A Letter from the Editor

My, my, my!! Is it really almost July? My birthday is next Wednesday and gifts are appreciated. Just kidding--just go have fun for me mmmkay?!

I thought about telling you all about my internship and how much fun I have had. But then I thought 

it would be more fun to tell you how moving here has been the best thing for me. And give you a slew of pics. 

 Go ahead. Judge. I'm the girl who stayed in her home town to attend school and lived at home while going to school. You may think I have't grown any, or received the "college experience" to my fullest. Oh trust me I have. And it has worked for me. All y'all have had your own experiences in growing up. 

And this is mine. My journey.

Park City, is just a snippet in my journey. I'm quite enjoying it. By quite, I mean I love it!

I've moved out before, but with all my friends. I had people surrounding me that I knew and they knew me. This move I was completely by myself. I didn't know a single person!

I'm going to let you all in on how I'm such a baby. My first night my parents helped me move down to Park City. I got all settled in and set up my room. They left. I looked around my room and tears started streaming down my face. I know, I know. Pull myself together right? 

I couldn't help but feel the bittersweetness of growing up. I'm moving on in life. I'm moving along in the journey. 

It took everything in me to work up the courage to go to FHE my first Monday. Everybody at home knows I was never the person to go to FHE. Like never. 

After a thousand and one texts to my mom and friend Sid, I finally told myself,

"Self, you can do this! Go meet new people!"

I walked in and played kickball with the Treasure Mountain Single's Ward. I have met some AMAZING people.

Everyone was so welcoming. 

I called my mom, no joke almost in tears, and told her I made friends. I was reliving kindergarten all over again. 

It has made a world of difference to go to FHE and Institute. Most people that know me in Logan know that I am shy. I was comfortable at home. I knew everyone and I didn't need to worry about making new friends. Here was different and I had to step out of my comfort zone. 

I stepped out and walked right off the diving board. You can read for days in books about swimming but it's not until you step off the diving board that you really learn how to swim. I'm swimming guys!

The first week I may have been drowning, but I'm treading quite nicely now.  

It has been so fun to find new friends here.

The internship is awesome. You all knew that though. What an amazing organization and great people at the Utah Olympic Park. My mentors have been nothing but kind, great teachers, and a lot of fun. 

I have been here in Park City since mid-May. I do have the occasional trip back home to Logan and Bear Lake. It's home. 

When I drive home I usually get home late. Sorry, mom. My favorite things is to pull into my parents driveway and smell that sweet, sweet summer night smell with flowers in the front baskets. 

I will always love Logan. Home is part of the journey. Home has helped me become who I am today. The people from home have helped me become who I am. When I leave Logan at sunset to come back from a weekend trip I always get teary eyed. 

CAN'T STOP, WON'T STOP LOVING LOGAN. AMIRIGHT???

Who I am now, I am truly grateful for. 

Moving to Park City has been one of the best things for me. Even if I forget to grocery shop and come home for lunch to eat a wheat tortilla with peanut butter on it for lunch. And then Ramen for dinner... So that's what college life is like? Cool, bro. 

One of the dog parks. I love to sit and watch the hilarious dogs. 

My favorite yard! So many cute little poppies!

Meet the sweetest dog ever.

We went to this house for a fun night of food and people! Met them in the ward

This night I'm pretty sure we almost got trampled by a moose!

Funniest little kid. Meet Jack.

Park Silly Market

Hiking/Trail running is amaze balls here.

Just another day at work.

"Sometimes the people around you won't understand your journey. They don't need to, it's not for them."

We Grow Up, Kinda

Everyone has a certain group of people they go bonkers around. That crazy and gut busting laughter that happens every time you all get together. There really isn't anything like it. Everyone builds on one joke after another. 

A baby photo of us from one of the best summers on record (2010).

 Through high school...and Halloween.

The road trip to California,

And dancing on the beach at night are always in the back of our minds. 

We knew graduation would come. 

And so would college. (Missy down at BYU)

One thing remains certain, we keep in touch. Group messages are frequent and the annual Christmas parties, well, they never stop and probably won't until we're nearly 90. I'm pretty certain of it. 

An entire summer they some how got me to stay in the little town, West Yellowstone. It was all the Scrabble games. "Heat rises and I'm on fire."

They've seen me at my worst when I looked bald.

They have surfed in the middle of the night with me.

Traveled to Jackson Hole in a little car.

Jumped into freezing lakes.

Giving Meem Star wedgies for days.

Used explicit words to make me laugh...ahem Meem (still laughing).

Surprises at the airport.

More annual Christmas parties with bowling. Always bowling.

Themed dinner nights...Gothic was by far the best theme.

Sunday Brunch.

Meem's 21st birthday celebration at Buffalo Wild Wings

Helping me climb into a rock and laugh for a solid 20 minutes.

These are my people and no matter where I go, or wherever they go, there will always be a bond that no one can understand. Countless hours in Ko's kitchen laughing and eating, spending an immense amount of time at Hebgen Lake, acting like complete fools at Logan Lanes, Putty Cake, Jurassic Park, and who could forget the time in Smith's when Maria dropped a can of spray and it exploded everywhere. These are the stories I will be telling my kids about in many years to come.

This is the first summer where we are all in completely separate places. Life moves on and we all grow up, but never apart. 

Ko is completing an awesome summer internship in the Philippines with USU.

Sid has been a champ in moving and working her way through tough nursing school! She will be stitching us up when we decide to do something crazy, insane, and probably stupid.

Missy just left for her LDS mission to Russia.

Madi is fulfilling her dreams as a Disney Princess at Disneyland California.

And our sweet Meem is living to the fullest in Montana! She will be moving fairly soon to Mexico to become a diving instructor.

As for me? I'm in Park City for the summer. A later post to give you the details and updates of summer plans will be coming soon!

All of us are on our own journey and chasing our dreams wherever they will take us. It doesn't matter how long or how far away we are from each other... we pick up right where we left off.

-The Giggles-