Provo

Provo and I have a love and hate relationship.  I always loved coming to Provo as a kid.  It seemed so far away and like such an adventure to come down here.  Plus, most of the time I came down was for BYU football or basketball.  As I got older, Provo seemed much closer.  Spontaneous trips to visit my sisters were much more common.  Since I moved to Provo, things have changed.  Sometimes homes seems very far away, even though the actual distance has not ever changed.  It isn't exciting to come to Provo anymore.  And I think I've figured out why.  I never really loved Provo; I loved what I did here.  I loved visiting Alicia and Shannon for fun or when I need them to help me survive.  I loved going to games with Grandma K.  I loved going out to dinner with my whole family after or before a game and having everyone in the restaurant look at us like we were crazy because we were laughing so hard.  In short, I didn't love Provo, I loved my family.  And now that they aren't here, Provo isn't quite as fun.

That being said, there are things that I love about Provo.  I love my crazy roommates.

Fall 2010:  Me, Sam, Shannon, and Kate

Shannon and I have lived together pretty much my whole life, so it wasn't really that surprising that it was easy and comfortable to live with her.  I had a hard time being away from home for the first time, so it was good for me to live with my sister.  She understood me in a way that no one else did.  It was nice to not have to explain myself to her.  And she always tried really hard to make sure I had fun in addition to doing all of my studying. (She lives in Arizona now.)

Sam is awesome to live with because she is so delightful to be around.  She is super hard working and very smart, but still manages to have fun wherever and whenever she is.  She has an infectious laugh and some of the weirdest eating habits of anyone I've ever met.  And an incredible ability to get ready in ten minutes.  Life is just better and happier with her around.  (She's on her mission in Argentina now.)

Winter 2011:  Me, Kate, Shannon, and Brittni

Brittni moved into Sam's spot and we couldn't have picked a better fit for us if we had hand picked her.  She loves BYU basketball and March Madness as much as Shannon and I.  It was awesome!  She is one of the most genuine and friendly people I have ever met.  She loves to laugh and just go with the flow.  Staying up late to talk and laugh became much more prevalent once she moved in.  She actually had multiple boys in the ward in love with her, but, unfortunately for them, she decided to go on a mission too.  (She is also in Argentina, but a different mission than Sam.)

Spring 2011:  Ariel, Brittni, Kate, Kat, and Anne
(I wasn't there when they took the picture)

Anne is the coolest person I know.  She's an international relations major who grew up moving every three years because her dad is in the Air Force.  She has interesting perspectives on everything.  And she loves to discuss pretty much anything (which works out well for me).  She was in Washington D.C. doing an internship last semester and I missed her so much!  I'm glad she's back.  Also, as you can tell, she is ridiculously pretty and has the world's perfect hair.  (She's my current roommate.)

I didn't live with Ariel, Kat, or Lauren for very long, but I loved living with each of them.  Ariel is just plain sweet and super smart.  I love running into her on campus and talking with her for a few minutes because she is so wonderful and caring.  Kat kept life exciting for all of us with her injuries and stories.  Sometimes it was hard to keep up with her because she seems to be going a mile a minute always!  Lauren was engaged most of the time we lived together and was super busy.  But she still managed to make me laugh every time I saw her.  She's crazy but wonderful.

Fall 2011:  Kate, Lauren, Jessica, and Me

  Jessica.  Oh what do I say about her?  She's a crazy person.  But I love her for it!  She can make anyone smile, I'm pretty sure.  I should walk to school with her everyday because I am always in a better mood when I do.  She is a super hard worker too.  The girl has two jobs and goes to school.  I don't know how she does it.  She is a funny girl.  And she thinks she is hilarious, which makes her funnier.  Also, she read somewhere that people need eight hugs a day to be healthy, so she tries to make sure I get that many.  Yep, that's her.

Erin is my other current roommate.  I don't know her all that well yet, but I already like her.  She is smart and cute.  She also has jumped right into meeting people and getting involved, which is something I really admire.

Kate and Me

Last, but certainly not least, is Kate.  I have been lucky enough to live with Kate ever since I came down to school (except now she's in D.C. doing her student teaching).  I seriously don't know what I would have done without her.  She is one of the only people who I trust enough to break down around and, unfortunately for her, that has happened a lot.  She's been my rock.  She also can make me laugh just when I need it.  She has changed the way I think through her random philosophical questions.  She has changed the way I talk and act (those ones didn't exactly happen on purpose).  She has an amazing ability to see through my crap, and knows when to call me on it or not.  She has taught me so much about how to love and forgive people unconditionally.  It has been almost a month since she left, and I still don't know what to do with myself without her here.

I love school.  Sounds crazy, I know.  It is hard, keeps me very busy, and overwhelms me a lot, but I still love it.  Walking on BYU campus, I know that I belong here.  I know that this is where I am supposed to be right now, that this is the education I need.  I love the way my mind and horizons have been opened.  Unlike a lot of people, I loved the GEs I took.  I learned things in those classes that I never would have known otherwise.  And they have affected who I am and the way I think.  I love that BYU has helped me prove to myself that I can do hard things.  Looking at the everything I have to do in a semester makes me want to quit the first week every semester.  But I have learned to take things a little at a time.

I love that we have weekly devotionals.  I'm sad to admit that I spent a whole year down here without taking full advantage of this.  It is amazing to be able to listen to highly respected and educated people speak on issues that are applicable to me.  It truly is an education in all things, not just a training in my career.  Plus, I get to see my best friend, Lizzy, every time for our "weekly devotional date."  What is better than that?

Me and Lizzy at our last "Devotional Date" last semester.

I love my ward down here.  I'm in a somewhat older ward (although most people are older than me anyway) and have been for almost a year and a half.  I love the wisdom evident here.  These people are going through similar things, are not afraid to talk about it and how they deal with life, and truly want everyone to feel loved and included.  It took me a long time to accept that it was sincere and that makes me sad.  But I am so grateful for the chance I have to be in the same ward again and experience the ups and downs of college life with these people.

In the end, life isn't about where you end up.  It is about who you end up with.  And it is about enjoying every experience and finding happiness everyday.