Dear August,

I love memories.  I really thrive on them -- remembering them, creating them, and saving them in whatever way I can.

As much as I whine and moan about how much I hate technology, I am also really grateful for it.  I'm not sure how I could get by without all the pictures and the ridiculous videos I have taken and made.  I would probably be an even worse pack rat than I have been in the past and nobody wants that.  I'm grateful for the digital age that allows me to clean out my storage closet and take advantage of my digital storage.

It was so painful for me (physically, mentally, emotionally, and maybe even spiritually) to get rid of so many things once I moved out to college.  I had saved so many notes and quotes and random pieces of confetti because I thought those things were what would help me remember those moments.  I thought I needed to remember the specifics of that time that one person said that one thing that changed my whole day.  I thought I needed the cupcake tin that my mom and cousin put a snack pack of sugar free jello in for my thirteenth birthday in Alabama.  I thought I needed all of those church programs that I saved from so many meetings.  I thought I needed that page full of doodles I made at the end of the day one day in fourth grade when I learned how to make those fancy S's.

When it came down to it, I really didn't remember where half of the things in all of those boxes came from.  The items did not matter as much as the people.  They did not matter as much as the feelings I felt in those moments.  They never do.  The things I carry in my heart always carry so much more than a random piece of string that I found when that moment was happening.  Sure, the string has more meaning because of that moment, but whether the string is in the boxes in my closet or in my trashcan, that moment will never disappear.

While I'll probably always take too many pictures and make amateur youtube videos (that I'll later regret) I am really trying to just be in the moment.  I really want to just let the moment itself be my little souvenir in my little box in my overly-nostalgic heart.

It's not as easy as it sounds.

Love,
Jazmin

Letters to August - 8

(6:45 AM)

Dear August, 

I am alone in my apartment. Everyone has left and the sun hasn't even begun to rise. My eyes are so heavy from a restless night on a crappy twin-sized mattress that should probably not have been shared by two full-grown humans, but we had to get a slumber party in before we parted ways. 

When I was in elementary school I cried every single last day of school. It got to the point where my dad (who is the biggest softy in the world) refused to pick me up on the last day because he couldn't handle how upset I would get. I have always dreaded goodbyes. I mean, no one enjoys them, but I think I always let them cut a little too deeply. 

There are so many things that I wish I would have done differently during my time here in Orlando, but at the same time I think what I would have done differently would have made the cut of goodbye a little too deep to actually handle. I know that's cryptic, but that's all I'm giving you for now. 

God's ways are not my own and right now I'll just put my trust in that.  I'll trust in the happiness that He has always provided in His own way that is perfect for me. 

The sun is starting to rise and I just heard my last roommate stirring in her room. I guess I'm not the last of the Mohicans just yet, but man it sure does feel like it.

Love, Jazmin

Summer Livin'

Things I have learned so far this summer:

1) Always get the warranty.
    a. If you're going to let your phone break, make sure it's before the
        warranty is up.
2) Never drink Florida tap water.
3) Always feed the missionaries.

If you're out of my loop, I am doing the Disney College Program this summer.  I started April 28th and the first couple of weeks were kind of rough with all the training and adjusting, but I finally feel settled into my routine at work and my life for the summer here in Orlando (which is almost halfway over already!).

I was lucky enough to get roommates that all go to BYU or BYU-I, which was a big weight off my shoulders.  I mean, I would have been happy to live with people who aren't members of the church, but I have never actually had that experience. Well, I did have one roommate my freshman year that wasn't a member, but she ended up getting baptized and was already living the same kind of lifestyle as a member.  So...

I really have grown to love these girls, though.  It's great that we're all LDS, but it's even greater that we're all LDS with the same goofy personalities.

Another great thing about these ladies is the fact that collectively they came with a car (because taking the bus everywhere becomes claustrophobic and painful), a water purifier (because Florida water is Satan's water), and a love for Chick Fil A (because everyone should possess such love).

The car has also come in handy when I have done the graceful things that I do like forget to get extra ingredients for that extra batch of something and when I accidentally drop my phone on the kitchen floor and it refuses to show its usual screen.

Another great thing about these gals is that they love missionary work.  We are fortunate enough to be in an awesome ward with awesome missionaries.  Our elders have the weird assignment of only being able to teach those in the Disney College Program.  So, they're around our apartments all the time and we have fed them twice in the past two weeks.

The second meal we had called for me being in charge of desserts.  I went big and tried these Mini Nutella Cheesecakes out for size.  They were delicious, but they were not very delicious to the eyes.

(The whipped cream melted shortly thereafter.)

(Cassie on the left was in charge of lemonade; Laurel on right was working on the salad)

As a gift we got the elders cereal.  I probably should preface that by explaining the first time they came over for dinner, we jokingly told them that we made them cereal.  We also thought it would be appropriate to wrap the cereal boxes in bright pink wrapping paper and complete with a pink fluffy bow.  I think they appreciated it.

It's been a great summer thus far.  I work a lot of hours, but when I have some days off or a few hours of freedom, I get to spend that time with these incredible people, and that's all I could ever really ask for.

Ah-dult

It was not until today, after I took my last final, that I hit that point where I realized I am a full-fledged adult.  This whole time, I've kind of been feeling like this is just some freakishly long summer camp.  On one hand, I'm really upset that I can't be home right now, but on the other I'm really glad and grateful for all the experiences I had this summer.  I have met some incredible people and it has been a dream come true (dramatic?) to be around people who share my exact same values and beliefs.  I no longer have to suppress my biblical jokes, or when someone says a line from a hymn in regular conversation, I am no longer the only one who gets that hymn stuck in their head immediately afterwards.  More than just those values being matched in everyone I meet, I have met people that I have no trouble being my full self around, which is just incredible.  Don't mistake me as putting on some facade.  I just mean, with every friend we have, we magnify some specific personality trait around specific people, but I think I have held nothing back with every wonderful person I have had the privilege of meeting.  I am so excited for what Fall has to offer.

Things

Things I miss about Florida:

1) My mommy
2) My family
3) My dog
4) My high school and church friends
6) Chamblin's Bookmine (!!!!!)
5) The beach (I never thought I'd say that.)
6) Streets that do not have streaks of tar that my shoe slips on and my heels get caught in
7) The warm rain
8) The Scottish Highland Games
9) The Sarasota Medieval Faire

Things I'm loving about Utah:

1) The way the sun sets over the mountains outside my window
2) The mountains themselves
3) The lack of humidity
4) The fact that everyone here is friendly
5) The history
6) The amazing friends I have made
7) The deeper doctrine that I've been learning in my classes
8) The fact that prayers are said before my classes :DDD
9) The vast amount of things there are to do (if only I had a car!)
10) The fact that my little Mormon quirks are acceptable and mutual here (not just the standards I uphold, but things such as bursting into song and dance, Mormon jokes, etc.)

Freedom is Awesome

My adventure of yesterday included me going to the gym with Miry and Ashley and then vouching for three strangers so that they could use the pool.  It was wonderfully awkward.  I'm also kind of peeved at the lack of job availability.  There are plenty of jobs, but I'm not really qualified for any of them.  So, that kind of stinks.

Anywho, I have been slacking as far as keep you up-to-date with the big events that have been taking place.  America celebrated her independence from the motherland a week ago and I have yet to fill you in on the wonderfulness that took place on that day.

I went to bed late the night before, because I went to see a later showing of The Amazing Spider-Man with Isabel and Mariangel, which was just magical in every way.  When I got home from the movie the night before, I checked my Facebook to see if Miry had sent me a message about her plans for the Fourth.  I was planning on going with her and her roommates to Kiet's lacrosse game, which also included being able to see the Stadium of Fire fireworks that evening, but I wanted to make sure she had an extra ticket.  She did and she also informed me that she and her roommates were planning on going to the Provo parade bright and early and invited me to tag along.  By the time plans were sorted, it was about 1:30am and I wanted to sleep for days.  So, it took me a few minutes to submit to my beckoning alarm clock across the room at 6:15am that morning of Independence Day.

We ended up moving three times throughout the parade, because our first sitting spot happened to be at this section of street just before where all the floats and stuff were supposed to emerge, so if we remained there, we wouldn't be able to see much of anything exciting except the pavement, and that would have been no fun.

We then proceeded to an okay spot that was farther from the front of the street, which was fine, but was not an ideal spot to play with my camera.  So, Miry and I shuffled through to the front where all the little kids were.  It was a perfect view of all things parade.

After that magic, we parted ways to do the nauseating amount of homework that all of us had awaiting us in our dorms.

My roommate was back from spending time with her visiting cousin at the parade and she, her friends, and I got some lunch, because parades are apparently appetite-boosting.  She and a couple of her pals proceeded to make "'Merica Ice Cream."  This consisted of red and blue M&Ms and vanilla ice cream...and a little bit of blue Powerade.

We then "studied" on the lawn and went to get some shave ice.  I didn't get one, but man was it hot enough to crave one.

"Studying."

After that adventurous morning/afternoon, I had dinner with the lovely Vicki.  As we were finishing our meal, a few girls from our ward came and sat with us, and amongst them was Gabriella...the answer to my prayers.  Okay, that sounds creepy, but it may or may not be the truth.  This gal is basically me, except a few inches taller with red hair.  So, basically what I sometimes wish to be.  In our table's conversation, she mentioned just about everything that ever flows through my mind -- Disney, superheroes, books, movies, the gospel.  It was beautiful.  She apparently had had a hankering to watch The Goofy Movie for the past twenty-four hours, so we decided that would be our evening activity.  I had to leave early, though, so as to not be late for the aforementioned lacrosse game and fireworks.

I rushed back to my side of the dorm building, quickly tried to look decent, and rushed over to Miry's.  We were all super excited to go and support Kiet and his dashing team members.  The only problem was we had no idea where we were going.  Nathan pretty much didn't give any directions of any kind.  ("It's the place where there's cones...There's a field.")  So, we spent almost two hours trying to find this place.  Once we finally did, we felt kind of stupid.  Towards the beginning of that little adventure, we had to decide whether to go left or right at the main intersection that included the street Nathan described.  We took a right.  We were supposed to take a left.  We ended up on the completely opposite side of campus where we asked this guy if he knew where this game was, and he just happened to.  It ended up being fine and fun.  Miry and I got to play with my camera again and she taught me her Jedi wisdom.  It was a really fun night and I wish I could see these lovely girls (and Nathan) more often.