teens in the 1940s sound just like native southeastern idahoans in the 2010s.

i'm surprised this hasn't been shown at byu-idaho.

i guess the reason why i don't date much up here is because i don't scarf down a whole thing of cotton candy in five seconds flat like a maniac [crazy eyes and all].

but, on the other hand, at least i'm not snooty janice or boring betty!

unless i AM boring betty...

maybe i should buy myself some cotton candy...

ps: shauna, the older brother in this video looks so much like alex!

rough patch.

today was not great.

scratch that.

today was bad.

all i can say right now is that if there was a way to make it july 22nd tomorrow, i would make. that. happen.

i'm so ready to be done.

however, there is a silver lining behind every cloud.

so, in the way of good news:

-no classes tomorrow!

-no crapstone on thursday!

-the sun was out all day and it was warmish!

-i got to take a nap today!

-i'm going to the temple tomorrow!

i hope tomorrow is a better day.

la primavera

you know what the best feeling in the world is?

walking home on a cool spring night under a fragrant tree with snow-white blossoms covering every branch.

it's so wonderful, in fact, that it's tied with coasting down a hill [on a bike, of course] on a warm summer night, feeling the cool mist from sprinklers in nearly every front yard you pass.

i love spring.

an ode to my haven

i spend a lot of time in my room these days.

mostly because i choose to,

but partly because i have more homework than i know what to do with.

this semester has been a trying one roommates-wise.

they are all very nice,

but three of them are in relationships and camp out in the living room with their boyfriends/fiances basically 24/7.

when they're not napping/watching tv/doing homework/making out,

they're cooking in the kitchen in shifts, making it hard for anyone else to prepare meals.

needless to say, it's a difficult situation.

it really sucks [for lack of a better phrase] when you don't feel comfortable living in your own home.

but, i am so grateful for my room

and the fact that i don't have to share it with anyone else.

room, this one's for you.

brought to you by the incomparable beach boys

rexburg bucket list

taken somewhere along I-15

while talking to my mom earlier this evening, i was struck by the realization that i am almost halfway done with my very last semester.

UNBELIEVABLE.

in two short weeks, i will be halfway done with my career as an undergrad student.

which means, i have SO MUCH TO DO before the semester is over and i'm out of here forever and ever amen.

thus, my new rexburg bucket list was born.

i'm sure i've done this before, but i'm too lazy to find it/link to it, so here's my updated list.

feel free to add any recommendations in the comments if you have any good ideas!

1. drive-in movies in sugar city or st. anthony or wherever the drive-in theater is

2. harry potter vii part ii at midnight!

3. buy an "i love ramirez shirt"

4. visit yellowstone and see old faithful

5. go to mesa falls

6. swim in rigby lake

7. spend hours upon hours basking in the warm summer sun at porter park

8. go on as many bikerides as i can

9. hike r mountain at sunrise

10. pass all my classes and GRADUATE!

shout-out!

alright, dear friends.

i don't endorse products that often.

actually, i don't think i've ever done this.

BUT,

this miracle potion is a lifesaver.

i've had two really painful headaches this week.

before, i would just take some excedrin migraine and hope for the best.

sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.

my mom's friend told her about essential oils and recommended peppermint oil to help ease headaches.

and let me tell you...

IT.

WORKS.

if you suffer from migraines or any headache at all,

i highly highly recommend this.

in fact, i just used some five minutes ago, and my headache is already getting better!

pick some up!

you won't regret it!

God only knows what I'd be without you.

HAPPY PET SOUNDS DAY!

even though today has been a disaster, it's not a total failure

because exactly 45 years ago, the beach boys released this miracle of an album.

i'm going to celebrate by listening to it in its entirety on ye olde record-player.

there might be some sleepytime tea thrown in there, as well.

thank you, beach boys, for making this record.

it is my all-time favorite and it always makes me happy.

ps: here's a beautiful she+him cover of "wouldn't it be nice" to commemorate this joyous occasion.

enjoy!

it's a bowie kind of day

walking to class while listening to this song was probably the highlight of my day.

shawarma: zen in a wrap

as you all may know by now, i am obsessed with recipes and food and delicious aromas coming from the kitchen.

unfortunately, i live in a pigsty with a bunch of girls who don't know how to clean up after themselves. that makes it hard to have the desire to cook.

BUT, the next time i'm home [or the next time my kitchen's clean and i have all the ingredients (which will be never at this rate)], i'm for sure making this.

this lady, titli nihaan, is delightful and kooky and hilarious.

she's like the julia child of indian food.

and i love her.

every single recipe she makes looks delicious [except for the one she did on homemade ghee... ew]. i can almost smell that shawarma now...

fotografia

my sister, kirsten, called/begged me last week asking to see some photos i've been taking in my photography class.

so, here you go, sis! here are two photos i took for our second assignment, which focused on everyday objects.

kiko kiko, burning bright, in the forests of the night

kiko kiko jorgensen (1996-2009)

i miss her.

to the woman who gave birth to me.

my beautiful mother and sister

my mom once told me that my birth was her scariest of all six [!!] of her labor experiences.

you see, the umbilical cord, the very source of my survival as a fetus, was wrapped around my neck a few times and was quickly transforming into a deadly weapon.

luckily, the doctor was able to remove the cord, and i emerged into this world, gasping for air, ready to experience this new journey of life on april fools' day in 1987.

my parents didn't plan on having a sixth child, but they had me anyway.

and i'm forever grateful they brought me into this world [as scary as it was to do so].

throughout the years, my mom has been a constant pillar of strength and support in my life, just as she was more than twenty-four years ago when i was still in the womb.

she has endured millions [no exaggeration] of tearful phone calls from me [most of which have occurred in the last five years. thank you, rexburg, for having the propensity to make me cry on an almost-daily basis] and is always, always patient, supportive, and encouraging.

she has been the ultimate example of a truly Christlike individual by giving her time, energy, and talents to those who are in need of them, oftentimes at a moment's notice.

she is the BEST cook/baker and is never afraid to try new things.

she is an incredible listener and always knows the right thing to say to make me feel better.

she has rock-solid faith in the Lord and is always telling me to turn to the scriptures and pray when i have a problem.

she has stood by my dad and supported him in all his endeavors and even packed up and moved with him [and many small children, by the way] multiple times throughout their marriage.

she is a nurturer and has this innate ability to make any child feel at ease.

she is a strong supporter of gaining a good education and doing your best in all you do.

and she is the strongest woman i know.

mom, i love you so much. thank you for always being patient with me and helping me through my oh-so-difficult-woe-is-me days. you are a saint and i aspire to be like you when i have a family of my own [far, far away in the future].

you are the mom of all moms!

the world's greatest mom!

mother of the year!

and i love you.

three days late.

happy may, everyone!

in my life, i've loved them all.

when i was a highschooler, i was a major choir nerd. i ate my lunch in the choir room every single day with my fellow choirfriends, became a TA for my choir director senior year, and spent hours practicing the songs we were learning in my spare time.

even though it was at times a trying and frustrating time in my life,

i loved it all.

i loved singing the national anthem with my friends at basketball games,

travelling to different schools all over the pacific northwest [and even the gigantor mall in edmonton, alberta, canada],

accompanying the jazz choir,

participating in musicals,

and, most of all, just singing and expressing myself through music each day.

my choir teacher, mrs. fennessey [or "fenn" as we liked to call her], had this tradition where the junior and senior choir members sang a song together for graduation each year. when i was a junior, i got to perform "in my life" by the beatles with some of my closest friends. i remember feeling so sad that high school was almost over [i LOVED high school] and scared that soon i'd be living on my own.

i had so many fears and insecurities about the future and, as crazy as it sounds, i just couldn't fathom ever being as happy as i had been in high school.

almost seven years after that experience, i saw a beatles tribute band perform on campus with my friend stilts.

it. was. awesome.

it was my very first tribute band experience and these guys were truly incredible.

they sounded exactly like john, george, ringo, and paul and even kind of resembled them from far away.

me and ryan danced the night away, laughed at the rapport between the band members, and marveled at how accurate they sounded.

then, they started playing that song.

and there i was, twenty-four years old, about to graduate again [this time from a university], feeling the same feelings i felt seven years before.

waves of emotion washed over me and it took all the energy within me to keep those tears from rushing down my cheeks.

i took a mental trip through the past seven years and i realized something interesting...

i didn't remember the bad times.

the photos i saw in my mental photo album were photos of laughter, joy, fun, and enlightenment.

even though going to byu-idaho has been the most trying and frustrating time of my life, much like those choir days of yore, it has also been the most wonderful time of my life [thus far].

all the anger and annoyances i've felt in my time here in rexburg simply don't measure up to all the happiness and joy i've felt. i've learned so much about myself, my beliefs, and what i'm truly passionate about.

and, in the end, i wouldn't trade those lessons i've learned for anything.

when it's all over, as the beatles say, i know i'll often stop and think about the times i've had up here.

and it helps to know that i will look back on those times with a smile, not a grimace.

ando buscando un pajarito del amor.

my good friend, jonny vulture, first showed me this video a couple months ago.

ever since then, carla morrison's album "mientras tu dormias" has been on my must buy list.

on monday, i had to buy a memory card for the camera i'm borrowing from the school for my photography class and inside the package was a coupon for ten dollars worth of music on emusic!

so, i quickly signed up, "bought" and downloaded a local natives album along with the carla morrison one i've been wanting, deleted my profile on emusic and unsubscribed to their service, and i haven't listened to anything else since. both albums make for great spring soundtracks.

i am in desperate need of summer weather.

all this gloomy, chilly weather in rexburg has made me feel gloomy.

and chilly.

so here's some sunshine!

enjoy!

doesn't that video make you want to hop in the car and drive until you reach the pacific ocean?

i'm just dying for some beach time!

summer, please come quickly!

i've been bitten by the shutterbug.

isn't it amazing when things just tend to work themselves out?

por ejemplo:

i got an email from my photography professor the morning of my first photo lab last week saying everyone needed to bring their dslrs.

not having one [or even access to one], i freaked out a little [a lot], and prayed some miracle would happen to allow me to still be able to take the class.

well, miracles happen, errbody.

yesterday, after the photo lecture, my fellow camera-less students and i trekked to the photo lab with our teacher where we were each handed our very own dslr [to rent].

everyone was trying to look so calm and cool about it, but i couldn't.

on the inside, i was bursting with excitement and i couldn't help but grin as brother atkinson came out of his office, arms loaded with camera bags [with realy, live cameras inside!], and passed them all out to us.

he had given us our first assignment ten minutes before, and all i could think about was how nervous and anxious and excited i felt to finally go out on my own, armed with my canon rebel, and see this town with very different eyes.

after lunch today, i headed out of my apartment, snapping photos left and right as i made my way to smith park.

with my hot pink point-and-shoot, i usually just take one photo and walk away.

with this new machine in my eager hands, every shot was a labor of love. i actually took the time to compose the subject and thought more about what i was documenting.

hours after i put away the camera, i kept obsessively looking out my window to see if any interesting lighting was happening or if there was something i somehow missed when i had gone out earlier.

i think i ran outside to take some more photos at least six more times.

i think it's safe to say that i'm addicted.

that shutter click gets me every single time.

let's hope this enthusiasm continues throughout this semester!

total eclipse of the what is going on??

just in case you're in need of some motivation, watch this inspirational bonnie tyler video.

dreams really do come true.

i am an elizabeth living in a house full of lydias.

**warning: this post is very long, potentially boring, a bit soapboxy, and could possibly be misinterpreted as an anti-marriage post. just know that i'm still a bit feverish and woozy, my life is almost always boring [which makes for boring post subjects], i've been beaten over the head with the marriage talk more times than i care to count, and i think marriage is a wonderful institution that i hope to be enrolled [?] in someday. now. back to our scheduled programming.**

this morning, i woke up at five in the morning and couldn't sleep. i don't remember the last time i woke up in the morning feeling rested, but that's beside the point.

i stayed in bed until about six fifteen trying desperately to fall asleep again because i've been sick and sleep-deprived and my left eye hasn't stopped twitching in a week, but sleep was a lost cause.

i got out of bed, took the hottest shower possible hoping it would clear my sinuses/throat [how did i get this illness? seriously!], but just like the whole sleep thing, i got ready for my interview with the bishop at seven thirty knowing that relief for my sore throat would come to no avail.

my roommate and i both had appointments bright and early in the morning. we decided to leave at seven twenty-five.

seven twenty arrived, i blowdried my bangs, took my scriptures into the living room, and waited for her to be ready.

seven twenty-five came and went with no sign of my awol roommate.

finally, at seven thirty, i quietly knocked on her door, peeked my head in, and noticed she was still sleeping. i woke her up and she frantically ran around getting ready for the interview in five minutes flat.

it was impressive.

after flirting [not done by me--of course. i would never do something so brazen!] making friends with [ahhh... that's more like it] one of the executive secretaries, he let us cut in line so we wouldn't have to wait forever to receive our callings.

i received my calling [i'm on the relief society special meetings committee--whatever that is] after a very awkward handholding incident with the bishop [he's very touchy-feely], and made my way back home, my breath visible in the cool early [for me] morning.

in spite of feeling sick,

i felt good.

i felt satisfied and happy with who i am.

i was on a confidence high and when i walked back into my house, a very talkative roommate and i struck up a conversation. she is almost engaged and asked me if i was dating anyone.

i replied with my usual "no and i'm happy about it because of these five reasons" spiel, when allofasudden the "lydias" started planning all these dates they were going to set me up on with their boyfriends' roommates.

after describing each one of them and making sure to note that they were my age or older, i politely declined.

you see, i am not a fan of being set up.

i'm actually just not a fan of dating in general.

it's awkward, confusing, at times it's disastrous, and i just don't feel comfortable going on a blind date set up by two people i haven't known for very long.

the lydias flipped.

the almost-engaged lydia gave me a lecture about how marriage should be a woman's first priority yada yada yada bada bing bada boom and, needless to say, i tuned out.

i then gave the excuse that it's my last semester and the last thing i want or need is a boy to screw up all my plans [i.e. getting out of rexburg alive asap].

but the lydias were relentless.

all through church they told me about countless men who, according to them, would take one look at me, swoon, and receive confirmation from the spirit that i'm "the one."

inwardly, i grew more and more tired of the whole thing.

outwardly, i laughed, smiled, and kept declining.

after church, i was set apart and returned to the bishop's office [for the third time] for my new member interview.

the lydias accompanied me along with a charlotte-esque breath of fresh air of a roommate.

we trekked to the snow, arrived at the bishop's office locale, and filled out our new member forms.

of course, because this campus is obsessed with marriage, one of the questions was "are you engaged?"

i answered mine with a hearty "no way, jose" and waited in line.

one of the lydias came up to me wanting to compare sheets.

and once she saw my answer to the marital status query, i was bombarded with set-up discussions all over again VERY loudly in front of about a third of my new ward [and a gentleman i think is quite attractive--not that i'll do anything about it because you know i won't]. it sounded a lot like the first minute or so of this and made me feel like i was stuck in this horrifying scene.

lecture after lecture was given to me.

the lydias were practically on their knees begging to set me up with someone.

now, i was voted class blusher in the sixth grade, so of course my face turned beet-red, and every single subject change i attempted was met with a smackdown by the lydias.

and then it hit me.

they felt sorry for me.

after all, i am a spinster. and we all know where spinsters end up [fyi: married to mr. collins and spending every waking moment separated from him--what a life].

finally, the ringleader lydia left and all was quiet. i turned to charlotte, commented on how quiet it was now that lydia was gone, and the aforementioned gentleman began questioning/teasing me about my ripe age and my need to get married.

it was absolutely miserable.

humiliating.

and completely

and utterly

pathetic.

now, as i reflect on my day, the feeling i had early this morning... that positive and satisfying feeling that i am one hundred percent happy with who i am

didn't

disappear.

it lingers in my mind still, hours after the fact.

i know i am a person with worth and divine potential.

and i don't need a man to define that for me.

and as for me and marriage, i stand behind the philosophy of miss elizabeth bennet:

I am determined that nothing but the deepest love could ever induce me into matrimony.

and finally, in my opinion, a single woman in possession of no fortune and a college education doesn't need to be in want of a husband.

and that is the end of that.

spring breakdown

my spring break is officially over.
i'm sitting in my new room as i write this, relaxing a little bit before throwing myself into unpacking everything.

i had a lovely break.

i wish it didn't have to end at all.

i got to spend some much-needed time with family and that was really all i needed.

while i was home,

the provo river was rushing rushing rushing through the canyon,

my nephew turned six,

arcade fire rolled into town and played in a venue down the hill from my house [and i was there!],

i got to kiss little ingrid's chubby cheeks [such a sweet/easygoing baby! love her],

cakes were baked and rice pudding was made [both delicious],

the old willy wonka and the chocolate factory and scott pilgrim were watched,

neko-ramen was introduced to me by my sister and brother,

delicious food was consumed,

games of "hoop tag" were played with my niece and nephews,

my mom almost won a game of horse,

and i painted my nails mintgreen.

for some reason, i was super emotional saying goodbye to my family. it was hard for me and i'm not quite sure why, but this is the VERY LAST TIME i have to do this!

i am delirious with joy that this is my last semester!

let's just hope i can make it through.

it all starts tomorrow!

quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock!

last night all my dreams came true.

i finally FINALLY got to see arcade fire!

and it was worth the wait!

they put on such an incredible show both visually and musically. i heard every song i had wanted to hear, and was not disappointed.

it was so fun sharing this experience with my sister kirsten and her husband aaron [and not just because i got to tease them about how "old" they are]. i would've have had it any other way! it was such a powerful experience and even though they played for about an hour and a half, i never wanted it to end! needless to say, i will not be missing them ever again!

here are some vidz i took from the show last night! they're not great-quality videos, but you can get a good idea of how cool everything looked/sounded!

intervention

[i realized halfway through this song that my finger was covering the mic on my camera... oops]

month of may

[the end of the song. super super intense!]

sprawl ii [mountains beyond mountains]

[regine dancing adorably with streamers and ribbons! love her!]

wake up

this was the "last song" of the set. absolutely beautiful and incredibly powerful.

set list [in the wrong order and possibly with some songs missing]:

-month of may

-rococo

-neighborhood #2 [laika]

-the suburbs

-modern man

-city with no children

-neighborhood #1 [tunnels]

-no cars go

-suburban war [win forgot the lyrics to this one halfway through! hilarious!]

-we used to wait

-neighborhood #3 [power out]

-haiti

-rebellion [lies]

-wake up

-keep the car running

-ready to start

-sprawl ii [mountains beyond mountains]

in which i copy my oldest sister, share exciting news and a photograph, and think about the future.

[taking a cue from/copying k1...]

who has two thumbs and is one hundred percent done with her second-to-last-semester of college?

THIS GIRL!

[this psychotic self-portrait* is brought to you by a severe lack of sleep and sustenance.]

oh man, i can't even express adequately with words [i use that phrase a lot] how relieved and happy i am.

soon i will be packing up my life [again] and moving [again] and cleaning [again] and going HOME!

i can't can't wait until i'm home.

i've felt so much love for my family this semester. i can't put my finger on why exactly, but i've appreciated and missed them all so much more this semester than ever before. it will be glorious to see them all again so soon! i wish kris and jenn and their ninos could be there, too.

it's all very surreal to think about how close i am to finishing.

it kind of freaks me out.

i mean, school is all i know! it's kind of scary to think about suddenly not doing something you've been doing your entire life.

but that doesn't mean i'm not excited to be done soon!

just because school has ended [temporarily] for me doesn't mean my life is over or that there are no more adventures to be had.

it means just the opposite!

more adventures!

more interesting people!

more life to be lived!

exciting!

you know what else is exciting?

taking everything off my walls and sorting all my dirty clothes so i can do ten million loads of laundry tomorrow!

which is what i should be doing right now.

the next time i post something, i'll be HOME!

that is, unless i get bored tomorrow whilst cleaning.

scratch that first sentence.

expect some crazy cleaning product fumes-induced posts tomorrow!

FUN!

*funny thing: in my 20th century art history class, we had student presentations on modern artists [from the 70s until present-day [i did mine on christo and jeanne-claude. it was killer. if you're lucky and ask real nice, maybe i'll do an encore presentation (you actually don't even have to ask me to do it at all. i'll just do it whether you want it or not)] the last month or so of the semester. i noticed that at least ten of my fellow classmates said the following while showing examples of their artists' works, self-portraits in particular, "...and this is a self-portrait of him/herself."

oh, so that wasn't a self-portrait of the artist's mother/father/significant other/child/pet dog rufus/living space?

interesting...

finals week: a collection of haiku written by yours truly at 2:23:13 in the morning.

(1)

it is two a.m.

haven't spoken to a soul

since this afternoon.

(2)

living on candy

and frozen burritos from

my local walgreens.

(3)

my mind is not here.

it's getting its passport stamped.

business or pleasure?

(4)

at this point, all i

want to do is examine

my eyelids. bed time.

(5)

this is the last one.

i am not very good at

writing poetry.

(6)

just kidding. i lied.

i will write one more haiku.

this is it. the end.

fotos y cuadernos y blah-blah blah blah blaaaaaaaaaah!

in my mind, it's already spring break.

in reality, it's day one of finals week.

this is a problem.

at this point, i'm so burned out and sick of school that all i want to do is dance around my room to this song.

if i can survive the next two days, i will be very relieved indeed.

growin' up.

[this was wayyyyy harder to do than it looks!]

today i am twenty-four years old.

it's kind of weird to think about.

in some ways, i feel old [but i think that's just because i'm still in rexburg where everyone is nineteen],

but in a lot of ways, i still feel like a teenager [thank you, acne and awkwardness].

i think twenty-four will be a big year for me.

i'm graduating from college,

applying for internships,

and my future is a complete mystery.

but i kind of like it that way!

i feel like there's something big over the horizon.

i'm hoping it's a new adventure abroad,

or in a new city [nyc, perhaps?],

or with new people.

either way, i'm scaredexcited for the future

and i can't wait to see what's in store for me!

thanks to all for the birthday greetings!

i love and adore each one of you!

i want those two hours of my life back.

i just made homemade samoas.

HUGELY DISAPPOINTING.

the cookie part was absolutely disgusting, i didn't have enough chocolate to drizzle over all of them, and i'm just ticked off beyond belief.

what a let-down.

it took me two hours to bake and assemble them and i can't even think about eating any of them [which is probably a good thing].

i wish i had waited until i got home to try them. my mom always knows how to fix things.

oh well! at least i tried, right?

food, glorious food!

i've been obsessed with food blogs lately.

actually, i've mostly just been obsessed with smitten kitchen.

beautiful photographs, delicious and simple food, and great writing make this blog a good read.

i plan on cooking a lot while i'm home for spring break.

in fact, i just might give my mom a break and cook the whole week i'm home!

here are some recipes from smitten kitchen that i'm dying to try:

-baked spinach

-spring panzanella

-peanut sesame noodles

-ratatouille

-huevos rancheros

-chana masala

-lime yogurt cake with blackberry sauce

-arroz con leche

don't all of those dishes look mouthwatering??

i'm just itching to cook right now!

do you have any favorite food blogs i should know about?

or any foolproof recipes you'd like to share?

ps: i'm DYING to make these!

i missed girl scout cookies this year [AGAIN], and have been craving samoas [and thin mints] for a long, long time.

i don't think i can wait until spring break to attempt these.

happy weekend!

in honor of the weekend, enjoy this fun/awesome video!

i would have all of you know that i do this almost every morning to pump myself up [although i'm usually listening to beyonce and i've never recorded myself doing it].

it WORKS.

this too shall pass.

we watched this today in my 20th century art history class and for some reason, it made my eyes well up with tears.

we're just two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl year after year.

right now i have more half-written posts than i know what to do with, but all i can think about is the following excerpt from a book i read for a class:

"All things change according to the state we are in. Nothing is fixed. I lived once in the top of a house, in a little room, in Paris. I was a student. My place was a romance. It was a mansard room and it had a small square window that looked out over housetops, pink chimney pots. I could see l'Institut, the Pantheon, and the Tour Saint Jacques. The tiles of the floor were red and some of them were broken and got out of place. There was a little stove, a wash basin, a pitcher, piles of my studies. Some hung on the wall, others accumulated dust on their backs. My bed was a cot. It was a wonderful place. I cooked two meals and ate dinner outside. I used to keep the camembert out of the window on the mansard roof between meals, and I made fine coffee, and made much of eggs and macaroni. I studied and thought, made compositions, wrote letters home full of hope of some day being an artist.

It was wonderful. But days came when hopes looked black and my art student's paradise was turned into a dirty little room with broken tiles, ashes fell from the stove, it was all hopelessly poor, I was tired of camembert and eggs and macaroni, and there wasn't a shade of significance in those delicate little chimney pots, or the Pantheon, the Institut, or even the Tour Saint Jacques."

--Robert Henri, The Art Spirit--

i relate to this a lot.

sometimes when i'm walking around rexburg or sitting in class or listening to music in my room, i feel like i'm in my own little student's paradise.

but days come when my paradise turns into nothing but a swamp. rexburg is magically unveiled to be a dinky little town, my classes are suddenly full of pious people, and my apartment stays clean for maybe an hour tops.

but i feel like, after my time here is done, i'll remember more of the paradise and less of the swamp.

i want to remember the late-night ramirez runs,

the shows every weekend,

how every time i go to the library something funny happens,

bike rides to walmart in the warm summer evenings,

and

having true friends who know and understand me.

at least, i hope that's what happens after graduation.

let's hit the road, friend of mine.

sometimes when i'm walking around rexburg i play yann tiersen [specifically the song posted above], close my eyes, and pretend i'm in paris.

and sometimes it feels so real i can almost smell fresh baguettes and cigarette smoke [and whatever else paris smells like] and hear the car horns and beautiful, lilting conversations in francais.

i need to get out of this country.

it's been a while.

so, it's been a little over two weeks since i've posted.

since my last post i have...

seen many many movies

gone to lots and lots of shows

registered for my very last semester at byu-idaho

been hassled by an idiot at a show

sung at karaoke a few times

attended the most awkward fhe of my life [more on that later]

taken a couple of tests

acquired a new obsession: food blogs [specifically this one]

experienced the first rain of the year [SPRING!]

spent way too much time daydreaming about summer

watched the second and third lord of the rings movies... and actually enjoyed myself

walked all over rexburg

listened to the classic indie pandora station every day [great homework music!]

been duped by byuidaho [again]

dreamed of disneyland [only 5ish more months!]

AND

started thinking of research paper topics for my senior paper.

it's been a busy two weeks.

but only four more weeks until this semester is over!

HOORAY!

day 30: my favorite song at this time last year

[can you believe it's day thirty already?? i just have to say, i loved this thirtydaychallenge! it was so fun and i actually learned a little more about myself. thanks for reading.]

----------

last year i downloaded a music sampler from amazon.

usually, when i download one of those, i listen to one song once and forget about the rest.

this song was the only one i listened to.

but after i listened to it once, i listened to it again.

and again.

and again.

it got to the point where i had to ration how many times i listened to it because i didn't want to get sick of it.

i still love it to this day.

the hymnlike harmonies in the chorus hook me every single time.

what a great song to end this challenge on!

day 29: a song from my childhood

[this video is deliciously 90s.]

back when we lived in maryland, i had a bus driver who listened to an r&b station.

i remember hearing this song, some tlc, and kriss kross on that station and i think that's why i love hip hop and r&b so much now.

anyway.

we had a boyz ii men tape at the time and i would rollerblade up and down my driveway playing this song over and over again.

every time i hear it, i'm back in pg county, dancing like a maniac in the living room and making up dance routines with my sister, kari.

those were the days.

day 28: a song i wish i could play

i love love love the accordion.

and in my wildest dreams, i can play this song with my eyes closed.

we used to wait.

i was first introduced to arcade fire in 2006 by my sister, kirsten.

she was showing me a slideshow she had made on her new computer and had "neighborhood #1 (tunnels)" playing in the background.

it was love at first note.

in 2007 they came to thanksgiving point in utah.

on a weekday.

the third week of fall semester.

i was stuck in stupid rexburg and i cried in my room while listening to an npr podcast of an arcade fire concert wishing i could be there.

kirsten, the good sister that she is, called me a few times so i could be there by phone and i thought that was the closest i would ever get to see them live.

and now, 3.5ish years later, i will get closer.

so close, in fact, that i will actually be in the same venue as them,

breathing the same air,

singing the same words.

on april 11th, 2011 magic will happen.

thanks to that same sweet sister who introduced me to the band, i will be seeing them LIVE right down the street from my parents' house and

I

CAN'T

WAIT

!

i can guarantee you that i will be the girl crying in the stands when they play this song.

FOURHUNDRED!

so, guess what!

this is my 400th post!

400 POSTS!

can you believe it?? i can hardly believe it myself!

it feels like i just posted my 300th post yesterday.

in honor of this post, i will now do 400 cartwheels in a row.

....

done!

[i don't think people in this library ever learned from their mothers that staring is rude...]

thanks for reading, dear friends and family.

----------------

in other news...

i've noticed a change in myself lately.

i haven't gotten a dramatic haircut or a nosejob or anything.

it's more of a feeling than an alteration in my appearance.

i realized the other day that i am perfectly content and happy with this phase of my life.

although there are some things i would love to change [my current location comes to mind], i am, for the most part, overjoyed to be a student/single/almost 24 years old.

i know now and realize how vital it is to learn to be happy in whatever stage of life you're in, no matter what you're going through or where you are.

i have a friend who constantly complains that she's still single. she's my age, yet she feels like she's an old maid already.

i can't count how many times i've told her to just forget about that and learn to be content with her life at this point because she'll never get another chance to relive her life.

i've told her time and time again that being married or having a boyfriend won't magically make her happy.

after all, how can you be happy if you're always pining away for the future?

i know that graduation and leaving rexburg FOREVER won't magically make me an infinitely happier person [although it will help].

i will always hate this place.

BUT, that doesn't mean i can't be happy while i'm here.

if you're unhappy right now, may i suggest that you

write down things you're grateful for!

do one thing each day that makes you happy!

do some service for someone else!

hug a tree!

hold a baby!

cook a delicious meal!

watch singin in the rain!

and be happy now.

day 27: a song i can play

this is one of two songs i have memorized [the other one is fur elise (i think everyone on earth has that song memorized)].

over christmas break, my sister and i played it and sang it and it was one of the funniest moments of my life.

just because.

day 26: a song that makes me laugh

this song, "loving you" by minnie riperton cracks me up every. single. time.

and it's not the lyrics,

or even the vocal stylings,

it's the fact that it was featured in the following hilarious scene of the movie megamind [which i highy recommend!].

tooooooo funny.

day 25: a song i want played at my funeral

i remember the first time i ever heard this hymn.

i was in high school in my old ward in spokane, and i was overcome with emotion.

i related to the lyrics and was filled with the love of my Savior.

i've heard it many times since then, the last time being at the dedication of the byui center. the combined choirs and orchestra performed this rendition and i held back the waterworks until the last verse. when the orchestra builds up and the strings kick in, something amazing happens. i can't quite put my finger on it, but a feeling of pure love enters my heart every single time i hear it.

ideally, i'd want the grand and glorious edition at my funeral, but i think it's more fitting to have a version like sufjan's simple and humble rendition.

[watch sufjan peform this song live by clicking here!]

highlights!

last week was pretty awesome.

-i was completely spoiled and received a beautiful print done by my sister-in-law, a valentine and mix cd from talia, a valentine and polaroid photo from my niece and nephews, and another valentine from my parents in the mail.

-me and my friend matt sang "roses" by outkast at karaoke night in front of about six people. near the end of the song, after singing the chorus for the third time, we cried out "everybody!" and pointed our mics toward the crowd only to hear complete silence on their end. it reminded me of this snl skit:

-after karaoke, matt and i reminisced with my old roommate, becca, who just got engaged. i miss winter of 2010. what a great semester! the people i met that semester have remained great friends and i'm so grateful i have them in my life.

-spicy pork burrito from the taco bus. INCREDIBLE.

-me and my friend katie try to hang out every thursday. this thursday was so fun! we didn't even really do anything super special. we just hung out at her house and talked. but it was so much fun and i love seeing her [and her cute little girl, madysen] every week!

-i got to see my friend aaron's band, corsair wolves, perform at sammys on friday night. it was such a great show. it's always more fun to go to shows when you know the people who are playing.

-i have the best friends in the world. i'm so grateful for justin and lyndee and nikki and katie. if they weren't here in rexburg with me, i would go crazy. i love how we can talk for hours and not run out of things to say. i love laughing with them [and at them--haha] and swapping funny stories. in short, i just love them. so much.

-true grit is at the cheap seats! i had to cover my eyes a few times, but MAN that movie was good! and the donuts me and lyndee snuck into the theater were DELICIOUS [got integrity, lyndee? haha].

-broulim's is selling the most delicious oranges for 38cents a pound. i bought five on friday and three of them are gone already.

-i have officially applied for graduation! the end is near!

-i had to read this talk for one of my classes and it was just what i needed.

here's hoping this week is as good [or better]!

day 24: two songs i want to play at my wedding

because i couldn't pick just one.

day 23: a song that i work out to

when it comes to working out, daft punk is the basically the only thing i listen to.

what's on your workout playlist?

day 22: a song i listen to whilst driving

hands down the BEST driving song ever [and not just because it has the word "car" in the title]!

i always have to keep an eye on the speedometer while listening, though, because i tend to speed a little...

if i'm not in the mood for arcade fire [hahahahaha that's funny], i usually just listen to a song i like to sing along with. i'm totally that person drumming on the steering wheel and singing at the top of my lungs in the car.

i fear for my future children.

what songs do you like to listen to in the car?

on a road trip?

do you prefer music or talk radio?

a dream come true and a guilty pleasure

remember this post?

well, i no longer have to pine for a true oldies station, because blessed pandora has bestowed on me the beautiful gift of the supremes/temptations station.

lots and lots of motown [with some beach boys, rascals, beatles and ritchie valens added in for good measure]!!

i almost feel like i'm back in that big gray van we had back in the day listening to the oldies station and being quizzed on the different bands by my dad.

if you're looking for a good oldies station, i HIGHLY RECOMMEND this one!

----------------

i saw a show called "genuine ken: the search for the great american boyfriend" advertised on hulu and, needing a good laugh, decided to check it out.

it.

is.

HILARIOUS!

it's a competition-based reality show featuring eight different guys vying for the title of "genuine ken".

it's probably the worst reality show i've ever seen.

the things those guys say...

one of them said that a guy was having "an outer-body experience."

another said his outfit for a style challenge was "fly" and then ended his interview by saying "RESPECT."

yet another guy didn't know what spinach looked like during a cooking challenge. SPINACH!

during a surfing challenge, a guy was "terrified of the ocean" and wouldn't even go into the water until "compassionate ken" came and coaxed him into the water like a mother coaxes her child to eat his vegetables. in any other reality show competition, if someone doesn't participate in the challenge, he/she is penalized. but this guy was praised for "facing his fears".

here's a little video featuring the contestants:

see? it's a show about a bunch of lunkheads ["i've got a mohawk and a star shaved in my hair!" "i believe i'm goodlooking... and i'm grateful for that."].

yet, i can't stop watching it.

[it's like "dating in the dark" all over again.]

the best part about the show is the fact that there isn't a single advantage or incentive to win the competition other than to be given the title of "genuine ken". so, while watching it, you keep asking yourself/yelling at the screen "WHAT IS THE POINT OF IT ALL??"

in conclusion, i would never in a billion years even consider going on a date with any of these guys. but that doesn't mean i won't watch them say/do really stupid things every single week.

day 21: a song i listen to when i'm angry

muse: the perfect soundtrack for all your frustrations and bouts of anger.

i only listen to muse when i'm angry.

or working out.

which makes me angry.

what is your go-to anger/frustration song?

day 20: a song from my favorite album

my all-time favorite album in the history of music is none other than pet sounds by the beach boys. if you haven't heard it from start to finish, that should probably change.

one of my favorite tracks is "you still believe in me". the vocals are incredible and almost hymn-like and the lyrics are sensitive and describe how incredible it is to have someone believe in you even when you're at your lowest.

give it a listen.

[i also really like m. ward's interpretation of this gorgeous song.]

what about you?

what is your favorite album?

day 19: a song i wish i heard on the radio

oldies stations just aren't the same anymore.

they used to feature the supremes and elvis and buddy holly.

and now it's all chicago and journey and the rolling stones.

maybe one day i'll start my own real oldies station!

valentines day part deux

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY [again]!

day 18: my favorite love song

so, i'm cheating on my thirty day challenge.

today's post was supposed to feature a song i wish i heard on the radio, but since it's valentines day and day twenty-eight's question is really stupid [a song that makes me feel guilty? i don't remember the song that was playing when i robbed that bank...], i'm going to talk about my favorite love song today and a song i wish i heard on the radio tomorrow and do away with day twenty-eight.

whew!

alright, let's light this candle!

here is my all-time favorite love song, "i'm glad there is you" as performed by ella fitzgerald.

as usual, ella kills it [in a good way].

i love the lyrics and hope that someday i fully understand and experience a love like this.

in other words, i want a love like cliff and clair huxtable.

[click that link! you won't be disappointed! it makes me cry every. single. time.]

happy valentines day, everybody!

have i told you lately that i love you?

if i haven't, i am very sorry.

let me tell you now in three languages:

i love you.

te amo.

je t'aime.

day 17: a song i hear on the radio often

i don't really listen to the radio here in rexburg [too many country stations], but i listened to the radio a lot last summer with hannah banana in the car, and i feel like this song was on the radio ALL. THE. TIME.

i'm now completely and one hundred percent sick of it.

l'amour

in honor of valentines day on monday, here is a playlist featuring some of my favorite love songs.

enjoy!

ps: what is your favorite love song?

pps: if you have a significant other, do you have a special song?

day 16: a song that i used to love but now hate

this is completely humiliating.

when i was 14, i loved this song.

i put it on my very first mix cd.

i listened to it on repeat.

thank GOODNESS i'm over that phase in my musical life.

day 15: a song that describes me

day 14: a song that no one would expect me to love

this was difficult.

i feel like my music tastes are pretty eclectic.

i mean, i love basically every genre of music, or at least a couple artists in each genre [i'm looking at you contemporary country], so it was hard for me to find a song that people wouldn't necessarily expect me to like.

but, here it is.

opera.

nessun dorma is the most beautiful aria ever written.

i melt every time i hear it.

and there you have it.

now the world knows that i, kellie olivia jorgensen, am a closet operaphile.

so, who wants to take me to see one??

day 13: my guilty pleasure song

josh groban is my guilty pleasure.

when my parents were travelling last summer, i would do the dishes late at night and blast josh groban in the kitchen.

there might have been some broom-dancing, as well.

what can i say?

old habits die hard.

and this song is beautiful.

day 12: a song from a band i hate

i have no idea why, but people in spokane are OBSESSED with dave matthews. i think he came to the gorge every single summer and it was THE event of the year.

honestly, i don't know what the big deal is.

to me, his voice is like nails on a chalkboard.

i have to say, though, it was pretty funny that this song was featured on a recent office episode when dwight, darryl, and andy go to the roller rink and andy requests that the dj play dave matthews deep cuts. hahhha. perfect.