Wanderlust

One month.
It's been one month since I've been on a vacation, and maybe it's the stress of school, or finances, or whatever, but I have a serious case of "itchy feet" (it might have to do with the fact that I surf the travel board on Pinterest on a regular basis... But we don't have to talk about my work obsessions (; ). 

Itchy feet. I'm almost positive I inherited them from my mom. Ever since I can remember, our family has been on a yearly, if not semi-annual vacation/s. 
There is nothing like sitting on a beach at sunset with your toes in the water and a blanket wrapped around your arms, or riding an old cruiser through downtown Boston's Italian street smelling the desserts and pasta from the roadside cafes. 

I would rather be somewhere I've never been before.

Recently, I've had a slight obsession with Alaska. Take a look:

 



 

And my favorites:


Seriously, if you've never had Flaming Baked Alaska, get some. Now. Or make some. Here's the recipe. You're welcome :)


Do you understand my need to go there??

Freedom?

It's interesting to note that everyone relies on the news for information. Whether you watch it on the television, read the newspaper, scan the homepage on your web browser, overhear a conversation, or read an opinion blog, you are being influenced by what the media tells you is important. Being able to choose where you get your information is a luxury that we seem to take for granted sometimes. Media for us means freedom.

There are many countries in the world that don’t have the right of freedom of speech. Things they say are monitored, internet sites are forbidden, and the media consumed is carefully planned and distributed. Media for these people can remind them that they don’t have a voice.

The role of Journalism in the United States depends heavily on the citizens. It’s a journalist’s job to find out what interests people, and also how to relay it truthfully. Citizens should trust the media to be truthful with the information presented. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks gave a talk in which he expressed some concerns for society’s future, some of which are:

• Overemphasis on rights and underemphasis on responsibility
• Diminished readership of newspapers and books
• What is or is not being taught in schools that will shape the values of our future leaders
• Destruction of trust in public figures

Most of the blame for these four things, I feel, lies with the media. To expound on one point, the destruction of trust in public figures is evident in today’s news. Journalists demean and “dig up dirt” on those that have been elected to high positions. They portray some of these people as criminals – not someone you would like to associate with. While some of the things brought to light have been thought-provoking, the office in which the individual stands should be respected – and not disgraced. A journalist’s responsibility is to make sure the truth is known, so citizens can decide for themselves where to take a stand. When society is pumped with false information and lies, it’s hard for anyone to agree, and disagreements can cause division which is a slippery slope to failure.

The primary purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with the information they need to be free and self-governing.

Football and Elder Holland?

BYU versus UofU

Every year, it's the same thing: each team gets pumped up, ready to play in the "Holy War". 

Every year, it seems like the fans get more and more restless and out of hand.

Is this really about a long-standing so-called "friendly" rivalry between two great schools? 

Because most of the time, it doesn't seem that way.

Most of the time, it seems like fans of the winning team are ready and willing to shove another victory into the faces of the losing team's fans, and visa versa. It also seems like the losing team's fans instantly tense up waiting for a chance to defend and make excuses for "their" team. 

It seems like everyone's worst comes out during sports.

I'm secretly (not so, anymore) glad that the rival games are coming to an end. 

That said, I am WAY more impressed with the reaction from my Facebook friends this year! The big lead Utah had, only to have BYU come back in the 4th quarter to make it a close game is definitely one to be remembered. I admit that I was WAY more into the game than I thought I would be. I could hear the yells and the roars coming from down the street, which made me more excited.

I wonder if this change of attitude came from how great the game was, that the rivalry is coming to an end, or perhaps last Sunday's CES devotional from Elder Holland?

I wonder if Elder Holland planned his talk in preparation for the BYU-Utah football game...? He definitely put us all in our place.

Food for thought.

.:Simplicity:.

Freshman year I took a psychology class. I had studied psychology before and absolutely loved it. It was fascinating the way people reacted to situations, and how sometimes thought processes could be manipulated in a way that someone could control. I always thought those kinds of people had super powers, or that they belonged in Inception, so psychology was obviously something I wanted to learn more about. I was excited to start a brand new semester at BYU, and excited for my psychology class. Until about 3 weeks into the semester.

This professor, ahem, DOCTOR (I suppose if you went to that much schooling, you deserve a title) was more concerned about showing off his scholarly language than he was about helping his students pass. The required text was a good three years beyond anything anyone in a level 100 class had learned (Except for two or three geniuses. There are ALWAYS two or three geniuses in every class…) and TAs were hired at random. Struggling with difficult language, and unhelpful TAs throughout that semester, I learned a solid lesson: If you want to relate to people, and have them understand you, simplicity is the key.

The whole point of journalism is informing the masses. In order for the masses to understand cholesterol levels in arctic fish versus tropical fish, some simple language has to be used. Granted, no one is really going to need to know that tropical fish have more cholesterol unless there is a sudden epidemic involving heart attacks linked with seafood, but the point still stands! The WHY of the world is how we learn, and learning is only possible when the explanation is easily understood. Society needs more people who are willing to simplify life. Kudos to those brave souls.

Leaked iPhone 5 video?

Haha.

11:00. Too Late for Writing.

In my Journalism class this semester, one of our assignments is to create a weekly blog and discuss things we have learned about in class. Initially, this blog was just going to be text on a screen. Enough to fulfill the requirements for a passing grade because I was planning on starting a blog anyway. BUT, I thought why not incorporate these assignments onto a blog that I want to keep? Throughout the semester, there will be prompts that I need to follow, and they might not necessarily be something I would normally write about but what a way to kick-start my brain into something challenging! I'm looking forward to stepping outside of my comfort zone and sharing my opinion about something that may be controversial or maybe even a bit personal. 

Which is the reason I made my blog pretty. Even if it's not fun to read, at least it's aesthetically appealing ;)

On another note, one of my best friends, Jeanette, has been rescued from Canada. After an ordeal at an amusement park in Toronto where her passport, wallet and gum were stolen, she is now safely within the boarders of the United States. (I feel like I should say something like, "Officials are chasing a lead in order to track down the bag snatching thief." but it's probably not true, and this paragraph already sounds too news-reporter to me)

Also, I really need to stop posting at 11:00 at night. 

.:Realization:.

I've had an epiphany. It may not seem like such a big deal, but once you find a way to make a dream work, it's a pretty big deal to you.

Backing up a few... well, it starts a few years ago, but I won't go back that far. Education has always been an integral part of my life. After being in school for fifteen years, you think I would know what direction I want my life to go, but every time I think I've figured it out, I dread the years ahead of me. There are two things I know for sure:

1. I am NOT going to have a desk job where I work in a cubicle for forty plus hours a week for the rest of my life.

2. I am going to travel the world. I don't care if I have to sleep in hostels, on dirt floors or in a car - I've done it before and the experiences I've had outweigh any expense I've paid. 

I remember thinking as I stepped onto campus for the first time, "This is where my life begins." I said goodbye to living comfortably in my childhood home, and traded it for a roommate, hours upon hours of reading and homework, five to six hours of sleep every weeknight - sometimes less, and trying to balance good grades with a social life and sanity. Well, semesters passed with most of my friends doing internships, starting their programs and getting married, but I had only flipped majors a few times and hadn't even started a program in the two and a half years I've been here (which, I've come to find out, isn't that uncommon for undergrads). Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed my college experience as much as the next girl, but the decision to be locked in a program that I might not even like for at least two years was terrifying. 

Choosing a major was invading my thoughts, and although I've tested and researched many different ones, I've never felt at ease. 

This is where the whole point of this comes into play. A few weeks ago, I was talking with my mom, and I expressed the concerns I had. She asked if I had ever thought about Journalism, and I brushed it aside because I don't want to report on politics, crime, or any sort of stories that go into the news nowadays. To be honest, being a journalist has crossed my mind a time or two, but I always convinced myself that I wasn't a good enough writer, so I'd never looked into it. Why I thought I could manage a business better than I could write is beyond me, but I looked into it.

The more I read about Journalism, the more I like how it fits with the type of career I want to have. No, I still would rather not write for the news, but I CAN write. And I would be MORE than happy to write for a travel magazine. I've always been good at keeping a journal, so why not apply myself to something I already do - and LIKE to do, for that matter?

Ironic how sometimes you end up wanting to do something you thought you'd NEVER want to do.