The Good Old Days

I have been told by some of the few people who actually read this blog that it was time for an update.

I just kicked off my four inch heels I have been wearing all day and sat down at the computer to think about the day. My feet are killing me, I have bags under my eyes, my hair is in knots (thanks to the huge amounts of hairspray that my cousin put in my hair this morning and the lovely Rexburg winds) and I am exhausted. It has been quite the day today. Here's why....

Many of you know that I have a really close-knit group from my college days at BYU--Idaho...specifically from my freshman year. I like to refer to them as the dang locals. Steve, Bryce and Nye (Ryan) are three of my best friends. We spent a lot of time ignoring curfew, sneaking out, and eating Denny's that first year of school. I also wrote all three of them on their missions. It's amazing to think that we are still such good friends because we have watched so many of our other friends move off, get married or have kids. Somehow the four of us managed to stay single for this long. .. until today. Nye decided that this cute girl Diana was the girl of his dreams and they decided to be sealed for time and all eternity in the beautiful Rexburg temple today.

It's hard to believe that one of us finally decided to take the plunge as we have ALL faced commitment issues...clearly...and have seemed to have never been able to find "the one." Seeing your best friend get married and move onto a different stage of life is rather interesting and bittersweet, especially when that person is of the opposite sex. I cannot help but be ecstatic for him because I have never seen him happier but it is sad because things will never be the same again. Just because I know that change is never easy but it is necessary for growth does not mean that I have to like it.

After the sealing and luncheon we had a couple of hours before the reception. My cousin was at work and my sister was in Idaho Falls so I needed to find something to do. I thought, I should go visit people. That was when I had the realization that I know very few people in Rexburg anymore. What a sad realization, but also a necessary one. Since leaving my beloved BYU-I, I have missed it dearly. Life was centered more on fun, homework and the big party on Friday night and was just a little more simple. Sure there were struggles, but at the end of the day life seemed easier than it does now. I also realized how young the students there are--did you know that the freshman class was born in 1990???? Seriously. Anyway, today was a wake-up call in the sense that I feel that I no longer belong at BYU--Idaho. Truth be told, when I went to visit my cousin at work (at the library) I felt out of place, like I had stepped back in time. I have now accepted that I belong with the young professional group, rather than the undergrad students. It just feels weird to think that I am no longer a part of flirting in the library instead of studying, "themed" dates (which I ALWAYS thought were weird anyway), devotionals and the testing center. It's been just over six years since I started college at BYU-Idaho but it feels like yesterday. I still remember the awe that I felt seeing so many "Mormons" when I got there. A small town girl from Bangs, Texas very rarely had the opportunity to be around a lot so it was quite the shock.

I have been so blessed by a place so great. BYU-I was an amazing place to learn what life was all about and I wouldn't be the person that I am today if it were not for the experiences that I had there. Congrats to Ryan and Diana! I wish you the very best in your life together! Sorry I don't have any pics right now but I will post them as soon as I can!

I figured that I should probably blog something about my life here in Washington, D.C. before I head back West again. The past couple of months have been a blast here in the city. It feels like it has been nothing but a party all summer. It's hard to believe that it is actually almost over. I thought that I should probably recap some of the major events from the summer so far (because I know that there are more to come!).

I guess the best place to start is with the Charlottesville, Virginia Half Marathon. After months of training and a very late night before the race....it was time to run the full 13.1 miles. The countryside in rural Virginia was unbelievable--I don't think that I could have asked for a better location for my first big race. While the hills were really strenuous, I felt really good and my body seemed to be holding up well.

Something that I really loved about the race was the sportsmanship that I felt from my fellow runners. There were cheers for everyone. Everytime somebody passed me (I don't think there were too many!) they shouted out a "great job" or a "you can do it" and everytime I passed someone I passed along the same encouragement. At one point in the race I was passing an older man who seemed to be struggling. I thought, here's a time when I can really help someone out who needs it. After my "hoorahs" and "good jobs" I thought that I might hear a "you too" or something to that affect...but NOOOOOO.....All I got was a "Shut up"!!! I couldn't believe my ears. Seriously?? Who does that?! Let me clarify it was not just an under-the-breath shut up, it was a get-the-heck-out-of-my-business shut up. So I just continued along trying to not laugh or get angry because I wasn't quite sure what to think.

I finished the race in an hour and 56 minutes! YEA! I felt like it was a pretty good time for my first half marathon. As I was stretching my poor exhausted muscles out near the finish line the old man that told me to shut up came up and said thanks for the encouragement, I wouldn't have finished the race with out you telling me to push through. I just smiled at him and said no problem but inside I was trying not to laugh at the whole situation.

I was really proud of finishing the race, I felt good and I couldn't have asked for a better experience...until about three hours later that is. To make a long story short, my body decided to start shutting down (extremely low electrolytes+high blood pressure+low oxygen levels=a ride on an ambulence and a day trip to the hospital). I decided that the way to go into a hospital is on a stretcher (I did try to walk out of the ambulence which is precisely when the EMTs proceeded to STRAP ME IN!). As they wheeled me in the doctors and nurses swarmed around me. If you know me even a little you probably know that I hate hospitals, needles, doctors, blood...you get the picture. So basically, this was not the way I envisioned the end of race day. Anyway, my good friend Jason who ran the race with me sat in the hospital all day. It took about a week for my body to get back to normal and I am proud to say I am now back to running again.

Regardless of how the day actually ended, I had a great experience running in the race. I have accomplished half of one of my lifetime goals...Now I just need to run the whole marathon, which hopefully I will do in the next year or so.

Well, I have entered into the blogging world for the first time.  I'm not quite sure what type of blog that this will develop into, so I think that I will just begin posting and let whatever happen . . .happen.