Settling In (September 4th - September 10th)

I feel really bad that I have like no pictures this week. This post is gonna be kind of random. I will definitely try to take more pictures this upcoming week!! I also feel like I need to include more pictures of myself, which is sort of awkward for me, because I hate pictures. (I took one semi-okay one of myself before I headed out the door on Tuesday, so hopefully that kind of counts.) Also, I am going to stop organizing my posts by day, since not enough happens in each day for me to do that.

Honestly, overall, this week was just a week of really getting into the rhythm of things. I'm starting to get a little more homework in some of my classes (lookin' at you PDBio 120), and it's hard to find time to do anything but study. I'm really trying hard to take breaks and be more social, though.

One thing that I did this week is super exciting! I got a BYU gym membership, and am planning on going to classes there in the evenings a couple times a week. It will be so nice to do something to let stress out and be physically fit. The first class I'm going to go to is Pilates, tomorrow, with my friend Emma. (Side note, there are three Emma's in my hall!! And three Emily's...)

The one thing that has been keeping me sane throughout the week is yoga and ballroom dance class. Yoga is so energizing and I feel about 75% happier after getting out of that class. Ballroom dance is hard, but it feels good because it makes me think in a different way than the rest of my classes. It's just very technical, and I'm nervous I'm going to worse in that class than chemistry...

Speaking of ballroom dance, last night my practice partner and I got together to rehearse the waltz routine we've been learning. I am such a klutz haha... Eventually we got it though and it was awesome!! I think I just need to practice it like five thousand times and then I'll finally remember the way I'm supposed to turn and focus my gaze and all that jazz. I think the reason ballroom dance is so hard for me is that in marching band, without fail, we were always taught to step forward with our left foot first, but in ballroom, girls always step backward with their right foot first. Ugghhhhhhhhh...

After we finished practicing last night, my partner and I (his name is Sam) walked back to Helaman Halls (where I live) from Heritage Halls (where he lives - Heritage is more like an apartment than a dorm, but it's still considered on-campus housing). We literally talked for four hours (and drank several mugs of hot chocolate and ate cookies). I think it just felt nice to talk for so long because since I got here a few weeks ago, I really haven't been able to socialize at all - I have been way too busy.

Being Relief Society president has actually been a really rewarding, albeit stressful experience. This first week I decided that I needed to meet with each girl for 15 minutes, which took up a lot of time I could have spent studying, but it was so awesome to see how amazing everyone here is. Everyone is so upbeat and nice and smart. Holy cow everyone is so smart. I can't wait to get to know all of the girls here better. It's gonna be an awesome year!! Also, getting to church at 7:15 this morning for ward council was great fun (insert sarcastic eye roll here).

RANDOM PHOTO GALLERY

The signup sheet for the girls in our hall to meet with me. When I took this picture, I still had about ten girls left to schedule. Like I said, it was stressful, but a really good experience overall. I love my sisters here!

Karinne has been dying to try blow drying her hair with the hand dryer in the bathroom ever since we got here. She finally did it, and apparently it works really well! 

Literally, this was the best smoothie I ever had. I sent this picture to one of my friends telling them of my grief that it was gone.

We have been having some low-key hall drama about keeping the door closed that leads to the rooms and bathroom. Basically it started because people wanted to be able to comfortably walk from the showers to their dorm while just wearing their robe or a towel (which is completely reasonable). Honestly, I think this one of the funnier things that has happened since I moved in!

 This made Karinne and I laugh sooooooo hard!! It's a doodle we found on the underside of her desk when I was installing the router for our dorm. Just take a moment to appreciate the art.

Karinne in the process of discovering the art and laughing hysterically.

We sprayed some air freshener in our room because it smelled disgusting. However, my nose was burning because the air freshener was so pungent, so I started wafting the fumes with the door. It was a moment of truth for me - I am very, very not strong in my arm muscles. (Also, I know that's incorrect grammar, but it's so freeing to not have to type something correctly nowadays...)

I love and miss you all! Next update - September 18th.