Another sentimental post.

As the school year creeps closer, I've been contemplating how different I am now than I was a year ago. I think about the experience I've gained, the lessons I've learned, the relationships I've formed or strengthened, and those I've discontinued.

I can honestly say that I have grown and changed more my freshman year of college, especially this summer, than any other period of my life. Many of my experiences have been painful. Many have been difficult. But I'm so much stronger and I understand so much more because of them. I can attribute the bulk of these changes to the following:

• The beautiful, talented, sweet-spirited girls who have taken me in as their roommate and loved me unconditionally, even though I say awfully dumb things and have made so many mistakes. Knowing that I'll be living with them for at least the next 9 months, I have so much to look forward to that I can hardly even stand it. They are such a blessing.
  

• The D&C class I took taught by Matthew Clayton. I think he only teaches spring term, but if you ever have the opportunity to take this class from him, do it. I have such a better focus on life from the eternal perspective because of it and it has, without exaggeration, altered my behavior and the type of people I choose to associate with.
• Challenging myself. I'm a firm believer that what you do is who you are, so this summer I was determined to do something that would make me the kind of person I could be proud of. So I ran a half marathon, and I surprised myself with how considerably well I did. That would have been enough, but I also got swept up in this cleanse. Dang I thought I was gonna be able to get through this post without mentioning the cleanse. Well I've completed 19/23 days of my cleanse to the best of my ability. I've lost at least 10.9 pounds. It's been kind of miserable, but I'm almost done, and I'm pretty sure now that I can do anything. It's done wonders for my confidence.
• My job. Pruning shrubs all day, although repetitive and somewhat boring, is the perfect environment for talking. And the people I work with are some of the most incredible people to talk to. I spend so much of my time with them that they have become a bit like family to me. They've been supportive and understanding and protective, and my interactions with them have been (maybe this is a weird word to use but it's how i feel) nourishing. Because of their example, I've come to realize what is really worth making a priority in life. It's not making tons of money and having expensive things; it's not getting laid; it's not dating the most attractive or prestigious person you can convince to like you, or having a big expensive wedding that you have to save up for a year or two just to afford. It's living with integrity. It's living frugally, without debt and therefore with minimal stress. It's filling your life with knowledge and truth and inspiration. It's finding someone who you can call your best friend, who you can trust and share everything with, and marrying the heck outta them. It's having a family and teaching them to be the very best that they can be. There's a number of married couples on the crew, and it's given me an idea of what marriage really is about. It makes me sad that most of the world sees marriage as confining and stuffy. Cause to me it looks wonderful. It looks challenging but secure. And I've grown to look forward to it with eager anticipation. Not too eager. DON'T worry.

The point is, in the last year, I've been through a lot.

A little over a year ago, I was this girl:

Now, I'm her:

Can you see a difference?

A little tanner; a little blonder; but it's more than that. She's infinitely happier..
I love this girl. I'm so proud of her. And I look forward to finding out who she becomes.