not a waste. 

My dad and I both have to admit that Port Aransus is actually kind of a junky town, but we did get to go on a boat ride and see some dolphins. I took about 40 pictures of them, but they were always going back into the water and weren't decent shots. Of course it was when everyone put their camera away that the dolphins came even more out of the water and came closer to the boat. It's like they recognize the cameras, haha! So odd. 

I did capture a lovely sunset that night though. 

After capturing this, a dolphin popped out of the water, right in line with the sunset. Too bad I can't prove it. 

Luckily I did not run into any sharks in the water, but they were EVERYWHERE elsewhere. Take this one for example. Probably the most out of place decoration I've ever seen in an Easter-egg-colored ice cream shop. 
Sharks are everywhere, though. . . even out of the water. Watch out!

My dad and I with our cheesy tourist shirts (his was boring that day) and his interesting choice of sunglasses. Observe that burn line on my right hand...

Remember it's not about where you are and what you're doing, but who you're with! 

Accept support and be the support. 

*Happy Labor Day!*

The Journey

Today I taught the young women in my church and I was telling them how it's the "journey" that is most important. The final destination is your goal, yes, but how are you getting there?

One of my best friends, Danielle Fox, is serving a mission in Las Vegas right now. For those of you who don't know me, I go to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Young men and women can serve a mission starting in their late teens and twenties. Men serve for two years and women serve for eighteen months, and they are called to any place in the world, spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ and serving the world. 

Danielle was saying in an email about two weeks ago how it's all about the journey in this life. Yes, we would all like to go to heaven in the end, but going through the steps in a robotic manner won't get you there. 

My church encourages everyone to pray to God every day and study the scriptures every day, and to attend church every Sunday. It seems so simple, but sometimes our lives get so busy that we forget the purpose of these things. 

If you are doing this already, awesome. Don't stop. I do my best to read my scriptures every night, but I don't always succeed, especially when I'm absolutely exhausted. However, I think the least anyone can do is pray. Pray when you're in need, yes, but don't forget to be grateful. Communication is one of the most important things in a relationship, and it's important to communicate with our God, too! I mean He kind of created you, so take some time out of your day to thank Him for existing in the first place and ask him to help you know your purpose. 

For those of you who are not religious or believe in God for that matter, I invite you to pray anyway, and "pretend" there's a God, and see if you receive a response. No, you probably won't receive some amazing vision or voice, but if you are patient and faithful, He will let you know somehow that he IS there. I KNOW this more than anything else in the world I know. 

If you're really starting from scratch, start with a prayer. Find a quiet place and get on your knees and close your eyes. 

It's simpler than you think. 

I teach violin to young children, and they have to start from scratch too (especially if they're toddlers). Before they learn how to play and read music, they need to know the basics of holding the instrument and having good posture. 

Look at these nuggets. It doesn't get much cuter than this! 

These little girls aren't even holding bows yet, but they will, and they will create beautiful music and someday receive an applause. 

That applause is truly one of the thrills of being a musician. 

God wants us to return to Him someday, and he put us on this earth for a reason, so go find out that reason and get to work on that journey!

This is Danielle Fox, looking beautiful as usual as she's having the time of her life teaching others about Jesus Christ in Las Vegas! 

~Happy Sunday~

How have YOU improved today?

I have never been much of a blogger, so I hope this goes well. Actually, I've never blogged in my life. When it comes to social networking or sharing my thoughts, I usually tweet something witty or upload a picture to Facebook or Instagram. 

Right now I'm in this awkward "in between" high school and college bubble, which has granted me an awesome and long summer, but now I'm basically just sitting around waiting to leave for college. Most of my friends are already in their college classes as I type this, and I must say that I envy them. However, this has given me more time to think about my future and what kind of person I'm becoming and whatnot. 

I have days where I am feeling very motivated and productive, and then the next day will be completely unproductive and lazy, which I hate doing but I guess I'm human. Other days just seem to be nonstop. So, I decided I needed to come up with some sort of motto every day to remind myself of what I can do better the next day: How have I improved today? I think the key to being a happy person is making someone else happy. So, Who did I help today? Did I make anyone laugh or smile? Did I smile or laugh as well? It's amazing what kind of influence we can be on others with the smallest amount of word or action. Like, the other day I was at Target and this mom was struggling with her three small kids and their back-to-school supplies, so I helped her pick out what's best to get while my mom spent basically an entire hour in the gardening section. I have to admit I felt pretty good about myself, almost like an actual helpful employee of Target (I know that store way too well). 
Then, for the sake of our own physical health, did I eat ANYTHING healthy today? For me sometimes the answer is absolutely not. I mean this is 'Merica and there's junk food everywhere whether you like it or not. Did I do any source of exercise? I think even if you do not have time to go run (or swim, which I've preferred lately in this Texas heat), just do 20 jumping jacks and stretch your muscles so you can get that heart pumping. (or you can go on Pinterest and look at pictures of people with awesome fit bodies and motivate yourself to exercise). 
Then, of course, did I get done what I needed to get done today? This is where I have to prioritize; what is absolutely essential to get done, and what can wait for tomorrow. Time management is also required for this.

After I've mentally gone through the pros of today, then I ask: How can I improve tomorrow? Maybe I'll be more productive/helpful tomorrow if I wake up earlier, and maybe I should watch this Netflix movie this weekend instead of starting it at 12 am tonight so that I'll be able to wake up earlier. Tomorrow I'll put peanut butter on my toast instead of too much butter (or nutella). I'll do the dishes before I check my Instagram feed, maybe even clean the counter tops which I hardly do. Instead of heating up a pizza pocket for lunch, maybe I'll actually look for a quick, healthy recipe on Pinterest or in a cookbook and whip up something that my body needs. 
Was I really rude or snappy at someone today? Let's work on that attitude tomorrow. Today I was in a parking lot walking back to my car and someone backed out of their spot without looking and bumped me, almost running me over. I instinctively yelled out "HEY!" and immediately shot my death glare at whoever was in the car about to curse at them, probably a stupid teenager. Then I realized the driver was this frail old man, and his face full of fear and humiliation. I walked around his car to go back to my car and he rolled down his window, politely apologizing. I took a deep breath to regain my patience and politely forgave him. It's amazing how the smallest things can really throw me off, even if I just stub my tow or my zipper gets caught. But, forgive and forget. Think of the big picture. 

Now, I don't ask myself this every day, but at least once or a few times a week. Did I create any memories? If something super awesome, or awful even, happened this week, I wanna write it down or somehow record it so I'll always remember it. The other day my friend Madi and I went swimming and we wore three different swimsuits at the same time because we couldn't decide which one to wear. Why not? Who's stopping us?
Life is short so be awesome. 

For all you HIMYM fans, his guy says it pretty well I'd say.

Madi Bass and I creating our own trends. YOLO. #ididnotjustsaythat

How have YOU improved today?