How to Begin...?

Well, I'm here! I moved to Salt Lake City, Utah and am living with my brother Joseph and his wife Sarah. How did I get here though? Well, it certainly wasn't an easy process; it was trying both financially and emotionally. I decided, I think in late November. Possibly after my 26th birthday, but I'm not entirely sure. I really just finally felt right about moving to Utah after years of encouragement from Joseph; he's wanted me to go for quite a long time now. He always said that I would love it here and fit right in. I also did a lot of praying about the matter and always felt a sense of peace about it. 

My first priority was to find a job before I got to Utah, that way I would not be in dire straits financially. The last thing I wanted to be was a burden to Joe & Sarah when they only have her part time income and school money to rely on. I applied with a small busing company called Red Star Transportation and the owner was really excited to hire me with my experience as a driver trainer. I also applied with the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) and the Campus Shuttle at the University of Utah where Joe goes to law school.  So I was happy to know I had a job when I got there. 

Getting there was a little bit more work though. First, I had to tell First Student that I was quitting, which was horrible for me because I did love my job there and the people I worked with.  Luckily my manager was amazing and even wrote me a fabulous letter of reference. After that I had to tell everyone at church that I was leaving. That was hard. I wanted to keep it a secret and tried my best, but of course, it had to get out eventually. There were plenty who told me that I could not go, which made me feel guilty. I just wanted to tell people that they should be happy for me and not feel sad. I did not feel sad. I was going to miss some people, surely, a lot of people, but I really was not sad about the decision. I never broke down and cried, I haven't still.  I sold most of my dolls, donated the rest of them and a bunch of stuff to Goodwill. I wasn't able to bring more than a box or two of things, all of my clothes, my beanbag chair, my pillows and three blankets. I had to buy an air mattress when I got here (I'll save that woe for later though.) 

We left two days after Christmas about 9 in the morning. We stopped over in Denver for the night  at our cousin Micheal's house and went to dinner with him & his wife Nicki and Sarah's sister Ginny and her new husband (whose name escapes me.) We went to a great Italian restaurant and then got some cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. I got a piece of their white chocolate blueberry. However, I was too tired to stay up and eat it, so I ate it for breakfast, so healthy right? Hehe! We left the next morning at 7am and made it into Salt Lake City about 4:30pm. 

We stayed that first night in Joe & Sarah's original basement apartment, which they were moving out of the next day. That night we packed up that apartment and got it ready to put into a trailer to move. Their Elders Quorum came the next morning and moved them while I attended an orientation meeting with Red Star. I got back from that and dragged all of my stuff into the apartment. After that we had to go to Wal-Mart for some essentials, which for me meant an air mattress because I was not resolved to sleep on either the hard tile floor or the tiny little love seat that I now sit upon.  I think I fell asleep the minute it was blown up. Those first couple of nights I was sincerely exhausted and was always going to bed early. 

I think the next three weeks can't really be explained day by day, mainly because I do not remember them all that well. I met my new ward, which apparently is too big and was split this past Sunday. There are a lot of people in it and a few nice girls have introduced themselves. The ward clerk is pretty cute in my opinion, but I've always liked the tall ones.  I don't work for Red Star anymore because they were really just too green for me to get on board with. All of their buses were at least 20 years old and so out of repair that they barely ran. I did not feel safe with them. So I quit them and applied at the campus shuttle, where Sarah works. They were really cool there and hired me no problem. After my first day of training I finally go the call back from UTA and had to tell the shuttle I would be working for them. They were not pleased, but understood. UTA pays better and has benefits because it is guaranteed hours! My schedule for the next year will be absolutely crazy, but hey, that happens. My air mattress lasted perfectly for about a week and then it got a hole, which has expanded and become quite a pain. I cannot wait to save up some money and buy a real one! Until then, I patched it up with tape and just live with it. I spent a lot of my time, which I have a huge amount to spare, watching shows on Netflix. 

Oh, huge side note about Utah! TEMPLES!! There are so many of them here and it is crazy cool to be able to see at least one on a daily basis! So far I have been to the Mt. Timpanogas Temple and the Salt Lake City Temple and on Jenna's birthday I am going to the West Jordan Temple with her, Joe, Sarah, & Jon. I have seen SLC, Mt. Timpanogas, West Jordan (from afar), and Oqquirhh Mountain (from afar.) I am SO excited to go to many more of them. I have attended a live session at the Salt Lake City temple and it was so peculiar. It really was great and made me see things in a different light. I am just really excited to go again and see more.  I feel really blessed and I do not know if those living here truly grasp what a blessing it is. 

Right now, I'm just waiting until the 20th. That is when I sign my new hire paperwork with UTA and then afterwards I begin training with them. I am so excited to work and have a purpose again, and to start getting paid again!! So, until then, this week I am going to watch television, make some corn chowder, and attend my Institute classes. I guess that is how it goes.