Those weird Utah things...

I have officially lived in Utah more than three weeks and already, on several occasions .. I have used the phrase, "must be a Utah thing" ... I'm pretty sure I even said that when I bore my testimony on Sunday. Haha at least they laughed...

Anyway, I am here to tell all you of ... some of the "Utah" experiences I have had thus far... I'm sure their will be MUCH more to come.

1.) This Sunday was "break the fast" in our clubhouse here at Raintree where I live. I was really excited ... because I was really hungry and figured it would be something like our Hilliard Linger Longer's. Well, we are totally spoiled at Hilliard because there is some WEIRD food at these things. I joked before I went that is was going to be casserole and jello ( a Utah thing, I hear) and guess what it was!! I ate jello with cottage cheese in it ... DISGUSTING!!




2.) My best friend Marissa goes to Institute at UVU on Monday's and Wednesdays. She is in a dating and courtship class ... and told me this : The class was having a discussion about dating do's and don'ts. They got on the subject of something a girl does on a date that makes the guy say " she's a keeper". The guys, and she said ALL OF THE GUYS ... said ... if they were on a date and their car didn't have automatic unlock ... they would open the door for their date .. and if she leaned over and unlocked his side before he got there ... she was a keeper? What the hay? Are you serious... how does that make somebody fit to be your eternal companion. Anybody want to explain something I'm just not seeing. I mean I realize .. that it's thoughtful ... but really... it makes you a keeper? Come on!!

3.) I was having a discussion with my roommate Kim about the gym. Which is the best thing about Utah, by the way!!! I mentioned, how I noticed that guys there wear their socks really high .. and odd looking shoes to work out in. But, honestly, I admitted it was kind of cute. So she decided to tell me what she thought was cute ... this is what she says.. When she sees guys on BYU campus with Oil Vials on their key chains .. excuse me WHAT? That's weird.....

4.) I went to go send a letter the other day, to Jordan's awesome missionary in San Diego. EVERYONE and I'm not exaggerating ... EVERYONE in the post office was sending a letter or package to an Elder ... somewhere. It was definitely really cool, and really weird.




5.) Get this-- it's 48 degrees .. and every guy in Raintree is laying out in his bathing suit ... sunbathing? I have seen this happen several times. It's true, guys sunbath. The look somewhat like this...





6.) As well as guys laying out ... a good percent of them also go tanning. Unless they are just using orange markers to color themselves in the morning. It could be a possibility...

7.)Funny story: Alright, it’s Sunday night … about 1am and my roommate and I are both sleeping. Our window is open because it was really nice out. All of the sudden this guy is outside singing “Come thou fount of every blessing” at the TOP OF HIS LUNGS. I kid you not; I’ve never heard someone sing this loud. I decide to look out the window and he waves and smiles …. Utah is really weird.


8.)Last but not least, DANCE PARTIES EVERYWHERE. People throw dance parties ... like everyday here .. and there isn't just one to choose from. There is like a dozen. I figured I would see what they were like my first week here. Marissa and I walked in ... and there were 10 people throwing glow sticks... we walked out.





I have come to a conclusion that I have a love hate relationship with Utah. These things entertain me so much, that I don't think I hate them. I actually really like them. I LOVE the mountains, I love seeing temples and church buildings EVERYWHERE and I love being around my best friend all the time!! Overall, I think I made a good decision on moving to Utah. But I will forever love my home, Carolina!! :)

I admit it, I'm a pessimist sometimes...

I was reading in my scriptures before bed tonight .. and I was in the Book of Mormon in the last chapter of Mormon. I read verse 27 and it was like a big smack in the face!! "...ask the Father in the name of Jesus Christ what things soever ye shall stand in need. DOUBT NOT, but BE BELIEVING...". I know that if it is important to me ... it is important to my Heavenly Father because he loves me!! I definitely have to work in putting more trust in Him ... he IS taking care of me ... I am blessed beyond measure ... and I am never alone. That feels amazing!!

Day 1 of 3

My trip down to Utah will consist of 3 separate drives. First day: Drive down to Missouri to my Grandpas!!

I left my house around 8:45am, after to saying bye to Jordan. :( I was so sad. I'm not going to lie... I probably cried for a good twenty minutes until I sucked it up. I made it Ashville by 10:45am ... and I was feeling good. Ashville was pretty exciting to drive through. Usually when I go to Ashville I fly so it was cool to actually drive through the "mountains". Haha, I sound like a brat! Here are some pictures while I was going through Ashville/Carolina. Pretty!!OK, so I guess like in October... the rocks on the side of the road ( like the picture above) fell. So, they closed like a ton of I-40 down ... so I had to take an hour detour .. which kind of stunk... but watcha gonna do?

First place I stop to get gas was Temple Hill, Tennessee. Before I started my trip... I grabbed 30 pass-along-cards that I'm planning on giving out before I reach Utah. I counted #1 in my blog before this to the AAA guy. At this gas station I have #2 to the "gas chick" ... is what I'm going to call them. I was shocked at how easy it was. So I get back on the road, and the next time I stop is also in TN at Faststop were I give out #3, also to a "gas chick". About this time in the trip I'm surprized I haven't gotten lost yet... that I was actually driving to Missouri by myself. I can thank my dad for that. He had mapped out my whole trip and we both had the same exact directions. He would call me literally every 30 minutes and tell me where I was. It was pretty fun. He is such a good Dad. He carried around the map all day just in case I needed him! :)
So, around 2:00... I get to my next big city which is Knoxville. Did I mention that I LOVE Tennessee almost as much as I love Carolina. Ever since I took a road trip there with a friend my senior year of High School to visit his family for Thanksgiving... I have had this weird obsession with it. It's so pretty. ANYWAY, Knoxville. I make my fourth stop just past Knoxville at a gas station, Exon. Now usually when I stop I only take one pass along in with me but for some reason .. I felt like I needed to take three? So I did. Well, as I was walking in there were three workers standing outside taking their smoke break .. and I handed them out :) #4, #5, and #6!! Everyone that I handed one to by this time was so nice. They looked at it and said they would check it out. Maybe I should tell the missionaries they should go contacting in gas stations? It seems to work... I thought maybe it was because they get so many weird people coming in that they are kind of immune to them now. I got a little picture of Knoxville. Shot from behind my head because it's hard to take pictures and drive at the same time! lol
Now, I was heading to Nashville...which I was pretty exciting about until I got there. When I thought of Nashville ... I thought big country town ... and everything looked country ... and old ... yeah not at all.... it's just a city...


Just 30 minutes after I passed Nashville, I got into Kentucky.......... uhhh


Dinner time!! I really wanted Subway and I really needed gas. Next sign I saw, Subway and gas ... in the same building! SCORE! So I stopped, gassed up ordered my sub and that is where my story got interesting. So pass along card #7 goes to "gas chick" who I later had to come back to and ask why the pump wasn't working. She said because you haven't pressed start yet.. What? You have to press start on your gas pumps in Kentucky? Pass along card #8 goes to "subway chick". She looked about my age so I decided to ask her what there was to do for fun in Kentucky because clearly nobody lives there. She said actually... there is nothing .. especially in this town (Paducah). Then she goes .. actually during the summer there is a lot to do. I'm like oh yeah.. like what? She goes ... well, where are you from. South Carolina. Then she says ... so do you know how everyone thinks we are just kind of like a bunch of "hillbillys" down here. Yeah. She said we have something called a "tots festival" ... so I automatically think of potatoes... and she starts laughing at me .. and shes like no... its where everyone drives around and walks around with confederate flags .. and no black people come around.. I imagined it something like this ....Once the complete shock wore off....I got back on the road!!!!

From here on my trip was one big blur. I learned Kentucky really likes to smoke cigarettes... and that you can get them cheap there....here is proof!

• At one point.. I got a little lost.... but I stopped a retirement home and this old lady helped me! :)

• I saw a deer, and crossed over the Mississippi in the same mile!!

By this time my cell phone battery was running out and I still had like 5 hours to go ... so I had to find a Walmart. The only problem was .. I was in the middle of nowhere!!!! Eventually I found one. I had no idea what town I was in until I asked the guys that were cashing me out in the electronic area. Sikeston, Missouri? They had some funny accents. Well, they were definitely hitting on me... so I thought I so have two pass along cards.. and gave them out!! #9 and #10. BaDDa BiNg BAdda BOoM!

My last pass a long card went to a lady in Van Burney, MO ... another "gas chick". After this I had about 3.5 hours left .. and was ready to get there!! I listened to the Michael Buble CD a couple times that I bought in Walmart and that sure made the time go by faster. Around 10 the sister missionaries call me!!! Yey!!!!! I love the sisters :) I told them all about my day.. and they told me about theirs ... technically they said we are still allowed to talk until I officially am not in the ward anymore. It was WAY exciting. Well, because I was so excited... I lost track of the speed limit .. next thing I know .. I catch up to a cop .. so I slow down so I don't pass him. At this point I have no idea what the speed limit is.... so he keeps slowing down and I keep slowing down. Eventually he pulls me over. Missouri has the NICEST cops in the world. He was all cute with his hat and accent... awww. Well, to make a long story short he just said pay attention to the speed limit .. and you are allowed to pass cops. hahahhaha No ticket for me :)

I got to my grandpa's around 11 o'clock and was afraid to get out of my car because I wasn't sure my legs worked anymore. Good news... they do!!! :)



I was so tired. I went right downstairs to my room ... read my scriptures .. and then turned on BYUTV and fell asleep to President Monson's talk he gave at the October Conference on Service :) What a good way to end Day #1.

My last day in Carolina...

My last day in Carolina was bittersweet. Mom woke me up at 9:45 .... to get the ball rolling! We had a lot of things to do. First off, we went and picked out new bedroom stuff for me. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my new comforter. It's tan with white stitched flowers. Then we went to Walmart and bought everything you could possibly need for my car. I have four hubcaps now :). That is huge news!! After Walmart... we had to get my oil change... b-o-r-i-n-g!! After getting my oil changed, we came home and I packed the rest of my stuff and took it to my car. Luckily, we still have the passenger seat open or else my Grandpa probably would have to have been tied to the top of the car. I'm sure the view would have been great though!! :) OK, so we do all that. Then my mom lets me decide on any food I want for dinner. I decide Sticky Fingers... which kind of shocked me because ... I've only been there once.. and I never thought I'd go back. I got a good ol southern meal... BBQ, slaw, beans, and baked mac and cheese!! Yum!! So we get home from dinner... OHHHHH I forgot to mention... BEFORE DINNER.. my MOM.. LOCKED... MY KEYS .. in my CAR!!! Drrrrrrrrr Who does that? Just kidding, I do it all the time. So after dinner, the AAA guy comes over to unlock my car. This man is awfully friendly. He tells us about his love life... his 22 month year old daughter ... what she likes to do... what kind of clothes she likes... he was so sweet. We got on the topic of me driving to Utah tomorrow and he asked where Utah was (hahahhahahaha) so I explained where... and he was pretty amazed. He was then telling my mom that she should be proud of me for going to college and all that baloney ...and he asked how long I was going to be there. I said I'd probably move back once I graduated and got married . He was shocked, he then when on to tell me more about his love life and how I definitely shouldn't get married until I'm 35. Then he went and told my mom the same thing. I joked and said I'd send him a wedding announcement....he took me seriously and gave me his card!! WELL, if he is just giving out cards then I figure I'm just going to give out cards. So I go in my car and get him a little pass along card!! :) He asks what it is for .. and I said a free book called the Book of Mormon. He promised to order and read the book as long as I sent him a wedding announcement!! Ohhh how the Lord works in mysterious ways!! :)

A Hour plus for disater time.....

So my new friend Jordan and I decided to venture down to Columbia, South Carolina for a YSA conference a couple weekends ago. I was invited down by Jacki (Matt who got baptized in October... girlfriend) to stay with her and then i decided to drag Jordan along... (well not really she went willingly). Ok, so Friday I pick up my check so i have plenty of money for the weekend. As I'm driving home (it's about 5 o'clock, banks close in an hour.. i think) I can't fin a Bank of American ANYWHERE on Independence... one of the BUSIEST roads. I get home and Jordan and I end up heading out around 6:15 and on the way to Cola, I stop at BOA in my home town. Because it is already closed, I have to use my debit card to put the check into the ATM. All is well. We are driving, I look down and I need gas. So Jordan and I stop and I realize I don't have my freakin debit card. Are you serious? Who does that? I make fun of the people that "forget their debit card" at the ATM... karma.
So, in Jordan's words after calling "the smartest person we know, Jasher", everything gets figured out and I picked up a new card the next morning.
Now, may I remind you that the title of this blog is --An hour plus for disaster time... that is how much time we had to screw up on the way to Cola... and we definitely used it all. After Jordan bought the gas we decided why not get some taco bell to go. Steak burritos on a huge platter with chips and salsa + me driving with NO hands + Jordan on speaker phone arguing with Jake about anything + Jordan eating + other cars on the road = DISASTER!!! Don't worry thought, the car and us both made it in ONE piece!!

COLA

• Walking into the dance, awkward pretty much smacked you in the face!!
  
• We went to the ZOO!!!!!!!!!!!! Look at our pictures!!

• I won mini-golf, Jordan came in 2nd ...loser... just kidding <3
• Seminars=amazing!! The 3rd one was the best and I've actually got to share what I learned there a few times already.
• Brusters Ice Cream, double scoop... made our day!
• UNTIL, Mellow Mushroom
• Although we would have like to have gone in, seeing the temple and buying a whole bunch of stuff in the bookstore was satisfying
• Ride home on Saturday night--Relaxing. We both saw a shooting star!!
• Sunday!!!! BEST DAY OF THE WEEK. I met Milcah who got baptized last weekend. She already has this amazing testimony... and when she bore it the spirit was incredibly strong. It was awesome!!!
• Nap at Brandon's after church...followed by dinner with the Elders and the Sisters and then thanks to Jam Jam, the MOST embarrassing moment of my life... (story later to be told... MAYBE... If i feel like it) I love you Jam!!
  

Longest Flight Ever!!!!

3:30am, I woke up to head out to Utah. I got to the airport around 5:30am and my flight left at 7:30am. I didn't bring much to do on the plane (big mistake) ...so I'm really bored. I decided I would write blogs on airsick bags.. and put them on the computer later! I just finished reading 3 Nephi in the Book of Mormon, probably right now I have to say it is my all time favorite book in the BOM. I've also been reading a book by Ted Callister (now one of the 70) called The Infinite Atonement. All the concepts in the book start out pretty basic, stuff we already "know" but they are explain in a more profound way. A couple of things that I have ready so far really stuck out to me, so I wrote them down.

• Until reading this I never thought about the people in the Old Testament. I just figured they were the same as us. That they could repent and be cleansed of their sins ... well, this is true. But then you think... well ... the Savior did not exactly atone for our sins yet ... in the Old Testament. Does the Atonement reach that far? The answer is yes!! "The headnote to Alma 39 reads in part, "Christ's redemption is retroactive in saving the faithful who preceded it." The gospel was preached in full ( faith, repentance, and baptism) from the beginning, and through every dispensation. I thought this was awesome... because it was all stuff I already knew.. and just had not connected together.
  

• The second thing that really stuck out to me was this quote. "It should be no surprise that as we become more godlike we become more powerful. Knowledge brings power; purity brings power; love brings power. Power and godhood are directly related." Then it goes on to say that the Savior's life is a confirmation of this truth. D&C 93:17 says, "And he received all power, both in heaven and on earth, and the glory of the Father was with him, for he dwelt in him." Now I know I will never in this lifetime have as much power as this verse talks about, or be even close to being godlike but this quote and verse motivates me to do as best as I possibly can to gain knowledge, to keep myself pure, and to love one another. I know as I strive to do these things that I would become more powerful to withstand the things of this world.
  

I feel like I have been learning a ton lately. My new calling allows me to go out on teams with the missionaries all the time, which i totally love!! Don't get me wrong--the Elders are awesome but I really really enjoy going out on teams with the sisters. They have such a peace to them and approach sharing the gospel in a different way than Elders do.

The big move is coming up here soon. Yesterday one of the Elders here asked me what I was most excited about for Utah. I had to think about it a little bit but I decided that I'm really excited to be close to the family that took me in as one of their own and introduced me to the gospel. Every single one of them ( and boy, have they grown since then) are an example to me. They all live in Utah and that makes me so excited!! Marissa, (shes my bestie by the way), her and I will go to the same school and live in the same apartments. APARTMENTS, notice not APARTMENT (we'd kill each other :)) Anyway....although, we won't be in the same ward we decided that if my ward is the bomb.com that she can just come with me--or if it starts later... duh...LOL
Another thing I am really excited about is being around so many members at one time. People say it's a little bit of a culture shock... and I'm sure I'll meet the crazies but I will also meet people that will teach me knew things and help me to grow! :)
Thirdly, I am really excited to get my butt into school again. UVU has the 2nd biggest institute--I'm guessing the first being BYU haha. I have no idea... anyway.. Brother Fear ( my institute teach here) told me that there are about 27 classes that you can pick from to take there. How exciting is that?!?! Let's see, ok, so I definitely don't know how I feel about the cold, wet, snow BUT I might as well learn to love it! Right? I would love to learn how to ski!!!! Infact, I would want to do all the cool things you do in mountains like.... rock climbing, long hikes, bike riding, and whatever else is thrown at me....

Besides from being excited to move to Utah, I am also REALLY scared, sad, anxious, impatient, patient because I'm scared (contradicting, i know), joyful and fearless... but I know what I'm doing is right and I know as long as I'm being obedient, Heavenly Father will bless me!!