"did you like your freshmen year?"

I can't even count how many people have asked me this in the last couple weeks. And here is my {attempt at a} short blog post to explain why I had the greatest 8 months.

Brigham Young University. 
It's my favorite place in the world, thanks to all the memories it now holds!

First off, I made the most amazing friends. In high school I had a really, really close group of friends. I went to college thinking "oh, I'll make lots of friends but nothing can compare to the awesome girls I had from high school!"
And the number one thing I learned at college is that all friendships are different. They depend on where you are in life and what you need. Kayla and Cady were everything I could have asked for. They are the absolute greatest and without them, freshmen year would have been pretty darn dull!

Look at these two! How could you NOT just love them??

KAYLA:
Another question I get is "did you like your roommate?"

Yeah. Yeah I really did. I lucked out! We had so many crazy memories and deep talks. She is hands-down the most caring person I have ever met. She is always there to listen and has great advice. She will be the best missionary ever and her testimony is so strong! She was such an awesome support to me, from cooking me pre-econ-test breakfasts {I'm not exaggerating} to making fantastic posters for my ceiling to motivate me in econ { (; } to being the biggest birthday planner ever. From the first night bawling about wanting to go home to the last day bawling in the SLC airport because we didn't want to go home... this girl became my best friend! I mean, you should have seen some of our crazy nights in 2116.

CADY:

I'm not sure when it happened, possibly after the M&M mess or the random late night talks that started at the beginning of the year, but somehow the girl across the hall from me became my diet-coke-loving, library-going, daily-running, advice-giving, speed-walking, loud-talking partner in crime! {no, actually some people, cough cough, couldn't comprehend that once in a rare while, Cady and I weren't together!}

CADY & KAYLA:

Where do I start about the three of us? Dance parties at two a.m.? Good night talks that lasted a minimum of two hours EVERY SINGLE NIGHT without fail? Our epic social plans? Our lists? MOA cafe lunches? Our addiction to subway cookies? Our endless laughs?

THE HALL/RELIEF SOCIETY:

from the very first night at college^^^

our epic music video

to our sleepover/girls night^^^

1. There was NO DRAMA in my hall. unbelievable right?! We all got along! (:
2. It's fun living in the dorms because it also means you have 40 closets. I'm pretty sure I never wore my own clothes. ever.
3. My hall was also my relief society. It's hard to explain how fantastic it is to see these girls every single day then see them at church. You watch them live their standards. You know that they actually care when they ask what's new. just... ahhhh I loved my hall! These girls were SO FUN!

MY WARD {YSA 114}:

These people. ahhh. so great. Every single Sunday was amazing! You learn so much just by listening to them! And ward prayer?? One of my favorite parts of the week.

MY HOME:
I never thought that I would consider a 20 x 15 ft room, a bathroom shared with 40 girls, and a kitchen shared with the entire building as my home. But I do!

please excuse the mess, we were in the middle of packing to come home.

Coming home to that little dorm room every day was great. Taylor Hall really did become my favorite place. LIVE IN THE DORMS, PEOPLE. DO IT.

THIS AWESOME GROUP OF PEOPLE:

look at these studs! Also, please note that dylan and I were the intramural champs if you don't remember :D

BYU social life is crazy, guys. First of all, it is perfectly normal for social things to begin at 11 pm. Also, it's perfectly ok to schedule multiple social things in a row. Like, oh, I'll go to lunch with ..., then the library with {usually cady or by myself}, then meet everyone for dinner, then go on a date or something, then meet everyone in the lobby at 10:30, then maybe watch a movie with Cady and Kayla at 1 or 2. I'm telling you, I considered going to bed before two a.m. as "early". From crepes and in-n-out at midnight, to capture the flag, to the trampoline place, to dollar movies, to 80s nights, to card games, to spur of the moment adventures these people made my freshmen year. It was fun knowing that any time, these guys were ready for fun!

Within months they will be across the globe! From Canada, to Japan, to the Philippines, to Panama, to Chile, to Belgium, to Mexico, to who-knows-where-else, I can't wait for missionary mondays!! They are amazing and freshmen year would have been no where as fun without them!
{also, I wouldn't have gotten any birthday cards without them, so that's a plus!}

Ahhh... freshmen year was the greatest!

I won't be back at BYU for 2 years, but hey, this last year was a good way to say goodbye!

-Erica