University of North Caroline at Chapel Hill!

Well, it is official! I will once again be a student, but this time it will be at UNC! I begin their accelerated nursing program on Tuesday and will finish May 2015! I am very excited for this new opportunity and adventure.  I am very blessed to have parents who support me in my endless quest for a career that I feel will be a positive fit for my personality and desires.  Working at the hospital this past year, has been a great learning experience and I believe has helped me decide that nursing is what I would like to pursue! 

Final Trip of 2013!!

During the 2nd weekend of November, I went on my final backpacking trip of 2013 and we hiked 40 more AT miles to put me at 200 AT miles over the past 2 years!! I am on track to hike the entire trail over the next 20 years of my life!! =) It was another wonderful trip. The day time weather could not have been more perfect, the night time was a little on the chilly side!! =) As always, I savored the opportunity to be out in the beautiful world that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ created for us. 

This tree is apparently the largest tree on the entire AT!! It and I deserved a grand hug!

Jaclyn, Brenna (a friend of Jaclyn's from DC), Jake, and Daniel (not pictured) joined me on this adventure!!

Hard At Work!

Back in October, my mom and Elizabeth came to visit for a few days and while they were visiting we put ourselves to work and finally hung my window after it sat on my floor for forever! My mom was more excited about this than anything else we did those few days.  We borrowed a drill from a man in my apartment building and decided our project was a success!! Thanks Mama for your help and inspiration!

During their visit, we made a trip to the North Carolina State Fair and had a great time.  The pumpkin in the background won the prize for being the largest, it was huge!!  We had a great time, seeing the beautiful produce, eating delicious food, seeing the many different farm animals, and viewing all the different exhibits!

McAfee Knob on the AT!!

My AT adventures continue and this one left me with some amazing views and three ugly spider bites! I have been wanting to do a section of the AT for a while that takes in a spot called McAfee Knob and is the most photographed spot on the Appalachian Trail.  My friend Jaclyn from DC wanted to do it as well, so we met in the middle and had a great time. This trip ended up being a 35 mile section in three days and it was wonderful.  We had amazing weather, hiked several different types of terrain, and had a run in with the cops!  What more could you ask for on a hike through the woods.  The more I backpack on the AT the more I come to love my time there.  If I can get in one more 40 mile trip this year, I will hit 200 miles backpacked on the AT over the past two years!!  Enjoy the pictures from the trip!!

Mt. LeConte 2013

Ever since I was a little girl, my family has gone camping. I came to love this activity as a child and that love continues today.  During my college years, I did not camp very much due to my long hours of study and most of my camping equipment stayed in TN while I was in UT.  Since being back on the east coast in a more permanent state, I have been able to camp and backpack much more and continue to love it with that childhood zeal I had many years ago.  This summer Elizabeth, my mom and myself were able to camp for a couple of days in the Smokey Mountains and my dad was able to join us on Saturday to hike Mt. LeConte.  As stated in Alma 30:44, "...all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator."  These are the words I think of when I am out in the mountains and am blessed to behold the beautiful creations of our Heavenly Father!!

 On top of Clingman's Dome with Elizabeth and Mama

 Elizabeth and I

 State Line between TN/NC - two of my favorite places

 Top of LeConte

 The Great Smokey Mountains!!!

Adventures in Utah!

While in Utah, I got to see some of my favorite people and visit some of the beautiful parks the west has to offer.  Here is a brief picture display of my comings and goings while I was out west:

Matthias, Antonia, and Miriam

 Aunt Irma, Jed, Penelope, Rebecca, and Derek

 Jen Berger's Wedding Reception - graduate school friends

 Elizabeth and Jamie

 Lacee and I on a hike near Salt Lake City

 Cindy - my trainer from the mission!!

 Kari and Maria - some of my Springville friends 

 Bryce Canyon National Park - Elizabeth and Sammy

 More graduate school friend get together!

 Becca from Wyoming!

 Lisa and her adorable kids - we were next door neighbors in Courtside

 Trail run in Park City with Eryn!

 Annie and the kids in their new house!

 Natural Bridges National Monument

 Mesa Verde National Park

 Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado

 Mary's Baptism - so glad we could be there for that special occasion!

 Wasatch Back Ragnar Race 2013

Trip West!

If you have been following my blog over the past few months, you know by now that I have been planning on making a career change.  This change continues to become more real as the time quickly races on.  This summer I spent Spring Term at BYU taking Microbiology and Physiology so that I could apply to the accelerated nursing program at UNC this fall.  I actually completed the application this morning but will not find out the results until the end of October, crazy.  My wonderful mother drove across the country with me in order to spend May and June at BYU!! We had a great trip and got to make a couple stops along the way.  I have driven past the St. Louis Arch many, many times and finally got to stop and venture up into it.  We also stopped in Cheyenne, WY where I got to see many of my wonderful friends and a few family members.  Keely, Austin, and Emily even made the drive up from Ft. Collins to have dinner with me, it was so great to see them.  I am so blessed with a great family and wonderful friends!

 We were able to visit the Kansas City Temple on our drive through!

 I just love these people! Emily, me, Keely, Asher, Leif, and Austin