I haven't blogged in years. More like a month but it feels like forever. I've been so busy and a little lazy so I haven't made it happen. Since the last time I posted, my best friend got married, I ended my internship in DC and moved back to Utah. The word that I would use to sum up this stage of my life is Change. I don't think there is ever as much change as there is during college. People that you're really close with are constantly coming in and out of your life, your schedule completely alters every four months with new classes, and it feels like you're always moving. And in my case, the past four months consisted of completely moving across the country and back. It's hard to adjust to so much change. The best thing you can do is embrace it and look at it as something exciting. So here is the last month of my life in one post.
We took a class trip to Gettysburg. The old town from the Civil War was still there which was super cool to see. Also, some of the original houses still stand. I thought this one was particularly interesting. If you look to the left of the top window you can see something sticking out. It's a cannon ball that hit the house during the war and got stuck. Luckily, it was defective so it didn't blow up the house.
Overlooking Gettysburg.
It was insanely windy and insanely cold. We didn't last very long before we ran back to the bus.
This is the waterfront two minutes away from my apartment. This was one of the first evenings when it was starting to get warm. A group of us decided to take a stroll along the water.
Sarah (on my left) and Katie (on my right). They were some of my best friends out in DC.
Our class went to the Newseum. Hands down the coolest and most impactful museum I've ever been to. It was so impactful that I literally cried at one part of the museum, and I never cry. I suggest making this museum a priority if you ever find yourself in DC. This is Katie, Jane, and me in front of a section of the Berlin Wall that's in the museum.
We went to an Irish Pub one night. There was a bouncer at the door checking IDs to make sure you were 21. I'm 20, so Teresa adopted me as her daughter for the night. She told the bouncer that she was my mom so I could join them. The food was amazing and the entertainment was so fun. An Irish band from NYC played. It was so unique but I loved it.
During the priesthood session of General Conference we decided to have a "girls' night". (Please ignore my awkward pose, apparently I didn't know what to do with my arms). We ate Greek food, walked around the city, got milkshakes, and watched a chick flick. The standard girls night. It was fun!
Sunday night after General Conference, we had breakfast for dinner. I love breakfast, and I love breakfast for dinner.
The spread.
Every year there is a lottery that hundreds of thousands of people enter in hopes of getting tickets to the White House Easter Egg Roll. To get around the lottery, I volunteered for the Egg Roll and was able to attend the event. We got right up close to the White House on the south lawn and enjoyed live entertainment.
Danica and Katie.
Before leaving DC we made sure to go to a NATS game. What could be more American than going to a baseball game in the nation's capital? Nothing.
Nationals Stadium.
My best friend from Childhood, Lexee, got married! For her bachelorette party the night before we dined at the Cheesecake Factory. It was delicious, and it was so fun to hang out with all these girls I grew up with.
Lauren and I driving to the Bountiful Temple.
Some of my favorite people.
The gorgeous bride after getting sealed to her husband for time and all eternity.
Temple Square on a Spring day.
The Parker crew posing in front of the Salt Lake Temple.
Lexee's wedding reception was in the Joseph Smith building and it was absolutely beautiful. I'm so happy for her!
Lex and the Bridesmaids.
Me and my sistas. It's so fun to all be at BYU.
After visiting Utah for a weekend I had to go back to DC for the last week of my internship. What better way to get back into DC than going to IHop at midnight. Blueberry pancakes taste better the latter it is. If you look closely our hands spell out IHop.
Being an ice cream lover, I was sure to be at Ben and Jerry's free cone day. Yum!
I went to a meeting in the Capitol with my coworker Hillary. It's always fun going to the Capitol and it's even more fun with Hillary. She's my favorite. She always manages to make me cry because she's so funny. It's been fun working here these past couple of months.
This is the second time I went to the DC Temple. It has become one of my favorite temples. It's the most peaceful place you'll find in DC.
The church knows how to do their flowers.
On my last day of work my coworkers took me to a nice restaurant and gave me the cutest necklace from J.Crew. They are the best! I'm definitely going to miss them.
This is where I worked for the past four months. It was such a good experience. I wouldn't trade my experience in DC for anything. It has changed my view of the world and the people in it. I have grown so much over the past four months in such a unique way. I was stretched and challenged more than I thought I would be. But it made me grow so much.
There were so many people that made my experience so great. My coworkers, friends, professor, all those who briefed my class, institute teacher, and so many more. A special thanks goes to my parents though. They made this whole thing possible for me and supported me every step of the way. I would be nothing without my parents.
Before heading back to Utah for good I went to Richmond, Virginia for the weekend. My friend Katie is from there so we decided to stay at her house and go to Kings Dominion, an amusement park out there. The park was a blast and Richmond was so pretty. It's so green and had charming character. I am a fan of discovering the beautiful places on this Earth, they are everywhere.
And faster than a blink of an eye I found myself back in Utah for good. I really enjoyed DC but it also made me so grateful for Utah and the life I have here. For starters, I missed the mountains like crazy while I was gone. I always knew that I liked the mountains but it wasn't until I lived away from them for months that I realized how much I really do love them. I don't know if I can ever live away from mountains. It's my favorite place to be. This is where I live, and it's breathtaking. This is also where a lot of my family is and some of my closest friends. It was so good seeing everyone again. Reunions are blissful.
The first thing I did after getting off the plane was go up to American Fork Canyon and soak up the views I missed so much. Michaela joined me and we had so much fun.
My family came into town this week for Danielle's graduation. We went to Bam Bam's BBQ the night before the graduation.
Danielle graduated from BYU! Graduating from college is such a huge accomplishment. Behind the cap and gown is a past of endless hours of hard work, diligence, and growth. Gaining a good education and expanding your knowledge is key to getting the most out of life. I'm so happy for Danielle, and I can't wait until the day when I'm clothed with a cap gown.
Nolan, Michaela, and I made our way to the Greenhouse in Orem. I was planning on being there for about 30 min. That was not the case. We were there for over two hours. It was so big and smelled so good. Being surrounded by hundreds of flowers can only make you happy.
Nolan just bought a house in Orem so we bought some flowers to pot by his porch. We thought it was a nice touch.
We also bought these mini tree things. We thought they were pretty cool.
(Me, Nolan, Michaela)
It's been a crazy month but it's been a good one. I can't wait to see what's in store for me in Utah this summer. I'm excited for the new memories that await and the adventures to be had.
