11/26 thankful

Today is Thanksgiving, and today I am especially grateful for...

My amazing and supportive-beyond-words family

(yes, I photoshopped David in ahhahahahahha)

My adorable dog, Cocco

Maggie and Getzi

My church homies

Brown University

Serene, the chillest roommate

Catalyst Pham

Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father, the gospel, and the opportunity to learn more about them

(Doctrine and Covenants 78:19)

I'm so thankful for all of the wonderful people in my life! They make my life AN AWESOME LIFE, and I credit my happiness to their presence. 

I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving! :-)

11/22 nineteen (in Newport) and a vow

This weekend, I turned nineteen. It's not really a milestone age, but it is the first birthday I spent without my family...and it was a good one (thanks to the greatest friends a girl can ask for).
A group of my friends and I took a Zipcar and went to Newport, Rhode Island's beach town. One of my favorite things to do ever is driving, and I was so freaking happy and excited to be driving on my birthday.

Once we got to Newport, we hit up a random beach. As soon as I was out of the car, I took off my shoes and socks and got my feet wet. The water was so cold I felt like my feet were going to fall off, but the cold water was also somehow really nice and comforting.

We stayed at the beach for awhile until we finally left to go on the Newport Cliff Walk. We were supposed to see some beautiful mansions on the walk, but I don't think we walked enough of the Cliff Walk to actually get to the mansions haha. The super super duper awesome thing about the Cliff Walk though was the CLIFFS. So freaking beautiful and cool and just so calming. It's weird how the crashing of waves on rocks is calming.

When we were getting tired of walking and 45 degree wind, we walked back to the car, got in, and drove. There was no real destination--I just wanted to drive. I wanted to drive and see more beaches. I wanted to feel a bit spontaneous. And I'm glad I did because we eventually came upon this view:

On our way home to Providence, we grabbed some McDonalds. I will be the first to admit that I miss McDonalds, the nasty nasty fast food chain. It's a gross confession, and I can't exactly be proud of it, but it is what it is, ya know? I love me a BigMac, some McNuggets, and amazing fries. So, thanks to my kind, food-sharing roommate, I got it.

Back in Providence, I grabbed dinner with my Catalyst Pham. It was also my dearest friend Sarah's birthday too!! It was sweet having so many Catalyst people together in such a long time. They're the coolest people.

Alas, as my first weekend of being a 19-year old comes to a close, my heart is full of love and gratitude. After an extra tough week, I was reminded of how lucky I am. I am blessed with the greatest support system ever, and I am especially lucky to know that there is always someone there for me when I am in need. In these times of gratitude, I think about the people in the world who are not as lucky. There are people in the world who feel lonely or unwanted, whether for a short period of time or for their entire lives. Whatever the degree, those feelings are the worst feelings in the entire world, and no one should ever have to feel them.
So, this year, I promise to do all that I can to make people feel loved and wanted. How will I do this, you ask? Honestly, I'm not 100% sure, but I have a pretty solid idea, and it starts with a smile.

11/11 Favorite Sources of Comfort

Sometimes, if you ask me how I'm doing, I'll probably half-smile and say "I'm good" or "Okay" or "Alright for the most part." ...but am I really? It depends. I've certainly had a few ups and downs like every other college freshman, but I have learned what I need to do to get over those slumps: get over it. Sounds obvious, right? ...but it's true!

Nothing is going to get you over a slump except you. You can power through, and you will make it.

BUT I understand that sometimes it takes longer for different people to get out of their slumps. I also understand that some of us (aka me right now) may just want to mope around, throw ourselves a pity party, and wallow in that sadness for a wee bit. Whatever case you may fall under, I present to you a list of some of my favorite things that help me get over a slump aka my "Favorite Sources of Comfort."
NOTE: A lot of these are spiritual, but I encourage you to read/do them despite your spirituality as these are usually my most powerful sources of comfort. 

• A phone call to anyone in my family (but especially my mom and sister)
  When I'm feeling a little bit sad, I like to talk it out with those who I feel know me best. It's so nice to hear a familiar voice despite the distance (although it always chokes me up a bit). My family always knows what to say to make me feel better. Also, it's a special reminder that I (and I assure you, you) have an amazing support system no matter what.
• Pictures of my dog
  I miss her so much, and I wish she could talk and be here so I could force her to cuddle with me. Unfortunately, she's not, so I made of my favorite pics of her and I my phone background. I also made a photo album of her because she's absolutely adorable.
• Staying away from social media (if only for a little bit)
  Oftentimes, I feel myself getting sad because I'm comparing my life to the lives of others, so it's nice to get away from social media until I get a brighter picture of myself and am able to stop feeling so insecure. Nowadays, it's so easy to compare ourselves to others whether we're doing it consciously or not. When you catch yourself doing this, don't encourage it! Stop it! No! You are so freaking awesome and great and REAL. You are HUMAN, and you need to love yourself for that. We should only do things that build us up, so do yourself a favor and don't compare yourself to others. 
• A talk by President Thomas S. Monson: "We Never Walk Alone"
  "...your Heavenly Father loves you--each of you. That love never changes. It is not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions, or by the amount of money you have in your bank account. It is not changed by your talents and abilities. It is simply there. It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God's love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there."
  Never forget that you are so freaking loved!! I cannot emphasize/reiterate this enough.
• Doctrine and Covenant 18:10
  "Remember, the worth of souls is great in the sight of God."
  This scripture is probably my favorite scripture of all time. I first read it in a very low time of my life, and it strengthened the image I had of myself so so so much. It reminded me that I am so freaking awesome, and even though other people may not think I'm awesome, Heavenly Father thinks I am! And that's all that truly matters at the end of the day. (This scripture is also really cool because it's a daily reminder to me that everyone (not just me) is great in the sight of God. It reminds me to be nicer and to love everyone around me.)
• Matthew 11:28-30
  "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
  I love this scripture so much that it was the very first one I wrote on my chalkboard wall. It's the best reminder that we are never alone and that we can find peace wherever we are as long as we think of our Savior Jesus Christ and all He's done for us. Because of Him, we can do anything and everything!
• Doctrine and Covenants 78:17-18
  "Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessing the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you; and ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours, and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours."
  It's so important for us to remember that there is someone who knows of our divine plan (Heavenly Father!). We have to have faith that HF wants nothing more than the best for us, and when we know that, we know that everything happens for a reason. Everything is a part of Heavenly Father's plan for us. Sure, failing a midterm may not be a part of our plan, but it's a part of HF's. It's a trial that HF knows we need to go through in order to be better. So, have faith.
• Another talk by Thomas S. Monson: "Yellow Canaries with Gray on Their Wings"
  "To live greatly, we must develop the capacity to face trouble with courage, disappointment with cheerfulness, and triumph with humility. You ask, "How might we achieve these goals?" I answer, "By getting a true perspective of who we really are!" We are sons and daughters of a living God, in whose image we have been created. Think of that truth: "Created in the image of God." We cannot sincerely hold this conviction without experiencing a profound new sense of strength and power..."
  It is so empowering for us to know that we are children of God--that we are created so that one day, we can be PERFECT. We will never be perfect in this life, but we can be in the next. And, if that's not awesome, then I don't know what is.
• Prayer
  In times of distress, we need to take special time to think and appreciate what we have. We need to be extra thankful for all our many blessings. It's easier for me to do this when I pray, but if praying isn't your thing, just meditate. Or just sit down and chill and think about all your blessings. Either one works. Just be grateful!
• LDS songs 
• EFY medley: "As Sisters in Zion/We'll Bring the World His Truth" 
• David Archuleta - "Glorious" 
• Youth theme: "Come Unto Christ" 
• Hillsong United - "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" (not LDS, but still amazing)

These songs remind me of my faith in Heavenly Father's love for me and my knowledge that He'll never put us through a trial that we can't overcome. Not to mention, these songs are really peaceful and super soothing. 

• This Mormon video: "You Never Know How Much Good You Do"
  This video reminds us that even though we may not feel like we are doing much to impact the world, we are are impacting someone's world someway, somehow. We can help so many people by simply having a smile on our face or by being an example. Never feel that any acts of kindness you may do go unnoticed because one simple act of kindness can go a long way.
• Any comedy show/movie
  My favorite right now is Brooklyn Nine-Nine...absolutely brilliant! Watch something that makes you laugh and forget all that is happening if only for a little bit. I assure you, just after a few laughs, you'll re-enter the world with a much better attitude.
• Dance parties
  Again, forget all that is happening around you for a little bit and turn on your favorite happy/upbeat songs. If Meredith and Cristina have taught me anything in Grey's Anatomy, it's to "dance it out." You'll feel so much better after dancing around ridiculously for a few minutes. Just an aside, though: no dance party is complete without a rap battle (my favorite is Lil Wayne in "Down" or Jaden Smith in "Never Say Never"), a One Direction song, and a Taylor Swift song.
• Exercise OR a nice walk
  I personally am not a big fan of exercise, but I admit that it helps me de-stress. Also, if you're not too keen on legit exercise either and going to the gym and all that jazz, go for a stroll outside! It's my favorite time of year to do this (it's FALL!!!) because it's so pretty outside. Just take time to breathe (especially if it's nice, clean, fresh air). 

In conclusion, I hope some of the things that help me help you. Whoever you are, wherever you are, and whatever you're going through, I pray you know that all will be better. Even when things may seem bleak, I promise that if you take a step back and honestly try to have a new perspective, things will not be as bleak as they seem. And if even if they still do seem bleak, know that I firmly believe with all my heart that everything is conquerable. I hope you do too.