Realize

So today was one of those awesome days where you experience roughly 37.4 million different emotions. Some of them were kind of confusing and stressful. Some of them were awesome and happy. Some of them made me slightly sad. Some of them... I'm still trying to figure out. And after reflecting on my day, I realized one very important thing. I love God. And that's all that matters. It may sound cliche, but really- I know that I love God, and that will get me through the rest. No matter what comes. Thank you, and goodnight. 

Color Me Emmilie

Have you ever had one of those days where all you want to do is listen to some great music, or put in a great movie, and just color? Yes, I know you have Mary. But the rest of you? Do you ever just get the strong urges to color? Because if you do, and you happen to have some coloring books, come on over- because right now, I really want to color. Thank you, and goodnight. 

OCD

Okay, so thankfully I am not too OCD about much in life. I'm more go-with-the-flow than I ever have been. However, I am highly OCD about my hair, and quite frankly the whole situation is stressing me out. So welcome to the venting portion of this blog. I am starting to form a vendetta against the entire Dove beauty line because their awesome heat protection shampoo and conditioner is not so awesome. Oh sure, at first it gave every appearance of goodness, beauty and all around awesome by making my hair nice and silky smooth, and giving it that little extra help to style better, but in the end, it was all in vain. The ends of my hair are so fried that looking at them makes me cringe just a little bit a lot. Nor can I properly run my fingers through my hair completely, and that is just no bueno. It kind of makes me sad. And don't laugh at me, if you had my hair right now, you too might be weeping. So much for that so called awesome heat protection. 

Okay, and what the St. Francis? Yesterday in the shower, I'm pretty sure half of my hair fell out. I literally pulled chunks and chunks of hair out. At this rate, I'm going to be bald by next tuesday. That will be really cute; I'll make lots of friends. 

Oh! Oh! Oh! AND.... I clearly need a hair cut, right? The whole spilt ends up to my ears thing is not really working out. It's fine. However, I absolutely refuse to get my hair cut at Walmart, or the $10 dollar cast salon, or some craptastic Super Clips. I am way to OCD for that. So that poses another problem. Where in the world am I going to get a hair cut that will not cause me to have epilepsy during the actual cutting process? (It can be a little stressful, alright? Don't judge me harshly.) So I think I will ask around at work, and hope that I can find some girl who is just as OCD about her hair as I am. And we will talk shop, and I can find a brilliant place to go where some random woman named Rita who has been there for the last 27 years can cut my hair just the way I want. And all of this stress will be gone- until I move again, and the process repeats. It's the circle of life. Thank you, and goodnight. 

It's Been a Day

Okay, so today was one of those really weird days. The kind of day where you have been up for three hours, yet it feels like seven more. The kind of day where someone calls you a Jezebel, and you don't fully understand why. The kind of day where you fluctuate in and out of being a "people" person. The kind of day where more often than not, you think about all the ways you kind of secretly suck. The kind of day where someone accidentally punches you in the face. The kind of day where you eat two bowls of Reese's Puff cereal, and contemplate the universe. The kind of day where you realize just how amazing the Holy Ghost is in your life. The kind of day where you drink V-8 Berry Blast juice. The kind of day where you feel like you could fall asleep standing on your feet. The kind of day where you were really glad that you made that little family from Massachusetts day. The kind of day where you get an awesome text from the Elders, and almost start to cry. The kind of day where you realize how blessed you are to have the spirit with you at all times. The kind of day where you flirt with that cute Puerto Rican in the back of the kitchen. The kind of day where at least half of your hair falls out in the shower, and you have to stress about baldness at age 20. The kind of day where you make place settings for 9 hours. The kind of day that even though was stressful and weird, you lost track of how many times you were grateful to your Heavenly Father. Such was my day. How was yours? Thank you, and goodnight.

Gratitude

I would like to publicly thank my Heavenly Father for allowing us to have the Holy Ghost with us at all times and in all places and in all things. I'm so grateful for the constant companionship of a member of the Godhead. I am grateful for the comfort and the companionship that it brings, and how it can bring all things to your memory. I am grateful for the peace that it brings, as well as the understanding. Thanks be to God for such a precious gift that we as members of the church get to have every minute of every day. How I love this gospel, and how I love my merciful, loving Father in Heaven. Thank you, and goodnight.  

Nature

Okay, so I don't know what it is about nature, and seeing animals live in it, but people freak out. So I work at a restaurant where there is an aquarium, and therefore fish- which is a part of nature, and therefore a cause to freak out, thank you Disney Guests. I don't know how many times a day I hear that people want a good table to be able to sit next to the fish. And if they don't get that coveted table, I get to hear about how they made these reservations three months ago, and it's little Annie's 2nd Birthday, as well as their 14th year anniversary. Not to mention the fact that they are celebrating Uncle Ray's promotion and Grandma Jean's recovery from cancer- clearly all good reasons for them to sit by the fish. When in reality, little Annie won't even remember the blasted fish, and Uncle Ray and Grandma Jean are happy just to be here. So 15 minutes, a pager buzz, and some awkward small talk later, they are sat by the fish. And every time this little ordeal happens, it makes me ponder what it is about seeing animals like those blasted fish in their natural habitat that make people freak out. I just don't get it. And it's not just the fish at the Coral Reef that are causing all of the commotion. How many times have you been walking outside, and you or one of your companions will make a little exclamation like this: "Oh my! Look! It's a squirrel! Look at the squirrel!!" There is usually a lot of high pitched inflection involved as well as some waving of the arms for such an announcement. Yet everyone knows what I am talking about. Or maybe you are watching that bird fly across the lake, and there is some frantic pointing, some yelling and possibly even some "ooo"ing and "ah"ing. Really, it's not that cool. So maybe my indifference for animals is coming through a little too much. Don't think that I'm anti-animals, or even anti-nature. Not at all; in fact I find it to be yet another beautiful testimony to the power of God. I just don't see what all the fuss is about, and why the human race feels it necessary to freak out. Thank you, and goodnight.

Nonsense, Thy Name is Woman

Okay girls, this one is for you. So tonight as I was people watching, well more like listening, I overheard a conversation that made me consider the universe again. There was this really attractive French boy sitting next to this cute little girl from America. She made a comment off-hand that was directed at no one. Most likely it was about the awful conditions that equal waiting for a bus at Epcot. (You should be so lucky as to know what I mean) But she expressed her extreme hatred for it, and the boy from France, we'll call him Luc, (It's French.) heard her. Now Luc made a seemingly off-hand response back, but this girl, being the bright and ambitious young college student that she is decided to make the most of this seemingly off-hand situation. We'll call her Veronica. Now the moment that Luc decided to speak to Veronica, Veronica tried to keep the conversation going. Now I know what you are thinking, most normal, polite people would do something like this. But wait for it. They had a cute little conversation; which was completely pointless and I forgot everything that they said. Until Veronica got the the climax of the moment. Out of nowhere, she began talking about that one time she had to wrestle an alligator. Upon listening to her reenactment of the story, I began to contemplate my life just a little bit. Okay girls, this part is for you: How many times, when we are trying to hold the attention of an attractive man, (a French one at that) do we look for opportunities to tell about how awesome we are? Because heck, we even wrestle alligators. I know I have done it, and upon contemplating this I was taken back to that day in Biology 100 at BYU-I when I sat next to that attractive man, and somehow I was able to turn the conversation to that awesome story about that time that I gave blood and the crazy Red Cross Lady punctured the side of my vain. We all do it; anything to make ourselves seem awesome. And I thought about it again, and I realize that it's all just nonsense. 

Now I don't mean that every time you tell that story about the time you wrestled that alligator, or tried to donate blood you are trying to hold some attractive guy's attention- but when those "I'm Awesome" stories pop up in the first 37 seconds of knowing someone, that's where we get into trouble. Just think about it next time you meet that attractive guy at the bus stop. And remember, it's really just nonsense. Thank you, and goodnight. 

Phenomenon

Okay, so do you know the phenomenon that continues to boggle my mind? The phenomenon called roommates. Apparently our society decided sometime probably in the 60's that it was considered acceptable to round up four random strangers and stick them in the same apartment. It's almost like one of those weird psychology experiments. Now I don't mean that I have ever experienced sadism, thank you Stanford Prison Experiment, but it's still kind of weird if you think about it, right? I was thinking about that the other day because guess what? I moved and that equals new roommates. The incredulity to this whole phenomenon hit me hard yesterday when I started showering in the bathroom next to my room while this stranger was in my bedroom just chillin'. Isn't that a little creepy? I had never met her. I just knew her name because I saw it on her luggage. I had never spoken to her, and she had no idea who the crap I was. And I thought it was a little weird. But we trust them enough to do things like personal hygiene with these strangers in the next room over and not worry about a re-enactment of the shower scene from Psycho. Who came up with this? Who said this was alright? I'm not okay with this. I think there should be a screening process. Or maybe even a background check with fingerprinting. 

Now I am not ranting about this because I have been place with homicidal roommates. Oh no, they are very sweet and I think it's going to be awesome. However, I still think that the whole concept is a little...erratic. You never know who you are going to end up with. And it's enough to cause an ulcer. Luckily in the past, it has turned out pretty much awesome, and I have some pretty cool compadres to show from the phenomenon, but there is still that looming threat of an ulcer. So stop stressing me out, and give me my own studio apartment. Thank you, and goodnight. 

Capacity for Goodness

I am convinced that all people have an innate  capacity for good programed into their inner-workings. I think God made us that way. I am convinced that each one of us has the divine capability to do a certain amount of good. Perhaps some of us have a greater capacity for goodness than others, but I'm convinced that it is still there. I also fully believe that some of us manifest our given capacities in different ways. Some save whales; some recycle; some are philanthropists; some are mothers; some are leaders; some are followers; some share the truth; some tell the truth; some write; some plant flowers; some laugh; some are painters; some are teachers; some build buildings; some run for President; some mow lawns. However it is we manifest it, it does not change the fact the we as humans possess the ability to be good. And  each day, I am happily surprised by the amount of goodness I find within people. It's everywhere, and when you stop and notice, it's amazing what you find. People are genuinely good. I believe that. Perhaps you think I'm naive. And perhaps you might be right. But as I look around more and more, I find that goodness is everywhere. True, it's nothing grand or miraculous, but it's still there. Look for that man who gives up his seat on the bus to a woman who is standing. Look for that little boy who helps his sister when she trips on her shoelace. Look for that leader who chooses what is right over what is easy. Look for that neighbor who brings your newspaper to your door when he stops in. Look for that girl at school who says "Thank you," to the lonely lunch lady every day. Look at yourself, and see all the good things you do every day. People are good. Thank you, and goodnight. 

The Fam

So today while at work I began another one of my "Contemplate My Life Moments." (Brought to you by Emmilie.) It's fine. It all started when my wonderful Mother sent me a text reminding me how much she cared. It was something so simple and sweet, yet it made my entire day. It changed my outlook, and suddenly the day was good. And that made me think about how much I love my family. Being down here in Orlando where at times I feel so far away has made me realize how much I love them and care about them. And while I don't have what you would call a "normal" family, it doesn't really matter. I love them all. Always and forever. I've had several opportunities to answer the question, "Tell me about your family." I'm happy to say that the answer is always the same. "They are awesome! And I love them so much." Then I go on to explain how we are scattered a little bit in Arizona, California, Missouri, Utah, and everywhere else in between. I'm always grateful when I am asked this question. Why you may ask? Because it allows me to take time and stop and think about how grateful I am for my awesome family. It allows me to take time and remember how much I truly love them and am grateful for them. They are the bomb.com. And so dear family, how I love you and miss you!! Thank YOU! and goodnight. 

Anti-Climactic

Oh. PS: I'm extended. And that equals joy. Thank you, and goodnight. 

Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It

So I officially decided today that one of my favorite things in this known world along with cereal, Swallowed in the Sea, and car dance parties is the Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It parade at the Magic Kingdom. That my friends is pure happiness. What more could you possibly want than 5 different floats of Disney characters bustin' a move and celebrating it? Then, just when you are about to submit that life cannot in fact get any better, they take their dance party to the street, and you too can celebrate it in the streets and just dance it out; you too can raise the roof; you too can shake your tail feathers like Donald Duck. It's awesome. You can swing dance with Mr. Incredible, or dance it out with Woody, Jesse or even Baloo the Bear. Yeah- that's a lot of awesome, and you can do it all. Then the congo line starts and you can't help but join on in and move those hips. It's amazing; simply amazing. 

Today I was at such a celebration, and I too moved it, shook it, and celebrated it. And as I was looking around, it was awesome to see everyone else doing the same. It was so happy! My heart, and probably my face laughed when I saw a man in his late fifties, with a scraggly beard, wearing a t-shirt with the sleeves ripped off,  with 8 whole teeth dancing it out in the streets. And it hit me, yeah! He can dance it out. That fine gentleman (we'll call him Harry) is in the happiest place on earth, and I was happy to share that with him. Dance it out, Harry. Just dance that one out. 

So I would like to submit this idea to the world. And it goes a little something like this: Come to the Magic Kingdom, and you, Harry and I will move it, shake it and celebrate it. And it shall be glorious. Thank you, and goodnight. 

Courtney Vallem, This One's For You...

Courtney is my roommate. She is also one of my best friends, pretty much ever. I heart her. Tomorrow she is leaving on a jet plane, and I don't know when I will see her next. So with sadness in my heart, I dedicate this blog to her. Courtney Vallem, this one's for you. 

Remember when we first came down here to Disney, and we were freaking out about our costumes? Now it's over, and it's so sad. And for the record, I think you had better costumes than mine. Just sayin' is all. Remember how we hated our beds? Yeah, they suck. Remember all of our dance parties to Hellogoodbye? I'm listening to them right now and am experiencing nostalgia. ANGRY STOMP!! ANGRY STOMP!! Remember how we would always freak out about stupid boys and how we secretly really hate them? Yeah. I feel ya. Remember how we never quite made it to the outlets? Don't even worry about it. Remember how we made pancakes like every single day? And had cereal parties every night? Remember how I get charlie horses every day? They hurt!! Remember how we give good hugs when 

either of us has a crappy day? And then we dance it out. Remember how you taught me all you know about Coldplay? Remember how we hate to do laundry? Remember how we rode in the front of the monorail and that 13-year-old girl thought we were the bomb.com? Remember how we would go to Cici's like every week? So good... 

We did so many awesome things down here in good old Orlando, and I'm so glad you were here with me. 

All those times we made pancakes. That was the best. I heart us. And pancakes. 

Aw... that time we had a dance party before the dance! That was the sweetest ever. I'm sure our neighbors got over the habitual angry stomping. It's fine. I heart them too. 

Or the time we went to all of the parks in a day and spent tons of money. Thank you 50% discount. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. 

Remember that time we traveled to China and got our Mulan action on? That was sweet. 

Courtney, the moral of this story is that I love you, and will miss you so much!! Be yourself!!

That was tender. It's fine. Thank you, and goodnight. 

Flirtatious Bus

Okay, so I am officially going to hell...again. So I have another confession, but this one you can't judge me on. For real life. So sometimes, (normally when I get really tired; it's fine) I get in these really flirtatious moods where I just flirt with random strangers because a.) it means nothing, and b.) I think it's really funny. And here is where our story begins. 

Last night on the bus home from work I was really tired. Problem number one. And I see this guy who I've talked to before, and you guessed it- flirted with before. (Really, don't judge me.) I was doing the whole flirt with your eyes thing, and not doing a very good job of keeping my laughter about it inside. It's fine. So flirting with our eyes finally led to flirting with our words. He leans forward (thank goodness for side-seating buses...) and asks me where he knows me from. I assure him that we have met before. On this very bus in fact. I take a quick peek at his name tag, and pull one of these, "It's Weston, right?" Oh so sneaky. Some more flirtatious nonsense passes between the two of us. Luckily we were pulling into my apartment complex so I could leave it before it got out of hand and he did something crazy like ask me out on a date. But what followed was too perfect. 

Weston: So, you get off here, huh?

Emmilie: Yep, this is me. 

Weston: Hey, can I give you my number?

Emmilie: Yeah, ya can. 

Weston: Aw sweet. (Weston gives me his digits)

Emmilie: Well, Weston from Ohio... I'll see you around. 

This was then followed by me getting of the bus and laughing really hard. Out loud. It's hilarious, because I'm never going to call him. The only problem is now I'll probably see him on the bus every day for the next week. Awesome. Whatever it's a short bus ride. It's fine. 

Disclaimer: So this is not the real me. Like, ever. I'm never this charming and flirtatious around guys in real life. I am just a dork. I think that it's because I know that it doesn't matter, and I just don't care. I was bored, and thought it would be funny. And it was. And I'm going to hell. In a hand basket. Thank you, and goodnight. 

Elder Stout

Do you ever have those days where you just miss random people from your past? Today I miss my friend Drew so much!!! Drew has a secret alias right now: Elder Stout. That's right. Elder Drew Stout is serving a mission in the Philippines. And boy do I miss him. But he is awesome, because guess what?! He is serving the Lord, and I admire him for it. So here is just a little shout out, Drew. I miss you a lot, and think you are the coolest things since Special K with Red Berries. (Yeah, I know, that's a lot of love.) Thank you, and goodnight. 

Dance It Out

Okay, so Confession Session: Dance parties in cars are pretty much my favorite things in the world. Yeah, I know. Especially when Hellogoodbye's Here in Your Arms in blasting. It's just one of those happy places that you have to go to whenever possible. 

Recently I had a silent rave dance party on a lovely American Coach bus. That my friends was just as awesome. I especially enjoyed the looks of confusion from the oncoming riders. It was the kind of look that said many things in one: "What the crap?/Pfft. That white chick can't dance/wow, way to just go at it/Really, what the crap?/they are so awesome." If you ever get this look, you know what I mean. And it's looks like those, and moments like these that make dance parties in cars (or buses...) my favorite thing ever! Thank you, and goodnight. 

Secrets

Do you want to know a secret? I'm going to go on a mission!! Thank you, and goodnight. 

What the Crap?

Dear College Program: 

So, what the crap? I'm sure you are not used to getting letters with such, shall we say blunt salutations, but alas. All I have to say is what the crap? Um, I think the question on everyone's mind goes a little something like this: Are you going to let Emmilie extend? (Okay, so maybe not everyone's mind, but definitely mine.) What's the dealio for realio? (That's just a little gangsta cross-over. It's fine.) I would like to offer you this little letter to hurry you along in the not so difficult decisions making process after all. I mean really. Emmilie is an upstanding young CP, and has worked hard, and progressed much in the program. Also, she is crazy, and can relate with many of the guests. (Have you met the people you are letting into your parks?) But hey, a little crazy every once in a while can really just be fun. But seriously College Program. This is getting out of hand. You have to let her know what is going on with her life. That would be so helpful if you could just make it happen. 

Because let's face it. She really doesn't want to have to go back to freakin' Idaho when the possibility of staying in Orlando is taunting her. That would just be rude. Do you feel me on that one? So come on. Be a pal. Let her extend, and you too, Disney College Program can make a dream come true.  I repeat: what the crap? Just make a choice all ready. 

Have a magical day!

Best wishes, 

Emmilie Buchanan

Thank you, and goodnight. 

Life Takes Spontaneity

Okay, so tonight was an adventure. I went to FHE; thank you spirit, I feel better about life now. That was cute, and I got to answer questions about conference. woot. Oh, and get free bread. On the way home, I decided to ride with this nice girl I've never met named Ariel. She was a sweet girl; a sweet girl that likes to drive really fast. We pull onto Apopka-Vineland, right as I ask her where she is from. She give me a wry look, and says "Jersey," as we speed to our almost sudden deaths. But I figure we were speeding to our graves right past the temple so we were all fine right? Dying in front of the temple is okay. I had to wonder if that was planned though. The timing for her answering and accelerating was a little too correlated if you know what I mean. However, not ever having been to Jersey myself, I don't know how they drive. But thanks Ariel for handing me a new stereotype on a platter. You're a pal. Then, my buddy Jared drives up next to us. Um, Jared likes to drive fast too. So maybe Jared didn't want to lose to a girl. It's fine. So Jared+Jersey Girl=Near Death. I love me some competition when life is on the line; especially my life. It's the best. And just when I thought that this couldn't get any scarier this happens: there is an announcement from the back seat saying that someone or maybe something named Gummy Bear was calling her. (Say what?) This little news is followed with a squeal of delight, followed by a "Shut up! Gummy Bear? Gummy Bear?! Let me talk to him!!" Oh crap. So you are now going to drive 85 miles down the road while conversing on the phone with some apparently studly man named Gummy Bear? Answer=yes. And after a quick salutation of "Where have you been crack head?!" I began to worry about not only my life and the lives of the other three girls in the car, but our drivers sanity. Just saying is all. I was concerned. Luckily Gummy Bear didn't keep her occupied for too long, and that resulted in one less factor that would result in my imminent death. Then we got stuck at a light right when Hellogoodbye played one of my favorite dance party songs of all time. So, out of respect I began to dance it out. (CONFESSION SESSION: Dance parties in cars just may be one of my favorite things of life. It's fine.) While dancing it out, we attracted some onlookers from surrounding cars. I think that the old guy in that red shirt was just shocked/appalled by the youth of America more than anything else. Sorry Richard. (That's not his name, but it's seems fitting.) So after Hellogoodbye finishes their awesomeness, it's time to change music. But she changed it to some scratch-your-ear-drum-out teen bopper crap. And I wanted to punch her in the face for a million dollars. Luckily they finished up their craptastic song right as we were pulling into Little Lake Bryan, so all was well. After telling one of the girls my life story in about 24.7 seconds, we made a pact to be friends on facebook, and we said farewell. So all in all, not a bad night. Thank you, and goodnight. 

Alergic to Earth

Alright, so waking up this morning was fun. You know that feeling you get when you know you are going to sneeze? Well that was like a party in my sinus. Well, I wasn't going to sneeze, but it sure felt like it. Just relish it. You have the crusty eyes that concern you, because what exactly is all of that crust, and where did it come from?! And why is it caking your eyes shut?! (It's fine.) There is also that perpetual itch in the back of your throat. Just that one spot too that drives you crazy, and no matter what you try to do, there is no remedy; you are stuck with an itchy spot in your mouth driving you slowly to insanity. Yeah. That's how I woke up this morning. And my first thought was, "Oh, crap." Why oh, crap you may ask? Because it means we are starting allergy season my friends. Woot. I was doing really well so far too. I hadn't had to pop any zyrtec and feel like an allergy commercial. Life was great. But upon some careful thought, I realized that it always happens around this time of year. And that got me thinking. 

Around this time of year, no matter where I am living, I always blame it on the state. Right now I'm allergic to Florida. This time last year I was highly allergic to Arizona and Idaho. Growing up as a kid I was highly allergic to a smattering of other places. Apparently Arizona, Idaho, Utah, Minnesota, Georgia, and also Florida have the same crap that makes my sinuses freak out and have a dance party on my face. Thank you, sinuses. But then, I figured that if I went to Prague in spring, I would probably be allergic to Prague too. Or Bangladesh for that matter. I'm sure that even if I went to the remotest village in Turkmenistan, I too would have allergies and be looking for some zyrtec from the local medicine man. So I'm just allergic to Earth. Thank you, and goodnight. 

DISCLAIMER: If this made no sense, I'm sorry. (Is it too late to apologize?) I'm all hopped up on allergy drugs, and am borderline delirious. It's fine. 

Emmilie+Gators=Hard Core

Once upon a time, in a far off land, there lived a young woman named Emmilie. And she loved adventures. One day, she and her peeps set off on a wonderful adventure in the outback (It's fine.) of Florida. With a little help from their new friend Nate, they were able take a ride on an air boat, catch some gators, feel legit, and live happily ever after. 

Okay, so once again, my life is awesome. Yesterday I did in fact go out on an air boat on a gator infested lake in Florida. Um, jealous? Answer=yes. It was one of the funnest (look it up) things I have done since I have been here. For real life. We played this game called Nate catches a 4 foot gator, and we even got to touch it. It was so crazy! Then, trusty old Matt caught a smaller one, and guess what my friends? I held that sucker. I was kind of freaking out, because Stanley (yes, we named him Stanley) had a lot of teeth. Which, you know, is good for hunting in the wild and doing all sorts of gator things, but I would prefer if they did not touch my flesh. Word. So after passing Stanley around for a while, Courtney set him free. We continued our adventure and I was totally going to catch one too, but it swam away. And my heart was sad. Maybe when I'm older I'll catch a gator. But I'm not gonna lie, I felt pretty hard core. Next time you come to Florida, get yourself onto an air boat, and you too my friend can feel hard core. Thank you, and goodnight.