all nighters...

this is what college is all about...an occasional all nighter because you procrastinated. i hadn't done this for a while (pulled an all nighter). however, i am a professional procrastinator with certain things. this is a picture of me looking fabulous during my all nighter last sunday. the good news? i finished my semester paper!! i felt very victorious afterward and ended up being quite proud of the paper.  later, i found this "how to" online that might have been helpful. my favorite steps? 2, 15, 16, 20, 24, 25. my biggest mistakes? my 20 minute naps turned into hour naps. so i guess it wasn't a true all nighter...more like write for 2 hours, sleep for 1. write for 2 hours, sleep for 1.  good times? i think so.

Steps

1. 1
   Do your work. Plenty of times, you get sidetracked. Avoid this by setting a constant pace for yourself: 50 minutes of work, and a 10 minute break. Besides, keeping your mind occupied will make it easier to stay awake.
2. 2
   Move! Dance! Stretch! Not so often that it becomes a distraction; just while taking that hourly 10 minute break.
3. 3
   Avoid caffeine, if possible. See warnings for reasons why. Drink two brimming glasses of ice cold water every 30 minutes. Not only will the cold keep you awake, but you'll need to urinate very often. It's difficult to sleep on the toilet.
4. 4
   Play (softly, if you have a roommate) hardcore metal music. You may enjoy it, but it must be, at all costs, harsh and a bit arrhythmic. Try to stick to instrumental music, which is less distracting. This will keep you from being lulled to sleep.
5. 5
   Work with windows open: cold air will keep you awake. Warm air knocks you out. If you find the cold air is effective in keeping you awake, you can even go to the bathroom and wash your face with cold water. Only wash your face if you are getting tired, you don't want to waste studying time.
6. 6
   Set your computer screen to a lower setting, (duller and darker) so as not to strain your eyes. See warnings for why not to.
7. 7
   Turn off instant messengers, your cellphone, the TV, and do not surf the internet, edit wikiHow, read, draw, etc. In fact, pinch yourself if you do. This can distract you very easily.
8. 8
   Do not work in bed, on a couch, or on the floor. If you work in any other place than a cold, hard table and chair, you will feel very tempted to sleep. If possible, work somewhere far away from your room/bed, so it's a pain to go back and sleep. Try to be around some other people, too, so you do not feel comfortable sleeping in your chair.
9. 9
   Set a timer, if you're going to nap. Don't nap for more than 20 minutes, and stay half-awake. Avoid napping at all costs, though. "Just 20 minutes of relaxation" will more likely involve you waking up past your class the next day.
10. 10
    Rotate subjects every hour, if applicable. You'll quickly mentally wear out on one topic.
11. 11
    Work through it all. If you have time at the end, pack up your stuff, lay out your clothes, then set your alarm as late as possible, to achieve the most possible sleep.
12. 12
    Try sitting in different places around the room.
13. 13
    Remember: if you are tired and are completely slumping over your work, sit up straight. It could immediately make you feel more awake. Yes, it sounds stupid, but try it.
14. 14
    Eat protein-rich foods like sandwiches, cheese, and other dairy products. Sugary foods may make you feel awake for a little while, but can eventually make you feel drowsy. Apples or apple juice also help, especially if you eat cheese with it. Apples keep your blood sugar stable so you're able to stay awake longer, some say they're better than caffeine!
15. 15
    Think positively. Thoughts such as: "I am almost done," "This is actually not too bad," "I will get to see the sunrise," "I will get a good grade" can definitely help.
16. 16
    Get scared. Sure, it sounds silly, but do it. Watch a horror movie or read something frightening. You'll be too scared to fall asleep. This is best used when you're at the end of the night and need to get through that last little bit, and make sure the movie goes straight to the action, it's easy to fall asleep in dull moments. Do not do this if there is work to be finished, though!
17. 17
    Note: if you are tired and bored of studying the same thing over and over again, remain positive. You can even try to make a game out of it so studying won't be so strenuous and dull. (It sometimes helps to time how fast you get math problems done, and try to beat that time.)
18. 18
    Tap your feet! It may seem weird, but it helps for some people to consistently tap their feet. If it becomes a habit, it might just save you from falling asleep at those final dire moments.
19. 19
    Chew gum. Like tapping your feet, it keeps you awake without being distracting!
20. 20
    Squeeze and massage your ears. There are acupoints on your ears, and when stimulated, send electrical signals into your brain. You'll feel buzzed immediately.
21. 21
    Don't eat granola, milk, lemons, or turkey. These are all foods that will make you tired and sleepy.
22. 22
    Always have the light on. It's hard to stay awake when you're in a nice, dark room.
23. 23
    Don't think about anything luxurious, such as being in a mansion or in a hot tub, you will feel relaxed.
24. 24
    Don't write poetry or quietly sing songs, draw, or even play with your hair while day dreaming. This will calm you.
25. 25
    Don't yawn. You're yawning because you are taking in less oxygen, and that means your breathing is steady, light, and slow. You don't want that.

WE DID IT!!

13.1 miles!!

I officially loved it :)  

Running has really taught me a lot..

*I can do hard things

*You can do anything if you set goals and work hard!

*It's all in your desire...you have to decide you're not going to give up

It was really cool to have something where I could actually see my progress. And it's actually true, there is such a thing as a runner's high! I know, I didn't use to believe it either. My first 7 mile run though, I experienced it. I felt like I could run forever.  That was the coolest run by the way...i called it the tour of my life! I ran past every apartment i've lived in in provo (i'm up to 8), the temple, the MTC, and my lab on campus.  i'm such a dweeb but i actually got kind of emotional haha! it gave me a lot of time to reflect on my life (running is great for that by the way). i hadn't been back to some of those apartments since i moved and there were a LOT of good memories. if you're reading this, i may have thought of YOU at some point on that run. lucky you. lucky me.  anyway, i officially love running! in fact, pops and i are going to run a half marathon together on may 30th! stay tuned. we're thinking matching lime green shirts. we'll see :)

what happened to me?

i don't know what has happened to me...i used to be able to study for hours on end without getting very distracted. now here i sit in the good ol' harold b lee library trying to write a paper....3 hours in....i've had about 45 minutes worth of really good writing time...the rest i keep getting distracted! i see someone i know and get really excited, i get a phone call and talk to a friend for 30 minutes, i check for the dance class i really wanted to get in for spring semester (there was an opening!!) and register for it, i rework my spring/summer schedules to make sure i have time for everything, i change my availability online for my part time job, i check out all the photos of me from the half marathon (a post full of details coming in the near future) that the professionals took and want to charge me $40 for, i write my little brother a letter on dearelder.com, and pathetically...i've checked facebook 3 times.  THIS ISN'T OK. i'm running out of time! ok now that this is out of my system, i am promising myself i won't get distracted again for one hour. for one hour i will be focused. for one hour i will dominate this paper. i can do it...

i love reunions :)

Well this past weekend was AMAZING. i got to reunionize with so many people i love. 1st stop: SISTER IRELAND!! my mtc companion :) She had driven down from Canada for conference weekend, so we got to have dinner together at Zupas.  just hearing her laugh again made me so happy.  i couldn't have asked for a better first companion on my mission.  she taught me SO much about humility and diligence.  she also taught me how to look at things from an investigator's point of view.  I admire her so much and will love her forever!

next stop, WASHINGTON SEATTLE MISSION REUNION!! I wish i'd taken more pictures, but here are the ones i DID get.  Me and Diane (aka sister bush) . . . 

me and sister burch!

me with three of my companions: lacey (sister burch), diane, and kayla (sister sawyer)

and finally, i got to meet the Lee Family! Sister Lee was one of my last companions on the mission. She is still on her mission, but i got to meet her family! They came from korea to see General Conference.  It was such a sweet experience to meet them, hug them, and talk with them.  Now I know why sister lee is so amazing.  Now i need to save up so i can go visit them in Korea :) They brought be that beautiful scarf as a gift from Korea!!

I think this is what heaven will be like, just reunionizing with all the people we love :)

my little bro is all grown up :)

Last Wednesday was a very special day! We dropped Josh off at the MTC :) I am so proud of the man that he has become. It's kind of crazy that he's this old! I remember when he learned how to walk.  He is so ready and excited to be a missionary.  Seeing him prepare and thinking about his first few days in the MTC has brought back a lot of memories for me.  Half of me was sad to say goodbye, and the other half was very jealous :) I'm going to miss Josh's humor, piano playing/singing, teasing, peace-making, and overall goodness. Good luck, ELDER GIBBONS!!