notice: you can be expecting a lot more M:emory posts in the future. during school today, instead of studying, i found myself thinking about high school... and i know if i don't write all these memories down, i'm going to start to forget. and they are the kind of memories i don't ever want to lose.
my junior year of high school, mr. player made everyone in his classes submit an essay to the freedom's foundation. if you wrote a good enough essay, they called you in for an interview. there were to be 50 winners selected from each state to participate in a week-long conference at valley forge. there were six girls selected from richfield high, and i was lucky enough to be among them. we were split into two groups. callie cropper and i were selected to go with 23 other utah kids in march, and the rest of them went in april. this is a documentation of one of the best opportunities of my highschool career. enjoy (:
the trip started out with callie and i staying at her grandma's house the night before we went to the airport. she had never been on a plane before, so i was giving her advice about what to take in her carry-on. apparently she missed the part where i said do NOT put any liquids in there... because she got her hairspray, shampoo, and lotion confiscated at the airport the next morning. i thought it was hilarious, but she didn't seem to think so. in my opinion, a great start to a great week.
callie & i at the salt lake airport... nervously waiting for our plane.
after our four hour flight, we landed in pennsylvania. things moved really fast from then on out. we got our roommates (everyone got a roommate from another state: florida, california, texas... mine was from good old utah. she also thought she was my mother. gooooood times.) and then started with some getting to know you games. the next couple of days were filled with interesting conferences on freedom, guest speakers from the past, early morning wake-up calls, a dance, swap meet, and lots of new friends. my favorite memory was when i realized that utah kids are a little behind on the trends of the world. a girl told me my shoes were "sick" and i got a little offended. realizing i was from utah, she had to explain to me that "sick" was apparently a good thing. i really wish i could remember more little moments like that.
savannah [our new friend from orderville] bruna [our new friend from florida] callie and i at the george washington lecture. they had a legitimate personater come in and talk to us. really cool.
the whole utah chapter
eventually, we got to branch away from valley forge and go touring philadelphia with the florida group. we went to independence hall, the liberty bell, the museum from the rocky movie, a gorgeous old catholic church, and tons of other places. it was raining like crazy on the day we toured around valley forge, and it was surprisingly enjoyable.
callie & i with some of the florida girls in front of independence hall.
our best attempt at a rocky pose. we also took pictures running up the steps rocky-style but we looked ridiculous so... no one gets to see those.
the cathedral at valley forge on the rainy day. it was so gorgeous!
notice how far the water goes up on my pants. sooooo much rain!
they took us to get philly cheesesteaks, but vannah and i decided to go with philly cheesefries instead. baaaad plan. we both got disgustingly sick.
finally, it came time to have our farewell banquet and get on our planes for home. it was hard to leave all our new friends and the beautiful landscapes out there. i still think about it all the time and would love to go back. i know i've forgotten a lot of the experience already, but there are some things i'll never forget. i won't forget my psycho roommate telling me to stop texting. i won't forget walking in the cold to callie's dorm at six in the morning to use her blow dryer and getting locked out in the freezing cold when she wouldn't wake up. i won't forget my new friend jen, who gave me a new outlook on life along with a chance to share the gospel. i'll definitely never forget the small florida kid in the oversize coat. i won't forget the non-denominational freedom service that had us all in tears. most of all, i will never forget how much fun we all had together and all the great and inspiring people i was blessed to spend the week with.
jen, bruna, ezra, savannah, me, and callie at the farewell banquet.
such a sad night... these kids became some of my best friends!
i honestly hope i never forget about this experience. it changed my feelings about freedom and this beautiful country that i have been so blessed to live in my entire life. it helped me realize how much i take for granted and what the true meaning of patriotism is, and even if i forget the little things about the trip, the lessons i learned will stay with me forever.
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