Time Line

I’m going to London tomorrow. Then Canterbury. Then Paris. Then Rome, Florence, and a small Tuscan villa. Then Vienna and Salzburg. Then Munich. Then New York. I didn’t know a single person going on this European trip until two weeks ago. I am allowed 35lbs of luggage, but promised myself I would only take 15 so I could accumulate an extra 20lbs over the next three and a half weeks. I will turn off my cell phone tomorrow until the 19th. Tomorrow morning at 1:00am will be my last shower not hurriedly taken while wearing flip-flops and trying not to touch the shower walls.

I’m start to panic until I remember the next few things.

In exactly 48 hours I will be holding a ticket to the Globe Theatre in London to see Romeo and Juliet performed how it was meant to be seen. The next night I will be watching Les Miserables.

In one week I will be walking through the Louvre and seeing countless pieces of timeless masterpieces. That night I will be watching the sunset from the Eiffel Tower.

In eight days I will have spent an afternoon craning my neck to look at the Sistine Chapel.

In two weeks I will have just seen Michelangelo’s David and Resurrected Christ (and tasted the best gelato in Florence, and therefore the best gelato in the world).

In 16 days I will have seen Mozart’s birthplace and heard one of his symphonies in a beautiful concert hall in Vienna.

In 18 days I will be walking through the Kunsthistorisches and see one of the biggest collections of Rembrandt, Vermeer, and other Northern greats.

In 23 days I will be meeting my family in New York to go to Abe’s graduation, and after driving across the country to Utah. I will finally be flying home on the 27th of May.

I’m scared out of my mind. I’m nervous. I’m grateful. I’m humbled. I’m feeling a bit alone at the moment.

I’m excited.

Europe and the beauty you have to offer…here I come.

Deep Thoughts.

Is it bad the only way I recognize (or remember) minor holidays is by texting Cali to go look at the Google header?

Just a Few Things

Here’s what has been going on in my life...

School: I finished finals with less than a bang in most classes. More like a poof.

That’s all I’ll say about grades.

I usually complain my fair share about finals. Cry and stress with everyone else. But, truthfully, I kind of like them. Or, I should say, have a love/hate relationship with them. I find it oddly thrilling to be extremely stressed. That feeling where I am wondering if I can get it all done, staying up endless hours to finish, debating on a shower or writing a great final paragraph, showing up to class with only seconds to spare, my hair a bit flat from the day before, the paper in my hands still warm from the printer and still smelling of ink. Yeah, I kinda like that.

But I always rejoice when it’s over.

And it’s over.

Changes: Love them and hate them.

I got accepted to BYU-Hawaii and BYU-Provo. I sent in my transcripts last summer as more of a “lets just see if I get in” kind of deal. I’m genuinely debating them out now, though. I’ve made lots of pros and cons lists and still can’t make a decision. Which is funny, because not too long ago I was telling a friend that I am really good at making big decisions—I normally just go with the one I want, having the understanding the Lord will stop me if I’m wrong. But right now I have no idea which one I want and I’m not in the mindset to make a “learning decision” (aka mistake).

Also I start classes for Europe this week. Our group has about a week and a half of on-campus classes before we fly from Salt Lake to London on the 27th. I am taking Art 202, Renaissance to Modern Art; Art 395, Religious Symbolism in Art; and a self directed Humanities course in which I’ve chosen to study Michelangelo…which leads to our next topic.

Books: What I am reading

I put all other books on hold and started The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone yesterday. I’m already hooked.

Social Life: Ummm…

I believe in being discreet.

Music: My favorites right now.

Nothing too new or exciting, but I like ‘em.

(I couldn't find a few and all of the links are pretty lame and unofficial videos...but the songs are never lame)

Band of Horses: “The First Song” (for some reason I always want to call them "White Horses")
Amos Lee: “Black River,” “Night Train,” and "Shout Out Loud"
Bonnie “Prince” Billy: “The Way”
Arcade Fire: “Rebellion (Lies)”
Chris and Thomas: “Horse in the Sky”
Bon Iver: “Blindsided”
Adele: “Best for Last”
Explosions in the Sky: "So Long Lonesome"


…and that pretty much sums it up.

Who says you need summer sales to learn to sell yourself when you’ve got charm?

“Charm is the ability to make someone else believe that you are both pretty wonderful.” -Kathleen Winsor

After a conversation with a friend, I've decided one of my new goals is to become more charming. I think that would be a great talent to have—to help someone else think they are wonderful.

This is not an outcry for e-mails. Just an observation I found funny.

This week I have been e-mailing myself a lot. In fact, I am the person I have received the most e-mails from. It was a sad, depressing, yet kind of amusing, little realization.

Especially because all of my e-mails to myself contain homework.