Flash back with me to the summer of 2004. I had my life completely planned out. These were my plans:
1. I was currently working on my practicum at Brigham Young University with Val Sturn. We occasionally checked out apartments while we were down there because Val’s daughter was planning on moving there in the Summer.
2. As soon as I finished my practicum I would get my associates degree in sign language interpreting.
3. I was finishing up my mission papers to send in as soon as I received my degree. I had my doctor’s letter, my dentist letter, the forms filled out, and even my mission photos taken and developed.
4. Work at Chili’s to earn as much money as I could before going on my mission.
5. I was offered a position as a full time interpreter at BYU, but I politely declined due to the fact that I would shortly be sending out my mission papers. A perfectly reasonable response for this institution.
Life was simple. Everything was planned out. I was finishing up my degree and then I was going on a mission. I was living life right and I believed that I was doing what I should be doing. Live was good.
As I systematically checked off items on my list a very unexpected thing happened… I had an amazingly strong impression that I was NOT supposed to go on a mission, but that I was to immediately move to Provo and figure things out from there. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Lord wanted me in Provo.
Hold on just a minute. Provo? Are you kidding me? Provo is full of crazy Mormon’s (my opinion of Provo and of BYU wasn’t very good at this point).
Here I would like to take a moment and talk a little bit about my testimony at this time. I have always had a strong testimony of Jesus Christ and the truth of the gospel. Deep down I have always just known that the gospel was true. At this point I was just testing the waters for my own personal testimony. This impression was the first impression I have ever had that was so strong and so specific. I didn’t take any time at all to question the truth of it. I knew what I had felt, and I knew where I needed to be.
One week later I had moved into the apartment that I checked out with Val (Amber later became my roommate). I transferred to the Orem Chili’s and I accepted the position as a full time interpreter at BYU. I also applied to BYU (later to find out that they didn’t want me either), and registered as a visiting student for Spring semester.
In order to really understand my background we need to flash back again to the summer of 2003.
My life seemed like it was in perfect order and that everything should be perfect. Yet I had a feeling lurking below the surface that I couldn’t quite get a handle on.
I was engaged to be married to Jeremy Anderson. I had the wedding gown purchased, the date set, and the down payment paid for the reception hall. Looking back it almost seems as if I was just ‘playing house.’ I had met someone that I liked and he liked me. The obvious next step was to get married right?
At the end of June my aunt Sonnie died. I did not know her very well, but Jeremy and I went with my family to the funeral in Hurricane. During the course of the weekend I had Deanna, Jalynne, and Loralee all approach me at different times and ask me if I was happy. They seemed to sense that something was wrong (they later told me that this wasn’t planned and all of them had noticed separately). We decided to plan a girls day in St. George to spend some time together and to talk. As I was talking to them I came to the long awaited conclusion that there were many red flags with Jeremy and that I needed to end my relationship. My aunts really didn’t need to do any convincing. I just needed some time to think and put my thoughts together that I had been suppressing for some time.
That night Deanna approached me and asked me if I would like to come and live with her in Texas for a while and attend classes for a semester at Kingwood College. The decision to do this was one of the major turning points in my life.
As soon as I make a decision there is no stopping me. The night we returned I went out with Jeremy and broke off the engagement. This was very difficult for me to do and I was dreading doing it, but I knew that it was the right thing.
We went to get ice cream and then we took a walk around the strip mall. We sat down on the bench and I broke up with him. I felt pretty calm about it, but I could see that he was devastated. This was very difficult for me to see because I cared about him a lot. I tried to explain myself, but he didn’t seem to understand (to this day I don’t think he understands). The exact reasons for the break up are not important to this story, but it was a difficult break up.
A very strange thing happened to me on the way home from this date. I had a palpable feeling that a very large weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I felt free. I felt as though over the last couple of months a weight had been gradually descending on me so slowly that I didn’t notice, but now that it was lifted I felt completely different. I don’t know how to explain this, except to say that this isn’t a metaphor but a real feeling on my shoulders. This assured me that I was doing the right thing even though it was difficult.
I then made the decision to move to Kingwood Texas to live with Deanna, Dave, Ashton, and Savannah. Within a week I had everything packed and I was with Brandon on my way to Texas. Remember my whole decision making process?
Here are a few important highlights from my trip to Texas.
My first week there I went out in search of a job. I decided that I would enjoy being a server at a restaurant and decided to start there. I was hired at the first place I interviewed, TGI Fridays. I had a feeling that I should keep looking. The next day I interviewed at Chili’s. After three separate interviews I was hired. I loved it and would go on to work there for four years. I worked there in Humble Texas, then I transferred to Sandy, Utah, then on to Orem.
I went to school at Kingwood College and this was the time that I figured out how to be a student. It took me long enough, but from this point on until I graduated at UVU I maintained a 4.0 average.
I began living a healthier lifestyle and as a result I lost 35 lbs in my short stay. I attribute this to eating at home and having such high humidity that I didn’t even want to eat! When all was said and done I lost a total of 57 lbs.
I had a wonderful time with Ashton and Savannah and I will always have wonderful memories of them.
I had many long talks with Deanna about the importance of education. It was there that I decided to continue my education and get a bachelor degree. I wasn’t sure what I would major in, but I knew I would do it.
Deanna told me something I will never forget and that I apply to many things in my life. We were talking about education and she said, “In four years you are going to be four years older. Why not have a bachelors degree.” She told me that no matter what happens in your life you are going to get older. It is important to make goals and work toward them because in time you could accomplish a lot, or you could just have time pass you by. In __ years I will be __ year older why not __? Many things are applicable in this statement.
I believe that it is due to her that I will be getting my masters degree.
During this time I also wrecked my first car. May my Prizm rest in peace. I was also taught a lesson in humility when I also had a run in with a pole in a parking lot at Chilis. Unfortunately, this was in Deanna and Dave’s car.
I loved living in Texas. I really had a chance to branch out and figure out who I am. I can’t tell you exactly when the transformation took place, but I gained a lot of confidence in my short time there. This was important because I knew what I wanted to do and I knew that Jeremy was not in my plans. This was important because in his mind I was in Texas to figure things out so that I could come back and be ready to marry him. I knew what I wanted and I knew where I was going. I was finishing my degree and going on a mission.
Flash forward to my move to Provo. I was in Provo loving life and enjoying college living when I decided to register for a dance class.
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