Home on the range!! (or the farm)

I recently returned home from visiting Louisiana! It was absolutely a blast and I loved every minute of it! After living in Kentucky for a year, I didn't really notice what I had learned. Who knew it would take a 2,400 mile trip(that's both ways) to actually know what I learned. I knew that I would learn alot from living in Kentucky but I never really knew that it was as deep as it was! I always realized the stuff I learned from kids at school but by going to Louisiana, I learned/found in the last year: myself or who I really am and what I stand for, I really can stand on my own, I am so pumped for college now and to move along with my life, I embrace change a little better, and I have become more accepting of people and their ways. Even though almost every minute of my life in Kentucky faces opposition, I wouldn't trade it for the world. Of course, there is oppositon in all things and that's one of the purposes of this life, learning to overcome that opposition.

While in Louisiana, I went to Girl's Camp, which was absolutely amazing. It is so AMAZING to be able to be with a group of girls who accept you for who you are. They believe the same as you and even help you keep your standards. It is such a strength for me, it's that little recharge that we hope for and I so desperately need! I also went to EFY, which is Especially For Youth. I guess you could say it's a church camp, but for my deffintion, it is where a whole bunch(this year 800) of LDS youth come together at a university and spend a week. We have classes and dances and devotionals and game night and a testimony meeting and pizza night. But I would say that the most important part isn't scheduled, it isn't a class or anything I said above, but it's the bond you make with the people you are with. There are groups that are called "companies" and there is usually one girl group and one guy group in each company, however, you can two girl groups and one guy group or vise versa. And having 800 youth at EFY, you spend a ton of time with your company. My company was amazing! The girls were awesome and they totally accepted me for me, and I loved that! And the guys in our company are just amazing! They helped me in so many ways that I'm sure most of them will never know! But EFY for me is probably the greatest week of my year. Honestly, I hate leaving and I wish there were more! And now that I have looked more into college because it's my senior year and I'm in a time crunch, I have realized that when I go to college it's going to be one big continuous EFY! I mean, yeah, I will have school work and a job but I can't wait for that spirit. I love it so much and that spirit helps me so much! I hope to have pictures up soon from EFY! I will deffinately get back to you on that!