Finally Final.

My last final is finally done!! Woo! I forgot how good this feels. I'm thinking last semester was the busiest I have ever been in my life. Really. Even looking back just now, I'm not sure how I did it all...haha. I'm so glad to be done with school for a little bit. I'm less glad to be done with Peer Advising and Service-Learning Coordinating, but it will be nice to not be worrying about three jobs and homework. I'm always trying to put my full effort into school and work, but whoa. When I'm at Express up to 35 hours per week, plus 10 hours a week of Peer Advising, plus 5-10 hours to coordinate service-learning, and school on top of that, it gets tough! I think I had 16 credit hours, too. It was just a lot for me. I'm excited now to be able to focus on my job and improving my skills at Express. I'll also have time to....paint my nails, workout, clean my car, hang out, and just have fun. :)

I will be done with my writing for HerCampus until fall as well. When we start publishing again, I will be the editor-in-chief of the Utah branch! I'm excited for that! So many opportunities are coming up, and I am really learning how to be an effective leader. It's tough, but I need to do it and get used to it. I'll take any practice I can get! I also need to be looking for other internships. Hmm. Yea. I'll find one somewhere!

I have three more semesters of college. So I guess two years from now I'll be wearin' that cap and gown. That's enough time to figure out my life right? I guess we'll see. I'll probably be completely different by then! Ah. It's been a good semester. Being a Service-Learning Coordinator has been one of the most challenging jobs I've ever done! It's also taught me a ton about myself and helped me grow as a person and as a leader. I'm so glad I had the opportunity and accepted it! Peer Advising has been amazing as well. I'm really gonna miss it. But at the same time, it will be nice to not have so much extra stuff to worry about (though I'm sure I'll find something). Hm. I won a scholarship. Woo! That was a great moment for me too. I made a great friend in a professor, really  our friendship was long in the making. I...yea. Worked some late nights. My papa was not super thrilled about those, but it was worth it for me and our team at City. It didn't interfere with anything but my sleep, so I was tired but ok.

It's going to be a great summer. I'm going to keep wearing my SPF! I'm gonna sleep in, paint my nails a lot, spend time with my friends, read whatever I want, and take care of about a billion pesky little things that need to be done. I love school, but I'm ready for a break! And by August I'm sure (I hope) I'll be ready to go back. :)

The Roaring 20s

Dear Jetta,


Today, you are 20 years old and are entering a new decade. Hopefully when you enter the next decade, you'll read this and have a good laugh :)


Love, Jetta.
PS. Not that you would because it's so cute, but don't forget what you wore :) You can tell your kids someday. You'll know more about that in the coming years.

Dear Future Jetta,


Today, you are 30 years old and are entering a new decade. Were they really the roaring 20s for you? I sure hope so. :) Remember that outfit you were wearing ten years ago? hahahha Had to ask. So, what's new? Let's hope you finally graduated from college (multiple degrees? Do you go by Dr. now?), and it didn't really last forever. ha. What's the biggest scandal? Has Kim K. had several other 72-day marriages? Is the Biebs really a dad? HA! (It's been a good few weeks for celebrity gossip.) Has there been a woman president yet? I remember when Obama was elected. Progress! How's Griffers? And your parents? And Alex and Krystal? And Lindsay and Anne? And everyone else? Hopefully, well. :) Remember PIZMO! God, she was so hairy. But so cute! Did Griffin finally get you a puppy? :) Well, I hope everything else worked out the way you wanted it to. However,  I know it didn't! :) But I also know you're smart enough to figure things out when they don't go the way you want, and you make it work!


Love,
Jetta, 2011.

Happy Halloween!

Why is Halloween fun? Because little kids in costumes are adorable! Because dressing up is fun (even though I'm not going to!). Because candy is delicious. And because scary movies are kinda fun. So, to recap over the years...here is kind of a pictorial narrative. Looking in all the "Halloween" albums I can find, there are hardly any pictures of me!!!!!! However, there were plenty of pictures of me dressed up for other reasons...ha.

 

This was....eighth grade? Or ninth. haha Lindsay and I were boys! I remember being JT from tha hood...I can't remember what her name was. Ohhh good times.

Tenth grade...I was a kitty cat! And Gab was a princess :)

Junior year I was a flapper girl! So fun. It wasn't as cute for work, but I remember dressing up cute for hanging out with friends. 

I didn't find anything from senior year...I have no idea what I even did. Obviously nothing too crazy. This was last year. I dressed up as a princess for Flips! I worked in Princess Land and painted nails. haha This was the only time I've ever been a princess. It only took me 18 years :) And really, those were all the Halloween photos I could find of my costumes. Since they are sparse, I decided to share some costumes from non-Halloween events.

 I wish this was on a day when it was acceptable to dress this way in public...haha

Not Halloween either...who'da thought? :) "Bros with fros ain't got no ho's!"

Definitely just a regular day.

 And, unlike me, Alex and Krystal and their friends have TONS o' photos from each Halloween from the past, like, five years! I thought they were worth mentioning:

My brother is such a fun Honest Abe haha

And Krystal always looks cute of course :)

This was last year...I just remembered what I did! haha Griffin and I went to the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Tower Theatre. We dressed drag like the characters :) And it was cute! No photos though.

Kaya was an adorable lion :)

This one was definitely worth publishing haha Go Cor!

Here's a glimpse of Pizmo in her devil costume!!! haha She hates it. And I still think we should get her the princess one. It suits her soooooooooo much better.

Ok, I lied. One last picture of me! Couldn't leave out this little gem :)

And, last but not least, my mom's devil pumpkin from several years ago.

Happy Halloween all!!

Things I Love

Hola all! The past few weeks I've randomly seen or heared different things and immediately remembered how much I love them so....I thought I'd document my random faves :)

1. ELO!!! Electric Light Orchestra, for those who don't know. "Don't Bring Me Down" is my ring tone! At my work they play some crappy remix of "Evil Woman;" the original is so much better. You've probably heard them, but if not, youtube it girl!

This is really what it looks like!

2. The top of Legacy Bridge. OMG it is sooo gorgeous! Really I'm just in love with the whole U campus. It's one of the prettiest places I've ever seen, and I've come to be very appreciative of my everyday environment. Every Wednesday I dread trekking up to the LEAP House, but the view at Legacy Bridge and from upper campus is so worth it! And free for the public :)

They are so worth the pain. (Griffin disagrees :))

3. SHOES! What girl doesn't? There are so many cute fall styles out right now! I got these a few weeks ago, and I'm so in love! Red is so perfect for fall, and I'm finding they really go with a lot. Plus, I always love a good wedge. Definitely a wedge girl.

4. Fleetwood Mac. Stevie Nicks is such an amazing singer. I can hardly understand any of the lyrics, but I enjoy singing along. Beautiful.

It would be my honor, to be your new step-father. haha!

5. Mother Lover. hahhahahah Look it up on youtube. Hilarious! (Yet not appropriate for all audiences).

6. Griffers. :) Well, I've always loved him. But he's adorbs, so I thought I'd mention him. :)

7. Weddings! I want to get married just for the cake and the dress. Haha I'm going to a wedding next Friday (fun excuse to look cute) and my LEAP professor talked to me about her wedding today. All of it is so adorbs. LOVE IT. Plus the whole love/life commitment/partner thing is good too. I love happy people in love. :)

8. Pretty Woman. Ahhhh LOVE that show. I have it memorized. "It was so good I almost peed my pants!" "Huh?" "She said she liked it better than Pirates of Penzance." Ohhh classic. And Julia Roberts is so gorgeous.

Brain=BFF

This year, having started in two new jobs and therefore met lots of new people, I have come to notice something about myself, something that I've decided is very important: I am comfortable with myself.

Being a Peer Advisor is seriously one of THE BEST things that I have ever done and one of the best things that has ever happened to me in my entire life. We're only in week five or so, and I never want it to end! Everything I've done has been so entirely unique; I really don't think I've seen these kinds of relationships/interactions/opportunities/experiences/etc. ever before. The first time I met with the other PA's (there are 31 of us!) was in April, and immediately I was incredibly comfortable. In a room full of strangers, I was not nervous or afraid but content with myself and my (unfamiliar) surroundings. The next time I was face-to-face with everyone was in August! Such a long gap. But I was equally as comfortable, if not more. Also, my professor is so amazing. I admire her success and ambitions and am so enjoying getting to know her on a more personal level. That's really the best part because she is super fun. :) My class is pretty great, too. It's so easy for me to relate to them because I was literally there a year ago, and that helps us identify quite well. I love LEAP. This really doesn't even begin to cover it, but you get the idea. In all of these situations (working intimately with a professor, assisting students in class and having answers to their questions, interacting with other PAs) I have been so content with everything. Excited even! 

In late May, I omitted a two-week notice and opted for about a four-day heads-up that I was leaving All a Dollar. I needed to get the hell out. I put in my 3+ years and it was so time for something new. That is when I started at Express. Yes, it is still retail! A lot of things are still the same, but I have also learned so much. And I feel like my growth and excellence was stagnated at All a Dollar, whereas now it is continuous. At Express, our store has gone through several management changes and associate changes and I have constantly been in contact with new people. Again, I have been so comfortable! With my personality, my work, and my interaction with customers and other employees. My level of comfort has really made this transition smooth and allowed me to focus on doing my job and enjoying my work. :)

Two examples, two very different situations, one same, amazing level of comfort. I began to wonder what to attribute my contentness to, and at first I thought it was confidence/self-esteem. In a way, that's exactly what it is, but not the way you might be thinking at this moment and not the way I first thought. My physique, hair, makeup, clothes, nails, shoes, etc. are not making me into this individual who is ready to adapt to any situation. It's my knowledge. :)  It's me knowing what I know and being confident in my thoughts. Gosh I love my brain! That is not something you can buy at a store!!!! (I'm sorry sir, we do not carry that here). And it has taken me years and years to develop my knowledge and education. However, it overrides outside appearance. FOR SURE. I do not have six-pack abs, but I am damn good at my job. My skin is not perfect, but I write kick ass research papers (and love them haha). It's how I am, what I do, and what I'm going to continue to do. I'm comfortable with what I know (and what I don't), and I don't need Prada, liposuction, a boob job, and Louboutins (though I would like them, the shoes that is :)) to make me more content.

Safety in Danger? Psch.

If you haven't read my previous post about how much I love school, I will reiterate: I love school! And it's going really well. :) The other day someone asked me what I liked most about it, and I really couldn't pick one thing! Just the whole classroom atmosphere I suppose. And well, school. :) Someone also asked me if I was doing ok and happy. I am! Great, really. Yesterday I had the luxury of sitting at the tables outside the Marriot Library, basking in the warm sun, grading papers for LEAP, and just enjoying myself. There was really no other place I wanted to be.

Anyway! I have a news writing class this semester, and our first assignment was to interview the person beside you and write a story about him/her. I had quite an awkward conversation with the gentlemen sitting next to me, and we both proceeded to write something (I really don't think either of us gave that great of information). However, while he was interviewing me, he asked what kind of car I have. (I believe we both complained about parking a bit and that prompted him to ask.) I told him I have a Hyundai Accent and that it's pretty beat up. I also explained how that came to be. He then decided to focus his story on my bad driving. COME ON.

Obviously I'm biased toward myself, but I am not a bad driver! Were I, I think I'm comfortable enough to admit it. But really. I don't text and drive (duh). I don't speed (maybe 5 over here and there). I stop at stop signs (besides the one by my house--I know Griff :)). I don't eat and drive (it seems quite difficult). I try to keep plenty of space between me and the person in front of me (and behind, if possible). I drive cautiously in parking lots (again, duh, even if it looks empty). I ALWAYS wear my seat belt (so easy to do). And in general I am a defensive driver (I thank my parents for that). Yes, my car has endured four collisions with other things. Twice, the other things HIT ME! Unavoidable, or I would've avoided them. Therefore, not my fault. The two times that I came into contact with other objects, I was going slow and the other objects were stationary. Cheap aluminum just does not hold up well. In all of these collisions, no one was hurt and most damage was minimal (at least what I had to pay for ha). Really, the evidence provided is not sufficient enough to find me guilty of bad driving.

Also, did I mention the headline of the story was something about my safety being in danger? Now, how ironic is that? Plus, it's not like I'm getting worse! Every time I drive, I have the opportunity to practice safe driving. And I do. (You should too!) Come on now. We need to stop judging drivers by their cars.

This concludes my rant. Drive safe all! Especially if you have any fun plans for Labor Day!

Yay School!

Today I resumed school. YAY! I love school. And learning. And studying. And all of it! The classroom environment is really my element. My first class this morning was LEAP, for which I'm a Peer Advisor, meaning I took the class last year and now I'm back to help out. In my peer advising training, other PAs talked about "bright-eyed freshmen" on the first day, but OH MAN. Their eyes were really just so bright! Thirty students in the class looking scared, confused, eager, not knowing what to expect, excited, and tired were all staring at me, and my response was to be super bright and welcoming :) Hopefully it went over well!

Seeing those freshman today made me think of how I was exactly a year ago: scared, confused, eager, etc., and how I am today: confident, happy, excited, and ready to learn. I wanted to tell them so much! Things about the class and the professor and myself and college in general and mostly that post-high school education will not be so scary everyday. (And I'm hoping I took the edge off the scariness...) However, I know that getting over the intimidation of attending a university will only come with time and acquired familiarity. Telling them: just wait until second semester!! Really, the end of second semester! And how much they will change won't really do much today; it's something they will have to discover for themselves. And really, is there a better way?

I didn't think so either! :)