JUNIOR YEAR 101

i would like to preface this post by informing you that my junior year of high school literally gave me an ulcer. two of them, actually. i could show you a picture, but personally, i thought this nice sunset looked much better than the inside of my stomach.

when it really comes down to it, all i can really do is tell you to BRACE YOSELF because junior year is insane, and girls are insane, and teachers are insane, and boys are just hot haha. anyway. where was i?
oh yeah. junior year is really really hard, but you already knew that. i'm not here to encourage you to drop out of high school, because then your mom would hate me and we don't want that.
 i'm here to help a sister out. and maybe a brother too if boys are into things like reading blogs, idk.
 as a survivor of the "hardest year of high school", i believe it is my duty to prepare the next generation.  listed below is everything i learned throughout my junior year, not like the quadratic formula and essay format type of intellectual learning though, because i mean who even uses that in real life amiright? i had to go to an entire year of school to learn these things and all you have to do is read a blog post.
you're welcome.***

JUNIOR YEAR 101:

TIP #1
remove all flowers and jewelry when going to school dances!!
they will not make it out alive. you might not even make it out alive.
every corsage i have worn into dances have come out with no petals, and every time i've worn a necklace it has been reduced to pieces. maybe i just go too hard. whoops
(for tips and tricks on how to survive school dances see my post how to survive a mosh pit)

TIP #2
accept now that disney lied to you, i know, the truth hurts.
but high school will never ever be anything like high school musical. although, i did make a high school musical lip sync for my student council campaign, so i mean, it's a start, right?

TIP #3
learn how to forge your mom's signature! this is a very important life skill that most people mastered in middle school, but if not, now is the time. unless of course you want to plague your mom with unnecessary permission slips, you little rascal.

TIP #4
be prepared!!!
always have a pencil, a tampon, and maybe a knife for good measure.
orrrr just be friends with people who are always prepared, either way.

TIP #5
don't hang out with people that make you feel like a peasant!!
there are sooooo many cool people in the world and you would be surprised about how easy it is to become friends with some people. don't waste your time and energy on people who make you feel like trash when you could be hanging with some truuuuuu homies.

TIP #6
let me tell you something you already know, the world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. it is a mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it.
always remember that just because it hasn't happened to you doesn't mean it doesn't exist. sexual abuse is a real thing. depression is a real thing. bullying is a real thing. be empathetic, you never know what someone else could be going through.
also if you got my movie quote, i love you.

TIP #7
never ever EVER eat a costco pack of ravioli and 5 double chocolate chip cookies before a spin class. i'll spare you the aftermath, just don't do it.

TIP #8
junior year taught me not to trust so easily.
if you are ever in a situation where you are debating about telling someone something DON'T TELL THEM, the fact that you're questioning yourself is already a red flag.
some people really care, but most are just curious.

TIP #9
"self-doubt is creativity's worst enemy"
like most humans my head is always booming with ideas, but i never take action because i'm scared what my friends think. but life is too short for that shiz. so make a short film, do chior, ride a horse, date a boy!! you do you, boo!!

TIP #10
junior year taught me that its ok to let go. not give up, but let go. one sided friendships or relationships just don't work, so it's ok to move on and let yourself be happy

TIP #11
dont fart on candles.
i have no experiences related to this advice at all. just don't k?

TIP #12
YOU WILL MAKE MORE FRIENDS BY LISTENING THEN YOU EVER WILL BY TALKING.
read that again.

TIP #13
if you want to run for student council, start preparing now
make you posters now.
make your video now.
write your essay now.
otherwise, you will have to sell your soul to the administration for 2 weeks and that is no bueno.

TIP #14
keep the girl code!! i repeat, keep the girl code!!
this one is cut and dry. just keep the girl code. pls. pls pls.
 this one really separates the friends from the bffs. if you really care about your friends, respect their feelings!!

TIP #15
don't spill milk in your car
you may be familiar with a little saying that goes something like "don't cry over spilled milk" well. i give you complete permission to cry if you spilled milk in your car in the heat of st. george and your car smells like something died in it no matter how many times you clean it. then yes, it's ok to cry over spilled milk, thank you very much.

TIP #16
hahahahahadon'tdateinsideyourfriendgrouphahahah
because then when you say "we can still be friends!" you actually have to still be friends because you see them literally every day.
take it from me, it's rough stuff kids.

TIP #17
its ok to be sad when bad stuff happens
i have a bad habit of telling myself: it's fine, get over it, just smile it off, ect. but that's not healthy at all! be sad for a minute. mourn your losses. talk to a close friends. then use what you learned to make you stronger. as my girl mariah told me once on a bad day .."its okay to not be okay."

TIP #18
that being said, don't let your bad days be dominoes!!
what i mean by that is, don't let bad days become bad weeks and then bad months and bad years. even though some days you just can't stop singing "my life is a joooke" to the tune of that primary song "my life is a gift" (oh wait that's just me) and other days you seriously consider changing your bio to "i am a noob"... don't let those rough days get to you. get a slushy, and then shake it off.

TIP #19
don't hate your body
it's the only one you've got!we all have flaws, so don't be so mean to that reoccurring zit on your forehead, because it will probably spend more time with you in high school then any boy ever will.

TIP #20
take care of yourself
you can't make other people happy if you live in a hole and work 24/7. give yourself a break. pls.

TIP #21
check the weather before you wash your car!! the worst thing ever is pulling out of the car wash and into a rain storm. not that i've done that before heh... multiple times...

TIP #22
wear what you want.
people are going to judge you no matter what you do, it's the sad truth. if you wear converse then you're basic and if you wear shoes from random european websites you're weird so i mean, you might as well just wear whichever shoes are comfier! priorities!

TIP #23
make friends outside your "clique"!!
you are limiting yourself by only hanging out with the same people, branching out might be scary at first, but i promise you it's worth it. there are so many cool people!!!  i can't even imagine how different my life would be if i didn't ask dylan mckeighan to be partners with me that first week in filmaking. shoutout to you, boi.

TIP #24
don't buy fake blood from girls named fifi, especially if it is oddly sticky, smells disgusting and is in a gatorade bottle.
even if you think it would make your next short film really dope, don't do it, just stick to ketchup, kids.

TIP #25
get involved!
it doesn't matter if that means you join the cross country team or the ping pong club (which actually isn't a thing but i think it should be a thing, who's with me?!) high school is 10x more fun if you are involved.

TIP #26
date senior boys. because if you don't then you'll be at graduation in may and they announcer will be saying all of your secret crushes names and you will cry because it is too late and you missed your chance. although, i am reluctant to share this killer tip because a bunch of saucy underclassmen have already started to swarm the males of my friend group. smh.

TIP #27
don't do drugs.
hahahahah you think i'm joking but i swear to you it messes people uuuuup! as appealing as being a vape god sounds, i promise you that your brain cells are worth it.

TIP #28
breeeathe.
if you don't get the grade you wanted, it sucks, but i promise you losing your 4.0 isn't the end of the world!!
 (unless you have asian parents, then that could be a serious problem)

TIP #29
how do i say this??
don't be a hoe. i mean this in the nicest way possible!
 i promise you, it's a waste of time and energy and emotions and most importantly, chapstick.

TIP #30
make the most of social media!
i swear to you that commenting on someone's instagram or retweeting someone's selfie is one of the fastest way to make friends. everyone likes to be told "omg how" and "i can't even" even though none of are quite sure how those are even compliments. the 21st century, man, it's a crazy time.

TIP #31
don't park in my parking spot!
 i have a window marker and i'm not afraid to use it.

TIP #32
CARPE DIEM!!!!!! SEIZE THE DAY!!! MAKE THE MOST OF HIGH SCHOOL!!!
cheer really loud at football games and hang out with new people and ask people to school dances and go to tiki too much and play some sports and HAVE A GOOD TIME!!
 because junior year is the last year before the last year.

i love you all, and good luck out there. hmu if you need some more borderline applicable advice or maybe just a hug, because i offer both for no charge.

god speed my juniors,
a senior.

***verify with the counseling office that you read this post and they will let you skip junior year because you already learned everything!!

sierra & jay

this is sierra and jay and they love each other, like a lot. it's pretty cute. so don't mind me if i just live vicariously through their love for the time being. a girl has gotta do what a girl has got to do.

slide into my DMs or shoot me a text if you want to have a video made of you and your lover. 

it'd be fun i promise!

SIERRA & JAY // first look from katie powell on Vimeo. also that song is dreamy.  (it took me a long time to think of an adjective to describe this song so don't judge me too harshly for using "dreamy" it's the best i can do at 2am. i'm really trying to soak in these last few summer nights, if you can't tell.) goodnight katie jane

ohio, niagra and new york

i would loveeee to tell you allll about our trip, in the form of long paragraphs and detailed experiences, but here's the thing, school starts in 2 days, and the way i figure, i will have to be doing lots of writing and typing and thinking soon enough so i should probably harness my brain power. that run on sentence already drained me, to be honest, so i'm just gonna stick to casual commentary today. thx for understanding<3

i never really understood how people could get "lost in the woods" until i came back east. 

alright, alright, i get it now. it's a beautiful mess of endless greenery!!

i also never understood how people hid in cornfields. yep, yep, i get that too.

rebels smh

HAHAH i posted this on instagram and some girl commented and thought it was me!

well,  you're doing something right, mom.

antique planes remind me of walter mitty when sean o'connell like surfs the plane!! anybody else? just me? cool.

because sometimes blurry is beautiful

modeling, powell style.

you see that hearth there? those are the bricks that joseph smith hid the gold plates under!!

benjamin in his natural habitat

this was my view for many hours on this trip

sacred grove

because when you see a sign that says "50+ flavors of soft serve!" your only choice is to pull over.

the smith home

bottom of niagra

not niagra falls, still pretty tho.

they ran a 5k, i photographed them doing a 5k, teamwork.

ok niagra falls may be pretty but can we talk about anna's hair?!

i prefer to be behind the camera, if you can't tell by my uncomfortable smile.

kirtland temple

hahaha this picture makes me laugh so hard. the powell family is a good time.

and that, my friends, is the ohio, niagra and new york portion of our journey.

thanks for checkin in, 

kj

BACK EAST.

we went to

 london, to brazil to quebec, the whole dang world took effect to ferg.

just kidding. but if you know that song we're automatically friends.

this summer for our family trip we stayed inside the U.S. which i was totally fine with because i think we take our lovely country for granted sometimes. it is so pretty! we went to ohio and pensylvania and new york and massachusettes annnd we had a layover in kansas city which aaacctually is in missuouri, who knew? (geography wasn't my forte)

more words and pics coming soon, i hope, but for now...

a video!!! are you surprised? haha i have a problem.

BACK EAST from katie powell on Vimeo. song:  come back to me - urban cove (filous remix)

sunday thoughts #5

yesterday me and my family were walking back to our apartment after a long day of touristing, when I suddenly felt a hole in my chest, like how a mother feels when she realizes she's missing one of her children, but then I remembered I didn't have any children.....BUT MY CAMERA WAS GONE!!! hahaha ok I'm being dramatic, but I was freeeeaked out, that camera is literally my life! i yelled something frantic like "my baby!!," then turned on my heels and ran through downtown boston, dodging cars and people and hot dog stands. (note to self: if you ever want to sprint a 1/2 mile with obstacles again, urban outfitter platforms are NOT the shoes to do it in.)
once I reached h&m I ran straight to the corner where I had tried stuff on (the fitting room line was really long, you've done it too, k) and it wasn't there... in that moment my heart sunk so deep I thought it was going to turn into a black hole.

this was a huge city and it'd been almost 30 minutes. anyone could have it.

 I feel like diving into one of those round clothing racks that we all used to hide in while our moms shopped, but I decided to make the responsible decision and check lost and found before i pouted, even though the chances of them having it were very slim, we were in the heart of boston, after all.
but as I walked up to the nearest employee with the most stressed out face my little 17 year old face has ever known, I didn't even finish my sentence before the employee said in a heavy bostonian accent "wee gaht it" and handed me the most beautiful hunk of plastic and metal and glass my eyes have ever beheld.
MORAL OF THIS SAGA:
God is good, tender mercies are real.
he loves us so much.
throughout this entire experience i was just praying my little heart out. whether i had a fancy camera or not does not affect God at all, yet he knew that it was something that is ridiculously important to me. this was a good reality check for me. he takes you low before he takes you higher. even if that cycle only lasts about 10 VERY stressful minutes.

also I am a noob, and i need to get my life together.. but we already knew that.
happy sunday!

(read #4 pls haha)
sunday thoughts #4
sunday thoughts #3
sunday thoughts #2
sunday thoughts #1

too much

do you remember the first time you were called annoying?

how your breath stopped short in your chest

the way the light drained from your eyes, though you knew your cheeks were ablaze

the way your throat tightened as you tried to form an argument that got lost on your tongue?

your eyes never left the floor that day.

you were 13.

you’re 20 now, and i still see the light fade from your eyes when you talk about your interests for “too long,”

apologies littering every other sentence,

words trailing off a cliff you haven’t jumped from in 7 years.

i could listen to you forever, though i know speaking for more than 3 uninterrupted minutes makes you anxious.

all i want you to know is that you deserve to be heard

for 3 minutes

for 10 minutes

for 2 hours 

forever.

there will be people who cannot handle your grace, your beauty, your wisdom, your heart;

mostly because they can’t handle their own. but you will never be

and have never been

“too much.”

-tyler ford "too much"

this poem hit me like a ton of bricks and so I wanted to share it with you because I wanted you to be hit by bricks too, in the nicest way, of course.  

but real talk, I love every word of this poem. we all go through stages in our lives when we let our passions burn out a little because of what other people have to say about them, or about us in general. an anxious nagging creeps in from the parts of us that were wounded, and reminds us of our inadequacy. don't listen to that voice. don't let past wounds affect your future. just because one boy broke your heart, don't shut the rest of them out. just because one person told you that you have an ugly voice, don't let that stop you from singing. 
and just because one person told you you were annoying, don't you dare lose your voice. 

"all I want you to know, is that you deserve to be heard."

go read that again,

kjp

jake owen

once me and jake were at the temple early in the morning and a cute old temple lady came up to jake, gestured towards me, and asked him "so is this your girlfriend or your sister?"

jake looked at me, then back at the temple worker and confidently said "a mix."

welp, jake. i'm not sure how that works.

incest is best they say! HAHA just kidding. 

but that experience basically describes me and jakes 5 months together.. we teased each other like siblings, yet he treated me like a queen.

for example yesterday when i went over to his house to say our last goodbyes, before we even started talking, he pulled out a carton of ben and jerry's and said "you're gonna need this"

HAHA he knows me toooo welllll.

i mean, don't get me wrong, he had his noob moments...

like when he was tryna be smooth and push me off the side of the boat but i caught myself and fell off the back where the ladder is and cut my back..

or when we were going wiggle carting and mine broke so i got on the back of his and he crashed us into a bush..

or when he would brought me back a bunch of macadamian chocolates from hawaii because he forgot i hate nuts HAHA

HAHA i could go on and on buuut here's the thing, i have places to be and i need this makeup on mah face to stay in tact!! -- if ya know what i'm saying ladiez!

goodbyes are the literal worst, especially when they're for a good reason, ya know? because then you have no one to be mad at! haha. ya feel? just me? alright.
gosh, he's gonna be the best missionary ever.

good luck out there, jake, don't join the russian mafia or anything.

God speed, see you in 2.