Have an Adventure a Week.

I have a new goal. I've decided that I am going to have an adventure a week, and I am going to start by taking advantage of the beauty that nature has offered me. I've lived in Utah for years, and had never been on a hike. Yeah, I know. It's like being from Sacramento and never watching a Kings game. Simply ridiculous. So, I've gotten together with some gal pals of mine and so far we've hiked two Saturdays in a row. It's been a blast.

The first week, Eleanor, Shannon, Steffany and I hiked Battle Creek Falls. It was gorgeous and made me remember how much a love the sound or natural running water (meaning streams and creeks). We got a bit lost, and hiked more than we had originally planned, but had a great time.

Shannon and I
Shannon, Steffany, Eleanor, and I
The Falls!

Week two was dedicated to do something that I should've done a long time ago and that every BYU student has to do to be considered a true blue cougar. We hiked the Y. I never realized how steep the mountain was or how huge the Y is. The view of the valley was breathtaking and well worth the climb.

Climbing...
Vista point...
Taking a breather...
Made it to the top!
Lunch on the Y.
We made it. We're officially true blue cougars!

Graduation

So, the big day finally arrived, and BYU kicked me out. Of course they did it in the nicest way possible, and I deserved it. I'd worked to get myself there. But no matter how close the light at the end of the tunnel comes, it still hurts a bit as your eyes adjust to the brightness that surrounds you. I think that's why it has taken me so long to write about it here. It's taken me a week or so to get used to the idea that I am no longer a student, and until now, I haven't really wanted to talk about it. But, I think I am coping well now, so here we go.

Graduating from BYU marks the end or an era in my life. The era began when I was about five years old when my mother began teaching me the BYU Fight Song. Ever since, blue and white pride has been in my blood and I knew it was my destiny to be a cougar.

When I came here at 18, it marked a big transition in my life. I not only learned the subject material of my classes, but also learned a lot about myself and what I wanted to become. And now, seven year later (yes, count them, seven), I've realized that what I saw as a central part of my life was just a stepping stone to the bigger journey.

Sitting the the Marriott Center in my cap and gown with my family watching on was surreal. I had finally accomplished the goal that I had set more than a decade before--I was a college graduate. It's hard leaving all you've ever known. I've been a student practically all my life. In fact my earliest memory is my mom walking me to preschool in Arizona when I was three. But having my family there, being with Cecily as we walked across the stage, and hearing my Dad say he was proud of me gave me the closure I needed. Don't get me wrong, I love being a student and plan to be one again soon (please let me get into law school!), but now I am a college graduate, a cool but weird new addition to my identity. I don't know if this has made any sense, but if is sounds a bit nonsensical it's because I've experienced a tornado of emotions and haven't quite figured how to sort it all out yet.