The Soundtrack Of My Summer: Track 2

This was that one "song" that never got old. I could replay it a thousand times and never get tired of it. Track 2 of The Soundtrack of My Summer was spending time with a great group of girls who taught me so much, and who gave me some hilarious stories to tell.

    As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints we hold callings (responsibilities, positions of leadership) in the church, and this summer I was called as an advisor to the young women, ages 12-18. And if you know me, you probably know that I'm 19, so just a couple years older than most of the girls.
    Having the responsibility to be an "advisor" to young women so close to my own age was a little bit intimidating. I was worried that they wouldn't take me seriously and forget that I was supposed to be a leader (granted I did already know most of them from just the year before when I was in Young Womens with them). And it turns out I was completely right. They didn't take me seriously most of the time and hardly ever treated me like an adult leader. However, this proved to be the best scenario since I rarely take my own self seriously. Getting to know all of them better over the past few months and just goofing around and having fun made me realize how important every second of a short summer is.
    The experience taught me a great deal about true leadership. It's not about giving orders or trying to teach from your own life experiences through stories that begin with "Well when I was your age..." (that was pretty much yesterday for me anyway). It's about leading by example and not delegating anything that you wouldn't be willing to do yourself. It's about trying to lose yourself for a little while and show that you care for others. I learned that through service you come to really love people.

Being a Young Womens Advisor wasn't all lesson teaching, example setting, or reminding them to do this or that. Most of the time it was quirky moments and fun conversation.

Some of my favorite moments:

1. Accidentally starting a fire in our cabin at camp. Some of the campers were supposed to be learning ways to start a fire without matches because apparently most of the time when you go camping you forget matches...? I must say, the Perdido girls were champs at this and deserve a certificate for creativity. I still vividly remember the moment when I walked out into the hallway and smelled smoke and heard a sizzling noise. One of the girls (not naming names here) had hit a volleyball into the light and started an electrical fire. This resulted in the evacuation of the entire building (at least fifteen girls and their leaders). Whose volleyball was that and why were they hitting it around inside the building? As a leader I take full responsibility for the incident. How could I have seen that coming? My only consolation is that it made for a great story and all of the girls got a good laugh out of it. 

2. Telling scary stories at camp. This is actually a sensitive subject because it really did freak some of them out. Over the years I have accumulated quite a few disturbing "ghost" stories (none include ghosts) from older brothers, my dad, and friends who all decided it was fun to give me nightmares. The stories don't scare me anymore, but I guess they are pretty horrific to 13-year-olds who have never heard them before... and who probably will never have a sleepover again after hearing them. Story telling, whether you're making somebody laugh or making them shudder, is really fun and satisfying. You're providing quality entertainment. 

3. Water polo at the pool party. We set up two of those inflatable pool rings- one on each end of the pool. These would serve as the goals. Then we divided up the teams and played "water polo" with a volleyball. Our pool is on the smaller side and the deepest it goes is five feet. So there were about eight of us splashing around and violently grabbing for the volleyball. Sometimes the goals would float away so that's something to consider if you ever decide to set up your own game. 

4. Playing the cup game. I don't know what this is actually called but basically you take a cup and there's a certain beat you make with it on a table. Everyone does it at once and then you pass your cup to the person next to you and do it again. Alright... that was probably the worst description ever. If you've ever done it you probably know what I'm talking about. So I taught the girls who had never done it before and we all got pretty good at it during camp. We were actually pretty obnoxious about it and had to swipe some extra plastic cups. We ended up hoarding them and I was the one carrying them around. Every time we sat down at our table in the dining hall.... "Do you have the cups?! Get the cups!!"   

I still can't get over how this summer turned out. It was so much more fulfilling than I imagined it would be and that is due mostly to the Perdido Ward Young Women. They made up the little moments of my summer, the ones that are subtle but turn out to be the ones you remember and the ones you reflect back on the most. These little moments are what make up that one big moment that is a summer, full of fun, innocence, creativity, and love. It's like being a kid again, when we lived as if the summer wouldn't end but never sat still for a second because there simply wasn't time to waste. 

Next up: Track 3!!! 

- Caroline 

The Soundtrack Of My Summer: Track 1

First of all.... I am officially the WORST blogger ever. I can't believe it's been over a month since my last post. I started this blog so that I could post things about my summer and things I've done but I guess I was too busy running around doing all of those things to take time to write about them.
Anyway, I could make excuses all day long. However, that is not the purpose of this post.

What is the purpose of this post you ask? I'm not really sure just yet. All I know is that I titled it "The Soundtrack Of My Summer" because a song from way back in middle school was stuck in my head earlier and those words are part of the lyrics (If you're wondering... the song is "Thunder" by Boys Like Girls). It's about a summer romance or something, which is not what I'm writing about. But I decided to use the metaphor to explain the elements that made up my summer. In other words I'm calling the things I did and the people I spent time with the "soundtrack" of my summer. They were the theme behind it all and without them my summer would have been quiet, boring, and empty.

Track 1 of The Soundtrack of My Summer:

So. I'd have to say that the majority of my summer was spent at work. Sounds awful right? Wrong. Yes, it would have been awful if I was cooped up inside some building five days a week, being forced to serve large amounts of happy vacationers (which can be torturous when you know they've been playing at the beach all day and you have no time to do such a thing). It would have been awful to never see the beach and never get a whiff of that warm, thick salty air.

Fortunately, after spending nine months in the mountains of Utah (don't get me wrong, I love Utah and the climate there, it's just a lot different from home) I got to come home to beautiful Orange Beach, AL and work... at the beach!

In my natural habitat 

Some Suncoast lounges and umbrellas 

Posing in the cushion box after wrapping umbrellas!

Somebody snapped a picture of me carrying a few cushions!

Beach service was not a job I expected to enjoy as much as I did. I really just wanted a job that would make the summer go by quickly (be careful what you wish for right?) so that I could be back at BYU with my friends. But working for Suncoast taught me a lot of things, some useful for life away from the beach, some not.
What I learned:
1. It is possible to get eight hours of sleep when you really need it in order to function the next morning. It's easy when you're not living in a dorm with your friends.
2. If you live in a crowded summer vacation destination, appreciate those early mornings when nobody else is on the road.
3. I can last longer out in the heat and humidity than I once thought possible. The quote "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" now means a lot to me.
4. I will never take where I live for granted. People spend a lot of money to come down here for a week and I got to enjoy the beach all summer, even if it was for work.
5. Attitude is everything. Those mornings when I really just wanted to be in bed were the mornings when everything went wrong. People approached me (that was wrong), there was a chip bag in the sand (that was definitely wrong especially since I was the one picking it up), the sun was shining (that was both wrong and annoying), people paid me in huge bills and I never had change (that was a nuisance), etc., etc.....
6. Take every chance you are given to get to know people. You never know what you can learn from others (keep reading my blog to "meet" some of these people in my next few posts). And with that being said...
7. Also take every chance given to do something kind for another person. You never know who you can have an impact on.
8. Accept milkshakes from strangers when they assure you that they did not put liquor in them. Some people really do like doing nice things for sweaty, tired people working at the beach.
9. ALWAYS cut your peach before eating it. Yes, eating it like an apple seems normal. Sticky peach juice running down your face is not normal. And ants seem to have an amazing sense of smell.
10. Do things right the first time. People will appreciate your hard work and maybe even compliment you on it. And who doesn't like a compliment?
11. Thunderstorms pop out of nowhere! Download a reliable radar app.
12. Part of the job is to rake seaweed and bury it... Never would have guessed.

Ok now that this post is becoming just excessive enough I will leave you with this:

There are people we need to meet and lessons we need to learn. And that is why we end up in certain places at certain times in our lives.

That's my opinion anyway.

To be continued..... 


- Caroline

Keep an eye out for my next post "Track 2" (name is subject to change due to a strong case of indecision) 

A song that somehow stamped our lives

There's something about a song that can conjure up a memory with near exactness. As soon as you hear those first few notes or the first few lines, you remember some part of your life when that particular song was significant to you.

"We all have a song that somehow stamped our lives, takes us to another place and time"
                                                                     -Kenny Chesney

Like most people, I've always loved music. And for me there have always been those songs that take me back in time to some place that was fun and great and usually pretty carefree.
"Heartland" by George Strait takes me back to the days of road trips with my family when my parents would record everything with our video camera.
"Where The Green Grass Grows" by Tim McGraw takes me back to the days of horse shows and our horse trailer/camper that we lived in for days at a time.
Any song by Hillary Duff takes me back to the Disney Channel days with my sisters and cousin. And for some reason "I Don't Have To Be Me (Til Monday)" by Steve Azar reminds me of my little sister Haley and everything we used to do together.
"Dancing in the Moonlight" by Toploader, "Daylight" by Matt & Kim, pretty much any Taylor Swift song, "If It's Love" by Train, and tons of others sum up my high school days and the fun I had with friends driving around town usually looking for something to do.
If a song by Kings Of Leon were to start playing right now I would be thrown back to that last summer before college where every day seemed to be one more chance to be a kid one last time. Though I realized a few months later that there is still plenty of time for that.
And now, even though it has only been a couple of short months since I finished my first year of college, I'm taken back to those late nights and long days of nothing but constant fun when I hear "We Are Young" by..... Fun. No kidding.

I guess I could have made that list a lot longer and become even more nostalgic by the second. But what this post is really about is the weekend I just spent in Nashville with my dad. About four or five months ago I decided that I was going to persuade my dad into taking me to Music City to see two of my favorite artists of all time. Of course when I told him the concert was Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw for their Brothers Of The Sun summer tour, I didn't really need to do much persuading.

THE ticket. The one I waited for months to be able to use. 

We woke up at 5am Saturday morning and drove the seven or so hours to Nashville and the whole way up there we listened to our pre-concert music. Non-stop Kenny and Tim! We got there with a few hours to spare before the concert so we got a hotel room in Franklin (every room in Nashville was occupied.... it was a huge concert). Then we decided to tour the Ryman Auditorium, home of the Grand Ole Opry. This is hallowed ground for country music lovers. 

This historic auditorium has the second best acoustics in the country. Second to the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City :) 

Entrance to the Ryman 

We finally made it to LP Field (home of the Tennessee Titans) where the concert would be and fought the traffic and crowds. Our seats were pretty much in the nosebleed section. Upper Level west. That was perfectly fine with me though because we had a great view of the stage and I wasn't complaining as long as we were there. 

Tiny Tim and Faith singing "I Need You" 

Us being happy with our seats 

There's nothing like reliving parts of your childhood for a few hours in Music City. Out of every song, genre, band, artist I listened to growing up, Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw were ever-present in my collection. They, along with George Strait, were probably the first singers I knew of, and I felt so lucky to be there seeing them live together. In my opinion, concerts are ten times better when you know every single song played. And this concert was especially great because it was music both my dad and I love. 

Kenny Chesney's tour bus! 

Tim McGraw on the screen

So my favorite part of the concert was a tie between the moment when Faith Hill walked out on the stage (a total surprise that she was going to perform) and sang the duet "I Need You" with Tim, and then the end of the show when Tim and Kenny sang their earliest hits together. 

I love that there can be that music that never gets old no matter how much you listen to it. And that at the same time it can take you back in time to a place when you also loved that music. I would call it timeless. 

Kenny performing 

The Nashville skyline from the top of LP Field 

Best summer trip with my dad :) 

"I go back to watching summer fade to fall, growing up too fast and I do recall wishing time would stop right in its tracks. And every time I hear that song, I go back." -KC 

Favorite Kenny Chesney songs of the night: "I Go Back", "Anything But Mine", "What I Need To Do"

Favorite Tim McGraw songs of the night: "I Need You", "The Cowboy In Me", "Last Dollar"  

-Caroline

"He didn't tell me how to live"

In honor of Father's Day I'm writing this post as a tribute to some of the fathers in my life. These guys are the dads in my own family and I have a reason to thank each one of them for living up to the title.

First, of course, is my own dad. I've been told I look "just like PJ" and it is pretty obvious that I am his daughter once you look past the obvious skin tone differences (though I'm trying my best to catch up with his tan). Let's just say for me it takes sitting in the sun fifty hours each week while he catches a few rays by the pool when he can. But despite the fact that I may not have inherited all of his Polynesian qualities, I love him and could not imagine having a different dad. I wouldn't trade a single day I've spent with him for anything, especially those special occasions we've shared. I can remember learning to ski while he steered me with one of those child leashes that look a bit inhumane. I love that I learned to ride a horse with him walking right beside me the whole time. I remember him cheering me on at whatever sport I happened to be playing- soccer, tee-ball, softball, volleyball. He encourages me to learn all that I can and chase ambitions. He sent me to "see the world" when I was eleven and didn't once question whether I was old enough. He was there for every talent show, parent night, playoff game, prom, and every other high school event that at one point or another seemed so important. And though I may not have shown it then, it was important to me that he be there. Any disappointment I have ever faced was never a result of my father letting me down. And for that I feel so lucky and so grateful. Happy Father's Day to the dad who showed me the right way.

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Uncle William is a great dad and one of the most fun-loving people I know. This is him with my dad (the babies are my cousin EA and my little sister Haley)

Father's Day 2012

There are those men in the lives of children who are never wrong no matter what they say or do. And for most people those men are grandfathers. Even Kenny Chesney sings, "As a kid I believed 'cause Grandpa told me so." My dad's father was such a grandpa to me. Honestly, a lot of the time I could be quite scared by him. He was a retired Navy Captain and never let you forget it. Everything had to be in order at all times. But beneath that stern military man was a loving and doting grandpa. I loved his stories and wisdom and I don't think I will ever meet another person as determined, loyal, and loving as he was. One thing I will never forget him telling me is "the world is huge, you can do whatever you want." He lived by that knowledge and expected his family to do the same. "And I lived by his words, 'cause Grandpa told me so." Happy Father's Day to Grandpa, whose fatherly kindness was never limited to his own children. 

Grandpa's 90th birthday in 2010

My mom's dad is a true Yankee Doodle Dandy, born on the 4th of July. That is his birthday but he's actually not a Yankee at all, as he is a southerner and an Ole Miss Rebel. My favorite memories growing up were the summers spent with Grandaddy. He's the grandfather who sits back and laughs at the humorous situations created by the grandchildren, or tells his own funny stories with enthusiasm while we stop and listen. He raised three daughters and then ended up with four granddaughters. I think being amongst so many girls all of the time contributed to his happy-go-lucky attitude. The man is just outnumbered. Grandaddy, like Grandpa, is a WWII veteran and is full of stories and wisdom that I love to hear. Happy Father's Day to Grandaddy, who loves unconditionally like any dad should. 

My mom and her dad (Grandaddy) 1989 

Two of my brothers are now dads and so I want to wish them a Happy Father's Day! 

Kris and Miley 2008

Nic and Ryder 2011

Last semester at BYU I was able to spend time with my cousin Jeff and his four kids. He's an awesome dad and definitely lives up to the title. 

Jeff, Kolby, Eliza, Carson, and Logan! And Brigham Young of course :) 

"A man never stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child." The dads in my life have shown me that it isn't simply a job to be a father. It becomes his life and once it begins, it never ends. To me a dad is at his best when he exhibits Christlike qualities. When he bends down to tie his son's shoes, or picks him up when he falls off of his bike. I love my own dad for loving his Heavenly Father and trying each day to be a dad like Him. 

"He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it." -Clarence Budington Kelland 

Freshman Year: Declassified (what I learned)

I recently finished my first year at Brigham Young University and it was more fun and rewarding than I could have ever imagined. And I definitely imagined. I always wanted to go to BYU, from the time I learned what college was, and I anticipated the day when I would finally be able to apply. By senior year I faced the reality that I should probably consider other schools as well. I really got into the application process and applied to tons of schools that I could see myself attending. But in the end I stayed true to the wishes of my ten-year-old self and chose to make my way out west in August of 2011. There was no way I could have guessed what life at the Y would actually be like.

Helaman Halls 

Brigham Square 

So here I've decided to highlight some of the things I learned over the course of my freshman year. These are in no way the things I expected to learn or the things I thought would be important. But oh are they important....

1: There is no such thing as "going hungry" in college. Well at least this is true if you live in Helaman Halls. When I pictured college life, I pictured myself with a bowl of canned soup in hand, heated in the microwave. Maybe even the Ramen that everyone counsels you to invest in. What I didn't expect is what my actual food situation was. As long as I had my student ID equipped with my magical "Dining Plus"meal plan it was never possible to worry over food. It was all swipe and go. Whether it was at the Cannon Center, the Cougareat, or the hundreds of vending machines around campus, I always had food. Which is obviously important right?

A little trip to the "vendies" was a nightly occurrence. 

2: It's possible to fall asleep anywhere. The fact is, this is probably true only because sleep was on the bottom of the list of things to do. There always seemed to be something more important (more fun) to do and if there was time left over at the end of the night I would find somewhere to curl up- usually in my bed, or sometimes the floor or the end of a roommate's bed. So the result of this constant sleep deprivation was the uncontrollable urge to slouch in those ridiculously comfortable lecture hall chairs and nap through class. And then of course falling asleep while studying was inevitable. 

Falling asleep makes for perfect picture opportunities.

Physical Science reviews. 

3: Leaving our door unlocked made life easier. It also made it easier for others to pull pranks. Pranks can be creative or not. Either way, somehow it was always funny. Maybe it was the lack of sleep that added humor to every situation. 

McCall, my roommate, and I came home probably around 3AM to find this.

We still aren't very sure what type of prank this was... Fun nonetheless 

4: You can never take too many photo booth pictures. Heather and I discovered the free photo booth every Tuesday and became what we like to think of as the owner's best customers. I am definitely grateful to have learned that such a thing as "unlimited photo booth access" exists. 

One of the many faces of photo boothers. 

A Prints Charming original 

5: There is no way I could have gone to school anywhere else. If I had I would never have met my two favorite people! Hanging out with Hope and Charity once a week was the highlight of my freshman year. Our days included pretending Jonathan was a monster, flying kites, dying eggs, riding bikes, sidewalk chalk, planting flowers, and even falling in the duck pond. 

Jonathan and I loved every minute with these twins. (that's Hope)

Last Sunday dinner at the Hung's  

6: Venturing off campus can be complicated. I learned something the day some friends and I decided to drive to another city: five people squeezed into one Bug can be cramped, hot, and frustrating (especially when traffic is backed up for miles). I also learned that a simple solution to any problem is to walk into a mob of thousands of people and allow them to throw colored dust on you. The ride home was much less tense. 

Festival of Colors

7: Friends become family. Living on a hall with 39 other girls sounds crazy. But when we all became friends, and eventually more like sisters, the craziness factor didn't really matter. When else would I ever get the chance to spend every minute with my friends? Simply spending every day with the same people- going to classes together, eating all meals together, going to church together, studying together, hanging out on the weekends- turned us into a family. 

109th Ward

Jeff, Caroline (me), Heather, and Connor at the last bonfire of the year

Legends for dinner!

8: There is no such thing as too many pictures. I came to accept the fact that we had to take pictures of each and every event. I'm glad we did for obvious reasons! 

Night skiing with a few great people

McCall's surprise birthday part- a Fiesta! 

iPod dance party anyone??

Okay, those are just a few things I learned in college. I realized as I was listing everything that none of this actually had anything to do with the academic life I had at BYU (unless you count the sleeping/studying). I definitely learned a lot in each of my classes but I couldn't think of anyone who would want to read about my struggles with PS100 or the many papers on literary criticism that I had to write this year. Even more so than that, I guess it's almost a given that one would learn in the classroom. What I learned from my friends and from living in the dorms seems more unique to the freshman experience that I'm so grateful to have had. 

- Caroline