On the Road

My family and I have all arrived home safely from our adventurous vacation, and just as it does, life has picked up pace again so hopefully I will be able to tell some fun stories about our journey to Walla Walla. 

DAY ONE: Long Car Ride

For those math oriented people

6 passenger truck+7 people+ 9 hours of driving= one loooong car ride

But in the end it was still the first day of vacation and we were all in good spirits. The road took us to the Navajo Bridge for our first stop. The bridge crosses the Colorado River at the "beginning of the Grand Canyon" (not sure if that is legit, but that is what we say). Being a water lover, I found the river and mini canyon beautiful.

Little beauty crawling out of the truck :)

I think she was just fixing her hair, but it turned into model shot. 

Near the end of our first day of driving we ran into the heralding sign welcoming us to UTAH!

Journey to Walla Walla

In just moments, my family and I will be heading off on a two week road trip to Walla Walla, Washington. Although Walla Walla is our final destination we will actually be spending most of our time in Utah! I, along with the rest of my family, am so excited seeing as my only experience in Utah has been the layover I had in the Salt Lake City airport last summer. Oh, and actually that river trip I went in Fall 2011 (read about that here). Anyways, I am super excited!

We will be checking out church history sites, touring caves, visiting waterfalls, and going to amusement parks just to mention a few of our fun planned activities.

Although spending long hours in a truck with six other family members, may test my nerves (its safe to assume more than once), I have high hopes for the great trip that lies ahead!

Our heap of vintage home decor that will be sold in Walla Walla at the Junky Trunk show. 

The Biggs family's new home for the next 12 days!

End of the Semester 2013

This post has been spent a long time in the editing process, but hopefully now it is ready. 

As this semester was drawing to a near, I began to think about how I was going to summarize Spring 2013. What could I say that would be uplifting but still capture all the pain, discomfort, and loneliness I felt for the past four months?

The Sping 2013 semester was difficult. Difficult in every way. I spent countless days wishing I had not signed up for 18 credits and countless days wishing I could just go home; countless days at home wishing I did not have to go back. I spent countless hours wishing I had someone to talk to and relate to, and countless hours upset over how certain things were panning out. 

However, thats not really what the semester was about, and thats not what I want to remember it twenty years from now. I want to remember Spring 2013 as the semester I got stronger. 

I grew stronger emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I really worked on growing my testimony by reading scriptures and conference talks, praying, spending lots of free time at the institute building, and looking for little lessons in everyday things. I loved seeing myself progress in little ways. At the end of this semester, I know I have gotten stronger spiritually. 

I also decided to improve physically this semester by taking up running. I spent a lot of hours pounding the tread mill at 7,000 feet elevation. Definitely not the easiest task, especially at the beginning. However, I grew stronger. I conquered each mile and hill with great pride. 

To finish off the semester, I chose to do a little 5k fun run to show myself how I had grown through the last four months. Even though it was just 3 miles, I had a blast and felt accomplished. 

I participated in the 1st annual Bubble Run in Phoenix! At the end of each kilometer there was a huge bubble bog to run through. The bogs were all different colors and stood about four feet tall. It was a lot of fun and I am so grateful I chose to do it. It was a great way to end the semester. 

 

The line before the beginning. About four thousand people participated, all ready to be bubbled. 

At the start line!

All sweaty and tired (and bubbled) in the Phoenix heat. 

General Conference

 

So its a little late, but reviewing all the talks of the 183rd Annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints  for this post was great. I was reminded of the all the uplifting words I heard last weekend. 

 

General Conference has grown in meaning to me the last couple of times I have watched it. However, before this session, I was seeing a lot of Facebook memes of people begging for Conference to occur more often, even once a month. I was a little confused; like I said the last few times had been held more meaning, but I was not so sure I was ready for a once a month General Conference. Every six months seemed like enough for "church in pajamas" since it does dwindle away a Saturday and Sunday pretty quickly. Every month? Seemed liked a lot of time in front of a TV.

 

I just didn't get it.

 

That was until I heard this:

 

And this:

And this:

 

And this

 

and this too:

 

 

 Finally it started making sense why people would want to watch conference once a month. Have you ever heard to a song, and it just fits perfectly with how your doing and feeling and it says just what you need to hear? Conference is that (eight hour) song.

But don't take my word, watch it yourself here

Thought I Was Done??

So maybe you thought I was done talking about Nicaragua. Guess you were wrong.

 

This past Friday, I was able to participate in NAU's International Festival. I, of course, represented Nicaragua and created a little table display for hundreds of elementary school students. Most of the youngsters had no idea where or what Nicaragua is, and I even had some adults and NAU students ask me how to pronounce Nicaragua (that was shocking)!

 

 After locating Nicaragua on a map, I tried to teach a little bit of Spanish, but the real entertainment came from the stories about food. The children were so interested in the photos and loved shaking the coconut to hear the water inside.

 

 

 

This is a little coloring activity I made. Note to self: do not spend so much time cutting out paper flags!

Overall, I think the students had a good time. I just enjoyed someone being interested in my crazy stories and was grateful to talk on and on, always captivating the attention of anxious students. Who knows maybe one of them will feel more encourage to go abroad!

 

The Easter Pageant

I wish I had taken the opportunity to post about this earlier, but nonetheless here it is.

Every Easter season, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints puts on Jesus the Christ, the largest outdoor Easter pageant in the world.  It is performed on the grounds of the Mesa, Arizona temple (the same place that does the Christmas lights here) and displays the life of Christ. This year there were over 900 volunteer staff and cast members who spent hours of their live perfecting the play for the public to view at no cost. Every night thousands of people (normally 11,000-15,000)  gather on the grounds to watch whether sitting in the chairs provided or having a picnic with a blanket on the grass.

Two years ago, I had the opportunity to be a cast member in the pageant. It was a great experience; although I took it for granted at the time. This year, however, my whole immediate family was it. That includes my mom, dad, and five sisters. Because I am studying in Flagstaff, I was not able to audition, but I did get to support them from the audience. Although my family had to sacrifice a lot of time at the expense of a lot of nerves, I know they helped bring thousands of individuals closer to Christ including myself. I am so grateful for their sacrifice and the sacrifices of the other hundreds of people that make the pageant possible. It is truly beautiful and uplifting. Thank you all so much.

My favorite scene was the same that it has been for years. It is one of the final scenes where Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb and finds that Christ's body is not there. When she turns around and realizes that the supposed gardener is her 'Master' so much joy crosses her face. In the pageant she then begins to sing a jubilant tune as she tells her friends and other apostles that she has seen the risen Christ.  She is so happy and full of joy, and her emotions radiate to the audience, and I feel it.

I will try to be on top of things next year and let everyone know when the pageant starts. It is an amazing experience for everyone.
 

New Quarter

Spring Break has drawn to a close and life continues at Northern Arizona University. With the final quarter of the school year here, its time for me to buckle down and focus. My upcoming travels to Tennessee seem to have me distracted, but I am committing myself to finish strong. So I made some small resolutions to hopefully keep me going!

First, I am instating a five o'clock rule. I am going to work my hardest to accomplish everything on my to do list up until five pm. Last quarter I found myself always procrastinating by watching TV episodes or just lounging around, and then by night time I was too tired and unmotivated to do anything besides sit around.

Second, I working for a sugarless quarter. Notice I said sugarless as in less sugar. I did not say sugar free. I am just attempting to cut out all those random sugars and worthless calories I ate last quarter. For example every time I went to the grocery store I HAD to buy a package of skittles or milk duds to eat on the way home. Fruit snacks, syrup, pop tarts, I ate way too much of it all, so I have traded out some snacks for healthier ones and am reading labels carefully. But lets be honest, I don't want to go a whole quarter without skittles.

Finally, to go with the five o'clock rule there is a seven am rule. It may not seem very early for some, but its my new wake up time regardless of the day ahead. I have never been one to sleep in too late to begin with; however, even a couple hours in the morning can make a difference. I get more accomplished and am on with my day.

The several long research papers whose deadlines are starring me in the face are pretty daunting, but I feel like these mid-semester goals will keep me focused and on top of all my work....... at least I hope so:)
 

Spring is in the Air

Last week was Spring Break 2013!! I spent the week at home, which was not too epic, but it was fun. The weather was Arizona awesome which is like mid 70s to low 80s. The best part of this time of year (for those of us who are allergy free) is the flourishing citrus blossoms. The air turns sweet and the blossoms open into cute little flowers.  With spring in the air, I had to take the opportunity to walk around my own yard and neighborhood to see it in all of its glory.

 

 

 

 

 

Southern Comfort Zone

I had mentioned at the beginning of the year that I had no travel plans, but of course I could not let that last very long. I knew I wanted to be out and exploring and learning again. Luckily, I caught word of the National Student Exchange just at the right time. Its just like studying abroad, but I stay within the United States. I heard about the program just before the deadline, so I had a lot to accomplish and decide on, but I was so eager it came naturally. After narrowing my choices down to three schools and waiting for weeks, I finally heard the amazing news last Friday: I am going to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville!!!

The placement was completely unexpected. True, it was my first choice, but last year UT only accepted one person. I felt certain that I would be attending my second choice in Worchester, Massachusetts or maybe even my third choice in Fairbanks, Alaska.

In complete shock, I listened to the voice recording from my education abroad advisor and realized that my dream was coming true. I was going to Tennessee!

My dream?? Here's the explanation:
For the past several years, I have been imagining my fairy tale life. The picture perfect future for me is a small two story house on a big grassy lot . Fruit trees line the back of the property with some big oak trees in front of the house. A tire swing hangs from one of the branches and several children are out playing in the yard. I imagine a garden and maybe some farm animals (mainly chickens, a cow maybe depending on how self-reliant I want to be). I picture living in a small community far enough away from a city to be peaceful but still close enough so that I do not have to say "when I go into town". Of course I will be accompanied by a loving husband who supports my ideas of living a simpler life and cherishes all of my goofy quirks.

May not sound like much to you, but its my dream. And its a dream that I always pictured taking place in Tennessee.  Now I have never been to Tennessee and do not really now much about it, so its kind of odd that it is part of the dream, but whatever.


Obviously the unexpected news of going to my dream location is amazing to me. I cannot wait.  Everything I have been reading about the state and the school just makes me even more thrilled to go. Every aspect seems perfect, but even if its not everything I have chalked it up to be, I know it will be an awesome experience.
 

Nicaragua: A Review (finale)

So I am from Mesa, Arizona. We boast the second highest concentration of Mormons in the world (following Salt Lake City of course). All through high school, everyone complained of the Mesa "bubble" . Too many Mormons, too many good people, too little drama. Why would you complain of that? I do not know, but people did. Older generations, mainly teachers, talked of preparing the high school seniors for life outside the "bubble", when we all moved on to different colleges in different locations.

While Mesa has its own problems and is not a perfect bubble, Nicaragua was definitely an out of bubble experience for me. I lived with a non-member, single parent family surrounded by very few other Mormons. Drinking, theft, immorality, abuse,  poverty, and depression were rampant. I personally witnessed all of those issues in many different forms. However, I came to the very strong conclusion that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the answer.

The restored gospel of Jesus Christ gives people the hope we need, the community we seek, the resolve to be better that is necessary, and the support and strength we want. It allows  us to be a little better every single day; it gives us an eternal perspective; it helps us live eternally with our families.

As I walked along the Nicaraguan streets, I constantly thought how the restored gospel of Jesus Christ would change the entire nation. Even at times when I was not contemplating the church, it would pop into my head as the solution to some situation I was looking at.

I remember one weekend when I was sitting in an old school bus in , a small tourist-y town, waiting to head back to Managua. As the bus drove around the city looking for last minute passengers to board, I sat glancing out the window. In one instance I saw this young boy, probably no older than three sitting on the ground in nothing but a pair of underwear that were too big. His mother and sisters sat a few yards away vending plates of food. I watched as he climbed a small pole and sat there begging for money. After a few moments of no success, he went to bother his mother for food. She gave him a few fried plantain chips and swatted him away. He then walked a few feet away and planted himself and his food on the ground and began to eat the now dust covered chips. Every few seconds he would put his hand out to strangers, never saying a word but looking for anything. Later he went over to a ledge on a wall and began to play with a little toy truck. My heart broke as I watched him wander around aimlessly and bored and alone. I wondered what his future looked like, what expectations would be required of him. I realized that probably neither of the answers would come close to the potential he has a human being.  But then the resounding sentence came into my head, the gospel is the answer.

 In many situations, that powerful statement leapt into my thoughts, and I realized that it was true.

 D&C 123:12-13 states "For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations... who are only kept from the truth because they now not where to find it- Therefore  we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness..."

I look up to all of the missionaries currently "wasting and wearing out their lives" to bring truth to the world. I have seen how much it is needed, and I look forward to the day when I can join the ranks and spread the truth.

 

 

Nicaragua: A Review (part three)

As you may remember, I had some bad days with my host family (you can read about it here ). That post was about one month after I arrived in Nicaragua. Honestly, things never got better in the house. I would voice my opinion when the topic came up, but I felt inadequate trying to change my host mom. I thought many days that I should just pack up and leave. After all I could have requested a new home, and there would not have been a problem. Nonetheless, I stayed. I felt a sense of responsibility to the young children, especially when they were around the easily-angered older brother. I stepped in when I could, but I think many days I cried longer than the children did as I listened to what was going on (I really learned what they mean when they say children are quick to forgive.)

From living with that crazy host family, I developed a great love for my own family. I longed to return home and see them all. Visions of walking down the airport terminal and seeing my family excitedly waiting for me often played in my head. I was so grateful for them.

I also developed an appreciation for the way I was raised. No matter how many things I might claim my parents did wrong, the truth is they did a pretty great job. I was always shown kindness and respect, and regardless of all the stupid stuff I did, I  knew that they loved me and I always felt that love. I also was very grateful for my five sisters. Although we are all pretty goofy and have had our tiffs (one of my favorite words), I love them so much.

I guess sometimes you don't appreciate what you have until you pack up and head to Central America for a couple of months.

Nicaragua: A Review (part two)

My trip in Nicaragua was great! I learned so many things like how to maneuver around a market, how to navigate the many bus routes, how to accomplish all my school work so that I can spend the weekend away, and how to live on a budget. I also got to improve my Spanish, so I feel completely confident saying that I am a fluent Spanish speaker (although I do not know everything).  I got to see amazing things like monkeys in the wild and gorgeous beaches.

However, I also learned a lot about myself and my weaknesses. I am normally a very strong and independent person. I could not wait until the beginning of my freshmen year at college so that I could move away from home. I generally believe that its easier to do things myself because I know they will get done quickly and the right way (my way). Crying is reserved for church and funerals and even then its not guaranteed. I do not ask for help regardless of how useful it might be, and even my toughest, roughest days are usually masked behind a smile.

Nonetheless, being in Nicaragua all of that faded and I was exposed. I felt alone..... a lot, and the issues I had with my host family left me in tears on several days. I missed my family and friends. I missed being able to find all my favorite comfort foods and being able to just sit on a couch and watch a movie. I came to understand that I could be dependent and weak. I learned that I liked having someone to talk to, someone I felt I could open up to when I normally shut the world out.  I learned that I should rely on a support group made of family and friends, even if I am not geographically near them. I learned that that brave smile and head held high can make a difference in my day. I understood that feeling alone and upset and sensitive did not make me a weak person, it just made me human.

 Vulnerability  and loneliness are not my favorite feelings. Nicaragua made me come face to face with my weaknesses, but like I mentioned in part one, it also made me realize how much strength I do possess.