The City of Parks, Utah

Last week I had the opportunity to fly out to Utah to do a training for the immersion job I'll be taking in August. I started off the week spending a few days down in Provo with an old friend (roommate), Maranda. It was so refreshing to get to spend time with a friend that knows me so well and that I know so well. I think it's been a while since I've gotten to spend time with someone like that.

It was cool to walk down those streets again. It felt so carefree. Maybe it's that I was spending time with Maranda (who has always been particularly good at enjoying life), or maybe it's because I remember that time as being so carefree and I've seemed to assume much more responsibility this past year. I was happy then, and I'm happy now, it's just different.

I traveled to Park City for my training the following Monday. It was a beautiful drive. Let me just say for the 34892043th time how much I really feel closer to God in the simplicity, magnitude, and peace of nature. It also helped that the training, although stressful and overwhelming at times (which I had prepped myself for, so it wasn't that bad), was accompanied by a free townhouse in Park City, complete with a visa card for meals, a personal hot tub, and beautiful running trails. Below is the view from my townhouse. As you can see, I'm excited.

While I spent the days sitting in trainings about "comprehensible input" and workshops on teaching science, math, and literacy in Chinese, I spent the nights exploring whatever I wanted. The hike took a while to get to (with no map!) but I found it eventually. It would have been a beautiful hike had I not thoroughly convinced myself I would get attacked by a bear, and no one would ever find me up there.

 Although dying at the foot of these beautiful aspens seemed pretty comfortable to me...

This was my view as I was driving down the mountain at sunset (and the picture hardly does it justice):

Here is my "team" of other 2nd grade teachers. We came to really bond by the end, after recording our presentations again and again, trying to make them better and provide feedback for each other. We were all delirious by then.

Hsui Mei was my "team leader." (see below) She has taught 2nd grade for a year now, and boy does she have a lot of wisdom. She reminded me why I love Chinese people so much. Super blunt, super humble, and super hilarious. She gave me some great feedback, shared with me how difficult her first year was, and even bore her testimony to me about her role as a teacher. She is a little ball of fire, I tell you.

On my last day in Utah, I also got to visit some of my favorite people in the world: my grandparents!

Aren't they adorable? Yes, they are.

But they are even more than that. They are wise. I have missed them. Every time I visit them, without fail, I learn something new. This time, it was the meaning of love and discipleship. To see Grandpa's ninety-two year old hands open the door for his wife, and to hear about how he still takes care of her meds every day (obviously tired), or to see him open the door for someone else when he can barely open it for himself - it's overwhelming sometimes. And to top it off, to witness his Gordon B. Hinckley-type optimism and good-natured humor in the face of serious challenges - really, I'm so blessed. I love them both.

As if this wasn't a good enough trip already, I got to visit with my good friend J. Peets. There are so many reasons why she is one of my best friends. One of them being: she reminds me of who I am when sometimes I forget. She takes me to REI and inspires me to soak in the outdoors like I love doing but may have forgotten. She does 5 triathlons in one summer, and is a beast at them (who does that?). She constantly pushes herself and fills her life with goodness until it's overflowing.