Thursday, December 25, 2008

The Last USA Post

Well friends, this is my last writing from the US of A. In 37 hours and 40 some odd minutes I will be boarding a 747 (hopefully business class) headed toward my future! I am so so exited for my departure! It is going to amazing! All I know is adventure lies in my future! My bags are packed and I'm rearin' (no pun) to go! I am hardly bringing anything, most of what I have is horseback riding thing, my horseback riding boots, and my boots for the horse, helmet, other boots, chaps, a lot of stuff.

Sweet swirling asparagus tips I'm going to miss my friends! The good-byes are hard, but it won't hit me till I'm on the beach on New Years Day, then it will hit me...

Loves much, I can't wait to write from the land down under!

xoxo
- Lenka

Friday, December 12, 2008

My Jet Plane is Almost Here

So last night I called my friend, Michelle, in Australia to get details about me coming over. It was great, I'm arriving on the 29th, we changed plans to spend New Years on the beach near Sydney! Then I will be in Yass with Michelle and start working with Timmy and Tommy my horses that I will get to use while there! Then around the end of January I will be working with either Natalie who lives in Yass, or Nicole who lives in the Hunter Valley! I will be working and getting payed while down there. I'll be like a working student working for the rider getting their horses ready, riding a certain amount of horses for them, and grooming for them at shows. I can never say this enough, but I am so excited! It's my journey of a lifetime and I can't wait!
I don't know how the rest of my life is going to compare, but I am going to live it up while I'm down there.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oi Oi Oi!

The countdown is on, 21 days until I leave the United States for my four month journey. I can't believe it is coming so fast. It seems like just last month that I got back from camp. There is so much that I need to get ready, just personal stuff, like packing, moving back to my house, and such.

It's a bitter-sweet departure. There is so much I am going to miss. I don't know how I am going to survive without Camille. She is the one I can vent to, the one person I feel ultimately comfortable telling anything. Then there are new friends that I have made this year. My first group of friends not from high school. They are so awesome a part of me doesn't want to leave. But I know this is one of my journeys of life that is going to help shape me as a person.

The parents are very skeptical about me going. I understand that as I go into a foreign country I am putting myself into a lot of risks and important decisions. The people I am going to be staying with are not Mormon and do not hold the high standards that I have committed to my life. They do know that I have these standards and they really respect my decisions on them.

I am so excited to go and I'm surprised that I haven't already started packing. Usually when a big trip comes up, I start packing weeks almost a month before I leave. Actually I need to get on that... But everything is falling into place and it is going to be a journey of a lifetime!

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Little Brother: Life form from the Degobah System or unheraled blessing

Brace yourselves lads, here comes my Thanksgiving post. I wanted to put down in words how thankful I am for my family. It's one of my flaws that I don't tell my family I love them enough. I realized today that Warren and I have a bonded relationship as brother and sister, and I contribute a little of that to be being gone for so long and not living in the house. By being gone we don't get on each others nerves and since we don't see each other everyday we are actually glad to see one another. We are the other brother/sister that give each other real hugs when I come home. Also, I think it's because Warren is getting older and that sibling gap seems less the older we get. We have funny conversations like today we had a "Hug Lesson" where we discussed our preferences and the meanings of different hugs. For example I being a girl like to go under and hug around the chest, while Warren likes the over hug. Then there is the cross hug where one arm is up and one is under, not my fave, it's an awkward hug. Oh and I learned from Jason Carroll, my favorite BYU teacher to this day! about the 20 second mark (see me if you want full explanation). All in all, Warren and I have a bond, our own little fun we have only with each other, our Samurai fighting, Super Smash Brothers tourny (my greatest achievement beating Warren, has only happened once so far!), and Star Wars trivial pursuit. Best Little Brother an Elena could have!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Bubbles

Last night when I was asleep I was woken up by some mumbling. I am a very light sleeper and anything wakes me up. It was Camille. She was talking in her sleep. What I deciphered was "Dancing through" and then "Oh nothing I'm just thinking out loud", a phrase she uses a lot when awake. So I thought she was awake, but she kept mumbling. This morning I told Camille I heard here talking. I the ironic thing is she told me I was sleep mumbling when I was falling asleep last night saying "please, please". That dang cough syrup, it makes me loopy and I am not accountable for anything I do after those two teaspoons.

So, last night I went with Kenz to a little camp fire over at her BF Troy's house. Troy is a cool guy, a little too hot looking for me though. We played lacrosse today and she asked if I knew that they were dating. Um, ya I can take a hint, she just can't stay single long.

My friendship with the JACKS is really waning. Not necessarily strained, just growing apart. I guess I didn't think that you really do grow apart from high school friends. I know they are always going to be my really good friends, but we don't know about everyone's life like we used to. There is no effort on either party's end, and everyone has a different schedule and way different priorities. Also, I get the feeling from them that they have mixed emotions that I am making new friends. But I am having the time of my life, I wouldn't trade it for all the taxes in Nottingham. I'm just sad that it is short lived as I am leaving to the land down under, but I'll keep in touch with the new friends! Sophomore year has been the best school year of my entire life!! I'm having fun and just living the life with spontaneity, the way a girl my age should live her life!

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Aye Aye Captain

Well this school year I have discovered my love for Marshmallow Mateys cereal. I have never really been fond of Marshmallow Mateys or Lucky Charms, but this year I can't live with out them! I used to eat these cereals by first eating all the non-marshmallow pieces thus saving all the marshmallows for the end. Save the best for last eh? But This is the first year that I have actually eaten the mallows and the non-mallows together. What a difference! It makes the whole cereal eating experience pure bliss!

I have also concluded that a lot I write here I purposely don't include in my hand written journal. For the various reasons: 1. Somethings I don't want my children to see and think that I am just these big nerd, um mom you spent time writing about cereal? 2. It's too cheesy to write about unless you are just doing nothing while your roommate sleeps. Maybe others, but that's the gist.

So the answer to my prayers happened this Thursday!! I got a call for my apartment contract that I am selling!! I have been so worried about it and really praying that everything would work out. I always had the feeling that everything would fall into place. So Wednesday I put up a cute little 3X5 card (made by the best roomie) in the Wilk advertising my contract. Then Thursday I got a call from a girl and she said that she wanted it and will sign a contract without even seeing it! WOW! Well yesterday she came to meet Camille and Lauren (for their approval) and see the apartment and she signed right there! It was such a blessing. Everything leading to Australia has really been falling into place, I got a approved for a 12 month visa, I am getting credit for a class while over there, my scholarship is covering that class, and my apartment contract is sold! Now I just need the good graces from my parents and get on a plane! Gosh it gives me butterflies just thinking about going! Well long post filled with fluff.

-Lena

Thursday, November 13, 2008

A Little Girl Stuck in the Middle

So I am officially a Gap Girl! Last night was my first official shift working at Gap. I worked in the Kids area and found my lifelong calling... folding! Maybe it's because I lived 19 years with an OCD mother, but I love board folding and making all the piles look uniform, even the signature "GAP" hoodies have to be folded a certain way so you can see the "GAP" logo when folded. Coworkers would come by and ask how I was doin' and I would say I was great while they replied they what to shoot themselves. My manager even commented how nice they really looked. Gold star for Elena! We were really focused about making the whole store look amazing because the CEO of Gap inc. is coming to our store with all the PR people and the logo hoodies are one thing that they are going to be looking at. I'm way excited to work at Gap, although I was a little nervous on Tuesday because I have never done retail, but then I thought about it, and well working at Build a Bear is exactly the same just dressing kids instead of bears, but it's almost exactly the same working in Baby Gap. I told my manager that and they thought that was humorous.

So in my mission prep class there is this boy who is Troy Bolton in the flesh! I even called him a wildcat today. I don't know why I think this, he doesn't play basketball, but just the way he acts and kinda how he looks. We were in groups together today, and I must say that he is hot! Too bad he's 18, but I like that I'm making little friends in my mission prep class. He is also from Boston, my favorite city in the United States! Oh gosh, Troy Bolton! Too bad I do not sing and I'm not on the math team, dang. Well I guess I "Gotta Go My Own Way".

-Lenka

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Best Entertainment!

11/11

So the date is 11/11. I decided that the rest of the day will be filled with 11/11 themed things. Such as the song 11:11pm by The All-American Rejects, see what scene from the Goofy Movie is at 11 minuted and 11 seconds, make a wish at 11:11 o'clock! So many activities for the day!

I'm really becoming attached to my blog. This is my second post in less than 12 hours. Maybe it's because I finished my journal yesterday and I need to wait for my Borders coupon to come to get another journal.

Missionario Prep: I love my mission prep class! It is my favorite class of pretty much my entire schedule of seven classes. I decided I needed to take it because I'm going to life in Australia for four months and I am not staying with members. The nearest church building will be at least an hour away. At camp when I had friends ask me about my beliefs I didn't always have a good answer, or know how to explain without using Mormon jargon and such. So, I want to be prepared when questions come and I can help my friends understand why I belief and what I believe. A little different than getting a call to serve, but I need to be prepared.

XOXO- Lenka

Monday, November 10, 2008

My Inspiration

Camille has inspired me to create a blog. My awesome roomie! Lenka is a new singer that was previewed on MTV's "artist you oughta know" promotion today and she is upbeat, sing-songie, cute singer, and from Australia! The land that I will be calling home for four months starting January! This along with my journal will be a nice little resting spot for the little voices in my head that make my mind so confusing to others. Neener-Neener-Neener!