my future

 WILDLIFE BIOLOGY!!

Well,  I think I have made all the major decisions that I can make right now in regards to my future.... and im sooo excited about it! I just love planning things! well, Im going to finish my degree in Anthropology at BYU Hawaii and hopefully I will be able to work with a science professor ex bishop friend on some volunteer experience working with animals and doing research type stuff... then im going to do an animal conservation internship in Alaska in a little town thats just south of anchorage working with injured alaskan wildlife and learning how to work with data and how to educate people about the animals... then I will hopefully be accepted into grad school at Utah State University where I hope to work with a professor named Doctor Frey in the field of human-wildlife conflict management!  And thats about as far as i have gotten... but dang am i excited!!!

Sooo... I decided that Im going to do the Pacific Crest Trail (or otherwise known as the PCT) one day. I would like to do it sooner than later... but im thinking it will have to wait for a few years until I will have enough time (and money) to do it. I have been reading up on it and I feel this undeniable need to do it!  Yes... it would be incredibly hard. But I feel that, like running the marathon, or serving my mission, it would be one of those character building things that I would never forget. So.. thats the plan for now. Pretty vague and far off.. but its a dream of mine that I plan on making a reality. Now, who wants to come with me!? ;) 

YAY! I got a job!! 

I didn't think I would have the opportunity to get a job what with my knee surgery and all that, but a few weeks before my surgery a friend of mine said that his mom needed help taking care of his grandma who has Alzheimer's.  And since I have worked in home health care and also care for people with disabilities, I felt confident taking on the job. So far its been really great! The lady I take care of is SO sweet and wonderful (forgetful yes) and so beautiful. She is truly a lady at heart. She is so proper even in her disabled state. So this is where I hang out most of the day which is A ok with me!  The Lord is blessing me immensely! I often feel I don't deserve it. But I still appreciate it. :)  

So.... this is my poor little knee in my high tech ice brace (it constantly has ice water filtering through it!) and I don't feel a lot of pain right now, but I know that the worst is yet to come. :(  Thank goodness some genius invented Percocet!!  Any positive wishes are welcomed! I need them!

Mer.

Dont you hate it when you had really high expectations (or maybe just hopes for something) and they go nothing the way you planned them?  Yeah, i hate that too. hmph.  Im probably going to die a cat lady.

Im Back!

Well here I am making my big comeback after the mission. Life is pretty interesting right now. I don't work, nor am I in school... so im just kinda loafing around and having fun. And I feel so weird!  But its nice to be able to just have fun. I would say the most tiring part about being on a mission was having to care about, and solve, other peoples problems. So its good to have some me time. But i DO miss the mission. Life was so nice on the mission (and yet it was the hardest thing i have ever done!) because everything was planned out for you and you didn't have to worry about schools or jobs or relationships (except for those with your investigators).  So simple. And now its all complicated and i have to get loans and find a job! yuck!  AND i have to have surgery soon (that is IF a certain energy healer didn't heal my knee yesterday.... )  on my bum knee. But things are looking up!  Im on a diet and i will soon be back to fitting in my jeans! huzzah!  I guess overall you could just say that im in a state of thankfulness right now. So thankful that i even got to go on a mission and get to know so many amazing people and for my own conversion to the gospel. After experiencing what i have, i know that there is NO going back. I love this church and all the wonderful things i have learned. Over and out.

chi chi chi, le le le, viva chile!!!!

hello erybody!it was such a busy week!!! we worked so hard this week and finally found some new ppl to teach, so thats good. we went to the doctor for my companion, saved a dog from being eaten by ticks, and we had the 50 year celebration of missionary work in chile!!! it was sweet because the missionaries got to watch the show and also we got to sing "i´ll go where you want me to go". the show was so cool because there were people dancing the traditional dances of all the countries in south america and my little anthropology heart was super happy! im going to download all the music when i get home and listen to it in my car... and probably cry while thinking about chile. the chileans have so much pride.. its awesome. they are so crazy. every chance they get they shout "chi chi chi, le le le, viva chile!!!" i like shouting even though im not chilean. when all the missionaries shouted it, the crowd went crazy and were cheering for us. it was cool. the celebration also did a moving rendition of the pioneers crossing the plains and got all teary eyed which never happens. one of our new investigators name is Adrian. He is the boyfriend of one of our memebers who´s son has brain cancer. they had to build a whole new house that was equipped like a hospital for him so he could come home so we went to help them build and paint every chance we had. we also came and sang to thomas (the kid with cancer) and brought him pictures of jesus. one day while we were telling him about the 2000 strippling warriors he started crying (thomas) and Adrian held up a piece of paper with the alphabet on it so that he could tell us what was wronge. he spelled out spirit. he was feeling the spirit. After that Adrian decided to start taking the missionary lessons! how cool is that? so your challenge this week is to go out and do some service. i have heard countless stories of peoples lives being changed because somebody cared enought to serve them. well, i dont really have anything else to say except that im happy and im loving the work even though its really hard sometimes. the time is flying!! i cant beleive i have been out here for 8 months! well, i love you all!love crystal