My new favorite letter? You bet it is!

Why? (Pardon the pun)

Because I was accepted!!!

If you had asked me as a freshman about where I wanted to go to college, I would have told you, "anywhere that isn't in my home state." And if you had told me I'd apply to and be accepted to Brigham Young University, I would have asked you, "Who's that?"  (Thinks of more bad jokes-- "BYU? I can't even spell it!")

I never knew the place existed until a year or two ago. I've never actually seen it with my own eyes. I've been warned by many people to expect culture shock. My parents think I'm crazy to want to go so far away (2000 miles, give or take)

But it's funny how the one thing I never expected, the thing that really ought to scare the living daylights out of me, is exactly what I hoped for--exactly what I need. It's like watching a dream I've always had come to life all around me, and I can hardly believe I made it. Careful planning, sacrifices, and self-motivation is what got me here, and it feels really good to get exactly what I always wanted.

*Insert sound of toilet flushing*

No worries. That's just the sound of a long overdue REALITY CHECK.

So what have we now? FAFSA's to fill out (they're practically due already), housing applications, on-campus job applications (I've been on sections of the BYU website that I couldn't tell you how to get back to), meal plans, contacting advisers, sending e-mails, and of course the "hurry up and wait" game. And now that most of that is finished, I have to start applying for jobs, opening bank accounts, and learning all about time management as a working student. That sounds a bit more like college in the adult world, now doesn't it? 

I'm still excited, and I'll still be using the ooey, gooey "my dream come true" rhetoric in order to keep myself focused and motivated. But mostly, I have to start thinking practically--or this dream bubble isn't going to get me all the way to Utah. And that means making sacrifices... so I most likely won't be participating in the school musical like I had anticipated. I have to decide what I really want, and my trip across the country trumps Children of Eden.

And even though this experience has only just begun for me, I've already learned a lot about choices, and the importance of planning and decision-making on achievement. Sure, dreams are nice. Even if they're just unspoken hopes and desires, they're certainly powerful enough to help a person keep up with everything around them. But when you want to get ahead, it takes a little more preparation and a willingness to act. And looking back on my experience with the Church, I see how the gospel has prepared me to be the kind of person who can believe in dreams and actually get somewhere with them. And that, to me, is the true gift; the thing I wouldn't trade for anything.

And now, 2000 miles doesn't seem so far because I know what's on the other side.

Anyone else make a huge move for college? Or a job? Things to expect? Things you wish you would have known? Funny stories? BYU stories, even?