Photo Dump

Most of my posts on the blog lately have been more on the reflective side of life, which is always grand, but I do enjoy keeping this blog for the sake of posterity so a proper iPhone photo dump is proper business every now and then. So here's the latest photo novella of life February-March 2016

Donuts are my love language. 

Boulder, Colorado = wearing your Birks even when there's snow on the ground, because it's 65 and sunny

A rainy afternoon view 

Always love Mom's snaps, especially with Roberto

Ah, CU you are a beaut

YL Winter Dance with the one and only T-Mitch. Lawlz Mackenz

Perfect capture

Hiking the Flatties on Smack Mack's 20th BIRTHDAY!!!!

Woohoo nature

FREAKING WAITED SO LONG FOR THIS MOMENT

Faceswap keeps us all so enertained

Covered in powdered sugar or cocaine after YL? Hmm, you decide

Lit on the light of the world our man JC

SVVYL Banquet

My brother would be jealous. 

Most photogenic dog award goes to Bella

Nightmare inducing face swaps hahahahahhaha 

Hexagonal tiled floors, striped shirts, cute coffee shops, my Lotta clogs... all my favorite things 

Marvino teaching me about fouls and basketball and all that jazz

But not without a faceswap!

Seriously the cutest

I miss my favorite little humans! Who are getting SO big!

And one more faceswap to haunt your dreams

xo
Hannah

Friends Forever, Homework Whatever!

Horrible picture, but a favorite memory. Last year on daylight savings, we (unintentionally) stayed up talking through the night and were very thrown off when it went from 1:55am to 3am in a matter of minutes lol. 

I should really be studying for my stats exam right now. But instead, I'm here on Blogger. I've noticed lately there has been a lot of "I should be studying for ____, I should be doing ____ assignment" in my life, but instead I've been doing things that are more worthy of my time. Like last night.

This weekend was packed full of WL club, a high school basketball state championship, hanging out with my parents, a sleepover (and lots of Yahtzee and dominos) at Grammy and PopPop's, brunch and church with Gram, a mentor tea for a YL friend, and then dinner at the Walnut house (aka some friends house). I was able to sneak in some homework and studying here and there, but the majority of my time was spent with people that I love. 

Last night, Emma offered to make Mackenzie and I dinner, so we went over to her house and ate delicious lemon rosemary pasta and salad. Courtney and Melissa joined us, and the five of us spent the next six hours talking and talking and talking. There's a piece of me that misses living in the dorms because we all lived on the same floor and went to dinner together every night and were just with each other more! However, I think we can all agree we like having our own space and not wearing shower shoes more. In six hours, we discussed politics and the upcoming election. We talked about the Middle East and America's involvement overseas. We got deep and heavy and talked about the Holocaust, 9/11, and Columbine. We talked about genetics and the chances of blue eyed babies. We laughed about boys. We recalled our favorite old books, movies, and songs, and the weird ones too (The Neverending Story and Bunicula anyone??). We got giddy over the dreams of future engagements and weddings. We freaked out over government secrets and conspiracies. We sipped tea and ate the most divine brownies. We talked about waxing and the joys of being a woman. We dreamt of baby names and freaked out over the concept of motherhood. We face-swapped on Snapchat.  It was six, sweet hours of honest friendship. 

When Mackenzie and I finally got home, it was after 1am. We were beyond exhausted (thank you daylight savings) and mumbled about how we should have come home earlier and studied. But my cup was filled with happiness of being with my people. Last year, I was big into "the homework can wait, you don't get to live across the hall from your best friends forever!" and this year has really showed me what a gift that was. All of our lives have really picked up as sophomores and it's been so much more difficult to find those pockets of time to just be together, like we used to do at dinner in the C4C or brushing our teeth in the bathroom listening to Taylor Swift.  Friends forever, homework whatever! I'm not going to remember that on Sunday March 13, 2016, I should have come home earlier and studied statistics. I'm going to remember the conversations and laughs with my friends about the ins and outs of the world and life. 

So now, I should study. Four more days until spring break!

xo

Hannah

Seasons & Operas

Slightly dramatic picture, slightly dramatic post

Today was the weather was exceptionally "springy". It was overcast when I woke up and it rained/sorta hailed when I was walking to class. However, buds are covering trees and bushes and the grass is greening up again and the earth has a blooming smell to it. I spent most of the afternoon studying chemistry, and took the exam this evening. It's been a pretty good day, but just as the earth is doing its thing transitioning into the next season, I feel like life is too.

The past few weeks (but especially this weekend) I have been ridiculously nostalgic. I really, really miss my friends and family and the golden memories of high school. That feels crazy since high school was a good two years ago, but life has been so turbulent lately and honestly, pretty unstable, so I think I've just been clinging to my pieces of joy. I would give my arm and leg to go back to the freaking awesome surprise party the moms planned for us, or to Sonic stall 22, or to APUSH with Paisley, or to the tennis courts at the rec centers.

But at the same time, I'm so loving brunching with my gals, throwing myself into school, and learning the ropes of leading Wyldlife.

There is a magnet my mom keeps on the fridge at home that her grandma gave her. On it, there is a pumpkin surrounded by foliage and the words "To everything there is a season". Ecclesiastes 3:1,4 says "There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens... A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance". This is my season where in the most random of moments, there is a lump in my throat. It's the time where I wish I was with my family simply out of comfort. Honestly, I want to say "oh I'm learning this or understanding this" but I don't know! I'm not quite sure what all of this is, other than a heaping dose of perspective and a realignment of priorities.

When I was listening to my Classical Spotify playlist in the attempt to keep my brain on chemistry not lyrics, "Nessun Dorma" (also love this version!!!) came on. My taste in music is seriously so all over the place, as I enjoy indie folk to opera arias to occasional pop to piano sonatas. My mood is very determinate of my music and in moments of focus, operas and classical music is my drug of choice. Last night I was listening to the Carpenters, this morning I was listening to The 1975, this evening it was Jackie Evancho.

With opera and classical, the deepest, most intense emotions that we can't really make sense of with words alone are simply thundered out with instruments and vocals. There's a great TED talk (I wrote a few thoughts on it a few years ago back here) that explains how classical music is transformative and captures magic in the most unique of ways. Tragedy is made beautiful and stories are told in their raw. So I guess my current state of life is that of a transitioning season, and an opera- unpredictable and glorious, liberated emotion. Thanks for sticking with me through this muddled mess of thoughts.

xo
Hannah