Yesterday I had the honor of taking a tour of the Polynesian Cultural Center.  It was actually quite the surprise-- I hadn't gotten ready and was wearing a swimsuit underneath because I was planning on a beach day, but Lexi stopped me in the cafeteria and said, "Hey, if you want to tag along we're going right now."  Had I had a little heads up, I would've brought my real camera instead of just my phone, because this place is absolutely beautiful!  We watched shows and learned about the people of Hawaii, Figi, Tonga, Samoa, Aotearoa/New Zealand, and Tahiti.  From beautiful and passionate songs and dances with elegant costumes and makeup to the hilarious comedy acts involving drums, coconuts and fire, I was absolutely blown away by the pride of all these people.  We taste-tested coconut bread, watched a man scamper up a coconut tree, attempted to learn traditional games and dances {but instead made fools of ourselves} and took a ride on a canoe.  Of course I love America, a land renowned for being a melting pot, but I wish that we had a culture even a fraction as complex as the Pacific Islanders!

Things I probably should've appreciated more when I was home:

• singing {I've started listening to way too much Ariana Grande and her range and riffs make me ache to use my vocal chords} 
• my dogs Nala, Mia, Cali, Dakota and cat Jasmin
• coming home to Adam and Olivia's crazy friends throwing a party
• playing piano and writing music
• cooking
• Sunday afternoon chats with Dad
• decent prices
• mom being able to call me home from school if I was sick and make me soup and watch Reign with me and I wouldn't get my grade docked off for it
• driving
• scary movies and banana milkshakes/popcorn at midnight with Rachel
• Southwestern food
• non-humidity
• consistently warm showers
• Sophie making me animal-themed crafts and Eric having me pull over at a designated spot in the neighborhood so that he could run the rest of the way home whenever I picked him up from school
• Dallin's extensive military knowledge and his willingness to help me plan through such parts of my novel

I'm not homesick, I just sometimes reminisce.  I was thrilled when my mom sent me some of these photos from July!  Sorry, they are iPhone photos so they're a little fuzzy blown up.
Also, I'm setting a goal to have no desserts until my birthday, so hold me to it.

still chubby from wisdom teeth surgery

out at Waimea with a bunch of people I just met, including the guy who taught me to surf and then made me dinner

  As a five-year-old, nine months after 9/11, my family drove past the remaining wreckage of the horrendous attack in NYC.  Images of the live news footage showing the towers falling still reeled in my tiny memory, and even at that young age I was beginning to understand that perhaps life is more precious than we realize.  People died because others were selfish, but they were not the only ones.  How many innocents died in the Middle East because of these extremists?  How many other dreams have been severed with the beating of their hearts because of selfishness?  I wish we could stop selfishness, stop fighting, but unfortunately the best we can do in this time is to be grateful for our lives, our loved ones, and our freedom.

Camera cord came in the mail!  These photos are all from the end of July when my parents were dropping me off at the university.  I was always terrified of how big and bad moving out would be, but honestly the change was so easy and comfortable.  I think that the transition time with them here to help me adjust, even if just for a short while, made it 100x easier, so I am extremely grateful for that.  While they were here we enjoyed exploring Honolulu, meandering around the flea market, snorkeling, and eating more shave ice / exotic food truck cuisine in those six days than in the entire month since they left.  The highlight of their stay was when we got to meet the dolphins from 50 First Dates!  They were so intelligent and affectionate with their trainer, and their skin was unbelievably smooth.  My mom and I are both huge animal people, so we probably looked like little kids with the grins on our faces.  My dad, on the other hand, finally fulfilled his dream of skydiving.   I thought he was out of his mind, until I watched him soar through the sparkling sunlight and suddenly I got this creeping desire to be adventurous...  Who knows, maybe I'll try it sometime.  I'm sure there's a higher chance of getting in a car accident than the parachute not opening, right?
Since they left, I've made a habit of facetiming the family every Sunday.  I'm not homesick, but it's still sad not to be there for Adam's first varsity football game nor Eric blowing everyone out of the water for his audition and landing a role in Secret Garden at the college. 

  I've yet to decide if I'm a free spirit or just a fool.  It started pouring, and while everyone else hid under the pavilion to avoid getting soaked, I exited the building free of coat or umbrella and practically waded my way to the cafeteria, where I was first in line. I love the rain and so I was absolutely thrilled to pretty much take a shower on my way to class, not even bothering to duck under covered areas while I walked.  But being saturated is all fun and games until you have to spend the next hour in just about your only properly air-conditioned classroom.
You'd think I would learn.  Nope.  The next week the sun was so intense while I was walking around that I got a burn with a resulting tan line from the tank top I was wearing.  I returned to my dorm, desperate to sit in front of my fan and change into a swimsuit, when suddenly I could hear the rain pattering wildly outside.  It had come out of nowhere!  I immediately ran out in excitement and melted the heat away as I was doused in storm.  Apparently I was a little too excited, because I was probably standing their drinking it up for about five minutes before I realized that I had let my door slam shut behind me-- and all I had was my swimsuit.  No dress, no shoes, no phone, and no key, and no roommates to help me get back inside.