Noises off

Look, it's me again! I'm updating my blog! And no one had to make me! Although there isn't a lot to report on. The most exciting thing was Brian's birthday! It was on Nov. 4th. We had a fun day, but I couldn't spoil him as much as I wanted to. We just made dinner and had a fun night together. Besides his birthday, the next biggest thing was the Praxis. I took that yesterday. For those that don't know, it's a three hour tourture test to see who is strong enough to endure the trials of teaching. AKA, it's like the ACT to make sure that the potential teachers acutally know stuff. Last night Brian took me on a date to the school play Noises off. It was hilarious!!! I recommend everyone seeing that play if they ever get the chance. My family is coming in five days!!! I am sooo excited! My dad, mom AND berkeley are coming over for the temple rededication and Thanksgiving. I am so happy! I'll let you know how it goes!
Sorry this post is on the boring side, I'm just livin life here!

Well, it's been awhile.

Aloha everyone!
Sorry I fail (big time) at the whole blog thing. In reality, I've just been busy with secret agent stuff and I am not at liberty to tell you about it, hence the months of silence. Ya, I am that cool. BUT, here's my cover up story of what has been going on.
I'm in Fall Semester now. I miss terms. We are at midterm right now, which is when the terms would be ending, but WE ARE ONLY HALF OVER! Semesters are so long! I am taking: Communications 110, English 201, Media Productions, History 202, Honors something or other, and Fundamentals of Sign Language. I love my signing class, English and Honors are pretty fun, the media class is full of people from work so it's a blast. I am not a big fan of my communications or history class though. But hopefully I'll survive.
Work is going fantastically. I get to do lots of fun stories. I got the amazing opportunity to attend Media Day at the Laie temple. It was two days before the temple opened for the open house and they invited all the media people to come get a tour. (Since then I have gone through four other times, and am planning on two more. I really really like the temple.) It was such an amazing experience! The temple is absolutely gorgeous. I can't put it in words. You all just need to come see it.
Now, for those of you that have read thus far, I can tell you about Brian! As of September 13, Brian has been my boyfriend, and a marvelous one at that! A little about him: 5'8", brown balding (he prefers the word 'maturing') hair, served a mission in Australia and is just as silly as me! I don't want to disclose too much secret information, but he does wear glasses occasionally and will do almost anything for a chocolate chip cookie. He makes me happy.
That's about it! Ya'll should write me letters! or at least text me.
I miss you all and I can't wait to come home for Christmas!

Here are some pictures!!! The one above is a group (Elise, me, Emily, Charli, Kalie, Millie and Mike) at Sunset Beach. It is a super fun beach! And I got to drive the car there! It was so much fun! The driver was eating so she wanted someone else to. Me and Jin both had our license and wanted to. Jin in from Australia. Guess which side of the street he drives on? We all felt safer with me behind the wheel!

The watermelons were on sale at foodland for 23 cents (is there no cents sign on a keyboard? I don't see one. Interesting that it took me 18 years to learn this...) so we got two! It was amazing but oh, we got some stomach aches! Post the watermelon eating, we had speed sitting contests. I was never trained in seed spitting so I am pretty bad at it... (In this picture: Jin, Kalie, Emily, Alyssa and me)

Wayne and I getting frozen yogurt! Mmmm. It tasted like Red Mango! It made me want real food again!

Hiking to Laie Falls. That is a long but fun hike, I will have to do it again soon! This is a house right before the trail head. There are a billion (ok, that's an exaggeration) signs saying not to steal his coconuts or he will shoot you. On our way down from the hike we heard gun shots, I'm pretty sure some daring soul attempted to steal a coconut. Whoopse! (I don't know the guys on the left, then Briana, Beth, Me, Kody, Brad, Nathan, Jin)

Amy and I enjoying a typical Hawaiian past time: hitchhiking! Now that I have you all worried about me, don't be! I promise it was safe. Sara, Jaz and Makara were also with us. I really felt the 'aloha spirit' here! Haha.

The group that got frozen yogurt! We attempted to go skating and failed, but this sufficed. I don't know how many times I got Red Mango and ate it at the rink, so this felt like I was back home! (Wayne, me, Emily, Jin and Alyssa)

So those are some pictures! Besides all that, school is going well. I am doing surprisingly well in my Physics class, but we just started studying relativity and quantum physics, so I have a feeling it is going ot get a lot worse! I'm just living each moment as it comes and loving it all! EFY will be here tomorrow, that is so strange! Just two years ago, I was at EFY here and that is what made me apply to come to school here. It is like seeing mini mes running around! Well, I love you all! I hope everyone is enjoying their summer! I still love letters (and care packages...) my address is over <-- there somewhere. If not, give me a call! Or skype me (johnson.maggie). you really have no excuse now! I miss you all but I love it here! Can't wait to see everyone in September!

Love and Aloha from Hawaii!

Ohhh, and happy 4th of July! It really doesn't feel like the fourth, not being home. There aren't any big fireworks shows on this side of the island. Weird!!!! I hope you are all enjoying it!

Already into my second term!

Well, I'm still doing splendid here in Hawaii!
Again, congratulations to all my classmates that graduated this past month! The class of 2010 is the best, no doubt. I heard that everything went well at all the different graduations, I wish I could have been there with you guys! But I've been busy with my own schoolwork here.
Since I last posted, I have finished up my first term! Spring term is over and now we are in Summer term. I am very pleased with how I did in Spring. It was hard, I had a lot of classwork, but I absolutely loved learning about psychology and some education techniques. I can't wait to learn more! This term I have an easier (theoretically) course load with just 6 credit hours. I have weight training, Book of Mormon 2 and Physics 100. Physics is super hard, but I did very well on our first exam so I have hope that I might do OK!
I got hired on the staff of the Ke Alakai, the school news paper. I don't get to start for a few more weeks, I'm starting First term. I am so excited for that job, and to have a job so I can be getting some money!
The beach is still there, I go there a few times a week or so. I don't feel like I'm still getting tanner though. I need some serious sun exposure to look like a native! Besides that, we just find random things to keep us entertained. Life in Laie is nothing like SLC! (the lack of an ice rink might have something to do with that!)
I am loving every second I have here. There are some weird times, some hard times and some stressful times. But it is all great and I am so grateful for it all! I cannot imagine a better place to be.
I hope everything back home is going well! I am trying to keep in contact with people, but if I haven't heard from you in awhile, give me a call! I'd love to talk! I love you all! Watch out for each other. And happy father's day!

video!

So here is a video blog for this entry. oh, and by the way,

CONGRATULATIONS to-be graduates of 2010! I'm so proud of all of you and I am excited for the lives you have ahead of you now! Go out and grab it!!!

Pictures!!!

So, here are some pictures! They are all ones I stole off facebook, so if you've been facebook stalking me (dad...) then you've already seen them! Sorry, I'll try to take more on my own...

That first one is my favorite. it was taken in the bed of a truck driving to a bonfire... more on that epicness later!

after the opening social. we played in the mud =].

walking to the beach! it is so pretty.

the group that went to the beach on saturday! i love everyone here!

Gangsta!
and then there is amy being absolutly gorgeous!

beth, amy and me at the beach

yay for tanning under an umbrella!

So those are the pictures. What have I been up to lately? lets see!

Well classes (my number one priority, right?).

Psychology is my first class. I love it! It is a ton of work though. The textbook is over 700 pages and we have to get through the whole thing in 6 weeks. It is a ton of reading and studying, but the stuff is facinating! I am going to minor in psych. It is also a fun group of people in that class. Quite the assortment!

Next I have my sped class (sped = special education). I really enjoy this class. It is the Inclusionary Teaching of Exceptional Students. So basically teaching general ed teachers how to deal with special needs students. It is also a lot of work, but it's random work. I feel like I am learning a lot of little tricks and random facts that will help me. So it's great!

On the other days I have Hula first. It is so much harder than I thought it would be! I feel so uncordinated! But it is an adventure!

Last, I have Book of Mormon. I wont say much about this class to try and keep a postivie attitude.

All but hula are two hours and ten minutes long. That is a long time! I'm taking 9 credit hours, which is the equivalent of 18 in a semester. It is also the max you can take. So I spend a lot of time studying!

Well, besides going to class, I've been having a blast! On Friday night we had the opening social, which was fun, but then we went to a bonfire after on the beach and it was AMAZING! I got to drive in back of a truck! So so so much fun. That is definetly a highlight of my time here.

I no longer have a roommate, our room was so small that she moved out. I really like having a room to myself and I don't think I'll like it when someone moves in in summer! but hopefully we will get along well.

I got to speak in sacrament meeting on sunday, that was interesting. I'm glad I got it over with =].

I also talked to jessie anderson on sunday telling her that she needs to come here, and that is still true! Anyone that can should come here! If you don't believe me, give me a call and we'll talk about it.

I'm missing everyone but having a blast here! You should all write me letters (my address is on the left hand side) or atleast call me sometime! Aloha!

Much much love
maggie

End of fun - classes start tomorrow!

So I've been in Hawaii for five days now. I cannot tell you how much I love it!!!!!!! Really, there are no words. The setting alone is perfection. It has been kind of overcast and just absolutely beautiful. Reason enough for you all at home to be jealous =].
This past week has been a lot of orientation stuff. We did a service project at the PCC (Polynesian Culture Center) and had some meetings about different stuff. Those were good, nothing extraordinary though. After the service project we got a breakfast put on the by PCC and that was extraordinary! These Polys know how to eat!
We've also gotten to go to the PCC. That was my favorite part so far. We spent the day there in our tour groups. I was in a group with five Asian guys. Can you say fun??? They are so awesome, I think I'm going to be good friends with them all! I had to give them all nicknames though because I can't pronounce their names! The PCC is really neat though, I fell in love with different workers a few times, and I get to go to school with them! It's perfect. We also got to see the night show. That was very impressive. They have some awesome dancing skill! It is so cool to see it and know these are my classmates.
Saturday was my dad's birthday. I spent the whole day with my parents just going to the swap meet and target. haha. we know how to vacation! It was really fun though, I'm enjoying the time I get to spend with them here before they have to go home.
Today, Sunday, I went to my ward for the first time! It is a really good mix of new and old students with boys and girls and LOTS of diversity, but that's inherent here. It was really fun, I know I am going to make good friends with the people in my ward. They are all super sweet and welcoming. I went to temple beach with my parents today, that is a great place! It is like a three minute straight shot walk from campus and it is so pretty! I have a feeling I will spend a lot of time there!
Well I start classes tomorrow! Wish me luck! Aloha and I'll write back soon.
Loving and missing you all
Maggie!!

Made it!

Hey everyone!
So I made it to Hawaii! The flight was good, super long though. The first night I spent with my parents at Turtle Bay. We went to dinner at this really fun cafe that was called H-------- Cafe, it was the name of the city and I have no idea how to spell or pronounce it! It was delicious though. Like really. But that was yesterday. Today was much more exciting. I got to check into the school which wasn't anything too exciting, they just briefed me on the other orientation activities and talked about honor code. But then I got to check into the dorms (hales) and got to meet my room mate!!! Her name is Pele and she is super super super nice! She is from Tonga and this is her first college experience as well. I am so lucky to have her as a room mate! I then went with my parents shopping to get a TON of stuff for my room. Now let me tell you a little bit about my room..... it is TINY. I think it is smaller than my bathroom at home. It is originally a single person room but they are so filled up this term they had to stick two people in here. There isn't even enough room for two of the closets so they had to give us one of those portable folding closets! It's kinda funny. And it is a really good thing I like my roommate!
After we got back from Walmart I worked on unpacking and then went to dinner with Pele. Dinner was tin fish. Literally. The fish came out of a tin, like Spam but of the sea. Not my cup of tea. (Oh wait, byu here... my cup of lemonade. =].) Since then we've just been chillin' out. Tomorrow Pele, me, and another girl I just met named Amy are going to a service project bright and early! Good thing I'm still on Utah time!
Much LOVE!
Maggie

Welcome to my blog!

Welcome! As of this moment in time I have four days, nineteen hours, fifty nine minutes and four seconds until I leave to begin my education at Brigham Young University-Hawaii. Not that anyone is counting or anything.

My flight leaves Tuesday, the 13th around 11 AM. So, if you're in class or at work or doing whatever you all are doing to keep yourselves entertained without me, look out the window then to see my plane flying off to a far far away land! Unless you are one of the houndred people I've promised to pack in my suitcase, then just keep breathing and don't make any loud noises.

Once I make it to Hawaii there will be orientation stuff for a week and then on Monday I will start my classes! Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays will consist of Psychology 111 from 7:30-9:40 and Education of Exceptional Students 200 from 12:10-2:20. Thursdays and Fridays will begin with Begining Hula from 9:50-10:50 and then Book of Mormon 1 from 12:10-2:20. I am planning to dual major in Special Education for high school aged students and English Education.

Now that you all know the scoop on me, I bid you farewell! I will try to update this blog once a month, probably on the first Sunday of every month. But no hunting me down if I don't make it, no matter how desperate you are to hear from me! I will put up all my contact information as soon as I get it and I plan on getting many letters from each of you!



Much love,

soon to be Hawaiian Maggie