surviving finals

You guys, I really do love finals week. It's the best.

*remember during your finals week to implement the following and you will be just fine.

Treatyoself/justify EVERYTHING. okay okay maybe not everything but at least anything food related or caffeine related. If your behavior coincides with the hashtag #finalsmademedoit then you're right on track.
example: it is perfectly acceptable to go to Cafe Rio two nights in a row. actually, that's always okay. make it 3 times for finals week.

also we can't forget "look good, test good"

Stay tuned for next weeks post when all my friends graduate and leave me also known as "Megan is one hot mess"

50 Questions to Ask the R.M.

When I went through the temple the first time, my 4 year old niece knew something special that had to do with my serving a mission was going on. We had a babysitter for her. When I came back from the temple, she could tell there was a difference in me. She thought she'd ask me about it in her cute little voice--"so how'd your mission go?"  

As a returned missionary, I've realized that people sometimes don't know how to talk to me. The question I hear the most often is, "so how was your mission?" What do I say? Amazing, hard, incredible, stressful... boils down to: indescribable. 

So, I've made your life as a girl that goes on dates with RMs a whole lot easier. Here is a list of 50 Questions to ask the RM:

·         Tell an animal story.

·         Who was your funniest companion? How so?

·         Who was your hardest companion?

·         Where was your hardest area?

·         Where was your favorite area?

·         Who was your favorite companion?

·         What was your favorite principle to teach?

·         What was your favorite topic to study?

·         What was your favorite thing to eat?

·         What was the worst thing you ate?

·         What was your exit interview like?

·         What was your favorite interview like?

·         What was your best prayer experience like?

·         Tell a story of a “golden convert”.

·         Who was your favorite member?

·         Describe a person that is SO _____.  (Wherever they went)

·         What food did you miss the most?

·         What did you look forward to in a day?

·         What did you look forward to about coming home?

·         What elements of the culture do you admire the most? 

·         If you could give advice to a missionary leader, what would you say?

·         If you could give advice to a future missionary, what would you say?

·         If you could give advice about the MTC, what would you say?

·         What were your favorite parts of the MTC?

·         Which Elder/Sister would you say you were the closest with?

·         Who was your favorite missionary that wasn’t ever your companion?

·         Where was the worst place to leave?

·         What was the most peaceful place to leave?

·         Tell a story about kids.

·         Who was the craziest person you encountered?

·         Who was your favorite couple you worked with?

·         What was the most spiritual baptism like?

·         What went wrong at a baptism?

·         What was the best zone conference like?

·         Did a General Authority come? What did you learn from him?

·         What happened on the plane?

·         What was your best purchase?

·         What are the top 3 positive things you learned about yourself?

·         What surprised you?

Who do you want to make sure you stay in contact with?

You're welcome. 

here comes the sun

The sun is out and life is better when the sun is out. Especially up here in perma-winter Cache Valley.

It seems like when the weather is dreary that everyone goes into this slight survival mode of sorts. Like seriously all I worry about is myself and how I can minimize, most effectively, the shortest amount of time outside. Because of this my brain is always on getting to the next thing. School and Work is all my life consists of. I probably didn't talk to people...honestly though i'm not really sure. I try to forget winters.

But now that the sun is a little bit more shiny everyone is a little bit more cheery. SEASONAL DEPRESSION is real, I promise. I get so excited by the thought of walking to and from campus because it's so enjoyable in these perfect spring time conditions. And everyone is a little kinder and a little nicer to everyone.

Just yesterday everyone was being so nice to me. well, people are usually really nice to me but yesterday was INCREDIBLE. There was free food at the institute for my lunch, then my roommate brought me oranges, my co-worker bought me a DP, and then my other roommate surprised me at work with dinner. I was THIS close to getting all teary-eyed up in here. And I didn't even make subtle hints at any of these things. They just did it because people are sooo nice, dang it.

Campus and college housing is lurking with anyone and everyone who has been secretly hibernating. The friendliness is full-fledged right now, and I like it. I like this. This is good.

It's hard to swallow the fact that another year is almost down. Another year thats escaped from below my feet.  Pretty soon i'm gonna be a big bad senior....or something like that.

Picnic at work with these lovely ladies

"THE CHURCH IS TRUE"

Today I think to myself. i should blog.... and then I think to myself how I have absolutely nothing to report. Wait a sec Meg, that's not true. Here's the thing, sometimes my life just isn't blog worthy or Insta worthy. You know like a life that isn't full of realllllly high-quality Iphone photos with cool filters of me being adventurous, wearing cute clothes and attempting to be witty in the caption. While I love a life that is full of "Instagram" moments. Is that vain? The last couple of weeks have allowed for me to reflect on things and really help me grasp what is truly important.

I have been able to experience new territory. Things that a month ago never even crossed my mind. It's so easy for me to criticize others and I do it far too often. It isn't until you are in similar situations that you realize you are in no place to ever analyze and criticize others lives. They're doing the best they can just trying to figure things out. After all there's no instruction manual to life. Heck, if there was it would be on a major back order.

The past weeks have been extremely humbling in more ways then one. Moments when you feel broken and confused you are able to relate to others at such a deeper more empathetic level. It gives you new eyes as you look forward into the future and interact with your loved ones, peers, and even complete strangers. It amazes me the things so many people silently endure each and every day. Things I can't comprehend, but i'm trying to.

I'll spare you the details of my own situation but I know that Heavenly Father answers prayers and never forgets about his children. Even when you think you've been forgotten, wait it out. And looking back you will be able to see how even the tiniest of details were really working with you not against you.

Just last night as I was chatting with my brother I felt so overwhelmed as I was recognizing the blessings that have been pouring out upon me, Megan just a 20 year old girl. After a while the only words that I could mutter out of my mouth were, "the church is true!" Those are the same words I said when I was sitting on the side of the highway 8 months ago next to my sister after a car accident that should have been fatal. Those are the same words I said as I greeted my whole family one afternoon at my cabin which is literally my heaven on earth.

I know that Heavenly Father has a very distinct plan for every single person. Small details, big details. We need to constantly work on making the Lords plan our plan. And when we do that, what do we have to fear, really? I feel thankful to watch conference this weekend and hear from our living prophets. It always seems to come at the most perfect time.

And as I've said before- every post deserves a picture. Here you have Ky Pay and Meg Hew in their natural environments from a few weeks back.