Okay, here's a brief update for everyone:
Mid-January I arrived in Bozeman to attend MSU and my first few hours here I was thinking, "What the H am I doing here?" The next day was orientation (retarded) and then two days later classes started. I'm taking Modern Political Theory, Public Administration, Politics of Food and Hunger, and (my favorite) American Indian Policy and Law. I'm doing well in most classes (except for Food and Hunger). I'm trying to get more involved with the Native American stuff, like Talking Circle on Wednesdays, and I love love love it! Native ppl are so awesome!
Every Tuesday and Wednesday night I go to institute in our little building. Wednesday nights is Book of Mormon with Emily (Poulsen) Steadman's mom teaching! She's so good and of course her and Emily are so much alike it's like having Emily there. Kind of weird sometimes, but still awesome! On Tuesdays we study the New Testament with the stake president, President Heap. He's so amazing it's indescribable! I've learned more from him and Sister Poulsen in the past few short weeks than most of my institute and seminary teachers. The ward up here is great, but completely different from Idaho. Everyone is super nice and the ward is tiny so people are closer than the wards at BYUI. Also, since Mormons are very much the minority here, the people who go to church and institute have to have really strong testimonies. No offense to BYUI, but since the Mormons up here aren't surrounded by other Mormons and since most of them are converts, they're a lot stronger in the gospel than so many people I met in Rexburg. Also, up here marriage isn't crammed down your throat at every turn, which I love. Everyone in the ward is about the same age, so there's no "grandma", if you know what I mean. It's very hard to describe how awesome the ward is.
I'm making friends, but not what you'd consider "good" or "best" friends. In fact, I had a realization tonight at dinner. I looked around at all the people I was sitting with and thought about all the people I usually sit with and realized that outside of church, there were only two girls I really talk with, and I see them maybe once a week. So all of my friends are guys, which is weird for me. It makes for interesting meal-time conversations though. They'll all start to check a girl out or talk about what girls are looking for in guys and I'm like, um, hello I'm sitting here. Whatever. To be frank, many times the conversations with my non-member guy friends are much more fun than the conversations I've had and overheard with member girl friends. Go figure.
Anyway, I love it up here and wish I could stay over summer break, but I'm so poor that dirt poor is richer than me. Oh well.
3 comments:
I totally understand having all guy friends -- it reminds me of when I lived in the dorms and all the guys were talking about how much in love they were with josie and how she had the perfect body... and for some reason they thought I would like to hear about all this... i can't say I'm a fan of the wards here either -- I would prefer a family ward -- I'm glad we won't be here too long.
Kimmi, I think your classes sound awesome...I miss college, teaching...okay, school in general so bad! I hate guy friends...it seems the opposite sex or sports is all their minds revolve around. That, and then eventually you find yourself liking one more than you should when you know it won't go anywhere...arrgh. Glad to hear that you are enjoying your institute classes, they sound amazing. If you ever need to talk, drop me a line. Love ya!
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