I think it is time for an update! Seeing that it has been over three weeks, I have decided to finally sit down and write a bit. If I were to say that these past few weeks have been overwhelming, that would only be an understatement. A lot has happened and there are a lot of things circling in my head... so bear with me! I will start with school. School at BYU really is an amazing experience. Being back for the past two semesters has allowed me to really think about life and my priorities. Though it is true that the classes are insanely difficult and everyone is competitive and the tests are absurd, I have LOVED my second year back. I was going through all the stuff that I did this semester and this is what I found. With the five classes I have taken, I have attended workshops, lectures, movie assignments, devotionals, forums and sporting events for different assignments. I have become an artist- painting, drawing and designing masks for my final project. I have written a total of 12 essays, 13 news articles, and 2 final papers. I took 16 quizzes online and 14 quizzes inclass. I have entered the testing center on numerous different occasions to take 11 midterms and 5 finals. With that said, it is amazing to me how I have survived!! Yet, when I took my last exam today I was so relieved. The semester (and year) has gone really well for me. My hard work has paid off and I am ecstatic at what I was able to accomplish. It seems everytime I talk to my friends about BYU, the same negative tone comes up. They diss the honor code, the rules, the hard classes and the constant spiritual atmosphere. They say it is not diverse enough, we marry too fast, we have to be in by midnight, or that we are yuppies living in a Happy Valley bubble. Instead of getting mad, I just tell them about my experience. I'll be the first one to tell you how hard it is being a 21 year old male recently returned from a mission. Life is hard and it is a pain getting back into the routine of "normal" life. The more I think of where I could be, the more I realize how thankful I am that I came back to BYU. The experience is life-changing and I wouldn't trade it for anything right now! Being here makes it easier to follow the commandments. Who would want to diss that? One of my favorite quotes says, "Many students at BYU are used to living the standards, making the honor code more of a continued commitment, rather than a new one." Meaning: if we are living our lives the way we should, once we arrive at BYU, we will not need to change anything. The life of a BYU student is the life of a latter-day saint (except the facial hair thing :) The experience is great!
Since the semester has ended, a lot of changes are taking place within the next few days. Many friends are going back to California, Texas, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Idaho, etc. and others are going to study abroad in Jerusalem and London and other countries. Our paths are splitting, but I am grateful for their friendships. Joseph Smith said, "friendship is the essence of charity." I would add that there are different friends for different seasons in our lives.Being away from my family, I have realized that at different times in our lives, friends are just as important as our families. Never in my life have I laughed so hard as I did this last semester. Seriously... the weekly American Idol parties, Sunday night nerts games nights, 80's dance parties, dollar movie watching, piano playing, restaurant hopping, the inside jokes, etc. All the pictures on the blog are a reminder of the countless memories made during the past 8 months. The people I met this year can truly be called friends. I will miss them, but it's a good thing I have unlimited texts to keep in touch. (thanks dad) I will be staying in Provo for the rest of the summer. I have signed a contract to live with Cole again in a new condo just south of campus. We wil be living with our friends Jacob and Caleb. The move-in date is this Saturday, meaning the next few days will be busy with packing and cleaning our sick-nasty-dirty apartment. (I will post pictures the day we move in). It is super nice and I am looking forward to more space. I will also continue to work at Synergy! It has been such a blessing to find a great job while I have been in school. Though no one has ever heard about it, the company is huge (on a global scale) and is only continuing to grow. I have now worked here since August and will continue as a full-time employee working 9-6 Monday through Friday. I have finally mastered my job and so it gives me a lot of free time to watch tv online, study or now... start on my summer reading list (which consists of the books listed to the right). I am happy because I am in a stable position with great co-workers and great pay. What else could I ask for? Well maybe a trip or two?! The countdown has started. In less than a week I will be in sunny Cancun. My friend Chase and I fly out bright and early Tuesday morning for 8wonderful days in the Yucatan Peninsula. Tuesday through Friday, will be spent at the Oasis Resort in Cancun. It is all-inclusive and we will definitely get our money's worth in those few days. We are planning on going to Xcaret, which is a ecological park, visiting Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen and everything else we can get in before we travel the 4 hour bus ride to Merida. Two of the families that consider me family have offered their homes to us as a hotel. We will be bunking up with them while we visit the converts, friends and members that we grew so close to. I am super excited because I was hesitant about forking over the money to go on this trip. Yet, the closer it gets, the more assured I become. Though I have been home almost a year, I still feel like there is a stamp on my soul that says "MADE IN MEXICO." I'm very excited to enter the Mayan culture, speak Spanish everyday and get bright red from the horrible sun. I will take tons of pictures and will share them as soon as I am back on May 8th. These are just a few thoughts of a much-needed update! Have a great week.