My Nostalgic Weekend

We had a very busy Labor Day weekend. We helped Will's sisters, Becca and Sarah, move into their new apartment in Dinkytown. It's a great apartment, close to campus and we hope they really enjoy it there. Being that close to campus kept reminding me of my U of M time. We drove home on the 10th Street bridge that parallels the 35W collapsed bridge. It was amazing. I used to drive over that bridge every single day and it was very moving to see the destruction. I loved driving through campus and by the Institute. It made me miss a few things and also feel so glad I don't have to go back either!

Five years always seems like a nice round number. Well, five years ago, last weekend, I had just moved to Minnesota. I drove up alone with my Suzuki packed to the hilt to come to orientation. My parents were going to bring up the rest of my stuff on Labor Day. I remember driving up 35W and rounding the corner where you see all of downtown for the first time. After a whole day of driving, I was exhausted and it was dark and I saw this huge downtown and burst into tears, thinking, "what in the world have I done moving here by myself?????" I was so scared! After the week of orientation, I was lonely with a new room mate who had a life and a big, hot, muggy apartment to myself. (No A/C in Uptown but lovely charm! :) Rather than face a hot, lonely Saturday, I drove across town to the temple. It was the only place besides Barnes and Noble where I could imagine spending a free, relaxing, air-conditioned Saturday. And I figured i needed the spiritual boost with the coming weeks. I went to an endowment session, and afterward they asked if I would like to do sealings. I hadn't really done that before so I thought it would be fun. I was paired with a quiet boy who worked at the temple and the sealer knew my grandparents. At the end of the session, the boy told me I had to go back the other way rather than the way I was turning (actually, he tripped over his words so his friend said it for him :) The next day at church he introduced himself as Will Holman. And the rest is history.

I'm so thankful I moved here, and I'm thankful for my quiet boy who talked to me five years ago this weekend. My mother warned me not to fall in love with the first boy who looked twice at me. I failed that one. Oh well. At least it was worth it!