Summer Is for Adventure

I have pretty much turned into the worst blogger of all time. So for those of you who are my "devoted" readers, I am sorry.

Anyways, it's summer!!!!! I love spring/summer in Provo. No classes. No obligations. Just fun.

I have moved apartments back into my old ward and I am loving it. It's so fun to be back in a ward where I feel familiar and comfortable. It also means that I am closer to my friends. That in turn means that I never sleep because I am always with them. Can you say emotional, sleepless zombie?

Despite my lack of sleep this summer has been filled with adventures. I've done crazy things that I never thought I would ever do. I've been to bonfires and pool parties. The smell of chlorinated smoke has permanently attached itself to my clothes and my hair. Basically there has been to much to EVER catch up on. So I am just going to let the pictures do the talking.

In no particular order here are the pictures:

Crazy night with my dearly beloved Hkrop!

Italy Sister Reunions

White water rafting in Moab. Pretty much everyone on this trip

thought Andrew and I were dating.... Awkward.

We dressed up as men to go on the Elder's Quorum 

boating activity.

The ward boating trip to Yuba Lake.

Reuniting with our favorite law student.

I repelled down a waterfall! I can't believe that actually happened!!

We even danced in the rain.

I went on a trip home to go to Matthew's graduation.

And I went through the temple. 

HANNAH GOT ENGAGED!

Strawberry Days carnival.

We said farewell to Andrew before he left for Europe.

I went to a rodeo/fireworks show with the Lindseys.

Temple Square with the cousins.

Pizza. Always Pizza.

Hiking trips!

Snow cone eating reunions.

PAINT FIGHT!

More hiking.

Bonfires.

Italy trip to Guru's to watch Libby perform.

She rocked it!

RSL game.

In case you can't tell, my life is pretty great. I am living it up in Provo. And starting to panic that summer is coming to a close. Summer, do you want to stay forever?

What Else Is There?

I feel that before I write this post I ought to explain that title. Kathryn and I have kind of maybe sort of become obsessed with "The Swan Princess" (stop that judging, right now). One of the best parts is when Odette asks Derek if he likes her for anything more than beauty. He of course responds, "What else is there?" And so that line has been stuck in my head forever!

Well SO much has happened since the last time I really wrote about anything besides my mission call. Like a ton. I haven't done a life update since February. That's half a semester to catch up on! Not sure it's possible, but I'll try to do a quick review.

So of course I am still going through a lot of Italy withdrawals. Although they might be fits of anticipation now... Luckily, all of the girls from my study abroad have been going through the same thing so we have had a LOT of Italy reunions. From pilgrimages to Terra Mia to Yogurtland to Bridal Showers to eating pizza at the incredible Settebello we've had some great times. I love those girls!! I am so sad that a lot of them are either graduating or leaving for the summer, but I am so glad for the time we have had.

Those who stayed late at our big reunion

At Jenna's bridal shower

Libby threw a Jane Austen party. Yep, my friends are awesome!

I have also learned to make homemade artisan bread. It is SO easy and wonderfully tasty. Did I really need an excuse to eat more carbs? My waistline would say no...

Can you say yum?

Beyond those few things this semester has passed in a blur of school, work, STRESS, and singleness. It has honestly been one of the most roller coaster-y semesters of my life! There's been some low lows and high highs. Some crazy adventures and some boring study sessions. I suppose that's college. I am just so grateful to have great friends to get me through it and listen to my endless complaints.

So this past week was finals and of course by Saturday I was in need of a study break. Fortunately, my friends were feeling the same need and we headed down to Moab to enjoy National Parks Week at Arches. Can I just say that I LOVE Southern Utah? On this trip we hiked through the Devil's Garden. Despite the name the scenery is actually quite lovely. I also discovered my future life. I would like to inform you that in my next life I will be reincarnated as a big horned sheep. I mean, COME ON! It would be so sweet. I could nimbly climb rocks, I wouldn't fear heights, and it would be socially acceptable for me to hit people with my heard. I'll let you know how it goes...

See! I said it was gorgeous.

My hiking buddies.

Doesn't look very devilish to me. Just sayin...

Double O Arch

So maybe we were too lazy to hike to Delicate Arch, 

but it is there in the background.

Well I am done with finals!!!! Wahoo! That means no school until April 2015! What, what?! I am psyched. However, the end of school also means the beginning of goodbyes. For some strange reason my friends all decided to live exciting lives this summer. They are going on internships, missions, and study abroads all over the world. WHAT AM I GOING TO WITHOUT THEM?!?! If you don't know this I'll be a little shocked, but I am horrible with goodbyes. I just feel like they end everything and that life will not go on. Although it always does. But this time I am saying goodbye for a LONG time and most of my friends are going to be graduated when I get back. Alas, I'll miss them. If any of you read this, I LOVE YOU. Y'all are seriously great (am I allowed to say y'all?). Ahhh change stinks.

That's all for now! Bring on summer!

I Hope They Call Me On a Mission! Oh Wait, They Already Did...

Well as probably all of you reading this know I got my mission call! So I thought I'd blog about it and share my inner, juicy, and ever so exciting feelings. Was that enough hype for this post?

Let me just say that the last two weeks of waiting have been SO nerve racking! I have checked the mail  approximately 1,234,983 times in the last week (not an exaggeration at all). It got to the point that I was starting to get nervous stomach pains. Not exactly the best thing to happen the week before finals! On Monday night I had a horrible night of sleep and had even worse dreams. In one of the dreams I got a rejection letter that told me the Church already had enough missionaries and wouldn't be needing me. Yikes! I foolishly hoped that my call would come a day early and arrive on Tuesday. What foolishness! Of course it didn't come. So on Wednesday I frantically waited for my roommates to check the mail while I was at school and work.

At 3:30 on Wednesday I finally got the text. My. Mission. Call. Came. What?! How did this become real? I was so excited. I called my mom and sent out the texts to all of my friends. I set the opening time for 9:30. Just six hours to wait. Then came the pacing. Lots of pacing.

Thankfully I had work, the temple, and dinner with friends to distract me for the first five of the six hours. However, the last hour was spent at home staring at my call. Who knew a plain white envelope could be so interesting? Side note: holding your call up to the light will not allow you to see through the envelope.

Finally, at 9:30, it was time.

Before I talke about opening my call I think I should tell you about my thoughts about where I was going. Of course I wanted to go to Italy, but that wasn't why I put my papers in. I am going to serve the Lord, not to travel back to my favorite place ever. So I didn't really think it would happen. I mean I thought it was logical, but in the week before I got my call I was pretty convinced I was going to end up in the South. Somewhere humid, Bible belted, and deep fried.

So it was with much excitement that I read "You are assigned to labor in the Italy Rome Mission."

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I am pretty sure that I am going back because I threw several coins in the Trevi Fountain. They say if you throw a second coin in the fountain you are guaranteed to come back.

Actually, I know that I am going to Rome because that is where the Lord wants me to serve. I know that that is where I am needed. I know that there are people waiting for me to talk to them. I know that it is where I will grow the most.

Anyways my call to Italy feels like a call home. Somehow I had always thought that if I got called to Italy it would be to Milan. I am bummed that Siena won't be in my mission, but I am excited to see more of Italy. I feel so blessed to go to a country where I know how things work. I get to share the gospel I love in a language I love and to a people that I already love. I am literally going to my favorite place in the world. How many people can say that?

The only downside is the impending weight gain. I gained 20 pounds in 3 months in Italy. How much am I going to gain in 18 months?!?! But who can really complain about a little more insulation when you're eating Bucatini all-Amatriciana, Giolitti, and San Crispino? No one! (Rome really does have so many of my favorite foods and restaurants)

I am so humbled by the opportunity to serve my Heavenly Father and share His truths with the Italian people.

The Gospel is true, I promise.

Me and Alisa with my call!

Oh you know just one of my favorite pictures I took of my mission!

Regarding Missions

Well as I am sure all of my Mormon friends know missionary work is kind of a big deal right now. With the change in the minimum age people are leaving on missions left and right. So like everyone else I have a couple people close to me going on missions. So let me tell you about them.

Missionary 1: Jordan
Jordan was my roommate last year and she became one of my very best friends. About a year ago she decided to go on a mission. She put her papers in while I was in Italy. Then she got called to Finland! AHH! Finnish is a hard language. She reported to the MTC (missionary training center) about a month ago. I had the opportunity to see her off. It was hard to have only five minutes to say hello after six months and then have to say goodbye, but it was worth it. I love this girl and know that she will do amazing things!

Saying goodbye to Jfizz

Missionary 2: Alisa
Alisa is the oldest of my cousins. And I love her. With the change in age she decided to go on a mission. I got to attend her call opening in February. She's going to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is honestly so perfect! She is going to be one heck of a missionary!

Alisa with her call

Missionary 3: Anne
My dear Italy roommate! She goes into the MTC tomorrow!!! She will be heading to Ukraine. I got to see her for the first time since Italy today. It was so great. I missed her a ton. I am so glad that I got to be with her when she made her decision and help her prepare.

Goodbye lunch with Anne!

Missionary 4: ME!
My decision to go on a mission has been a LONG time coming. I never thought I would go on a mission. It just didn't seem right for me. Then, about a year ago, I started thinking about missions ALL of the time. I couldn't stop thinking about them. People started talking to me about them. I could not escape. I decided to serve a mission then, but I wasn't going to be 21 for a year so it seemed to be a long way off. Then I went to Italy and the age changed to 19. I was in a frenzy. I thought about leaving right after I got home and started my papers, but that just didn't feel right to me. So I decided to wait to leave until after another semester at BYU. And now my papers are submitted!! I am going on a mission!! I am so excited and so humbled to have the opportunity to serve my Heavenly Father and share His truths.

I hope they call me on a mission in another week or two!

The Life of an Italy Loving, Tree Hugging Foodie

So for my Multicultural Education class I have to create a cultural diorama about my cultural background (how many times can I say "cultural" in one sentence?). This meant that I had to pick three items that gave insight into my daily life and way of doing things. I also have to write about it. So here it goes.

I thought about putting the Book of Mormon because it embodifies (a kid said that three times in Sacrament so I decided to adopt the word too) the most important thing about me, my relgion. However, at a church run school I figured that was a given and decided to go with more original things.

Item #1: My Cinque Terre Head Scarf

Me five minutes after buying the scarf.

I wear it every night before I go to bed.

During my study abroad in Italy I went on a weekend hiking trip to the Cinque Terre. That is five seaside towns that are connected by the steepest hiking trails. In one of the cities I decided to buy this head scarf because I wanted a souvenir and it was practical. I could keep my hair out of my face and have a material memory. The scarf is representative of me for multiple reasons. The first is that it is from Italy. My love for Italy may sound like a quirk, but it really does affect my daily life. It changed the way I see the world and the things I value. Another reason my head scarf ties into my culture is that it was purchased while I was hiking and I wear it on hiking trips now. I love hiking! I love being outdoors and enjoying nature. I grew up in Washington and that nature loving mentality is just a part of me. 

Item #2: My Washington Conservation Corps Hat

Wearing the hat on the job.

A little bit closer view of the hat.

A few summers ago I had the opportunity to work for the Washington Conservation Corps. The. Best. Job. I got to hike around, build trails, kill invasive plants, and hang out with awesome people. My hat was always worn. It kept the sun out of my face and just made me feel cool. This hat shows the crunchy granola side of me. For those of you who don't know what crunchy granola means it is synonymous to tree hugger, but cooler. I already said this, but I love nature. Conserving and appreciating it is really important to me. My sophomore year the first thing I said to my new roommates was that I recycle. Yep, stereotypical Washingtonian right here. 

Item #3: Lucini Olive Oil

This is a bottle of some pretty nice Tuscan olive oil. Actually I bought it at Target, but it is imported from Tuscany and it does have an amazing taste. Once again my love for Italy is coming through.... When is it not? However, I chose this item because it shows how much I love food. I love to eat, I love to cook, and I LOVE to feed people (I don't know if I should admit that to the public). Cooking is a part of my daily life. Obviously... However, I do take the time to try a new recipe or creation of my own at least a few times a week. I am also kind of a food snob. I like to have quality ingredients. I also love to try new restaurants. The adventure of trying some new food is just so exciting to me.

Well I hope this helped you understand me, entertained you, or at the very least helped you procrastinate your homework. 

The Story of an Apartment Superhero: Take 2

About one year ago I discovered the existence of a superhero, X-Tina. She had toilet unclogging abilities that could make the most heinous villain want to vomit. Now, one year later, I have discovered another hero, Alena.

Here's the story.

In a small apartment in Happy Valley there was a sink. A sink that was shared by four girls. All of the girls had relatively long hair. The poor old sink never drained very well, but after months of abuse it just gave out. It would not let any water down its drain. Standing water is pretty gross to begin with, but this was a bathroom sink. Think toothpaste, soap, and face wash. Get the picture? It was nasty.

And yet these four girls were unsure of how to act. Sink unclogging seamed to be such a gargantuan task. How could they do it? One would rise and take on the quest.

So on a Saturday not too long ago, actually it might have been today, they had had it. Alena, who had previous experience with such sinks, decided to take on the task. So after retrieving her weapon of choice, a wrench, she got to work. She unscrewed the "p-trap" (not sure if that is the right word) and set to work. Water and hair began oozing out of the pipes. The smell of rotten eggs wafted through the air. And yet she persevered.

All seemed to be going well until the girls realized that the sink was still not empty. At this point Katie entered the scene and decided to begin stabbing a hanger down the drain. Let's just say it was not the most effective method... However, Alena realized what truly need to be done. She removed another portion of pipe and began removing hair from that as well.

Then came the greatest surprise. Water began rushing out of the pipes from the other side. One of the neighbors was washing their hands! The bucket began to overflow. What could be done? Alena promptly grabbed the garbage and let it fill with water. All to the background Katie's hysterical of laughter.

Shortly after this incident Alena realized that the hair would not come of the sink without further... prodding... So she reach up into the pipe and began to pull out the hair. By. Her. Bare. Hands. EW!

And thus the sink was unclogged.

Well now I can wash my hands without fear.

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-da (Life Goes On)

Well for some reason I haven't been blogging very much lately. Perhaps it's because life in P-Town just is not as exciting as Europe. Or maybe it's because I am ridiculously busy. Who knows? But I know that you all have been dying without my ever enlightening blog posts so I thought I would have some mercy and write one.

Life continues to be ever so busy! I am currently observing in a middle school... Take me back to high school! Well at least I figured out what grades I want to teach!

Let's see... What else is new?

I went to Park City during Sundance. I didn't actually see any films, but it was still pretty awesome. That town is SO cute and there a ton of fun little shops. We just wandered around, got some hot chocolate, and enjoyed the city.

I found a cow hat!!! I love cows!

We matched! And it wasn't even planned.

They continue to be pretty dang cute.

The next weekend I went up to Salt Lake with some of my favorite Italy ragazze to go to Lush. Lush is this amazing organic cosmetic store they have all over Europe. It sounds really girly, but it is really cool. Their hand scrub is amazing! And WAY more expensive here... Should have bought in Italy. After checking out Lush we wandered around City Creek mall. It's pretty much the most amazing mall ever. I mean it has a creek running through it. How could it not be cool? We travelled back on the Frontrunner (that's also how we traveled there). It was SO nice to be on a train again. It reminded me of Europe! Except it felt a little sketchier... Who knew I would feel safer in Europe than America? Upon our return we went to Libby's house and made homemade gnocchi. Yum! Yay for Italy!

Le ragazze!

Another highlight of my life as of late has been cooking with Natalie. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I have been teaching her how to cook in exchange for a gym going buddy. It's been fun and we have made some yummy stuff. I mean REALLY yummy. I love cooking! Actually I love feeding people more... So it's nice to have Natalie to eat my creations.

Be jealous of our pesto chicken bruschetta wrap. But don't be jealous of my photography skills.

On Saturday I want to the opera with Jenessa. We saw La Boheme. It was pretty awesome! It was so wonderful to hear Italian and understanding it made the opera so much more fun. Really you all need to learn Italian. It will enhance your life. Think about it! It's the language of music, food, and in my opinion love (take that French)!