took the long way home.

15 miles

in

50 minutes.

not only was it 15 miles, but it was 15 miles outside of cedar city. so close but yet SO far.

car trips are great!

glad to be back in festival city USA.

firsts, seconds, thirds.

(refrain from clapping please)

so this week has been pretty...well...not the greatest. as my roommate ashley would say, "meh."

first, i am sick. i decided i don't like to be sick away from home. i told mom i really wanted hot tang.

second, it is so close to thanksgiving break, which makes it 1000 times harder to concentrate on school.

third, my group project for advertising isn't turning out so great. that's a bummer because up to this point, it has been my favorite class. and i'd like it to remain that way.

good things about the week included:

first, "gilmore girls tuesday" was added to mine and sierra's weekly routine (along with "popcorn thursday").

second, i have listened halfway through the harry potter 7 audiobook. that has definitely been my biggest time waster as of late. but its soooo good, and worth it. i can't wait to go see the movie!

third, i went to the men's basketball game with jenna and it was a blast. we sat on the first row and cheered really loud. we came up with nicknames for all the starters. nicknames such as; "groupie", "buddy", "sweet baby ray" etc. it was great fun!

and the most exciting thing...
IT'S ALMOST THANKSGIVING!
reasons i love this holiday:

first, i love spending time with the family. having steamers with our snazzy hot chocolate maker, watching festive movies (usually chick flicks or musicals. fancy that.), watching the thanksgiving day parade (don't rub it in that you are going to be there grover's), going to grammy's or nana's (the best cooks on the planet) and having an amazing thanksgiving dinner. i'd have to say that thanksgiving food is some of my favorite. of course the famous bailey quote was coined at grammy's dinner- "beans?! i love beans!" referring to grammy's delicious green bean casserole. i'm sorry. i just get really excited. brynn and i always make fun of the movies where they have some perfect turkey that comes out of the oven and then the mom sets it out on the table and everyone claps. i've never really understood that. why are you clapping for the turkey? but really, i'm pretty sure we always have the perfect turkey that could be straight from the food network... or one of those cheesy movies. probably even better.

second, this year i am especially excited because i will get to see some old friends that i've been missing! it will be good to catch up with everyone and spend some time together. i can't wait.

third, thanksgiving is the beginning of the christmas holidays. i love this time of year! i'm very excited also because i only have to survive one more week of classes and then one week of finals and then i'll be back home for a whole month. hooray!

now don't get me wrong, i'm loving it down here...but a nice break is LONG overdue.

is that even a question?

assignment: three to five page paper on a person or event in the mass media industry.

it took me 2.7 seconds to decide.

and this is why i'm doing what i'm doing.

Today as I was walking to my first class, I cut through the student center to see that the rotunda was decorated with everything SUU. There was also a stage, and a podium. I quickly knew what this meant. A press conference. Ohh was I excited. I didn't even know what it was about but I knew I had to be there.

Later, my advertising class was spent discussing public relations, advertising and how P.R. people work with the media. "Extra Credit to whoever goes to the press conference today" Okay, YES. Thank you professor.

At 2:00 pm I walked over to the rotunda to find it PACKED with people. I ended up going to the second floor (also packed with people) and watching/listening from above. I absolutely loved the atmosphere. I recognized the dean of my college, the provost, the VP of students, and many professors (This is why I love SUU, I KNOW all of these administrators), also a lot of people from the community, students, and athletes in their uniforms. President Benson got up and informed the crowd that SUU would be moving into the big sky conference. Okay so I don't really know what that means. I mean I know its a big deal for SUU, and SUU athletics but that wasn't the exciting part.

I loved watching the news reporters and photographers in front of the stage snapping photos and scribbling furiously with their pens. And all of the speakers behind the podium who represented SUU so well.

It reminded me of last year when Principal Manning came into yearbook and said they needed students to sit in on the news conference announcing that Olympus would be rebuilt. I think he was a little surprised at how excited I was (not about the school being rebuilt, but about the news conference).

The truth is, this not only excites me, but it genuinely interests me. I love being up to date on current events, things going on at my school, and in the community. I always have been. I kept on thinking about how that is going to be me someday. Participating in press conferences will be in my job description.

and that is why I'm doing what I'm doing.

note to self-- next year when you are in that killer Communications Research class, come back to this post and remind yourself of this.