Back to the BYU Bubble

Being home was so wonderful. I loved just jumping right back into the place I left off. I loved being able to just get right back into the groove with my high school friends as if nothing had changed. Actually, nothing really did, even though we did have very different college experiences.

I quickly became aware of how different my college experience was from my friends' college experiences. I heard all about the drunken dilemmas, raging parties, and late night hook-ups. I have to confess after the first like two stories I got sick of it real quick. I just don't understand where the joy is in that. My friends kept saying, "Man, I'm so sorry you don't get to experience real college life," but honestly I couldn't ask for anything more than the college life I am living.

I feel like I have grown more in these past two semesters at BYU than in my whole life. I have learned more than just what was taught in my classes. I learned how to love everybody including myself. I've learned how I work best. I've learned and come to understand more fully the Atonement and all that it means for me. I've learned how the Holy Ghost works in my life. I've learned that when I put this gospel first, everything just falls in place. I've learned all that and so much more just in the last two semesters. I have grown more as a person and I don't think any other "college life" could teach as much as my BYU college life does.

Even though I wasn't at all happy to say good-bye to Herndon and all the people still there, I am glad to be back in the "BYU bubble". I know I complain about the "bubble" but I feel safe in the "bubble." Some may say that that is me being sheltered, but I see it as the complete opposite. In the "bubble" I can count on people to hold doors for me. I can count on people offering to carry things if I'm clearly struggling. I can count on people to be there to listen even if we aren't close friends. I can count on people having the same standards as me and encouraging me to be better. I can count on feeling the Spirit in every class. And all those things I count on, are not small things. They mean the world to me, they are the reasons I have grown as much as I have.

So yes. My college experience is so much different then the typical college experience. But I am so glad it is. I'm grateful for the person I am becoming rather then being upset at the drunkenness, parties, and hook-ups I'm missing.