a week to remember

a week to remember. exactly that. i can't believe my utah trip is already over and now i'm sitting here at home trying to make up six days of missing work for school. it was so worth it though, and i don't want to forget one minute of it. i seriously think that it was one of the best weeks of my life. shall i start from the beginning? here is my week to remember :)

Saturday morning as we loaded our bags into our van i was so worried we were going to miss our flight. we had to have the house completely spotless before we left since people would be walking through it all week so we were running around the house like mad men trying to get it clean. once everything was in the garage and we began to lad bags, we encountered another problem...fitting sixteen bags into a minivan already packed full with eight people. it was an awesome, leg tingling, half hour ride to the airport, that's for sure.

By the time we got to the airport, we had about an hour to kill before our flight to tennessee took off.two flights later and around nine pm we were arriving in utah.

Once the mountains came into sight from the airplane, I was all smiles! I just love the feeling of coming home. After we loaded sixteen bags into the rental car, we took the half hour drive from the airport to Chuck and Lisa’s house. It was the strangest thing ever. There I was, driving on the road I had driven on constantly in the previous seven years, and all I could think about was how the person I am now didn’t belong there anymore. Like the person I had become was better fit to live here…not Utah. Anyways, I was still weirded out by the time we got to their house, but I shoved the weird feelings away and greeted my cousins with a smile on my face. I mean, how could I not be smiling, I was home. Around eleven fifteen dad took me to Julia’s house, but on the way I HAD to stop and say hi to Maiya, I had missed that girl’s face way too much to just drive by. So that night just happened to be the night of prom, which Julia and I had decided earlier was awesome because when I found out I was moving a year ago prom was a moment we never thought we’d get to experience with each other. Even though I didn’t get to send her off, I was going to make it back in time to be there when she got home…so I could meet her date :D when I got to the Larsen home, I was greeted by none other than Jon.  He’s Also known as my favorite little brother who doesn’t live with me. We talked for awhile about random things, and at twelve thirty, as I was creeping out the upstairs window I saw a car pull into the driveway. I should have been good and minded my own business, let Julia and James have their doorstep scene and waited for her to come inside and get me but, that didn’t seem like something I would do. I was big and stayed inside! I just watched from the downstairs window…for a second anyways. I lost my patience after TWENTY MINUTES though and opened the front door. Julia glared at me “Sarah, go inside” “You’re not even going to say hi to me?” “Oh what am I kidding, come here woman!” then we hugged passionately. James later complained that my doorstep scene was better than his…it wasn’t. Plus, she stepped on my foot with her four inch heel and broke skin. I’m going to have a scar. Then, I was then FINALLY introduced to James—for those of you who don’t know, James and I switched lives. He’s such a great kid, and I can’t wait to spend more time getting to know him this summer when he’s not grounded.  Plus, I promised Julia I’d take creeper pictures of him every day at EFY and send them to her. ANYWAYS, we talked on her porch for awhile before she made me go back inside. I was big for awhile but then Jon farted and the chaos forced me back outside. Secretly though, I just really wanted to go back outside with my best friend and James. Both of them are super awesome.  When James finally had to leave Julia and I rushed inside, and after she changed out of her beautiful dress, our first sleepover in ten months began. Basically, though I can’t share some. Wait. Most of the things that went on at that sleepover, I can say, that staying up till four in the morning with your best friend is a fantastic way to start a fantastic trip. We ended the night like all of our sleepovers end, Julia falling asleep as I talk to myself. Sunday was pretty great too, I got to see Corbin, although he told me in sacrament meeting that he had forgotten I was coming and I was ALMOST offended…almost. Monday was probably one of my favorite days of the week, Julia and I woke up bright and early and walked to Wal-Mart to buy ingredients to make rainbow cupcakes. We then had lunch at Subway and walked across to Lone Peak to try and find some of her friends. When she saw Jared’s green pants from across the parking lot she started jumping and screaming. She was trying to get their attention but unfortunately because of her height restrictions, they didn’t see us.  We eventually made our way over to them and I had a completely anti-climatic parking lot scene with Payden and Jared. They made good enough first Impressions though. We then went back home and made a bajillion rainbow cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. They were amazing. Julia did a fantastic job putting the sprinkles on, and spreading out the batter :D After they were finished, Jared and Taylor came over, but they were late because they were blow-drying my gift. Jared had made me a “valentime” that was just over two months late. I didn’t mind after I opened it though. He had gone to DI and purchased a record, then painted it, and sprinkled glitter on it from the valentime I had given him. It was awesome. We then went to the library and Jared got a bajillion CD’s. After that, we went back to Julia’s house and got all of the cupcakes, dropped off Taylor, and then we delivered them. It was so great to just drive all over the place with the people I love; it felt like such a normal afternoon. Tuesday was pretty interesting, Julia and I woke up at eleven (this was actually a miracle because it was twelve my time and I had been waking up at eight on accident because I was still on a seminary schedule.) moments later, Payden texted Jules and asked if we wanted to go to lunch. One problem, we were still in our pajamas and lunch was in less than half an hour. Being trapped in her house, it sounded like a great idea. I have honestly never seen Julia get ready so fast. It was crazy. Lunch with Payden was super fun, I had a really great time getting to know him better. After lunch Julia and I went back to her house and made her brother take pictures of us which we now refer to as our ‘creepy lesbian pictures’ what is it with Julia and I and lesbians? We’re not lesbian, I swear! Then my mommy came and picked me up because Julia had school the next day and I had plans later that night. Bummer. That night mom and I had Suzanne do our hair, I’m blonde again! Then I went over to another friends house. It was probably the saddest thing, and I’m wishing I wouldn’t have gone. Both her and I have changed so much in the past year, we went from being best friends to having nothing in common, nothing to talk about. I ended up leaving early the next day after we both agreed to keep in touch. We have not spoken since. Later that night I went to Orange Leaf with Rachel. It’s also known as the most fantastic yogurt shop on the face of the earth, but because that takes too long to type we’ll just call it orange leaf for now. Super fun I tell you, I love rachiecakes and can’t wait to spend a week with her at EFY this summer. I do miss basketball though. I spent Thursday with Maiya, we went to lunch at Zupa’s, visited with Sister Steph for awhile, and then went to the LP bus stop where I saw Sydnie, Kimber, and TREVOR for the first time—I bolded Trevor’s name because we share the same birthday and he’s awesome. That was also ridiculously fun and I hope Maiya will be able to visit me later this summer. Friday mom, Kendra, and I made a huge Down East run. I got TONS of new church clothes and am glad that I no longer have to worry about my skirts being too short. Here is where the emotion of this week comes in. I went to Lone Peak for lunch on Friday, and as I walked through the front doors and looked around I couldn’t believe how familiar everything seemed. Kids I had seen every day at school for the past seven years walked right past me. It got better when I got to see all my good friends though. I ran into Taylor, Corrie, Rachel, Sara, and Ashley so I got to see a lot of the basketball girls. Then Julia, Corbin, and Rachel found me and we went to some classroom for lunch. There we met the rest of Julia’s group of friends. I love them all, honestly. They’re such great kids, and I’m so glad they were willing to just welcome me into their group like that. I felt like I belonged from the moment I met them. When the lunch bell rang, all my friends had to go to class and I made the lonely walk out to my car. The moment I was outside I couldn’t help but cry. Everything there was so great, and I left all of it just to go somewhere where people didn’t talk to me for five weeks, where I had to switch schools, where good people dress and  like skanks and I’m considered a goody two shoes. Why did I have to leave when my life in Utah was so easy? After a few hours of feeling sorry for myself, I went over to Julia’s house for our last sleepover. We needed to go to Wal-Mart to buy candy for fatty Friday and Julia suggested she drive us there. It was the first time I had ever driven with her and it was interesting. Speed bumps are difficult to drive over ;) when we came back, we got ready to go to the lone peak ballroom concert. I ran into Cassie there and I was so glad I got to see her before I left. She is such a doll. Then it was back to Julia’s house for a movie and some laughs. It was so great to be able to spend more time with her and all of her friends, friends which I was quickly becoming close to. We said goodbye to them, and then it was a bittersweet night ahead of Julia and i: out last sleepover. It sounds a bit dramatic, and it wasn’t. I cried for a little while and Julia reassured me that everything would be okay then she fell asleep. I texted Jared till two in the morning, unable to fall asleep. Saturday we went to Taylor’s wedding. Wow. She was so beautiful, and it was so great to be able to watch someone who I’ve looked up to my entire life make such an amazing decision. She is such an example to me. Her reception was later that night and it was also super cute. When we got home, Jared and Julia came over for awhile and we just talked. Then it was time for them to leave. It was time to say goodbye to my best friend. It felt like I had just gotten here and my trip was already over. We seriously hugged for eight minutes while Jared stood there. Oh well. Sunday was just a day with family, Kyle and Ann’s family came over and I got to hold Hallie Grace for the first time. She was so cute and I didn’t want to give her back. I love babies. Monday we packed, then I went over to Mountain Ridge to visit some of my favorite teachers. Mr. Brooks and I talked for a good half hour and then I went and saw Ms. Newbury and Coach Paul. It was good to be back in an environment where the teachers understood me, had watched me grow up, and knew who I was. After one last stop at orange leaf, we headed to the airport and four hours later arrived back here. It was so weird to come back. Part of me felt like we had never left in the first place, and another part felt like I wasn’t supposed to come back. Needless to say, I cried myself to sleep that night. Whether it was because I was sleep deprived, sad, nervous, or a combination of all three I couldn’t really tell you. All I know is that coming back was harder than it should have been.  So what did I learn while I was in Utah? I learned that things change when you leave, I can’t believe how many things are different, how many people don’t talk to each other anymore, how many relationships have changed. I learned that moving made me such a better person, and even though it was hard, I’d do it all over again. I learned that no matter how much time passes, my best friend will always be my best friend, she’ll always fall asleep too early, and my feet will always be cold. I’m so grateful for the opportunity that I had to go back to Utah and spend some time with the people I care about. Sure, it went by really fast, and a week and a half of makeup work is nearly impossible to finish, but I did it, and I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. Mostly, my trip to Utah made me realize that even if I could go back and change the past year, make it easier, make my grades better, not change schools, make more friends, and have less relationship drama, I wouldn’t. I could never take those experiences away, no matter how hard they were. Let’s face it, I wouldn’t change a thing.

don't you love how that is all one huge paragraph. hooray for blogger playing with my format!

Forever and Always,

sarah leslie