Cheesy post, and not even sorry

I remember my first day in Salt Lake City like it was yesterday.

Mariah and I walked up A St., what seemed like the biggest hill of my life, with my mother, to go to the leasing office to get the keys to our apartment. Then we got in Mariah's shakey gold minivan and headed over to Main St. to our new apartment.

And the key didn't work.

Naturally, Mariah ran around to the back, where she had left the back door unlocked, and came and opened the porch door, expecting my poor mother and I to jump down 5 feet into my new home.

It smelled old and painty at the same time and I hated it.

Now, 9 months later, the day that I packed up, it still smelled old, but I loved it.

This year has been full of amazing people, and amazing experiences. It's been full of awkward encounters, tears, laughs, freezing cold, smelly kitchens, and Barbie movies. And it's been the best school year I've ever experienced.

So. Shoutout to the amazing people I've met.

Bonnie and Mo-Mo. I could not have asked for better roommates. I mean. Look at this.

I love the way that Mariah keeps a positive mind, no matter the situation. Her love for everyone around her is infectious. She cares so so much. And I love the way that she never wears shoes(the above picture proves my point). I mean, unless forced to, she never wears shoes. You can often find her walking into a room barefoot, getting off of her longboard, and wearing a skirt. It's just how it goes. And I love it. Our taco bell dates, paying all in change, will forever be my favorite. I love that Mariah was patient with me the first three months, and we were able to get over our adversity towards one another, because she is now so so close to my heart, and I couldn't replace that.

And Bonnie. Bonnie and I clicked right away. I remember her calling me from outside the apartment, telling me that she was here, but wasn't sure where it was. I came out in mypajamas, and she was standing there, just the most adorable thing I'd ever seen in her basketball shorts. She almost peed herself when I made a joke about using voice commands to hang up, and I wondered if that was normal. I thought we were close at the end of last semester, but as I look from where we are right now, it's hard to believe that I ever thought that was close. I've missed her these last two weeks since she left.

God really blessed me when he paired me with these two this year. I will be forever grateful.

And here's a quick shoutout to a few other lovelies.

"Noraa" for being the glue that started our relationship with him and Matt, and encouraging me in my grape stuffing pursuits. He introduced me to a new way of card playing, and always answers my health questions, with a vast knowledge that puts me in awe.

And Mr. Matt Dobbins. He came into our lives for roughly three weeks, but he's kept in contact this entire semester, and it always warms my heart when he surprise visits us. This sweetheart bought us groceries once when we were living off of avocadoes, and he was the start to the majority of our adventures last semester.

Much unlike our norm, we met these two boys within the first few weeks of the Winter Semester. They have been the cause of so much joy and laughter.

Rex is so enthusiastic about his plans to "take over the world" and he is so hard working, it is inspiring. He reminds me of my father in the best possible way, and his love for the gospel always blows me off my feet. Hearing him talk about his mission is one of my favorite things. I strongly support him moving to Provo this fall.

(I couldn't pick only one picture of my three boys, so you get three. Ha)

Justin reminds me of the importance of knowing what it is that you believe and you support. He takes nothing for granted, and he makes sure that he studies all of his beliefs, being so informed that it'll knock your socks off. Justin taught me that I don't need to be ashamed of who I am, and what I struggle with. We became so comfortable so fast that it was crazy ridiculous. He's been my confidant all semester and I love him so much for it.

And then Jake. Jake appeared in my apartment one night when I came home from work. We met Jake last semester, but we didn't decide to invite him into our home on a regular basis until a month ago. Thanks to whichever member of the group decided he was the perfect addition, because he definitely has been. Jake has a vast knowledge of the best places to build bonfires, and is super great at making faces for the camera, nbd. (And like Rex, I 110% support his possible decision to move to Provo this fall.)

These three boys this semester have been such a blessing and such a source of comfort.

My heart is heavy as I prepare to leave Salt Lake in two days. I'm so excited for this summer and the wonderful opportunities that I have, but part of me doesn't want to leave Utah. Or rather, I'd like to take the three boys, and my two lovely roommates, and stick them in my pocket, and bring them to Paris with me.

Please.

I will forever be grateful for the experiences that I've had this year, and the friends that I've made, and I fully expect to stay in contact with each of them, and I also expect to receive wedding invites to the rest of their weddings(Aaron got married last week, and Mariah gets married June 28th!), because I can't imagine not being in contact with these wonderful people for the rest of my life.

Don't have too much fun in Utah without me ;)

The post we've(I) been waiting for

Okay guys.

This post has been a long time coming.

I've been waiting until everything got finalized, before I posted anything.

I am so excited.

On May 29th, I leave to spend the summer in Paris, France.

Yeah. You all read that right.

Paris.

I'm going to be an Au Pair there for the summer. I'll be living literally two blocks from the Eiffel Tower.

After the initial month, once the kids are on Holiday, we're spending the remaining two months traveling around the rest of France, and the UK.

I'll be back sometime in the beginning of September.

I feel like, in my head, this post was a thousand times longer. Because I have been waiting to write this post since February. It's just taken a while to get all of the paper work done, and have everything finalized with my host family. I put my notice in at both of my jobs, and I just bought my plane ticket.

Guys. This is happening.

I'm going to France.

I'll be missing out on a few experiences this summer that I'm a bit bummed about, but honestly, what could be better than a summer in France?

I'll be posting updates on here all the time. So, stay posted.

Peace, homies.

The only thing left is prayer

There are billions of people on this planet. Billions.

And you pass by at least a dozen of those people a day. On a normal day, I come in contact with a few hundred.

And to us, each of those people is just a face. Just a body. Sometimes, even just an object.

But those people, whose faces just become a part of the masses, has entire lives, with hundreds of people aware of them, worrying about them, caring about them.

You would never know, walking by a random face, that they just got married. Or that they got the promotion that they were hoping for. Or that the cut their finger while making salad the night before. Or that they've had a loved one pass.

A week ago, a good friend of mine experienced a great loss. His wife of one month, Kaitlin Bridge, passed. Kaitlin had leukemia, and had relapsed in the beginning of March. Their wedding wasn't scheduled until mid-April, but they got special permission from her doctor to postpone her admittance to the hospital by a few days so they could get married. They were sealed in the Salt Lake City Temple, and she was admitted to the hospital to start chemo the next day.

It broke my heart when I heard that she had passed.

Kaitlin was such a sweet, sweet girl. And I had been friends with her new husband, Connor, for a while. I sat at work after hearing the news, at a loss for words, as tears came to my eyes.

I know that the Lord has a knowledge of all things, past and present, and that there was a reason he brought one of His beloved daughters back to him earlier than those of us on earth would've liked. I don't understand, but it gives me hope, knowing that they had the chance to be sealed, and that she is smiling down on him, pain free, wishing him the best.

My love and prayers continue to go out to Connor, and Kaitlin's family.

<3