Perspective

Dear Reader,

Because I move away from Utah three weeks from today, I've made a bucket list of things I need to do in Provo before I leave. One of the things on my list is to hike the Y (which I've never done before even though I've been here 5 years).

Today, between conference sessions, friend Jacqueline and I decided to check that item off my list.

The starting point. (Also, what I would look like if I were to cut all my hair off. Not really a good look for me.)

We made it! It was a pretty steep hike, but today was beautiful weather (perfect, even), not too sunny, not too cold, and the view from the top was amazing. (Plus I have hair again. Always a good idea.)

1. My home

2. The JFSB (my second home)

3. The JKB (my third home)

Sitting on the Y (cement layered in paint), I pondered perspective. A lot of cliches came to mind: the journey to the top is hard, but it's worth it in the end; nothing good comes easy; with the right perspective you can see the bigger picture; etc., etc., you get the idea. And yeah, they may all be cliches, but cliches are cliches for a reason. Once upon a time they were actually clever ideas that were so true that people used them until the ideas died.

Anyway, perspective. I think the biggest perspective I learned was that from way up high, the hill that BYU sits on is like nothing at all. In fact, it really makes me think that I should never complain again about having to walk up to campus (even though it really does suck because it seems super steep when you're walking it, even if from way up high it looks like campus is just on flat ground).

Also, my apartment looks way closer to campus than it actually is when you look at it from the Y. (Note the above image.) Not only that, but campus seems way closer together. Which it's really not, I assure you. Not when you have to run across it to class in ten minutes.

So anyway, I am really glad that I hiked the Y. It was awesome. And going down was way fun cuz Jacqueline and I pretty much ran the whole way (it took 11 minutes! Way faster going down than up).

And we made it back in time for the second session of conference! Well done, us.