FALL TRAINING!

I decided to take a bridge year to learn things I can't possibly learn in a classroom. I want to learn about myself, other cultures and, ultimately, the world I feel that I am disconnected from.

So, I'm writing from Stanford University during Fall Training for my program Global Citizen Year.

For the first part of this adventure [aka FALL TRAINING], I am learning about leadership, storytelling, global diversity, mindfulness and MORE. I am learning from amazing people with amazing credentials.

I'm also meeting interesting, diverse, intelligent, and just plain awesome people that I am calling my peers.

(following the Stanford tradition of fountain hopping)

(got to tour Google!)

(my beautiful friend, Talia, with a Google bike)

(more beautiful friends -- Tsion, Fifi & Jojo)

I'll be keeping this blog up to date as I go on my bridge year adventure, so follow it/keep looking back! Also, check out [and follow] my Global Citizen Year website: globalcitizenyear.org/author/sydni-heron/.

One last note: Getting on the plane that took me to San Francisco was one of the scariest things I have ever done. I was sick to stomach with anxieties -- literally sick. 

But I BREATHED.

And I had faith that it would all work out.

And I didn't eat anything..

BUT I'M HERE, I'M HAPPY, AND I'M READY FOR THIS ADVENTURE.

follow this blog.

Next in my Ecuadorian adventure: I find out where (exactly) I'm going & what I'm doing in Ecuador

an update on chris! (Elder Stott..)

For those of you who haven't met him, this is Elder Chris Stott:

Elder Stott has been on his mission in Phoenix, Arizona for almost 6 months now, and he LOVES it (despite the unpleasant mix of wickedly hot temperatures and fair skin).

He loves the people he's meeting and teaching, he loves his new companion (and shows his love by cooking for him every day..jealous) and the other day he told me that, at this point, he really doesn't want to leave Glendale.

Most importantly, he is absolutely happy.

Anyway.

I'll tell you more about him..

through pictures!

One of his favorite hobbies is writing me sweet letters on P-Days.

We haven't missed a single week!

He recently discovered he enjoys panning for gold.. who woulda guessed.

(He found a spec of gold a few weeks ago, and sent it my way ~ *romantic sigh*)

Oh, and he is a little bit obsessed with his ties. These aren't even all of them...

(His mom and I speculate that he sent this picture to hint that he wants more ties...instead of sending him more ties, though, we figured he didn't need anymore.. backfiiiired.)

some more photos that I don't feel like captioning at this moment:

  

My favorite quote that pertains to this situation:

" You will come to know that what appears today to be a sacrifice will prove instead to be the greatest investment that you will ever make"

-Gordan B. Hinckley 

And, why I believe what I believe:

http://mormon.org/me/869J/

how i feel lately.

coincidences.

Last week, I had the opportunity to see Mitt Romney speak at the Hotel Fort Des Moines.

Unfortunately, though, as we shuffled past security, a man in a suit told us that the fire marshal would not allow anyone else to into the already over-crowded ballroom.

Instead we would have to wait outside of the room to listen to his speech over speakers (and be bored for a while waiting, as shown in the above photo).

Sorry, Mitt, for not taking the most flattering picture of you ever.

BUT. Before going into the ballroom, Mitt stopped by to say hello, thank you for coming, nice to meet you and all of that jazz to us. We got to (briefly) meet the presidential nominee, shake his hand and be this close to him.

Kind of the coolest thing ever.

Wait, though. The story gets cooler.

Today, my mom and I had the opportunity to hear President Obama speak at the Des Moines Faregrounds.

(Let me just take a moment to say that living in a swing state is a beautiful thing.)

Waited in line for hours...

Well. Two hours. Getting dramatic here.

Right about when it was our turn to be escorted into the building to hear the president, we were informed there was no more room.

We, along with a hundred or so other people, would have to listen to the speech at an amphitheater near the building Obama would be speaking in.

BUT. He would come and talk to us before the speaking in the other building.

Exact. Same. Situation.

I would say my political ventures are off to very a good start.

my love year adventure.

I will be spending my gap year adventure in beautiful Ecuador!

If you have talked to me about my gap year anytime during the last few months, you know how badly I wanted to go there. 

And now that I know that's where I'm going, you can listen to me blab about how ecstatic and terrifed I am! Cheers!

http://globalcitizenyear.org/updates/clockwork/

I AM GOING TO ECUADOR!

(I better start working on my Spanish...)

Next in my Ecuadorian adventure: Fall Training

more music and an arizona sunset.

(NYC Weather Report by Five for Fighting)