Sunrise on the Y

Last week Jess and I decided it would be fun to hike the Y at sunrise. Surprisingly we actually did something we said we were going to do and on Tuesday morning both of our alarm clocks were going off at 5:30...A.M.!! Needless to say, we didn't get ready much but packed a small breakfast and took off. When we got there it was pretty dark still with some big clouds in the sky but we were not discouraged.

Standing in the parking lot...sleeping Provo in the background. Don't judge how we look...it was early.

If you haven't hiked the Y before (or if it has just been a while) let me tell you, its a little tougher than you remember! I hiked it a year and a half ago but I had totally forgotten how steep it is. But don't worry...Jess and I did not stop for breaks...we stopped to take pictures :)

A view of Provo about half way up. The sun is starting to rise behind us and the rain is starting to come sprinkling down.

Even with a little rain and a ton of little boy scouts in our way, we made it to the top. There we enjoyed a nice (not so peaceful thanks to the boy scouts...actually mostly the den mother) breakfast and a little contemplation on life.

Our breakfast at the top...yogurt with granola.

At the top with view of Provo in the background.

The way down is usually my least favorite part of hikes, but this time things were kept interesting by the rain that continued to fall harder and harder. By the time we got back to the car we didn't even need to take a shower.

Its amazing how small the city seems from up there. I have been on a few walks in the mountains since then and just now I am realizing how blessed I am to have all this nature so close by. I love being in the mountains...summer or winter. I love listening to the river and climbing the rocks. I love playing in the snow and especially snowboarding. Yeah, Vegas has cool hikes in the mountains and the desert there, but the mountains here a little more inviting. One of my goals this year is to take advantage of the nature that is so close by and use it to help me escape when things get a little crazy here.

A Letter From Home

Yesterday my mailbox had a special surprise...a letter from my seven year old brother (and his favorite stuffed animal - Pand). I guess he wrote it minutes after I drove away.

Dear Sam,

I rily miss you. I am not happy. You were the only one that was nice to me. I am not haveing fun. I wish that I cold see you rite now. I wish you cold read a story to me. I am relly sad that you had to leve. Pand is sad to he is not sleeping well. Thar is nothing to do when you are not arownd. I dident want to yose elektisidy to call you. I wold like to see you but I cant. I would like to billd a pussul with you. I love you.

Love,
Matthew and Pand

How cute is that?!? I am going to admit it, I cried.

Moving In

Oh boy! It has been forever since my last blog. I have been failing in a serious way. I guess that is because I wasn't doing too many exciting things. My family and I went to Cedar City for the Shakespeare Festival which was really fun, but semi-difficult to document in pictures - hence, no blog. I was also able to do some shadowing with a PA that works for a cardiovascular surgeon which was really cool. Again...no pictures means no blog. Now I am back in Provo and I have plenty to blog about and pictures to accompany it! Be excited haha.

So last Thursday I loaded up the car and took of on the five and a half hour drive to school in Provo. It was very sad to leave my family, a fact not helped by my 7 year old brother running down the street along side my car with this look on his face that would make any man cry. I miss all of my family already but hopefully they will come for a visit soon...

My car...yes, that is all MY stuff. I don't know why but i have never been a light packer...or a light mover for that matter.

I have this great hanging rack so I don't have to fold up and back all of my hanging clothes...too bad they almost all didn't fit :/

The essentials for any drive...Diet Coke, water, phone, and an iPod.

Salt Lake bound...well, kind of. Its close enough...Provo doesn't start showing up on signs until at least Filmore.

By Thursday night, after a very painless drive, I made it to Provo and met up with Jess and her mom. They were so good to take care of me throughout the moving process since my mom wasn't able to come up (something about the PTA being more important that her oldest child...haha im kidding mom. I'm not bitter). On Friday morning we checked in at our new apartment and after forms and payments and signing we were taken to our new condo.

My new room as it was left for me. This sight was a little overwhelming. How do I make this empty, lonely looking space more homey?

And another challenge...the girl before me left some shelves, which is fabulous but since they are here my desk is pretty much stuck on this wall. With this dilemma I decided I could move the bed against the window and really open up the room...but when I went to do so I discovered the girl before me also left a huge stain on the wall where her pink bedspread rubbed against the paint. Instead of dealing with painting the wall myself or waiting who knows how long for maintenance because its not life threatening (the two options I was told when I asked the front desk about it) I left my bed where it was. So much for creativity...but I was determined to take some advice from Tim Gunn and "make it work."

I am making it work and I am really liking what is coming out of it. I am not done yet but after one more trip to the store for some more screws and a few hours spent getting things up on the walls I will be done and I will have pictures of the finished product. Get excited :)

On Monday Jess and I had a major shopping extravaganza to get settled into the apartment. We went to Wal-Mart, Costco, Ikea, Nordstrom Rack, Michael's, two different DSWs and of course had some Cafe Rio for lunch.

Good thing we took my car to Wal-Mart and Costco...it was totally packed. Who knew I would have to put my seats down to go grocery shopping...sad.

At Ikea Jess and I had to wait a little for Jess' mom to get back with the car...leaving us with some free time. As a result - pictures in front of different rugs...and in mirrors.

Tuesday Jess and I spent a good four hours in the kitchen cleaning out a bunch of junk that the previous tenets had left. We now have two boxes for DI and a ton of food that we offer to anyone that comes over. I don't understand how these girls were able to check out of the apartment with the state it was in but we are slowly turning things around (thanks to a call to management by Jess' mom and a visit from the cleaners). I am excited to see the finished product and I think living here will be a great thing. So far everyone I have met seems very real and friendly (not so at our last place)