Year

Tomorrow, I have been living by myself at college for an entire year. Thinking about it blows my mind. I feel like I've been here forever and for just a week all at the same time. Time is funny like that isn't it? There really is no way to describe this year so I will try to tell you a few very important aspects of this last year.

Roommates: I feel like I have been inexplicably blessed with fantastic roommates. They have been my best friends. I feel like I have learned that it really isn't the place that you live that matters, but who you are living with. I have had so many amazing times with my roommates. Like the stalker window, being put in the corner, being stalked by them dressed as men, laxatives, pretend fights, festival of colors, pure sarcasm, super sketch, cafe rio, coloring pictures. That isn't even close to an accurate representation of the times I've had with them, but I tried. I love all my roommates. Past and Present. I know that Heavenly Father blessed me with them, and I am so thankful. I would not be the person that I am today without them. Even if I only really knew and lived with them for a short time, they changed my life. And I'm better because of them.

Sisters: I have grown so much closer to my sisters since I've been out here. I went from seeing Rebekah and Hannah at Christmas and like one other week a year, to seeing them normally more than once a week. I am so glad that I have had them out here. They have taken such good care of me. They always tell me I don't eat right, or basically do anything right. But it is all out of love. I remember one time they even made a daily schedule for me. I stuck to it for less than a week, but I can't tell you how much it means to me that they tried. They're crazy and hilarious. I love them more than anything. I'm so glad that I have been able to get closer to them this last year.

Classes: It surprises me how easily a single class can alter the course of your life. But I have multiple examples of how they can. It is so easy to have one good or bad experience with a class and base everything you do after, on that experience. I have learned so much this last year. I have taken extremely difficult classes, and some really easy ones. I've also learned that your attitude is basically everything in class. If you are excited to be there, you will learn. If you're not excited, you will fall asleep, or just day dream the entire class, and not learn anything. I've loved some classes and hated others, but I know I have learned a great deal in all of them. I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to be here at BYU, and attend these classes, and learn what I am learning. There are so many people out there that don't get such an amazing opportunity. I have experienced it this year, but I hope in the next I am able to appreciate it better.

Friends: I have had many amazing friends this last year. When I got a new phone and had to switch all of my contacts I truly realized how many friends I had made here. Heavenly Father has put amazing people into my life and I am so thankful for them. From friends that just make boring classes more bearable, to ones that make life more bearable, I have been blessed.

Honor Code: I love the honor code. And right now I feel like a BYU/SA commercial, but I honestly do. I have heard so many stories from my friends at other colleges about parties, and their dorms being disgusting because some drunk guy threw up in the hallway. Or about having to stay outside their room because their roommate is "busy". I love that I don't have to deal with any of that here. I love that everyone has the same basic standards. I love the fact that there are prayers to start classes, that the spirit can be brought in to almost every subject. I love the experiences that it has given me.

As I said, I really can't explain how this year has been. The above only scratches the surface. I know that I have changed a lot this last year. Probably more than any other year in my life. As I said above, I am so thankful for the opportunity that I have had being here. If I stop and count everything it goes like this: 14 roommates, 3 apartments, 17 classes, 44 papers, 38 tests, 3 wards, 2 callings, 2 road trips, and 2 visits home. At the moment I can't think of anything else to count, but I'm sure there are a lot of other things that will surprise me. I can't say that I have always been happy this last year, but I've always ended up that way.