Fall is here!

Just a City Boy, Born and Raised in South Detroit

Are you seeing what I'm seeing....?

Just out of curiosity, does anyone see the same number I see at the bottom of my blog on the counter? If that is correct, my blog has been inching close to 12,000 views. I'm not sure if I'm flattered or officially creeped out.

"No matter where around this world I seem to roam, all I ever want to do is get back to Jersey" -Bon Jovi

All I can say is, some really awesome things have come from NJ. Bon Jovi, Bruce Springstein, Whitney Houston, Frank Sinatra, Jersey Shore, Cape May, First Baseball game ever, Diner Capitol of the World... just to name a few.

Oh yeah, and Edison, NJ was named one of the top 10 best places to live the the U.S. by US News.

This last visit home was short, but sweet. I'll let the pictures do the talking.My super sweet grandparents at baby bro's graduation.

The baby bro and I. He's all grown up and out of school! Peace out JPStevens!

I loved every minute of being out there... except for one thing. It rained every single day. That was not so bueno.

Hello Stranger...

Let's catchup on the past oh, 3 months or so of my life...

Can't Get Enough of...

...this...


this...
and can't wait for this...

Journey of No End

Latter-Day Voices 2008-2009
What is there to say other than I loved this year and I love these people? Some of my favorite moments:

**Disclaimer: There are going to be some Mormon things in this post, if you don't understand, we'll talk later.

1. We're in rehearsal one day learning an arrangement of "If You Could Hie To Kolob" and we get to the part where we all sing, "...there is no end to race." Bro. Salmond stops us, asks me to come up in front of the choir and asks me "Linda, How would you feel if you had to be white(racially) to get into the Celestial Kingdom?" He was dead serious. Was that a trick question...? And he still hasn't lived that one down yet.

2. Every girl Jason Chesney has ever kissed is in this choir. Yes, I am one of them.

3. Choir Tour. I loved everything about it. The week went as follows:

Sunday May 3rd- Fireside at Morgan Utah

Monday May 4th- Devil's Slide, Oakley (with Carli!), and Aspen Grove (near Sundance) to play. It was mine and Brady's Swiss Getaway (more on that later).


Tuesday May 5th-Show in Moab, Utah. We took care of some firewood for the widow's so when winter rolls around they will be warm.

Wednesday May 6th-Arches National Park. Thank you Emily Sorensen for instilling in us a love and respect for all things rock. Later, show in Grand Junction. Rebecca Tanner and I stayed with the funniest and creepiest host family ever. They didn't give us dinner until after our show which was 10:15 PM so we had to make do with peanut butter and Teddy Grahams. And let's talk about how we came back after the show to find my bra in their front room. No, I didn't leave my bra in that room. In fact, it was in my suitcase, in the room we were staying in and the door was closed. Needless to say, we locked our door that night. I am forever grateful that it was Rebecca Tanner that shared that experience with me. Bless her heart.
Thursday May 7th-Rawlins, Wyoming
This was an interesting place. We spent almost the entire day on the bus. I had been in a weird mood. We get to Rawlins and their stage space is non-existant. So we improvised. Turned out to be our best show.

Friday May 8th-Martin's Cove and Green River, Wyoming.
The last day of tour was so great. We went to Martin's Cove which is where the pioneers came through as they were crossing the plains and many of them died there. I have ancestors that came through there and died near there as well. It was an incredible experience. That night we had a show in Green River. Everyone was pretty emotional, especially the people who will not be coming back next year. It was a pretty rough show for me because I was so emotional as well.

Freude, schöner Götterfunken...

The opening words for the chorus to the fourth movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. I was so glad to be a part of this. It truly is a masterpiece. Even if you are not a classical musical lover, I suggest you listen to it... you will understand what I mean. I think singing in it made me appreciate it even more. For being deaf for most of his life, he certainly knew how to make it happen. Beethoven, I salute you.

A Felicidade

This past semester I have been practicing a few times a week with a group that asked me to sing for their Bossa Nova group. For those of you who don't know what Bossa Nova is, it's pretty much Brazilian Jazz music and it's fabulous. Thanks to my friend Jordan Riley, I was hooked up with Mike Christiansen, Eric Nelson, Christopher Neale, Lars, Jed, and Don and we put on an incredible show on the 25th of April. You had to pay to come and a lot of people actually came! It wasn't even free for student's and they still came. That says a lot.

This is Christopher and I going over some words during a dress rehearsal in the Performance Hall.

This is the setup on the Night of the show! (L to R: Christopher, Mike, Lars, Jed, Eric, Don, ME!)

So my mom showed up to surprise me. How nice of her. She pretty much sat right in front of me so I saw her right at the beginning of the show, and then she was upset when she came on stage and I told her I had already noticed she was there. Mothers.

All in all, a great experience. It was incredible to hear my voice coming off the walls in the Performance Hall, it was awesome that I had the opportunity to sing classic Brazilian jazz and bossa nova in Portuguese, and it meant a lot to me that my grandparents came to support me (and they LOVED it!). The only downside was that I had to miss the first night of my Latter-Day Voices Spring Show. I sang a ton of Tom Jobim's stuff: Girl From Ipanema, Corcovado, Felicidade, Agua De Beber, Dindi, Berimbau, Desafinado, Aguas De Marco, and many others. Rehearsals were pretty funny with these old guys. At times Mike would have to tell me, "Linda, forget everything you've been trained to do as far as singing goes. The less technique you have, the better." That was probably the most challenging concept for me! Ha! We'll be doing some more collaborating in the future, so look for us!

A Fine Frenzy

Not only is this the name of a pretty great artist and album but it very well describes the past month and a half of my life. A month that was chock full of awesome times and absolute and utter exhaustion. Therefore, there will be a bunch of mini-posts. Enjoy.

Before I Die...

I am going to see the world. I have considered putting school on hold indefinitely and working and living all over the world. With tuition increases next year, my dream might come true. For one reason or another, these places are on the top of my list.

Indonesia

Africa

Vatican City

New Zealand
(It may or may not be a life goal to see where they filmed The Lord of the Rings)

Jerusalem

Amsterdam - my dad went there yesterday and loved it.

Viva Las Vegas

I can officially say that I have traveled farther south than Provo Utah. In fact, I made it all the through St. George and onto Las Vegas. Thank goodness for Spring Break. A couple of weeks ago I was asking around seeing who was doing what for spring break and who was sticking around, because I, being the world traveler I am, had no plans. Luckily my friend Brady was in the same dilemma and thus we decided we would take a lovely trip down to Vegas. We recruited our friend Hillary to go with us, booked 4 nights at the Palms Hotel and Casino and we were off!
Pretty sweet setup, huh? Oh yeah, while we were there, Playboy had a huge party going on. True story.

Cheese Steaks and Dreams

One of the great things about growing up on the east coast is the proximity to America's historical gems: Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington DC. Some of my best memories are the mini trips my family would go on to these cities. I have a deep love and appreciation for history and I love surrounding myself with places that are so deeply saturated with it. I gained a great sense of pride for this nation and our roots in how we became a nation by visiting these great historical locations. Therefore, it was always a treat to go and play and learn. Here are some pictures of some of the good times.


This picture was when my grandparents came from Wyoming for my high school graduation. It was great to have them. We went to Philly and DC. One of the best places we visited was the Arlington National Cemetery. While we were there we saw the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. There was so much reverence there it might as well have been a sacrament meeting. I loved it.

My grandparents were champs for walking everywhere!

This is a picture overlooking DC with the Washington Memorial in the background. This is the grave site for the man who laid out the city. Don't remember his name, but what a location to be buried!

Here are my favorite things about DC:
1. Cherry Blossoms in the Spring time. The festival is actually at the end of this month.

2. I'm pretty sure I recall having great Chinese food in the Chinatown down there.

3. Arlington National Cemetery. It's such a beautiful place and there definitely is an air of reverence there even with all the people that go walk through it all day every day.

4. The Lincoln Memorial. Something about standing where Dr. King stood and gave his inspiring "I Have A Dream" speech is actually quite humbling.

5. Vietnam War Memorial.

6. Having my dad tell me everything he know about US History. He's the one that instilled that love for history in my heart.

Here are a few of my "Favorite Things" in Philly

1. CheeseSteak. It's a must. Preferably at a hole in the wall type place. I recommend the stand one block away from Independence Hall. It hits the spot.

2. Reading Terminal Market. There is so much going on and I never know where to start. If you can make it for breakfast, DO IT! Look for the Amish people because they make the best breakfast in the city, hands down.

3. Now, venturing away from food... Everything history. Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Old City Philadelphia, Museums, anything and everything. It's worth the time.

4. UPenn - I love the school.

Call Me A Nerd, But...

I love to read anything and everything. Being a college student there is not really much of a choice of reading material other than Tonal Harmony textbooks and the score to Beethoven's 9th Symphony, which nothing short of a masterpiece and that I will be singing on April 25th with Craig Jessop conducting. But I digress. Last summer I made a list of books that I really wanted to read. I perused the New York Times Bestseller's list under fiction, non-fiction, and childrens chapter books (there are gems in there I tell you), and headed over to the Logan Library and hooked myself up with a library card. One of the best things I did all summer. Since then, I've read a ton, but here are some of the favorites:

Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson
(I actually ended up buying a copy. It was worth it.)

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
(the sequel, World Without End, is on my 2009 reading list)


Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
(I bought a copy of this one also. It was also worth it.)


And don't judge me...


Twilight ; New Moon ; Eclipse ; Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

Now, I'll be the first to admit I was one of those Twilight Bashers and wondered what in the world was so fantastic about this Twilight business. For me, having never read it, it deserved the same attention as those trashy drug store novels with the shirtless men and scantily clad women on the covers. I was very wrong and have changed my ways. I read the first novel last summer and thought that it was all I needed to read because I had heard that it was all downhill from there. I was satisfied, but didn't feel the need to obsess hoping sexy dead vampires would come to bite me. Then I saw the movie with my brother and his girlfriend. And then I needed more. I borrowed New Moon from my cousin over Christmas break and my brother bought me Eclipse and Breaking Dawn for Christmas (he wrapped them in Hannukkah wrapping, bless his heart). Therefore, I read the last three books of the series over Christmas break. Tiffanee and I had a lovely time talking about our favorite parts as she was just a little ahead of me.

As for 2009's Book-List, since I'm starting a bit earlier this year, it is a much more extensive list and I am sure it will be added to frequently seeing as how the NY Times Bestsellers list changes often. On this years list we have such gems as:

The Chronicle's of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
I've seen the play, bawled my eyes out. True Story.

And others like The Lord of the Ring's series by J.R.R Tolkien and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Right now I'm reading People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. So far so good!

So if you have any good recommendations, do not hesitate to send them my way.

Incase you don't know...

So I thought this was an interesting thing. I had a bunch of friends tag me to do one of these "25 Random Facts About Me" and I finally decided to do it. It's been really fun to learn things about them that I had never known before. So here are mine...
1. I have always been told that I am mature for my age. I'm not really sure why. But now that I'm 20, I feel SO immature for my age.

2. One of the most beautiful scenes I have ever seen is the New York City skyline from the Harbor just as the sun is going down. September 11th was extremely hard for me. I won't watch movies or tv shows about it. I don't even like talking about it. It gives me severe anxiety.

3. I have the hots for Tim McGraw. Don't ask me why, I'm still trying to figure that one out myself. 4. I LOVE tv on DVD. Dawson's Creek, OC, Gilmore Girls, Scrubs, The Office... I love it all. Thanks to Tiffanee, I was able to watch all 3 seasons of Lost in my first semester of college and I was completely caught up all in the hype by the time season 4 started up on TV. Which leads me to number 5...

5. LOST. It's an obsession. I love it because it drives me crazy. And Sawyer is not half bad with his shirt off. Tiffanee Gurney, I owe you my first born for getting me into this show. 6. Harry Potter, Pokemon cards, and Power Rangers pretty much sum up my childhood. I thought Harry Potter was real. Holographic Pokemon cards were the most valuable thing on the planet. I was convinced I was going to marry Tommy the Green Ranger. I think it was his ponytail that did it for me. I even named my little sister Kimberley after the Pink Ranger. True story.

7. Ok Harry Potter really deserves his own number. I take the series and the movies very seriously. Don't make fun of it. It's a part of me. I was in London when the 7th book came out. Dream come true. I've read the entire series multiple times. A very small part of me still believes in the entire Wizarding World now. 8. I'm half Brazilian. Not Egyptian, not Puerto Rican, NOT Mexican or any type of Hispanic ethnicity, not Middle Eastern. Brazilian.. with some African and Italian thrown in there. I put multicultural on my college apps.

9. Now, don't judge me... but I have a thing for older men. I think it runs in the family. Richard Gere, Hugh Jackman, Dr. House, you name it. I also think that is one of the reasons for number 3.

10. I hate feet. They are ugly and I think they look unnatural, but I love my own feet and I'm grateful I have them. I give my dad foot massages and a very select few others foot rubs as well, but that's it. Just keep your socks on so I don't have to look at them. I've been getting better.

11. I had to sleep with the light on because I was so afraid of the dark probably until I was 16 years old. You can ask my YOUNGER sister. I've crawled into bed with her countless times and ask her to tell me a story so I could fall asleep. She would half consciously tell me a bedtime story about Pokemon.

12. Like my cousin Mayra, I have a love/hate relationship with my hair. Lately, as in probably the last 9 months, it's been straight up hate. But thanks to Shauna who colored my hair on Friday, a little bit of the love has come back into my life. 13. Music is a huge part of my existence. If you know me, you know this to be so true.

14. When I was younger, I loved the movie Sister Act with Whoopie Goldberg. I would stand in front of the TV and belt out the songs along with though crazy nuns. That skinny young nun was my favorite and I would sing all of her solos. Thanks to Youtube, I can continue in that routine.

15. I had an imaginary friend named Lisa. She was my twin. She moved with me and my family from Boston to NJ. I miss her. Sometimes.

16. I love Broadway. I want to see every show I possibly can. I don't think there is a show that I haven't cried at. I recently saw Forbidden Broadway (nearly peed my pants from laughing so hard) and Equus with Daniel Radcliffe (the guys who plays Harry Potter in the movies). So great.

17. I'm so grateful to have grown up on the East Coast. I lived within a four hour radius of Manhattan, Philadelphia, D.C., and Boston. Another hour or so got me to Palmyra, New York. I was so blessed.

18. My family drives me insane. But I love them.

19. I have driven across the country a few times. Nebraska is by FAR the worst state to drive through EVER. I want to drive across the country again one day with my husband.

20. I tolerate cold weather better than hot weather. Good thing I live in Logan, Utah. I only think hot weather is comfortable when I'm on the beach. LOVE the beach.

21. I love to travel. I've been to Brazil, Mexico, England, Greece, and Crete. But I've never been to California, or south of Provo within the state of Utah.

22. The Mediterranean is my favorite body of water. I swam in it and it's frigid, but absolutely beautiful.

23. I'm deathly afraid of bees. I hyperventilate, run out of classrooms in the middle of lessons during school, and I've never been stung. I plan to keep it that way.

24. I love being a city girl. It's been one of my biggest challenges living here in Logan. But I love hiking and camping and boating and being outdoors.

25. Utah is the last place on Earth I ever thought I would live. Kim and I were talking the summer after we graduated high school and we talked about how weird we it was that we were ACTUALLY coming out west. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and wonder what I am still doing here. But, right now, there's no where else I would rather be.

** 26. (This is for Brady who said I needed to add him as one of my randoms...) Brady Mathews is the reason I am here at Utah State University and we did not meet each other until this semester. Story: When I was a senior in high school and had decided to come to Utah State, I went on Facebook to look at pictures of what people did for fun here because I didn't know anyone and when they did for fun. As I was doing my "research" I came across this picture of this insanely attractive man and thought to myself, "Wow, if men look like that at Utah State, I'm going to be just fine." So I come to school and become really good friends with this girl Katie Brammer. She always talked about her best friend Brady who was on a mission. She talked about him so often that I felt like I pretty much knew his life story. At the end of freshman year we were in her apartment in her room and on her bedside table I see the same picture of the BEAUTIFUL man that I had seen the year before on Facebook and was shocked. I asked Katie who he was and with a confused look on her face responded, "Linda... That's best friend Brady!!" She nearly died laughing after I told her my "history" with Brady. She sent him a tape on his mission and told him about me. I was SO nervous meeting him for the first time. We totally hit it off. Now, he is one of my best friends. True Story.

This is me and Brady on my birthday. I just love him.

Draper Temple

I am SO looking forward to going to the Draper Temple open house on Tuesday with my friends Cory and Kylee. The temple is right by my best friend Tiffanee's house. It's such an awesome experience to go to these open houses because after the temple is dedicated only worthy members of the church are allowed to go through and even then there are still certain rules members need to abide by. These open houses give everyone the opportunity to see how gorgeous temples are inside and to feel the spirit as they walk through. I remember going to the Boston and Manhattan temple open houses. My friends that have already done the tour of Draper say it's gorgeous inside. This time last year we drove own from Logan and went up to see the temple as it was still under construction.
I remember at the very beginning of the Fall 08 semester we went up to see the temple again at sunset and it was a gorgeous view of the valley and the outside of the temple was complete. The lights were on, but the construction fences were still around it because they were working on the inside of the building. I even forgot my car keys up there on the mountain that night! I remember we talked about going to the open house and now it's here! I'll be sure to put some pictures up from the outside of the temple on Tuesday,no pictures inside! :)

The Heart of the Matter

So here's the blog. Never thought I would be one to get into this at all. It could be nothing but a good excuse for me to get off Facebook. Yes, the title of this post came from the title of a song by Bryan Adams. I have come to realize that a lot of time is wasted on negative emotions. Anger and frustration are optional emotions. Suffering is inevitable, misery is optional. Granted, you're not getting walked all over. I'm not one to hold a grudge, but I'm not one to get walked all over either. I just don't let the negative define me. But what is beautiful about it is how much more "real" a person is when they've gone through some seriously tough times. It's beautiful knowing that your limits have been pushed and the person you are now is better than the person you were before. I've had some intense heartbreaks in my life, most of them happening within the past year, but I say bring on the heartbreak if it's going to make me a better person. Bring on the heartbreak if it's going to make me stronger and better prepared for the inevitable disappointments that go along with life. What else is life if we aren't learning and progressing? It's a beautiful thing I tell you. For me, B. Adams says it best.

There are people in your life who have come and gone. They let you
down, you know they hurt your pride. You better put it all behind you
baby because life goes on. You keep carrying that anger, it'll eat you
up inside, baby. I've been trying to get down to the heart of the matter,
but my will gets weak and my thought seem to scatter but I think its about
f o r g i v e n e s s .