Let me start off wayyy back to February 14. Aka, the completely adorable side to my life. Because let me tell, most of it is not. I am a walking train wreck most days of the week. True story. But this day is particular was so cute so I must brag. It was the day Chase was to arrive in Utah. I was sitting at the second floor of the student center, right next to the windows, looking downward at where the Salt Lake Express would drop him off, literally on the verge of pooping my pants. That's gross, but for real, I was freaking the crap out. My heart was beating a million times a minute and I'm pretty sure I was sweating gallons. After what felt like a decade, the big red van with rainbow colored stars pulled up and I leaped off the chair, opened the nearest door and ran down those steps like an Olympian. He was the first one out the door and I didn't know whether to full on sprint or just calm myself down and only jog. I slow jogged right to that curly-headed, brightly grinning boy and attacked him with the biggest bear hug and (mom don't look) kiss you ever did see. JUST LIKE A MOVIE. (Because PDA doesn't matter on Valentine's Day. Or in movies). As I was in the midst of it all, I heard people behind me "awh"ing and "that is so cute"ing. I loved every minute of it. And that was just the VERY beginning of the 4ish days we had together. Which were equally as great since we filled it with lots of good (some even incredible food) food, a trip to the temple, movies in my apartment, a basketball game, a picnic, long walks through Logan, and all the cute stuff couples do. (Minus all the snow stuff I wanted to do because Utah ruined those for me). I didn't want it to end.
This is the breakfast Chase made me before church.
Aaanndd our kiss on the "A" since we both fell asleep on True Aggie night and didn't get to participate.
The next weekend though, I was down in Salt Lake enjoying time with friends watching the extended version of all the Lord of the Rings movies in Jess's home theater, eating sweets out the wahzoo. It was so much fun. just hanging out and NOT being in Logan. It was supposed to be a weekend long event, but Chet and I had to dip early for our cousin's farewell that Sunday. Chet, being the meanie he had been all that weekend (volunteering me for things I didn't want to do and saying/showing people things to make me look stupid) continued to be a poop and when we were getting in the car to leave with the guy who we barely knew who was driving us back, he "so graciously" gave me the front seat so I would have converse with the driver and make the 2 hour drive as un-awkward as possible. Freaking kid.
The next day Nicole's farewell was bright and early. We were being picked up at 8:30, and it wasn't until I woke up to my alarm that morning just how bad of an idea it was to leave the party at Midnight. And to eat my body weight in popcorn. Man, I was feeling it. Chet ended up NOT waking up (shocker) so I flew solo with our Uncle Nolan to the church. The meeting was going as normal until the youth speaker spoke. Which, from the beginning was normal. It wasn't until he turned pale and eyes rolled back that I realized there was a problem. He fainted. He straight up fainted right at the pulpit. People caught the poor kid who was either 14 or 15) but the roar of gasps that came from the congregation came over me like a wave and it almost made me literally crack up. Which is awful, because at this point, we had no idea if he was okay.
SO, as he fell, some dude came running up (I learned later on that he was a doctor) and literally picked the kid up like a baby and ran out of the chapel with him in his arms. And then it was Nicole's turn to take the microphone. It was a tough act to follow, so luckily she did such a good job.
My life went back to its bland reality of paying a dollar a pop for laundry, my teacher overhearing my groups' plans to ditch class, playing my guitar or with my iPad instead of studying, giving the wrong answers to study group questions, and not getting ready for the day. Until today I took a step back to realize things I hadn't before. People in Utah are NICE. Like, extremely. Early on, I was so weirded out by the people and how different they were in the ways they dressed, acted, jokes they made, etc. But, it wasn't until I stopped noticing those things that I realized how genuinely kind they are.
For example, I can't tell you how many times in the day I say thank you to someone opening the door for me, or students offering other students scantrons THE WE HAVE TO PAY FOR on the exam day when other students forget, or a random girl at the grocery store today who saw me walking to the bus and offered me a ride home. (Yeah, I got in the car with a stranger. Something people probably advise strongly against at ASU or anywhere else I would have gone if I had stayed in Utah). It's amazing. People write each other notes (in my ward), ask you how you are doing AND CARE to know the answer. I talked to so many people today and learned so much about them and told them so much about me, and I absolutely loved it. I'm just mad it took me this long to realize this. I think it may be the high density of LDS people at this place, and I can say that I have never been so proud to be a member of something as I was today thinking about this. These things can really brightens up someone's day, and they are the LITTLEST things but are done so consistently. Utah State finally takes a well-deserved win in that department.
My last time seeing Nicole before she heads off the the MTC and then to Portugal for the next year and a half!
Oh!
I made this, too. For your viewing pleasure.
