Nerd Alert: Volume II

You know when you have made the elite nerd club? When your name is submitted to be a student volunteer to show some of the biggest donors to your college around the new life sciences building. You know when you become the leader of the nerd club? When you are so excited because you get to dress up and wear a lab coat and pretend to be an up-and-coming scientist.

I read the blogs of people who are dancers and fashionistas and world travelers. Can nerdy scientists blog too? We will see...

Also, let it be known that I made a wrong turn when giving the tour and got totally confused and pretended like I took us down a hallway so I could get a drink and show them the drinking fountains. Because of course none of these people have ever seen a drinking fountain before. Heidi Jane ladies and gentlemen,

Future nerds of America people. No autographs please.

Insincerely Yours,
Heidi Jane

Disclaimer: Not a fashion blogger

I am not a fashion blogger, nor will I ever be. I value sleep far to much to look adorable every single day, and I have fully accepted this aspect of my life. However, I never wear yoga pants (or any type of sweat pant) or t-shirts out of the house unless I am going to the gym. Why you ask? Because in high school (dark days) this is all that I wore (and I looked awful. No really.) so my mother stole all of my t-shirts in the hopes that I would pull myself together and told me that I was only allowed to wear them on Fridays. While at the time it felt like she was out to ruin my life (hello teenage angst), I am so happy that I learned how to wear real clothes. So here is a picture of an outfit that I wore, mostly because I felt I was being edgy with patterns and mixing browns and blacks. Now I look at it and wonder if it even matches. I'm over it.

Also, please note that I took the picture looking down at my outfit. I follow enough fashion blogs to know that this is how it is done. Why you ask? No idea, but I did it anyway. However, I am sure real fashion bloggers would have found a much more photogenic piece of ground to stand on..

Insincerely Yours,

Heidi Jane

Totes the best Hun Cal Fro Yo

Please someone tell me that they understand the title of this post. If you don't, please You Tube it and make your life a little happier.


I am currently on the hunt for the best coconut frozen yogurt that Utah has to offer. I have some game changing coconut fro yo in Puerto Rico and I need some in my life again. This is a real problem people (and by real I clearly mean first world).

Also, any excuse to eat boba (the little colored balls) is fine by me.

Now I am hungry again...

Insincerely yours,

Heidi Jane

Nerd Alert: Volume I

I am a nerd. An absolute and complete one. I am studying Genetics and Biotechnology and I love it. It is challenging, frustrating, rewarding, and so very very interesting. So I thought I might show some pictures of how I spend my school days in these small chronicles labeled "Nerd Alert". 

Today was my physiology lab. We were working with our own blood looking at hematocrit, RBC and WBC levels, Plasma, and blood typing. If that makes no sense to you that is probably good news and means that you are not a freak like me!

We had to draw our own blood to use in the lab, and let me tell you, when I prick my finger cooking I feel like it gushes blood and yet when I intentionally pricked it in the lab setting I couldn't get any flipping blood out of it. I had to poke myself 4 times, and while I am not a wimp, I can't say that I enjoy inflicting pain on myself. Then I had to go to guitar class and I realized that pricking my fingers that I have to play with was not my best life decision. Shocker.

Some telescope action

 And this one just because apparently I like embarrassing myself. Don't be jealous of how sexy I look. Not everyone can be as hot as us scientists.

Have I converted you to science yet? Don't worry there is still time. 

Insincerely Yours,

Heidi Jane

Yin to Yang

Some days you just got to dress up as twins with your bestie and roomie.  We were this close to wearing them on our double date that night, but decided that would be too much awesome (*read: too weird) for our dates to handle. I am obviously winning at that dating life.

Also, I am not wearing makeup in this picture....and I really hope I remembered to put some on before the actual date. Like I said, winning.

Insincerely Yours,
Heidi Jane

7th wheeling

There comes a point in every single girls life were a majority of her close friends are married. I have officially reached this point. I mean, I am well on my way to being Katherine Heigl in 27 dresses, but that is a discussion for a later date.

I thought about just ditching those married fools in pursuit of better (*read: more single) friends, but darn-it I just like them to much. So I am that girl who seventh wheels with married folks.

So this is how I spent my Saturday night

Just in case you were confused...

Winning.

Luckily these friends and their significant others are all great, so we always have an amazing time. Although I may have wondered how long it would have taken them to notice if I went missing in the corn maze....anyway.

Also, let's just also take a minute to appreciate the best photo bomb ever.

Pits full of corn are romantic didn't you know?

For your edification: walking in corn pits feels like you are getting a foot massage. Boom.

7th Wheeling for the win.

Insincerely Yours,
Heidi Jane

Teaser: Wedding Pictures

One of my best friends Kylie got married this past week. We have been friends for 15+ years and I am so happy that she found the man of her dreams. Plus they are one of those beautiful couples that are going to have adorable babies, so there's that. Anyway, here is a teaser picture of the beautiful bride, oh and a weird girl standing next to her.

Insincerely Yours,
Heidi Jane

Don't you want to be my friend?

Sometimes I stay at home and study 300+ astronomy note cards in this outfit. Am I cool enough to get call this look hipster or do I have to stick with lazy? 

 Either way, winning all around. No judgement.

Insincerely Yours,

Heidi Jane

Mmmmm Pumpkin....Or Not

Fall makes me happy. Like every other person on the internet I could gush and gush about how great everything fall is. But I won't (at least today..). Instead I want to talk pumpkin. Right now everyone is breaking out all things pumpkin. I don't blame them because something about pumpkin just screams fall and happiness. So, because I like happiness, I decided to break out the pumpkin and make pumpkin pudding (recipe found here). I had to wait two weeks to make this pudding because first I didn't have pumpkin pie spice, then I didn't have just plain vanilla pudding, then i didn't have whipped topping. Yeah basically I couldn't get my act together. Finally, I made the pudding. I lovingly stirred it all together, patiently waited the two hours for it to set, and carefully constructed it. Turns out, I forgot I dislike the flavor of pumpkin. 

At this point you are questioning my intelligence, rightly so. Turns out that every year (literally every year)I forget that I hate pumpkin. I get so excited about fall that everything pumpkin looks divine. Epic Fail. Sometimes (read: Most of the time) I  struggle as a functioning human being. HOWEVER, there are two tested and proven pumpkin recipes I do actually like. 1) plain pumpkin muffins 2) pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust, probably because neither have a strong pumpkin flavor...

Anyway, if you actually like pumpkin, then this recipe is probably delicious (everything they make on that blog looks divine).

Happy Pumpkin Dessert Making (or not)

Insincerely Yours,

Heidi Jane

Take me Back to Florida

So my family has a tradition of going on vacations to Florida.  We eat way to much, sleep way to little, and have way to much fun. First up on our Florida vacation: The BEACH!!!

Daytona beach is my favorite beach that I have been too, and I have been to a lot (in the United States). So if you want to go to a beach, please don't go there because otherwise it will be too crowded when I go. Good talk.

Without further ado I will share some pictures.

Disclamer: These pictures may show horrifyingly messy hair, pasty white skin, and thunder thighs. Viewer discretion is advised.

First of all, the classic family picture. Dang I was blessed with a good looking family. I think my brothers stole all of the skinny genes though....jerks.

And an obligatory shot with this adorable kid and our sun glasses.

This kid thought I was his pack horse and spent a good chunk of time making me carry him places. Yeah he is 6'3 and I am 5'9 so this made a lot of sense. You have to look hard to see me at all...

Some boogie board action

And a blooper. I didn't realize how much the waves had stretched out my already abused swimsuit until looking at these pictures.  #winning

Also, how is my brother so much tanner than me? We look like we are different races, fidelity is often discussed in my family... ;p

Take me back to Florida.

Insincerely Yours,
Heidi Jane

Let's talk Football

Does anyone else agree that four hour football games are just way (WAY) to long? No? Yeah me either...

Anyway, this last weekend I went with a group of friends to BYU's football game against Utah State. We are not going to talk about the ending score, or about how it ruined our perfect 4-0 season, or how our QB is now injured and out for the season,but we can talk about how fun it is to cheer for a team and a school that you love.

Admittedly, I am not a sports gal. I mean I can totally get on board with watching the occasional professional sports game, but overall I would much rather be playing a sport than watching someone else play a sport. However, when you are in the stadium with 60,000 fans cheering for the team you have grown up worshiping, I think it is impossible to have anything but an amazing evening. So even though we lost, I will cheer for BYU until the day I die. Go cougars!

Plus, I got to see this cute little cousin  of mine in the marching band (I can't actually believe that he is old enough to be in college...I feel old). Double win.

Can you think of a better way to spend a Friday night? I can't. Here's to hoping that every Friday is as good as this one.

Insincerely Yours,
Heidi Jane

92 and Loving It

You know how most people inherently love their families? Like it is just this thing that we are supposed to do and say that we do? Well I would say that I occasionally fall into that passive emotional state. I mean I honestly do love my family, like a lot, but I often take it for granted. But then there are weekends like this last one. Weekends where you know that you have been supremely blesses in having an amazing family. So blessed that you have a 92 year old grandpa that is still healthy and who still thinks that all of his grandchildren are perfect. Who, even though he has a hard time moving, will always volunteer to sit and hold his crying grand baby and will sing him all of the songs he knows while gently rocking him back and forth. Who has a hard time hearing people when they talk, but will just sit in the circle of people talking and simply smile because he is happy to be surrounded by family. Yeah, weekends like these remind me that I have an amazing family, and I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

Happy 92nd Birthday Grandpa, I sure do love you!

Sincerely Yours,
Heidi Jane

I have a plan

You guys, good news. I have decided on a graduate school plan! This April I will be applying to be a....drum roll please....Physician Assistand (PA)!

I feel really great about this decision. I came to college planning on pursuing this career, but switched halfway through to thinking I would work more with non profits on the business end of medicine, but I am officially back to being a PA and I have never felt more content with my graduate plan!

You guys, bad news. Now I have to get a PA school to accept me.

Keep your fingers, toes, and all other appendages crossed that some school out there thinks I would make a great PA!

That Awkward Moment When...

That awkward moment when I give a half hour presentation in my capstone class only to find out that I was pronouncing a scientific technique wrong. I didn't look very close at the name of a certain procedure and I so pronounced it as a letter instead of a Latin symbol. Here is the comment I received from my teacher.


"...Finally, just a point of information.  Several times you referred to IFN”y” but the final symbol is not y, it is the Greek letter γ or gamma..."

This picture sums up my feelings quite nicely. 

Thank goodness  have developed a high tolerance for embarrassing moments, otherwise this one might have put me over the edge.


Insincerely Yours,
Heidi Jane

I Insincerely Apologize for....

• Currently listening to Avicii's "Hey Brother" on repeat
• Complaining about my impending finals 20,000,000,000,000 times a day (only a mild exaggeration)
• Wanting to tell you what I dream about every. day. For real, I have a dream ever night. That should be a post in and of itself. 

What do you Insincerely Apologize for?

I leave you with this wonderful picture of me, my friend, and a baby goat. Just because I can.

She's indecisive. She can't decide.

Sean Kingston pretty much summed up my life with the phrase "She's indecisive. She can't decide." My life at the moment is filled with a future of unknowns. I don't know where I will be this summer, I don't know what graduate school I want to attend, I don't know what job I will have next year, and I don't know where I see my life in 5 years.

 On the one hand, I want to be open to new experiences that I would not have planned for myself, but are great opportunities. But, I also want to set goals for myself so that I have something to work towards and for. But how can I make such big decisions that will literally impact the rest of my life. I feel like it took me a very long time to reconcile to my undergraduate major, and honestly, the only reason I could do that was because I knew I could basically still go to any graduate school I wanted. But now I have to choose a graduate school and I am having a quarter life crisis.

However, the good news is that I am going to be a super-senior next year (who'd have thought that would ever be considered good news), which gives me one last year to decide. So that's a plus.

Well if anyone knows what I should do with my life, please feel free to direct me. This is what my resume looks like at the moment

Name: Heidi Jane
Major: Genetics and Biotechnology
Hobbies: Music, cooking, reading, having fun, swimming, crafting, decorating
Professional Interests: Everything and Nothing
5 Year Plan: No idea

Any and all counsel is appreciated.

Insincerely Yours,
Heidi Jane

As Long as it Doesn't Rain...

Earlier this year I had the brilliant idea that I wanted to go camping. Camping with friends in college, what could be more fun right? Well, let me tell you a story.

7:00 PM- (the time when we are supposed to be meeting up at my house) Guy calls and says that he will be late

8:00 PM- Said guy shows up (he had all the gear)

9:00 PM- We head to said guys house a half hour away to meet up with some of his friends

10:30 PM- His friends show up, cool.

11:00 PM- Arrive at campsite, there are no lights 

11:30 PM- Said guy realizes he did not have the center poles for the girls tent. So he improvises.

11:45 PM- Said guy informs us that as long as it doesn't rain our tent should be fine.

12:00 AM-4:00 AM- Torrential down-pore. As long as we pulled out legs up in a ball and didn't move at all we didn't get soaked. Yeah...

6:00 AM- Everyone wakes up and we have a 10 minute breakfast and head home. 

Our beautiful tent...

We look good at 6:00 AM after a night of avoiding puddles...

You know how some memories are not that great when the happen but become infinitely better over time? Yeah this is one of those moments. A few months later and now I can't think of a better camping trip that I have been on.

Insincerely Yours,

Heidi Jane