Away We Go (for sure best movie of the year) was released today! 

This commercial doesn’t do it justice. The more and more I watch this movie the more I see the duality that it presents, the contrast between light and dark in almost every single scene, in so many aspects. I love it. It touches me, let it touch you. Watch it.

In case you haven’t heard, the mormons are on my ass to convert. 
Here is the story:

On September 6 I was flying to St.Louis from Dallas and found myself sitting to a nice, friendly,  middle-aged couple. Picture it: Aisle-Me (Katie), Middle-Man (Dee), Window-Woman(Anita). SO the man in the middle has a book titled “The Gates of Heaven” or something very similar. In casual conversation as we were taking off, before electronics were allowed, I asked him what his book was about and if it was good, because honestly the title was intriguing. It turns out the book was about mormon temples and how they are the place where heaven and Earth meet. I don’t know much about mormonism, so I kindly nodded and then minded my own. Thankfully the pilot announced it was fine to use electronics so I immediately whipped out my laptop and the 4th season of the office. RIGHT BEFORE I COULD START good old Dee asks me if he can tell me a little more about the mormon faith, I didn’t want to be impolite, and honestly I didn’t know much about it, so I said sure. Turns out he told me an hour and a half’s worth. At the end of the flight he asked if he could have my address and phone number so that he could send a missionary to see me, I politely obliged. He was so nice, he gave me his phone number and said if I ever needed somewhere to stay I was welcome with their family, which I know sounds creepy, but I know that they were being genuine. They were two of the nicest people I have ever met. NICE PEOPLE ARE MY WEAKNESS. Really though, under no circumstance would I usually be so sucked into something to give them my information.

SO a week passes and I hear nothing, I begin to think I’m off the hook. wrong. The following tuesday I am driving to Jeff City to walk around the capitol (one of my favorite past times) and I get a random phone number. It had a 573 area code (Missouri) and I assumed it was the bike shop saying a part I had ordered was in, so I answered. Again, wrong. It was the mormons. So I told them they could come visit two days later after my psych class. 
I immediately warned my roommates, because lets be honest….this shit is weird and unexpected.

They come. I can hardly sit through their first talk with a serious face. Everything they’re saying sounds totally normal, and really lines up with everything I believe in my current faith. (That is how they get you, foot in the freaking door. Then they start to slowly introduce you to the weirdest crap ever, more to come). At the end they gave me a Book of Mormon (what they believe to be another gospel) and asked me if I would read a few chapters, I agreed. Then they asked if they could return the following week to discuss what I had read and see if I had any questions. Again, I agreed.

So, here we are one week later. They return, basically its the same story as last time, just introducing me to new concepts but in a sly way that makes it seem as if it is already part of what I believe. Which upon reflection it is most certainly not. It ends the same way, so they are returning in two days.

This has brought us to the present, my current messy dilemma. I know what I know to be true, meaning I know what they know to not be true. BUT they know what they know to be true, meaning they know what I know to not be true. Sticky situation, right? How can we both be right, or both be wrong? Plain and simple, we can’t. BUT I truly believe we both know what we know to be truth.

Faith and religion is a funny thing, and really confusing. So I am currently anticipating their visit in approximately 48 hours and 20 minutes trying to figure out what I’m going to tell them. I’l probably just tell them what I stated in the previous paragraph and leave it at the fact that all we can do is agree to disagree. Perhaps I’ll even challenge their faith, I think its fair…they have challenged mine.

So, til thursday.

AND NO ONE TELL MY MOM THEY ARE COMING, I told her about sitting next to the old couple on the plane, but kind of lied about the end, saying I didn’t give him my information because before I had a chance to finish Pam (my mom) interjected “YOU BETTER HAVE NOT” so I said “don’t worry I didn’t”

oops. 

Friends, I realize that I have been gone for four months… but I’m totally back in the game.

I will explain the break.

A day after returning home from mid-MO in may I was shipped off to Sky Ranch for counselor training

Two weeks later, I returned home. I was there for a few days before a trip to New York…. a fabulous week alone in a big city. The juxtaposition of my simple time spent there with the busy-ness felt around me really put me at peace. I also got to tour the UN, MoMA, and other favorites. And oddly enough, I did not shop, very strange considering that is what most of my trips consist of.

Followed by a trip to ATX with little brother so he could look at UT… but really because my dad hoped that if I would visit again I would change my mind about not transferring (no such luck, sneaky bastard). At the end of our stint in Austin, John (little ginger brother) told me “People here are too weird, I wouldn’t fit in.” And he was right, it is definitely not his scene.

SO a week or two later I returned to the beautiful, amazing, magical, self-dubbed BEST CAMP EVER AKA Sky Ranch. Here, I had six of the most amazing weeks of my life. Not only did I form amazing relationships with campers, co-counselors, and other staffers, but I grew so much in my relationship with Christ. I have never depended so much on God to get me through the day before in my life. I would return in a heartbeat…. except not really because I got uber sick of camp nastiness they call food, all of the “sammys” AKA WATER MOCASSINS everywhere in skynasty lake, and hearing Hannah Montana 12391023912 times a day. BUT you all have heard about this enough, I know. I am constantly reminded by friends to stop talking about camp… I’m pretty sure they are just jealous they don’t get to live in TEXAS or have amazing summers as a camp counselor.

Yes, being immersed back into mid-MO has caused me to regain some of my texas pride. Don’t hate - I’ve decided I much prefer Columbia to Dallas… so much that I probably won’t go home next summer.

SO this brings us almost up the present, minus school starting and the blur that has been the last six weeks of my life.

Overall, I’m happy. Oddly at peace. Content? Yes. Content, the best place one can be in their lives.  

Cannot cannot cannot wait for the release of this movie. I will probably most definitely be at the midnight premiere. This book was always a favorite as a child and looks to be one of the most promising films of the year. GET EXCITED!

It has been a while. 

Here are the top 5 for the last 5 days.

1. I will be a counselor at Sky Ranch from July 4-August 15. YESSSSSSSSS. And have training starting next tuesday for two weeks. I’m super pumped.

2. I just bought “Columbine” by Dave Cullen. CANNOT WAIT TO READ IT.

3. I have watched seasons 3-5 of Sex and the City and 1 and 2 of Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia. SOMEONE STOP ME, PLEASE!

4. I have had to cancel my much anticipated camping trip due to counselor training. NOT FAIR.

5. I was planning on loading my car up tonight, but gave blood earlier. forgetting the whole no heavy lifting rule. oops.

John Cornyn and Jeb Hensarling:

As much as I appreciate you two being my only representatives to ever respond to my calls, letters, and emails…you are really infuriating me. This is not the first time I have written you upset with policy and you send me a letter back saying “I appreciate you’re support of __________” where the blank is what I was OPPOSING. DON’T JUST GLANCE AT YOUR MAIL, take the time to read it. After all, isn’t that your job? To represent those in your constituencies?  At least kind of.

Dearest Pete Sessions, although you don’t respond, I appreciate it more than proving to me you do not care. 

Of the past 24 hours, I have studied for 14 of them.

This is not the lifestyle I am used to, or for that matter happy having. My new major and minor are now (temporarily) my least favorite subjects. Too much of a good thing is not greater. 

SO to distract myself I have been perusing Georgetown and GWU’s law websites for the past hour. And have maybe been plotting out my twenties in D.C. Oh, and I picked out my dog. 

Is it bad that I always live in the future? It isn’t like I’m unhappy now…I’m just a dreamer, I always have been. I have never been one to get stuck in the past or even care about the past for that matter; I’ve always treated yesterday as something that has passed and is out of mind. BUT how should we treat the future? I know, I know…do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow blah blah blah…I’ve been quoted this a million times, but I can’t help but wonder/dream about the future. And where does my future that I dream about end? There are two ends. 1. Teach for America for two years then GWU Law. OR 2. Georgetown Law. Only because Georgetown doesn’t let you defer acceptance for two years. WOW, I am a sellout, not that Teach for America will even accept me. I’m not ethnic enough. 
Think about it, they only accept 16% of applicants, and of that like 60% are minorities. giving me a 6.4% acceptance rate. PERFECT. 

But then, when you really think about it acceptance rates aren’t pertinent to anything, just because it is a low rate doesn’t mean I can’t do it or should even allow myself to be discouraged.

So, thank you for allowing me to put off studying for five minutes. I must return to my Government DOW Reader. yessssssssssss

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMS SHOES!

I know I know, I have posted about toms twice before. But really, if you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon you should.

OH and more toms news, I applied a few days ago to be a campus rep here at Mizzou. Its not paid or anything, but I would really love to do it. Wish me luck, my friends.

I’ve had quite the day.

BUT the most important thing, and probably the most important thing I’ve done in a while, is officially change my major, well kind of.

I met with good old J.Siev. at the J-School today to try and get out and into Arts and Sciences majoring in Political Science, and was redirected to the PolySci office. After meeting with a sweet woman for about an hour there, she told me that I can’t change until next semester because April 15 has passed. Oh well, its whatever.

Most exciting news of the day? I’m taking graduate level statistics next semester. Wish me luck.

Oh, and what is today? That’s right…it’s star wars day. May the fourth be with you.