The year of the unexpected

"Couldn't have seen that one coming!"--that's how I'd sum up 2011. Here's what I thought I'd be doing in 2011:

• Serving a mission in Santa Cruz, Bolivia
• 

Here's a breakdown of what I ended up doing in 2011:

• 3 incredibly amazing weeks in the Provo MTC

• Unexpected 6 weeks in the Lima, Peru MTC

• A couple very turbulent weeks in Santa Cruz, Bolivia

• Home at the end of March

• 5 weeks in Thailand with Janella

• Getting to participate in Elder Bednar's book for the recorded YSA group discussion

• Sending off two best friends to the same mission in August/September

• Moving to Orem with Sarah and Emily

• Being called into the Relief Society Presidency

• Getting a job at BYU

• Starting to work at the Provo Temple with Sarah and Grandma Janet (I don't have a picture of me actually working in the temple obviously haha)

• Applying to grad schools in the U.K. and being accepted so far to:

So...a very unexpected year. I still ache for being a missionary on a fairly regular basis, it's true. But this has been a good year--a great year, actually. More life experience than I had anticipated, most definitely. It's not a year I was prepared for, but I feel like I've grown a lot. I know that 2012 will be a great year. I can just feel it. Whatever happens, I'm doing what I love, and I feel much lighter and happier than I did the past few years. If all goes as planned, I'll be in the U.K. at school in 8 months. I'm excited for this year's adventures.