Getting Ready to Leave

Well it's only a few days away. Next week we are making the huge move from Utah to Erie, Pennsylvania for Derek to start medical school. I've lived in Utah my entire life--I was born in Provo, then moved to South Jordan at age 1 and lived in the same house until I graduated from high school. Since then I've spent the last five years in Provo at BYU, with the exception of the last 2 months (we've been staying with my parents). This is obviously going to be a huge deal for me, so I thought I'd write about the things I'm going to miss about Utah (complete with pictures!)

1. My wonderful friends and family. You know who you are. I'm so glad I've seen some of you in recent weeks and I hope I see more of you before we leave!

2. Our food co-op. I sure hope I can find one in Erie. I've loved it.
3. Cool summer nights that are perfect for barbecues, watching fireworks, just sitting, playing night games, etc.
4. Dry air. I hate humidity. This is what happens to my hair in humidity. Does anyone know of any good products for this?
5. BYU. Three months ago I never thought I'd say that as I essentially wanted to forget that place even existed, but it really was a great experience. I learned how to critically think, to analyze things, to accomplish difficult tasks, that you can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it, and how to be a lifelong learner (now I'm using BYU's own phrases! Who am I?!?) I also went from a teenager to a married woman with a child during my time there.
6. All the temples. I love having like half a dozen temples within easy driving distance. Now I'll actually have to plan out when to fit in a whole day trip to the temple. I've never had to put much planning into going to the temple.

7. Having Uncle Ryan nearby to play with Jack (they're really good buddies). Also his and my mom's willingness to help take care of Jack so I can run errands, study for the NCLEX, etc.
8. I'm going to miss familiarity. I've really never moved before--South Jordan to Provo doesn't count for much. I'll have to learn where everything is and find an entire new group of friends. I'm excited for the adventure though.

Those are the big things. There are a lot of things that I'm super excited for with this move. But that's another post for another day.