6 Things and What I've Been Up To

So, sorry I haven't posted in a while! Um, not that you all are on the edge of your seats waiting for more of the fascinating things I have posted so far :).
Last week, we went on a field trip to a bunch of high spots surrounding the city to take in all the amazing views. We saw the Dead Sea, Jordan, the Mediterranean, Bethelehem and all kinds of cool stuff! We talked about some really cool things as we went along as well. Topher can attest that I was ridiculously emotional that day!
Also last week, the West Bank got closed off, which we live in, but we're not behind the wall, so we can still get around. One of the ladies in our ward lives in Bethelehem, though, so they won't let her out to come to church. Sunday was her last day and it was amazing to hear her incredible testimony of the gospel.
Classes are going great...there's a ton of homework and I'm struggling a bit to stay on top of 29 credits, but I'm almost done with some of them-light at the end of the tunnel! My teachers are amazing- I've never met people that know so much about seemingly everything.
We have 2 classes that present the Palestinian/Israeli conflict from each perspective and it's so interesting to see what each side thinks. I've loved being here talking to people about how they see the world- it is so fascinating. A lot of people ask about the center or the church, and of course we're not allowed to say anything, which is tough. But we do get a lot of benefits for being Mormon. The students in the past have apparently left a good impression, because we get all kinds of things free and get to see lots of cool things that they won't let other people into. The other day I went to cash a personal check at one of the money-changers and I filled the check out all wrong (mostly because I'm an idiot and forgot that the year changed), but the guy just let me cross out about 8 things and told me he trusted me because I'm a Mormon. I asked how he knew and he told me I was shiny from the inside. I kind of liked that :).

I'm also going to post 6 interesting things about me (mostly so that Quincy will know that I read her blog faithfully :) ). Always when I'm asked on the first day of class to tell something interesting about myself, I can't think of a thing, so it'll be good for me to reflect on this!

1. I am an obsessive list-writer, goal-setter and planner. My parents hate this about me and wonder why I can't just go with the flow :). A few years ago, I found a 5-year plan that I had written when I was 4. It was a lot more pictoral then my later attempts, but still... Lately I've made a goal to be more flexible, so my current 5-year plan reads more like a choose-your-own-adventure novel, with different branches leading to different life goals, depending on how things go. Ridiculous, I know, but I can't quit.

2. I have a very extensive list of things to do before I die that has a tendency of directing some of my activities and makes me do things that I normally wouldn't. A lot of the things are places I want to go...I love to travel (obviously) and I've now been to more foreign countries than U.S. States, which probably says something sad about my patriotism. I really, really want to go to Antarctica next, because seriously- how many people can say they've been there? Also on the list are lots of movies to watch, books to see and classic movie scenes to act out in the places where they happened- an abiding and dorky wish of mine.

3. Pretty much all of my favorite activities revolve around music. I love playing (piano, guitar or saxophone), singing and mostly listening. I have a ludicrous number of cds and have never encountered a type of music I don't like. Country, which I used to hate, has been growing on me a lot lately! Some of my recent favorites are Ingrid Michaelson, Feist, Foy Vance and Alain de Courtenay. My favorite song of all time is (of course) Stairway to Heaven and I listen to it almost every night to go to sleep. Second favorite- Such Great Heights by the Postal Service. My dream is to be a nightclub singer/hippie coffeehouse-jammer or to be on Broadway...distant dreams, but still. This summer, my friend Andy and I are recording a cd with the help of our friend who is a sound design major...I am so excited!

4. I am something of a pageant junkie, which I hate to admit... I'm not so obsessed with being in them, but I really love watching them. I blame this on my sister's participation during my formative years. It's been years since I haven't been to Jr. Miss and Miss Franklin County, and Miss America is the television highlight of my year. Ok, all this sounds really pathetic...but it's so fun! It's the one occasion where I feel justified in being somewhat critical. It's just not as fun to watch them without my sisters, though, or Taylor Ransom :). I especially like writing down all our favorites in the program and then being scandalized when things don't work out the way we think they should.

5. I absolutely LOVE being in water. I love swimming, most of all sans suit, all by myself under the moonlight. Uh...that sounds kind of creepy, but it's sooo relaxing. Someday, I would really love to have a pool. Or an ocean :).

6. I really love to listen. Which you may not know if you have a conversation with me, because I also talk a lot...I always feel bad about it afterward! It's definitely something I need to work on, but usually it's born of a desire to make other people talk and feel comfortable. I like to ask a lot of questions (also something that drives Mom crazy) and usually they're pretty random. I rarely think things through and it often gets me into trouble in conversations and/or gives off a perception that I completely don't mean. My favorite people to talk to are my mom, my sisters and Topher :). Lately, I especially miss my sisters, who are my very favorite people in the world and my best friends. This is kind of a seventh thing...
I really love my sisters and believe everything they say to a fault. My favorite thing about having sisters is that we all share each other's joy, pain and everything in between. They're all at a different point in life than I am and I'm excited for when I can be more a part of that :). I've loved spending time with all their kids and seeing what amazing mothers they each are. I've also gotten into the habit of crying a lot lately about every wonderful that happens to them or their kids. I am an incredibly blessed kid and I hope they all know how much I love them!