Flight: Booked

So, my one-way ticket to Orlando, Florida is booked. You might say it's the final nail on the coffin.

First of all, welcome to my new blog. I'm going to record all my adventures here for your reading pleasure. Enjoy.

I am so freaked out. I am moving all the way to the other side of the country--where there will be not one single person I know, and I will be there until August. I'm not a huge risk-taker, and this is a huge risk, at least for me.

There was one other time that I took a huge leap of faith. That was when I moved to Snow College. I mean, it seemed right, most people move away after they graduate and go to school. But I remember the summer before my senior year, thinking to myself, "I can never go to college...I won't make any friends." I'm not saying this for pity or anything, it was a legitimate concern. I've never had a ton of friends, or at least I may have had friends, but I didn't feel particularly close to very many people. And there have been times in my life when I haven't felt close to anyone at all.

I remember that summer before my senior year of high school, we had a pioneer trek. For those of you who don't know, back in the 1800's, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more commonly known as Mormons, were persecuted, and finally, after the martyrdom of Joseph Smith, made an exodus west, settling in what is now Salt Lake City, Utah. Every few years or so, some members of the church ages 14-18 re-enact the trek, dressing in clothes from the 1800's, and pulling real handcarts. Of course, we made a shorter journey. We were only allowed a 5-gallon bucket for all the belongings we'd need for 4 days. We were put in family groups--around 10 teenagers with an adult couple to be the parents. The leaders in charge of the trek specifically tried to make it so that no one would know anyone in their family when they started.

It was a wonderful experience, and really difficult. There were a lot of things I learned. In relevance to this post, I learned to love my surrogate family, and learned that they loved me too. It was amazing to me that I was able to make friends that quickly.

My attitude about going to college began to change.

Anyone who knows me at all knows how much I loved Snow College and how much I still care about the friends I made there.

I don't feel like I've taken many risks since then. It was easy to move to Provo, when I knew so many people there already, including my brother and his new wife. It was a small risk to try out for the Latter Day Celebration Choir at the Orem Institute of Religion--and for the amazing experience I've had there, auditioning was a very small risk in comparison with the blessings.

So here's to a new year, a new place, and most of all a new risk! Watch out DisneyWorld, here I come!