On the Doorstep

Quick life update!

So now it's ending the month of May and I've decided it's finally time to write about this semester/year.

My last semester of school seemed to fly by. I seriously blinked and January melted into March which then melted into graduation day. A few major points:

- The beginning of the semester found Kate and I being the only roommates in our house. Our other two roommates graduated in December and left us to find replacements which we didn't do because 1) we were too lazy to do and 2) we didn't want to deal with getting used to a new person's habits. I will admit that it was a little odd at first but by the end of the semester we loved it! It was so nice to just worry about one other person and since we're good friends we were really okay with whatever the other person did. We got to know each other's quirks better and it sometimes got a little scary how much we could predict what the other person was going to say/do. For example: in March we discovered this amazing Mexican restaurant - Often we would ask each other "Have you eaten yet?" and then just get in a car and go. There was no point in asking where we were going - we both knew :) Man I love this girl! I really will miss living with her (I already do and its only been a few weeks!)

- The MBA program at SUU is an awesome group of tight - knit students! Everyone had the same classes so you got to know your classmates really well. This made for a pretty entertaining time in even the most boring/obnoxious classes. It was especially great because everyone had their own clique of friends they would sit by but they still talked to everyone. I have to make special mention of the two (main) people that got me through my year - Celesta and Gwen. These two girls are hilarious! Classes were often spent goofing off and studying with them. They definitely helped me make it through this year

- I was talked into once again repeating the painful process of writing a thesis. It was required in my undergrad to graduate with Honors but it was only an option in the Masters program. I will say that it was extremely painful to get a lot of the data and information needed for this new Thesis but now that it's done I am so glad I did it! It presented me with a great opportunity to work once again with one of my favorite professors, Lisa Assante, and it also let me find out some fun information about tourism in Austria. Definitely worthwhile!

- Graduation this year took place over two days. On Friday we participated in the University wide part and on Saturday we had our individual colleges (this was also the one where we actually walked and received our "diploma"). I'm not quite sure how I like this format in relation to last year's all-in-one-day approach. Anyway! Below is some fun pictures from the event :)

- The Sunday after graduation we got the news that my Aunt Kim had passed away. I still find it hard to believe nearly a month later. She had been fighting a long battle of sickness and it finally overcame her. She will be dearly missed by everyone who knew her. This was an especially difficult death for me as it was the first of my aunts/uncles to pass away. Granted she had bad health, but it makes me realize that some of my family is getting up there in age and it may not be too terribly long before... but we don't think of that. I love and miss you Aunt Kim!

- Ever since graduation I've been living at home preparing for the next step in life. While preparing for that step I started playing LOTRO (Lord of the Rings Online) with a free ten day trial. Twenty days later I've now paid for a monthly subscription (which will be picked up again after the summer). I always knew that if I played any kind of MMO I might become "addicted" and with the combination of a never ending game (that's what usually gets me to stop playing - I play all the time til I win the game. Case in point - Zelda April 2009 (pretty sure I blogged about that...)) and Lord of the Rings... well lets just say it had trouble written all over it! I spend many hours a day on this stupid thing... ugh! I love it :)

Now I am looking at the end of May and wondering how almost half of the year could possibly be done. I've heard it said that when you're a child a month feels like a year but when you become an adult a year feels like a month. I am a firm believer that this is true! I can hardly believe that it was a year ago that I had graduated with my Bachelor's Degree and was looking forward to another summer of camp and then another year of school. How could it possibly be a year ago?! Now I'm sitting at home with my MBA, waiting for camp to start (I guess somethings never change) and then for the infamous "real life" to begin.

I'm on the doorstep of my next big adventure. I have no idea where I'm going or what I'm doing but someday I'll look back and be grateful that the me of today had the nerve to take that first step forward.



Taking a picture in the bathroom before the ceremony starts - love it!



After Ceremony #1




Love these two girls! They were my MBA sanity :)



The rest of my MBA sanity. I love this picture - it makes me feel collegiate :) This was after ceremony #2 after we received our awesome hoods!



My beautiful family (minus my absent brother)! I'm so grateful for their support!



My wonderful parents! I love them more than anything!



I finally got an awesome graduation jumping pic!



All of my former HRHM professors from my undergrad. I worked with them quite a bit this year too - they are SO great! Seriously - Southern Utah University has the best Hospitality professors!



RIP Professor Woodbury - this was right after the final ceremony on Saturday and I got the the word that she had passed away the following morning. I had taken a MBA Finance course from her and spent many hours talking with her in her office (both for school and for none). I really can't believe she's gone - she'll be missed!

Lastly: These aren't from graduation (obviously). Back in February my Dad and I went to the St. George home show and in our travels came across these awesome clouds! I just felt like I had to share them :)

Lessons Learned on the Road to Cedar City

So I know this states that it was right after Easter but I'm finally getting around to posting it... work with me :)

April 2010:

Last weekend when driving back to Cedar City after a lovely Easter weekend, I realized that it would be the last official drive I would be making down south for school. It was so weird to think that after 5 years of life in Cedar City that this was it. It was on that momentous drive that I decided to make a list of all of the things I've learned while driving the 3 1/2 hour drive between my lovely home in West Valley and my collegiate home in Cedar City. What follows is that said list and random pictures that have been taken over the years on the drive.

Lessons Learned on the Drive to/from Cedar City

1. Just because the sky ahead looks blue doesn't mean that a blizzard isn't secretly waiting in the pass by Cove Fort. No matter what time of year.
   
2. 3 hours passes very quickly when you talk to friends that you haven't seen in a long while
   
3. There is a small hill just outside of Fillmore that looks like the hill on which Edoras sits in Lord of the Rings
4. Finding people/rides off the university ride board just isn't worth the awkwardness
5. Inadvertently there will always be at least one car that you are stuck with the whole trip who drives fast enough to get in front of you only to slow down so you have to get in front of them. Be prepared for a 250 mile game of messed up tag
6. When you have friends in the car it's helpful to keep them awake as they may start awake thereby surprising you and causing you to swerve across lanes.
7. No matter what anyone says - if your car is making funny noises do NOT try to make the long drive. It will only end in despair
8. When all you're waiting on to leave is one person who can't leave for 2 hours past anyone else is it really worth the gas money? (ps the answer is usually yes!)
9. If the weather report says the roads are bad/good it isn't necessarily true
10. Driving after 11pm is not recommended... unless you're not the one driving then it's highly entertaining!
11. Places to check in with home - Beaver, Fillmore, and Nephi
12. Good places to take a break - Scipio - the gas station with the DQ attached (their hand dryers in the bathroom are amazing!) and Fillmore's Maverick Gas Station (they have good bread)
13. Loud, retro pop music makes time pass quickly
14. Dust storms are likely to rise up next to Fillmore and Meadow which will result in a long side detour through Kanosh
15. Contrary to popular belief, as long as you're heading north on I15 in Provo - you'll be just fine during rush hour
16. When traveling through Beaver it is best to go the actual limit - the cops there are pretty strict... and bored
17. Having a drink and snacks to munch on is a VERY good idea
18. If you stop in Scipio do NOT buy food from DQ... that is unless you don't care if you get to your destination at a halfway decent time
    

And Finally
19. No matter what time of day or what direction you are going, you WILL be faced with the same tough situation before exiting into Cedar City. A semi will be in front of you that is going at such an awkward speed that you have to decide whether or not it's worth it to zoom in front of it and get back over before the exit or slow down to 50 mph and wait it out.


Winter Driving - Beautiful!



Example of a person falling asleep :)




The clouds were wicked awesome that day!



Another example :)



Side note - never seran wrap a friend's car - payback will happen!



Glad I wasn't going north that day...



Multi-tasking



And finally - my awesome car disaster. Note: This was right after it had happened. Everyone thought it was funny/cool but note the look of distress on my face. Yeah. That's pretty genuine horror.