What is my secret superpower? Great question. I think it is finding solutions. That's what I have to do everyday for just about everything.
hey!
I want to be an engineer and so I understand that finding solutions is part of my future work. Hey how's it going?
Great how are you?? Solving solutions huh? That would be my weakness
Haha! Yeah it's a hard one.
What kind of engineer do you want to be>
I obviously am not super good at it but it's a skill in progress haha And I want to be an electrical engineer. What do you want to be?
I am sure youre great at it! Especially if you do it all day long. What exactly does an eletrical engineer do
I hope so. I don't know exactly but I have a good idea about what they do. The issue is that electrical engineers can do so many different things.
I am going to be a dentist. Here in about a lifetime haha do you have a specific thing you want to do with it...like a dream job?
They can work on hardware development or software development or they can do a bunch of math the make robots work and there are really a billion things they do. I would love to work for a huge tech company like google or Apple and they n go and build my own thing and have my own business. I think that would be so cool! What about you? After you are done with your many years of studies?
That would be cool! My brother is a computer engineer and has done 3 interviews with google. Goes next week for his fourth one. It would be way cool to work for a company like that. I am sure there would be so much to learn.
That's so cool! I think it would be great. Engineers have great job security and are very needed. But the studies are super intense. The demand is definitely high for them though.
Yeah he is pretty stoked about it. OH definitely! I am sure its tough school work
My dad almost worked for Apple but it ended up not working out.
I have about a year and half before I start applying for dental school.
And being a dentist is no easy feat either. That's great! So you've already been through a few years of school.
Yeah its tough! I am in organic chemistry right now and it is a killer!!! Not exaggerating haha
I've heard!
Yeah I am a senior according to my credits
Didn't you have a midterm for organic chemistry this week? I heard it was super hard haha And I'm a freshman according to credits.
Yup! I took it on Tuesday. All the professors say this past test is the one where all the students start failing. It took me 6 hours to complete it. Good for you!!
It took that long?! That's such a long exam. That's horrible! I would get bored before finishing it haha
Yeah! I want to get a really good grade in that class so I had to take a bit longer on all the questions.
I know someone who got a 9 on a organic chemistry test. And that's with studying haha That makes sense. I hope I don't ever have to take organic chemistry
It was the hardest test I have ever taken. Well I hope that wont be my score haha You dont have to take very many science classes though do you for your major? My brain was shot after it. I didnt do anything the next day haha my brain needed to rest
I have to take lots of math classes. And physics classes. My brain would need some rest too. That's an intense test.
Yeah and I am anxious to get the results back. I hope they are good! Yeah that makes sense. Lucky you!
Yeah. So is most of it free response questions? And what is organic chemistry? Is it just really intense/deep chemistry?
Yeah there are no multiple choice!
Wow! That's got to be wicked hard. How many hours does that class take a week?
chemistry of carbon compounds.
That's got to take forever.
goes beyond just the simple stuff. Yeah I study all day long. My poor wife is home with our child all day long! Thats how long it takes me to study!
Wow that's got to be hard on you both. Is she studying too or no?
Yeah she gets pretty bored throughout the day. She isnt. She got her associates in general science after the baby was born and hasnt gone back yet.
Does she want to go back to studying? Yeah I think I would get bored too haha
Yeah she plans to go back next semester but just online.
And how old is your baby?
She just turned 1 on halloween
Aww!!
Are you married or dating? I am sure you just got home from your mission if you are only a freshman?
Did you do anything for Halloween? Yep I just got home from the mission. And no I'm not married or dating much. I'm still trying to get used to things haha It's been a hard adjustment for sure.
We went trick or treating with my brother in South Jordan but we celebrated her birthday the saturday before. She is quite the princess. They bring so much joy!
That's awesome!
Yeah i remember those days. I have been home now for three years. It does get easier.
That's good. I'm glad it gets easier.
Where did you serve?
I'm used to not being home and away from the family but the issue is the intense workload and not having enough time to do most things I need to and want to do. I served in Spain. Did you serve?
Yeah school stinks. Time management will become your best friend! Thats awesome so you speak Spanish? I did. I served in Tahity Tahiti
It definitely will. Time management is so hard especially when you feel you are doing everything possible. It comes down to how so make effective times even more effective. That's so cool! So you speak French? I went to the MTC with some people from Tahiti They gave my a necklace of shells. The closest I got to living the island life was when I lived in the Canary Islands. Super cool islands but probably way different than what you went through.
Yeah you got it right with time management. Ive realized that if I want good grades I have to put in the time and give up other things for short period of time. Yes I do speak french and tahitian. Those islands were on your mission?
Yep same. It's super hard to give up more when you already are giving up social activities for work and homework already haha
I just looked up a picture of that island and it is really cool looking and pretty!
Yes they were islands on my mission. I lived in Tenerife. Super pretty. I would love to go back because there is a ton to do there. Lots to see. I'm sure your islands were super pretty too haha
Yeah they are sweet! I want to live on an island one day! Exactly how I feel. So much that you cant see and do while you are on a mission. The islands I served on were like nothing most people will ever see in their lifetime.
How were they different than what most people will see?
My last area was actually on Bora Bora. I am sure you have heard of that before. Thats like everyones dream destination.
I don't know if I could live on an island. The culture is a little too laid back for me haha I have heard of it. That's wicked awesome.
One...a lot of people don't go to the islands unless its Hawaii and two its wayyy expensive to get to Tahiti. I love the laid back culture. I think its awesome! So many people are uptight about so many things
Why is it so expensive? Do you have to go an quite a few different layovers? I do enjoy the laid back culture for some things haha. I would have to retire before I live on an island though. Because I wouldn't be able to work with islanders haha I feel like it would be really hard to get work done.
Yeah you do and they dont have a huge airport so you have to take a small plane into the island.
That's definitely expensive. Getting to the Canary Islands is actually pretty simple and can be fairly cheap. Sometimes it's only $60 to get there from mainland Spain.
Yeah I think that some can be kind of lazy when it comes to work just because they know they can live off the land and be okay but I want to want live there because I know I could offer them so much as a dentist.
There are a ton of English tourists that go there. It's like the Hawaii of Europe.
Oh wow! Yeah thats not much at all. I am sure it would be worth it too. Looks so pretty. Did you get to do cool things there on your Pday?
I hadn't thought about that. You could do a lot of great work as a dentist. That would be living the life for sure! Oh yes we did! Not often because it's hard to get around only on foot and the buses take so long but if a member was available to drive us we went all over the island and It was soooo fun. We saw the volcano in the middle of the island and we went to a bunch of native restaurants there. And we saw some super cool cliffs. Like huge cliffs.
Yeah its what I would love to do! Did you not have bikes or anything there?
It's a little town called Masca. And Los Gigantes.
Wow that would be awesome! I want to see a volcano so bad! They are all over in Hawaii which I have been to a handful of times but I have never been to one before. Its a shame
We just used the buses and they were super expensive for us. I didn't go see the top but we sure did get close
Thats awesome! Yeah I am sure the expense would pile up after a while.
Yep. And we had to pay the price of tourists which is like 10x the regular price. The line was too long to do to the top of the volcano.
Oh ya! I hear that happens quite often
We spent about $600 a month on transportation.
Oh my gosh! I dont think I even spent that much my whole mission Couldnt you speak the language to the bus drivers and have them knock the price down for you?
Including exchanges where we had to fly to another island. Yeah but the issue is that the bus drivers didn't care. It was because we were in a super touristy area and all the islands are like that. The bus system there has a monopoly which makes it really hard.
That sounds like a lot of traveling. I see!
And the buses are not reliable at all which is terrible.
not reliable because they got so packed or what?
It took 6 hours to get to the other elders apartment for exchanges.
how long should it have taken?
No because they always showed up late or sometimes early. And sometimes they didn't show up at all. It took 1.5 hours on a bus, 30mins in a plane, and another 1.5 hours on another bus. But it was also like 2-3 hours of waiting time between the buses and the plane.
Wow thats horrible haha Thats like a whole day wasted
Yep. And when the office buys your tickets for only 24 hours in between...you are there in their area for about 8 hours before you start going back haha I always told the office but they never got it right haha It was worth it though. Although very close to not being worth it.
Yeah I could imagine it would be worth seeing the area. and be with other elders
Yeah! The other island had so many banana trees! And it was way more isolated than ours.
Those things are dangerous! haha you get that sap on your shirt and it will not come off
The islanders were also a lot crazier. Luckily I didn't try haha
I ruined a lot of my white shirts because I would help people cut them down during the day
I'm sure you have? There you go. They look so cool though! And I bet that was a really nice service that you did for them. How did people feel about you guys being there?
yeah haha thats one of the things I loved about the islands is just being able to eat fruit throughout the day and you didnt even have to pay for it. Everyone was always so friendly missionary work was awesome there
That's awesome! I wish I had more fruit. They raised all the prices for the tourists. We weren't in a good spot haha People were nicer to us on the islands for sure but mainland Spain they were ruthless. People just didn't want to talk to us.
haha I guess thats what you get though when you are in that kind of area.
They were scared of us or just made fun of us.
thats so interesting. Did you have success teaching at all?
Most of the time they confronted us and made fun of us or ripped us apart. Unfortunately. Very little success teaching. I think I thought past the first and second lesson only a handful of times. Most people didn't want anything to do with us. It was definitely hard to see that happen and I took it personally more than I needed to. I got used to it though.
It would be hard not to but yeah I am sure you would just get use to it
You just have to laugh it off. But I hated contacting after a while and that's all we got to do most of the time.
Did the members help you at all?
We did everything we possibly could but that was what it always came back to.
Member missionary work was so helpful in Tahiti. We never had to do contacting
Nope, they felt like they had done all that they could.
Interesting!! I am sure that will all change someday
Some were more helpful than others but most felt they couldn't share with their friends because they experiences what we were experiencing and they gave up a bit. Dude that's so great you didn't have to contact! I'm sure it will change. One day.
Yeah it was nice. I hear how terrible it was from friends who had to do it all the time.
I understand where they come from which is also hard. (The people that we talk to) It's very time consuming for sure. And not enjoyable. I guess some people enjoy it but not me.
Right! Its great to have the missionary perspective now that you are home. Especially going out with missionaries now...if something falls through I get it and understand that its truly missionary work haha I could totally see it being not enjoyable.
It's good to be able to look back on it and learn from it. Because obviously we did our best in the situations we had Which it's also hard to know you are doing a good job when you don't see any results from working your butt off.
Yeah! They have that written in preach my gospel though. There were times I felt like that too
Yeah definitely. That's probably why it's written i there. In there
haha yeah I am sure!
But there were so many things that preach my gospel said that did not work for us at all. Like how holidays and weekends were great days for finding people toteach. To teach
Haha yeah that happens. Thats probably why it is so important to go off the impressions of the spirit. I didnt agree with that one either. No one was ever home and they didnt want to be bothered
Definitely. Exactly that's what we noticed too. I think in the US it might work but not abroad from what I've seen.
I know I wouldnt want to be unless I have invited them over i
Right. It would be very difficult to have to work out otherwise
Right!
Dude, I'm so excited for thanksgiving! I can't wait it's so close
haha to be done with school for a bit or for the food
Both. It will kind of be my catch up for school work I'm behind on hahaha And I will enjoy it a ton Not the homework but the break And the food will be great too. It always is. The desserts are the best part.
haha! I do love thanksgiving! Yeah make sure you actually do get a break from homework too.
It's my favorite holiday by far. I will haha.
I HATE pumpkin pie though. My favorite is christmas
I think it's alright. There are better pies for sure.
I am surprised they are giving us 3 days off this year. Last year it was only thanksgiving they gave us off
Christmas is also really good. No way?! They only gave off Christmas? That's terrible! Sorry thanksgiving. The one day off for the semester. That's insane. Or brutal haha
what is your favorite? have you ever had pecan pie? Yeah dude it sucked!
I enjoy pecan pie. And Apple is good too. I got to go have a great night!
Thats probably my favorite. My wifes mother makes a bomb pecan pie! okay see ya man! Enjoy the holidays