Leaving

I'm moving out on Thursday.  And for the first time since I came to college, I'm really sad to be leaving this place.  

We ended up here the first time because of Shannon.  After Sam, Shannon, and Kate had signed somewhere else, Shan felt sick about it and insisted it wasn't right.  So we all signed here instead.  I was fine with that because I didn't care where we lived.  After the first few weeks here, I didn't think that decision was 100% inspired.

The ward was full of people who were a lot older than me, many of whom didn't really put in an effort to know me once they found out I was 18.  It was a tough ward for a freshman.  I was doing everything in my power to just figure this college thing out, and no one else could really relate to that.  That being said, I didn't hate all of it.  I loved Ryan and his apartment from the start.  Eric, Brandon, and Parker always knew just what to say to make me laugh.  And the people in my FHE groups were awesome!  But none of this had me convinced to come back.

Kate did though.  She wanted to come back and I wanted to live with her.  So we signed for Fall/Winter again.

After living in another ward for the Summer, I was dying to move back.  The first week back in this ward did not disappoint.  The warmth, the unity, the acceptance, the openness, it was all there again and even more so.

So I've changed my mind.  The decision to move here was 100% inspired.  This was where I needed to be.  These are the people I needed to be in my life.  I needed the Sorensens, Fraleys and Christensens.  I needed Lexi, Carmen, Leigh, Traci, Holly, Maddie, Kelsi, Beth, Brittany, Danielle, Catherine, Lexi, Katie, Ashley, Sarah, Emma, Heidi, Tina, Erika, Annie, MeLisa, Alex, Craig, Ryan, Wes, Eric, Spencer, Pappy, Dustin, Kevin, Joe, Greg, Mike, Steve, Ben, Paul, Jeff, Dallin, Phil, Stephen, Will, and Brock, just to name a few.

Annie

Dallin, Jeff, Greg, and Kelsi

Did I mention we have the world's most awesome Bishop?!

Jeff, Phil, and Baby Titus

Greg and Me

MeLisa and Beth

Pappy

Sarah and Erika

Sorensen Boys

Bishop and Sister Sorensen

Traci

Eric

Katie, Maddie, Tayler

Leigh

Wes and Ryan

I needed them to help me become better.  I needed them to teach me to reach out.  I needed them to help me be comfortable showing others who I am.  Last year, I was shy and introverted.  No one knew me very well, if at all.  Now, almost everyone knows me, at least a little.  And because of that, I feel like I can be myself more.  I feel like I am capable of accomplishing more and being more of a help to those around me.

Now, moving and the thought of starting over terrifies me.  I don't want to go back to who I was before.  I want to retain the things that I've learned from these wonderful, loving people.  I'm not sure if I quite know how though.  I know I will meet fantastic people and I know it's time for me to move on.  But it's hard to feel that anything could be better than this right now.

All of this has made me determined to make the best of every experience, to act on each place I live as for years.  I didn't want to get to know everyone because I figured I would never see them again, so what did it matter.  Well, it mattered.  And I'm grateful for that.  I'm grateful I finally got over my stubbornness and let myself fall in love with the wonderful ward I was in and to learn so much from everyone around me.

Last night was the last ward prayer of the semester.  Ryan and I did it since it was the last one.  As the thought, I shared some of the things I said here.  And I closed with a scripture that I felt summed it up so well:

"I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end."

-Moroni 8:3

My goal as I continue through life is to build friendships so that I always feel this way when I leave someone.  As sad as it is to leave people, the love you feel is always worth it!