How do you measure, measure a year? (In a top 10, that's how)

Took a break, but now we're back! Here are 10 things that have happened to me since November...

10. I changed my hair again. And again. And again. Literally, I bleached, cut and dyed my hair seven times in the past six months. But it isn't that huge of a surprise, really. It's a given that I would get bored and do something with my hair. I bleached the under half of my hair four times and then started using my silver toners. So I had that dark brow on top, platinum blonde look underneath. And then I dyed the blonde this ashy purple because it was a bucket list colour. Once the purple faded enough, I dyed it a hot pink because, duh, pink. I was surprised by how much pink made me feel like me. I gained so much confidence and honestly fell in love with myself. The confidence was a funny combination, though, because I started being super flirty and started myself a couple of situationships, haha.

9. I went on an impromptu weekend trip with a bunch of people I don't know that well, and I didn't die. I met a guy at a poker party (without real gambling guys, this is BYU), and we hit it off, but he lived in Vegas, so he left after that weekend, and I had one of those movie moments where I'd never see him again. Then my roommate's friend told me they were going down to Southern Utah and then Vegas in a week and invited me to come along. So, I went down on a weekend trip to Las Vegas to hang out with a boy and a bunch of Music Ed students from BYU who I didn't know. And I loved it. The trip, that is. We went out to dinner at the Bouchon in the Venetian, and wow, was it amazing. If you ever get the chance to experience fine dining, please treat yourself and do so. But, if you're wise, you'll ask the price of the special before ordering it because one of my friends did not do so and spent $50 on a New York steak. We also walked from the Venetian to the Dancing Waters, which felt like it took forever because of how crowded-busy the streets were. The Strip definitely isn't the most romantic location, far from it, and it smelt too much like weed, honestly, but overall I had a good time.

8. I've found a couple of new obsessions as of late. One of which is non-alcoholic alcohol. I threw a mocktail party for Valentine's day and had one of the most successful parties of my entire life. I don't know if I'll ever be that successful again. We had a great turnout (40!! people in my little apartment), and everyone loved it. The highlight of the night, though, was the mocktails. I ordered liquor alternatives for gin, tequila, and rum. Thanks to my roommate Alli's friend Carsten for tending our bar, we had quite the menu, and everyone got a chance to try one of the drinks. I got a chance to try each of the three liquors. The gin drinks were by far my favourite. I know that one day when I am an adult (a real one) and have a house of my own, I will have a liquor rack so that we can have mocktails when we have company. It's like how Utah is obsessed with soda; I am now obsessed with mocktails. It's a sophisticated step up from Martinelli's over dinner if that makes sense.

7. Another obsession of mine is hockey. I took the hockey class from BYU again this semester, and I really love it. I am a lot better than the majority of the class. We're kind of split into two groups: the Newbies and the Seasoned. I fall into the Seasoned and it makes people think I am way cooler than I am. Honestly. Many, many people in my class genuinely think I am very cool. It would totally bloat my ego if I didn't know the truth haha. That I am only as good as they will be at the end of this semester. So, the point to me is to just keep learning. There are skills that I can and will continue to improve in if I work on them, and that's why I'm in the class. Some others in my "elite" group of the Seasoned act like they're so cool, and it's kind of annoying. Hopefully, I come across as genuine to the Newbies because I would hate for people to feel like I think I'm cooler than they are. I prefer to get along with everyone, belong everywhere, and be in the same cohorts as them all. I've always hated feeling looked down on, and I really don't want anyone to feel that way about me.

6. I have a real nickname! I go by Eddie now. It originated from a mix of peers in my hockey class calling me by my last name "Edwards" and "Edmonton" (because I'm from the Edmonton area in Alberta and because I wear the Edmonton Oilers jersey in every single class). I find the name very fitting because I've always been more tomboy since I was a little girl, and the name allows me to embrace that boyish side of myself. Especially because I spend my days/weeks/months in a guy-heavy sport (hockey) and a guy-heavy field in school (computer science), I like having a guy-type name. Plus, it throws a bit of edginess on my character, which I will never turn down. It's unique, it's memorable, and it's very me.

5. Kennedy Cannon has changed my life. I don't get along with a lot of girls. I've known this for a long time. There are a lot of girls I have a hard time vibing with. Which is why I'm surprised I get along with my roommates so well. Kennedy is my current best friend, and we do everything together, which I've never experienced before. She lets me plan everything, consoles me when I start to doubt myself and listens intently to my endless boy drama. I've started to crack her shell and convince her to open up to me, but it's not something that she often does, so it's very difficult sometimes. I heard once that sometimes you feel like you've met a soulmate when you get along with someone so well, and it's because you were likely friends in the premortal life. I know this is a very esoteric theory, but I think with Kennedy, it could be very true because we immediately got along and have grown a lot together. Kennedy is a shining sun on a gloomy day. She is a light every single day, and I love her so much.

4. I wouldn't trade the Provo YSA 34th ward for 1,000,000 dollars. US dollars at that. I've actually really connected with a lot of people this year. Most of them are in my ward. Scratch that. The friends I will keep after this year, if any, will all be from this ward; I know that for a fact. I am really blessed to be here. I think back to when I was choosing between living at Crown versus Raintree, back to when I was prompted to choose Crown. And I am so glad I listened because I love it here. I love the apartment, and I love the people. My Family Home Evening ("FHE") group has blessed my life. Subtle flex, our FHE group is the most active in the whole ward. And this doesn't mean that we are most active in attending church; I mean that our FHE group has the largest turnout and we do the most activities. We've all become friends in our group because of how often we "hang out," both during FHE and while doing other activities. Other activities like the movie nights we do every Friday, cartoons every Saturday, and games night every Sunday. If you think about it, all those weekly events I'm hosting sound really exhausting. And believe me, it is. But it's resulted in growing a large connection throughout our ward, and I will never regret being the source of this connection. I am always willing to help grow our Zion here.

3. BYU's Reaping. Just a few weeks ago was the Reaping. High school seniors around the world waited anxiously for their letters from BYU and ... drumroll: MY SISTER GOT IN! She'll join Mila Ellis and me here at the Y, and I am so excited. I told my mom in confidence that if she didn't get in, I would probably cry. I am very happy for her, proud of her for getting full-tuition scholarships, and so excited for her to experience the blessings that come from this school. I am biased for sure, but BYU's environment is unlike any other. The people are so different, sometimes in a bad way, but mostly in a good way. It is so unlike any other school, where you have general authorities come to speak every Tuesday when you say a prayer at the beginning of each class, and you can walk to the temple in under ten minutes. I love it here, and I hope she will too.

2. Hey Siri, play Work from Home by Fifth Harmony. I thought I would never work efficiently from home. I always did my homework on campus last year at the library. I spent HOURS on end there last semester for every class. But, recently, I've been spending more and more time studying from home, and it's working rather well. I like not having to leave. I like the simplicity and convenience of studying from my desk. Fortunately, I haven't used my desk for anything besides studying, so I can keep the academic environment there. And, tried and true, I can work efficiently from home. How do I know? I caught a really bad cold over this past weekend and came down with a fever after my first class on Monday. And I spent the entire week at home. I didn't go up to campus once after Monday. And it worked. But it's dangerous that it did because now I'll never want to go to class again... Wish me luck!

And last but not least, the news you've all been waiting for...

1. I got my mission call!!!!!!!!!! I submitted my papers in January and received the call in February. I'm going to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Milan, Italy!! Sound familiar? Our blog-mate, Lara, is currently serving in the Rome, Italy mission, so we'll be mission cousins. I leave in early June, which is in exactly three months from now, and I am super duper excited!! Leaving on a mission will completely change my life, from finishing school in 4 years to learning once-in-a-lifetime lessons and connecting with strangers prepared to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am really looking forward to this experience and am so grateful for everything in my life that has led me to where I am now.

That's all from me, though! I hope you have an amazing day! Don't forget that God loves you more than you can ever imagine and that He will lead you to insurmountable joy if you let Him.

Much love,

Eddie ♡