Whatever the mess you are, you're mine, okay?

I think that over the past two weeks, I've had every minor illness that one can possibly contract without going to the hospital room or dying. That being said, what should've been the best first week of a semester, ever, has actually been the most difficult and frustrating. But I made it through, and I'm surprisingly still optimistic about this whole Winter '11 idea.

My classes (and schedule) are awesome. I'm only taking three, and they're all language-related. If you know me at all, you know that this makes for good times for me. Which reminds me--yesterday, someone asked me if understanding the English language well helps in learning other languages, and my answer was an emphatic no. Exhibit A: me; Exhibit B: the German language. I did think it was an interesting idea, though. What makes one good at languages? Some people pick them up so easily and it's almost a hobby for them to learn another language.

As for me, I'm sticking with my native tongue and trying my hand at Spanish again, since I have a little experience and am married to my own personal tutor.

I'm still optimistic about meeting all my students, even though my getting-stick-all-the-time escapades sometimes get in the way. I've been able to talk with about two or three of them so far, and it's been so interesting to hear about how they came to choose BYU and to observe the mannerisms that make them unique. I know that people like to stereotype and generalize about BYU students (not to mention members of the Church), but I've found that every time I'm willing to put forth the effort to get to know someone (anyone) better, I end up appreciating and liking them more. People are a lot smarter, kinder, and better than we give them credit for. I love my job so much because I get to discover just how incredible people are.