An Ode To My Logan Years

I still have student teaching left in the fall before I graduate, but my time here in Logan at Utah State is quickly coming to an end. We are moving to South Jordan next Saturday (!!!) and I am feeling all sorts of bittersweet feelings. In my mind I understand that this will be good for us. I am SO excited to start teaching and there are a lot more schools to choose from outside of Cache Valley. There is also SO MUCH opportunity for Tanner down there. And we'll be closer to family. But it doesn't make it any easier to leave behind this place that is such a big part of me. The years that I spent here literally changed my life. They made me a smarter, kinder person with even smarter and kinder friends. And most of all, the smartest and kindest husband. They really have been the best four years of my life. So here’s to my college years… I will miss you so so so so so much. 

(This is me freshman year moving out of my dorm. Look at me, I was such a little baby!)

Thank you, Katy Kat, for laughing about farts and always being willing to dance on the table to Jason Derulo. Thank you for the late night Oreo runs, for hanging out at football games with me when we had no other friends, for making the best quesadillas, for watching Baby Daddy while squished on my bed, and for being my support when I desperately needed it. Learning to live on my own was definitely a struggle that I couldn’t have survived without you. 

(This is one of my favorite pictures of our roomie days. Just laughing in our beds every single night. Also look at our ghetto apartment we couldn't even open the door all the way because our beds barely fit in the room. Good times.) 

(Some random guy gave us ice cream at the first football game we went to and that was when I knew that Utah State was a good place to be.) 

She comes home in JUNE! YAYYYY.

Thank you, Megan, for taking me to get ice cream when I was sad, and for your contagious, wheezy laugh. Also thanks for planning the best bachelorette party ever!!!

(I feel so nostalgic looking at all these pics. I'm not crying, you're crying!)

Thank you, Chloe, for showing me how much one person can love Netflix, for always talking book recommendations, for watching chick flicks with me, and for being the one I ran to to talk about my first kiss with Tanner. Plus, I'm so glad that we still talk about bad TV shows and good articles and marriage and everything else. I’ll always treasure being your roommate and best friend.

(Make all the boy moose go WAHHHHHHHH)

Thank you, Jamie and Rachel, for being examples of amazing teachers, and for inspiring me to be the same. You helped me find a passion I didn’t know I was missing, and I am so happy to have the best future career in the world!

Thanks, USU Cross Country, for making me realize that I don't actually love having practice for 3 hours a day hahaha. But it was a cool experience and I can now say I was a collegiate athlete ;)

Thank you, Chugz, for being my first job in college and for letting me meet some really cool people. (Also, I am really good at frosting cookies now.) 

Thank you, Boys and Girls Club and After School Club for really making me grateful that I'm not going into Elementary Ed. But I also became a lot better at dodgeball and Speed, so I can't complain too much :) 

Thank you, biology, physics, and chemistry for teaching me that I definitely don’t want to be a science teacher.

Thank you, YA novels, blackout poetry, and a million other things, for teaching me that I definitely DO want to be an English teacher.

Thanks, Tanner's friends, for being forced to adopt me into your friend group. YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST. 

(I die laughing every time I see this picture. TANNER HAHAHA)

Camp Miguel featuring my black eye!

Tigger Taggers.

Thank you, Old Main, for always looking SO CUTE. 

(I have like 100 more just like these. It just doesn't get old.)

Thank you, Dr. Beck, for teaching me to love my writing. And for showing me that everyone has a story to tell. 

Thank you, Dr. McCuskey, for, although painfully, making me a better writer. I’m so glad I no longer use conclusion paragraphs to just restate everything I already said. After all, you just read my essay, you already know what I said ;) 

Thank you, Dr. Burkert and Dr. Waugh, for teaching me how NOT to interact with students. Yikes. 

Thank you, Education Department, for being THE WORST. You literally could have sent out an email that said "be nice to your students" and it would have taught me more than all of the classes combined. 

Thank you, Mrs. Gardner at Skyview, for getting me excited to teach Psychology and for being a great example of making your students all feel seen and appreciated.

Thank you, Dr. Gunsberg, for being our celebrity crush in teacher form. Every class period of yours was applicable to my future teaching and you'd be surprised how rare that is to find in the education department at Utah State. Also, I'm really glad you dressed up as Spiderman for Halloween- web shooter included. 

Thank you, Dr. Rivera-Mueller for literally changing my life. You were the first one to show me how important teaching really is. You believed in me, you mentored me, you encouraged me, and most importantly, you always showed me how important the work is that we do. I am so lucky I got to work with you and learn from you. I am a better person and teacher because of it. 

Thanks, Jenni and Mike, for being the best couple friends ever. You're always up for a hike or late night board games. 

Thank you, Married Student 7th Ward for introducing us to some of the most genuine people ever. We had at least 5 people offer to help us move today at church and these aren't the kind of people that just say that and then don't do anything. I really know I could call any of them up and they'd be at our house in 5 minutes.

(Katie is one of those awesome people.) 

Thank you, Joce, for letting me text you 45 times about what assignment we have due tomorrow, for letting me complain about the annoying people in our classes (and then for reminding me to be nice), for sharing my fears, for talking to me about your dating life, and for just being the best friend ever. I love that you always tell yourself not to order clothes but still do, that you have great taste in music (Harry Styles!), that you understand my Office references, that you don't take crap from anyone, and that you have the very best stories. You came into my life at the best time. I love you!

Thank you, Kenz, for the book recommendations, for keeping me up to date on current events, for sharing your amazing writing, for loving cheesecake even more than I do, and for always making me laugh. I love that your eyeliner is always flawless, that you can laugh about anything, that for Valentine's Day you came up with the idea for all of us to shop for donations for the women's center, and that you gave me I Am Malala for Christmas because that was literally the perfect gift.

Thank you, Nicolle, for being one of the most beautiful people to ever walk on this earth. Your kindness is inspiring, and your happiness is contagious. I love that your house always smells good, that you work hard at everything you do, that you love Taylor and Mav so much, that you have dozens of journals filled, that you're so good at hiking and rock climbing, and that you're always looking for ways to make other people feel included. Also, anytime I feel sad I can just watch your wedding video because it is the besttttt.

Thank you, Anda, for your exciting personality and for sharing your crazy stories with me. I haven’t ever hung out with you without laughing so hard I almost pee my pants. I love that you are unapologetically you, that you are always going on cool trips, and that you make the best chocolate chip cookies ever.

Thank you, Cassidy, for your kind heart. From the first time I met you, you’ve always been so nice and easy to talk to. I love how much you love teaching, that you get along with everyone that you meet, that you share my love for YA novels, and that you're really good at painting nails.

I could not have survived without my teacher friends. I just love them so much. I have never had a solid group of girl friends that I felt really connected with until I met them. Every time I hang out with them I leave wanting to be a better person. I'm glad that our group text will still be going strong during all of our student teaching mishaps and that we'll be friends forever. 

(Tandoori Oven- it's tradition!)

(Our home for the last 4 years... Box elder bugs and weird noises coming from the pipes and all.)

(Where our friendship really began, Ray B West 205- Teaching Writing Spring 2017)

Thank you, to my family, for being the best thing to look forward to on the weekends. Thanks for believing in me, for loving me, and for always being willing to go get Aggie ice cream.

Thank you, high school students, for being just as lovely as I hoped you would be. You dream big and we have the same taste in TV shows, so I think we’ll get along just fine ;) 

Thank you, The Office and Parks and Rec, for being the best way to procrastinate homework.

Most of all, thank you, Tanner, for asking me to marry you. You’re my favorite thing that’s come from college, by far. The only think making leaving this part of life behind any easier, is knowing that I get to keep hanging out with you. 

I really am so sad to be leaving Logan. I kept crying as we started packing up yesterday because it's just so hard leaving behind such good memories and such good people. Choosing to go to Utah State was the best decision I ever could have made. I'll miss singing the Scotsman and driving up the canyon. Going mini golfing for $2 and Cafe Sabor Thursdays. The wind caves and Herm's. 

I'm sure that the next chapter of our life will be just as good, but I'll always miss being an Aggie!