Ode to my semester at BYU!

Well I have finished my first semester here at BYU and I must say that this has been an amazing and very unique experience. I have decided to go back to BYU Hawaii in the January but it is not because I have not enjoyed myself here. To be perfectly honest this place has been a blast.The work load here has been substantial but not over the top and I have not had great grades but have done fairly well overall.
BYU is a unique place. Its the land of the over achiever. Nearly everyone here is a good student, good person, who has some sort of talent in music, sports, art, dance, or they can at least speak another langauge. As far as girls go there are a LOT of pretty girls!!!!! The problem is there is also a lot of cool guys.
Its actually is a funny thing. Lots of people at BYU get married, however very few people date. The other day I was in a hot tub and I asked how many of the eight guys in the hot tub had a steady girlfriend......no one raised there hand and these were eight, cool guys who played sports, had served missions and were good looking. However almost all of them had been on a date in the last week. Everyone here is afraid to hook up because in most cases they are a cool guy hooking up with a cool girl...and when that happens then the inevitable is that the relationship will work out. So everyone dates casually. Its weird but I have been able to date a lot of girls this semester.

The religious atmosphere of the school is great. It is so refreshing to see so many people honestly trying to stand for something. So many people my age are just out looking for a good time and something to please themselves. Its great to see so many people looking to serve something greater than self. Not everyone here is perfect but there is an honest effort to live better and it shows. My classes also have been awesome. OK ANYONE GOING TO BYU MUST TAKE AMERICAN HERITAGE WITH BROTHER HOLLAND!!!!!!! Best class of my life. Its this amazing class, not so much about history as about ideals and principles that America is all about. Still, all of my classes were interesting. The work sucked but the lectures were entertaining, engaging and thought provoking.

This semester like so many was filled with good times, great friends and adventures!

Like driving through the mountains of Utah in the fall in a BMW convertible that your super cool uncle let you borrow!










Like Waking boarding in the coldest lake ever





Like Going eighties dancing every Thursday we could



Like going to southern California on an "epic surf trip"














Like Caroling with real Llamas to random people!



Like Snowboarding!











AND ALL THE OTHERS!!!!!!



Really my life is so blessed and I am thankful for the time I have had here. Still, I have a chance to live in Hawaii and I have decided to investigate it futher by trying it out. We shall see, perhaps my heart will call me back to this place, perhaps not. However, regardless of what happens in the future this semester has been a great time and I hope to have more like it!