oh HAPPY day!

There are so many things to be happy about today.  
Seriously guys.

-I AM HOME UNTIL WEDNESDAY.
-My mom loves Belle and Sebastian almost as much as I do. Way to go, hipster mamma!
-I have spent the last two days straight basking in the glory of Arizona spring. And doing it all with my family. My soul is feeling so refreshed, it's marvelous!
-I am sunburned. And it seriously feels SO good.
-My  brothers and I are pro badminton players.
-We are watching home videos for family night.... much laughter is sure to ensue.
-My dear friend Jennifer Burkinshaw is finally my roommate. The next four months may or may not have the potential to be really freaking rad.
-I AM NOT IN SCHOOL ANYMOREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. I don't know how else to react to that without taking it a little too far, and probably giving myself a happiness-induced bliss-seizure.
-It's supposed to get up to almost 70 in Provo on Thursday. That will be a beautiful "welcome back".
-Speaking of going back to Provo, I am bringing my road bike back with me. Finally, cyclist Brooke can come out to play for the summer!


Okay that's all. I'm going to lunch with the mamma now.
AHHHHH I could get used to this!

sometimes blog posts are really long. and so are their titles. and i'm okay with that.

You know those days that are filled with the deepest exhaustion?
The prickly-eyed, achy-joint, mental-mush, disregard for everything important exhaustion?

Yep. You guessed it.
FINALS ARE HERE.

It's funny, I specifically remember addressing this issue last semester and saying something along the lines of:

"I kind of like finals week"

WHAA????
Let me introduce you to the idiot also known as myself, circa December 2010.
Maybe before I made such a presumptuous statement I should have taken some difficult classes. 

Like, oh say, econ accounting math and family finance. Just an idea.
Because honestly, life is a little ridick right now. I won't say anything else but this. I pushed my econ exam that I was going to take tomorrow afternoon to Thursday morning so I could study for an additional six hours.

YEAH.
You should see my planner haha.

Regardless, I'm really not that bitter. PROMISE. It's just fun to complain about school sometimes. Mostly because it's almost over (SUMMER, I AM COMING TO YOU! DON'T WORRY!), and everyone else here at this beautiful university is suffering through it with me. I am actually in the HBLL 

(aka the library. come on, BYU noobs....) 

typing this as we speak. Em, read. Or type. Whatevs. My point is, there are about 50 people around me who all look like they want to cry while I give myself a much needed break. Sorry dudes, I wish I could share the love.  

Anyways.

This weekend was cool. Pretty busy, full of many a review session (I'm pretty sure that's what I did on friday night? I don't even remember anymore HA.) and a bridal shower for the two engaged roomies. We took a much needed... and incredibly fun might I add.... trip to Target to pick them out some "fancy clothes", as they have now been dubbed. Haha gets me every time.
Also. Saturday night I went to Chilis with two women who are arguably some of my very favorite people on this earth. Thank heavens for fifth grade bffz (aka hi Nicole!) and freshman year bosom buddies (aka oh hey Kaylie!). Also Chilis chips-n-salsa. Kill me with joy, why don't you?!

Sunday was just nuts, I'm not even going to address it. Yes, I am being serious.

Which brings us to yesterday. Which was also nuts, mostly because I was on campus for 13 hours. But I already promised I wouldn't talk any more about finals so DON'T YOU EVEN WORRY.

So on a lighter note, I have an idea. 

Let's talk summer. 

Or more specifically, 

things to be SO pumped about for the season of sunshine!
1. Bucket list fulfillment with future roommate Jburk. GUYS. We are seriously so good at setting goals. Like going swinging every day. And finding the best park in the Provo/Orem area. Yeah don't even worry about it.
2. The fact that friend Eric is so sweet to let us babysit his precious t.v. and d.v.d collection for four months. Let's just say there will be some freaking EPIC live concert watching sessions in our apartment. On a weekly basis.
3. Walking to and from work every day, all the while being serenaded by Mumford & Sons, Two Door Cinema Club, Owl City, Fleet Foxes, Ray LaMontagne, Death Cab, and Noah and the Whale (p.s. I have decided that when I tie the knot, "5 years time" will be the featured song in our what will of course be precious wedding video. Along with the Eels "Fresh Feeling". Go listen to those and try to tell me they wouldn't be the best wedding video songs EVER.)
4. Late night walks in the beautiful Provo weather. With complete disregard for time because OH WAIT I WON'T BE IN SCHOOL.
5. Cooking. A LOT.
6. Having fun (and mostly crafty) activities with the 40 darling girls in my ward.
7. Movies in the park ah!
8. *no offense family* but not having to worry about spending time at home when I am not at work. Like, I could come home at 5 in the afternoon and go on a 20 mile bike ride and feel ZERO GUILT. So awesome right?!
9. July. "Brooke, how can you be excited for a whole month? That's just DUMB"
False.
YOU are dumb.
Let me tell you about July.
First, giant water balloon fight with all the other crazy BYU students.
Second, Owl City concert. Got my tix in the mail last week YEEEE.
Third, Harry Potter 7 part 2. I can't talk about it any more than that or I might start crying.
Fourth, the 4th. Of July. Get it?! No but really, it's been my dream to be in Provo for the 4th since I came here 3 years ago. I AM PUMPED.
Fifth, Mckay comes for EFY, mom and Ty come along for the ride. Aka party all week.
Sixth, my bff gets home from his mish.
Guys, that's like 1 1/3 things to be excited about per week for the whole month. Yes, July is going to be the best thing ever.
10. Tan-ish-ness. I'm not going to go crazy, but boy do I miss having sunkissed skin! There is something to be said for that glow. It makes everyone look 100% healthier, swear.
11. Reading. Like 98% of my days. I already have my book list, don't even worry.
12. Being extra good about budgeting. Go ahead. Call me a nerd for being pumped about spending my summer budgeting. I don't even cuuurrr.
13. Flowers.
14. Leaves.

15. Summer storms.
16. Clouds.

Anyways. You get the gist. 

Basically it's gonna be awesome.
And now that I have myself fully psyched on life, I should probably go for a run and get out all my finals-induced anger.
Bai.

oh and p.s. I've been having this INTENSE obsession with two Arcade Fire songs since last week's concert escapade. First, "Suburban War".

OH EM GEE, I am in love with that song. 

Second, "Rococo". 

OH EM GEE, I don't really love that song. It actually kind of creeps me out a little. 

It gives me that feeling you have when you tell a white lie. 

Or feel someone watching you. 

Or walk out the door and forget something. 

Or drive by a car accident, and you don't really want to look but you look anyway. 

That slight uneasiness in the pit of your stomach. 

So why do I keep listening to it? 

Because it's FASCINATING. And it keeps getting stuck in my head and making surprise appearances in my dreams (TRUE STORY. Exhibit A last night. It was looping for my entire dream, I thought I was going to kill myself when I woke up). Anyways, don't even worry about my weird obsession with something that makes me feel uncomfortable. It's probably SUPER normal........
 

here at the end of all things two.point.oh

In light of yet another school year wrapping up

(give me a moment while I FREAK OUT in happiness, also in amazement.........)

I have compiled a list.

*hem hem*

Things I have learned this semester:
- Drinking a gallon of water a day makes me feel almost as good as getting 9 hours of sleep.

That's some SERIOUS good, folks.

And as much as this is going to make me sound like a writer for Allure magazine or something, it seriously does WONDERS for the complexion. In case that was a pressing concern for anyone.

- I don't have enough drama in my life 

(said in a sarcastically thankful tone, not an "i wish i did have more drama" tone) 

and watching the Bachelor is a great fix. Mostly because it makes me grateful that I am not surrounded by 100% crazy women.

viva la craysie!

-Trying to get engaged? I'm the roommate you should live with! 

3 in 2 semesters whaaaa?

-Apparently I am in love with pastel colored nailpolish.
Little did I know, this is super true. Thanks roomies, for pointing this out.
In the words of my dear friend Kimber, "It's like you have Easter on your nails!"
I can't decide yet if that's a bad thing.
So until then, I will keep wearing my robin's egg blue, thankyouverymuch.

-Sometimes its ok to take a bath every day of the week for two weeks straight.

- 10:30 pm is the best time to actually get a treadmill at the gym. Crazy psycho college students. Who hangs out at 24 hour fitness until 11:30 on a weeknight anyways?!

- Don't let school get in the way of your education.

Even if econ is one of the worst. classes. ever.

- Cooking is probably one of the most therapeutic activities known to man, aka known to myself. 

Seriously I'm obsessed.

As in I have spent an embarrassing amount of time on foodgawker.com.
Probs more than I should admit.
Whatever.
My future family will worship my cooking skillz. NBD.

- And finally, and probably most importantly:

"In some ways, suffering ceases to be suffering the moment it finds meaning, such as the meaning of sacrifice" 

-Viktor Frankl

Thanks for the ride, Winter semester 2011. 
It's been fun.
Kind of.
 

Wow. Just wow.

"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. 

He intends to come and live in it Himself." 

- C.S. Lewis

What an inspired man.

And what a beautiful quote.

Happy Thursday.

Take me toooo Bonaroooo!

First,

Sorry all I ever do anymore is post videos.

And talk about music.

And then post more videos.

And talk about more music.

In case you were unsure whether or not I am passionate about music, 

well I think I done made it clear.

That being said...

I. WANT. TO. GO. TO. BONAROO.

So freaking bad, I could die. 

It would probably be one of the most intense, HELLOWORLD, experiences this conservative girl would ever experience. 

BUT SERIOUSLY.

4 days in the middle of a 700 acre farm in Tennessee listening to music I love, with a bunch of other crazy (albeit they are probably crazy because of all the drugz) music lovers?

HEAVEN

Yeah, I know you don't shower. 

Yeah I know you sleep in a tent.

Yeah yeah yeah.... I'm not even phased. I swear. One day. I'm going. Once I have myself a man decent enough to accompany me. 

I'M GOING. 

Until then, I shall just watch this and bask in the potential awesome-ness. 

AH.

people of the world, I am in love with you.

Really though. I am.
I was reminded last night just how much I LOVE people. I am so deeply fascinated by them.
By us.
Everyone is so different.
Full of different desires.
Different talents.
Different passions.
Different style...
....friends....
....music taste....
....favorite restaurants....
....senses of humor....
....childhood memories....
....things that make them cry...
....hobbies...

Do you get my drift?
Everyone is so beautifully, strikingly different! And we come together in a wonderful conglomeration called humanity, and it's just a funny, crazy glorious mess sometimes.
And by sometimes, I mean most of the time.
I ADORE IT. 
Honestly, people watching is probably my #4 favorite hobby. Because of all the above.

So last night I went to the Arcade Fire concert with dear friend turned cousin (nobutreally) Brittany. (sidenote: yes, it was INCREDIBLE. and no I did not cry. I save my "ilovelivemusic" tears for special artists only, and Win Butler is just a tad too weird to be deserving of that quite yet. Maybe if I indie-fied myself a little more..................joke. That sounds horribly unappealing. Anyways). My point in bringing up the concert is this:
There was a guy a few rows up from us that was going NUTS. The. Whole. Time. And guess what.

I was 0% irritated. In fact,
I LOVED IT.

Seriously, he could not stop freaking out.
Dancing, singing at the top of his lungs, clapping, whipping his head all over the place. I was just in heaven watching him, it seriously made me so happy.
I wish I could bottle that kind of passion and take some of it for myself.
Imagine if everyone put that kind of love and energy into everything, DAILY.
The world would be an even more incredible, fun, happy, vibrant place than it already is.
So great, right?!

Also how much does he need a new hair-do?
If you say anything less than 100%, come here so I can punch you.

Also, explain the irony of this to me. Classes end tomorrow (HALLE-FREAKING-LUJAH), which means reading days and finals take up the entirety of Thursday-Saturday and then into next week.
So how is it that this time of year, I suddenly have a bajillion non-school-related things going on?
That I can't really get out of?
I mean, I think I will be able to handle it all. But still. I find it incredibly ironic and funny. Thank goodness next friday is as close as it is. A weekend has never looked so inviting. SRSLY.

Finally, the music moment of the day.
How 80's vibe-ish and AWESOME is this song?


And how fab is this dudes voice? Hello favorite song this summer.


Anyways, that's all I have to say. Happy Tuesday.

Try not to be moved. I DARE YOU.

Some things you should know, that are probably already pretty obvious, 

but Imma tell you anyways:

1. I am in love, IN LOVE, with music.

*nerd alert*

2. I am in love, IN LOVE with choral music.

3. I don't think I have ever mentioned this, but when I was a sophomore in high school, I became acquainted with the brilliant composer, Eric Whitacre. 

BEST. DAY. EVER.

Now I know I have an obnoxious habit of posting videos all the time.
Sorry dudes.

But really, if this isnt the embodiment of the power behind music...

bringing strangers together in one beautiful conglomeration of spine-tingling proportions

... well then I don't know what is.

So here you go lovies. 

Sit down. 

Put on some headphones.

Forget the world.

And fall in love.

Throwback yeeeeah!

Today is a good good day.

No reason in particular, I just decided to make it that way.

(Here's a secret. I actually woke up in a really foul mood because I dreamed that my sweet roommate Claira and I were super mad at each other. So in turn, I felt kind of mad. It was terrible. And I didn't want to deal with being in a bad mood all day, so I made the decision while I was applying my mascara to BE HAPPY. So far it's working)

So here is the biz today. 

I have been listening to Something Corporate all morning, and it's the BEST.

First, Andrew McMahon is brilliant.

And inspirational.

And adorable.

Second, it makes me feel like I am in high school again. Which normally I'm not trying to do every day, but I have some fantastic memories with SC. 

Riding the bus (i guess that's fantastic??), running cross country, playing softball, hanging out on the golf course behind my house, playing on the beach, driving from seminary to school... AHHHHH.

Third, walking around campus and listening to "I woke up in a car" and "I wanna save you" makes me feel like I am in a movie. It's an almost out of body experience. 

Goober-ish? YES. 

Awesome. MORE YES.

Also, I'm pretty sure I have made this clear, but I adore Adam Young.
And what happens when Adam and Andrew collaborate?

A musical mashup of understated, but still surprisingly epic proportions of course!

One of my very favorite things about life is this:

the fact that scents and music are two of the strongest things we associate with memories.

I feel like this is proven to me on a daily basis.
THINK ABOUT HOW GREAT THIS IS...

We move.
We go from school to school.
Have a tremendous summer.
An epic road trip.
A day at the beach.
Fall in love.
Live through heartbreak.

Things that are so poignant at the time, that just move us. Burn their way into our hearts. And you want to remember these things!
How lucky are we that we have been given things like music to help us remember?


Also, just to get this out there in case anyone,
aka my roommates,
think I am crazy,
I feel like my inner graphic design/interior decorator has gone BERSERK lately.
My newest favorite hobby is looking at color pallets and flower arrangements.
I SERIOUSLY admire people who can put together such aesthetically pleasing things.
Case in point:

These are made of freaking PAPER!
Kills me.

Anyways, that's about all I've got today.
It's time I address my impending Econ exam that I have been pretending doesn't exist all week.
BUH only two more weeks of this madness!

Sometimes

There are days when I become exceptionally frustrated with myself. 

Usually it's because I see or hear something tremendously inspirational.
Life-changing, if you will.

Music.

Art.
Dance.
Movies.
Spoken word.
An incredible lecture.
You get my drift.

And I think:
Brooke, you need to do something like that.
Move people.
Influence people.
Inspire people.
Change people.

And it's a staggering, heart-bursting feeling.
And then it makes me so sad, because I think
I am not an actor.
I am not a dancer.
I am not a musician.
I am not a writer.
I am not a teacher.
I am not OUT THERE, in even the slightest way.
And I probably never will be.
I have so many things I want to share with the world.
How am I supposed to make any kind of difference? 

Even just a small dent of good in a world that is so increasingly bad?

Sappy and melodramatic as this sounds, these thoughts truly break my heart.

And then I was hit with a powerful realization this weekend.
I may never be an author.
I may never be a musician.
I may never be a dancer, or an artist, or an actor or a teacher.
I may never be OUT THERE, where I would be in a position to touch a lot of lives.

But in my little life here in Provo Utah, at Brigham Young University, in Southridge Apartments, in the BYU 71st ward,
I can still do a lot of good.
I have a sweet family, that needs me a great deal.
I have dear friends and roommates, who I can love and support and make a difference to.
And most importantly, I have a Savior, who can and will help me bless lives.
Help make me a better tool in His hands.

So as insignificant as I may feel sometimes, I am still capable of A LOT more than I realize.
And just because my life is small compared to the rest of the world, does NOT mean I shouldn't try my best, every day, to make a difference.

Because you never know when a little will actually mean a great, great deal.