The Worst Things About Moving

I feel like I can call myself a "Pro Mover" I move about every 3 months, give or take. Pi Phi closes in the summer which resulted in yet another moving day. I've done this so many times. I swear it's not normal to have a routine down for packing up all your stuff. I moved into an apartment with Yassie....a GHETTO apartment...but it's still an apartment. I'm just counting down the days until we can move back into Pi Phi. I already miss our cook, our house mom, our house boys, and our maid. Living on my own isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I'm getting off track here. Let's cut to the chase....these are the most ANNOYING things about moving from a Pro...

1. The clutter. Why do I have a stuffed panda on my floor? Or this racket? And how long has this POG been here? Why did I think it was a good idea to buy/keep these things? Seriously. They hold no purpose. The clutter is all the junk that's still on your floor after you've packed everything. You don't want to take it....but you feel weird throwing it away. I mean, who wants to throw away a panda stuffed animal? Or a POG you've had since elementary school? That just seems...wrong. So, you end up packing it. The next time you touch/see it is the next move in day....

2. The 32098734985743 papers you find. Then you have to go through every single one and decide if you should keep it, what the heck it's purpose is, and make "piles" (homework, mail, sorority stuff, trash). It's so time consuming you want to rip your hair out. But what if something really important is in the middle of the pile? (it never is) So you sit through it, turn on "Hitch" and work through an hour of papers.

3. Socks. I thought socks only disappeared in the dryer? Yet whenever move in day rolls around, I find socks EVERYWHERE.

4. Hangers. How are you supposed to pack hangers? SERIOUSLY? And how do they take up so much space? I never have enough hangers....so where did ALL these come from? SO.MANY.HANGERS.

5. Stairs. I swear on move in day staircases feel triple their size. Carrying heavy boxes up and down stairs is the WORST. & all I do is repeat the same phrase over and over - "I'm almost there...I'm ALMOST THERE!"

6. Did my car shrink? It always seems so much bigger every other day of the year...

I'm Craving a NeuroBliss

Spring break is only two months away. Which means what? I’m a regular at the gym again. I wish it didn’t take a future Cabo trip to motivate me…but…it does. Hey, at least something is motivating me…right? I finished my cardio and weight lifting routine (in my brand new pink Nikes...Thank you mom!) and was heading home when a friend of mine gave me a new drink to try. I hadn’t heard of it and was a bit hesitant (I’m a very picky eater…and drinker). Then I looked at the bottle. It was called NeuroBliss and it said "happiness in every bottle." Who wouldn't want to try it? Seriously....how great is that tagline? I was genuinely surprised. And well…turns out I’m instantly addicted. With only 35 Calories, this drink is wonderfulness in my mouth. NeuroBliss is all NATURAL (swimsuit season..remember?) and enhances your mood, reduces stress, and helps the immune system. Since I'm basically always stressed...I feel like this drink is PERFECT for me. I feel the urge to drink it at every occasion...in my 3 hour International Management class (don't even get me started on how boring that class is..), at work, after the gym...basically I crave it always. Bye-Bye Diet Coke addiction...HELLO Neuro!

Apparently Neuro has a variety of different types that help you in different ways. My sorority sister (honestly..did you think I could write a post without including my sorority in some way? Haha..) Kiley SWEARS by the NeuroSleep. She claims she cannot sleep without drinking one. I was drinking a NeruoBliss at Pi Phi last night (I told you I’m addicted..) and I was talking to Yassie about this..

“Kiley says she can’t sleep without a NeuroSleep. I don’t know if I believe that” –me

“No it totally works. Christian has trouble sleeping and I gave him one and he was out within 30 minutes.” –Yassie

I guess I can be grateful for trying something new. Turns out I’m a fan. A huge fan. I actually haven’t gone a day without one. Not only do I LOVE the taste…but I LOVE the fact that it’s only 35 calories (again, remember how close swimsuit season is?) I also like the fact that it helps the immune system. The way Utah has been lately (TONS OF SNOW) I could use all the immune boosting I can get.

I'm determined to try every flavor. I'll keep you posted. But I doubt any of them will beat Bliss...

ESPN College Game Day Comes to Utah!

I was hesitant to write a post about ESPN College Game Day being held at the U of U...for obvious reasons (we got killed...for lack of better words)

However, despite the outcome of the game, it was pretty big deal to have ESPN film College Game Day in Salt Lake City. And again, despite the loss, it was a very eventful day. I should insert the word "long" as well...because the festivities began at 5:45AM.

Let the record show that I am not a morning person, not even a little bit. It's extremely hard for me to make my 9:10AM marketing research class...9:10! I, however, was committed to joining the rest of my college peers and arriving at the stadium at an hour I hadn't seen since my high school years.

The pain and suffering of opening my eyes at 5:30 was well worth it. There were so many students! And ESPN! It really was an event I will cherish from my college years (and hopefully the memory of the awful loss will fade...)

5:45AM at the Rice Eccles Stadium....with my bestie of course!

Tailgating with my Pi Phi Lovers.

BLACKOUT GAME!

21 and Invincible

I'm officially 21. I admit I had been counting down the days for months. 21 seemed so exciting...so different than my young 20 year old self.

I've been 21 for a little over a week. It's a bit odd...I was so excited for this age and now that I can finally claim 21...i just feel old. What age is exciting after 21? None! Dangit!

For my birthday a couple friends and I went to Vegas. It was a BLAST. I even won $60 on the roulette table! (my secret? always bet even....always!)

With the 21 and one week blues, I wanted to reflect a bit on the past year of my life.

One thing I learned...

Life doesn't always go as planned. You can't expect your five year plan to work out exactly as you see it in your mind. People change, you change. It's all for the best though. If it doesn't work out it wasn't meant to be and there is a much better option for you out there. I learned that I have to have faith in destiny. The only thing you can do is be YOURSELF and not change for anyone. That's the only way you'll be happy in life.

Favorite Memory...

My niece Emilee was born. She is such a light in my life. The little thing is so darn cute! I am so glad I have been able to be with her from birth. My sister is such a great mother & amazing role model!

Greatest Accomplishment...

Becoming president of my sorority, Pi Beta Phi. The organization means more to me than I could explain. It has molded me into a woman I am proud of. It has brought the most intelligent, fun, and loyal women into my life. It is an organization that will always be there-through the thick and thin-even after college life.

This is going to be a great year! I am, after all, 21 and invincible.

Thank You, Life

It's been awhile since I've posted. Things get a little crazy and hectic and the little blogspot is the first to be neglected.

At the moment, I kind of need a pick me up...or ten of them...so I decided to take a second to count my blessings. Here we go....

1. My education. The U is awesome. I'm thankful that I have the resources to go to school

2. My sorority sisters...the family away from home. Each of these women have impacted my life for the better. I owe a great deal of my happiness to them-those random hilarious nights, the inside jokes, the sisterly bonds...

3. My niece/nephew who will arrive in March! My sister in law is getting so big! I just ADORE children. I can't waiiiiit (I wish I had a picture for this one)

4. My family. What would I do without them?

5. Jessica Foreman...my best friend. Whenever I'm down & need advice she knows exactly what to say. Her words of wisdom for my current dilemma? "Who gives a damn? In three months you won't care about any of these people or the situation that is going on. So, seriously Jill, who gives a damn?" Oh man...I love her. I'm SO excited to be in Europe with her for 9 days! Only 40 days...

6. Movies. Thank you, for taking me away from reality.

The best advice I ever got: "Travel Often"

I have a new found love for traveling. I think it began in April when I went to Cabo, Mexico with some friends for Spring Break. I had the time of my life. I literally never wanted to leave. The sun, the sand, the food, the people. I loved it all. (My pictures show it all...)

Since then I have taken every opportunity I can to travel. Which is why when my best friend from high school asked me to come to Madrid to visit her (she's studying abroad) I immediately said yes. I literally didn't even think about it. Why not? What on earth would hold me back from a week in Europe with my best friend? One day later I was booking my flight and making plans. I was a bit hesitant to ask my mom, for fear that she would reject the idea right away. However, when I casually mentioned the convo me and Jess had, she immediately said "You HAVE to go!" Oh my...I love my mom. She has always told me to travel often. Perhaps this is due to the fact that at age 18 she was in Europe for 3 weeks...and her stories are amazing. I'm so excited to make my own memories in Europe.

Madrid for Thanksgiving. How WONDERFUL! I'm staying for 7 days. Over the weekend we're going to fly to Paris. PARIS. You have no idea how long I've wanted to go there.

Oh my! I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself. Europe with my BFF...is there anything more exciting? (Here's a pic of me and Jess this summer before she left for Madrid)

On top of that, I'm planning my 21st birthday (Oct. 19th) with my Pi Phi sisters. Vegas, here we come! Me and Molly took a little trip there during the summer to see Tosh.0 and had a BLAST. To be honest, I don't think we stopped smiling during that entire vacation. I can't wait to go back in a few weeks! (I can't remember which hotel this picture is in front of...but it was GORGEOUS!)

Planning these trips is so much fun! It gives me something to look forward to in the midst of my crazy busy life.

I'm so glad I discovered my love for traveling....I want to see EVERYTHING!

Baby Angels

This past week was recruitment week for the Greeks at the University of Utah. For 5 days we got to know over 250 women who were interested in becoming part of a sisterhood.

It was a long 5 days, let me tell you. I was up until 3am everyday ensuring we got the girls we all loved and admired. Between school and work-it was a week of no sleeping, eating, or as I stated in my previous post-working out. Our house would be open each day for around 5 hours-devoted solely to the potential new members to come check us out. It was hard work.

For those of you who don't know, recruitment is a matching process. There are 5 sorority houses at the University of Utah. On the first day of recruitment, the new women go to each house. At the end of the night-they must drop one house. The second day, they go to the remaining 4 houses and at the end of the night, must narrow it down to 3 houses. This process goes on and on until one house is remaining. Each day every sorority has a certain number of invitations they are allowed to extend to the women going through recruitment. This process allows the houses and the individual to choose each other-to match up.

The last night of recruitment is "Preference Night." This night everyone gets all dressed up. Each woman goes to 2 houses-one house for dinner and the other for dessert. This night is important because it is formal and the last night for girls and the house to decide who will be the new sisters. Each day before Preference Night is casual & laid back.

Preference Night

2010

Pref Night with my family within Pi Phi

The dessert we served on Pref night- DELICIOUS Cheesecake!

Bid Day finally arrived & the long days and endless nights paid off. We gave bids to 36 amazing women who now form PC '10 (Pledge Class 2010)!

Waiting for the new members to open their invitations and see which house they were invited to

BABY ANGELS OF PI BETA PHI UTAH ALPHA 2010

Bid day was also the very first Utah football game (Utah won, of course) So we took our baby angels and went to support the boys (in matching shirts of course)!

Pi Beta Phi just got 36x better...

Moving (again)!

If there is one thing I hate about being 20-it's all the moving around I do.

I miss the days when I had one home (well, I had two since my parents were divorced-but you get the point) I miss the stability. The knowledge that home was....home.

Life isn't like that anymore. Since graduating high school I have moved 10 times....TEN TIMES! Just 4 months ago I moved into the apartment with Molly & come Monday I move back into the Pi Beta Phi house (ahh I'm so excited to be back!! Pi Phi is the BEST place to live...EVER).

But the whole process of moving is awful! Packing, loading, driving, unloading, unpacking. It's just a lot of work that I would rather not do.

I wish I was Sabrina the Teenage Witch and with a pointed finger it could all be done.

Pi Beta Phi @ The U of U

Check out Pi Beta Phi's blog. It is the cutest little blog I've ever seen.

http://piphilove.blogspot.com/

Fabulous job Molly!!!

Where I belong.

In THREE WEEKS I will be back where I belong: Pi Beta Phi!

I seriously cannot wait to move back into the sorority house. Living in my own apartment has made me realize just how good I have it in Pi Phi. We have a house mom who shops for us (all those late night runs for milk...no more!), a cook (I cannot wait to eat amazing food!!), and maids (cleaning the bathroom/shower/living area is not fun). Plus I am constantly surrounded by my best friends!! There is ALWAYS something to do/someone to talk to/do random-ness with.

I can't imagine living anywhere else during my college years. Living in Pi Phi is like a constant party/sleepover. Who wouldn't want to live with 20 of their closest friends?

The perks I am most looking forward to:

-Not shopping (weekly...ugh! And I always seem to forget something. Like paper towels or butter)

-Having a maintenance man who will fix things when they don't work (at the moment our shower isn't draining. If we lived in Pi Phi, this would have been fixed days ago!)

-Living on campus (no more U of U parking chaos)

-Entering the TV room and seeing 10 girls watching Snapped (why were we so into that show last semester? ew)

-Food..amazing food!!!

-Not having to vacuum, sweep, or pull out the 409 again!

Ahhh....Three weeks is TOO far away!! I may never leave Pi Phi again!!

Although I am a little worried for my future self. When I graduate from the U what is there for me? Certainly no house mom, cook, or maids.

I guess I'll worry about that when the time comes...and enjoy every second I have in the house!

Love or Obsession?

Props to Molly Daines. You creative cat you.

The Past Three Months.

I really have no idea where to start. I haven't blogged in forever. Normally, I would have nothing to report-my life is pretty repetitive...school, work, pi phi...end of story. But for some reason these last three months have been dramatic. Dramatic in the sense that my life has done a complete 180. I doubt any truth still holds to my previous posts.

So, where to start?

I guess I'll start at the beginning...the beginning of it all.

I went to Cabo with friends for Spring Break...which feels like FOREVER ago..probably because it was. It was literally the BEST vacation I have ever been on. I am OBSESSED with Cabo. I plan on going back every year until I die...it was THAT fun. I even met Pi Phis from CU!

Vacation ended and sadly, I was back to reality. At this time, so many huge events occurred at once...

I broke up with Scott

I became Chapter President of Pi Beta Phi

I took my finals & passed my classes

I realized what I wanted out of life

I started summer school

I moved out of Pi Phi and into an apartment with Molly

Ok, so I guess a few things did stay the same. I'm still in school, still working, and still obsessed with Pi Phi. But, a lot of major events have occurred.

It's shocking to me how insanely happy I am. I've changed a great deal in these past few months. I feel like a whole different person. I promise to keep you up to date, little blog. Just know that I'm happier now than I have ever been. I can't wait to see what life has in store for me.

Here's a look at what else I've been up to (in no order...)

My boss hooked me up with Jazz tickets. Me & Molly enjoyed seeing the Lakers! We even met up with Ali (Pi Phi Alum).

We played powderpuff for a sisterhood! I was on the winning team...no big deal..

I went to Colorado && saw my BFF Jessica! Had the BEST weekend! I really do love & adore Jessica. She's more a soul mate than a best friend. We are SO alike it's insane. Our lives are parallel. I love having someone like her who seems to ALWAYS be going through the exact same things I am.

AJ got MARRIED!!! I'm so happy for her! She was a GORGEOUS bride <3

I went to Colo and waterskiied....in a wetsuit...in JUNE!

We had Greek Week at the U...and Pi Phi took SECOND! :D

Pi Phi Formal was insane & so much fun!! It was at the Raddison Hotel. I love seeing everyone dressed up. It was such a fun night! Leia did SUCH a good job planning it!

Aj had her bridal shower...where we made her a dress from tissue paper! Impressive..eh?

My besties!!!

Dad came into town for Parent's Weekend at Pi Phi! We played Poker & Blackjack & Roulette. It was so much fun!

Mom came to Pi Phi for Parent's Weekend. We had a delicious brunch!

Dad & me @ Pi Phi. I have the best dad in the whole world!

I met a boy named James...&& we went to some Jazz games! (thanks again to the boss!!)

My life, in short, has taken quite the turn. I'm excited to see what life brings next. Although, with all the good news and wonderful things that have happened, something bad is bound to happen. Let's just hope it's not for a long, long time!