I skipped class today to go to the bookstore and teach myself French.

--

It was officially unofficially the first day of fall a few weekends ago, and naturally I found myself sitting in Barnes & Noble with a stack full of books on my tiny table. I usually wander around the classic and new fiction section, but that day we gathered travel and vacation novels -- and then I wondered what life would be like with a bank account ending in ...000,000,000. I have come to the conclusion that my first flight out of Utah would probably be to Disneyland in Paris.

But that day I was unfortunately reminded of one sad, unfortunate truth,
and it is this:

I only survived one semester of French.

The only phrases I can really remember are enchante, leitmotiv, and je ne sais quoi - which translated means: I don't know. That was the one phrase I used most frequently in French 101 and which is why I never moved on to French 202. Je nais sais quois never failed me, except it kind of did because I still can't speak the language of love.

But that's okay because my determination kicked back in again on the first unofficial day of fall. And thanks to a rainy evening at the bookstore/and the Amelie soundtrack on repeat, we purchased our French phrase books, and officially began our Paris fund for post college graduation.

--

Which is exactly why I skipped class today to go to the bookstore to teach myself French.

mission impossible: krispy kremes.

I know I say it so often, but this time I really found my kindred spirits.



Sargent
Dr. Ross
Lieutenant
Agent 89
Caroline
Heaps

And we're all off to Hollywood. I'll be sure to write a postcard.

how i de-stress my life.

You know it's been a long day/week/month (in my case) when I am building forts in my closet, or beds inside of bathtubs (long story), or decide to watch a movie on the balcony instead of on the couch. Lately, all of our movies have been hand-picked from the library, and films in black and white seem to be mandatory. So far, we've particularly taken a liking to Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, and both of them combine wonderfully in the movie *A Philadelphia Story.

*One of our favorite quotes:
Don't you agree that if a man says he loves a girl, he ought to marry her?

Oh I wish.

I think I take a liking to old love movies when I'm stressed out of my mind, because everything back then seems so simple - even love.

So I'm looking forward to another week of school.
If I make it through tomorrows 6 AM to 5 PM schedule on campus, after pulling an all-nighter on Saturday and staying up until 2 in the morning on Sunday... Angels will be singing the Hallelujah chorus.

10 years ago.

I was twelve years old on September 11, 2001.

Although I was not old enough to understand everything as I stood in front of the television that morning with my family, years later I can't quite put into words what that day did for me. There was something different in the way I felt the following days; as I saw the flag wave, as I watched the evening news, and as I read the words "God Bless America" on billboards, signs - even hanging in car windows.

This weekend, like many of you, I watched all the specials of 9/11 on TV, and I was touched by the memorials reminding us of the incredible and awe-inspiring courage of so many that day. But it was this morning, as I sat and listened to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on Temple Square, that I was truly reminded of that same way I felt as a seventh grader on that day ten years ago:




I feel so, so grateful to be an American. And I always do, but so especially today.

as is tradition...

Summer 2011. from Kelsie Christensen on Vimeo.

Another summer documentary.
Here's to: thelma and eleanor, (their new bff luna!), wesley's timeless advice - naturally shared at cafe west, utah lake, the river bank, ray charles, fireworks, emails, penpals, and sunshine.

--

And I'll miss it. Just like I do every single time school starts again.

a few love letters.

Dear Book Delivery Boy (the same one who I met a year ago!),
Thank you for the books. Break up with your girlfriend.

Dear Tuesdays,
How am I going to survive you this semester?

Dear Stress Levels,
Lower yourself.

Dear Mandy,
Thank you so much for letting me guest post on your darling blog! I think you are lovely.

Dear New Zealand,
You spoiled me.

Dear Skype,
Thanks for being invented. My Mary Kate and Ashely Olsen days aren't quite over yet thanks to you.

And most importantly:

Dear everybody reading this,
Please watch this short film. It's about 20 minutes long, but so very worth it.

That is all.

Sincerely,
Yours Truly,
Love Always,
etc.

how to beat the back-to-school blues.

My last week of summer included a lot of last minute crossing off lists.

List for: Before School Starts, I Need To...
List for: Before Sunday Night, I Need To...
List for: Before Summer Ends, I Must...

The end of summer list included sidewalk chalk summer murals, newspaper boat river races, and of course, riding our bikes. Saturday night we took one last bike ride down to the river banks and watched the lightning and played with our sparklers (i think the words wingardium leviosa were used a few times too). Even though I think I sometimes sound like I'm 7 years old when I write about what I love, it was such a perfect way to end such a perfect summer.

But then it all abruptly ended this morning the moment my alarm clock went off. (My alarm clock is my radio, and I'm pretty sure that every song I wake up to I end up hating forever. This morning? Still Fighting It by Ben Folds.)
But I got ready, grabbed my backpack and books, and ran out the door ready to go. And even though driving on University Avenue isn't the most pleasant activity in the world, I learned on my drive over that you only need three small and simple things to help beat the back-to-school blues:

1. Christmas music. Yep, I listened to Mariah Carey sing Oh Come All Ye Faithful on my drive over to campus.

2. 1.25 liter of Diet Coke for 98 cents.

And 3. Finding out that Beyonce is with child. Fact: If I could be anybody in this world, it would be Beyonce. When my sister found out this morning, she told me she'd name her firstborn whatever Beyonce names hers. She really will, too.

And by that point I had found a parking spot. As I got out of the car and began my walk across campus, I realized that not only was I ready for it all to begin, I was maybe even a little bit excited for it too.

So thank you summer for being so great,
But thank you Christmas, Diet Coke, and Beyonce for making the end of it all pretty good too.

check.

But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement, the greater part of life is sunshine. -Thomas Jefferson

Really couldn't have said it any better myself.

will defend the silver lining.

Last night Kylie and I had a late Birthday celebration with lunch pails, sparklers, bubble gum and diet cokes. We sat in our usual spot and talked about what we usually do, like how life rarely ever goes according to plan. But something I can count on is friendship. She is one of the only people I can have a conversation with, without saying anything at all.


After hitting a bucket on the freeway the other day (never-ending road construction, thank you) I took my car in to get an estimate of how much it would cost to be repaired; the sweetest old man came out to take a look at it, and surprised me when he said, "For you, it's free!" Even when I insisted on paying him something, he refused. I went home and wrote the first thank you card I had in a while, and I felt so grateful I couldn't even find the right words I wanted to say.


And I'm sunburned. Sometimes I hate it when that happens because people like to tell you that you're red, but this time I don't mind because it means I had a summer day yesterday, and I don't have too many of those left.


So a combination of mosquito bites, early mornings and feeling blessed sums up most of this week. And even though it's almost the end of summer, I'm not that sad.
At least not when John Mayer comes on the radio.

move.

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

I love being home. When you leave the country for a period of time and land back on American soil, there is a feeling you get that I can't really describe; it's like love and pride all mixed into one. When my friend lived in the Ukraine for a few months, I remember her telling me that as she went through Customs once arriving in the Chicago airport, they stamped her passport and said welcome home. It made her cry. And I know this may sound funny, but I honestly felt the same way.

However, I've got to be honest... after watching this video earlier this morning I felt like packing my bags again. This makes me want to travel and travel and travel and only come home after I've seen all there is to see,
(watch the videos eat and learn, too - both so inspiring!)
But school starts in a few weeks, work resumes on Monday, and I have a lot of friends with a lot of catching up to do.

So I guess this will have to fall into the category of: One day.