Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Falling Into Place

Sometimes we wonder what is the plan for our lives. We ask if there is something different that we should be doing or we question the circumstances we currently find ourselves in. Recently, I haven't had to ask any of these things nor have I really considered them. I have been so blessed to be working hard in a major that at times I complain about, but when I have had the chance to really had the opportunity to put my knowledge to the test through working, I have really enjoyed it. I have a girlfriend that I absolutely love and communicate and can relate to on almost every level, whom I share memories, emotions, and so many great laughs and smiles. My family is doing really well, I feel like I have solid roommates and friends and spiritually I am in an amazing place. There seems that even at this point there are things that still need to be done, fixed, or figured out as I move forward... I am a planner so what else is new... the point is that it seems like every hurdle I come up against, the things I need to overcome it fall into place.

In the past, I have talked about the goals, failures, and successes I have seen in my life. Right now I just want to acknowledge Heavenly Father's hand in all things. I have never been happier or had more confidence in my decisions. Could I say that all of this comes from what has happened recently: good grades, staying on top of my classes, being in the most wonderful and loving relationship I have had? I really can't but it without a doubt helps. It helps me know that God loves me. He is where our happiness comes from, knowing that we are accomplishing His will and have His Spirit with us. The individuals and events that have fallen into place are evidence of that and they are a witness of His love for me. He knows me better than anyone... my weaknesses, my shortcoming, my strengths, my talents, my hopes, and my dreams. The last few weeks I can't stop smiling when I stop to think about a bright future coming together for me and the ones I love.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Staying Focused

It is interesting that even though I have the most difficult semester I have ever had at BYU, I am still afloat in all my classes and have spent so much time with my Aussie and helping her in transferring to BYU. She is an animation major which may be part of the total explanation why we have so much in common... goofy, creative, kid-at-heart, etc. Anyways, I never realized how hard it is for international students to study here in America. The hoops they have to jump through are a mile long and then some. But so far, I feel like we have been able to navigate them with a lot of helped from loved ones and I have a feeling that she will be able to pull off the miracle of getting accepted. The original plan was for her to finish her Bachelor's degree over in Australia and then get accepted into a Master's program here at BYU. The catch is there is no Master's program and so we have been rushing to get everything together before the February 1st deadline. It feels like sometimes that there is one hill after another but we have been faithful and miracle after miracle has kept us on track. Nevertheless, any prayers would be appreciated.

Back to how things have been going... in a word, amazing. I feel like we have been able to stay moving forward at a good pace and though I still dread her leaving February to go back home to Australia, I know that we will be able to make it through. We have done so many fun things together. I had no idea that black light mini-golfing was so hilarious and so much fun! We also spent some time up at Park City, have been traveling around Utah doing baptisms for the dead weekly if at all possible, and this weekend we are going to head to Idaho Falls to just recover and relax from the classes and the stress generated from the transfer process. She has been a real trooper through all of it and I can't even begin to say how grateful I have been for the support of my parents in helping us through all of it, the support of her family back in Australia in getting things together in such short notice, and of course God for His hand in all of this.

If there is one thing that has come to my attention it is the fact that it is we really support one another. She tries to make sure I get done the things I need to do for my classes and I am trying to be there for her through everything she has had to last few weeks: figure out how to get paperwork sorted from across the globe, conference calling her parents, talking and setting up appointments with church and school officials and professors, and trying to get her credits transferred. All the time we have been strong on the outside even though I am sure we are both exhausted on the inside. We have handled the pressure and stress of it all with faith and maturity and of course a lot of outside help. But I guess what I am trying to say is that we lean on each other, we trust each other, and by working together, these situations we are navigating are helping our feelings for one another deepen and grow.

I try to plan little trips or activities that we can do that are unique to America and we have done some of those things but we still have so much we want to do. She has gone bungee jumping off the Sky Jump on her trip to Las Vegas, had a blast at Disneyland in California, and we still need to go skiing at Sundance and snowshoeing up at Aspen Grove. I swear that there is never enough time in the day to do everything that you want and need to do. Still we make do with the time we have and enjoy the little things we get to do together. Anyways, I don't think I have ever been happier, confident, and more focused. So I ask everyone to do me this little favor and pray for us. Pray that she can be admitted to BYU and their animation program. It is not every day that we get the opportunity to follow our dreams.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Finally Found Her

So I haven't really been posting too much as of late for two major reasons. The first reason is kind of boring but pretty self-explanatory. My current class schedule consists of Heat Transfer and System Dynamics (Mechanical Engineering courses), Second Half of Doctrine & Covenants, Organic Chemistry, and Human Anatomy. If that isn't ridiculous then I don't know what is. The second reason is that I am currently in a relationship with an absolutely amazing woman.

I don't always like to write about relationships that I am currently in because I think of it almost as if that was bad karma... (knock on wood). But in this case, I feel like I almost have to talk about it. I honestly don't think I have met anyone quite like her. She feels like my other half. We have so much in common and the things that are unique or different between the two of us I love as well too. Our personalities are similar, our long-term goals are similar, and our interests are similar. When I hear her laugh, I just melt. When we kiss, it takes my breath away. She is touchy-feely just like I am. But we also respect one another, listen and talk openly with one another. I have never communicated so well with someone. For being forced to be grow up and be mature at such an early age, she also is so goofy that I just can't help but smile when I think about her. The things that happen when we are with together are so unpredictable and spontaneous that they can only be described as interesting. It's almost hard to believe how happy she makes me.

And the amazing thing is the miracles that have been happening to help this whole thing come to pass. If I think about these last semesters, I had to move out of my old apartment that I liked, find somewhere new to live at the last minute, have specific people also living in my ward, both of us choosing to go to meetings at the last minute that we weren't sure we would attend, all so we could get introduced to each other. Plus this is the first experience that I have had where timing was actually in my favor! If I hadn't taken the classes I did, I wouldn't have been able to help her how I have so far in trying to get her accepted into BYU next November. Then when my internships weren't really coming together for this summer, this realization came that since I was working for my previous employer, I might be able to schedule some time to go across the world to see her. She is leaving to go home in about a month so I hope that the feelings which we have for each other now are just as strong, if not stronger, when she gets ready to leave. The distance will be a good measure of where we are at. But the real miracle is that I am not worried about it at all. I never truly worry or doubt, or am afraid of where this is going because it is mutual and it just feels right.

To put it as simply as possible, I will just quote my dad, "Why did you have to fall in love with someone that lives on the other side of the world?" And I think my dad is completely right... I have fallen for my Australian girl. I guess the long and short of this whole post is... all parts of my life are kind of not where I expected them to be, but at the same point in time, I like where it is all going. I will just have to keep you all posted.