Looking Back on 2009

I got to thinking today that really last year was a great year for me. There are a few areas where it was, they are friends, family, experience, school, and personal growth.
Friends: 2009 started out with me hanging with my friends in Salt Lake. It was great to be back with old friends. Returning to Moscow I was back with a dear friend Christi. She was one of the first people to talk to me when I made my crazy transfer to U of I in 2008. She told me after our first meeting that she knew we would be friends and she was right. She's been a dear friend ever since. Blood sisters right Christi? ;) Christi just so everyone knows is my favorite ever! The next time I made dear friends is when we had a stake dinner shin dig and I was asked to go play capture the flag and fugitive. It was cold and rainy but a great time! That was the second time I ever hung out With Lara. See the first time I hung out with Lara I was hanging out with our friend Scott at my house when we were invited over to Lara's to play card games. Needless to say there was a girl there who was quite infatuated with Mr. Brinton and she was not nice to me. I after that figured Lara and the beasty were buddies and I figured it was best to stay away. Silly me. When we played capture the flag I agreed with Lara to hide the flag up in the tree. After that I knew we would be a good mischievous team. We then tormented Whitney with playing cards and have kept in touch since. I don't know what I would do without our daily chats. For the summer I decided to take classes and stay in Moscow. Best decision I could have made. First because Moscow in the summer is the greatest! Second, because I got to hang with someone I truly consider a sister, Trista! We had a great summer. Mostly we were preoccupied with school but on those days we got sometime off we went cliff jumping (or cliff falling off for me), the Lentil Festival, dates in Lewiston, finding Janet in Genessee and long night drives. I would not have survived the summer without her. I don't know how I will survive Utah without her either. There aren't words to even describe what this girl means to me. Next is Beth.Beth never really hung out with me until the beginning of this past semester and I am truly grateful she did. Beth understands me more than anyone I have ever met. I can talk to her about anything and she gives me the advice I need. Thanks for always being there Beth! I look forward to hanging with you this summer. Jetta, Jetta, Jetta. Where do I start? Jetta saved my life in BA and is one of the smartest people I know. There are times when I am talking to her when I realize I really am an idiot. :) Because of Jetta I went on a great camping trip and did a road trip to Canada. See Trista and I have these great plans but we don't really follow through. But you get Jetta involved and its done! Jetta and I have taken a great bike trip to Troy and plan on biking Hiawatha in May. Jetta is a good time. Landon is a first year law student and cracks me up. I have never had a more quick witted friend then Landon. He is an Arrested Development nut like I am and we have a good time quoting that show. I'll miss that kid. Hyrum
hmmm...how to begin this. Hyrum was one person (besides Trista, Lara, Christi, Beth, Jetta ok he is the only guy!) that I could be completely blunt and honest with and he would keep hanging around. I never understood why. I liked the fact that we could disagree about everything but it never ruined our relationship. But here is a word of warning. Once you date a good friend and it ends don't expect to stay friends. That was the worst part of ending it. I no longer have my good friend. Well that was depressing to end on that note. So we won't. I am excited for 2010 to reconnect with those friends that have been in Utah while I've been abroad. I also look forward to meeting new friends!
Family: This year I met two new nephews. Kyle and Carson.They both are getting to that really fun age. I also realized that while I enjoyed having my favorites I really enjoy all of my sobrinos. They all have something that cracks me up.
Experience: I have wanted to be an immigration attorney ever since my mission. I can pinpoint exactly when I decided I should look into it. It was my last week in the mission field. My companion Hermana Auxier and I were translating for Luis in a traffic suit. His attorney was meeting with him and we translated. I remember thinking that there needed to be more people like this attorney we were currently chatting with. I wanted to help the people that I had come to love during my 18 months as a missionaries. During the summer I was in the domestic violence and sexual assault clinic. But I also had the opportunity to work in the immigration clinic. I taught a "Know your Rights" class to a group of immigrant workers. They were a great reminder as to why I was in law school. I also worked with a lady to help her get her permanent residency and an asylum seeker get prepared for his interview. It was a great learning experience and I am excited to now move on to my career.
School: Like I mentioned I went to law school solely to do immigration work.
But while in school I realized that I find property law, criminal law and juvenile law were fascinating. While my motto has and always will be "law school makes you stupid", it has also made me a better person. I have become a more compassionate person. I learned that I really can go into a courtroom and hold my own. I also graduated in 2009. I finished a semester early. I have to say I am dang proud of what I have accomplished. I completed my undergrad in 3 years, served a mission and completed law school in 2 1/2 years. I have lived on the other side of the country and realized I could survive. Not only survive but thrive. I feel I've become a better person. Go team!
Lastly, Personal Growth: I felt on my mission that that was the time I truly found myself. That was true. I also feel this last year was another time for that. I found out that if I put my mind to it I could accomplish anything. I have goals for this upcoming year and I plan on completing them. Those include hiking Havasupai, running a half marathon, passing the bar, and doing what I can to make life better for just one person. We can always look back on our life and point out all of our regrets. Or we can continue to move forward and try to make life more meaningful for ourselves and others. Thanks to everyone who has shaped my life to what it is today. I love and am grateful for all of you. There is no where to go but forward. I look forward to the unknown and conquering it along the way.