Thinking Ahead

I like to make plans. I like to have some kind of organization to my day. I'd like to be better at having a plan for the future but that's a rough one for me.
Today I got an email that let me know that applications for coordinators and building counselors for efy 2013 are open. It's October. EFY starts in May. It's such a long process and its making a big commitment for a time when who knows how life could be. What do I do? I'd love to do it again (maybe get to Hawaii this time) but I really need to make some real money. How will my job on campus be going when summer rolls around? Will I be working a lot? Is it worth my time to stay and work? Am I going to regret not doing EFY again? I hate decisions like this.

EFY

Another summer of EFY has come and gone and I can barely believe it. This summer wa more amazing than I ever could’ve wanted it to be. I worked with amazing people and we were able to share some pretty awesome experiences.

Training in Provo was the first time that I met the group. I already knew Logan and Tazia but everyone else was new. We all bonded pretty quick and spent a ton of time together. We even made a random trip to Squaw peak for a dance party. Its on insta so check it out. (I’m pretty sure you could see my entire summer on insta. Follow me @jaronrsmith. Instagram that crap up.) Yes, this post will have a few things that will only be funny to handful of people #weloveinsidejokes. I had planned on having a couple of weeks free between training and heading out to cali but that plan disappeared. A friend working in Provo was looking for guy counselors so I picked up the week after training. I also picked up the next week in Idaho. That meant pure efy from May 22 to August 4. Woof. I am super glad I picked up those two extra weeks though. I was able to get back into EFY mode and learned a lot about what it would take to be a good BC. My kids those weeks were phenomenal. Sure there were some things that were tough (like kids not showing up for major things like dances or Thursday firesides on more than one occasion) but I guess I needed to have some of those things happen so I would know how to handle the situation from a different position. Tazia, Logan, Derek, and I all worked the week in Idaho and left Friday night so that we could get things put together to fly out Saturday morning. This was seriously a no-stop summer. We may have cut getting on the plane a little close but whatevs, we made it. We picked up Kelly in AZ and Suz met us in Cali. That first week was in Citrus Heights just outside of Sacramento. Things went really well for it being our first week. We had observed a week during training and some of us had worked a week or two so far so we knew how things were supposed to go. We picked up some awesome counselors on the spot who ended up staying with us for a good chunk of the summer. The next week was in Fresno. Really great small session. Swam in the mornings at our hosts’ pool. Texas Roadhouse. Then we drove out to Santa Barbara. Finally I would get to spend some time in my mission. Logan and I first did an EFY express session in Arcadia. Yeah, those things are not the coolest.  Besides being really fast and having a ton of unorganized  kids, we didn’t even have our dance playlist. We had forgotten to bring the laptop and had to put together a dance from my phone, Logan’s ipad, and soundhound. And the kids were plenty vocal about their thoughts. I’m pretty sure I was threatened a couple of times. But then we got back to the Celestial kingdom of EFY. Oh those three weeks were awesome. Amazing kids, view of the ocean, skuncooning, the DLG, Keith, Blenders (craving…), H&M (I still need to find that cardigan), and a billion other things. Spent a Saturday down in thousand oaks. We got Chinese buffet, went a visited a few people, and just had a great relaxing day. May have bought a watch. Our week off was unbelievable. It would have been cheaper for me to go to Hawaii and work. That’s how awesome it was. Our day in Disneyland was freaking amazing.  We dominated that park #changedmylife #nowiunderstand. We had some beach time and got super burnt, went to a baseball game, went to LA, went to institute, just a good week. Oh and Las Brisas. You know we had to have good food that week. Mmmmm…. Then came Tucson. Ugh. Whatever Tucson. Lesson: I hate AZ. It’s hot, hot, and I got a friggin ticket. They have cameras on roads (not just stoplights). And I didn’t even know I was speeding. The road was huge and not residential. My Utah driving says 50. It was 40 and probably had a different speed for the rest of the day. Yeah, their speed limits change depending on the time of day. Birthday Cake Oreos. Our last week was in Redlands. Ready or Not Redlands. This week just had tons of random unexplainable things happen. I was over variety show. Haha, yeah that show was varietous alright. Hip thrusts, midriffs, Maroon 5, pokemon, falsetto, yeah, it was awesome. Coming home was weird. I hate that feeling of having to go back to real life, but I was ready to be done. EFY is draining. Who knows if I’ll end up doing it next year. I love it but it doesn’t do much to pay the bills.

California Dreamin... Coming true

Yesterday I got a message from Kj tht she had gotten a call from the EFY office about being a bc in Logan. Madeline had also found out that she too would be working in Logan. I couldn't believe they had gotten calls already. At the interview they said it would be the first of the year. My heart started beating like crazy. I hadn't gotten a call or an email. I kept my phone in my hand for the next 3 or 4 hours. I had decided that being a counselor would be just fine. I'd have kids, I could build my own schedule., and i'd still get to work with friends. Then my phone rang. EFY office. It was Ben, the guy that did my interview. He said he had good news. I had been placed on the California team. That was awesome news. I had really doubted I would get to be on that team. Sacramento, Fresno, Santa Barbara, Tucson, and Redlands. For 8 weeks I get to live in Cali again AND do EFY. I am pretty freaking excited.
With EFY and Hawaii to look forward to it might be hard to think about school. I've got a pretty smooth semester coming up though. And grades are coming out for this semester. Still waiting on my grade for ancient history but I got an A in European which I am more than happy with. And Christmas is this week. Things are awesome right now. Yep. Awesome.

App/USU

So finally blogger came out with an app which means I am much more likely to post now. This is good. What is not good is that it won't turn sideways. I prefer having the big keyboard when typing big stuff. So don't wonder if my posts are short. Blame it on the unturniness of the app.

It's been awhile since I've posted so let me bring you up to speed. Spring semester I went to Weber State and had a pretty good time there. I was in the concert choir and that was freaking awesome. Dr. Henderson is a legit choir guy. He had us sing into guitar tuners to make sure that we had just intonation on our thirds. Yeah, it was that intense. I worked at the Brick oven as the pasta chef and substituted whenever I could.

I left the BO in May and worked EFY over the summer. Greatest. Job. Ever. Hands down. There are not words that can explain the greatness of EFY. During that time I met a bunch o awesome people that somehow convinced me to transfer to Utah State. I got accepted a week an a half before school started, but here I am.

Lately much has happened. We went to California in August. That was freaking amazing. Sunday to Sunday of pure awesome. That trip has altered the course of my life. Due to that trip I am now the Blue Power Ranger and in an exclusive pinterest group. Yes, we have a contract. We make awesome stuff like cookies and paninis. We might make friendship bracelets. We are cool.

It's a quick rundown but it's a post. I'll be better from now on. I promise.

And one other piece of sad news. My iPhone won't sync to my laptop so my music searching has kind of been halted. Ill do what I can to keep finding awesome music though. Maybe you should just check out Must Be The Music by The Summer Set.