life in color

I have never been an avid TV watcher. I grew up watching PBS Kids after school and then graduated to "Full House" and "Gilmore Girls" reruns when I got a little older, but I never had a TV show that became my show . I never waited in agony for the next episode or season to come out or read fan theories on the internet. In high school, I spent many conversations in silence as my friends raved over their favorite TV shows. College was even worse. My classmates barely had time to sleep, yet they found time to binge-watch Netflix. And I would just sit quietly, listening to their rants about shows I had never seen. If some kind soul did try to include me in the conversation, I would just shrug and say, "Movies are better." And I truly believed that. I could enjoy an entire story--the exposition, the conflict, the climax, and the resolution--in two hours or less. If a plot was intense or nerve-wracking, I only had to stress about it for a little while instead ...

Almost three years ago I started this blog for one of my college classes. I thought the class would help me improve my writing through grammar exercises, peer editing, and never-ending assigned readings. While I did become a better writer, I also became a better person. My professor focused the entire class on refugees. We had our eyes opened to the world, to past and present hardships. We were taught how to make a difference not only through our writing but through our actions. That class changed me. Since then, I have served an 18-month mission trip for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Since then, I have volunteered regularly for the local food bank. Since then, I have helped plan a race and culture fair that will donate all proceeds to refugees. Three years is a long time, and I have had many beautiful experiences. I have written most of them down in Word documents, journals, and notes on my phone. But I think it's time to share them with you. I debated start...