Winter semester is almost over. I have decided to write down a list of things I have learned during the last 4 months here in Provo.

1. Meet your roommates BEFORE you move in
2. Realize your roommates WILL borrow food and never replace it. 
3. Also realize that they will steal toilet paper. 
4. Remember to confront them while the issue is at hand. Bringing it up later just makes it worse.
5. Go to Physical Science lab to fully understand fission and fusion + beta decay. 
6. Study while drinking IZZE's juice soda. 
7. Hang your clothes up immediately- otherwise the small room you inhibit will be a disaster. 
8. Never take Human Geography by James A. Davis
9. Pita bread is excellent for a quick pizza when you are in a hurry 
   

There is much more- but they will have to come later!

Happiness comes by focusing on Christ.

People say that college is the most selfish time of one's life. Everything is about themselves, and what makes them most happy. I find this to be true, and keeping finding myself searching for a way to be really happy, but still focus on learning about "me". My answer came this last weekend at conference. Jeffrey R. Holland spoke on Christ's atonement. Such an unbelievably moving talk. I have listened to it 5 times already and am posting the link to the video so you (if you have not watched it already) may listen. If you click on the site it will lead you to the main page. Click on Sunday AM session, and find Elder Holland video. It should play automatically for you. I have also posted the link to his talk if you just want to read it "TALK: NONE WERE WITH HIM"

Plants.Plants.Plants.

All I can say is:

I've read so much about plants, that I feel like a plant. 

Idaho

Now, on a lighter note- I want to update you all on some of my activities lately. My dad flew into SLC Thursday- and we all met him and Bill at P.F. Changs for dinner. It was so nice to go out and be with family. Friday Dad, Britt, Kenna, and I drove to Idaho Falls, Idaho for my cousin Bowen's wedding. We had a grand old time laughing, singing, and dancing in the car. What fun!! 

Idaho was cold, and boring- landscape wise, but nothing is boring with the Gallacher clan! It was a great weekend of fun, and a nice escape from Provo! We got home Sunday and had a nice family dinner with Bill, and Miriam as well. Monday came around and unfortunately that means school as well. blah.  I really am hanging on one piece of thread right now- school is just really tough, and I am really disliking my Geography class. Hopefully I can get through this semester in one piece! It is snowing again and that makes it even more frustrating, but thats life. 

Taken.

Yes, it has been awhile. I feel bad that my next post is depressing, but I just saw the movie, Taken. I have to say, it was the scariest movie I have ever seen. Mostly because it was so real. This happens every day in Europe, and I think this movie will raise an awareness to all those who travel carelessly, and walks around naively. This is no joke. Please be careful! I advise all to see, especially those who wish to travel. 

Now that i am 20...

I am finally twenty. No more a "teen". But secretly I  still wish I was a five year old playing in the backyard, dressed up as some lady bug-- or some kind of princess bug. We'll see how this year plays out. I wish this year will hold fun adventures for me!

Valentine's Day

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Carnations are sweet

and so are you

And so are they 

that send you this

and when we meet

we'll have a kiss

Today I attended the LIFE CLUB and we made Valentine cards for our 'secret' loves. I made a fun little card to the Wells fargo boy located in the Wilk. Every day I walk by and admire him from afar. So, I decided to write a secret message, and have a friend deliver it. It was brilliant, and who wouldn't love to get a nicely made card, full of kind, loving words. :) Happy Valentines day Wells Fargo boy! and to you all! XoXo 

I would also appreciate it if Cupid here shot me with some love this semester... He seems to be slowing on his matchmaking work. He needs to hunt me down a man!

yahoooo!

I am Freeeee! I finally finished all 6 exams!

I should be studying.

Like I said, I should be studying, yet I find myself continually distracting myself.  Here are some fun sites to go to if ever you are bored, or are needing a break from homework at 2 in the morning!

1. Horoscopes

2. Homemaker

3. People

4. Youtube

5. Tiffanys

6. Travel

I am really taking this picture to heart. :) 

XOXO

This is what I do night after night.

I, like Doris Day have developed a bad habit of pillow-talkin'.  There must be a boy somewhere in UTAH! 

Pillow talk, pillow talk

Another night of hearin' myself talk, talk, talk, talk Wonder how it would be to have someone to pillow talk with me I wonder how I wonder who Pillow talk, pillow talk Another night of bein' alone with pillow talk When it's all said and done, two heads together can be better than one That's what they say They always say All I do is talk to my pillow Talk to my pillow, talk to my pillow All I do is talk to my pillow Talk about the boy I'm gonna marry someday Somehow, some way, sometime Pillow talk, pillow talk Another night of gettin' my fill of pillow talk You and I both agree there must be a boy, must be a pillow Must be a pillow-talkin' boy for me I hope I'm right I'd better be right Oh, there must be a pillow-talkin' boy for me (We hope she's right, she'd better be right, there must be a boy) There must be a boy There must be a boy There must be a boy There MUST be a boy!! There MUST!!

Breakfast at Tiffanys
Loveliness

Bringing up Baby

Watch these clips: Just click on the words.

Dating.

I don't understand the whole dating thing. I know right off the bat if I'm interested in someone, and I don't want them to waste their money on me and take me out to eat if I know I'm not interested in that person. I half agree with this statement.  I would also agree that attraction is not a choice. Whatever happened to the old hollywood movie scenario where the charming man sees the heroine, falls madly in love with her and charismatically woo her till they were tangled in a wonderful mess of love, and adoration. This does not seem to be the case nowadays. (yes, I still believe old hollywood movies really captured how romance is, or should be.)

Of course, there are many silly mishaps along the way, yet true love prevails with many moments of suspense, and excitement. 

Have I ever mentioned that I absolutely abhor blind dating.. or even being 'set up'. This is not my forte and I feel extremely uncomfortable being involved in this situation. This week two unfortunate events happened to me, that involve two set ups and no way of getting out. My first initial reaction was horrified- which quickly grew to panic- which then had me in tears for sometime. Why may you ask- well I can't really explain as to why. I do know that only getting 3 hours of sleep the night before due to homework, and a weight of stress on my shoulders does not add to the situation I was unknowingly, and unwillingly put in. 

Know this now: ASK ME before you give any guy MY number. 

If you do not, know that I will feel violated, uncomfortable, and gloomy. Not a good combination for me. So out of respect to me, don't put me in this position without my knowledge. 

Now, I want to explain to you now who my type is as there has been many questions asked on what it is. No one quite knows (I am still trying to figure it out myself) but I have a general Idea.  

I like taller men--6 feet and up I find attractive. 

I don't really care what hair color- but lately I find golden blonde most handsome. 

Good teeth

Good nose

Not Bulky strong- lean strong. 

Dashing, charming, Outgoing, Happy, thoughtful, hard-worker, Laughs a lot, smart, loves big families,a bit quirky, surprising, and loves to travel.  (LDS of course).

I know I am not perfect, and I am working on a lot of these traits because how can I attract this man, if I don't possess them. Know that I am not expecting perfect- but someone trying to be better. This is my type- if you are still confused watch any Cary Grant movie and that pretty much describes 'my type'.   

I am going to add some more lovely, old hollywood romance pictures. These are some of my favorite. 

(by the way, can you tell I am doing anything possible so I don't have to do homework!)

This is who I want to look like when I reach my goal.

GOAL: Return to Normal weight before Italy and the Pasta.  Tone up, Eat right. Prepare for half marathon. 

24 Hour

Yes, it is true. I have started going to the gym again. Let me explain to you the feelings I have felt the past 2 days. First I was scared to death. Understand that I absolutely hate gyms. Reasons: the people who are in real good shape make me insecure. This feeling I do not like. I feel lost in a maze of metal machinery and sweat everywhere. 

But however painful and frustrated I get it is healthy and good for me to exercise. I have no real incentive or deadline to be at an 'ideal' weight but I make one up everyday, and lose it by evening. I am slowly realizing this is not helping and must take a stand. Thus, I write this post to set a goal and to have it remind me of what I want to be, and do. 

Let me also explain the photos.  Fear and rebellion against going. Two very strong women- if they can win medals, and support large things, SO can I!

FUTURE

According to the cambridge dictionary the word Future implies 

1. what will happen to someone or something in the time that is to come and 

2. the chance of continuing success or existence for something. 

Is not it interesting how it says the chance of continuing success? There is no mention in giving up or seeing a dim future. It does not say the chance of continuing failure. Elder Holland gave a BYU devotional  called Remember Lot's Wife. The talk so impacted me. I have since then, been internalizing it have been trying to learn to see positive aspects of living for the future. 

There are those that live for the past. My thoughts include these: Yes, one can learn from the past but to dwell on the past is the death of us all. There is no proceeding forward if one is holding onto the past. The tug o' war does not stay equally in the middle forever. In the devotional a scripture was read that reiterates what I mean: (Philippians 3:13) 

"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,"

Elder holland counsels us to not be as Lots wife. Do not look back on the past, yearning for what was.

 I once read, 

The world is full of people whose notion of a satisfactory future is, in fact, a return to the idealised past. 

Robertson Davies once said, 

Fear not for the future, weep not for the past.

You can never plan the future by the past. 

This is true. 

I believe we all have this common weakness to look back on what was once grand, and long for it- yet therein lies the danger. Do we try to recreate the past- or do we create a new future. That is the test for all of us. We are all given the chance to be creators, why do we settle to be mere copiers?

We all have the capacity to create and inspire new futures. Think big; there are no boundaries.  

The empires of the future are the empires of the mind. 

-Sir Winston Churchill 

Thus I end my post with new desires: 

  To live for the future. 

                             To create my future. 

(p.s. click on talk title if you want to watch the devotional!)

I.C.E. = Ice-Cautious-Escape

The past four days I have managed to completely escape the always present ice that plagues BYU campus. How may you ask? I will tell you.

1. Wear boots with good traction.
2. Walk slowly
3. While you walk slowly, you must move your legs and feet in a different way and rhythm, which looks slightly odd, but must be done.
4. always look down. Do not check out the good looking boy walking by, or talk on the phone.
5. Expect to fall any moment. This will enable you to not be caught off guard.
6. Walk with your upper body forward so that the 1,000 pound backpack balances you if you fall forward, or backward.
7. Look down as you step out your front door.
(okay, I escaped the campus ice, but not the ice near my humble abode.)

And that, dear readers, is how it's done.

Some Videos of my Grandma.

  Oma singing Christmas Day Eve

2009

2009

2009 is going to be fine.

2009 is the year I'll call mine.

2009 i'll try not to whine.

2009 I hope men will wait for me in line.

2009 - will be a fabulous time. 

I decided to keep up my blog, even though I am not in Italy anymore. I feel like I need to somehow write out my thoughts, entertain my readers, and update my friends and family the next four months while I am a school. I will write about my school, my non existent love life, and all the details of random, funny, and interesting things that happen during each week. 

Week One:

I think my professors have some evil plan to give me ulcers and stress me out. Let me explain what I mean. 

German 201: 9:00 a.m. Monday - Friday. 

First day of class I was assigned to do 400 grammar problems due the next morning, along with a quiz. Not to mention an essay due Friday.

Physical Science 100: 10:00 a.m. M/W/F with a LAB on Monday at 2:00 p.m.

Work, Work, Work. Quizzes due, 100 pages read by Wednesday, and figuring out the 16 page syllabus.

Human Geography 130: 11:00 a.m. M/W/F 

Teacher is exceptionally strange, treats his students like children, and quiz this Wed. 

New Testament 212: 12:00 T/TH 

Lots of busy work, but like all religion classes at BYU, great, and uplifting. 

Landscape Design 100: 4-6:30 p.m.

LOVE this class. It is definitely going to take a lot of my time, but its great!

( I also found out that the botany building has an indoor nursery open to students. It has benches, tropical flowers, trees, and its warm!!!)

It has been snowing all day today. I have managed to walk around campus without slipping, and enjoyed the students who slip and fall every couple feet or so. It is entertaining, and helps keep me having a semi positive attitude about all this cold weather. 

More to come...

Afew more pictures

Elizabeth and I in Rome, Girls and I in Padova, River in Padova, Sad to leave Siena, and last day at Church