Everyone knows ...

the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.

 the second best way is through sugar cookies!  

 Here is wishing you all a very merry 

 & sweet Christmas season. 

{Jaden and I hope your holiday season is fully of yummy icing}

Help! I'm being held hostage...

by finals week! Demands still left to fulfill:

• Program Eval paper
• Terms test
• Ethics essay exam
• Grantwell reflection essay

I'm so very close, and yet no matter how much I do it just keeps going....

It's about this time of night that I really wish this button were real.  And that it was possible to blow up finals week! 

Be honest, it's strangely therapeutic! 

My life in LINKS :)

This makes me happy
I think this looks like a fun book...but at this point any book that doesn't talk about program evaluation or team tactics looks great!
This proves my mom is always right.  She's been warning me for years.
I'm really excited to see this, oh and this one too!
This says about everything I would like to on the topic.
I relate to this a little more than I would like to admit.
I love this song.

And now i'm going back to studying. :) Wish me luck!

Foosball decisions

Today I let two classmates decide if I would take International HR next semester over a game of foosball.  If Oliver won, I would not take the class, If Andrew won, I would.  Oliver won - i'm not taking International HR.

I feel really good about my decision.
I'm also aware that i'm losing my mind...

Thankful day - um, the rest of them....

Who was I to think that I could actually keep up this blogging every day (or even every 3^rd day) for a whole month.  Well shoot, now I’ve missed the whole second half of November, but I would hate for anyone to think that I ran out of things to be thankful for.  So here are just a few of the many things in my life that I’m extremely thankful for – even though I don’t blog about them. ;)

*My Dearest AMAZING wonderful Mother.  I am forever grateful for the spectacular woman she is and the sacrifices she has made in her life to ALWAYS be there for me no matter what! I am especially grateful that we are now not only mother and daughter, but BEST friends.  I am the luckiest girl in the world to have her in my life!

*Holidays, and an excuse to get together with family & friends and do nothing but eat and talk and nap and watch movies and think about homework instead of actually doing it.

*A driving buddy – lets be honest, I used to dread my drives back to Provo, but with Skyler in the car we always have a blast, and I don’t have to worry about falling asleep, even when we roll in at 12:30 am.

*Pictures, yes I am thankful for pictures.  You don’t know quite how much you love them until you lose a couple years worth.  They are one of the only things you can take with you through your life to remind you of all the wonderful blessings you have had throughout your life.

*Modern Family.  If you have seen this show, you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, then it’s about time you take a break from whatever you’re doing and reward yourself!

*BYU.  Yup, I’m so very thankful for this experience I’m having in good ol’ Provo.  Don’t get the wrong idea, I’m not planning on spending any extra time here, but I am grateful for every second.  Ok, there are a few seconds I’m sure I could have lived without, but I am amazed at how much my life has changed while I’ve been here and I will always owe some of who I am to this little blue town.

*True friends! Lets face it, I’m not always the best friend a girl could ask for, but I am thankful for all the amazing friends that stand by my side through the thick and thin.  I have been truly blessed to have some spectacular people in my life!

*Christmas music! I’m one of those that refuses to listen to it before Thanksgiving, but you better believe I get my fill in December! :)

*Books. Oh how I love to read and can't wait until school is over so I can read books that I choose all day long! 

*Yay for the Christmas season – I’m so thankful for an opportunity to put life on hold for 2 weeks to just celebrate the birth and life of Christ.

*Last but not least, I’m grateful to be a member of a church that has instilled the importance of gratitude in my life.  What a blessing it is to have such wonderful examples in my life.  

"Our society is afflicted by a spirit of thoughtless arrogance unbecoming those who have been so magnificently blessed.  How grateful we should be for the bounties we enjoy." ~ Gordon B. Hinckley

Thankful day 17 - the appendix

Right now I am so so so thankful that I am done with the blasted appendix for my paper.  53 pages people, for an 8 page paper.... oh grad school, why the insanity?

I am thankful that I am on paper number 2 already and it's not even 8 yet! :)

Thankful days 14 - 16

Thankful day 16 - Perspective
I'm so thankful that even on the hard days I can keep a little perspective.  Here is my list for the weekend:

Do or Die :)

* Grantwell paper - my portion (Monday)

*Figure out what is wrong with Grantwell - ASAP

*Grantwell excel - email out ASAP

*Grantwell paper to Susie - Tuesday

*Ethics book report - Monday

*Team paper to Marianne by thursday night

*Appendix for team paper to team by thursday at 9 pm

*Final Team paper to Ashley by 9 am Sat.

*Prepare lesson - before sunday at 1... I guess technically 2 buy Kyler may hate me

*Measurement tools draft (to be graded) - Monday

*Interpretation section draft (to be graded) - Monday

*Validity section draft - Monday

*Exec Lectures

*Work at some point - if I enjoy eating

*Civil discourse blog  

In the case that these are not completed on time I can always move to Italy and become a gypsy with Holly... We will find Italian lovers, eat pasta 24/7, learn a beautiful language and buy amazing shoes. 

Thankfully Holly promised to quit life with me if I don't make it...I have to admit that after thinking about it, I may prefer my failure plan to my real life plan.... 

Thankful day 15 - Outstanding team mates
This is a shout out to the teams who make me love my life!  Nothing makes a class better than an awesome team or worse than a lame team.  I am eternally grateful for the rockstar Grantwell team I have this year (I had a pretty outstanding one last year too).  Today I am thankful for people that not only pull their own weight, but look for ways to lift others!

Thankful day 14 - not having roommates
I love coming home to a place I feel is mine.  I'm thankful to have had a 'roommate experience' so that I can fully appreciate NOT having one.  Skyler is so much fun to live with and I so appreciate the opportunity to live with a best friend instead of a stranger! I am a very lucky girl!

Thankful days 11 - 13

Thankful day 13 - Family Wards
I LOVE family wards.  Relief Society is more enjoyable with babys babbling in the background, Sunday School is more meaningful when coming from someone who has a little more life experience, and Sacrament meeting isn't as long when you have someone to share their  Cherios and coloring books with you. :)

Thankful day 12 - Ballet
Sort of a random thing to be thankful for today, but as I was leaving the tanner at 6:30 at night, I looked over to the RB and could see in the upstairs window of all the beautiful ballerinas taking class.  I longed to be one of them.  Then as I stood there (looking completely ridiculous and slightly stalker-ish i'm sure), I was overwhelmed by how lucky I was to be one of them...even if it didn't last.

I'm thankful for wonderful teachers that taught me so much more than ballet, the opportunity I had and still have to express my feelings through my body, for a family that was always so supportive, and even for these darn ancle pains that remind me that I used to dance on my toes & loved almost every minute of it.

Thankful day 11- Veterans
War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things.  The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse.  The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. - John Stuart Mill 

Thank you to all those 'better men' {& women} who have fought and continue to fight to keep me FREE.

Thankful day 10 - Great Grandma Nora

I am eternally thankful for the my dear great grandma Nora.  Her example is forever with me.  She is the perfect role-model of hard work, strength, faith, and love.  I have never met a more Christ-like woman!  She will be remembered for her love of the arts, her thirst for knowledge, her commitment to healthy living and her strong testimony and willingness to share.  She is not only remembered, but adored by her 7 children, 51 grandchildren and 124 great grand children.

Nora Rust Mickelson 1934

Being the oldest great grand child, Grandma was always on my case about getting married and geting her 5th generation here so that she could die. {Talk about adverse incentives} I always joked around with her, even though she took it very seriously.  Now that she got sick of waiting, I know I really have to watch my back - that woman always found a way to get what she wanted, and I have a feeling she has a lot more power now. ;)

My hope and prayer is that I can grow up to be half the woman she was.  It doesn't seem right to talk about grandma without bringing up the gospel, so here are a few things my grandma made sure I always knew.

I know my Father lives.  I know that Jesus is the Christ.  I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and restored the true and living gospel upon the earth today.  I know that families are eternal and that the reunion I was privileged to have today is no match to the one my grandma had and the one she will prepare for me one day.  I know that we are never alone, and that God always sends help when we most need it - sometimes from those we love on earth, and sometimes from those that love us from beyond.

I am so thankful for this knowledge and an amazing example of what it means to endure to the end! I love you grandma Nora!

Thankful day 9 - Running

Today I am thankful for the ability to go running.  The blessing to live in a safe neighborhood.  The joys of running through crisp beautiful fall leaves.  The encouragement from a running buddy.  A body that functions {most of the time} to allow me to enjoy Gods beautiful creations.  And signs that remind me of people I LOVE!

 Holly - come running with us! ;)

Thankful Days 6-8

Thankful day 8 - The Freedom to VOTE
Today I am thankful for the amazing blessing it is to vote {or not vote} without any fear of what will happen to me.  The price of FREEDOM is anything but free and I am grateful for the men and women who have sacrificed their lives to give me the privilege to vote for my leaders!

Thankful day 7 - MPA friends
Today I am thankful for wonderful friends in my program who completely understand my frustrations and my joys.  I would be lost if it wasn't for amazing women like this to suport me, laugh with me, cry with me, and look out for me when times get hard!  I love these girls and thank heaven above for them on a daily basis!

Laura, Me, Patty & Morgan

Thankful day 6 - Sunday Dinner
Today I am thankful for Sunday Family dinners at home.  Nothing in the world makes my happier than having the chance to go home on Sunday afternoons. :) Family, Friends and Food...who could ask for more?!

Thankful Days 3-5

Thankful Day 5 - Brothers
Today I am thankful for goofy brothers! Landen came to visit this weekend, and though my house has never been messier, I sure love having him around!  It's sometimes nice to kickback, relax and eat ice cream and watch movies all night long.  :)

Thankful Day 4 - Eternal Families
On Thursday, November 3rd, 2011 our Heavenly Father called one of his most wonderful angel daughters back to him.  My grate-grandmother Nora Rust Mickelson past away after 99 years and 11 months on this earth.  Never have I met a more devoted, spiritual woman.  She raised my grandmother to be one of the most outstanding and strong women I know, and in turn my mother was raised the same way.  I only hope that I can live up to the wonderful legacy this woman has left on the earth.

Today I am ever so thankful for the knowledge of eternal families and the peace this brings when we lose someone dear! 

Thankful Day 3 - My Daddy
I am so thankful for my wonderful father.  On Thursday night he was the key note speaker for the Marriott School National Advisory Council (The NAC) dinner.  I was so impressed with his presentation, his knowledge, and all of his years of detection.  I was also impressed because I got to meet people like James Christiansen and Frank Magelby.  Yes, I was in a room full of the CEO's from all the major companies around the world and I got all worked up by the painters. What does that say about me? And to think i'm attending business school...
Anyways, back to dad - He is an amazing example in my life.  He never lets me settle for less, always expects more, pushes me to become the person that he knows I am capable of, even when I don't see it.  He doesn't accept excuses and is the hardest worker i've ever met.  I am so grateful that my Heavenly Father sent me to my dad.

Me & my Dad at Miss Utah 2011

Thankful day 2 - A Job

Today I am ever so thankful for a job. {mostly because i'm thankful for the money} Pretty soon it will be time to get a real job, so for now i'm grateful that my job is flexible, exciting, and FUN.

A Thankful Thanksgiving

During the month of November I always try to take note of something i'm grateful for every day...helps get me in the Thanksgiving spirit.  So this year, I've decided to share with you.  I hope it helps get you in a grateful mood!

Today I am thankful for profets.  What a blessing it is to live in a time when we have men on the earth who can give us direction from our Heavenly Father.  And even more of a blessing to live in an area where I frequently have the opportunity to see and hear from the leaders of my church. This morning I was able to sit at the feet of one of those profets (more like half a stadium above him) and receive guidance and comfort.  Here are a few tid-bits that especially stood out to me from Prs. Monsons devotional:

• We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, but rather spiritual beings having a mortal experience 
• When you choose to follow Christ you choose to be changed.  The world shapes human nature, but Christ changes human nature - allowing you to change others.
• You are more than what you have become.  Look inside yourself and remember...remember. (this quote was courtesy of The Lion King)

Trick - not - Treat

Dear person who thought it was ok to try to break into my car at 2:47 this morning,

You messed with the wrong car! You may not have gotten anything, but you successfully kept me awake until 5 am listening to every sound my old house makes!  I attribute my sleepy and less-than-affective day to you.  I have now had my trick for the day and am ready for a treat! :)

Much thanks!

Star 

Mail time

Remember how exciting it was to get mail when you were a little kid?  Well, sometimes it is still that exciting.  Yesterday I received Extreme Rush Mail to me, the Senior Program Officer on the Little Heroes Foundation project delivered to the Tanner Building.  This may sound silly, but it totally made my day! :)

Two things that just made my day:

First - I am siting in the Tanner on the second floor and a whole class just came out to the atrium on the third floor and turned one of the walkways into a dance runway.  The teacher turned on music and told the class they had to dance to the other side in order to come back to class. SO FUNNY. 

Note: Business kids aren't the best dancers 

Second - I just heard someone whistling the primary song, A Child's Prayer.  As they were doing it, I heard someone else from another floor start humming the duet to it. Classic! 

Just a few of those moments when you realize school here is a very unique experience. 

Where in the world

http://elderholman.blogspot.com/

A good reminder...

“I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration, I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming.”
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

What do you want to be when you grow up?

This question haunts me. 

It’s really cute when a 4 year-old isn’t so sure and gives you that deer-in-the-headlights-look and then responds with something like ‘a doctor who flies planes ... and Superman’. 

This really has nothing to do with this post, but i just love this picture so much that I had to share! 

 It’s less cute when a 24 year-old with a bachelors degree and 3/4 a masters degree gives you that blank stare followed by a few statements about what they thought they wanted to do but now they’re not so sure and wow, how is it possibly time to be making these life shaping career decisions, and how does anyone really know what they want to do with the rest of their life when there are still so many unanswered questions? When you’re in Kindergarten you think you’ll be in school forever and that if you don’t have life figured out by the time you’re as big as your mom, then you must be a crazy person.  Really, how hard is it to just pick the thing you love most and do it for the rest of your life?!?!

Well, here I am a all grown up and I don’t know what’s going on.  These are big decisions people, decisions I never really assumed I’d be making in quite this way or this soon or something.  Do I start interviewing for these companies back in New York or maybe I should apply for the auditing job in San Francisco, or there is always Milwaukee.  Yes – I have to imagine my life in places I couldn’t even find on a map.  Milwaukee, really? 

Do I really want to work for HP or General Mills?  Private Sector?  Public Sector?  How do I feel about some small government organization, or what about working for the Church, or there is always consulting, oh gosh now we’re back to jobs in New York…

Maybe I’m really not ready for a big-girl job and need to do another internship. Maybe I shouldn’t really give up on my original passion and I should follow my love to London and work in a museum for a year.

  Maybe I would hate it – then what? 
Maybe I would love it – then what? 

Maybe I’ll get my doctorate… no, look at me – I’m blogging to put off my homework as it is. I don’t think I want to start picking options that require more homework. But on the other hand, I LOVE school. Otherwise I probably wouldn’t have done it for 18 years.  

Oh my, what’s a girl to do? I’m literally loosing sleep over it… Ok, not just this, the piles of homework don’t help, but all in all I’m starting to get really nervous about what I will be doing this time next year.  

Don’t you hate it when you can’t tell the future? 

Could someone please just tell me what the right thing to do is? 

the logic model....

Today in my program evaluation class we did a logic model of the Law of Consecration.  Pretty much one of the coolest learning experiences you can only get at BYU!

Yes we took pictures of the whiteboard.  #1 because we had a hard time drawing that model on our computers fast enough and #2 because it was just that cool.

Shoe break

I am in the middle of studying, writing ethics papers, researching nonprofits in Mexico, preparing law exams on affirmative action, job searching, evaluating reading programs for the United Way...and just before my brain explodes, i'm all of a sudden looking at shoes.

  Beautiful boots, preppy pumps, flirty flats.  And the world is good again.  

It's like I subconsciously knew that if I didn't take a break, I would turn into a homework zombie. No worries though - the imagined smell of leather cured my stress headache, and now i'm ready to go back to the real world. 

With vissions of Madden girl preppie boots in mind, I can once again handle my homework. 

Thank you DSW for the much needed homework break...

Public Service Announcement

These are now available in a grocery store near you. 

Buy them. Eat them. Be HaPpY!

Just checking in

to say that life is great!

Living with my brother has to be one of the biggest blessings in my life right now.  Second would be how much I am LOVING school and I guess third would be that crazy football game last weekend. Lets just say that life is going my way and I'm quite enjoying it. Bring on the late nights and early mornings and fun times in between.

Here's to the 18th grade! Better make the most of it! 

The MPA program

One year ago, this was me: 

I was nervous, a little overwhelmed and had no idea what was ahead of me. I didn't know these gentlemen sitting around me, but it turns out they came to be my Provo family!

Look at these people - I had no idea who they were and I was forced to play all sorts of strange games with them.   What an amazing bonding experience for my team.  I went to the ropes course last week with all the cute new first years and they felt so uncomfortable, but by the end they were having so much fun. May I just say that my program is the coolest ever - what other masters program takes their students to a ropes course for bonding? 

I LOVE my program! 

revisiting the bucket list

This morning when I woke up for my morning run it was SO dark outside. By the time I was dressed and outside, it felt like the middle of the night. Running by moonlight is such a winter thing to do, and it is STILL summer ... at least for a couple more days.

It got me thinking about that good ol' summertime bucket list I made. So now, please indulge me a bit while I return to see if I got it all in.

*Movies Under the Stars at the Capitol - check. Despicable Me gets funnier every time I see it and I like that I can now quote it with my brothers. (Sky, this one is for you: "Why are you sooo OLD?")

*Get a few good sunburns next to the pool - check (sort of). My really great sunburns came from a week at Lake Powell which is about 100 times better than an afternoon at the pool!

*Farmers Market (Saturdays at Pioneer park) - shoot, I have one chance left, but it doesn't look too likely i'll make it. I think there is something sort of like this in P-town though... i'll look into it.

*Read lots of books that have nothing to do with school - check. And now all my school books are on their way to my home. I even have my first reading assignment, lucky me.

*Scrapbook - CHECK. In fact, I have a confession to make. I am a complete addict to scrapbooking online. I really may need an intervention...but let me finish the 2 projects i'm working on first. ;)

*Find housing for fall - check, Check. CHECK! And I'm as happy as a Ute in P-town can be! I found a little house close to campus and the very best part is that i'm living with my brother. Oh my heck, dreams coming true all over the place!

*Rodeo - check. Thanks to the wonderful Kristalee. It was so fun to go to the Days of 47 rodeo with one of my days of 47 sisters! It was wonderful to see her family, get caught up on her fun life and oh ya, see some amazing cowboys ride the bull! :)

*Days of '47 Parade - check. This one is all thanks to Jessica and her devoted (slightly crazy) family and the wonderful tradition to sleep on the route so that my family could have wonderful front row seats.

*Clean my closet - um... I think i'll do this in conjunction with the packing/moving process.

*Camp out at the cabin - sadly there was no camping...just work trips this summer. But i'm getting so excited for when it is all done. We may still be able to squeeze in a couple fall time trips before it's snowed in. And I guess we could always hike in this winter.

*Go star gazing - check. Though the stars at the cabin are great, I had forgotten how awe-inspiring the stars in Lake Powell are. It is impossible to fall asleep on a clear night because of how absolutely beautiful the stars are.

*Drive-In Movies - Still haven't been in years. Too Bad!

*SUGARLAND CONCERT - This Saturday!

*Go dancing - very little. I got a few ballet classes in this summer but I didn't go country dancing once! There is something very wrong with this picture!

*Catch up with friends that I miss like crazy - CHECK! I had such a wonderful time catching up with collage, pageant and Lambda Delt/ SGC friends this summer. We need more reunions!

*Have an EPIC Chuck party - check...a few of them. ;)

*Spend every minute I can with my Bestest Friend Sky - Check. You better believe it!

Overall I would say summer has been a success, and I still have a little more to go.

And as a consolation prize for it all being over, these are always nice for fall:

10 hour days are killer!

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my 3-day weekends. And come Thursday night at 6 o'clock when I tell everyone to have a great weekend, I adore working 10 hour days.

But around 4:30 on a Monday, I can barely imagine how i'll make it through...

I Love This:

Flash Back Friday - Pioneer Trek 2001

A few of my friends do this cute little Flash Back Friday thing where they tell about a memory from way back when. I love the idea and since I have Fridays off, it seems like a good thing to occupy my time.

So, in honor of the holiday weekend, I would like to flash back to summer 2001. At 13 years-old I was reluctantly having a seed planted that would grow into a passion for my pioneer ancestry.

At 13 years-old I was even more girly than I am today (is that even possible?) and I did not understand how anyone could see how me sleeping in the dirt, wearing ugly DI clothes, and walking all day in the hot sun could be seen as a faith promoting experience. With true teenage angst I imagined this to be just another way that adults were out to ruin my life (in an, i'll admit, creative new way).

Surprisingly, spending 3 days roaming a cattle ranch in the middle of Wyoming, pulling a handcart was inspirational and somewhat life changing for me. I was enlightened by the stories I heard of the brave pioneers, and proud to know that my own ancestors were among those strong enough to make the trek west.

The most meaningful moments for me took place during the infamous Womens Pull.

I'll never forget the feeling I had as I watched my 'Pa and brothers' walk away and knew that it was up to us women to haul this handcart up the hill. I imagined what it would be like to watch my own father and brothers walk away and not know when or if I would ever see them again. To know that it was up to my mother and I to take care of my remaining 4 younger brothers would take a strength that i'm still not sure I have. As I watched other families struggle as they literally took two steps forward and slid one step back down the hill I ached with a desire to help them, but knew it would take everything in me to get my own cart up the hill.

And then the men returned to watch us in silence.

They walked side by side with us giving us support we needed while never actually touching or speaking to us. It was indescribable. I couldn't help but feel that this was what it felt like to have guardian angels - another pioneer experience.

The strength of the pioneers hearts, minds, spirits and bodies was seared into me at that moment.

This pioneer weekend I am so very grateful for my pioneer ancestors, their strength, their example, and the day off from work to celebrate just how wonderful they are!

Have a Happy, Safe, and REFLECTIVE holiday weekend!

Adventures in Africa - Part 4 ~ The best part of Africa...

was the children! I have to say that everywhere we went I was enamored by their sweet spirits, positive outlook on life, joy from the smallest things, and enjoyment of a few brunies (what they call the white people) who wanted to learn their fun games and play along.

First off, go here to watch a fun clapping game that we learned in one of the villages. There were only 2 girls brave enough to play with us at first. Later on the other kids warmed up a little. :)

The children loved teaching us games, but they were teaching me a lot more than how to dance...

I miss these kids a lot!

My Summertime Bucket List

The following are a few things I plan to do this summer. If any of them sound exciting to you, then call me up and join me. Also, if you have something exciting you’re planning on doing, let me know! I work all day long and need to get some summer playtime in!

*Movies Under the Stars at the Capitol

*Get a few good sunburns next to the pool

*Farmers Market (Saturdays at Pioneer park)

*Read lots of books that have nothing to do with school (thanks Jess for helping me get started)

*Scrapbook

*Find housing for Fall (you should all help me on this one)

*Rodeo – don’t know which one yet, but I have to go

*Day’s of ’47 parade – I’ve actually never been and I think it would be fun

*Clean my closet

*Camp out at the Cabin

*Go star gazing (best at the cabin)

*Drive-In Movies ~ haven't been in years

*SUGARLAND CONCERT

*Go dancing (ballet, country, swing…)

*Catch up with friends that I miss like crazy

*Have an EPIC Chuck party

*Spend every minute I can with my Bestest Friend Sky

BEST. DAY. EVER.

Adventures in Africa - Part 3 ~ Wli Falls

While in Ho we took a little hike to Wli Falls. This is the largest waterfall in West Africa and the second largest in all of Africa. It's a short hike through beautiful forest and then you turn the corner and bam! There it is.

Isn't it amazing? This was my first waterfall experience and it was out of this world. The water was cold, but we were hot, so it was simply wonderful.

When the water hits you it is so powerful that it stings. It feels like standing under a power washer. Sometimes it is so powerful that it felt like it was going to push me under the water.

Oh ya, on our way back to the bus was when I had the centipede experience.