Traumatic Events

One time when I was a young innocent 14 year old we had a water fight for mutual. We were at our church, and the whole stake was involved. I was wearing basketball shorts and a t-shirt, gleefully running around splashing people, with absolutely no idea of the horrors that were in store for me. I was wearing flip-flops at first, but they got really slippery when they were wet so I just took them off, foolishly thinking I would be fine.

I went over to the big bucket to fill up my water gun when I stepped on something that was strangely squishy. You know how when you hold water balloons you can feel all the water rolling around inside? That's how this felt, but it didn't burst like a water balloon would if you stepped on it, and it was fuzzy. I looked down and saw something dark on the ground. I took a couple seconds trying to figure out what it was when I suddenly realized it was a dead bird. GUYS. I STEPPED ON A DEAD BIRD WITH MY BARE FOOT! It was possibly the most traumatic experience of my life! There were definitely worms in it! And my bare skin had just been on it. Not even a slight brush, but a good long while with all my weight on it. Just thinking about it makes me want to cut my foot off.

I freaked out, as any rational person would do, and dumped the entire bucket of water on my foot. I then hopped into the church to find my dad in the clerk's office and make him take me home. I got home and screamed something about dead birds as I hopped through the house to the bathroom. My poor mother had no idea what was going on, but when I explained what had happened she was much more sympathetic. And then she made me mop the kitchen floor because I had hopped through it with my dirty feet.

Apparently this horrible experience wasn't traumatic enough to make me not go barefoot in public places, because a few years later I stepped on something mysterious in a park and got a foot infection. 

Memorable Moments of the Second Semester

Jumping in the Provo River with a bunch of people on a whim. Going to my very first concert! Giving blood for the first time, and then doing it again because I loved it so much. Going to Las Vegas for a weekend. Playing poker in the laundromat till 3:00 AM. Singing with angels at the funeral of a good friend. Learning that life goes on, even after the death of someone you care about. Pulling an all-nighter with my entire ward to read the Book of Mormon. Playing volleyball and basketball with a bunch of random people till 4:00 AM, and then crashing at someone else's place because I didn't want to go home to my empty apartment. Becoming an aunt and meeting my very first niece! Getting stranded at the Provo Frontrunner station for an hour because I missed the train. Finally figuring out how to successfully use public transportation. Going to General Conference with friends. Going to the Festival of Colors in Spanish Fork and having colored chalk thrown in my face. Becoming even better at procrastinating. Turning in my mission papers and waiting forever for the call to come. Pranking the guys in my ward by seran wrapping their doors. Taking random walks at 2:00 AM because I couldn't sleep. Hiking the Y in the middle of the night and seeing all the stars and city lights. Playing a game of assassin with my ward. Meeting new special needs friends who wouldn't let me stop clapping, or who insisted on getting piggy back rides all the time and clinging to me like a koala. Third-wheeling like a boss. Being proposed to by a drunk guy on the Las Vegas strip. Getting hooked on tons of TV shows. Going to my first ever Divine Comedy show. Lighting the bathtub on fire. Learning three different ways to bro-hug, and becoming a bro. Making a pizza for the guy in the creamery. Going dumpster diving. Running around outside in the freezing cold with sparklers. Lighting floating lanterns and watching them float away. Getting locked out of my apartment in the middle of the night. Getting locked into someone else's apartment in the middle of the night while we were watching a scary movie because the lock on the door broke. Going to the temple at 6 AM because we had stayed up all night anyways and decided we might as well. Hiding a plastic rat in the fridge for my roommates to find. Dying someone's hair without wearing gloves and turning my hands bright orange. Going to Denny's with huge groups of people in the middle of the night and befriending the waiters. Pulling two all-nighters in a row because I was having a laundromat party and then the next night I had to pack. Walking around campus dressed as a pirate while wearing a batman mask. Seeing our teacher with a fake British accent at the gym and freaking out. Finding a three story treehouse and having an adventure in it. Accomplishing my one academic goal of the semester and being asked to be an American Heritage TA. Never actually burning down the apartment, despite the many times we were probably close to it. Having our door defaced multiple times (with cobwebs, tinsel, and Yankees cutouts). And finally, becoming friends with so many amazing people who changed my life and made my freshman year so much better.

Even though you guys probably don't care about my long disorganized list, it makes sense to me, and each and every one of those things is a cherished memory. I'm sad to have left BYU for a while, but I really am excited to move on with my life and can't wait to go on my mission! I'm so glad I had second semester, and didn't just end after the first, because I finally actually started doing things and getting the full freshman experience! (AKA making probably really dumb decisions but loving every minute of it).