i used to hate it here.

and my mom told me to try to love it.
so i did try.
and now i do love it.

except for some of my roommates.
and their nonstop voice going.
or them and their boyfriend kissing.

and i still miss home every second of my life.
i hate missing out on his basketball games.
and knowing what's going on with my family.
i hate not being able to go to the temple whenever i want.
and i miss having my mom cook my meals and do my laundry.
and saying family prayer and getting goodnight hugs from my parents every night.

but i'm learning to grow up.
and who am i to complain when i get to have my sister here.
and her friends that are willing to be friends with me too.

today i opened my be happy book from tori.
and i read page one hundred.
and page one hundred and one.

"happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply,

 to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed."

- storm jameson

"it seems obvious that the first rule of life is 

to have a good time."

-brendan gill

"the place to be happy is here.

the time to be happy is now.

the way to be happy is to make others so."

-robert g. ingersoll

"savor the moment. search for a little joy,

and you will find a great deal of it in

unexpected places."

-allen folstein

"the point is to live everything."

-steven potter

"people will try to tell you that all the great

opportunities have been snapped up.

in reality, the world changes every second,

blowing new opportunities in all directions,

including yours."

-ken hakuta

lately the spirit has been teaching me a lot of things.

in unexpected ways.

and all of these quotes made me realize.

that my mom was right.

that i just needed to try.

because this is an opportunity to be here.

and i need to live it as much as possible.

love, j.