why idaho?

When I was a freshman, I had a lot of dreams of how I wanted my future to turn out. I wanted to be married as quickly as I could possibly manage (I wasn't afraid of commitment). I had already thought out the potential names of my potential future children. I wanted a house somewhere in the Wasatch mountain range that I could take care of and call my own. I dreamed of attending BYU ... Idaho.

I got my hands on a brochure for the campus a few weeks after I got home from EFY and I read every page. I devoured information and put statistics in the back of my mind. I also prayed and prayed to know if BYUI would be "the school" for me. Every time I prayed, I can remember feeling comfort and peace.

I was a freshman and my dreams soon changed. I realized the beauty of marriage but also recognized the joy that comes with courtship and having a good time. I became a little more humbled when it came to my own parenting skills. I also learned that housing in Utah is EXPENSIVE, and my dream of obtaining a house of my own on the Wasatch range became a little bit more of a dream then reality.

However, my dream to go to BYU Idaho remained. I waffled for a long time between BYU Provo and Idaho; I took a trip out west just to consider my feelings about it (and to see General Conference). I found myself underwhelmed with the Rexburg area and further enamored with Provo, yet I couldn't shake the feeling that Rexburg was where I needed to be.

When people would ask me about my plans, I would sheepishly reveal this information to them. Moving from the middle of nowhere to the middle of nowhere is not supposed to be appealing to the average high school teenager. Going to a school that is notably less prestigious than it's sister school is not the normal goal for a high school valedictorian.

I really can't explain to others why I know that I need to attend BYU-Idaho ... I just know that I do. I know that happiness and fun and learning awaits me there. I could anticipate my success there when I talked to random people while walking aimlessly throughout campus. "Are you happy here? Do you love it?" I would ask and EVERY SINGLE TIME I received an enthusiastic yes with ten reasons why they loved it in Rexburg. You can feel a difference when walking on campus. It is the coolest thing ever!

I am so excited to be attending BYU-I sometime in the next year (I still haven't received my track assignment). I am so excited for the blessings that will come from obtaining an education and making a decision that I know has been influenced by Heavenly Father's plan for me. As I have followed what Heavenly Father asks me to do, I have been able to discover what true happiness is.

Here is a lovely quote by Henry B. Eyring about BYUI: "I hope I live long enough to someday meet some employer who employed one of you and says, "Where did that come from? I've never had such a person. Why people just flock around that person. And they want to follow. They don't have to be led; they're seeking to go where that person wants to go. And they come up with new ideas. I don't know where that comes from. They seem to find a better way, and the budget doesn't go up. I can't understand it." And I'll smile and say, "Well, come with me to Rexburg." And I may not be able to show it to you, and I may not be able to prove it to you, but you'll feel it. There will be a spirit here, I so testify, because of the love of God for all of His faithful children. And those blessings will be poured out here in rich abundance." I get chills when I read this. You, dear reader, might not be physically coming with me to Rexburg ... but I hope you can feel the influence that attending there will have in my life as I continue to write and to learn and to grow.