Landmarks

There's a certain point on University Parkway in Provo that inclines just enough that you can see the entirety of the city in one incredible view. It only last for a couple seconds, but in that minuscule span of time you can see everything from spire of the Provo temple to BYU's Kimball Tower. You can see everything from Y mountain, even down to the giant windmills of Spanish Fork canyon. On my drive home the other night, as I passed that familiar point for the 10,000th time, I realized that among the landmarks that make this city what it is are the landmarks that make me who I am. In the past 5 years, I've grown into this city, but even more so, this city and all the little bits that are encompassed by it have grown into me.

It was here that I gained an education, both inside the classroom, and out. It was here that I met some of the greatest people on this good earth and was given the privilege of calling them my best friends. It was here that I discovered and rediscovered my passions and strengths and the difference I could make in other people's lives through my talents. It was here that I had trials of faith, felt the crippling defeat of self-doubt, the sting of heartbreak, and the triumph of learning to love myself. It was here that I gained a real and true testimony of God as I have repeatedly seen His hand work miracles in my life and those around me. In my 5 years here, I have cried, I have laughed, I have loved, and I have lost. But more than anything, I have learned.

For all these things, I am grateful. I am grateful for my education, which I understand is a privilege not afforded to many. I am grateful for the experiences it has brought me, both good and bad, that have shaped me into the person I've become. Most of all, I am grateful for the sacrifices of others that allowed me the wonderful opportunity to attend Brigham Young University. As I pass this landmark in my life, I am absolutely terrified and exhilarated as I face an uncertain future. My schooling may be done, but my education doesn't end here. I'll always be a student at heart.

xoxo
Lo