Owen and I realized we didn't want to do a long distance relationship. We didn't even want to try it. After spending every day with him for the last 2 months, I could not imagine being away from him for any amount of time. I decided I was going to Utah.
It was two weeks before Christmas (and two and 1/2 weeks before Owen was leaving to go back to Provo) that I finally told my parents my plans to move up to Utah. Even though I didn't have a place to live yet OR a job, I convinced them it was a good idea and I was going to be okay. I was so nervous to go. I was 23 years old and had never, ever lived anywhere else besides Mesa, AZ.
Two days after Christmas, I packed up my life into my little Honda Civic, then Owen and I drove up to Provo. I was going to stay with his sister, Lydia, until I found a place to live. Owen had already had a place to live with his roommates at Highland Park. Everything was so new and exciting for me! It was so fun being there with Owen. And I knew he was going to take care of me.
It was two weeks before Christmas (and two and 1/2 weeks before Owen was leaving to go back to Provo) that I finally told my parents my plans to move up to Utah. Even though I didn't have a place to live yet OR a job, I convinced them it was a good idea and I was going to be okay. I was so nervous to go. I was 23 years old and had never, ever lived anywhere else besides Mesa, AZ.
Two days after Christmas, I packed up my life into my little Honda Civic, then Owen and I drove up to Provo. I was going to stay with his sister, Lydia, until I found a place to live. Owen had already had a place to live with his roommates at Highland Park. Everything was so new and exciting for me! It was so fun being there with Owen. And I knew he was going to take care of me.
Owen started school at BYU right away. I got busy looking for a job and an apartment right away. Within the first few days in Provo, I found a job doing administrative work for a company. (I only did this job for a few weeks then found a better job doing insurance work). I took me a few weeks to find an apartment I liked. But the one I found was perfect. It was a Belmont which was right down the street from Owen's apartment. It took about 3 minutes to walk back and forth between our places. The girls I lived with were super nice. I'm glad I got so lucky with a great place to live. I was finally starting to feel like I had a life in Utah. The only part I really did not like was the snow and cold. I was not a fan of it. I hated driving in it. Those cold, snowy days is when I missed Arizona the most.
Owen and I spent any extra time we had with eachother. There were days I would go to school with him, and there were nights he would sit a work with me.
We spent weekends going on dates or out with friends or just hanging out between our two apartments.
Owen took me to all the fun places you could see around Provo and Salt Lake. I loved the dating period in our lives. It was fun and care free.
Owen and I spent any extra time we had with eachother. There were days I would go to school with him, and there were nights he would sit a work with me.
We spent weekends going on dates or out with friends or just hanging out between our two apartments.
Owen took me to all the fun places you could see around Provo and Salt Lake. I loved the dating period in our lives. It was fun and care free.
:.Sundance Film Festival.:
We spend a lot of time with Owen's roommates. I'm glad he lived with such fun guys. They really made that semester a blast.
:.Owen's roommates.:
We spent a lot of time with Owen's family too. It gave me a chance to get to know his sisters better. We were always at Dan and Lydia's playing games or watching the girls or hanging out.
:.Lydia's House.:
The best thing about that winter semester in Provo was having our season passes at The Canyons in Park City. We would always go snowboarding at least once a week. Owen bought me a brand new snow board at the beginning of the season. He was a lot better than me at the time, but he was always so patient with me on the slopes. Little things like that showed me how much he cared. I loved it.
.:The Canyons:.
The best thing about that winter semester in Provo was having our season passes at The Canyons in Park City. We would always go snowboarding at least once a week. Owen bought me a brand new snow board at the beginning of the season. He was a lot better than me at the time, but he was always so patient with me on the slopes. Little things like that showed me how much he cared. I loved it.
.:The Canyons:.
.:The Canyons:.
We went back down to Arizona two different times for weddings. We drove down with friends both times. It was such a good break from the cold and snow. And it was nice to see my family again. I loved these little road trips with Owen.
.:Arizona trip.:
.:Arizona trip.:
.:Arizona trip.:
.:Arizona trip.:
Some of my other favorite memories of that Winter semester in Utah were:
..going to dollar movies Monday nights..
..watching tv series all night long with Owen and his roommates..
..Wendover trips..
..going out to lunch everyday: especially jdawgs..
..FHE Monday nights with Owen's ward..
..poker games with Owen and his roommates..
..80's night in Salt Lake..
..concerts..
..hot tubbing it up at 24 Hr. Fitness..
..cooking for Owen and his roommates..
..going to church with Owen..
..late nate ranchiritos..
..dance parties..
..games at the Liddles..
.:General Conference:.
By this time, Owen and I had talked about getting married. We looked at rings and talked about it all the time. We knew we would eventually get married, we just didn't know when. Owen wanted to get married sooner than later. I had mixed emotions. I knew I wanted to marry him, but I felt like I had just gotten out of one so I wasn't in a rush.
On Easter Sunday, Owen had the idea of hiking the Y in Provo. I had never done it before (since it was snowy since I got there) so I was excited to go. When we got to the top, there was a Easter basket sitting on a boulder. Owen told me to go look inside. I don't know why I didn't catch on...but I didn't for a while. I kept telling Owen it probably belonged to someone so we shouldn't mess with it. He kept insisting we look in it. So finally I did. In one of the eggs, there was a pretty little ring. Owen got down on his knee and proposed. Of course, I said yes. I definitly wasn't expecting to get engaged that day...what a surprise! But I was so happy. I was so happy to know that Owen would be mine forever.
.:Engaged:.
.:Engaged:.
.:Engaged:.
The school semester finally came to and end. The snow started to melt and Utah suddenly become warm and beautiful. Owen had an internship set up in Atlanta for the summer. Again, I was faced with the decision to stay in Utah (pretty much by myself), go back to Arizona (where I had no job) or some how go to Atlanta with Owen so we didn't have to be apart.
.:Spring Time in Provo:.
.:Spring Time in Provo:.
The week before Owen was leaving for Atlanta, we took our engagement pictures in down town Salt Lake.
.:Engagements:.
.:Engagements:.
.:Engagements:.
.:Engagements:.
.:Engagements:.
At the end of April, Owen and I left for Atlanta. I decided to go with him. I got the bright idea to do APX summer sales in Atlanta with an Atlanta office. That way, I could have a job and have free rent for the summer. But most importantly, be close to Owen. Everything totally worked out! We found out that the North Atlanta office for APX was about 10 minutes away from Owen's intership office. Also, Owen worked out a deal that he would work for APX (since he did it for the last 2 summers) until his internship started and then on Saturdays. That way, he could live for free at the apartments as well. It was seriously perfect. The only hard part was telling my parents I was leaving my newly established life in Utah to knock doors by myself in Atlanta. They weren't happy at all. But I still went. There was no way I was going to be away from Owen for the whole summer, especially now that we were engaged.
So our next stop...Atlanta for the summer.
So our next stop...Atlanta for the summer.
