Accomplishments

As the end of another year is fastly approaching, I can't help but ponder the end of something else; a chapter in my life that has influenced every decision I have made in the last 7 years, an era where I matured, discovered my true self and nurtured some of my most divine qualities.

College.

In these 7 years, I have attended 4 different colleges and have changed my major 4 different times. The pursuit of college decided where I lived, what time I went to bed and how early I woke up in the morning. I learned how to accommodate different schedules and to balance time for work, socializing, and sometimes even naps. I've decided to do a recap on some of the different experiences that have played a vital role in my growth. Sorry if it is slightly boring.

(2001) My first college experience. I decided to go here because of a Vet Tech Program that SLCC offered. I had also received a scholarship here. I never felt as smart as my friends so I didn't think I could go with them. I stayed with my parents, kept my job, and commuted to Taylorsville. I quickly learned this program was a joke and a waste of time; we had no instructor for over half the semester, and consequently, I was not enjoying myself. After I survived, I transferred to Snow College and was able to live with Ren and Abbey.


(2002) This is where I had my first experience with roommates. I think my specific roommate was slightly psychotic, but somehow I was able to manage. I absolutely loved the one semester I was here. I gained the notorious "freshman 15" and this is also where my love for the guitar was sparked. My friend from high school, Debbie, lived across the hall and would come over and play the new songs she had learned on the Internet. She taught me the basic chords and would let me pluck away on her guitar. I made some very good friends and still keep in touch with some of them today. While at Snow, I found out I had been accepted to BYU-Hawaii. I couldn't believe it. My friend, Michelle, and I talked about going since we were 16. I never ever imaged that I would actually do it. So after my short stay in Ephraim I headed to Hawaii with every intention of returning after my one semester in paradise.


(2002-2003) My dream come true! Myself and 3 other friends ventured across the Pacific together. When we arrived at our new house, we were greeted by our new roommate, Lisa, who had just been stung by a jellyfish and told us that some random dude off the beach offered to pee on her foot. We were also informed that 2 of us would be living in the garage. And sleeping on cots for beds. Sare and Ash were good sports and transformed that garage into something awesome. We hung out there often. I absolutely loved Hawaii, but not for reasons that many would think. It was here that I truly learned about myself. Beyond my classes on campus, I became engulfed by the crashing waves and the serene affect it had on me. I would sit on the beach for hours, digging deep into my soul and uncovering my insecurities. I truly learned about who I was. I ended up staying for a whole year and never returned to Snow. I had experiences here that I could not have had anywhere else. I learned to survive with little hot water, cook with only 2 bunson burners and a toaster oven. I remember walking into the kitchen every morning and watching the creatures scatter as I entered the room. Creatures meaning cockroaches and geckos. And we had ants. They become so thick in our food we would just watch them drown in our cereal and then partake. I remember missing the first day of class with 2 of my other roommates (remember Cali?) because we had been corned by a cockroach and had not yet learned the proper modes of attack when killing a giant cockroach (they have really hard shells AND they can fly), walking home with Noriko barefoot in monsoon rain because the streets were flooded and having wet clothes for days because we had no dryer, getting pulled over by a cop because Ash was pumping me to class on her handlebars, and building the worlds largest slip-n-slide that extended from our backyard, down the beach, and into the ocean. I had friends from all over the world, not just New York, Florida, and Chicago, but Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Tonga. And being the minority: white female. After one of the best years of my whole life, I ran out of money and had to return home.

(2003-2004) With little money I felt lost and limited with my choices. I thought about living with my parents, working at the refinery with my dad, and commuting to the U, but that seemed too boring. My next adventure led me to Southern California where I was a nanny for nearly a year. This was probably the hardest thing I ever did as it was the first time I became homesick. I was completely alone. It was hard for me to make friends. I bought a guitar before I left and spent a lot of time writing music and songs. I even recorded a CD while I lived there and gave it to my mom for mother's day. I loved the girls I nannied for and ended up making some really great friends. I also loved being close to the ocean again, and I took advantage of going there every chance I could. I was able to make a lot of money and by this time, most of my friends had joined each other at USU and were begging me to follow. For some reason, I had never been tempted by Logan and had absolutely no desire or intention of ever going there. But to satisfy my friends, I applied, as well as re-applied to BYU-H, which is where I really intended on going back to. Surprisingly, I got accepted to both, plus a scholarship to USU. And for some reason I felt I should move to Logan. I wanted to go back to Hawaii, but my heart was telling me to go to Logan. I was torn. But I followed my instinct and never went back to paradise.

(2004-2008) Here I was reunited with my friends from high school and we were able to live together before getting married off. After a month and half in Logan, I met Colby. He randomly found me on campus, only once. We never would have seen each other again, except that he had asked me for my number. And he called me. Then he asked me out... several times. That following summer I realized why I had needed to go to Utah State. We got married and school was put on hold for a while. And by lots of miracles I was able to go back. And by even bigger miracles I somehow managed to graduate. But what happens now? What do I become? After nearly 8 years of pursuing this college degree, it is now over. I did it, (and yes I have a job), but it is not my degree that will define who I am; it's the process and experiences that led me to obtain it. I will most likely not amount to anything spectacular with my chosen area of study, but because I went to college(s) it has shaped who I have ultimately become. That is what has defined me. And it won't stop yet. My definition continues to evolve, with every time I wake up at 4:50 a.m. to set up dialysis, what I chose to do to occupy my time (working on our house, learning to crochet, making Colby a homemade meal or doing absolutely nothing at all), or simply staying connected to relationships I treasure the most. And THIS is what I find to be my accomplishment; the person who I have become and who I still have yet to be.

Graduation was yesterday and I decided to walk. I thought it would complete and finalize this chapter in my life. My parents, Colby, Doug and Glenda, and my grandparents were able to attend. Here are some pictures from yesterday's graduation. It was really cold!:

Walking in the precession line from the Field House to the Spectrum

My Grandma and Grandpa Oborn

Luckily I was able to graduate with the Aggie Bull. See Natalee, he's not scary!