First off, College. College was easily one of the funnest experiences for me. I learned SO much about myself. I learned how to have patience when I was upset with roommates. I learned that small vain things that used to matter in my Vegas bubble suddenly did not in Rexburg. I experienced life, weather, culture in a different area that was just what I needed for 9 months.
Next, we have the mission age change. I know there are so many girls that jumped on this mission bandwagon and I don't want it to sound like that at all. Before the change? I honestly had ZERO desire to go at 21(In thoughts that I would be married). My high-school sunday school teacher, President Smith would talk about sister missionaries almost every week and I would just kind of agree with him although was never like, "YES. I'LL GO NOW!!". I always kept to myself and just kept it in the back of my mind. The week before October's General Conference, I was invited to go to an ISL service trip meeting. I got five bucks and pizza. It was a win win situation that this poor college student could not pass up. I went with my sweet roommate and we had a lot of fun. I called my mom and just knew that I was needed to serve somewhere. I kept explaining to her that I went to this meeting and it was great, but I just wasn't sold. The following Friday, one of the ISL reps called me and I just was like "This just isn't right for me right now". I was kind of bummed. I was sad that I didn't know what I was doing. That was probably my biggest struggle at school. I was just concerned that I was doing something wrong or forgetting something. Anyways, I went to sleep that night genuinely bummed out. I slept alone in my bed and was frustrated I was literally wrestling with the Lord. I was thinking, "Why does this always happen to me?", "Why can't I just be spontaneous like some of my friends". Let's be honest. I was murmuring. My negative thoughts carried me to sleep... and I slept...and slept...and SLEPT THROUGH CONFERENCE. That would never fly at home. Ever. Although I don't promote sleeping through conference, gotta love college sleeping habits! hehe. I was so tired and rolled my slow lazy self out of my awfully ugly dorm room bunk and straight to my neighbors house. Her name is Emily Elliot... Or should I say Soeur Elliot ( She's currently in Paris!) I walk straight through her door and she is just like freaking out. I am far to tired for her nonsense and she is bouncing off the walls.. She looks at me(I know she is serious when she looks me in the eye..haha) and says, "HAVE YOU HEARD?".. And I was like.. NO? and she was like..."Well...do you want me to tell you or what?" and I started to get concerned that like the prophet got hurt or something. I was finally like, "Ok. Spill." Emily has the most piercing hazel eyes. She stared right into my soul and said, "We..can go on missions". Without her even finishing her sentence, I fell to the floor. LITERALLY, the floor. Flat Stanley.. yup. I was crying.. on the floor. In the course of the next 10 minutes, I guarantee I said "Oh my gosh" and "ARE YOU SERIOUS" about 800 million times. We spent the whole day together, which was extremely special to me and talked about our futures. A mission was for me.
