The Ceiling Can't Hold Us

Well, looks like summer '13 is officially out the door. 

It feels like these last couple of days have just flown right by me, I can't believe that school starts up again on Monday!

Is it sick to admit that I am a little bit excited for classes to start up again?

Not that I haven't loved this summer but I am just ready for class and fall and everything that comes with fall:

Like cardigans and boots and scarves.

Pumpkin spiced everything.

Halloween and Thanksgiving.

And of course football!

It's been too long since my last collegiate game (luckily this is the last Saturday without college football in a very, very long time and I couldn't be more excited).

But I thought that I would do a little bit of a recap of my favorite summer memories; mostly because I have a few favorite pictures that I feel like I haven't shared on enough social media websites yet.

Officially changed my major to one that I love! Maybe now I will graduate....haha.

Spent a lot of time with these two dimes. Wouldn't have it any other way!

Said goodbye to my Grub best friend. She's chasing Disney dreams!

Occasionally matched my best friend

Ran into some old coworkers at a friend's wedding.

Weddings, upon weddings, upon weddings. Gotta love wedding season. (This was at Missy's wedding at Red Butte, such a fun night)

Went to a best friend from high school's wedding reception. She's a Mrs. now!!

Enjoyed the brilliance of The Great Gatsby! "Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful"

Movie nights with the bestie. 

Went on many many many froyo dates with this chick.

Spent a few nights in this stadium. I am definitely on the RSL bandwagon! "If you believe then just stand up on your feet...."

Missy had a photo booth at her wedding, definitely had some fun there.

Picked up the new Luke Bryan album....because I love him.

Took in a ball game or two.

Spent some time with good friends in this heaven on Earth. 

Of course picked up my MUSS tickets! And took my best friend on her very first Park Cafe experience.

Enjoyed the summer sunsets that Utah is famous for. I love this state sometimes.

     Good luck to all my friends that are returning to school within this next week. Let's kill it shall we?

 Fall Semester 2013...come at me bro.

Much love,

-L

Failure is not the end...Only the beginning

     For whatever reason I've been thinking about failure a lot lately. There are few things that I fear more in life than failure. It's the reason that I have driven myself so relentlessly in my academic career. I fear failure in school, failure in my relationships, failure in work and most of all failure in life. It's the big F word that scares the crap out of me.

     My paradigm on failure, as you can see, saw it as the end all be all. I stumbled across a couple of quotes the other day that drastically changed my view on that big F word that gave me anxiety. The first is supposedly from Marilyn Monroe (I say supposedly because how reliable is the internet really?)

"Just because you fail once, it doesn't mean you're going to fail at everything. Keep trying, hold on, and always, always, always believe in yourself; because if you don't then who will? So keep your head high, keep your chin up and most importantly keep smiling, because life's a beautiful thing and there's so much to smile about."

     I love that quote because essentially it says keep on keeping on and just keep swimming. If you live in this world you're going to encounter failure, it's just a truth that we all have to get comfortable with even if we really don't want to. But just because we fail once does not mean that we are failures. 

     The second is a quote from a female CEO named Sara Blakely, that unfortunately I had never heard of but I do love this quote.

"My dad encouraged us to fail growing up. He would ask us what we failed at that week, if we didn't have something he would be disappointed. It changed my mindset at an early age that failure is not the outcome. Failure is not trying. Don't be afraid to fail." 

    I would do well to remember that failure isn't the outcome, it's just a nasty side effect to the outcome. The only time that anyone ever truly fails is when they stop growing, stop trying and stop bettering themselves because they are afraid of failure. So here I go with my new view on failure....

Much love,

-L

My Advice to Incoming Freshmen....

Well folks, it's that time of year again.

The time of year when all the back to school sales start happening and moms get out their paper chain count downs to September.

School is right around the corner.

And this year I couldn't be more excited.

I've heard that that is a really good sign, I'm excited about my classes and excited to get further in my major.

And more importantly.......I'm excited for FOOTBALL!

However I remember three years ago when I was an incoming freshman to the U and I had mixed feelings about school starting. The last two weeks of summer were filled with anxiety and excitement and a little more anxiety. 

Now I'm not saying that I know everything but I thought that I would list a few things that I feel are important in the college experience.

1. Get involved.
I can't tell you how many committees I've served on and how many clubs that I joined and even study groups that I've joined. If you don't get involved on campus the only thing that you are really doing is going to class and then coming home...and that's enough to make anyone want to shoot themselves. 

2. Take chances.

It's human nature to want to fit in and be accepted by the majority so it would make sense that that is an individuals first instinct. But where's the fun in that? What's the point of being an individual if you are just like everyone else? Even better, in college no one cares if you aren't exactly like everyone else. In fact most people (that are worth your time anyways) prefer you to be your unique self!

3. Go to class.

But really though. It's so much easier to just not go to class because you are an adult and answer to yourself but missing class more than a few times can seriously hurt your grades. Lectures, no matter how boring, are important. And no matter what you tell yourself you will forget it, write it down. Because if you don't it will be on the test, and you will be screwed. 

4. Join the MUSS.

Ok...so maybe you aren't a football fan (freak...just kidding...mostly) but there is absolutely nothing like the feeling of a college football game day. And the MUSS is one of, if not the greatest student sections in the nation. There is nothing like it. Trust me you won't regret it. Besides, season tickets for $30? I'd say that's a steal. 

5. Enjoy going to school!

The college years are the best years of your life! Enjoy them. I absolutely love walking around campus and just enjoying being in college. Find a favorite spot to just hang out and study or just people watch. Get your nose out of social media for an hour and talk to the people around you. Some of the best friends that I have today I found in my first class as a freshman. 

I love going to school {even if I whine about it from time to time and complain that I am never going to graduate}. School gives me a purpose in life, and I have fallen in love with the University of Utah. 

I cannot wait for football season to kick off, and for Fall semester to get back into full swing.

I love crisp fall days going up to campus for a football game. There is no greater high in the world.

Much love and Go Utes!!

-L