learning & living...

so here's the thing... there is only one paper, six chapters of health, and three finals separating me from Christmas break and the end of the first half of my sophomore year! i seriously swear i just barely graduated high school... i can not be this far along already! i remember when i was younger and i always thought people were crazy when they would say, "oh my! just yesterday you were learning to ride a bike, and now you're a young woman! where has the time gone?"... but now i totally understand where they were coming from. i blinked and this semester is over, and i'm not sure if i'm ready for it to end. it has definitely been a semester of trials and lots of learning...but i've had the time of my life. lets review, shall we?

• taylor swift will never cease to write songs that describe my life perfectly.
• i'm not as skilled with a screwdriver as i previously liked to believe.
• getting married does not solve problems, it just gives you someone who will always be there to help you through them.
• true friendships don't diminish with distance. south africa, st george, or arizona... the miles are nothing.
• just because you're in the library, doesn't mean you're studying. you might be flying model airplanes.
• it's actually possible to pass without ever attending class.
• the institute accepts you, no matter what.
• sometimes, you find a best friend in the last person you would have ever imagined. the key is keeping an open mind.
• two years really isn't very long.
• procrastinating is never a good plan. [as i am typing this in the middle of an all-night cram session the night before the work is due...]
• roommates are all a matter of luck, and i just happen to be very unlucky.
• kissing in front of a vast majority of your school is actually pretty scary.
• the more you neglect your hamster, the more he loves you.
• some people just. don't. matter.
• usually, the right thing and the easy thing aren't the same.
• carving pumpkins = surprisingly difficult. actually requires skill.
• missing someone doesn't get easier every day.
• when you don't live at home, its actually possible for your mom to be your best friend.
• karaoke nights will provide you with stories and awkward moments for years to come.
• in college, it is apparently okay for your neighbors to walk in your bedroom, pull you out of bed, force you to eat french toast, and rub eye shadow all over your face.
• i have a wholesome look.
• sometimes abandoned grocery stores are equipped with burglar alarms. if you touch the doors, the cops may or may not show up.
• the honors program is the best worst thing to ever happen to me.
• jealousy is an awful, terrible, disgusting thing.
• i spent a whole lot of time on a whole lot of nothing last year.
• eating healthy makes all the difference in the world, and doctor knows best.
• your life can change on a dime and never be the same again... but it's okay.

and last, but certainly not least...

everything is going to turn out okay. maybe not today, or even next week, but it will get better soon. the Lord knows what he's doing. have a little faith! (: