And I'm Missing You, I'm Just Missing You

There are certain things when I left home that I knew would be quite a change to be without - family, friends, a vehicle at my disposal, food bought by someone else, a bathroom all to myself.

Lately, though, I am discovering little things I had no idea I would miss so much. And they are:

• Smooth peanut butter. In my search for the lowest prices (thank you Western Family brand!) during my first week of grocery shopping, I grabbed chunky instead of smooth without realizing it. Spoonfuls of peanut butter are just not the same when you have to actually use your teeth.
• Mom's jewellery cache. Apparently, 'take now, ask permission later' doesn't fly with roommates. (Thanks, Mom.)
• 6.30 in the morning puns. You were right, Brother Simpson, you were right.
• Knowing what lies outside the 3 block radius of campus. I assume there's a world past Brouhlim's grocery store one way and the temple in the other, but I've yet to see actual proof of it. (That said, I did get to actually leave the city last weekend. Did you know the man who invented the TV is from Rigby, Idaho?)
• End of the driveway garbage pickup and to your house mail delivery. No explanation; I'm just lazy.
• My Dad as my Stake President. Maybe, I'm a little biased, but I think he's a pretty smart guy. It's been a while since I got to hear some of his wise counsel.
  
• Seeing the back of my head. There are no mirrors in this house that aren't permanently affixed to the wall. I'm only acting on faith that the back of my head is really still there and not covered in some sort of fungus or growth.

Not to worry, though, I'm managing just fine. I made a pact with my roommate that we would let each other know if the other's back of the head was ever not present.

Such a Happy Little Tune to Hum, While You're Sponging Up the Soapy Scum

Does this actually happen in real life?

The last time I saw this, I was watching The Little Rascals.

But For Today, We'll Wander...and Enjoy?

I told a friend that I had turned over a new leaf here in Idaho. I am casting off all inhibitions; from here on in, I am a social freaking butterfly; no more will I allow myself to indulge in moments of awkwardness.

Even if that means putting in a little more time exploring campus to avoid it.

Monday was my first day of classes and, in my English class, I happened to overhear a fellow student mention that he had just gotten back from serving a mission in Colorado Springs, Colorado. On the way out of the classroom, I asked him if he had known an Elder Theo Gibb while he was serving; he had, and so we were able to strike up a conversation. We continued to walk down campus, maintaining a steady pace of conversation for quite some time, but eventually subjects and new topics were fast dwindling - I was pleased with my success thus far, but I was not about to let an awkward and sudden lack of dialogue ruin what had previously been a perfectly good exchange. Thinking quickly, I made an excuse to cut the conversation short before it had a chance to peter off uncomfortably: "Okay, well, I'm turning here, but it was nice to meet you; I'll see you on Wednesday." Problem solved, right?
Except that I wasn't actually supposed to turn there.
And this was my first day being on the campus.
Admittedly, the BYU-Idaho campus is not that big, but still, it is certainly big enough to merit a little study of a map before wandering off alone all willy-nilly. Eventually I found my way home again, but not without adding some extra time to my already laborious trek (note previous post).

The person I made after my math class on Thursday had a similar idea, only he, apparently, wasn't about to 'take one for the team', himself as I had been so willing to do. After talking for some minutes on the walk across campus, he decided he was done conversing with me. "Well, here you go," he said, dismissing me down a sidewalk perpendicular to the one he intended on traveling, "see you later". So I took the sidewalk he had indicated, realizing as I did so that this wasn't my turn either. And what had made him think he knew which way I was supposed to be going?
Oh well, at least I knew my way around by this time.
And it's all in the name of a good cause, right?

"Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new."

Speaking of awkward:
I am living in the same state that Napoleon Dynamite takes place in.
(To Courtney's, perhaps, special interest,) one of my FHE brothers is from the specific town where the movie was filmed; his friend was one of the kids on the back of the bus in the opening sequence.

Food, Glorious Food

I don't think there is going to be any fear of my gaining the freshman 15.

Because, really, there is so much more motivation not to be gluttonous when you know you have to pay for it, not just in guilt anymore, more in my hard-earned cash.
And also:
Three mornings a week, I have a psych class at 7.45 in the Ricks Building. For those of you that don't know, the Ricks Building is on the farthest possible side of campus (next to the Temple). And it's all uphill (hence, the temple). And I am carrying a *massive backpack all the way there that restricts my lung capacity quite a bit. And, let me tell you, I am not the only one breathing a little heavier by the time I sit down in class.

*I'm not sure why my backpack is so much larger than everyone else's. I certainly don't feel that I am carrying around an excessive amount of stuff, but I see so many other students with itty bitty book bags and purses as they walk to and from class. Eventually I had to loosen the backpack straps which hurt my back more, but at least it stopped the tingling in my arm from the loss of blood circulation. (Seriously, it was heavy.)

Speaking of food and such:
I made myself pasta last night. Between classes, I put some chicken and carrots in the crock pot, boiled pasta when I got home, mixed it all together with ranch dressing, and ate it. It was fantastic. I mean, certainly not the best thing I've ever eaten, but a little more gourmet than the Ramen Noodles stocked in everyone's cupboards. So, I'm feeling alright about myself.
And, dang-nab-it, it's kind of enjoyable to cook what I want when I want it.

I know, I know, I'll be changing my tune once the novelty has worn off, but let me revel in it for now, alright?



(On a side note, I'm going for a musical quote theme for my post titles. The first is from Mary Poppins, in case it wasn't immediately recognizable.)

And Off We Go!

My manager at Pasta Pantry, Jungie, told me that it was a sign of good luck when I broke a dish on my last day of work. If that's the case, I can only imagine what a good omen crashing the scooter on my last day at home must be!

(Don't worry - all involved are fine.)

At this very moment, I am in the car on my way to Idaho, surrounded by a mountain of boxes and suitcases. I let my parents have a corner of the trunk, but I folded down the two unused seats in the back and crammed all of my junk in the rest of the space. Anyone else seeing the car might think that I've gone a little overboard in my packing, but I did try to leave behind whatever wasn't necessary, and I know that everything in this vehicle is coming with me for a purpose.

Seeing the contents of my packed boxes, my mother asked me why I was bringing a certain 3 x 2 foot piece of gaudy carpet. I replied, "for the same reason I'm bringing my large Buddha lawn ornament."

Which is just that, this whole leaving business is a little melancholy enough without feeling like I have to leave behind, not only the people, but my memories of them, too. So I've brought much too much stuff with no real use but holds a lot of sentimental value...I hope my roommate doesn't hate me for it too much =)

Finally, in the words of a wise and good friend (quoted from a spontaneous and awkwardly delivered sermon):

"Life is full of ups and downs.

While this may seem like a down right now, it really is an up.

It's like the loop-de-loop on the new slide at the West Ed Waterpark.

You're going so fast it all just feels straight down, but, without even realizing it, you're really on your way up."

I quite enjoyed this analogy... even if the loop-de-loop metaphor does mean there's a huge plunge waiting just on the other side of the peak!