Traveling Pants: See you soon

To all my ladies-this one's for you.

So this summer has easily been the oddest summer of my life. At times it has been extraordinary and then sometimes absolutely boring. It's been filled with lifetime adventures accompanied by the most bitter of goodbyes. The concept of time has challenged me leaving me hungry, exhausted, excited, and worried all at the same time (is that even possible?). It's been filled with adult responsibilities but teenager awkwardness and the lack of ability to find a happy medium of the two. But ya know, sometimes life just goes that way and more than ever I've just realized the only way you can handle those hard times in life is to simply keep moving. Now as a to-be Freshman in college the word "moving" not only is a mental action but now a physical action as well. As I'm starting to pack up my room and leave to a foreign town (pretty good description for ptown wouldn't you say? haha) I can't help but reminisce on all the amazing people and experiences that I'm forced to move from. Now that may sound melancholy and slightly depressing, which at times feels that way, more than anything I feel grateful and blessed.

Everybody graduates and everyone moves on, but I can't help but think that our graduating class was a little bit different. We no longer had the easy summer that everyone told us we would have. The boys in our grade have been the most bold and brave as nearly all of them took on the calling to leave for their LDS missions straight out of high school. Which to this day, I am amazed that they took on that challenge with such faith and grace. Me on the other hand.. I struggled. I struggled watching the boys that I've grown up with and love the very most leave so quickly. I felt like I was forced to grow up and become an adult without knowing how to be one. Now I can only imagine what our boys were forced to do as they each took on such a high responsibility at such a young age, and I forever will admire them for their faith and service, but this entry isn't actually for them. It's actually for the girls. For the girls who have been supportive to the boys, to each other, and stayed positive and patient as our male population gets lower and lower haha. They are the ones who have kept me grounded and have constantly reassured me that everything will be okay. This summer has been focused on the countless "see you soons" to the boys we love, but in all honesty, the important and sincere "see you soon" goes out to these lovely ladies. The girls I've grown up and have experienced some of my greatest and worst days with. To the girls who have given me more than I could ever express, this one's for you.

First off, thank you. And I know that's a broad statement that feels redundant, but that's honestly the best thing I can say! Thank you to all the girls for making me laugh, teaching me some of the most important lessons in my life, strengthening my testimony, supporting me in my hardest times, and helping me get to where I am today. These girls I've grown up with are easily one of my greatest blessings in my life and I will forever be impacted by their amazing examples. They are all beautiful and unique and I have NO doubt that they all will change the world in numerous way. These girls make it easy to want to be a good person, make good decisions, be brave in a crazy world, and hold to the Gospel with my full heart. They push me to be a better person every day, help me handle my hardest trials, and constantly remind me that the heart of life is always good. I love them all so much and sometimes wonder how in the world I got sooo lucky.

Now as some of the hardest goodbyes of the summer have begun (freak, I tear up just writing that), I just wanted to wish all these lovely girls good luck on this next chapter of their lives. And most importantly that I will always remember and love the girls who have gotten me to this point. Obviously this isn't the end!... but clearly life changes and we are all starting our own brand new adventures without being by each others side 24/7. To the girl who gets cramped hands... Thank you for teaching me patience and how to always look for the good in others. To the girl who hates tiny black dots... Thank you for teaching me to be silly and how to work hard. To the girl who loves pickles... Thank for teaching me how to be passionate and how to be willing to forgive others and myself. To the girl who tends to have crumbs on her... Thank you for teaching me how to look at life in a beautiful and hopeful light. To the girl who hates feet... Thank you for teaching me that laughter is key to getting through bad days.. and Diet Coke. And to every other single girl... Thank you for teaching me how to live my life to the fullest and helping me understand that some of the greatest things in life aren't things... They're Toliet papering memories, good DC's, lunches where you pee your pants, hikes that go downhill (literally), dance parties where you "wind it up", classes where you laugh your head off, waffle dinners, and those clicking moments where you know that everything in life is absolutely worth it just because you have a good friends.

As hard and strange as this summer has been, I'm so grateful for the time I got to spend with my girls. These ladies are going to change the world, so be ready...