MUR
MUR #02: Harsh Winter
April 29, 2010
Previously… Past-Luis has arrived at his new apartment at Carriage Cove, and met his new roommates Trent and Mike.
The days progressed for Past-Luis, and life in Provo was quickly becoming something he could have never planned it to be. The winter weather was rough (to say the least) and it wasn’t easy for him to adapt.
In his first month, his only social interaction consisted of attending church (that wasn’t welcoming), attending Stake Institute (which he rather enjoyed, but still failed to meet anyone new) and nightly Smash Bros. battles with Spencer on the TV in his room. Seeing as there were only 2 couches, and a coffee table in the living room (no TV, no video games, nada), his interaction with his own roommates was also severely limiting.
The weeks progressed, and his job search became bleak. Past-Luis began to question the move to Provo. With money running out, he began to wonder whether he should move back to Texas when his contract at Carriage Cove was up. The twinkle that was once in his eye as he paraded into town, was now gone.
February came, and he realized it was the one-year mark from when he was told he would not be able to serve a mission, which hit him much harder than expected. He fell into a depression– which was becoming more and more a common occurrence in that one-year span.
He was losing hope, and optimism as to what he was doing in Provo, and where his life was heading, in general. The bits of emotional support he was afforded were the weekly visits with his big brother Ricardo, who was living in Salt Lake.
Unsure about being able to get into BYU, the awful cold and snow, not having a job, running out of money, and having no friends (not even his new roommates) began to all weigh quite heavily on him. Perhaps this was Luis’ last few steps in the dark, before walking into the light once more … ?
MUR #01: First Impressions
April 23, 2010
Previously… Past-Luis (PL) left Rowlett, TX, bound for Provo, UT, on January 1st, 2005…
January 3, 2005
“I’m finally here,” Past-Luis thought to himself as he pulled onto University Avenue from I-15. “I can’t believe that I’m finally here…” It was five in the evening, and the sun had begun its descent into the western horizon.
Followed closely by his best friend and best friend’s mom, PL attempted to navigate his way through the streets of Provo, not knowing exactly how to get to 606 West 1720 North, but pretending he did. Though he thought he understood the grid system used in Utah, he was having a difficult time figuring out exactly where to go. But this was of little concern to him, as he was too overcome with the excitement of fulfilling his life-long dream of coming to Provo.
Eventually, the caravan of Texan travelers found their way to the Carriage Cove apartment complex. After checking in and receiving their keys from the Office, Luis and Spencer knock at the door of Apartment #221.
“Hey, we’re your new roommates,” PL says to the taller blond fellow who opened the door. “My name’s Luis.”
“Hey!” the other responded, “I’m Mike.”
Their new roommates Trent and Mike quickly offered their assistance in hauling the car loads of Luis and Spencer’s things. After all of their stuff was finally in their rooms, Spencer’s mom left, and the two Texas transplants were able to start unpacking.
Deeper into the night, after accomplishing about half of his unpacking, Past-Luis took a seat in the corner of his new room to try and take in everything that had gone on that day… from pulling into Provo, to meeting Trent and Mike. It just didn’t seem real.
“Am I really here?” he thought to himself. “Is this all really happening?”
Being so far away from what had been his comfort zone for twenty years, and being isolated from his parents, his friends, and siblings, was a truly surreal experience. Sitting there, he tried to imagine what his new life would shape up to be. Would he find loads of new friends? After a first failed attempt at getting into BYU, would he be able to improve his GPA enough to have another crack at it? What kind of job would he be able to find?
He was excited, optimistic, and also… very, very naive. He was about to learn the cruel lesson that sometimes it’s darkest just before dawn.
To be continued…
My Utah Retrospective: Prelude to Provo
April 21, 2010
As my time in Utah draws to a close, and being the unbelievably nostalgic person that I am, I find it appropriate to take a look back with a new feature called “My Utah Retrospective” (or, MUR for short) …
2004 was quite the stormy year for me. A rug had been pulled out from underneath me and I was then facing what would soon become the “the rest of my life.” What should I do? Where should I go?
With two parents who met at and graduated from BYU, I had grown up romanticizing the idea of attending and meeting my future spouse there. Going to several EFY’s on BYU campus simply reinforced that idea, as I was quickly enamored with this place, imagining my future-self walking those halls, and driving those streets.
With no mission in my immediate future, growing increasingly uncomfortable with where my life was, and having a particularly hard time with other things going on at the time, I decided that Provo is where I needed to be.
January 1st, 2005, my 20 year-old self, or “Past-Luis,” pulled out of Rowlett, Texas, and was well on his way to begin the next chapter of his life. As he drove to Utah, he tried to imagine what the future could possibly hold. Although he was excited for whatever was ahead, could he have ever fathomed the many adventures in which he would embark, the people he would meet, the lessons he would learn, the friends he would gain, the growth he would experience, or the incredible woman who would bring meaning to his life?
To be continued…
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