Home

Well, for those of you who don't know, I moved home on April 3rd. (just in time for my 22 birthday on April 5th) I decided to move back about as suddenly as I decided to move to Provo. Turned out, it was not the land of milk and honey. At least not for me anyways... But I'm ok with that. And for those of you who bet I would be engaged in three months... It's time to pay up, you lose. I am also very ok with that. haha it was just time to come home though. There are situations here that I am helping with, that make me know it was meant for me to come home at this time, because if I wasn't here, I would not be able to help near as much as I am now. 

But in the fall I am off for another adventure! Not quite sure what that is, but I figure its about time to finish my business degree and then I have also decided I want a communications degree as well. But who knows, these are subject to change every ten minutes. I am a girl after all.... 

But while in Utah, I learned A LOT about a lot. Who I am, who I want to be, what I want to be, where I want to be, how I want to make people feel, how I want to help people, how I want to make a difference in the world, parenting, car buying, dating, houses, spouses, patience (so not there yet), how I need to put my plans and wishes behind His, because obviously He has better plans that what I could ever dream of...  

And yes, I SUCKED at blogging while I down there. But I will catch you all up on my life. I had a pretty basic routine. I would wake up, go to work, go to the gym, then go home. On the occasional weekend I would have a date, but for the most part I just hung out with my brother (until he moved to Rexburg for school) and my 40 year old uncle. Who is IDENTICAL to my father, so it was like being with my dad. not really that exciting... With going to the gym every day, I was able to get my endurance up to be able to run six miles a day. And for those of you who know me, know I hate running. When I first started I couldn't run one mile without stopping. 

So all in all, I didn't hate it, but I also didn't love it. But I am so glad that I did it, and I am so grateful for all the people who helped me. Hiring me, getting me a car, introducing me to other people, hanging out with me, taking me on dates, letting me cry on their shoulder even when I just met them... Everyone and everything. I am SO grateful for all of it. 

Until the fall, I will just be working here in Fairbanks at my amazing job at Fireweed Boutique, playing with my niece and nephew (Eva turns three TODAY! and Isaiah turned one on April 7th, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!) and enjoying the Alaskan summer and as much of the outdoors as I possibly can. 

I can't promise I'll be any better at blogging, but hopefully that's because I'll be busy being a better person! Until next time, big gulps! 

Culture Shock

So it’s officially been a week since I moved to Provo. Things sure are different around here! My uncle helped me go to IKEA, and let’s just say it was a complete sensory overload and I loved every stinking minute of it. But! To catch you all up in my superbly exciting bachelorette life here’s what I have done with my life in that one week:

Monday: arrived in SLC, went to Gpa’s house and hung out, went to Provo, moved in to my room, went to Nick’s FHE group activity which was a bonfire activity, hung out.

Tuesday: only slept in till ten, woke up showered, and went to IKEA, which took all day! Then came home and played musical furniture with some dressers, and cleaned my room. Also on this day, my brother thought it would be hilarious to teach me how to drive stick shift. On the highway. It was very scary. But kinda cool. But still kinda scary. So I was amid running around asking for job applications, and then it happened. I stalled in the middle of the intersection. Twice. There were like six or seven cars behind me and they were honking and one car drove around me and yelled “LEARN HOW TO DRIVE!” I just screamed back “IM TRYING!” ugh, that was a day. Haha  

Disclaimer: Boys are dirty. Very dirty. Especially teenage boys. And this room, which I am so grateful for, and thankful that my uncle would actually take me in, hasn’t been lived in, in quite some time. So cleaning the room was a two day process with cleaning the windowsills and washing the walls and sweeping and refinishing the floors.

Wednesday: I cleaned some more, made a job resume and a cover letter, and then went country dancing! Which was AWESOME. Even though I wasn’t always dancing, I had a great time watching some of the couples swing all over the floor. We (we being my friend Joe from Alaska who goes to BYU, his roommate Austin, and two girls so I was the odd man out but it’s not like there weren’t lots of other available men to dance with) met a guy there who told us about how on Tuesdays its instructional and they teach you new things! So now I know where I’m going to be spending my Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday nights!

Thursday: cleaned my room some more, played even more musical furniture, my uncle said it’s like I’m a girl or something… and I need lots of space for my clothes. I drove around in the stick shift…

And all that which was written above^^ was written LAST week but then saved as a draft because my brother and I decided to go dancing again. Which was great fun.

SINCE THEN. I have gotten a job, (WAHOO!), I bought my first car, (another WAHOO!) and I had a meeting with the bishop of ward 228. (It’s ridiculous because were not even the last ward. THERES SO MANY PEOPLE.)  I’m having a challenging time with that. My job is at Buckle in Provo Towne Center, I was hired in the Leadership in Training program. I am very excited. My car. He is awesome. It’s a he, but I don’t have a name yet. There’s a list of possibilities I’m testing out. It’s a black 1998 Volvo S-70 with leather interior, with a sunroof (that’s what sold me, just kidding! Kind of… ). I really like it.

I have started to make some friends! And when I say that I mean the three I met at church and then my brother friends who I count as mine.  

Anyways, this is really long and I'm running out of things to say.

Other than….

A HUGE shout out to my mom and pops, D&D, Debbie & Dougie fresh, who are the best parents in the entire world and I love them so much and I am grateful for everything and appreciative for all that they have done for me. Which has been but not exclusive to, multiple phone calls a day, probably a hundred texts a day, and already like six care packages already. P.S. I’ve only been gone 21 days….

Oh Goodness

Slowly but surely I have had more and more friends and family join the blogging world, and I have been thinking about it. 1) because I am THE worlds worst journal-er and maybe this will help redeem me, and it counts.. kind of... and 2) I have been going through this laundry list of hilarious mishaps and stories that have been happening in my life, and I think that more people need a laugh in their own life, so why not laugh WITH me at my own...? Right?

First off, I am a 21 year old female, currently living in Fairbanks Alaska. Also known as God's country, because its so beautiful here. Although this is all about to change on Sunday September 30th, because I am moving to Provo Utah. 

Oh, why? You may ask, and honestly, I cannot answer that question. I SWORE that I would never move to Utah, let alone Provo of all places. But I have prayed about it and sure enough, that's where God thinks I should be. (At least that has been my interpretation of this whole moving shenanigan, so we'll see... ;)) In Fairbanks I have a FANTASTIC job working at Fireweed Consignment Boutique with beautiful ladies, helping to make other ladies feel beautiful as well. I have learned so much at this job and I am very sad to leave it. Especially to go into the unknown and unemployment, with no mode of transportation, and I don't even know where the grocery store. (I don't really know why the whole grocery store thing is a big deal to me, but it is. I think its because I like to cook and to eat, and when I don't know where the food is, I get a little worried...) But I digress, I'm going anyways, and I am actually really excited about it. And incredibly nervous at the same time. 

Did I tell you I don't even know how to ride a bus? (side story...)
I lived outside of my school district as a kid, and so my mom drove us to school every morning. I know, that woman is a SAINT I tell you. After all, she does have me as a kid and I'm still alive.. SO I never rode a bus. Only for like school field trips and things, but the only true form of public transportation I have ever ridden (before the subway in Boston, which is an ENTIRELY can of worms) is the student shuttle that we have on campus at University of Alaska Fairbanks. And I rode it once.... for three minutes... less than the distance of 300 yards. After I got off the shuttle, I called my dad, the conversation went a lil somethin like this:
Kiana: "DAD! You'll NEVER guess what I just did."
Dad: "OK you're right, I give." 
Ki: "I just rode on public transportation."
Dad: "uh where? Didn't you have class this morning?"
Ki:"I rode the shuttle from upper campus! it was -40 below and I didn't want to walk.. Dad I was so scared..." 
Dad:*erupting in laughter* "wow Ki, you're right, I am so proud..." *still laughing he proceeds to tell his whole office about my "near death experience on the dreaded public transportation"*  and it is still a family and office joke to this day. (this was two years ago BTW...)

Yes. If your thinking it, I am absolutely spoiled rotten. This I am aware of, and fully acknowledge. Hence the spur of the moment picking up and moving out to nowhere with no plans. I realize, Baby Girl needs to grow up. 

There are some things I do know: 
1) I have a place to stay! Thanks to my Uncle Eric, I will be living at the self proclaimed "bachelor pad" with four boys... Uncle Eric, Nick(brother), Andrew, and Aaron (wish me luck) 
2) I will have my brother, he is my best friend and as long as he's there, I know I'll be ok. 
3) I will have the church. Luckily It's still true no matter where you go in the world. 
4) If things go bad, I can always come home.   
 5) I will miss my mom and dad and sister and brother in law and my niece and nephew more than words can allow. I get choked up just thinking about it. Oh, and my dogs.