done with my graceless heart

What I'm listening to right now: 

florence + the machine

hamilton 

alicia keys 

Oh haiiii, friends. 

Posts about Em's wedding and Sam's visit coming up soon, I promise. 

Also, I finalllllly heard back from all of the schools I applied to for History PhD programs! I have a few options and you know that I will agonize/am already agonizing about the decision, haha. But I am happy to have four really good options to choose from.* (And I will let my adoring fans know where I end up choosing, don't you fret.) 

But in the meantime, just enjoy this pretty picture: 

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*I realize that people will want to know what schools I'm choosing from. They are the University of Missouri, Boston University, the University of Maryland, and Princeton. I'll be doing campus visits next month. Exciting times. :) 

When a thing is wick, it will grow

Winter's on the wing.

Reasons why:

--It's been an average of about 53 degrees the past couple of weeks.

--The snow has melted in the valley, although it's still beautiful and white on the mountains.

[Mount Olympus is strikingly beautiful. I seriously cannot get over it.]

--The lack of snow and the absence of cold has meant that I can run outside again . . .

--Which means that I accidentally tripped and bruised my entire shin. Oops. But it's on the mend.

[Oops. But like I said, it's on the mend. And now I have this beautiful bruise on my shin. It's very impressive.]

--It is just "well with my soul" right now. Just this contented happy core. Despite uncertainty and trying to figure out life plans (or even summer plans), I am grateful for this peace. 

--I saw The Secret Garden this weekend with Em. The Secret Garden is one of my favorite stories, and one of my favorite musicals, as the music is hauntingly beautiful and hopeful. (Although it's hard to choose favorites, I'd have to say that "Wick" and "Hold On" are definitely up there.) It also reminds me of Ukraine--of the need to hold on and the promise that spring will come. And, perhaps it goes without saying, but it reminds me of England (which I am so homesick for this week). In any event, it was wonderful to watch one of my favorite musicals, with Em, one of my favorite people.

[Hanging out with Em means shake dates. Has to happen.]

[Selfie time our turn. With bad high school auditorium lighting. Whatevs. Also, can we just talk about how weird it was being back at my high school? Sooooo weird.]

[Typical.]

[Just love this woman so dang much.]

There is spring in the air; change in the air. There is a hope that comes with children's tales, reconciliation, and second chances, of renewed friendships and remembered miracles. Spring always comes. Sometimes all we have to do is hold on. And I'm grateful for people that remind me of that, in the good times and the bad times. 

Daisies are the friendliest flower

Em's upcoming wedding calls for celebration. Many celebrations, in fact. 

So Em's friend Lauren and I decided to put on a friend bridal shower for her. (And to be completely fair, Laurs was the one who did the most in this production--I just provided the apartment and some of the food. And daisies.) 

[It was You've Got Mail themed, which is one of Em's favorite chick flicks. And mine, too.]

[Em with Laurs and Marina. The woman in the middle is the one who really made this whole thing come together.]

[Can we talk about how cute those cookies are?]

[Em and Amberlea! Hurray for mission companions--I served with both of them and they served with each other.]

[Twinkle lights, carnations, and then Billy the Goat looking on in the background.]

[Selfie time our turn]

[Love these women oh-so-much.]

Thanks for letting us spoil you, Em. And for being worth spoiling. 

A beautiful light over the horizon

Yesterday was one of those days that just sits well in your soul.
Do you know the days I'm talking about?

I think it had something to do with the fact
that the air was clear
and the sun came out from behind the clouds.

It's getting lighter.
I have seen a sunrise two days in a row now.
And the mountains echo gloria.

Besides light, there was love.
It was my last day at work,
and I could feel how loved I am there
and how I will be missed.

It is a nice thing to know that you are missed.
Bittersweet, I suppose.
But still
to know that I have touched a heart
and to know
that there will be a small
Meg-shaped hole
and that my heart will have a small hole
where that person was
is sweet and beautiful
and the way that it is supposed to be, I think.
We are supposed to live together
in friendship and love
so that it is hard to leave.

And I know
that when the time comes
I will miss Salt Lake.
It's funny.
I didn't think I would.
But now--
well, I had a friend tell me
that she believes
that "home is wherever God leads you."
And I feel that to be right.
It feels right to me.
And Salt Lake
has become home to me.
I am grateful to be here
I am grateful for my experiences here
I am grateful for my friends here
I am grateful to love and to be loved here.

[view from the top.]

if you do it right, you'll love where you are. 


Song of the day: "93 Million Miles," by Jason Mraz

something there is that doesn't love a wall.

Before I built a wall I'd ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out, 
And to whom I was like to give offence. 
Something there is that doesn't love a wall, 
That wants it down. --"Mending Wall," by Robert Frost

[Pieces of the Berlin Wall, Berlin, Germany]

[Peace Walls, Belfast, Northern Ireland]

 something there is that doesn't love a wall. 

[For the entire poem, go to this link.]

That D.C. life

About a week ago (was it really a week ago? time is a strange thing), I went to D.C. I figured that I should probably post some pics of the trip because it was a pretty great trip overall. (And I also figure that I'll let the pictures do most of the talking on this one.)

First of all, the memorials at night are just so beautiful and so peaceful. Love love love love love.

[D.C. at sunset. Simply stunning.]

I got to see so many friends in D.C.! Like Beth and Jonathan. And Sam (obvi).

[Sam and I with Beth and Jonathan at the magical land of Shake Shack.] 

And sooo many museums. Which was fun. This is me chillin' with Louisa May Alcott at the National Portrait Gallery.

[Oh haiiii, Louisa.]

[And Rothko at the Phillips Collection! I totally had a moment while I was there. I love Rothko's work. I just do.]

[ROTHKO.]

[Library of Congress. Not exactly a museum, but there are lots of old books there, so I figure it counts in this category.]

We also saw a bunch of darling neighborhood libraries. Which are always fun.

[Sam posing with a library. As one does.]

We also strolled through Georgetown, which is a wonderfully-charming area of D.C. We also went to Georgetown's campus, and it was also beautiful . . . and kind of neat/weird to see my "sister life." The thing I could have chosen. It kind of felt like "It's a Wonderful Life" type of moment, and that truly is a gift. And even though D.C. is wonderful, I'm so glad I chose Oxford. 

[Lovely Georgetown.]

[Georgetown's campus.]

[GEORGETOWN CUPCAKE.]

We also made sure to swing by the Ukrainian Embassy. Because, you know. I love Ukraine.

[Sam: You know, if you touch the embassy, you're legally in the country.

Me: Well, I'll have to touch it then, won't I?]

Overall, great trip, great company, great conversation, great people. 10/10 would definitely recommend.

two wings.

Just some thoughts applicable today and every day:

"The world of humanity is possessed of two wings: the male and the female. So long as these two wings are not equivalent in strength, the bird will not fly. Until womankind reaches the same degree as man, until she enjoys the same arena of activity, extraordinary attainment for humanity will not be realized; humanity cannot wing its way to heights of real attainment. When the two wings . . . become equivalent in strength, enjoying the same prerogratives, the flight of man will be be exceedingly lofty and extraordinary." -- Bahai'i Faith, "Two Wings of a Bird"

["Climbing a Very Small Mountain Together," by Caitlin Connolly]

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