1. Love and Ramen

I have looked forward to college for most of my life. Sure, I got a little more apprehensive as high school graduation loomed closer and closer, but for the most part I was ready. I jumped into Summer term at BYU with enthusiasm and vigor. When Fall semester rolled around, I wasn't even nervous. I had aced my finals, had great new roommates, and a term of college life already under my belt. And then everything changed.

Campus was flooded with people. I had 15 credits instead of 6. My Writing 150 teacher wanted us to...blog?? My expectations for Fall fell short.

The good news is that I'm getting into the swing of things. Fall is going to be different than Summer, and that's okay. So many times we have expectations for our lives and things go in the complete opposite direction. That's just Heavenly Father's plan. When I was 10 years old, my expectations for college were that I would fall in love and eat a lot of Ramen noodles. When I was 16, those expectations shifted. And they have changed within even one week.

Expectations and hopes for the future can change in the blink of an eye. The important thing is to stay flexible, and to keep an eternal perspective. I'm not eating Ramen everyday, and I'm certainly not in love (yet...) But I am learning, growing, and experiencing college to the fullest.

I'm looking forward to writing this blog and sharing my thoughts with the world. Sharing stories is one of the most vital parts of human connection. Expect to see and read stories from my family, stories from my classes, and stories from my childhood. Hopefully as I write, my stories will help me sort out the tangled bowl of noodles that make up me. :)