I'm a-leavin'... with a moving trailer

I've posted about my new job and plans to move, but now the ball is really rolling. We found the perfect place! It's a brand new, just-finished basement apartment in a gorgeous new house in Draper. We are right by the Draper Temple, and boy do we have an amazing view. The family upstairs is super nice and totally adorable. It's about a 30 minute commute for both me and the Beard (I come down the hill right onto Bangerter and The Beard is only a couple minutes to the Southbound I-15).

Did I mention there is a Kneaders right down the hill?

We move next week. As we start boxing things up and planning the move it's starting to really hit me. We're so blessed and I'm very excited, but this will be new and big for us.

Things I Will Not Miss:

• My creepy Texas Chainsaw Massacre basement
• Driving into Springville or Spanish Fork for a grocery store/pharmacy
• Being 10 minutes from the freeway
• Our 90+ degree house (they didn't believe in air conditioning in the year 1900 when this house was built)
• Being in my home ward... yeah. 
• Dead skunks EVERYWHERE

Things I Will Miss:

• Being 10 seconds from my family
• Aunt Lisa's salsa deliveries
• La Casita, The Trolley, La Dolce Vita, Sammy's, Happy Sumo, Shoots, all of our favorite local places
• A 2 minute commute to work
• The Cocoa Bean with my girlfriends

But this is life right? Moving on, moving up. I've got my Beard. I've got my Glen Coco. Everything is going to be great. :) 

What I Learned - BYU

I suppose graduation on Friday concludes my BYU career. It's weird. I wanted to go to BYU for forever. It was the only school I applied to. I was so proud and relieved when I got in. My grandpa was a professor there, and all of my Budge cousins went there. It was so prestigious and shiny and wonderful. Oh, the freshman innocence. I still love BYU. I still think it's the best. I bleed blue. But, like any other wonderful thing, there's more than meets the eye.

I spent a lot of time with my butt in an uncomfortable auditorium seat in the SWKT. (Ok. Much less time than I was SUPPOSED to.) I spent even more time in my beloved HBLL. But what I really learned didn't come out of overpriced textbooks or bloated professors.

Roommates suck.

African food smells TERRIBLE. (see above)

You can tell a lot about someone by where they live. Glenwood = carless zoob. Belmont = douche. Alpine Village = stupid, high-maintenance girl. These are generalizations, mind you.

Just because a boy is a Returned Missionary (RM) doesn't mean he is a good guy. This one was probably the most shocking to my naive freshman self. And the most disappointing.

The South End Market, A.K.A. South of the Border, is the closest place to campus to get my Diet Coke contraband.

It is possible to live off Diet Coke. (see above)

My fave study spot is Periodicals. Especially when it's rainy. My most EFFECTIVE study spot is level 1. No windows. No cell service. Only a handful of passersby to distract me. All Asians.

College courses are both easier and harder than I imagined. The actual coursework is not that bad, and the load is doable. What is more difficult is that the distractions grow exponentially. You have complete control of your schedule, laptop and Netflix account. Peril ensues. (see above)

Stay away from English majors. Kick it with the Dance teaching majors. They know what's up.

Sleep is a funny, undefinable thing. It swings from absolutely necessary (9 am on a Monday instead of Doctrine & Covenants) to merely optional (Every time The Beard called me to hang out and we ended up talking until the sun came up. No one tell our future kids that. They'll think it's ok for THEM to do that. And it's not.)

JDawgs is called of God.

Singles wards are nothing more than the Sacrament in a meat market. The girls that wear their PINK sweats and Uggs on campus all week suddenly look like Wet Seal models come Sunday. And that's not a compliment, ladies.

One day, you'll have more friends that didn't go to your high school than did. And it's kind of weird and great. They have no idea that I wore softball sweats my entire senior year and get tricked into thinking I'm qualified to run a fashion blog.

The Cocoa Bean is the greatest thing that's ever happened to Provo.

A Study Abroad can show you who you are and who you're meant to be. You'll never regret it.

Facebook doesn't make you any cooler than you actually are in real life. Common misconception.

College is amazing. There are parts I actually miss, like the spontaneity, the craziness and the potential for meeting tons and tons of incredible and terrible people. Still, I'm so happy I'm married and out of Provo and away from all of that. It's a chapter that served my book of life well, and I'll never regret it.

GO COUGARS! And here I come world.

That's Why You're Single....

Valentime's day was awesome. The Beard nailed it, obviously. We started with a classy dinner at Magleby's and then followed it up with our V-day tradition - The Cocoa Bean.

I love the Cocoa Bean. It's well documented. No offense to the Sweet Tooth Fairy lovers, but I've always preferred Cocoa Bean's cupcakes, and their drinks are unbeatable. Everyone knows this.

LAO Crew, circa 2010

So Tuesday night, Valentine's Day, we are chilling at Cocoa Bean, enjoying our delicious drinks and the superb people watching, when two girls walk in.

Sweats & Uggs.

McDonald's bag of food.

5 Cupcakes between them. 5!!!!

Who ARE these people? I'm all for self-medicating and indulging once in a while. But a bag of McDonald's and 5 cupcakes? In public?!!!! You couldn't get them to go and eat at home? You couldn't at least put on some jeans and just eat your single cupcake with your girlfriend in public? There are so many wrong choices here, I can't even pinpoint the worst one.

Wait. Yes I can. It's the five cupcakes between two girls. Balanced precariously among the purses and McDonald's on the tiny cafe table.

I know you "don't care." YOU SHOULD CARE. This is what gives Provo a bad name. If you don't value yourself and want to be something great, how do you expect a young man to "man up" and see you with value? I'm not even going to ADDRESS the unhealthy status of your diet. Have some self respect. Until you do, you're likely to spend every Valentine's day with fast food.

Is that mean? I'm no longer single (praise the Lord), so I have little sympathy for these girls, but I was once in this position. I never ate a full bag of McDonald's and 5 cupcakes, but I've had those days. And I feel qualified to say that the turning point came when I woke up. I met The Beard (in his beardless days, believe it or not), and he was so vibrant, so fun, so lively. My life had lacked that for a while. But he made me see who I wanted to be. I wanted to be the girl that could match that. I finally started being the person I wanted to be - the one that a great guy wanted to marry and have forever.

And that girl does NOT wear sweats and Uggs to eat fast food and cupcakes in public.

Come on, sweetheart. It's for your own good. Trust me. I'm a married woman.

How to Parallel Park a Bookcart: A Secretary's Tale

Three years ago, I was a newly-graduated 18 year old, full of hope and excitement for the opportunities lying ahead of me at BYU. I decided I wanted to be more of an adult. More independent. More grown up. I decided to move out and to start applying for part-time jobs, even at the behest of my parents. I was lucky enough to get 10 or 12 interviews for jobs on campus, but nothing seemed to pan out. I was a freshman. No one will hire a freshman for a demanding secretary or receptionist position, which was exactly what I wanted. (Knowing my addiction to The Office, you can hardly be surprised.)

I still remember my interview at the LAO. I remember standing in the atrium, waiting in the chairs by the front desk, the interview with Wendy & Dave, and walking to my car thinking "Well, there's goes another interview with people who just classify me as a naive freshman." I was sitting in my room days later when Wendy called to offer me the job. I was absolutely pumped. I knew my prayers were being answered and that this job was going to be very important to who I became at BYU. And I was right.

I began at the bottom of the totem pole. I worked with Cody & Dave, both married seniors who had worked in the LAO for quite a while. From them I learned how to be professional. How to relate to adults in a work environment. How to use Google Docs and program code for Wiki sites. The best tips and tricks for the Testing Center, bookstore, and campus in general. Because of them and this job, I never felt like a true freshman. Because of them I was ahead of the campus curve. Thanks guys.

After Cody and Dave left the following April, I became #1. It is a coveted position. The AUL's (Assistant University Librarians, the administrators in my office) began to trust me. Librarians and full-time employees began to know my name. I really started to get a hang of it. The LAO became my home away from home, and I sold my soul to it. I would miss class to help with lunches and projects. I'd stay late for conferences. I would often get in trouble for working over 20 hours a week, but everyone in my office knew I was a slave and loved it. I knew I was a goner when my friends and family would ask how the library was going every time they'd see me. Embarrassing.

Last summer when I left for Wales, I was so grateful the LAO held my job for me. It might have been a deal breaker for my study abroad if they hadn't. Being gone for 6 weeks made me realize how much my life revolved around my job. All my study abroad friends new about my job and how much I loved the library. I missed the inside jokes and even wondered about how daily tasks and small projects were going back at the office. I found myself snapping hundreds of pictures of libraries and sending them to the office.

In all honesty, the best part of my time here at the LAO has been the friendships. I have formed some of the greatest friendships of my life here in this office. People I would never have been friends with otherwise. People that have impacted my life immeasurably. People I love.

• Katie. [We bonded over Michael Scott, Cocoa Bean and Las Vegas.]
• Kami. [A co-secretary, now on a mission, that became a much-needed friend and fellow Harry Potter enthusiast for Summer and Fall 2009.]
• Aremy. [An LAO Secretary legend. She is the cutest mother and wife, and I always looked up to her.]
• Paul. [My baseball buddy back in the business office, and a Royals fan. Ouch.]
• Eliesa. [BFF, and the best little designer I know. Congrats E & B! Love you!]
• Tiffany. [One of my best friends that taught me it's ok to be a little touchy-feely. :)]
• Chris. [Started as a shy little project for me, and became one of my best friends and Zombie partner in crime.]
• Laura. [The only person who understands my Star Trek jokes.]
• Jeanette. [Mini-Me and the funniest freshman I know. Look out for this girl in the Advertising program soon. She'll change the world.]
• Cassandra. [Actually not an employee of the LAO, but we'll claim her. She's our newest little buddy and we just love her.]

I'm actually falling apart emotionally as I type this and realize just how special the camaraderie in this office is. It's even better than the great relationships I built with teams I played on. And I don't know how it happened. I'm just eternally grateful that it did. These people have changed my life and made me better, and they aren't just work friendships. We will be friends forever. I know it. Even though I'm leaving, I can't wait to come visit Katie's baby, have dinner parties with E&B, congratulate Chris on his engagement and wedding, watch Jeanette take the Advertising world by storm, and hear about all the guys that come into our office just to ask Laura out.

I became who I am because of the Library Administrative Office. The technical skills I've learned have been absolutely crucial to my academic career. The social and professional skills I've learned, I'll carry with me in my personal life and in the classroom for years to come. But the memories, the most important and most valuable, I'll have forever. Cocoa Bean. Binder assembly lines. Office parties. Lemonade and Christmas punch slushies. Office supply shows. Arrested Development quoting. Treat Monday/Tuesday. Hating on Grad Studies and random librarians. Inside jokes. And especially just the daily office time, catching up and hanging out together. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Thank you LAO. Thank you HBLL. Thank you Wendy. Thank you friends. Thank you Heavenly Father for providing me this job, this opportunity and these wonderful people to color my life.

LAO Secretary for life!

It's a party in the L-A-O

As I prepare to leave for Wales (24 hours from RIGHT NOW!), I've been so overwhelmed with gratitude for the love my friends have shown me. I have literally been out every night with different people who wanted to hang out before I leave and I've been having the time of my life. Particularly, the people in my office have been great, so I wanted to express my appreciation for them and dedicate a post to my beloved LAO.

Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I LOVE my job. I LOVE my office. I LOVE my coworkers. I am seriously the luckiest girl ever. Right out of high school I started interviewing for jobs on campus and was lucky enough to land a position as an Administrative Secretary in the Library Administration Office. I'm about to hit my 2 year mark working here and will probably be here another year, longer if I can swing it.The best part about the office is definitely the people. We seriously have so much fun. At any given time, the current staff is always cool overall, but usually includes a couple people that are weird or don't get along well with others. But right now our crew is LEGIT. It's the best ever. Everyone is cool, gets along, and stays updated on the lives of one another. As gay as it may sound, we're totally a family and support each other. We held down an entire table at Katie's reception and it was a riot.


In the past two weeks, Katie wrote a blog post about me that made me cry a little despite my heart of stone, Eliesa made me a Wales playlist, which I'm already wearing out. :) Christopher is lending me a zombie book to read on my flight. Dash hooked me up with a Sammy's run. Sushi/MST3K night with Patrick, Brandon, Chris and the Crew - just like old times, so nice. Early Monday Morning In-n-Out social with Ryan, Dallas, Kader and the Gang - just like old times, so fun. We partied up at the midnight Eclipse showing with Tiffany and the girls. And of course, plenty of time hanging out with my family, who I love more than anything.

Yesterday, we all went to Cocoa Bean (best dessert ever and our office's favorite place) and laughed for an hour straight. Topics of discussion included, but were not limited to, embarrassing stories, worst dates and craziest experiences. AND it was followed by a dance party in the parking lot, no big deal.