Life in Cedar City

I realized it has been a month since my last blog, so I figured it was about time for a new one.  Well,  I've been in Cedar City for almost two weeks now and I love it down here.  My classes are going really well and I think the SUU campus is beautiful.  I am taking Continental Western European Lit. 1, British Lit. 1, Literature and Critial Theory, Shakespeare, and French.  I'm also taking Atonement, Repentance, and Forgiveness for my Institute class.  The professors in the English department down here are amazing.  They really know what they are talking about and they make class interesting and fun.  I'm really enjoying my French class.  It is definitely tough to learn a different language, but it's fun as well.  My professor is really patient and she wants her students to succeed.  She makes it comfortable to participate in class, so that's good too.  I had my first quiz in French yesterday and I feel pretty good about how I did.  I can introduce myself and ask how someone is doing, count to 60, and name a few objects in French.  It's slow going, but fun none the less.  My Institute class is amazing.  I love being able to go each day and study a talk that a general authority has given about the Atonement, Repentance, and Forgiveness.  It has already started to give me a different outlook on life.  I love being able to get out of the world for 50 minutes two days a week and just be able to feel the Spirit and study the gospel.  I truly love my church and its teachings.  I know without a doubt that it is the true church on the earth today.

It's definitely different to be living out on my own, but I'm enjoying it.  I miss my family and friends in Price, but it's so nice to feel like I'm progressing again in life.  I have a goal and I won't stop until I achieve it.  It may take me two years to obtain my Bachelor's Degree, but at least I'm working on getting it.   The only hard thing down here is that I can't seem to find a job.  I tried to apply to be a tutor in the writing center, but they were already full.  Then, yesterday, I had one of my professor's say that the new English faculty member was looking for a student to help them grade English 1010 assignments.  I contacted the lady and she asked if we could meet to talk about it either tomorrow or Friday.  Well, I emailed her my schedule and she just emailed me back and said that she missed the deadline, so she can't hire me now.  I'm pretty bummed because it sucks to be out of work, but I guess something will work out when it's supposed to.  I wish I could get a job down here like I had at CEU.  It was great to work at the school because I didn't have to work weekends or holidays and it was really easy to get work off because I could just make up my hours later.  I just really want to find a job. 

I'm trying to stay positive about everything in life.  Really things aren't that bad, they just aren't quite going according to plan.  At least my student loan came through, though, so my tuition and fees are all paid off.  I just need to pay off my $250.00 French book.  I'm looking forward to making some new friends at SUU.  I've met a lot of people, but no one that I've really connected with yet.  It's still early, though.  I'm in a good Single Adult Ward and hopefully I'll have the opportunity soon to get in with a good group of friends.  Right now, though, I'm just trying to focus on my studies and enjoy life as a college student. 

I hope that life is going well for all of you.  Know that wherever you are that I love and miss you.  And thank you for being such a positive influence in my life.  I owe a little bit of the person that I am today to each of you.  Even if we aren't that close please know that you have touched my life in one way or another.  May life bring you everything that you are looking for.  Never give up.  If things look like they can't get any worse, just know that there is someone out there who has it worse than you do.  Always look for something positive in your life and when negative influences come around do all that you can to come up with something positive.  God bless you all!