Showing posts with label BYU. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BYU. Show all posts
the one about 2013
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
^^started out the year right with the fam
^^went to a Jazz game...probably the only one they won all season
^^attended a cross-country ski race #cultured
^^spent a few days in NYC
^^channelled Mary-Kate and Ashley for a party
^^scored tickets to TedXBYU
^^finished my first and second semesters in the Strategy program
^^bought my first car and named him Jarvis
^^went to Zion National Park with these lovely ladies
^^road tripped across the USA
^^weddings, weddings, weddings
^^interned for Goldman Sachs
^^hiked and hiked and hiked
^^jetted off to Puerto Rico
^^went to Peach Days
^^celebrated these two kids 64th wedding anniversary
^^tried to be all artsy with my photos
^^explored Seattle
^^hung out with these guys
^^moved into a new apartment
^^finally took the campus tour with Mama Lo
the one about not studying
Tuesday, December 17, 2013Movies and TV shows watched since Monday morning:
- The Mindy Project
- Grey's Anatomy
- Revenge
- Some Disney Christmas special
- The Little Mermaid
- Sleeping Beauty
- Princess and the Goblin
- So You Think You Can Dance
- Castle
Yeah, I've got my hardest final tomorrow...
the one about josh bell
Friday, November 15, 2013Josh Bell, the world renowned violinist, played at BYU last night. To say that it was phenomenal would be the understatement of the year! He was absolutely captivating. It was almost as if the audience was holding their breath during each movement. He played three beautiful pieces:
- Tartini's "Devil's Trill" Sonata
- Beethoven's Sonata No. 10 in G
- Stravinsky's "Divertimento"
The Beethoven piece was my absolute favorite. It was soft, lyrical, and felt more like a conversation between the violin and the piano. (His pianist, Sam Haywood, is an equally accomplished musician.) My favorite part was the expressive way Bel played. His connection with the music brought the pieces alive, making the concert all the better.
the one about the stairs
Thursday, October 24, 2013
They're horrible. No one likes them. BYU should do this:
the one about jerusalem
Friday, September 13, 2013Tonight I decided to read the journal I kept while I lived in Israel two summers ago. It's been a few months since I have read it, but I am always amazed at the experiences I had while I was there. I learned and grew so much there! I think we often forget how much we have grown and changed; we easily fall into this mind trap that we're stagnant, making little to no progress. I remember feeling this way while I was in Israel, but as I revisited my journal tonight I again realized how untrue this is. Whether we recognize it or not, the Lord is constantly molding and shaping us into the person He wants us to become. This change often comes in the form of trials, a refiner's fire. We're tried because we're worth it to Him. Heavenly Father longs to see us progress and become more like Him and for this reason He tests us; slowly teaching us how to be like Him.
My experience in Israel was four months of this growth--sixteen weeks of intensive learning of how to be more like my Savior. I hungered and thirsted after this instruction and Heavenly Father opened my eyes and allowed me to see His hand in my life. It was as if He was teaching me how He teaches me. At the beginning of my experience I mistook this teaching for something negative; I didn't understand what was happening. Only after I began writing things down and taking the time to understand my experiences was I able to appreciate the way the Lord was guiding my life.
I treasure my time in Israel for many things, but high on the list is the way it enhanced my relationship with my Heavenly Father. I know that He lives and loves each of us. He is quietly guiding our lives and protecting us from harm. If you're ever in doubt, keep a journal and read it often. His guidance will become clear.
the one about new shoes
Tuesday, September 10, 2013the one about my roommies
Tuesday, August 27, 2013the one about college
Saturday, July 27, 2013I'm going to stay up all night long every night!
I go to bed around 10:30. Eight o'clock class comes super early! A girl needs her beauty sleep!
I'm going to eat ice cream for breakfast!
I'm lactose intolerant. Plus ice cream that early makes you feel gross--that's why they invented yogurt :)
I'm going to sleep until noon everday!
See the first statement :)
I'm going to wear my pjs everywhere!
Since this is not socially acceptable, I wear real clothes.
I'm going to drink straight out of the milk carton!
Gross.
I will never call my parents!
EVERYDAY!
I'll skip class all the time!
Skipping class stresses me out, so I don't do it :)
Needless to say, college is not anything like I imagined it. And, don't tell my parents, but they were right about EVERYTHING! I go to sleep early, go to class, do my homework, and eat right....
the one about the roadtrip
Friday, May 24, 2013
So I bought a car. Since I know little nothing about cars, I decided to purchase said vehicle in North Carolina so Papa Lo could help me. I then had to drive the car back to Provo. Luckily I have super great friends who agreed to meet in NC and make the long trek back to Happy Valley. Our route took us through Charlotte, Atlanta, Fort Worth, and Colorado Springs.
In Atlanta we took a trip to Olympic Park, the Atlanta Underground, and the Atlanta Temple. In the park we tossed around the frisbee and boiled in the hot southern sun. We then headed a half mile further into the city to the Underground to grab lunch and see what it was all about. The food was delicious! I also bought some pralines (which if you've never had them you should definitely find some, eat them, and love them). Aside from the food I have to admit that I was a little disappointed by the Underground. It was not at all what I was expecting. The temple, on the other hand, was perfect! It was beautiful, peaceful, and the perfect end to a long day :) From the temple we headed to our lodings fro the night, stopped at a lake, and called it a day.
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| Atlanta Temple |
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| Angel Moroni |
The next day we had a long, long drive ahead of us. Twelve hours to be exact. To help break up the stretch between Atlanta and Dallas, we made a short pit stop in Birmingham. We stopped at the 16th Street Baptist Church, the site of a Civil Rights era bombing. The church is beautiful! After our short stop we drove straight through to Dallas. We had tickets to a Texas Rangers game and we didn't want to miss the whole thing. We arrived during the fourth inning, but still got to sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh inning stretch, so it was still worth it. The Rangers lost, but it was a really close game. Still kind of a win win.
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| 16th St Baptist Church |
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| Dal and Ben, all tuckered out |
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| A boy's best friend...the baseball diamond |
The last day was probably my favorite. We went to church at a local ward and then headed to Manitou Springs to hike the Manitou Incline. The Incline is a trail built over the top of an old railroad track. It goes pretty much straight up Pike's Peak. Hands down the hardest hike I have ever done! At one point I wasn't sure I was going to make it up...definitely the elevation... The view from the top was well worth the trek :)
After we finished the Incline we piled in the car and headed for Provo. Around Vail we hit a blizzard, literally a blizzard! The day before we drove in 100 degree weather and now we were in a blizzard. After safely passing through the mountains we made it to Provo, safe and sound.
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| A little bit of Israel in Colorado! |
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| Stairway to heaven |
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| Finally at the top |
Four days, 2,400 miles,5 cities late...we're all still friends :)
the one about the end
Monday, April 22, 2013- Popcorn makes an acceptable dinner during finals.
- Studying for hours on end will not help on your Organizational Behavior final.
- That really is your number with the lower-than-normal score next to it.
- Keep a stoic disposition when looking at your scores.
- New sweatpants make everything better.
- There’s no diet during finals week (see number 1).
- Sleep is a gift that should be taken advantage of whenever possible.
- Studying is much more effective if you’re watching a movie with friends at the same time.
- If you’re forced to be inside all day it’s bound to be beautiful weather.
- No matter how much you’re looking forward to the end of finals, you feel a little lost when the end finally comes.
However, I am finished with finals and am ready to bask in the glory of summer :) This is pretty much how I'm feeling:
the one about a closing social
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Once again I found myself at closing social last week. This time it was for the Strategy program and both classes were attending. One of my favorite things about the business school is that it allows to attend so many events like this where I get to learn from some of the most inspiring people that I have ever met. The speaker was Clark Gilbert, CEO of Deseret Digital Media.
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| Clark Gilbert |
Since it is so close to graduation, I have felt that each of the speakers I have listened to in the recent weeks have emphasized having a plan and being consistent with your long term goals. Clark was no different. Like Clayton, he spoke of the importance of defining a strategy for life and building around that. He said, "It will be absolutely devastating to your future if you fail to plan a strategy now." This placed in me such an urgency to spend time thinking about what my strategy is and what I want in the long-term. Yes, I have spent time thinking about this before and I know many things that I do want, but I need to spend time mapping it out.
Clark spent the majority of his time with us discussing this strategy, but there was something else that said that has stuck out to me in the days since his lecture. Clark explained that the businesses have resources and the way they allocate these resources define what it is important to that firm. They may have a values statement or a company vision, but their allocation of their resources reveals what they are really focused on. He then posed the question, "How do you allocate your resources?" What do I spend my time, money, energy, and mental capacity doing? Do the things that I do in my spare time support the person I want to become and the things that I want to achieve in my life?
I have been thinking about these questions for days. I determined that there are somethings that I can do better. My free time is not always spent in the most productive way and I have the power to change that. It is interesting to me that all three of the speakers that I have heard at the Marriott School's closing socials have centered around this idea of becoming something better and being true to the values and goals that we have. I do not think it is a coincidence. Rather, I think it is an opportunity for me to reflect on the trajectory that I am on and be sure that I am going the direction that I want to be going and how wonderful is that? :)
the one about the movies
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Last night I relived one of the scariest moments of my childhood. When I was extremely young (and I think this is one of my first memories) my parents took the whole family to see Jurassic Park. I was really little so I think they were banking on my to fall asleep early on, which I did. For the twentieth anniversary, this delight suspense movie was released again in theaters....in 3-D.
A few friends and I traveled to the local 3-D theater, got those obnoxious glasses that never fit right, and settled in for what was sure to be a glorious two hours. I have never been good at scary movies or movies that make me jump. Why I said that I would go this movie I have no idea. The first part of the movie, you know before any dinosaurs come onto the screen, were great. My glasses were snug on my face and I was enjoying the actors' excitement at touchscreens, basking in the irony that I had a touchscreen in my pocket.
Then came the iconic scene, you know the one I'm talking about it. The T-rex began to nudge the Jeep and my glasses came off. I have seen this movie so many times and yet I couldn't watch it in 3-D! By the time the raptors show up at the visitors' center I had no intention of wearing my glasses ever again. The scene in the kitchen makes me so nervous every time! Each time I am convinced that the kids are not going to make it out. Last night in the theater these emotions were just heightened. I was worried that my friends were going to have to carry me out to the car, limp and lifeless. However, against my resolve to not wear my glasses again, I put them back on as soon as the helicopter arrived at the end of the movie :)
Regardless of my tentative nature, I would highly, highly recommend going to see Jurassic Park in 3-D. It's well worth it...or so I've heard...
the one about devotional
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Today was one of the last devotionals of the semester at BYU. I love devotional! Devo is the perfect break in an often hectic week. It makes me sad that this is one of the last ones of the year. I had a hard realization that I have a limited number of devos left in my college career. Graduation looks very close all of a sudden. It's only a year away! I'm not sure how that happened.
This weeks devotional was a musical concert featuring BYU's audition choirs. It was such a beautiful concert! All of the songs were so uplifting. The Men's Chorus sang I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go. I love this song! I love how it expresses a desire to serve the Lord regardless of what is asked. We often think of this song in conjunction with missionary work, but I think it is much more applicable than that. I always try to do what Heavenly Father has asked of me, but listening to this song today gave me a renewed dedication. It expresses such an attitude of commitment; I want to always be like that.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/86467531" params="" width=" 100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
Lyrics:
It may not be on the mountain height
Or over the stormy sea,
It may not be at the battle's front
My Lord will have need of me.
But if, by a still, small voice he calls
To paths that I do not know,
I'll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine:
I'll go where you want me to go.
Or over the stormy sea,
It may not be at the battle's front
My Lord will have need of me.
But if, by a still, small voice he calls
To paths that I do not know,
I'll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine:
I'll go where you want me to go.
(Chorus)
I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord,
Over mountain or plain or sea;
I'll say what you want me to say, dear Lord;
I'll be what you want me to be.
I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord,
Over mountain or plain or sea;
I'll say what you want me to say, dear Lord;
I'll be what you want me to be.
Perhaps today there are loving words
Which Jesus would have me speak;
There may be now in the paths of sin
Some wand'rer whom I should seek.
O Savior, if thou wilt be my guide,
Tho dark and rugged the way,
My voice shall echo the message sweet:
I'll say what you want me to say.
Which Jesus would have me speak;
There may be now in the paths of sin
Some wand'rer whom I should seek.
O Savior, if thou wilt be my guide,
Tho dark and rugged the way,
My voice shall echo the message sweet:
I'll say what you want me to say.
There's surely somewhere a lowly place
In earth's harvest fields so wide
Where I may labor through life's short day
For Jesus, the Crucified.
So trusting my all to thy tender care,
And knowing thou lovest me,
I'll do thy will with a heart sincere:
I'll be what you want me to be.
In earth's harvest fields so wide
Where I may labor through life's short day
For Jesus, the Crucified.
So trusting my all to thy tender care,
And knowing thou lovest me,
I'll do thy will with a heart sincere:
I'll be what you want me to be.
the one about clayton
Saturday, April 6, 2013
I love the Marriott School of Management. I think we all know by now that I am a complete and total business nerd--it's not a secret. Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend a lecture given by Clayton Christensen. Clayton is a business guru who has written numerous books on innovation and started companies such as Innosight and the Ceramics Process Systems. He teaches at Harvard Business School and is also a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He's a stellar guy!
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| Clayton Christensen |
I anticipated what I knew was going to be an amazing lecture and I was not in the least disappointed. Brother Christensen began by talking about different types of innovation within the business sphere and then began to apply these ideas to the Gospel. The majority of his remarks focused on this idea of marketing products and services based on their ability to complete a 'job-to-be-done.' For example, why are the majority of milkshakes sold before 8:30 in the morning at McDonald's? It's not because Mom is taking the kiddos for a pre-school sugar high, rather, it's because early morning commuters need something to do on their long, boring drive and the milkshake is the perfect product to hire. After Clay discussed this topic he applied this idea to sharing the Gospel with others.
He stated that we should look for the job that others need done. Clay told the story of his neighbor, who was comfortable in his own religion but desired more opportunities to serve. Because Clay was able to recognize this he invited him to serve alongside him and thus was able to introduce the Gospel to him in this way. As he wrapped up his planned remarks I began to think how I could apply this principle in my life and how this could change the way I serve in my callings and extend the invitation of the Gospel to others. I am still trying to figure it out, but it has been compelling to think about.
After Brother Christensen finished his lecture he allowed us to ask him questions. One of my classmates asked Clay how he found balance in his life. He has an extremely successful career, but also an extremely strong family. I think many of us, myself included, worry that we may have trouble finding that balance ourselves. Clay said that he prioritized his life and built a strategy that supported his long-term goals. He committed that he would never work on Saturday or Sunday and simply stuck with that. He said, "It is easier to keep your commitments 100% of the time than to keep them 98% of the time." He encouraged each of us to determine what is most important to us and then make sure that we are always living a strategy that keeps us on that path.
Ever since I left Clay's lecture I have been thinking about what he has said. I don't have all the answers or my perfect strategy mapped out, but I have certainly been thinking about it since then. What a blessing it was to be able to spend just a few minutes listening to someone that I admire so much. He gave wonderful insight that I am sure will bless my life for years to come. It was an afternoon well spent.
At the end of the lecture I also learned that I was VP of Marketing for my strategy class so that was exciting too :)
the one about national geographic
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Last week I attended the Marriott School of Management Closing Social. Every year the MSM puts on this event with good people, good food, and an amazing speaker. This year there was a swanky piano player in the corner, delicious cheesecake, and Greg McKeown. Greg is a writer for the Harvard Business Review and he talked a lot about how decisions affect our life and shape who we are. He emphasized the importance of determining your priority, because there can only be one.
After he finished his remarks I took the opportunity to thank him and spend a few moments talking with him one-on-one. Soon after our pleasantries were finished Greg asked me what I would do if I can anything in the world. Without hesitation I answered, "National Geographic photographer!" He then asked me why I wasn't doing this. What was stopping me from doing exactly what I wanted to do? (Granted, I am doing what I want to do. I love business and am ecstatic about my upcoming internship.) Regardless, I have thought a lot about this question. Why am I not trying to be a photographer for NG? And why do I think that I have to choose one or the other? Why can't I be a force in the business realm AND be a photographer for NG?
As I have wrestled with these questions I decided to do something about it. This morning I submitted a photo to NG for publication. It is a picture that I took while I was in Jerusalem two summers ago. It's a simple picture; there's nothing extreme or particularly unique about it and yet there is something beautiful about it.
I took this picture just inside the Dome of the Rock in Israel. This man has his own story, his own perspective and for a moment our story was the same. Maybe that doesn't make sense, but it makes sense to me. That's why I love photography and NG. It allows you to share a moment with someone whose life is so different from your own.
I don't know if my photo will be published or if anyone besides my dear readers will even see it, but I'm glad that I submitted it. I am glad that Greg McKeown challenged me to take the risk and go for what I wanted. It's a liberating feeling :) I love business, I love photography and I'm figuring out a way to do it both! I guess the crux of what Greg taught me is this: If there's something that you want, go get it :)
the one where i go to nyc
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
the view from jersey city of the financial district[/caption]
Ever since I decided to go into to business I've dreamed of the day when I would go to New York for some posh meeting and live the big city dream. I was shocked at how quickly this moment came. This summer I will be interning for Goldman Sachs in Salt Lake and earlier this week I flew to NYC for an interview. The weather was terrible, the taxis scary, and the interview great :) All in all, it was a fantastic trip. While I was there I learned a few things and have decided to impart of my knowledge:
- Taxi drivers will do whatever it takes to get you to your destination as quickly as possible, unless of course that destination is the airport, in which case they will proceed to take the longest route possible.
- The Big Apple will have awful weather until all of your appointments are finished and it is time to return home to Provo.
- The hot chocolate in Jersey City is considerably warmer than hot chocolate elsewhere, so don't drink it too fast or you won't be able to taste anything for several days.
- Unless you speak fluent subway map don't try to read the metro system map in a short amount of time. Chances are that you will be able to walk to the New York Stock Exchange faster than you can decipher the map.
- On an unrelated note, when walking to the NYSE, make sure your Google maps app is oriented the same direction you are walking. This will help avoid any potential embarrassment from walking around the same block three times before you realize you're wrong and Google is not.
- Just stop at the bakery on the corner; you know you want to and you'll regret not doing so later.
- TAKE THE UMBRELLA!
- Plan extra time to restraighten your hair before your interview.
- You should order room service once in your life. Dinner just tastes better in bed while you're watching The Office sometimes.
- Ignore the crosswalk signs--everyone else does and you'll stick out like a sore thumb if you don't. #shesnotfromroundhere
- Take the ferry and buy a huge croissant with the twenty bucks you saved by not taking a cab.
- Don't complain about the rain. If the clouds are low enough they'll cover up the tops of the buildings and you can pretend they go on forever.
- If you get lost, just pretend you know where you're going...no one will ever know, unless, like me, you stand on the subway platform looking utterly confused, then someone will take pity on you and give you directions.
- Heels and the airport don't mix.
- When in doubt, call your mama or your big brother who used to live in NYC.
[caption id="attachment_836" align="aligncenter" width="448"]
just outside my hotel[/caption]
the one about ted
Thursday, March 7, 2013
This is not a post about the man of my dreams, the apple of my eye, the cheese to my macaroni, or any other epithet about love. In fact, this one isn't even about a boy. Lately I've found that I short, awkward spaces of time where I don't really have a lot to do. It's never enough time to run home, take a nap, or get any productive studying in . As if heaven knew I had idle time, I was sent a gift from above: TedTalks.
TedTalks are a collection of lectures, concerts, and speeches dedicated to spreading thought provoking ideas and inspirational messages. Typically they are given by business leaders, writers, musicians, scientists at the forefront of their field, and others at the cutting edge of their profession. I love them and watch them all the time.
One of my favorites is by JK Rowling. I mean, who doesn't love Jo? :) She gives incredible insight and talks in that delightful British accent we all love AND she's the creator of Harry Potter. It's a win win win.
There's a TedTalk coming to BYU later this month...you know I'm going to be there!
the one about a new look and the iron man
Saturday, March 2, 2013I decided that I wanted to change things up a little bit. While I love Blogger and it has served me well for a long time (two years!) I decided to try something new. It's like when you go to get a new haircut: you've gotten the Mandy Moore/Carrie Underwood cut forever but you kind of want to try the Emma Watson pixie cut.
So even though it's a new look...it's the same story :)
On a completely unrelated note, my roommate Katie and I are doing a Lazy Man Iron Man! We have the entire month of March to run 26.2 miles, bike 112 miles, and swim 2.4 miles. I am so excited :) I always need a little incentive to get to the gym. If I finish, which I will, I get a free t-shirt...who doesn't love a free t-shirt?! So...I'm off to the gym!
the one about dinner
Monday, January 21, 2013
I used to really hate cooking. It takes soooo long, makes a huge mess, and you only get one meal out of it. It seems like a low return-on-investment. Last semester, however, the roommate (Katie) and I decided that we wanted to improve our (my) abismal cooking skills. We invite a few boys from the ward and other friends over each Sunday and cook up some masterpiece. (This may be a little bold, but it usually turns out really well...or so we're told.) We've made everything from baked apples to pozole to butternut squash soup. I think it's fair to say that we've been well fed this school year and I actually really like to cook now :)
Yesterday we decided to make homemade pizzas. I found this delightful recipe for a pear gorgonzola pizza. Katie and I bought all the ingredients on our trip to Smith's (who has gorgonzola just laying around?), and began cooking an hour before dinner. We rolled the dough, piled it high with spinach, cheese, and walnuts, baked it, and began anticipating that glorious moment when the prayer had been said and it was time to eat!
When that moment finally came it was beautiful :) The dough was just sweet enough, the cheese melted perfectly, and the pear had caramelized juuust a little bit. It was perfection! Mama and Papa Lo would have been proud!
To finish off our pizza, we made pazookies for dessert. For those of without a knowledge of this delicious dessert let me enlighten you:
A pazookie is a giant chocolate chip cookie (or other variety of cookie) that baked until just before it is done. The center of the cookie is still a little bit doughy, but that's exactly how you want it. After you pull it out of the oven you put a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and dig in. It is one of the best desserts on the planet! Whoever invented it should probably win some major annual award....every year from now until eternity!
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| Pre-baked |
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| Right out of the oven...isn't it beautiful! |
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| Behold: the Pazookie |
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