now's the time, if anyone's still interested

I think I'm pretty good at appreciating things and getting the most out of them, but sometimes no matter how great you knew it was at the time, looking back you see a completely new perspective and you're gratitude hits you again 10 fold. I wish I could put into words how amazing my trip to Italy was. I still think about a whole lot and frequently long to go back and relive moments. The fact that it was a choir tour was probably the best aspect about it. Being able to sing such beautiful songs in such detailed, ornate, ancient and beloved places is something few 17 year old girls get to do. And honestly to try to explain how amazing that really was is quite impossible. I can say that each performance ended with tears and I was continually left in awe. But even just sitting on the bus listening to my favorite songs and staring out the window and the countryside of Italy was amazing. I am so lucky it's insane. Some things I learned while in Italy:
You've got to love. There's nothing else to it. You've got to love the little Italian men that say chao bella as you pass and the African men who call you Shakira and are constantly shoving fake purses in your face. You've got to love the music you're singing even if you've sung it 100 times. You've got to love the food even if it Chicken and potatoes for the sixth straight night. You've got to love the people you're with and give everyone a chance even if you are completely different. I was shocked to get to know some of the kids in my choir. I realize more and more how quickly I stereotype and build barriers. It was so fun to sit with different people at almost every meal and to just love people for who they are, I admit I could have been a lot better at that though. You've got to love you're closest friends being with you in Italy and not trying to impress them and just having a blast playing cards at 1 in the morning or touring the Vatican or teaching them to make bracelets or getting the daily gelato. You've got to love the Italian high school kids we met and they're fascination with California. You've got to love the architecture and the background behind every basillica and building. It completely amazes me that these people built such large and beautiful buildings with such little resources. I seriously don't get it. I wish we put as much passion and creativity into every building like they did. You've got to love you're tour guides and their attempts to make jokes and keep people interested. This post could go on forever but I don't think it's as interesting for anyone else as it is for me.
Quick highlights:
*gondola ride in Venice
*Singing in the baptistry at Pisa -11 second reverb
*St. Peter's Basillica(singing and touring)
*Sistine Chapel-unbelievable could have stayed in there forever
*the David- Michalengelo is my new hero.
*Bell tower in Florence
*Last concert in Rome
*Colosseum
*Nighttime adventures/sneaking into peoples rooms and around the hotels
*Last dinner/dance party with a random Italian work group
*Art everywhere
*getting pooped on by a bird-it's my 1st time so it's kind of monumental
*Singing for the Pope
*ipod spiltters
*margherita pizza
*sparkling water- I messed up and bought sparkling instead of flat 3 different times
*Gelato at least once a day
*really good swiss chocolate on the plane rides

Full Speed Ahead

SUMMER 2011 baby. It's already been great, and I'm already getting a little worn out.  

Graduation was lovely. I love the football field ceremony + the colleges on the caps. 

                                                       Jacob-BYU

                                                       Brent- BYU

                                                          seniors woo

                                          brennan- University of Victoria Canada

Saturday I went to Make Music Pasadena. Basically bands were playing all over Pasadena and it was all free. The Indie Rock Stage was the most popular and I saw The Morning Benders and Ra Ra Riot. 1. I LOVE live music. I can't go to enough concerts. 2. There were sooo many trendy/hip people there. It was crazy. Utah wouldn't have known what hit them. We also went to a World Music Stage and listened to a cool Brazilian group and a Jazz Stage. 

Jenna Me Rachel

                    The bassist was rad

Monday Ali and I took a quick trip to the Americana and I got a new moleskine Sketchbook. YES. I'm so excited to fill it up this summer. Then we swam of course.

Tuesday we took the beach bus down to Santa Monica Pier with a bunch of girls. It was way way fun. I got my nap in the beach, in the sand, AND a photobooth picture, AND a panini AND a bad sunburn on my legs.

Wednesday we got a big group (the beach group plus more) and went to Sunthrift. It's the biggest thrift store I've ever seen. Kinda overwhelming at first but we all got some sweet things. Including a children's book from 1969 with sweet pictures that I can't wait to use. (Jane you'd love it) 

Basically I'm trying to take advantage of the fact that I have nothing to do this summer and so I'm trying to jampack it with fun adventures. Week one has been a success but there's more items to be accomplished including building a tree house, painting shoes, picnik at Descanso Gardens, Venice.....the list goes on. Stay tuned

One smart fellow he felt smart

It's crazy how many deep emotions I've felt this week. From extreme dislike, anger, sadness, anxiety, stress, relieved, euphoric to nostalgic. At least I know I'm alive and my heart is working, maybe a little too well. As of now the emotion highest on the list is satisfied. I'm happy with how things are going.
We have half days this week and I only have two finals and they shouldn't be too difficult.
Ali and I are in a band called The Border Collies with Sam, Emmet and Rachel.
I made Chamber Singers! It's the top choir at La Canada and I'm really excited!
Just spent a lovely family night at the Americana eating at the Cheesecake Factory and getting some new church clothes.

Here's my new favorite thing to do:

This one doesn't make a whole lot of sense because you have to work with the words already there...but what the heck it's still fun to do :)

Good Morning, Son

Meet Rachel Thorpe. We're both wearing planet shirts and we didn't even plan it! She's awesome, seriously so chill. And she's a drummer which is just rad, I've always wanted to be a drummer. She's also a junior girl which is lovely because most of my friends are 1. seniors and are leaving 2. boys. 

Meet Scott Gray. He is one of these seniors boys mentioned above. He's just a good kid. Always making sure I'm OK and always planning something fun. I'm definitely going to miss him.

Meet my mother. Two weeks ago we took a trip into Hollywood and ate at Umami (so gooood) and went to Amoeba. I love her even though I'm not very patient with her.

Meet my newest piece of art.

This was just pretty so I'm throwin it in the mix.

Meet one of my all time favorite songs: Still Fighting It by Ben Folds

(fun fact: I put "and we're still fighting" as my status yesterday because I was listening to this and I just felt like pulling the classic 'put the lyrics to your favorite song as your status' move. I didn't realize how lame "and we're still fighting" sounds haha awkward... It's deleted now don't worry.) 

I Will Never Be Tall

Unlike most of my readers I'm not out of school yet. Still have two weeks...bah. Now is the time when teachers really don't know what to do with their students, and they don't feel like teaching so they just start assigning random projects that are usually pointless. But we're all pushing through. 
Brent taught me how to use photoshop a little bit. Here's what I came up with:

 I'm going to do a lot of things this summer:
*get good at the piano again
*take a letterpress class
*design and print a shirt (with Eliza's help)
*attempt to write and record a song (with Sam's help)
*make friends of course because a lot of mine are leaving me
*go to TONS of concerts
*do sweet chalk art (Lisa Adachi inspired me)
*Learn how to do bokeh photography like Maryn
*GO TO LAKE POWELL- I go through with drawls at this time of year: 1. Boating. Seriously I crave it, I NEED to wakeboard. 2. BYU football
*Trek- even though this will be two summers in a row I'm pretty stoked. I just realized I'm going to be one of the "cool seniors", we'll see if I can actually be cool.
*Girls Camp: They're letting the oldest girls sleep in tents one of the nights, SCORE.
*Have a weekly movie night with a projector in the backyard? I don't know I just made that one up...
*continue Loa's Health Bootcamp-I'm stoked
*drive-ins
*learn how and successfully make a music video
*go to at least 2 food trucks a month
I'm going to have to stop here because honestly this list could go on for quite awhile. I'm a BIG fan of bucket lists, but you should know that by now.

alright off to do my last IP of the year in Art. I've got a weird idea, I hope it works. Song of the Day: Anything I'm Not by Lenka. I will forever and always be a fan of Lenka. At least her first CD, I haven't met her second one yet. She's one of the only girl singers I actually like. Her and Ingrid, and Regina mostly, and there's probably more but those are my 3 for now. anyway have a happy day bye.