I'm Graduated!!!

I AM A BIG KID.

AN ADULT.

A PROFESSIONAL.

Heidi & Jennie
She gets more pictures cause she is leaving and that makes me sad.

- - - - - - - - - -

I will be the first to admit that I didn't want to do the entire graduation thing.

Walking a crossed a stage with hundreds of strangers staring at me isn't exactly how I want to spend my time. When I told people I wasn't walking at graduation, some agreed with my decision while others were sad that I would be missing out on "the biggest college experience." I was told multiple times that I would regret not going. Me, being stubborn, was sure I wouldn't miss that experience. Looking back, I am still not sure if I would have regretted it, but I would have missed celebrating with my family and friends.

On Thursday, May 4th, I took the train one last time for my final final. (See what I did there?) I knew it wouldn't take long--ten minutes--so I was excited when Melissa told me she was in the library studying for her last final. We got to hang out on campus one last time.

My mom, sister, and grandma picked me up and we went shopping and ate food at Black Bear Diner. After lunch, I had a missed call and voicemail on my phone. The call was from Deseret First saying that I got the job in the Lending Processing Department. I was (am) so excited!

This is me accepting the position.

To kill time we went to The Puppy Barn. After that, we went to the UCCU Center to get ready for Commencement. I am so grateful that I had Alyssa for both of these ceremonies. It would have been painful with out a friend.

Heidi & Alyssa

Jennie, Mom, Heidi, Grandma
Commencement

Commencement was cooler/more fun that I thought it would be. The graduates lined up in the Woodbury Business Building which is about a half mile away from the UCCU Center. As we walked down in our lines, which stayed fairly organized--I was impressed, the professors were standing in the hall of flags and they cheered as we walked by. That kind of stuff makes me uncomfortable but it was a cool experience all the same.

The best part of Commencement was that fact that President Henry B. Eyring spoke. There are no words to express being in the same room as him and hearing him speak. I honestly remember few things that were said, but I am going to find a recording to re-watch it. I remember just feeling like the words spoken that night were made just for me.

The other cool/cheesy part of Commencement was switching the tassel from the right side to the left. Seriously so cheesy, but cool.

After Commencement we sped home because Jennie's mission call came! It was the perfect way to top off the day. She got called to the Virginia Richmond Mission, Spanish Speaking. She leaves August 2nd, and that makes me sad. But that is a totally different blog post.

- - - - - - - - - -

May 5th was Convocation. This is the day that most graduates take apart of. But honestly, after hearing Pres. Eyring speak, this day was kind of a let down. The speakers were just meh and we were all feeling anxious to receive our "diplomas." I had to overcome my fear of walking in front of strangers one more time.

Alyssa and Heidi
Convocation

Melissa, Heidi, Jennie, Dad

It was an exciting couple of days in the Anderson Household. So many changes are happening!

I am excited for what the future brings!!!

Last College Class

Yesterday I attended my last college class ever.

EVER.

When did I become a big kid?

I only had one class yesterday because my other classes got cancelled.
(Happy graduation to me!)

I barely missed the earlier train. I was bummed because I wanted to go home, but I was glad I had a chance to stay on campus just a little longer. I went to my spot in the Hall of Flags, pulled out a book, and people watched. My favorite pass time in college. It seemed fitting to end my college career in such a way. As I was walking out to the bus, I started to feel sad. I was leaving this life behind. Let me explain:

* * *

For a moment of my college career (mainly sophomore/junior year) I didn't talk to anyone at school. I could go a full day without saying a single word. Impressive, right? I was just going through the motions, trying to get done with school as fast as possible (i.e. early morning classes and online classes). I didn't put myself out there to meet people. But then, my senior year happened. I started having the same peers in my classes. I got to know people and now I can say I am leaving college with more friends than I left in high school!

* * *

Don't get me wrong, I am extremely happy to be done.

The clichés are true:

-there is a light at the end of the tunnel

-it feels so good to be done

-I made it!

-such an accomplishment

But at the same time, I am going to miss coming to campus. I'm going to miss *some* of my professors and the friends I have made. I'm going to miss hanging out in the hallway till my next class. I loved walking around campus at sunset.

Of course it helped that I didn't mind the commute (most of the time) and I enjoyed learning.

This sign just got put up. They replaced the one I'm used to seeing.
But all the same, bye sign that welcomed me to school everyday!

Goodbye building that I spent most my time in.

Stay tuned for a post on graduation!



Dose of Beckett

To keep everyone updated, Beckett is still the cutest human ever. His smile and laugh melt my heart. One day Brandt was playing the piano and Beckett wanted to play along. I had to capture this special moment between dad and child.



Easter

I hope your Easter was a beautiful day.

For me, it was a wonderful day. I went to church with my family instead of going to the YSA ward. There was a special spirit during sacrament meeting that I felt. I am so grateful for my Savior. I feel blessed to be living this amazing life.

Here are some cute pictures of Jennie and I in our matching shirts. We didn't plan on matching. It just happened. (It happened on Sunday all the way through Wednesday. Serious sister goals.)



Lion King On Broadway

I wrote this back in March.


I went to The Lion King at Eccles Theater.

It was A-MAZ-ING.

Perfection.

It was everything I hoped it would be (and a little more).

Jennie, Mom, and Heidi

When Rafiki started singing, I died and went to heaven.

And then Mufasa *heart eyes*

His voice when he was singing "They Live In You" was glorious. I just wanted him to sing the rest of the night. I would pay just to hear him again.

I guess my recommendation to my readers is to go see this if you can! If you can't, then make it a goal to see it sometime in your life. You will not regret it.



The Anxious Heart that Needed To Learn a Lesson

I started this blog post talking about anxiety. This post was supposed to be a post that shows you're not alone if you have these feelings too. It was supposed to be a well thought out blog post. But then life took a turn and looking back on the last week, I am seeing Heavenly Father working magic in my life. If this blog post seems pieced together, that is because it kind of was.

 

I was driving to school and got stuck in traffic. I was talking to my mom on the phone with tears streaming down my face that I came to the realization that anxiety controlled more of my life that I thought. Spending an hour in a car not moving gives you a lot of time to think.
I've always known I had anxiety. That wasn't anything new. I also knew I had it a little bit more than other people. Everyone gets anxious and I see things on the internet proving that others have anxiety too.  But I didn't realize how anxiety is a huge part of who I am.

Often I have turned to Heavenly Father to calm my troubled heart. He always comforts me in ways I never thought possible. When I was sitting in traffic, I turned off my radio and pleaded with Heavenly Father. I knew He was the only person who could help me. He was the only one that could bring peace at a time of such high emotions. It was an overwhelming time for me. I was in hysterics because traffic wasn't moving. But after praying, I felt peace in my heart. I knew that  Heavenly Father was teaching me patience. He was teaching me to turn to Him when I knew I couldn't control my life. I recognized right away what lesson was being taught. I know I struggle with patience and control due to anxiety. But I had no idea why He choose that day to teach me. I didn't understand why I needed to sit in traffic for three hours, talking to my mom, Melissa, and God.
Fast forward to the end of the week.
April Fools Day.
I woke up and I was quickly getting ready for work because the water was being turned off. My sister was in the shower so I was in my old bathroom. These details aren't relevant, but they are moments I won't ever forget.
My mother called Jen and I to the bottom of the stairs. We both fought back asking why. (We were in a hurry to finish getting ready.) My mom said "Just come." We obeyed. I was standing at the bottom of the stairs and I heard the news. We knew this day would come. We just didn't realize it would come so soon.
My cousin had passed away.
I slowly turned around and went back into the bathroom.
This wasn't an April Fools joke. This was real life.
We knew this day would come. She had stage 4 ovarian cancer. But they told us she would have 22 months to live. She barely made it 13 months.
I stood in the bathroom, staring at my reflection--trying to decide if makeup was even worth it.
At that moment, I knew I needed to rely on my testimony. I knew I had no control the situation. So what did I do? I prayed. I asked Heavenly Father to help me just like He helped me on Monday. Help me digest this information. I needed to know that is what needed to happen.
I watched General Conference and I felt so much peace. Elder Weatherford Clayton said that death of a loved one brings a sweet sadness. This is exactly where I was at. I was so sad that she left this earth so early in her life, but I was so happy that she isn't in pain. She was welcomed to heaven by my Aunt Karen. I knew right then that this plan that Heavenly Father has for us is the most beautiful gift. He cares so much about each of us.
I will miss Katie and her spunky personality. She had a zest for life that I have always admired. She was the most confident person I knew. Growing up I wanted to be like her. We would have sleepovers and she would try to teach me to be confident in my own skin. She gave me flirting lessons (obviously still needed) and we watched chick-flicks while comparing boy stories. My favorite movie we watched together was "He's Just Not That Into You." It's funny, when were first watched it, I wasn't sure if I liked it. But I watched it again years later and remembered all of Katie's favorite parts. I didn't know then that this movie would be one of my favorite memories of Katie. I have watched that movie so many times in the last year that I am not comfortable saying a number on the internet. When Katie found out she had cancer, she didn't complain. She didn't let cancer slow her down. She was still able to graduate with her Bachelors from Utah State and continue to Grad School in San Diego.
One more lesson I learned, and it is such a cliché but, tell the people you love that you love them.
Don't leave things up for interpretation.
Don't just let them assume that you love them.
Send a text, make that phone call, tell them in person. I don't care.
Just do something. Don't live a life full of "I'll do it tomorrow".

In Loving Memory of Katie
You will be missed ♥

 

Spring Break It Till You Make It

*Warning: Long Blog Post Ahead*

I've been sitting on this blog post for a while. I didn't know what kind of approach to take. Just recap the events of spring break, write about my feelings, or write about lessons I learned. There were just so many angles to take and I didn't want to make the longest blog post ever. But it is long anyways. I wanted to give this Spring Break the justice it deserves considering it is my last one (hello graduation!!).

Melissa and I had been planning a Spring Break trip since she got hired on at JetBlue. Our original plan was to go to New York. In February our plans changed. Melissa wanted to go to Puerto Rico and I just wanted to spend time with Melissa. So naturally I said yes. I was so excited to travel and to not have a plan (ha ha. I love making plans). This trip was unlike anything else I have done. I am that person that packs the entire week leading up to the trip. But this time I didn't do that. I made a list but I didn't actually pack until Saturday night/Sunday.
Melissa was in charge of the flights, so I just knew to be ready by 10 PM to go to the airport. 

Melissa and Heidi SLC Airport

We were on our way to the airport talking about boys (naturally) and also talking about the possibility of me not making it on the plane since we were flying standby. Melissa said she was 60% sure I would get on and she only had 40% of doubts. I could live with those numbers. As we pulled into the airport, Melissa checked the list to see our chances and she noticed that everyone on the standby list had loaded the plane. That was everyone but us (ahhhhh). Our plane was leaving an hour earlier than we thought. It made my heart race and my brain crazy. Luckily Melissa keeps her cool, and we had Whitney help us get onto a flight to JFK instead of Orlando. We ran from security to the ticket desk back to security and to the terminal. It was an extremely eventful 30 minutes. 

The actual flight to New York wasn't eventful. I got some sleep which was good and watched a few Friends episodes. Once we landed, we tried pulling up our boarding passes for our next flight. Turns out our flight was still booked for the following day. Which means we had to go out of the terminal to change our tickets and then check back in through security. No biggie, expect security gives me anxiety. But I got through security in SLC with no problem, so I should get through security at JFK. Which I did. Little victories worth dancing about.

The flight to San Juan wasn't exciting. I watched more Friends and slept just a little bit more. Once we landed, everything turned Spanish. Of course there was still English everywhere, but we definitely were not in the 50 States anymore. We got in a taxi and turns out the taxi director person (new official job title) gave the wrong directions to our taxi driver. After talking to him a bit, and after talking to our AirBnB host, we figured out the direction we were supposed to be headed. We drove through some interesting neighborhoods. The entire ride I kept thinking to myself "we aren't in Utah anymore." I could feel myself going into culture shock, which seems so silly but you can't stop it. Believe me, I tried. Back to the taxi ride, we were driving through a street and there were two teenagers riding their bikes in the street. Since all driving laws go out the window in Puerto Rico, the driver got close to the kids riding their bikes trying to get them to get out of the way. But the teenagers thought they owned the street so they got upset that this car (which is 50 times larger than them) is trying to run them over. As we passed them on the road, they started hitting the car. I'm not going to lie, it totally freaked me out. But wait, there is more. We get to the bottom of the street and we got stuck at a red light. The kids catch up to us and start hitting the car even more. So what does our taxi driver do? He gets out of the car and chases them down. It's cool. We were just chilling in the back of a taxi with the driver's door wide open. A minute later our driver came back and just resumed driving like nothing happened. I was dying on the inside. I was laughing at what just happened but also couldn't believe what I just witnessed.

When we got to our apartment, we met our host, who was totally adorable, and then we ran to the SuperMax for food. After we picked up a few items, we went back to the apartment and took a short nap with the intention of going to the beach once we woke up.We were exhausted from the emotional roller coaster we took just to get to San Juan. When the timer went off saying our nap was over, neither one of us moved. I felt like I was hit by not one, not two, but ten semi trucks. I haven't dealt with extreme jet lag before so this was a first for me. I woke up a few hours later and I stood up and the world was spinning (more that normal, ha). I walked into the other bedroom to check on Melissa and she was knocked out on the bed. I turned back to my room and totally ran into a wall. Yep. Not my proudest moment on the trip.
I was texting my mom and snapping my sister. I was slightly freaking out. My anxiety was through the roof and I couldn't reel it back in. All I wanted to do was crawl into bed and never come out till it was time to go home. I felt stranded because it was dark outside and my "translator/travel companion" was asleep. I knew it was silly to freak out. This trip wasn't going to kill me. But it felt like it was. So what did I do to make myself feel better? I watched Frozen and more Friends episodes. A few hours later Melissa woke up and watched Friends with me. Eventually we went to bed and promised each other we wouldn't spend the next day in bed.

Old San Juan was my favorite part of this trip. The city was so cute. It was the perfect mix between New York City (for me) and Argentina (for Melissa). First off we took the bus into the city. I think this was a bigger victory for me than it was for Melissa. Once we reached the city, we started walking up and down the roads and taking pictures everywhere. We walked to the edge of the island and followed it up to the El Morro Fort.We spent a few hours exploring the fort. We decided it was time for food so we exited the fort and we saw a tram heading back to the city. We thought it belonged to one of the cruise ship tour groups. We thought we were rebels jumping onto someone else's shuttle. Turns out it was the free shuttle that drove through Old San Juan. We lost our street cred as quickly as we gained it. After we found some food, we walked through souvenir shops until our feet couldn't handle any more. We headed back to the apartment with the intention of going to the beach. Except I had six blisters that begged to differ. We we called it a day and watched Friends, talked boys, and had one of our great midnight conversations at 9:00 at night. 

Old San Juan Street

Old San Juan Street

El Morro Fort. Built in the 16th Century

El Morro

Melissa playing on the edge of El Morro

Melissa and the fun look out at El Morro

hashtag tourist

No filter peeps. Old San Juan is just that pretty.

I love the water against the rocks.

I spy our initials. ME + HEA '17

Melissa found her new boyfriend

Our cute AirBnb Apartment

The walkway to the street from our apartment. So many geckos on these walls.

  We finally made it to the beach. I guess you can say third time is the charm. The beach was about a 10 minute walk from our apartment. Since we went in the morning, we basically had the beach to ourselves. Occasionally other tourists would pass by but it was mainly just us two. Since there was a storm moving in, the waves were fairly big. That made Melissa upset because she wanted to swim. It made me happy because I love listening to the waves and taking pictures (obviously).

Seaweed is gross. but the view was pretty.

I love standing right here ^ and letting the water wash my feet.

Okay. We are just adorable.

Bye Puerto Rico. It's been real.

  On the way home we lucked out by sitting by each other on both plane rides! On our way to Orlando we watched Charly. I knew the ending before we started the movie, yet I still bawled like a baby. The flight to Orlando was so smooth that once we landed, we figured something was wrong with our boarding passes. Melissa wasn't able to pull up the standby list to see our status so we left the terminal, went to the ticket desk, they fixed the priority of the list and then we went back through security. It seems so silly now, but we just didn't want to chance it with our luck. So we figured better safe than sorry.
I got my ticket for the flight and I was sitting on row one. By the end of the trip I had sat at the very back, middle, both sides, and the front of the plane. We had a super cool flight attendant named Joel. I had an empty seat by me so Joel asked if I wanted Melissa to come sit by me. Of course I said yes! Joel gave us so many snacks and drinks. At first we thought Joel was treating us so nicely because we are cute ;). But really he is just great at his job.
The turbulence once we hit Salt Lake City was a little rough but if you look at it like a ride at Disneyland instead of your plane wiggin' out, life is a little happier.
This trip was definitely one for the books. I learned so much in so little time. I am excited to see what travels the future brings.

Alternate blog post titles:

-You Can Never Watch Too Many Friends Episodes

-I Didn't Eat Geckos In My Sleep, I Think

-Humidity Hates My Hair

-The Empanadas Smelt Funny

-How Many Memories Can You Fit Into Four Days?
-20 Minutes Into The Trip We Missed Our Flight

Spring Break 2017

This is me being spontaneous and fun.

I am going to Puerto Rico for Spring Break and I am PUMPED.

See you later! Hopefully a little tanner ;)