Episode 21: In Which Jessica Loses a Faithful Friend in Japan and Misses Andrew Like CRAZY! CRAZY I TELL YOU! *twitchy eye*

Dear World, you have now become subject to my new habit of writing letters to things...and people...and pretty much anything that God created. Have fun.

But seriously, I have come to notice recently that I do a lot of things like saying "dear table, I am going to put this on you, thanks. Love, Jessica" Andrew says I am ridiculous. He is probably right. But you all like me like that right?

So lets see, the last time I wrote, I was fixing to get on a plane to Japan! I am now back from the magical Japanland and have much to write about. I had originally planned to write about it periodically while I was there, but unfortunately, my computer broke. I have no idea why...its not like I accidentally dropped it on the ground at the Tokyo Eki (train station for those of you who are not privileged to know the great Japanese language) and cracked the screen all to pieces. Nope, it couldn't have been that at all. I did however get it to work via the top left hand corner of the screen...but it was far too small for blogging. Am I crazy? Perhaps.

So lets see, what can I tell you about my magical adventures in Japanland? Well, we arrived in the late afternoon on Friday the 30th of April. We spent the first couple hours running around in the airport looking for this and that and also renting a keitai (cell phone). Because we got in so late and were so tired, we rode the train to Asakusa, checked into our hostel, and pretty much crashed for the night. Well, after eating a delicious conbini (convenience store) dinner. I am still rather bad at blogging for understanding so you have no pictures to illustrate why exactly we ate at least 1 meal at a conbini a day...but trust me, they are amazing. They have pretty much EVERYTHING that is edible and some things that aren't...like toys. Jessica enjoyed that part. =P

The first week, we went out to various places around Tokyo from Asakusa. Of course our first day was spent in Asakusa where we saw the famous "Kaminarimon" or "Thunder Gate". It is called that because it has the kanji for thunder on the giant lantern. Normally there are people crowding around and it was Golden Week so there were people everywhere during the day, but when you get back at like 10 at night, the people are pretty much gone and you can take an awesome shot like this one.

So I guess I should explain what Golden Week is. It's basically a week at the beginning of May during which 4 or 5 holidays happen to fall. For the Japanese, it marks one of the few times a year that they get a break from work and so they flock to the many matsuri (festival) or other points of interest all around Japan. This is a picture of Asakusa during Golden Week. Note the massive crowd. Also, at the end of the white roof begins a line of temporary shops all selling delicious things like Yakitori (chicken on a skewer) and kakigori (shaved ice). It is a big time to take road trips so if you ever are privileged and brave enough to rent a car in Japan, avoid the highways or it might take you 14 hours to get from Tokyo to Kyuushu (Japan's southernmost island. (Japan is only as big as California and Tokyo is kinda in the middle of it...so you do the math there.)

If you want to travel I would highly recommend a Japan Rail Pass. People tell me it isn't worth it if you aren't going to leave the Tokyo area but they lie. With a little planning, you can make that pass work for you even just in Tokyo. However, we used it for all our shinkansen (bullet train) tickets and it more than made up for the 400 dollars it cost. By Shinkansen, it was 4 hours to Hiroshima and 2 hours to Kyoto and another 2 to Hida Takayama.

I know I haven't talked much about Tokyo but I'll get back to that when I come back. We took a week off to tour the three cities I just mentioned and boy was it amazing!

First stop, Hiroshima. Those who don't know much about Japan might actually recognize this city because it is where the first Atomic Bomb was dropped. Yes, I wrote out Atomic...after visiting the Peace Memorial Park there, I just can't bring myself to call it something as off handed as "A-Bomb". I have always been torn about whether or not the bomb was necessary...and have to just settle with "the war is over". My opinion is not changed...but I can appreciate and show reverence for the destruction and devastation it caused.

If you ever go to Japan, DEFINITELY look at the Peace Memorial Park. It is one of the best memorial sites I have ever been to. (probably among the only too) I was kind of sad because it was raining and so the paper cranes weren't draped out all over the Children's Peace Memorial. If you don't know what the purpose of the cranes is, check it out at Wikipedia.Sadako's Story

I think I found some of the cranes that the BYU students folded this past semester, but because of the rain, they were put away in their little boxes to be safe from the rain.

Also at the peace park, we found...a crab!!! it was really random...but it was just sitting there chilling in the drain. We thought it was a spider but it was a crab! We tried to get it out but our attempt was in vain and we left without even a picture of it. Sad day. This was just the beginning though...

The next day was Nature Day and we spent it on Miyajima. (some sites might call it Miyajima island but this is in fact a false translation as "jima" is a form of "shima" the word for island. thank you for listening to my rant. We will now return you to your regularly scheduled program) The island was full of fun things to look at. Oh...and the shrine was nice too. Miyajima is famous for the floating Torii (red gate) just offshore and the shrine that is built on the water. At high tide, they both appear to be floating and I am sure its pretty. However we arrived at low tide and I must say I am glad we did.

We were able to go out to the Torii and play on the tidal plane between it and the shrine. Best day ever, there were little crabs everywhere! We found lots of little hermit crabs and tried in vain to coax them out...but as soon as we put them down they took off! They were so cute! I also found and caught lots of sand crabs which you can see pictured here. They were fun. There also holes where clams were living, but we didn't dig them up. That's kind of a lie...I tried, but the tide was coming in. =P

Also to be seen on the island were many little deer who wander about freely. It was kind of fun to see them up close and pet them and stuff at first, but after a while I became very saddened on their behalf. Just like any other wild creature that becomes dependent on humans, the deer are kind pests. They followed Jessica around trying to get her souvenir maple leaf cookies. Its also kind of sad to see the deer exploited and trained to pose for group pictures around the shrine. I would much rather have seen the deer from far off I think.

Also in Hiroshima, Jessica and I had our first (and probably last) public bath experience. For anyone who doesn't know, Japan has many natural hot springs and around them they have built many bathhouses. In a Japanese bathhouse, you don't wear a swimsuit. It took some getting used to...but after a while you realize no one is looking at you or even cares that you are there so you relax. The hot water felt good on our tired feetsies. And of course, a trip to Hiroshima isn't complete without Okonomiyaki (a kind of pancake like thing with cabbage and egg and other ingredients! Hiroshima is famous for it and for good reason. It's delicious! I actually got Yakisoba (grilled noodles)but I tried Jessica's.

Once we were done with Hiroshima, we caught the next shinkansen to Kyoto. I had thought I was being clever and reserving our seats on the shinkansen in advance but everyone has their moments of complete insanity and this was one of mine. When I woke up on the morning of May 8th, I looked at our tickets and realized I had reserved the seats for May 7th! So much for getting going slowly, we packed up, checked out, and were off to the eki! Luckily, I had been able to call Andrew the day before so I was nice and relaxed and ready to handle crisis. NOT
. Just ask Jessica...I was like...well, no offense Erica, but I was like you when we were in Kofu. =P

A couple hours and a ticket change later, we were in Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan. We started our stay off by visiting Nijo Castle and the path of bamboo. Both were really cool, though Jessica was disappointed that all the rooms in the castle were blocked off, so she couldn't go in and break things. I enjoyed taking hilarious pictures like this one outside the castle. I have always looked at the walls of Japanese castles and wanted to climb them...so I tried. Jessica took this ever so flattering picture of me. We almost died laughing right there so it was a good thing I wasn't really that high up or I would have killed myself from the fall if the laughter didn't get me first. =P

I enjoyed the Path of Bamboo. It was really really pretty, and no Brianna, you can't hear bamboo growing. Dweeb. It just grows fast. And this is Japan, so there were no pandas. Sad day, I could have added it to my vast um...list of animals I saw in Japan. But that would be pointless cuz I still never saw a monkey. 3 times to Japan and not one monkey! What the crap!?! But it was really peaceful and made for a nice relaxing walk. It was evening when we finally got out there, so it the lighting made it even more pretty I think. I want a huge bamboo forest in MY backyard!!! Doesn't it just look amazing! Guess who I wished was there...grr!

The next day we took a grand tour of Kyoto's best sights. We bought a bus pass (a very good value unless you can travel by bike) and stopped first at Kinkakuji (commonly called by silly white people, the Golden Pavilion, cuz they can't handle Japanese). It was super pretty and shiny! I like shiny things...ask Andrew. =P It was pretty crowded, with school groups and tour groups and all but its worth seeing at least once. I have seen it twice now and its still fun. ^__^

After Kinkakuji we went to Kiyomizu Dera. Kiyomizu is up on a mountain so it affords a great view of Kyoto. You can't take a trip to Kyoto without seeing it. The road to the temple is lined with souvenir shops from which I refused to buy anything because its super gaijin ppoi (no i can't translate it...but if you don't understand that, chances are you'd buy something at those shops) Hee Hee.

Our final stop inside Kyoto was San Juu San Gendo. It's a Buddhist temple of which I have no photos. Photos are not allowed inside, but it is TOTALLY worth checking out. It houses the 1000 statues of Kannon which in itself is something you will want to see. But it also houses the 27 guardians of Japan so it is an excellent place to get your education on Japanese mythology. Go go go!

Once we were done touring Kyoto, we took a train for a 5 minute ride to Fushimi Inari where we saw the famous Fushimi shrine. You are probably thinking "what is so famous about it? I have never heard of it" but chances are you have never heard or do not remember hearing the name. Fushimi is the place where the Torii are lined up, winding their way through the forest and up the mountain. It was such a fun little hike. You have to be in relative shape for this walk...and by relative, I mean you should move once in a while at least. Trust me, the sunset is worth the seemingly endless lines of Torii.

The next morning was time to say goodbye and head out for Hida Takayama. By this point in the trip I had been in Japan for about a week and without a computer of my own for about 4 days. I was going crazy not talking to Andrew, so I got a phone card and tried to call him from the hostel the next morning. When that failed, I ran out of the hostel, still in my pajamas, to find a payphone. I should have taken a picture...I told you, I was going insane! But I found a payphone and was able to talk to him for about an hour. That's a lie, it was only like half an hour, but then I found a computer to skype with him for an hour. My day was SO much better after that. We left Kyoto at 10 and arrived without incident in Hida Takayama around 1pm.

Hida Takayama is located in the Gifu Prefecture. Gifu is where my last companion, the dear Kina shimai (shimai means sister) is from, so I quickly wrote her a postcard as we passed through the Gifu Eki. Oh how I miss her! I wasn't able to see her at all this trip, but I called her and talked to her for about 15 minutes so that was nice. Anyhow, back to Takayama. Yes, VERY small town. We had a very difficult time finding food there because most of the shops were closed. Good thing that Conbinis are always open! And available for souvenir photos too! =P The Sarubobo doll is particular to Takayama. Normally they are red, but come in other colors too. The red means overall good luck.

Though it rained for most of our time there, we were able to take a trip out to Shirakawa-go. Shirakawa-go is an old village full of Gassho style houses, nestled in the mountains. Gassho houses all have roofs that look like this "/\" so as to allow the snow to slide off in the winter. They are 3-5 stories tall and the people used to raise silk worms on the upper floors because they stayed warm as the heat from the hearth downstairs rose up through the levels. It was really fun to see, and not so touristy. There were lots of Chinese tourists, but not many Whities.

When we were done at Takayama, it was time to catch the shinkansen back to Tokyo. We said goodbye to the beautiful Gifu-ken (prefecture) and turned our thoughts to the adventures that lay ahead in Tokyo. I didn't realize the adventures would start that day! We changed trains at Nagoya and we had about a 15 minute layover so we sat down. Somehow, during that 15 minutes, I managed to start watching the wrong track and before I realized my mistake, we missed our train by literally 2 seconds. Luckily, we caught the next train 6 minutes later. =P

However, once arriving in Tokyo, we had another adventure searching for tickets to Mt. Fuji the next day as well as locating the train line we needed. We needed the Mita line but the only subway lines out of Tokyo eki are the Marunouchi and the Tozai. I thought we would change at Otemachi to the Mita line and only have to change trains twice, a plus when you are carrying large bags. We set off, following the signs to the Tozai line in what I was convinced was a spiral into the very jaws of Hell itself...we just kept going down stairs!

By the time we reached the line, there were signs saying that it was another half a kilometer to the Mita line so I figured we would go there instead and never change trains. BAD IDEA! We decended MORE stairs before even beginning to climb them again with still no sign of the subway entrance! About this time I was getting way tired and thinking how incredibly grateful I was that my boyfriend was American and raised right and proper. Chivalry is definitely a western concept, and no one ever paused to help us with our bags. The kicker in the whole situation is that when we finally FOUND an escalator, we had to go up STAIRS to get to it! Oh my goodness! =P

So now I can tell you about my many misadventures in Tokyo. We weren't in Tokyo the WHOLE time. We took a day off to visit Yokohama and see a cool cave near Ofuna eki. The cave was also a photo off limits place and was carved by monks long ago for training and worship purposes. When you go, you pay 400 yen and they give you a candle to help you light your way. We were super excited to go in. It's really just a winding passageway but its really fun all the same, especially if you've played Fatal Frame 2. I might recommend it if you have time while playing around in the Kanagawa area. Otherwise, if you don't see it, you will be ok.

We also went to the Ramen Museum. It was really fun too, though much smaller than I had though. If you like Ramen, go. In the basement, pictured here, you can sample all kinds of different ramen from different regions. It can get crowded so be prepared to wait in line. The food is delicious...or at least I am sure it is. I was actually sick that day so I couldnt eat much. It was sad. The atmosphere is fun too. The area is designed to look like a replica of Tokyo in the 1950's and there are some games and things set up around the place for kids too if you want to try your hand at carnival games.

We went to see Landmark Tower it's a really tall tower from which you can see for ages on a clear day... but I refused to climb it. Mostly because I wasn't feeling well but also because they were advertising the top of the tower for couples and they had sappy pictures all over the place of couples gazing out over the city together. The whole thing just made me miss my boyfriend and so I decided to boycott the whole thing. Plus it was 10 dollars to get to the top anyhow. I took a picture outside though so you can all see that.


We also took a day off to go see Mt. Fuji. It had been cloudy or hazy most of the time we had been there, but the weather cleared right up for us the day we left. I was very grateful. 3 times to Japan and this was my FIRST time seeing Mt. Fuji up close. I would run to the window everytime I saw the mountain from the train, even though we were clearly on our way to see it. What made me laugh was how even the Japanese get excited and whip out their cell phones to take a picture EVERY time you can see Fuji from the train. =P

Of course, we couldn't climb it...the climbing season isn't until July. (not that the climbing season stops SOME people I know =P) But there was snow all on the top of the mountain as you can see. We viewed it from among many flowers instead and the view was amazing and we had a lot of fun. We went with Tonooka shimai and Miura Kyodai from Koiwa ward. They were a lot of fun to be with, and Miura kyodai showed me how to get a great picture of Fuji without people in it! unfortunately, my favorite picture has people in it. sorry. He also taught me how to make inexpensive phone calls to America...mehehe

After the flower viewing, we ate lunch (curry udon for me) and then took a bus to Aokigahara. Jessica had wanted to see it because it is famous for being a popular spot for suicide. The forest is so dense that it is easy to get lost...and if you choose to kill yourself, people won't find you for a long time. I was expecting something really dark and eerie, but it was actually a really pretty forest. We also got to go into a bat cave. Really, I think it was just a lava tube but it was still hilariously awesome. The ceiling got really low at some points so we all had to try to get through without falling over. It was so much fun.

Other than those two day trips, we just stuck to the big districts of Tokyo and saw what we could in between. I will have to refer you to my facebook page for complete pictures of Tokyo because I can't choose. Tokyo was mostly shopping so I can't drag out the description enough to post even half the pictures. We went to Shibuya, Shinjuku, Akihabara (commonly called "Electric Town"), Kichijoji, Odaiba, and to a random but huge recycle shop in Funabashi. Recycle shops are the best!!! I got "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" for a dollar! Even though I did a lot of shopping, I still prefer the hidden sights that just say "japan" like this shrine in the middle of the city in Roppongi.

My favorite area was definitely Odaiba. I once heard Odaiba described as a "date place". Probably because there is so much to do! there are huge arcades and indoor amusement parks etc along with restaurants, the beach, a park and shopping. We went to an indoor amusement park called "Joypolis" where we waited in line for an hour for what ended up as the greatest haunted house I have ever set foot in. It was called "Room of the Living Dolls" and I don't care if dolls scare you or not...this place will terrify you. They cover about every fear out there except "the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth" =P

The entire thing takes place in one room...in the pitch dark. All you see is conjured up by your own imagination and so it takes much longer to leave you than a scary movie ever does. All you do is put on a set of headphones and listen to the narrative of a doll and her creator. It sounds lame...but I was so terrified I was crying! You don't even have to understand Japanese to be terrified because Jessica was pretty darn scared too. It was terrifying but TOTALLY worth the wait. I suggest you try it at least once. =P

about the only thing we weren't able to do in Tokyo was see the Ghibli museum..which totally blows. But it was closed the whole time we were there so what can you do?


The last couple of days we were in Japan, I spent visiting people from my mission. I met Nagase shimai at the temple and we went to the Honbu (mission home). We saw Sister and President Albrecht. Sister Albrecht actually remembered me, which was surprising to me since I had only met her like twice before I left. I was touched. Then Nagase shimai opened her big mouth and told her that I was dating Elder Powell. I love Nagase shimai...but she makes me laugh. she really does. =P Sister Albrecht seemed very interested in this news, but not nearly as interested as Elder Brunson, who I ran into as the Zone Leader conference at the church was getting out.

We went over to see President and as soon as Elder Brunson saw me he asked "I have to ask..." He didn't have to finish, I replied "Yes, I am dating Elder Powell". He claims he doesn't know who he heard it from...but I have my suspicions. haha. What really threw me for a loop was the response after I said I was dating Andrew. Several Elders were like "SO YOU'RE SISTER HALLIDAY!" I was severely taken aback as I hadn't met a single one of them before...oh mission gossip. You have got to love it. =P

My favorite response was President Albrecht's. I asked him if he remembered Elder Powell (he didn't remember me at first so I had to ask) and when he said yes, I told him that Andrew said "hi". He fixed me with a funny look and said "How would you know? Are you dating him or something?" I kinda laughed but Nagase shimai answered for me. =P You could tell President wasn't expecting to hear me (or nagase shimai) say yes =P


That same night, I went to dinner with Saito Rie chan and Chiba kun. We at sukiyaki. Rie chan and Nagase shimai noticed I wasn't eating as much as usual. I told them I was a little bit homesick and they laughed and said I was "Kareshi sick" (boyfriend sick) then proceeded to giggle and say they wanted to be Kareshi sick too. I told them that was a silly idea and that it wasn't any fun but they didn't believe me. Then they wanted to know how Andrew and I had started dating and I was only too happy to reply. They were a wonderful audience and sighed and giggled in all the right places. ^_^

After that I went to sports night and saw Elder Francis. It was fun seeing him...even if he was bent on nailing me in the face with a dodgeball. I never gave him the opportunity. =P Mostly because I never played. I'm not stupid, I remember Sports Night! =P

On our last Sunday there, I went to the Koiwa ward and then I was supposed to meet my trainer, Kazumi chan (previously Yasutani shimai) and her husband at the eki near their house so we could have dinner together. I was supposed to be there at 6 and call them so that they could come meet me. Of course, that was the day that I was convinced I should never have been allowed out of the house. It was only 10 minutes after we had left that I realized I had left the keitai at home and with it, the notebook with everyone's numbers in it! I was faced with a decision and decided not to turn back for it but keep going. The family we were staying with had already left home anyhow so we couldn't get back in even if we did go back. So we continued in hopes that they would just go to the eki anyhow. I walked off super fast and Jessica took this picture of me stressing out. I walk fast and talk to myself when I'm stressed out. This was a day where I acted rather like my dear Sister Powell, my companion in Kofu. Oh Erica, I truly do love you...and look, even Sister Halliday stresses out! =P

Well, of all the miracles, upon reaching our destination, I remembered my old number from when I was a missionary in Koiwa! I found a payphone and called the Koiwa sisters and got the number for the Senzokuike sisters. Unfortunately, the number they gave me connected to a phone that had transferred to a set of elders in the Kobe mission! I called the Koiwa sisters again and they gave me a new number. This one worked and I was able to get Kazumi chan's husband's number. An hour and a few hundred lost hairs later, dinner was saved! And I am so glad it was! I love my trainer!

Overall it was a super fun trip. Oh, I nearly forgot the Tokyo tower. What trip to Tokyo is complete without going there? Jessica wanted to see it so we went. really, the observatory was about the same height as the apartment we were staying in but I suppose you have to go up the Tokyo Tower at least once. I got better pictures from the apartment to be honest though. It was an absolutely gorgeous view! On Saturday and sunday, they lite Tokyo Tower up all special like this....I am not really sure why, but it was fun!

Finally, it came time to leave. The flight home wasn't so bad. I watched a lot of movies and before I knew it I was there. As soon as we touched the tarmac my phone was on and I got bombarded by missed texts. At first I thought they were all my "word of the day" texts but the last 3 were from Andrew. I couldn't wait anymore and I texted him and then called him as soon as I got off the plane. Since then, I have talked to him nearly every opportunity I have and I bought a plane ticket to Utah for July 1st. I hope I can wait that long...I TOLD you I was going crazy!!! =P

For more pictures visit the album on facebook.
Japan 2010 photos 1
Japan 2010 photos 2

Episode 20: In Which We Find Jessica FINALLY Packed for Japan

I'm sitting on my bed, Jessica is asleep behind me. I'm excited to go to Japan! But I'm nervous too...this is my first time really doing it on my own. I speak the language and I'm meeting up with friends while I'm there, but there's so much to keep track of! It's like being senior companion all over again!

In other news, this week I've pretty much been missing Andrew terribly. People tell me it will get better, people tell me long distance was the hardest thing they've ever done...people tell me a lot of things. The only thing I know right now is that its not fun at all. I'm hoping it gets better, at least that we'll find things to keep us occupied or something. I'm sure on his end, school will pick up, and I'm hoping he can find a job. I'm also hoping I can find a good job too...but I'm already counting down the days until 4th of July when I can see him again (provided all goes as planned) and I'm still trying to figure out a faster way to see him.

What can I say? I live in an age of instant gratification? A reward is only as good as how fast you can get it, right?

Haha, ok ok, I know...some things are worth waiting for, and trust me, Andrew is. But that doesn't mean that if there is a faster way to see him, I'm going to sit by and not try to find it. =P

I went to church at my home ward on Sunday...that was kind of weird. I can literally count on one hand the number of families I recognized. Ok...maybe 2 hands.

Oh man, going back to Japan, I can't wait to see everyone! Especially Nagase shimai! I love her! She was my favorite companion...we'll be companions forever! Or at least friends...I suppose someday I have to find a REAL eternal companion... =P

We're going to go to Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Hida Takayama too while we're in Japan. I'm super excited for that! I've never been outside of Tokyo. No...that's a lie, I've been to Kyoto. But I'm excited to go again!!!

This is going to be fun! And I'll be home just in time for Andrew's birthday! hooray! Well, I should go to bed. I might update my blog while I'm in Japan...I might not. We'll see. ^__^

Episode 19: In Which Jessica Meets the Family and Discovers Just How Different Boys and Girls Are

When we last met, I was leaving you with a cliffhanger. Today you can find out how my visit with Andrew's family went! YAY!

There's me and Andrew waiting for Alex to get changed so we can go up to the condo on Sunday. I technically had already met Andrew's parents when I had written my last entry but I wanted to just make this entry the "condo entry". So there you have it. Andrew played his violin in Sacrament meeting and so I got up extra early to go see him. (His church is at 9. Mine is at 1. You see why it was EXTRA early?)

Turns out I got up TOO early cuz I had to take a detour and walk around campus a bit before going in. I got up to take a shower and carefully did my hair up in Heidi braids and found a nice flower to stick behind my ear. I put on my white springy dress and my new sandals and I was ready to go! I'd just like you all to know how amazing I looked...that's all. I was very proud of myself...that's the first complete outfit I've ever put together! and guess what...I didn't take one picture of it. I'm such a failure =P

Walking through campus was good for my nerves. I was rather nervous to meet Andrew's family...I just get that way when meeting new people. Plus I was afraid they wouldn't like me. You get one boyfriend whose mom doesn't like you and you're ruined for life...even if it turns out she was totally insane and probably wouldn't like anyone =P But all the same, the walk helped a lot. The sun was shining and the temperature was perfect. It was nice to walk past all the trees that were all full of blossoms and just relax before walking into the building that church was in.

Andrew played wonderfully, though I have my suspicions he was nervous. Poor thing. He did really really well though, I thought. He said some technical stuff to his parents about what went wrong but I know nothing about stringed instruments or really music at all, so it all went over my head. I thought it sounded amazing ^_^

His parents were really nice and I felt instantly at ease around them so all my worrying was for nothing. Andrew told me that too but I am really good at stressing...its a class they teach here at BYU. Stressing 101...offered, EVERY HOUR OF THE DAY!!!

After Sacrament, I stayed around for the rest of church and sat through the most interesting lesson on Celestial Marriage I have ever heard. Seriously, here are the two most perplexing questions I heard during the lesson. "What is the difference between a celestial marriage and a civil marriage? Shouldn't the commitments be the same and why do we push so much for the temple marriage" and "Why marriage at all"

To the first, I will give the benefit of the doubt and assume she is a recent convert who doesn't yet understand what a temple marriage means. To the second, I simply say stop being selfish. I could go on for ages answering these two questions (in all my infinite wisdom and experience about marriage of course =P) But I'm too tired. I'll just say that I learned a thing or two on my mission from having a companion, and that was that everything is so much more fun and meaningful when you have something to share it with, but it doesn't work unless you think of the other person...so who cares if right now you can spend money when you want and hang out with your friends when you want. You can have your best friend with you for eternity, how is that not worth all the sacrifice in the world? And a better question is 'IS it a sacrifice?' =P

Anyhow, moving on. We went to the condo after church and had dinner there. It was really nice just to sit around the dinner table as a family...even thought I'm technically not family, but it was a family dinner so that's what I'm saying. I really do feel at ease around his family. After dinner we had dessert and Andrew's extended family came over. I was for the most part still fairly at ease...but Andrew and I were asleep on the couch for most of it to be honest. I think I only woke up because people were screaming in shock at his little brother, Eric's card tricks. He has some pretty amazing tricks.

I'm too tired now to go into huge amounts of detail on the rest of the week, at least not in the usual "day by day, hour by hour" fashion that I'm used to writing in. I'll just mention the things we did this week.

We went to Jump On It which was really fun and totally worth ditching my cleaning and packing. It was also a perfect way to recover from my finals which ended on Monday. I took my 7am chem final...and got a 43 on it. Oh boy. But jumping on trampolines was a beautiful way to recover from that and realize that it was over and I really just didn't care anymore. No grade is worth your mental health. It was also a great way to run away from my cleaning and packing. I ended up doing that til 4am because I ditched out on it but oh well. =P

We also went and saw "How To Train Your Dragon" which was a really good movie, I'm quite surprised. Even though it looked like a kids movie, it was really well balanced as far as age ranges go and I felt like it reached me on a more mature level as well just with the depth and emotion of the story. Andrew liked the 3-D...girls and boys are different, are they not?

Speaking of girls and boys being different, its become rather a source of amusement for me. Specially since I've been dating Andrew for 2 months today now and honestly, its become more interesting to see how we're different than how we're similar. Anyhow, so here is a cross section of me and Andrew in the car. I'll give you two scenarios. In the first, I start the conversation. In the second, he starts it. (these happened on the same day by the way.)

Scenario 1:"What do you think is the best thing that your parents have ever done for you?"

Scenario 2: "If you had a truck full of pigeons and you somehow got them all to fly, does the mass of the truck change"

Just so you know, it turns out that Myth Busters tested that and it does not in fact change.

But seriously, boys and girls are so hilariously different.

And also so you know, I believe Andrew found more reasons to like the movie than just the 3-D...it's just that I didn't understand what made 3-D so great. I still think it might have been the same in NOT 3-D, but as my dad pointed out, I haven't seen it in NOT 3-D.

We also went to Boondocks and played mini golf and laser tag and drove go-karts. Oh my goodness so much fun! I suck terribly at mini golf but it was fun anyhow...though 18 holes is admittedly a little long for me and I get lazy around hole 15, which would explain why my score skyrockets around that hole every time. They had spinners with different challenges that told you how to play each hole which added a nice level of amusement to each hole. Pictured here is Alex and Eric. Alex was supposed to stand anywhere on the green as an obstacle for another player...he stood right in front of the tee. I would say I've never laughed so hard in my life but that would be a lie...I laughed equally as hard for most of the week =P

If you're looking for fun in the Salt Lake area I would recommend Boondocks. It could get a little pricey, but we easily spent at least 4 hours there before even considering going home. Go-karts were especially fun and I actually managed to get my car to drift around some of the corners. The boys went on the go-karts twice, but the girls tried the bumper boats which were fun too.

One day, we split up the boys and girls and the guys went to Sportsman's Warehouse and REI while we went to Gardner Village. It's a cute little shopping center that looks like an old pioneer village and they all sell cute little crafts like quilts and stuff. It had an old fashioned candy shop too with free fudge samples. Who could ask for a better girls day out? Free fudge and a pioneer era atmosphere!?! I'm sold. Normally I don't like shopping but this was really really fun. ^___^ So fun in fact that when we came home, we continued our girls day by watching Sense and Sensibility. SO good. Andrew totally didn't get it...he joined us halfway through. I had to train him on how to watch a Jane Austen movie. It was really funny actually. Oh he makes me laugh.

It was also really fun spending time talking with his mom and sister. Of course his mom wanted all the details about how Andrew and I met...because look at that, boys and girls are different and what I was all too happy to supply with plenty of detail, Andrew apparently left at "we went to the temple" =P

When we weren't out doing things we were just relaxing at the condo, playing games and watching movies. I learned a ton of new games while I was there. OK, really I only learned Bananagrams and Canasta. Canasta was kind of hard for me to grasp...but I've been going over it again and again in my head and I think I pretty much have it. Maybe I should teach my family so I can practice. Bananagrams was REALLY fun, but I'm a snob and I tend to save all my tiles to spell words like "epoch" and "converses" and consequently lose the game because I'm not going fast enough. =P

I also watched The Blind Side, which was a movie TOTALLY worth owning, and Andrew and I watched Angels and Demons earlier in the week. That was pretty good...nothing like the Davinci Code but it had a twist at the end that I'm sad to say I never saw coming. I'm not so sure how that works...I have to blame not thinking enough when I watch movies and a job well done in the casting department.

We also played a few video games (we played Big Brain Academy...which I somehow got REALLY slow at) and we sat in the hot tub. It was SO relaxing and there were cool lights everywhere! I think it was one of my favorite parts of the whole week because it gave us a chance to stop moving and just talk. Andrew and I also got that when we drove down to Provo on Friday for my old MTC companion, Kiku Beaufort's, wedding reception. Well, I guess she's not Kiku Beaufort anymore cuz she's married but OK.

Here is once again where girls and guys are different. Andrew managed to get it so that he took me down to Provo in the BMW. He was so excited about it I didn't dare puncture his dreams by telling him I had no idea why he was so excited. OK, I'm not that nice. I told him that I just didn't get it...to me it was a car. But he was so cute about it that it made me happy just to see him so excited =P

Anyhow, as Friday wore on, Andrew and I were less likely to be seen actively doing much of anything and more likely to be talking. The drive down to Provo affording a valuable few hours to talk, just the two of us. Admittedly, this is where the pigeon question came up, so you know the conversations weren't exactly "no one can overhear so we had to wait til we were alone" talks, but it was just nice still to talk with him. I love talking with Andrew...its probably why I did it for four hours today. And if you're wondering about the picture, it's actually from conference, but I felt like I needed a picture for illustration and because the bottom half of this entry is lacking in pictures. And because I like this picture =P

I left for Arizona on Saturday night so starting on Friday, we started to feel the impending doom upon us of being separated for the whole stupid summer, which is why we spent the last 48 hours or so, talking. I'm not going to lie...getting on that plane Saturday night was one of the hardest things I've done. I've now talked to him at least 3 times a day since then and still feel like its not enough. This is going to be a very very looooooooooooooooooooooooong summer. -__- Thank goodness for Skype!

Hopefully things will get better...he's starting school tomorrow and I'm going to Japan on Thursday. Then I will hopefully get a job when I come home and time will go faster. I think? I'm already planning on going to see him over the Fourth of July though. Oh my goodness I miss him!!!! ...and its only been 2 days. AUUUUUUUUUUGH!

Its ok...that which does not kill us makes us stronger, right?

Episode 18: In Which Jessica Realizes How the Temple Can Make Amazing Things More Amazing and Begins Her Finals

Welcome back to my life! I've come into quite a bit of time now that school is pretty much over. I have 2 finals left. Chemistry and Japanese...Monday, back to back, 3 hours each, Chemistry starts at 7am. Oh. Joy. Can you just feel the enthusiasm!? If you can, kudos to you and your imagination...I feel that imagination is a dying species and I'm glad you still have one.

Moving on from the mundane. I GOT NEW SHOES!!! K, so that's a little out of order but I have to tell you all, I am SO cool with my cute new sandals! I'd post a picture of them for you but unfortunately I left my purse at church...or in andrew's car...and my camera is in there. I sure hope that its in Andrew's car because I walked back up to church and there was no sign of my purse...(edit: found my purse...here's a picture of my shoes, yes my feet are white...but not usually THAT white. anyhow, deal with it)

Anyhow, this week has been...fun...ish. Finals week is something bittersweet. Bitter because you find yourself studying (or in my case I find my boyfriend studying while I contemplate the action but never actually do much about it) and NOT seeing my boyfriend...but sweet because it means school is over. Oh...and that I have to go back to Arizona eventually and also not see my boyfriend...so really I guess its almost all bitter. But hey! who's counting!?!

Wednesday I packed up my room and Andrew helped me put it into storage. My room is super empty and kinda creepy at night now...specially since Rhiannon isn't ever here anymore. After that we went back to his place and played Zelda like all day. Don't get me wrong, Zelda is cool...but by the end of the day we both kinda felt like something was off. We talked about it and decided that while spending all our time together is fun and not necessarily bad, we should probably be *gulp* responsible. So we decided not to see each other until both of us had finished our studying/errands or whatever each day.

It went into effect Thursday...for Andrew. While he was being responsible, I ran off with Erica to go to lunch because Nakamatsu shimai had come into town and they were in Provo. =P So much for being responsible. haha! And then lunch of course extended to visiting the Museum of Art on the BYU campus...and the MTC...There are pictures but I can't post them because they are on my camera which is once again...not here.

Anyhow, after playing with Erica I ran home and Kiku came and picked me up so I could go to her bachelorette party. Umm...yeah...remind me not to have one of those. I'd rather have a Bridal Shower over one of those thanks...and that's saying something cuz I'm pretty much morally opposed to those as well. I can't handle too much girl time...makes me crazy. =P

Andrew came and picked me up after a couple hours and we watched Planet 51. It was actually a pretty good movie. Good choice Andrew! ^__^ I very much enjoyed my time with Andrew...but still something was off and I could only deduce that it was because I still hadn't been responsible that day. Studying done? ZERO!

The next day was Friday and so began my finals. I went to take my Book of Mormon final and it took 3 hours...and I didn't even have to wait in line to get it. It was 3 straight hours of test. I don't know how I survived.

After I got out, Andrew came and picked me up and we went to the temple. YAY! I got my temple dress on Tuesday so I didn't have to rent clothes this time! I was happy ^_^ My dress is so pretty! Thank you very much to my cousin Courtney for making it. It's very slippery though so I had the hardest time folding it back in the dressing room =P

After the temple we went to the Malt Shoppe for dinner. I felt SO much more relaxed than I had in a while and things were just so much better. Whatever it was that had been off between me and Andrew seemed to have disappeared as well. Then it hit me! It was cuz I hadn't been to the temple in like 3 weeks!!! As soon as I went to the temple everything was right again!!! It is amazing how the temple can fix things you don't even know existed, and at the same time make amazing things MORE amazing!

Andrew and I had a good time together at the Malt Shoppe. I played with the jukebox (which has AMAZING songs...almost all classic rock or oldies) and we just talked and laughed and talked some more...and ate...cuz that's why we went there in the first place. It was like we had just met each other all over again. I'll spare you the sentimental feelings, but it was amazing. I love the temple. ^_^

Unfortunately, he still had studying to do and I still had studying to do so we had to part ways and I went to...pretend to study some more. Well ok, I DID study...but it wasn't til later at night cuz everyone was having a study party in the living room and it was too distracting. After everyone left to go see a movie I actually studied. Then, I went to campus Saturday morning to take my test and got a 64 percent on it! woot! that was a facecious statement of course, but I still maintain my grade in the class so why worry about it. *shurg*

I sold my book back and I was SO done with that class. (Human Development). I got 59 dollars for it and that is where I got my new shoes! I needed new shoes anyhow, my tennis shoes were dying, seriously.

Anyhow, I went to a park with Andrew and we just laid down on the grass and relaxed. Then it got a little to warm to just lay there so...we...rolled down the hill? Hey! don't judge us! Just cuz we know how to have fun! It's been so long since I rolled down a hill! We were so dizzy when we got to the bottom! =P Andrew was happy cuz he got grass stains on his pants. Then we raced each other up the hill cept andrew cheated and held me back...nevermind I was trying to get a head start. haha.

After we got to the top we put our shoes back on (this is when we decided I needed new shoes) and he started running away from me!! So I chased after him and when he saw I was closing the gap he ran faster...so I ran faster...too fast. My feet got ahead of me and I ate it on the grass, tumbling head over heels and getting ginormous grass stains on my knees. They were bigger than Andrew's grass stains so I felt pretty proud. and of all the falls I've ever taken, that was the most graceful. No broken bones! not even a bruise!

So we went and walked around the mall a little and I bought my new shoes at payless. They were having a sale so I bought a new pair of sneakers and a cute pair of sandals. then we came home...and watched The Big Bang Theory, a hilarous TV show...that I can only take for so long because of the ridiculously obsessive complusive know it all character in it. So I left Andrew to watch it while I gave myself a pedicure. Now I have cute toes to go in my cute sandals! WHEE!

That's pretty much my life. I'm meeting Andrew's parents today. Actually technically I already met them because I've already been to church today...but I'm not going to write about that in this entry...it can have its own entry. As a replacement, please accept this picture of my quite obviously deformed boyfriend that I took as we were waiting for Alex. I think I need to work on not always trying to be cute all the time. haha! bye!

Episode 17: In which Jessica fails ANOTHER chem test and goes to General Conference!

HOORAY FOR SUNDAYS! Especially Sundays that you play phone tag with your boyfriend on. *sigh* no, that's not really fun at all, but I guess it can't be helped some times.

So now I get to catch you up on my life for the last couple weeks. Really, its been studying and failing classes. Not so much fun but if you ask me if I care I'll probably tell you no. If you watch me though, I probably care more than I let on. But first the fun stuff!

So the beginning of April is always a really fun time in Mormon Culture. Its GENERAL CONFERENCE!

Andrew and I really wanted to go to conference but we couldn't secure tickets. So instead we turned our thoughts to the upcoming mission reunion! Who doesn't look forward to a chance to see President Hill right? About a week before conference however, Candace offered us their Sunday Afternoon tickets to conference. I was sooo happy!

So I waited excitedly for conference weekend! Unfortunately, before we can have the good in life, we have to endure the bad, right? Well...the bad came in the form of a Chemistry test the day before the reunion. I studied all week for it and I felt pretty good about it. I even did my chemistry homework without Andrew there to help me! (Which was probably good because he was actually busy as well that week with his own homework). The day of the test I studied hard and felt pretty good about the test. It was a short test so I finished in about an hour. I thought everything through and had some semblance of confidence when I turned it in. That semblance of confidence disappeared once I saw my score. ANOTHER 58. AUGH.

Normally Andrew waits for me at the bottom of the stairs in the testing center when I have a chem test but he didn't expect me to be done so fast so I found him in the bookstore. We walked to a couch and sat down in heavy silence for about 10 minutes before I was finally able to say anything. When I was able to say anything, it came out more in sobs than words, but he was patient and just hugged me until I calmed down. He never said a word and even when I spoke he just listened. It was just what I needed, I didn't want anyone to tell me how to study better, or to tell me I'd do great next time...I just wanted a hug.

After I got that I was all better and started looking forward to my mission reunion again!

The mission reunion was so fun! We drove up with Josh Doying, Jessica Topham, and Scott "hopscotch" Metts. (I made up the name "Hopscotch" on the way up to the reunion =P ) It was really fun just to listen to those three in the back seat. At the reunion I got to see Erica! And I saw Sister Eddington and Swasey shimai! It was so fun! I typically don't like hanging out with the sisters but there were a few I got along really well with. Sister Eddington was one of them. We were never companions but I loved her and always looked forward to seeing her at taikais (conferences) and stuff! And of course it was spectacular to see President Hill, even if he did lecture all of us on getting married. =P First he had all the married people stand, then the engaged people, then he asked everyone who was thinking about engagement to stand...no one stood up. =P Andrew pointed out that ALL of us should have stood since we should all want to get married at some point. Haha. I have a funny boyfriend. My mom said the same thing about standing up though when I told her. I guess they're right. =P

The next day, I made waffles and Andrew and Alex and his roommate, Alex, came over to watch conference. I love making breakfast! too bad breakfast comes in the morning...cuz its my favorite meal to cook. Life is cruel sometimes. But everyone liked the waffles and everyone loved conference! I took so many notes during the first session! I had to give it up over the second session so that I could pay attention...though I have to admit I fell asleep during Elder Perry and Elder Christofferson's talks. I woke up just in time to hear Elder Aoyagi. It was so fun because I knew details of the story he told about meeting his wife, that he didn't divulge in conference, all because I served in his ward in Chiba and heard the story first hand! It was so fun to see him speaking at conference!!!

After conference was over for Saturday (for the girls anyhow) I went out Easter dress shopping with Rebekah, Kaylynne, and Elizabeth! It was so fun! We tried on all kinds of dresses and we all found something. I wasn't even looking for anything because I was trying to save money, but I ended up buying a really cute white dress after about 2 hours of thinking about it out loud. I think my roommates told me to buy it just to shut me up. After we found out dresses, we tried on prom dresses...which isn't as fun as it used to be, now that I can't even fake wearing an immodest dress. I can put them on but I cannot come out of the dressing room. The other girls took pictures and had fun though. The picture here is a full length shot of my adorable dress...obviously it was not taken the night I bought it, but I wore it to conference the next day. =P

After that we ran to payless shoes and Rebekah and Kaylynne got shoes to match their outfits. I found some really cute sandals but I managed to hold myself back.

After we got home, Andrew came over again and we talked about conference and he shared his notes from priesthood session. This was much nicer than having to chase him around the church begging for copies of the priesthood session talks like I did last year. =P

The next day, I made french toast. (see? what did I tell you about cooking breakfast?) Andrew came over and we watched half of the Sunday morning session of conference before getting in the car and going up to Salt Lake. It was beautiful day. There was snow on the ground but it was quickly melting. and when I say quickly, I mean there was a literal waterfall coming down out of the tree outside my apartment. I listened to conference while Andrew drove. He was trying to listen too, but he couldn't devote as much attention to it. That's me in the car on the way to conference. I had to take a picture before my hair went flat because it was threatening to do so.(look! I'm wearing my seat belt!)

Conference was AMAZING. We were in the terrace level but still not too far from the stand. I could actually see President Monson's face. Not in detail, but I could tell it was him. (and not just cuz he was sitting in the Prophet's chair). One thing I remember distinctly from conference is how absolutely silent the room got when President Monson walked in. It is amazing that that many people can shut up so suddenly. I know, I'm being totally irreverent by saying "shut up" but that's what we all did! We stopped talking instantaneously and stood up! The Spirit in the room, though it was there before, was SO super strong, it was almost hard to breathe! Amazing deshita!

All of the talks this conference were sooo good. There was a definite theme running through all of them about the importance of Family and raising a righteous posterity. The thing I liked about this conference was that I gleaned something from every talk. I like to write questions when I take notes so I got a lot of "How can I do this better" questions. I plan to make questions of my notes and work on one question every two weeks or so until the next conference in October. I don't know if it's that I prepared better for this conference than I have before or what but I got sooooo much out of conference it was amazing! I haven't gotten this much out of conference since the MTC! I love it! And it was just the thing I needed to recharge my spirits after the never ending studying!

After conference was over we took pictures around the conference center and visited temple square and stuff. Actually we visited temple square before conference but who's counting right? We even found a Japanese sister (no...we surprisingly weren't actively searching for one...but we found her anyhow.) She was from Matsudo ward in our mission. Fun fun! After the picture taking and what not we went to Andrew's aunt's house for Easter dinner. It was really fun, I feel really comfortable around his family...even though to be honest, it was mostly me, Andrew, and Alex talking to each other. =P But it was still nice and DEFINITELY nice to get out of Provo. I love Provo but I get cabin fever if I'm always within 10 minutes of home...

After dinner we drove up to the Draper temple and looked around a bit. We explored all those castles of homes that are being "built". I put that in quotes because while they are huge and lovely...they are also indefinitely on hold as far as building goes because they are perhaps TOO big and lovely...and the owners ran out of money to finish them. Too bad. I don't think I could have a large house...too much to clean.

This past week since conference has been uneventful on my end. The weather turned rather cold and nasty for a while, just as I was getting excited for it to get warm. I noticed something about the BYU campus and its that when the sun comes out, all the students pop out of their holes and lay all over the grass. It's like groundhog day with college students! If the college student sees his shadow, spring has come! haha! But Andrew and I have done our share of enjoying the sun. The other week we were laying out on the lawn and reading Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy together and just generally enjoying life. It's so good to have a friend with whom you can do anything at all. It's basically all I ever wanted from life. ^__^

But I didn't have a whole lot to do this week. I pretty much gave up on chemistry so I stopped stressing over it. I went to the campus accessibility center and got re-diagnosed with ADHD inattentive type. Oh boy. I got some accommodations for testing and whatnot, but a lot of good it will do me now that I have no tests left at the testing center right? haha.

I got registered for my classes and planned my life. That was pretty exciting. I'm taking Anatomy and Physics as well as New Testament and Family Finance. I'm actually excited for my Family Finance class. I think it will be nice to go to class where I can see where I will actually use the information in real life. I know I'm a nerd but finances are extremely concerning to me lately and I would like to know how to budget properly and whatnot. Physics and Anatomy I'm not so excited for but oh well. I changed my major to Exercise Science (not official yet) and I want to go on to get my masters in occupational therapy. Me...a masters...what?! Who'd have thought. Oh well!

I can also get an occupational therapy assistant's license now with my associates and start working at an actual career. I have to figure out how to do that because I think that will help a LOT in the long run. Eventually I hope to be married and have a family but having a career until that happens doesn't seem like too bad of a plan to me I suppose. And I hope to be able to get my masters little by little if I have a family.

See, told you I had a plan. It feels really nice to have a plan for my future, and a solid one at that. ^__^

Other than that, the tables have turned and Andrew has been the busy one. It's been nice to have the roles switched a little. Now I get to be the support instead of the supported. I don't mind being the supported, but I like to be the support every now and again too. ^__^

This Saturday was SUPER fun. We rented a tandem bike from the BYU bike shop and went biking. It was a little bit chilly at first but the weather warmed up really nicely to about 68 degrees. Oh it was lovely indeed. We laid on the grass and took a nap in the sun for about half an hour (don't worry, we had sunscreen). We took the trail along the Provo river. It was so nice, and it will only get more beautiful in the summer when the blackberry bushes have blackberries on them and when the trees are covered in leaves. Oh there are SO many trees along that river it HAS to be beautiful in summer and fall! We'll have to go again sometime.

Tandem bike riding was super fun but it definitely takes some getting used to and it takes a LOT of trust. I was a little afraid of falling at first but eventually I learned to trust Andrew and once I relaxed it was a lot easier. Even though the person in the back can't steer, when they are tense it throws the balance of the bike completely off. I recommend the activity for anyone but engaged couples particularly. I think it's good therapy.

We had a lot of fun riding our bike and sitting on the grass and talking. I love talking with Andrew...I never run out of things to say. I wonder if I annoy him...don't think so. ^__^ He says he likes talking to me too, even though I do most of the talking. I don't mind that he's quieter. It's never an annoying quiet, and I never feel like I have to pull his arm just to get an answer out of him. He's really not as quiet as he likes to think he is to be honest. That's why I like talking to him so much! We also walked along the shore of the lake and skipped rocks and stuff. Well, he skipped rocks...I threw them and made them go "ker-plunk". Yeah...I'm like NO good at skipping rocks at all anymore. I mostly hopped around looking cute and finding good skipping rocks to give to Andrew. Yeah, we're an amazing team. =P

Today was beautifully overcast and surprisingly warm. I didn't take any pictures of how cute I looked but trust me, I was adorable. I had my hair in Heidi braids and I was wearing my new dress. I was wanting for daisies in my hair all day, they would have rounded the whole outfit out perfectly. I wrote in my blogs, just for you mom, and waited like all night for Andrew to come over. He finally came over just before 10 and we went on a walk. Best thing ever...it was STILL warm! Oh how I love spring! And I love going on walks with Andrew and talking with him. Have I mentioned enough how fun it is?! I would suggest that everyone in the world find the kind of friend I found in Andrew. I can't tell you how much fun and how relaxing it is to be with someone who is your friend no matter what you say or do and with whom you can do anything and enjoy in one hundred percent.

I've been going out with Andrew for a month and a half as of this past Friday and I can easily say I've enjoyed every moment. We're very similar but when similarities wore off (and they wore off quickly) I've learned that differences make things the most fun. I suck at pretty much everything he enjoys, but it's still fun because he never makes me feel bad for it and it's fun to see him having fun. I think I'm becoming a more well rounded person. ^__^

Episode 16: In Which Jessica FINALLY Gets To Relax

When we last met with Jessica, it was nearly a month ago! Holy Cow!

So I suppose I owe you all an explanation as to why I haven't been writing lately. Two words. Mid Terms. Or is that like one and a half words? I don't even know. Anyhow, Midterms have kept me VERY busy with papers and studying like CRAZY! But we'll get to that part soon enough. Let's start with the fun stuff just BEFORE I got so crazy busy.

The week was pretty uneventful except for the spring weather faking us out at the beginning of March and GIRLS DAY! Heck yes, I love girls day! On March 3rd in Japan they have a holiday called "Hina matsuri" They usually celebrate by eating sushi and setting up pretty doll sets...but in America, I celebrate it just a little differently. I went out and celebrated with Rebekah and Kaylynne and we ate half price appetizers at Applebee's! I also got a molten chocolate cake and a virgin pina colada. Hey! It was girl's day! I'm allowed! =P

It was quite fun, but I ate SOO much food!

The next day the weather was wonderful and there was a slight breeze so I decided I wanted to fly a kite! I asked Andrew to pick me up a kite at Wal-Mart (a Batman kite, I was very specific). Unfortunately, Wal-Mart is lame and they only had a Batman, Superman, and Green Lantern kite. Oh well. We went up to the Northeast corner of campus to fly it, but by the time we got there the sun had gone and was replaced with dark clouds (as you can see). We let out the string on the kite and watched it fly! It was so much fun for a whole 5 minutes until the wind sent it crashing down into the grass. When we tried to get it back up in the air, the wind was too strong and pulled the string off the kite so we were forced to retire for the day.

I suppose this was a good thing because it was getting pretty cold and I didn't have my jacket with me. So we got back in the car and returned to my apartment where we watched "Better Off Dead". (such a hilarious movie). Then I looked out the window and saw...SNOW! So we HAD to go out and play in it! Andrew was sweet enough to endulge in my desire to go out and play in the snow. We didn't stay out for long but the snow continued for a while. We walked to campus in it but it had stopped by the time we finished dinner. Campus was a regular winter wonderland! Only it was spring, but who's counting? I was torn which picture to put here...so I included both.

That weekend, on March 5th, I boarded a bus bound for Salt Lake. It was kinda scary, going all by myself by bus to Salt Lake, but I had lots of UVU students to keep me company. Seriously, how many of them commute from other places just to go there!?! There were billions of them! Anyhow, I parted from Andrew to go visit Erica...if we still went with mission names, I would say I parted from Elder Powell to go visit Sister Powell (no known relation) and I felt like I was on exchanges! Maybe it was the whole "exchanges" thing that put me back in mission mode but I had so much fun at Erica's sleeping in a futon and having companionship study in Japanese with her! Yeah, we're amazing and we read our scriptures in Japanese together =P

We had a wonderful Japanese meal including Udon, miso soup, and inari zushi! Oh how I love inari! It was so delcious and so fun! I really really felt like I had gone back to the mission. Whenever I'm missing the mission, I just have to find Erica and know she's missing it as much as me and when we get together, we don't care how nerdy it is...we're in the mission again. It's so nice! ^__^ After dinner we piled in the car and went to the movies! It's been ages since I've seen a movie in the theater so it was expensive, but nice. We went to see Alice in Wonderland. My opinion? Not so great, honestly. I love Tim Burton and I love Johnny Depp but I didn't feel like it was a great accomplishment on either account. It wasn't BAD by any means...just not of the caliber I have come to expect from the two. I was especially disappointed because I have come to admire how Johnny Depp gets absolutely lost in his characters and you can rarely tell that it's Johnny Depp and that he's only playing a fictional character. Through the whole movie, I was accutely aware that it was Johnny Depp playing the role of the Mad Hatter. It was kind of saddening really.

The next day we got up and went out shopping in Salt Lake. We looked up all the vintage consignment shops in the area and went exploring. I lost myself in this mega cool store which unfortunately forbade us to take pictures. I found an vintage gunny sack dress but it was too small so I didn't buy it. Bummer. Andrew came to meet us around that same time and by that time we were all hungry.

We went to lunch at a Mexican restaurant called "The Red Iguana" and I had a pina colada and chimichanga! woot! I love chimichangas! they are so delicious. Whever had the idea of deep frying things was a genius, cuz it always makes things a hundred times better than they would be if you didn't deep fry them! The bad thing about mexican food is that it is SO good but SO filling. I was STUFFED by the end of lunch...and lunch ended up being so late that we had dinner like 2 hours later! So we went back to Erica's and just kinda laid around and talked for a little while...Andrew and Erica learned that it doesn't take much to tickle me...I'm in for a lifetime of woe now. =P

After we left Erica's, Andrew and I had a little bit of time still before dinner so we drove from Salt Lake to Sandy via the surface roads. There wasn't as much to see as we had hoped but it was fun nonetheless. I love spending time with Andrew and I especially love it when we get the chance to just talk. When you're driving, there's not much else to do. I love it! Once we got to Sandy I recognized a lot of places so I took him to see my house up there and my old school and stuff. It was really fun. ^_^

After sightseeing in Sandy, we went and met my parents at Winger's for dinner. Yep! My parents came up to Utah unexpectedly! We were both totally stuffed still so we just got desserts...which I still couldn't finish. My mom and I laughed at my dad cuz he was saying weird stuff, and all around we had a good time. And Andrew passed the parent test, they like him! yay! My mom brought a camel pack up for me and also, the kitchen aid! I was instantly popular with Candace when I brought that home. =P So now I have a kitchen aid!!!

The following week was the culmination of...MID TERMS...which is why I haven't been writing in my blog! It was CRAZY! I had to go through many prayers and get a blessing from my home teachers just to get through! I had a paper due as well as a Chemistry test to study for. I studied my chemistry like crazy and I think I hyperventilated on more than one occasion. I feel bad for Andrew who had to watch the whole thing, but he was really good about it and helped me calm down a lot. I worked hard on my chemistry all week and managed to get through the test with a 73 percent!!! I was sooooooo happy! It was amazing how much I was able to relax too. It was instantaneous! Andrew even told me that I LOOKED a lot happier...even though I didn't think I had changed any.

The Friday following my test, I took a break from school to do some skiing! I was really nervous cuz I've never been skiing before but Andrew told me I'd be fine. I probably would have been fine too, if I wasn't me. But as anyone who has known me for any amount of time will tell you, sports and I just don't get a long. Not because I don't enjoy them, but because my body doesn't like to let me enjoy them. =P

Anyhow, we went up to Sundace Ski Resort with Andrew's brother, Alex and a couple of his roommates. Andrew and I got on the ski lift and I was feeling pretty nervous. Andrew tried to instruct me on how to get off the ski lift properly but when it came down to it...I failed to get off at all. haha! Andrew got off just fine...but I couldn't get off and had to ride all the way to the top of the mountain! I waited there for andrew to come back up to meet me and luckily I didn't have to wait long because they let him back on the lift at the first stop.

Andrew gave me a quick lesson on how to ski and we started down the mountain. Um...yeah...something about myself...I'm afraid of speed! So I started going pretty fast and I freaked out. I was doing pretty good and was enjoying myself but with each turn I gained speed and I felt like I couldn't control myself anymore and I panicked. So what does one do when they are afraid of going too fast? They slow down right? Well...I tried to slow down but that didn't work so I tried to sit down. BAD IDEA.

My momentum carried me over and I twisted and dislocated my knee. OUCH! It hurt like crazy. Poor Andrew...why do I always have to make him worry!?! He helped me get my skis off and a ski patrol guy came upon us soon after the incident. I said that I couldn't move my leg, which was true...til I moved my leg to prove my point. Then all the pain vanished! The bad thing about hyperflexibility is that you dislocate things easily. The good thing about it, is they pop back into place easily. So I popped my leg back into place and I was fine. I didn't feel like I could make it down the mountain though so ski patrol took me down.

Andrew helped me get to the lodge and sat around with me for a while. He was super worried over me but I was more worried that he was wasting all his skiing time with me in the lodge, so I told him to go back out with Alex. After some time he agreed but he came back to check on me every now and again. He still felt way bad for weeks I think but I told him to just give it up and laugh about it cuz I was fine. =P And despite my injury, I had fun and I think I'll try again next year...but this time I'll try on the bunny hill =P

The next day I was doomed to sitting in my apartment writing a stupid paper...then on Sunday, I went to Edward Beckstead's baby blessing! Hooray!!! After the blessing, I stuck around for Emily's birthday party. It was really fun. I love Clarissa's kids, they are so cute! It was fun to sit and hold Edward while watching Emily run around the room. We stayed for a really long time because I was avoiding my paper. =P Finally I had to go so we said goodbye and Andrew dropped me off at home so I could finish. I did finish. At 7am Monday morning.

But who really cared!?! My last paper of the semester was done and over with! Unfortunately I was so burned out that I couldn't manage to bring myself to write anything ever again...including my blog! So there you have it. That's why I haven't written in so long!

The next weekend I went hiking in rock canyon with Andrew. It was so fun and I got to use my new camel pack! hooray! We wandered from the path soon after entering the canyon and clambered up the face of a cliff fairly directly below Squaw Peak. We mostly followed Alex and quite often wondered who was more stupid, Alex and his roommates for climbing the cliff in the first place, or us for following. But it was super fun and I got lots of good pictures! if you wanna see them all they are on facebook, there are simply too many to post in this blog. I'll give you the link. The View From Saturday When we got to the top, it was an amazing view! We could see all of provo, orem, and all the way to Point of the Mountain. Alex and his roommates continued climbing, Andrew and I stayed where we were and took pictures. It was a delicate balance, setting up and focusing the camera, then running to get in the picture before the timer went off. But we managed ^_^

After coming off the mountain we decided that it was such a beautiful day that we just had to have a picnic! So we threw together a lunch and hopped in the car to see where we would end up. We ended up up Provo Canyon just past Vivian Park. The problem? While it was a beautiful day in the valley...up the canyon it was just a little bit cold. So, we did what we could and improvised. After putting the front passengers seat down, we sat in the back seat of the car and had our picnic! It was so fun and it definitely created some good memories. Why do things the normal boring way when you can be creative? I love being flexible!

That night we went to see the play that Rebekah was directing and we got her a beautiful bouquet of pink roses! I was jealous and almost kept them for myself...but instead I took myself and Andrew out for steak at Carrabbas! Oh how I love Carrabbas! I'm eternally thankful to John Powell for introducing me to the place and eternally grateful to my dad for contributing to the part of my gene pool that makes me love a good steak cooked medium rare! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! I'm so very glad too that Andrew enjoyed Carrabba's as well, it made it ten times better. ^__^

So that's my life up til this point. Finals are coming up soonish here so I wouldn't expect terribly regular updates, but I'll do my best!

Episode 15.5 In Which We Take a Break From Jessica's Life to Brag About Her Boyfriend

This is kind of like those little side chapters in books that aren't particularly about the main character but rather other characters integrally related to the main character...that's why it's called Chapter 15.5

I haven't updated in ages and I am sorry...when I finally DO update you'll know why I haven't been very good with my entries as of late. I do however, want to take some time to thank Andrew for being the best boyfriend in the whole world! Seriously. I know some girls say that...but they can't POSSIBLY mean it in all honesty because well, I obviously have the best boyfriend in the whole world.

But seriously, I think every girl deserves a guy who will treat her like a princess everyday, who is always there for her, who you can sit in complete silence with and STILL be happy but also with whom you can talk about anything or do anything...unfortunately, I'm convinced that there is a shortage of these kinds of guys and I was lucky enough to get the last one. ^__^

Andrew is so good to me and I really appreciate it, especially this past week when it seemed that the world was out to get me (literally, I saw the road open up to swallow me on the way to school!) he was there for me and provided quiet support and ENDLESS Chemistry tutoring. Thanks Andrew!!!

He really didn't have to do any of it at all, but he spent every free hour he had this week coming over to help me with my chemistry...and that probably totalled 24 hours in the last 2 days!

I'm very grateful for everything he does for me but especially that he finds so many different ways every day to show me that he loves me. He's the best, basically and I am so lucky!

I need to figure out what to do for him now...any ideas?