oh provo

In honor of the Cougars making it to the Sweet 16...

There is something so familiar, so comforting about going to Provo. Everything there has a memory for me. I only lived there for 4 1/2 years but those were some of my favorite years. I started college, I hiked the Y all the time, I figured out who I was, I learned that college was hard stuff, and I learned a lot about real life. I met Spencer there, was an EFY counselor there, graduated from college, and had my first baby there. It was the hardest and the best of times. I rubbed shoulders with the cream of the crop. We all (almost all) lived the Honor Code with pride. Provo consumes you; there is nothing quite like it. I felt euphoric as we walked around. Even the smell of the hand soap on campus took me back.

The chance to go came up last week, and aside from leaving two of my kids behind we were thrilled. It was a quick recruiting trip, just 36 hours, but we managed to eat all my favorites - Cafe Rio, Texas Roadhouse, Magleby's, Brick Oven and BYU bookstore chocolate covered cinnamon bears. I got to see some old friends (but not all of them, darn it), some former YW, and some family.

I got only one picture, with a cell phone nonetheless, and Spencer doesn't look too great with his eyes closed. And don't mind the color they're wearing. But our cute little guy, even though he won't remember, got to join his parents at the place where they met. (If we'd been really sappy and specific we would have gone to the SWKT auditorium.)

I love Provo. I love BYU.

Go Cougs!