real talk

these are my people

Some say you meet your best friends in college. I say this is 110% true.

Seriously. These people are MY people. And I love them like family!!! They are my family.
These people are some of the funniest, kindest, swaggiest, most caring, wholehearted, spiritual people I know. And I can honestly say that these people are my best friends and will be for the rest of my life.

Shout out to Al for being my big sister and for giving me piggy back rides in the middle of practice and for listening to my boy stories and for helping me with biology.

And for our hump day shirts because they're the tits.

Shout out to MAC for being so sassy and so smart and so willing to laugh at my jokes and silliness all the time and for being my freshman starter buddy.

I love you like a love song baby

Shout out to AUSTIN for being so weird and for having some of the best dance moves and for naming me sigratata and for you gimpy pinky and for being so funny and so lovable all at the same time.

And for making us all your wives.

Shout out to URI for being extremely snarky and sarcastic and for giving me good advice and sending me ugly snapchats and for always being someone I can laugh my guts out with.

And for always making the best faces in the pictures we take together.

Shout out to NICK for having late night conversations in my truck and for having a bit of a wild side and for coming up with the weirdest dares for what are the odds and for taking me on a really fancy date and for thinking my silliness is funny.

And for teaching me how to speak Chinese.

Shout out to KADEE for being so adorably irrational and for always complimenting me and for taking photos of everything and for coming up with fun activities for us to do.

And for being so fierce and so sweet all at the same time!

Shout out to JAKE HEATH for being so smart at bio and for being so manly and for constantly quoting the best movies with me.

And for loving Chipotle as much as I do. Because Chipotle is my liiiiiiffeeee.

Shout out to ASHLEY for that one practice where we were partners and dominated and for being so cute always and for being so good at doing hair and for staying positive through all the hard things that were thrown her way this semester.

And for that hair flip. Obviously.

Shout out to ZACH for being a mountain man and for making bonfires and for having the best laugh and for being so sweet.

And for being an Idahomie.

Shout out to EMMA for being the only Canadian I like and for being so funny and for dressing so classy and for saying washroom instead of bathroom and for being rational most of the time and for doing online quizzes with us.

And for being the best team manager/mom that has ever been

Shout out to CONNER for being the best/worst singer and for being goofy and for being so swaggy and a little moody and for yelling funny things for no reason.

And for snapchatting me nonstop during winter break.

Shout out to CABOT for being such a sweetheart and for always checking up on me and for being a terrible baker and for being just as awkward and silly as I am and for drives up to the parkway with super good music.

And for being my number one facetime buddy.

And special shout out to all the rest of my best friends for making my first semester of college unforgettable.
Because of these people, I love college.
Spontaneous trips to DC
Dances
Movie nights
Jam sessions
Random car rides
Study sessions
Football games
Testimony meetings
Going out to eat
Late night adventures to Walmart
Sleepovers
Deep talks
What are the odds
Snuggle sessions
And a billion memories

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I love you guys. And I mean it. I have grown so much over the semester and you all have helped shape me into the person I am and the person I'm supposed to be. So thank you :)
YOU ARE MY FAMILY.

(insert emotional emojis here)

how to college

Dear people who are so privileged to read this blog,

The following is a detailed description of the do's and don't's, the must's and must not's, the absolutely acceptable and absolutely ridiculous of the grown up world I now live in.

COLLEGE

#1. Fifteen minutes spent wrapped up in a cozy blankie taking a quick snooze can be the best fifteen minutes of your day. If you're even just a little sleepy, go lay down! Trust me. It'll save you.

This picture says it all. The party WAS poppin.

#2. When you have class at 7 and 8am, make sure to look extra beautiful and wake up extra early to ensure your outfit is on point.

HA NOT

When you have class that early, you roll out of bed at fifteen minutes before class, pound a quick bowl of captain crunch, and leave wearing what you slept in. It's just part of college to look slightly homeless for early class. Accept it. Do it. Love it.

On the first day of school you obviously wear what you were just working out in. On the second day of school you wear a wolf shirt. It only makes sense.

#3. Your teammates are your built in best friends. Going to college so freaking far away from home is a scary thing. The only thing that kept me from panicking every time I stepped foot in public was knowing I already had friends before I even had friends. Seriously. These girls are the best! And we have so much fun together.

Don't hate us cause you ain't us.

#4. Wildlife Wednesday is a real thing. And you're only cool if you wholeheartedly participate EVERY WEEK. You think it's socially unacceptable to wear pink fluffy kitties or a majestic eagle on your shirt? Well think again. Take off your pride jacket and freaking wear a wolf shirt people.

Or a hump day shirt.

#5. Popsicles and ice cream. Just yes.

Just yes.

#6. Showing up late is acceptable and expected. Except for class. Don't show up late to class. If you're going to be late, why bother going at all? But really, being on time is overrated.

I actually don't have a picture of me running late because I actually don't like being late. So here's a picture of me in a fierce cat shirt instead.

#7. Waiting to study for your gen bio exam the day before the test is always a good idea if you want to get a low C for a grade. It's just a glorious time staying up till 2 and waking up at 5 to crammajamm. Trust me kids, studying is all sorts of important. So take my advice and do it before it's almost too late!

After looking at homework for so long my eyes start to burn. Does this happen to anyone else?

#8. Take your phone charger with you wherever you go. Gone to the library to study? Be sure to have your phone charger because who knows.... you might be there for 7 hours. Have to go to study hall? Be sure to have your phone charger because if you can't be on your phone you might as well be charging it! Going to hang out with your friends in their room? Be sure to have your phone charger because duh you're going to be on insta and snapchat and stalking cute boys on facebook. Having your phone charger with you at all times should just be a general rule of college.

ps study hall is dumb

#9. Going to bed at 9;30 is not frowned upon. Especially if you're a collegiate athlete. Soccer practice at 6am? Good night children.

Good nigh world.

#10. Field trips in college are the funnest thing ever. Seeing cool historical crap (really though... it's cool stuff) with some of your best buds is just fantastic. Especially when you get to have dinner at your professor's house.

Tour of Lexington

Monticello babes

#11. After living with the same people for four months and spending pretty much every waking minute with them, you get real comfortable around each other and things that you wouldn't normally share or do with others (because they might be gross or a little inappropriate) is just a totally normal thing. Like sending each picture like these to each other....

Yes this happened.

#12. If your math professor hand you your graded chapter test and it say 100% next to your name, there is a 50% chance it's not a dream. Also you shouldn't ask if he gave you the wrong paper. Accept the fact that you are smart and that you can do hard things. Getting a perfect score on a math test is a possible thing!

See? Some may call it a miracle. I call it Beyonce's blessing because I listened to her song right before I took the test. True story.

the grownup life

The past four months have been the best four months of my life.

(Shame on me for not blogging about it before now.)

College is way too much fun and being a collegiate athlete has been an absolute dream. I've made some of the greatest friends who have become my family, and I feel like I've grown up in so many ways. I am a different person now than I was just a few months ago. It feels good being independent and being forced out of my comfort zone. This phase of life has been nothing but fun and adventure.
So my dear readers, sit back, grab a snack, a read the next zillion blog posts about my new adult life.

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SO LONG IDAHO!!!!

I drove out to Virginia with my fam clan (longest freaking drive of my life) and moved into my very own appartment. Whoop whoop!

**my room**

This is my new home and I love it. I love living on my own and being totally responsible for myself. I am responsible for going to bed at a reasonable time, and for getting all my homework done on time, and for cooking food for myself so I don't starve, and for holding myself accountable to go to class and church. There is also a greater sense of freedom that I had not experienced until now. Guys... NO ONE BUT MYSELF (and coach) CAN TELL ME WHAT TO DO. And that is the most beautiful thing in the world.

If I want to stay out with friends till 4am on my birthday, I'm gonna do it. (not recommended)

If I want to go to DC with my buddies just spontaneously, I'm gonna do it.

If I want to wear sweat pants to class two days in a row, I'm gonna do it.

If I want to stay in bed all day sunday and do homework and watch movies, I'm gonna do it.

I love being on Sierra time all the time.

Okay yes I have missed my family. But I've only been really homesick like twice the entire semester. So I'd say I'm doing pretty well in that department. Plus it always helps when my cute mommy sends me fun little packages like every week haha. (I think she does it to distract herself from missing me too much).

In a way, I feel like a different person. Even comparing the Sierra I was at the beginning of the semester to the Sierra I am now, I am definitely a different person.

I've had to rely on Heavenly Father a lot, especially as I tried to figure out how to do things on my own. And for that I know my testimony has grown and has been strengthened. And that makes me excited! Plus being in a YSA ward has been really cool. It's a little weird and very very quiet (no screaming children), but it's really an awesome thing to discuss the gospel with people who are your same age and going through some of the very same things. Testimony builder? I think yes.

And even though I definitely don't act like it sometimes, I'm more mature. At least I think I'm more mature...........

**Definitely not more mature**

There really are no words to express how great my first semester of college has been. So instead, please enjoy the many selfies of "grown up college Sierra"....