Now, isn't this adorable?

 

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I LOVE exposed brick

So maybe it's my dream to have a home library with a sliding ladder.

Wow, I can't wait to have a home of my own to decorate one day.


Oh hey, I love this song.

Monday Moments: Back to School

Here we go again. This morning, my alarm clock went off bright and early and told me that summer was over. No more lazy, carefree days with friends. No more doing whatever I want, when I want. No more summer. Now, it's back to class, books, lab reports, and studying. Back to hours in lab, the testing center, and note taking.

But you know what? I'm kinda excited. I love meeting new people in class. I love learning. I love being in college. And, since I'm only here for fall semester before I head out for the mission, I'm going to make it great.

Awkward:

• Today in class, I heard someone hooting. I turned to Kristen and said, "Is there an owl in here or something??". Well, turns out, a guy in the back had Tourette's. Yeah, I felt bad.
• When people try to 'slyly' peek at your notes. You know, the awkward head crane, their eyes dart out to the side without turning their head, then they write down exactly what you just wrote. Just because you're spacing out doesn't mean you should copy my notes, thank you.
• How flaming hot it is outside. I loved walking into my first class looking like I just ran a mile.
• I'm pretty much going to be living in the Smith Field House this semester, so feel free to come visit me there.
• We called the bishop on Friday to see if my call had been assigned (if the status says assigned, then the call will be in the mail on Wednesday). And guess what. It wasn't. Back to another week of wondering and difficulty falling asleep.
• How many dreams I've had about my mission call. So far I've been called to Chile, Venezuela, Guatemala, and Switzerland. 

Awesome:

• Seeing my lovely roommates again. I still say they are my roommates, even though we don't live together anymore. 
• Mission call: T minus 9 days! (I hope)
• I have a private room this semester. My heart is singing with joy. So much space. 
• A crazy 30 minutes with my best friends. It included singing "Hollaback Girl" at the top of our lungs and laughing our bums off. Boy, I've got some great friends.
• I'm a JUNIOR in college. Since when am I in college? Since when am I a junior in college? What is this world coming to?

The Best Parents Ever

Remember this post? Where I made it known to the blogging world (and my parents) that I am completely obsessed with Fleet Foxes? Well, my parents took the hint (actually multiple hints) and got tickets to the Fleet Foxes concert in Reno. WOO HOO! Right? Well, sort of.

You see, it was cancelled yesterday.

I almost cried.

BUT, they said you could reimburse your tickets, OR use them at the Berkeley, CA concert the next night. So, after much begging and negotiating (including me buying my own plane ticket), I AM GOING. That's right. I'm going to see Fleet Foxes in Berkeley. Yes, we're flying down on September 10th, going to the concert, then leaving the next day. And I can't wait.

Who wouldn't want to see these bearded musical wonders?

I swear their music speaks straight to my soul. And isn't he a cutie?

Marry me?

Wow. I think it's safe to say that I have some great parents. 

In other news... has it only been  four days since I put in my papers? Can't time pass a little more quickly? I want to know where I'm going!! Also, I'm moving back to P-town again tomorrow... I can't believe school is just around the corner. Craziness. 

Here is a hug for your ears.

The Black Name Tag

That's right, friends. I'm going on a mission! Better believe it. I'll be sporting the black name tag for 18 whole months, and I. Can't. Wait.

What made me decide? Well, a few months back, I started thinking seriously about going on a mission. Because of past experiences, I had always kind of known in the back of my mind that I would go. I dove into the scriptures and prayed hard about it, to see if now was the right time. As soon as I asked if a mission was right for me, I got an overwhelming, head-to-toe confirmation. Yes! Get going on it! Now! So I did. I read a few books, like Eighteen Months and Preparation Precedes Power (I recommend both for any FSM... that's future sister missionary), and I also took Missionary Preparation with Brother Bott at BYU. All of that got me pumped up to serve.

As the weeks passed, I got more and more excited. Every time I thought about serving a mission, I got overwhelming feelings of happiness. If you ever saw me grinning stupidly, it's probably because I was thinking about being a missionary. In fact, remember this post? Yeah, it was written about the time I decided. I was pretty much bursting with joy.

In June, I made an appointment with my home ward bishop and told him of my plans. I got set up on the Missionary Recommendation site and got to work. I completed most of the paperwork before I left on my study abroad, and my mom did the insurance stuff and made my doctor/dentist appointments while I was gone. Two days after I got back, I had my dentist appointment. I finished the rest of the paperwork that day. On Friday, I had my missionary physical. On Sunday, I had my interviews with my stake president and my bishop. And that night, they were submitted.

It's so surreal that everything has come together so quickly. But I am ready, and oh-so excited.

Excited to be a representative of Jesus Christ.

Excited to change.

Excited to serve.

Excited to go through the temple.

Excited to be known as Sister Squire.

anyone want to...

go to the loy kratong festival in 

chiang mai, thailand with me? 

Seriously, I would give my right arm to see this in real life.

Falling for Fall

Even though it's still blazing hot outside, I've been thinking about fall. Fall is my favorite time of year. The changing leaves, a new semester of school, new apartment, my birthday, and my most favorite: fall fashion. I've spent a little time getting together a list of my favorite fall pieces.

First off, maxi skirts and midi skirts. Both of these are appropriate for spring, summer, and fall.

High waisted skinnies with flats, and one great leather jacket.

I'm starting to wonder if stripes will ever go out of style.

The perfect pair of boots and lots of leather.

Cute, comfy hoodies.

Skinny jeans with either boots, a slouchy cardi, and a scarf, or a gingham shirt, and a military style jacket.

Last, but not least, brightly colored pants. Love them.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

P.S. I love this song

Monday Moments

You know you missed them.

Awkward:

• How weird it is having a phone. I've been leaving it in random places, because I forget I can actually use it. Last place I found it? The bathroom drawer. 
• When we were driving back from the airport, it felt so weird to be driving on the right side of the road. And driving on a wide road, with lane dividers. 
• Last night went like this: Bed at 11:30 p.m. Wake up at 2:00 a.m: Oh hey, it's two a.m., why am I still awake? Oh yeah, it's because it's 10 a.m. in Paris. Super. Stare at ceiling. Guess it's time for a benadryl. Pass out. 7:30 a.m: Wide awake. 
• Going to a step interval class today, only to find out they already had the routine down for 2 weeks. Picture me standing in the back, staring at everyone doing kicks and turns then trying to mimic them, only to find out they moved on to the next set. When I got lost, I would just jump around and kick and maybe shake my hips a little to make it look like I knew what I was doing (still was a good workout once I got the hang of it).
• 10 hour flight + tight hamstrings = me walking like an old lady every time I got up.

Awesome:

• I am actually home. HOME.
• The delicious food I had in Paris... baguette sandwiches, quiche, CREPES. You know what all this means? That's right. Gym time.
• Let me go back to food. We had the most delicious crepes made by a woman from Columbia. We put in Nutella, banana, and cinnamon. Ever tried that combination? YOU MUST. I have never had anything more delicious on a crepe. Ever.
• Having my parents with me during the last part of the trip. I didn't have to plan anything, pay for my own food, and I didn't have to stay in a room with 12 bunk beds. The best.
• The most epic thunder and lightning storm that went on last night! What! Did you guys see/hear it? It was the most insane and wonderful storm I have seen this summer!

home

                                                          MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

This video kinda depicts what I have been doing these past few months, minus a few countries and instead of a backpack, a giant suitcase.

After living in the UK for 7 weeks, I can definitely say I am glad to be home. I loved every single minute of my study abroad (and hope to go back some day), but I missed my home terribly. I am happy to be in my own room BY MYSELF and in my own home. As we made the descent into SLC, my eyes were locked on the beautiful mountains. Man, I've missed my mountains. I got off the plane and was hit with the dry heat of a Utah summer. I couldn't help but smile. As the border control man stamped my passport, he said "Welcome home", and I almost got teary eyed. Yes, I am home.

To My Sandals

I'm slightly embarrassed about how dirty these are.

Dear Sandals,

You have been the best thing for this trip. I have worn you through Ireland, Wales, England, and Paris. I have chosen you most days over my toms and two other pairs of sandals. Why? Because when it rains, you don't stay wet all day or make my feet cold. You haven't given me any blisters, and because of you, I've remained mostly blister free. You go with almost every outfit, jeans or skirts, and I can walk in you all day long. You have also given me sweet tan lines.

'

But, as they say, all good things must come to an end. Unfortunately, you are so filthy dirty, and I'm afraid you will never smell the same again. I must say goodbye to you, awesome sandals. Thanks for being so great. 

Love, 

Cydnee

This is a great version of this song.

The Missing Green Jacket

Today, we went to Versailles. I let my parents view the palace while I roamed the gardens and read. When they got out of the palace, we saw Marie Antoinette's love cottage. It was so beautiful.

If you want to see more pictures from my last visit, go here.

We ate some delicious baguette sandwiches and headed back to Paris. Our first stop was Notre Dame. You can't visit Paris without going to the Notre Dame. It's beautiful!

Our next stop was the Louvre. Boy, was it hot in there. But, we buzzed around really quick and got to see the big ones then got the heck out of there.

If you ever visit Paris, and you plan on going to Museums, get yourself one of these babies:

Yeah, that's the real Mona Lisa in the background. Clever, I know.

You can pick them up at any Museum, and it lets you bypass the lines. You can get into tons of places like the Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, on top of Arc de Triumph, Versailles, Trocadero, etc. It was only 35 euro for 2 days, and in the end, it ended up saving us a bunch of money. So, get one!

Ok, now for the title of this post... remember my green jacket that is in almost every single picture? I lost it this morning. The forecast showed rain, so we were planning on bringing our rain coats. As it was getting close for us to leave, I couldn't find it anywhere and my heart was beginning to break. That jacket has been all over Europe with me, keeping me warm, dry (except from the country walk from you know where), and helping me stand out from the crowd, making it easy for others to find me. We had the hotel call our hotel in London, but they didn't have it. We came home from the long day, and I had almost given up all hope. Then, I checked the outside of my suitcase. That's where I saw it. That flash of bright green. WOO! I whipped it out and hung it on the wall. There's no way I'm losing this baby.

On The Top Of Things

We took in some beautiful views yesterday. Here's a taste of what we did:

• Musee D'orsay
• Top of the Arch de Triumph.
• Top of La Fayette Galleries.
• Yummy quiche and crepes.
• Top (2nd level) of the Eiffel Tower.
• River boat tour on the river Seine.
• Paris at Night Tour.

Boy do I love Paris. 

Bonjour (one more time)

Never ceases to amaze me.

My last day in London was bittersweet. I have grown to love that city so much, and I am going to miss it terribly. I was my parent's tour guide, so I hustled them around the city, getting them from place to place. We first went to the Tower of London and then to St. Paul's. I made my parents climb to the top for the amazing view  while I wandered around (520 steps a second time? No way no how). We had afternoon tea there, then went to Harrods to look around. That left us just enough time to get us to Wicked. I loved it even more the second time.

This morning, we got on the Eurostar to Paris. We had a lovely lunch in the front of a cafe, then walked to the Eiffel Tower. Well, it was a lot further than we thought. We hung around there for a few hours then headed back. We're guessing we walked around 6-7 miles total. Phew! My poor feet are not looking so pretty.

The next few days here will be packed and full of fun times as a family. I can't wait!

I Heart London

On Friday after the banquet (and after many tears and hugs), the parents and I went to the Tattoo Festival... the Military Tattoo Festival, where military bands perform in front of Edinburgh castle. It was amazing! When the Scottish military came out with their bagpipes... man. Chills is all I can say.

On Saturday, we got tickets to see the Edinburgh Castle. It was cool to see the Great Hall, Crown Jewels, and the museum.

Then it started raining. Because guess what? It rains all the time in the UK, did you know? We tried walking the Royal Mile and made it halfway through before we were soaked to the bone. Not fun. And you know what? I was wearing Toms. It always rains when I wear my Toms. They are permanently stinky, thanks to this country.

On Sunday, we took the train to London. We hurried to our hotel, dropped our stuff ate a quick dinner before we saw Thriller Live. Wowza. It was so so good! There was this white guy that could sing exactly like Michael. Exactly. And there was some insane dancing. We loved it.

Today, we rushed to Buckingham Palace for our "Royal Day Out" tour. We saw the Queen's Gallery:

We also saw the Royal Mews. This is where all the royal cars, coaches, and horses are kept. This was definitely a highlight!

Royal Stables

The 1902 State Landau- Will and Kate rode away in this after the wedding!

The Golden Carriage

Rolls Royce Phantom VI... the car Kate arrived in to Westminster Abbey

After the Royal Mews, we went to tour the state rooms of Buckingham Palace and we saw.... KATE'S WEDDING DRESS. The real thing. In real life. Wow, it was beautiful, and so so tiny. No pictures... but here's some from the good ol' world wide web: 

via

via

The inside of the palace was so beautiful. No detail was overlooked. I could have spent hours roaming around the rooms. 

After the palace, we headed to Westminster so my parents could see Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and the London Eye. See pics on a previous post here. 

Then, we headed back to Kensington and met the lovely Paige for dinner and ice cream. She leaves on Friday for home! We both can't believe the end is so soon, and we both have developed a love for London. Maybe we'll come back together someday. :)

We walked her back to her area through Hyde Park. What a lovely little walk! After we dropped her off, I took my parents to see Trafalgar Square... where I spent 7 house standing non stop to see the HP stars.

It was a fun and busy day. Tomorrow we have another long list of things to keep us busy, including Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, Harrods, Wicked and hopefully a little shopping!

I always love me some Sea Wolf

A Journey's End

Well, almost anyway.

Before I tell you about our bittersweet last day as a study abroad group, let me tell you what's been going on these last few days.

Thursday and Friday were free days in Edinburgh and we had a great time spending it with these cute girls:

Just stole from your blog, Sarah. Not sorry.

With no 8:20 am departure times, we slept in both days. It was pure bliss. On Thursday, we trudged through the rain to get to the Elephant House.

J.K Rowling spent time in the Elephant House writing the early HP novels. It was so packed in there, but very cool to see!

We walked to Princess street and did some shopping before the rain did us in. We stopped by Tesco on the way home to get stuff for quesadillas and banana boats for dinner. Then we watched Nacho Libre and laughed our heads off.

On Friday, I got to see my parents! I packed up my stuff and got all set up in their hotel. We had a lovely lunch with Kelsey and Catie, and got to do a little shopping before the closing banquet.

We held the banquet at our first hostel in Edinburgh, and the fed us a lovely 3 course meal. After dinner, we headed into the conference room to watch a slideshow of everyone's top 20 pictures. There were a lot of awww's and laughs. The professors expressed their gratitude to us for being such a great group. We really had no serious problems (there was the occasional crankiness, of course), and everyone was so flexible. I really lucked out. I made some great friends, and I loved our professors.

This is what I'm going to miss:

> All of these people. We seriously had the best group in the whole world.

> These boys (aka my new adopted brothers). Don't you want to squeeze them all?
> Quoting Nacho Libre and various youtube videos with Hilary and Sarah and laughing obnoxiously (and beneath the man... we find his... nucleus. STAY ON YOUR SIDE!).
> The bananas here. Kinda weird, but I think they are just extra tasty.
> The kind people we have run across.
> The accents.
> Our amazing professors.
> Hob Nobs, Carmel Digestives, Bueno Bars, Chewits, Fruitella, Cadbury Carmel Bars/Nibbles.
> The history.
> Having people say: "You're American, aren't you?"

This has definitely been a once in a lifetime experience. I have learned so much and I will never forget the many experiences that I've had. It's going to be so weird not seeing these people everyday. I'm sad it's over, but I know I will see these girls again and that we will all continue to be friends. I am so incredibly lucky to have gone on this trip.

Book Review: Messiah

About a week ago, I finished reading Messiah by Toni Sorenson. I loved it. Once I got into it, I was hooked. 

Here's the description: 

"Turmoil grips Zarahemla. Wickedness abounds despite the humbling famine, and the Gadianton robbers are increasing in strength. While deserted by his rebellious father, Kiah is raised in righteousness by his mother and grandfather and finds guidance in the teachings of Nephi, their prophet and friend. Growing into manhood, Kiah sees his family torn apart by dissension regarding the prophesied Savior, but as he remains courageous in the face of deceit and betrayal, his faith becomes firm. And while his desire to fight the infernal robbers remains, Kiah comes to know his true calling: to be a warrior of God.

Consecrating his life as a missionary, Kiah labors among Nephites and Lamanites caught in destructive cycles of pride and sin. He testifies of Christ amidst fierce persecution, witnessing the miracle of redemption as well as the brutal murder of loved ones. And as the Messiah’s advent draws near, Kiah must face the bitterness of unrestrained corruption before tasting the sweetness of a promise fulfilled."

As I was reading, the stories that I read in the Book of Mormon came to life. I had read about how awful the Gadianton robbers were, and how tough the times were before Christ came, but by reading this book, it made me want to go back and re-read those chapters with a new mind set. I have hooked Kelsey on it, and hope to get many more hooked. This isn't an ordinary 'church book'. It is exciting, heart wrenching, and full of adventure. 

Now that I have finished Messiah, I started reading another one of her books, Master, which is an account of Christ's life. I am not quite halfway through, but I'm already loving it!

Whoa, Nessie

Yesterday, we made our way to Fort Williams. But first, we stopped by Loch Ness to take some pictures. It was so beautiful there!

We spent some time walking along the rocky shoreline and skipping rocks. It was a lovely morning for some lake time (Honestly, who can say they've skipped rocks on Loch Ness?).

Found Nessie...

We arrived at our hostel, and found out it was straight up camping. 13 girls in one room. Spiders in the bathroom. No outlet in the room (with the 13 girls, what?). The good thing is that we were in the most beautiful location. It reminded me of the canyons at home.

View from hostel.

We decided to make the best of it, and when we went into town later, we got stuff for a group dinner. We had taco salad, and the girls and I decided to do banana boats as our little treat. So, we got 28 bananas, cadbury chocolate, and marshmallows for everyone. Dinner and dessert were SO GREAT. The banana boats were a hit. Who doesn't love banana with melted chocolate and marshmallow?

This morning, we packed up and made our way back to Edinburgh. On the way, to Stirling Castle, we stopped in a prime spot for pictures. I stepped off the bus and was in awe. It. Was. So. Beautiful. I'd be totally fine if heaven looked like this.

This is real life

After a quick lunch in a small town, we made it to Stirling Castle. The workers said we needed 2 1/2 hours there, but we got done in 45 minutes. For the last bit, we ended up lounging in the grass and reading (p.s. this was our 21st castle...not really, but it seems like it).

After the castle, we completed the journey back to Edinburgh. We are definitely ending on a good note, because we are staying in a hostel that used to be university housing. SO, there are 5 of us in a flat, we get our OWN rooms, and a kitchen to share. I am one happy camper.

The next two days are free days in Edinburgh. We are so exited to get out and explore the city!