Utah Trip!

i feel like that is the title of more of my posts than any other, maybe i just love Utah and never knew it....or maybe i'm Mormon! :)

This past week i went to Idaho and Utah, but since i live in Idaho i don't think that state can really be included in my blog post title.

Anyways...i set off Tuesday night for Rexburg! I was so excited to go to Rexburg, i miss my little college town and couldn't wait to be there again and see all of the changes- and there were a ton!

Upon my arrival, i drove around campus a little just to get a glimpse of the place. There were new buildings, new apartment complexes being built, the new Auditorium!! Hogi Yogi is gone- how can that be? it was such a landmark. Craigos isn't called Craigos anymore- oh the humanity!! Pizza Pie Cafe...not as cool in my opinion. so many things have changed and i have only been gone for a year!

I stayed with my aunt and uncle and got to see Brenen and Lindsey that night, which was great!! on Wednesday, i went to Paul Mitchell to have Lindsey cut my hair! i've always gone to Paul Mitchell and have loved it-especially the Lather Lounge- but having someone you know cut your hair is better! you wouldn't think so, but i guess it's a trust thing! i trust my (almost) sister-in-law to give me amazing hair!! and she did! afterward, i went to see my old roommate- Laura Beth McKeen!! we spent one of the best semesters of my college career together and i haven't seen her in over a year! it's about time we got to be together again! it was a little strange at first because it's been so long but it was just great to see her!! i then went to lunch with Rachel Minor at New Fongs! i don't know what it is about Fongs but i just love it! and Rachel is one of the few people i know who loves it as much as me! we just love those random Chinese places- New Fongs and Mongolian all the way, those are our places! New Fongs was delicious!! i know it's not gourmet by any means but we still love it!! we ate and talked and just had a great time! now hurry home Rachel so we can do the same at Mongolian! i spent the rest of the afternoon walking around campus and seeing all of the new changes- the auditorium is beautiful and those sky walks are cool!! i went to visit my old teachers and bosses at the math lab and had a wonderful time seeing them. i told them all about applying and interviewing for graduate schools and they all had something wonderfully inspiring to say, i got some great peptalks and felt all the more ready for my final 2 grad school inteviews! i saw my dear old roommate Heather Aulick Smith for just a little while while we were both on campus! love that girl!! i spent the next part of my afternoon visiting my old friend Dustin- we have always liked to suprise visit each other- i have done a remarkable job at surprise visits but he hasn't done as remarkable a job because his sister has a big mouth! but lately he's been winning, but not anymore! totally got in a surprise visit- go me! we just sat in his apartment and talked, and then talked while he watched the Jazz game, which was less successful because how many guys do you know who can carry on a conversation and watch sports at the same time? i had dinner with my Riviera roommates Laura and McKenzie!! i love you two! we went and had dinner at Gator Jack's and it felt like old times! i miss those good days! when then randomly ended up at Walmart because McKenzie and I didn't believe Laura when she told us about butt paste...she was right, there is such a thing as butt paste for babies! weird, i know! we also randomly ended up in the easter candy aisle and had to buy some peeps to blow up in the microwave like old times- peeps and some chocolate milk made the rest of our evening! i spent the last part of my day in Rexburg with Brenen and Lindsey, talking wedding stuff and just feeling familial! so excited for my brother and (almost) sister-in-law!!!

Thursday i left Rexburg bright and early to go to Pocatello for a graduate school interview at Idaho State University! the interview went well, i don't think i'm a shoe in but i thought it went well. i wasn't thrilled by the interview by any means and i was quite turned off when everyone i asked about whether they liked Pocatello said, "ummmm..... (silence)" not a good sign! after the interview, i hopped back in the car and drove my butt down to Provo! by some miracle, the best kind of miracle, my best friend Shantal was in Provo that weekend!! she's currently living in Chicago, so what are the chances we would both be in Provo on the same weekend! Thank you Heavenly Father for making that possible, that's the only explanation! we met up at the mall and went shopping and then spent the rest of our afternoon at her brother and sister-in-law's house, helping her nephew with his math homework and playing 5 minutes of about 3 different games! in all honesty, i just love being with my best friend- Shantal Leslie Cropper Moody- I HAVE MISSED YOU!! i spent my night in American Fork with my best friend Shan'tel!! (as a side note- what are the odds that my two best friends have almost the same name?! crazy i know!) we went out to get some food and then went to Walmart to get craft supplies!! :) the thing i love about being with my best friends is it seems like we've never been apart- there's no awkwardness, there's no lenghty pauses because we don't know what to say to each other, we're just still best friends even though time has gone by! that's why we're best friends, Shan'tel/Shantal!! Shan'tel and i picked Andy up from school and then we went back home and made smoothies! and it kind of turned into a disaster! Shan'tel and i should not cook together because we always mess something up- it all started with the cool whip fruit salad of Mother's Weekend 2006? 2007? and continued with the oreo frosting of Utah Visit 2010, and culminated with the leaking smoothie blender of Utah Visit 2011! thankfully Andy is around to save the day!! he saved our rainbow smoothie which turned out pretty well and was a great refreshment while we watched Kid History on youtube! good times Christensens!!

early morning Friday, i drove to Provo for a graduate school interview at BYU and thankfully my last interview!! save the best for last they say, and that was absolutely the case!! i have never really loved Provo and never really wanted to go to BYU, but today i did!! i loved the interview, it was stressfree and pleasant, the faculty were funny and friendly, everyone who interviewed were nice and smart and i loved everything about it!! I REALLY WANT TO GO TO BYU! i've never really been able to say that, but on that day it was true! i sat in that interview and really wanted it to go well- i can't say that for any of my other interviews! i did my best and now just had to wait!! i spent the rest of the afternoon on campus, just walking around and exploring! i went to the Creamery to get ice cream with the Moodys and their niece Katie- yum!! we hung out at the Bookstore, surrounded by Cougars and Jimmer paraphernalia. that night, i hung out with Shan'tel and Andy! Shan'tel took me to this bakery that is decorated in teal- if you know Shan'tel, you know she loves teal!! LOVES!! we went to the Sticky Shoe movie theater that night and saw Tangled- cute movie!!! we spent the rest of our night in craft mode!! we made these crepe paper roses to decorate balls with to hang from her ceiling! it turned out really cute even though i think we were a little retarded while trying to make them...we need some practice because they never looked great. i found out that same night that I WAS ACCEPTED TO BYU!! the same day!! holy excitement! i've never been so excited before! Shannie was excited for me, Andy too, but Shannie was more excited because that means i'd be 20 minutes away!! best news of my life!! i get to live near my best friend again...if i go to BYU! yeah...it's about 99% sure!!

Saturday was full of goodbyes, good bye to the Moodys whom i hope to see this summer! can you say "tax returns"!!?? and good bye to the Christensens, whom i hope to live close to!! goodbye to Utah, hope to see you again real soon!!!

and thanks to Glee albums 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 for entertaining me on my 6 hour drive home!! yeah that's right, made it through all 5 albums!! it was a great trip!!!

p.s. i wish i had pictures from my trip but i didn't take any, bad move on my part!