A Talk, Lunch, Friends and Family.

Today was the day I gave my talk in church for my farewell. I took me about 2 days to prepare the talk because I went to Bear Lake, which I will talk about later, so I had a very short time to finalize it. But in the end it came out beautifully! I got a lot of praise for my talk and A lot of friends came and several guessed who I was surprised to see, but none the less I was happy to see them. After making my rounds at the church I went to the lunch were delicious food was served provided by my parents and other family members. One of my good friends commented on how good I was at "working the room." I talked to ever single person there played with my cousins, talked to really good friends, and really was just a social butterfly. Many people noted that "walk and talk with a lot of confidence." As flattered as I was, I always remember that I may have to much at times. Over all my farewell was a complete success! I couldn't have been happier.

As I noted earlier I have been to Bear Lake this weekend. I went up early Friday and came back late in the afternoon on Saturday. I went with my singles ward and had nothing short of a good time. The first thing I did when I got there was play golf. I had forgotten my set so I borrowed a friends. on the 7th hole when I went to drive the ball, I hit it BEAUTIFULLY! I mean spot on, however along with the ball went to the head of the golf club as well. My friend Tyler (cool name right) couldn't believe i broke his new club. I felt so bad about it I bought him a new one when we got back into Salt Lake City. Even though I broke his club he wasn't mad. He quickly responded "ya know what? it doesn't matter because im on vacation." That there was the theme for my trip. I woke up early morning Saturday for breakfast and Immediately headed to the lake. I was on the water for 3 or 4 hours before we got rained out. But It was so much fun! I tried knee boarding for the first time and I was a natural. Got up the first time and every thing. After that wake boarding, wake surfing, and tubing of course. When I got tired of water stuff I went to the beach to play volleyball and flirt with women.

I have had such an amazing year so far. I know that the good times with family and friends will obviously be put on hold for a couple of year, but I knew that and I still have a great desire to go serve my mission. Thank you all for your support, friendship, the laughs, the smiles, and the memories. I will take them all with me when I leave July 25th. It has been an honor and a privilege to have gotten to know so many amazing people.

Just Something New

So first off if you haven't noticed I changed my Blogspot Title from "The Experience We Call Life" to "On a Wing and a Prayer" and I did that just because I was bored and I think it sounds better.


Swim lessons have started at my work and I'm teaching this session, although I had not planned on it.
What I mean by that is I was some how convinced to do them. I was at work one day and needed to talk to my boss Colin ( coolest guy i know) about something that was completely unrelated to swim lessons and I left his office teaching morning swim lessons. As soon as I walked out I went "Wait....what the heck just happened?" That man im convinced has a silver tongue or something, because I was very adamant i was not going to teach, but apparently no man or women is immuned to his charm.


Also for the past two Sundays after I am done with church, I have been hanging with a group of friends down at Liberty Park and playing Volleyball and Ultimate Frisbee. I don't generally play Volleyball or Ultimate Frisbee, but I have learned something new about myself....I am all about Ultimate Frisbee! It has been ridiculously fun and the company is great!  If you want to join the group we have going on please just let me know! we can always use more people.

This sunday I also had a really good friend from high school get back from his mission in London. I haven't seen him in two years and I was really overjoyed. He gave one of the better talks I have heard in church in a long time. I was able to talk to him before sacrament meeting and asked about his mission, mostly the general stuff, but I had a question that I didn't ask. that question was have things changed drastically? My biggest fear is while I am on my mission that all the good friends I have made, the bonds I have forged, the people how have touched my heart, will simply just become people that once knew. Later that night I received a text from someone I haven't talked to in while, so long in fact that she heard through a mutual friend that I was leaving on a mission. She obviously had a lot of questions about my mission and what not. Then she asked if I was scared about leaving? I told her that I wasn't scared about leaving but more so of my concern as I stated earlier. What she said really hit home for me. She said "It seems like when you leave and come back most things are the same when you return. Things always change, but always for the better." I needed to hear those words. Yes I am still nervous, but I know things will work out one way or another.


Here is some of the cool stuff I got for my mission so far.

This is a Crome backpack. this is seriously the backpack I have ever had.

O and did I mention that it is completely water proof?












Here I have a book called the message, my passport, wallet, journal, scriptures, and other such documentation that I will surely need.

Counting Down

Let me start off saying life at the moment is amazing. I have been really lucky to have made so many friends these last few months and I am so glad I have met them. But I am also sad because I am leaving very soon.

My friends have been completely supportive of my decision to go and I am so grateful for that, But not a lot of them are LDS and I don't think they completely relate to the magnitude of this for me. I am severely stressed but I don't really have any one to talk to about this kind of stuff because as I said before most of my friends are  LDS or have served missions and don't completely understand why I am leaving in the first place.

Preparing for this mission has been stressing me out. a perfect example of how it has affected me, It is 1:30 am and I can't seem to sleep. But it has been like this for a while (about 5 days now). As the clock is ticking away I am starting to realize more and more that I will be leaving in 8 weeks. I am not just nervous or anxious, but...well I hate to admit it but im scared. I am afraid that I will get in over my head, that I wont be do a good job, that I will fail. I am not a quitter nor have I ever been, but I am afraid that if I go and find out this is more then I can bare I would still not come home even if I hated my mission, because I see thing till the end. Maybe I am making a bigger deal of this then it really is, but this Mission has all but consumed me.

Bucket List

Ok I never actually sat down and made a list of things I want to do before I die. I have things i do want to do however so I think its long over due =) I am sure there will be more things to this list later on but for now 50 should do it.

1. Back pack Europe

2. Scuba Dive off the Great Barrier Reef

3. Visit The Vatican ( i love history and especially Roman History )

4. Drive Cost to Cost in a car

5. Participate in a Zombie Chase Marathon

6. Own one of these

7. Meet the creators of South Park

8. Go see the Broadway Musical "The Book of Mormon"

9. Go back to New York City and Go the 9/11 Memorial

10. Get into the Playboy Mansion

11. Drive on the Autobahn

12. Sail on the Mediterranean sea

13. Go surfing off the coast of South Africa

14. Go to live showing of the Colbert Report

15. Meet Stan Lee

16. Get Robert Downey Jr. Autograph

17. Have my portrait painted

18. Grow a beard

19. Learn to ballroom dance

20. see a full Solar Eclipse

21. spend Christmas on a beach

22. Go up in a hot air balloon

23. go into a crowded Elevator and say "I imagine you are all wondering why i gathered you here."

24. Get a shirt that says "life" and hand out lemons.

25. Learn a foreign language

26.  make a float for a parade

27. Travel to Japan

28. Create a website (about what is yet to be determined)

29. Travel to Brazil

30. Get in the car and get completely lost

31. Get Married in a LDS Temple (but one out of the country like Spain, England, or Italy)

32. Go to and auction and bid on something (and of course win)

33. Volunteer at a Brest Cancer Awareness Marathon

34. Raise a Puppy that is less then one month old

35. Go to an actual Mardi Gras party in Atlanta

36. Go to a night club in New York, Los Angeles, Los Vegas, and Mimi

37. Go out of cage diving with sharks

38. climb and trek a glacier

39. Go to Hawaiian islands and tour the active Volcanos

40. Plant a garden and prepare my own meal

41. Attend an Opera

42. Attend the Olympics

43. Run with the bulls in Spain

44. Sky dive

45. Ride a horse again

46. Live off the land for 1 week

47. Write a book

48. Go to Alaska

49. Learn how do ride a Motor Cycle

50. Plant a tree.

It Only Gets Better!

Ok so it has been a while since I have blogged. Well lets get started by telling how I rocked my finals! I did a lot better then I expected. I got all A's with the exception of one B grade. But I still think I did really well for myself.

Now that school is all over for the next couple of years I have just been concentrating on my final days before I leave for my mission. I have been going out with many friends and dates.
One such evening in particular I want to talk about happened just this weekend. It started out at one of my favorite restaurants called "Robintinoes". After having some interesting, funny, and honest conversations we walked across the street to "Nielsens Frozen Custard" and had some amazing concreate shakes. After that we went back to her house and waited to go see "The Avengers" but before that I was convinced to do the "Napoleon Dynamite" dance which I  have not done in years! But I have to say it was pretty fun =)
After hang out there for a while, we went to The Avengers and the movie was nothing short but amazing. I am kind of a comic book nerd and find that kind of stuff really interesting and cool. That movie was one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. It made more money its opening week then any other movie in history. I normally don't brag about how my dates go but that was quite literally a PERFECT night. I am just really glad to have met so many amazing and awesome people before I leave for my mission. I can only imagine it gets better from here on out =)

But now lets do an update on the Fish Tank!!!!!

                                                      this is a sponge. I call it spongebob =)

                             this is a Tuxedo Urchin, he wears shells and other things on him he finds in the tank.

Some More Details

Ok so like I said on my last update I am going on a mission, but iv been getting a number of questions and think Ill answer some of them here for every one to see.

I am going to Minnesota, Minneapolis. I will be leaving July 25th But I will have my farewell July 15th (so mark your calendars) I will be sending out an Invite via facebook some time in the near future.

One question I have been asked "am i still going to school." the answer is yes. I am and its very....challenging going to school and trying to prepare to go on my mission. Another question I've been asked is "did i get the EKG Tech job?" The answer is also yes. I could have had the job but i turned it down because I knew I was leaving in the near future (Horrible timing).

Once I find out were my mission home is in Minnesota I will post the address here and on facebook. If any one has any questions please don't be shy to ask =)

My Big Surprise

I have for some time now have had a big secret I'v been keeping. I am leaving to go to Minnesota, Minneapolis for 2 years for my LDS Mission.

I have known that I was leaving and were I was going for a long time but kept it close to the vest because...well I don't do very well with goodbyes. I am very anxious and excited about my mission but I also am leaving behind a lot of friends I have made, possible relations and many other opportunities which makes me sad. Although I am saddened, I am even more so excited to "get out of my four walls". I will be leaving for the provo MTC July 25th, 2012. My Mission is very large and actually extends into Canada so im waiting on my passport. It should be arriving in about 2 more weeks (fingers crossed).

 I will be updating more about my mission and if you have any questions your more then welcome to ask.