Nostalgia
The Place Monday: Four Years Ago
January 3, 2011
A few months ago I had the idea to try and release Season 2 episodes in “real time” meaning… trying to release episodes on the 4th anniversary of when they happened.
For example, I really wanted to air the episode with Daniel & Katey’s wedding on (or before) the date of their anniversary. I hope to do the same with other milestones like Mike’s, Brent’s, Spencer’s, and my birthdays. Cody & Larkin’s proposal episode (which took place on April Fool’s day) I hope to air on (or before) April 1st, and the Super Bowl episode I hope to put out (on or before) the Super Bowl this year… so on and so forth (you get the idea).
Hopefully I can stay “on the ball” enough to just that. If you haven’t taken a look at the first 3 episodes of Season 2, hop on over to the site to watch em. And, as always, thanks for watching!
Farewell 2010
January 2, 2011
As I was on the plane from Dallas to Salt Lake, I began to actually think about all the events that happened in 2010. At first glance, I had always felt 2010 to be kind of lame. Most of it I was in Las Vegas without a job making the most of crappy situation. But as I was sitting in that window seat looking at Dallas fading away into the distance I took a closer look at 2010, and can honestly say it has been a tremendously successful year.
I would be remiss not to acknowledge the outpouring of blessings Natalia and I have received. Although my current day-to-day life in Las Vegas isn’t what we both had hoped, I absolutely love it. I love our little home, I love our lives, I love our routines, I love our dinners, I love our simple FHEs, I love our lazy weekends… I love it all. Being away from family and friends has allowed us to grow and bond together in ways that I’m not sure we could have otherwise.
A few other great things that happened this year:
- Apr. 30 — I “graduate” from UVU
- May 9 — Natalia and I reunite when I finally move to Vegas
- Aug. 6 — We celebrate our 2nd Anniversary
- Oct. 6 — Natalia finds out that she has passed the bar
2010 has been good to us, and in all honesty, I will miss it. But, life is all about change and progress. I have a feeling that 2010 was just the beginning, and 2011 will pick up exactly where 2010 left off.
Lost Labor Day Part 1 – The Reunion
December 6, 2010
Back in September, during Labor Day weekend, we had a reunion of sorts, right here in Las Vegas. From Texas, Sean, Sarah, and their adorable daughter Lylah came. Then, Spencer and Amy arrived from Utah. And finally the entire DK Crew including precious Kylee, drove in from California.
Wow, this sounds like an epic reunion, Luis. Why didn’t you post anything about it here in the blog?
Well, as it turns out… I happened to leave our camera in Spencer’s car the night before they left, which meant I didn’t have access to our slew of exciting pictures to share with everyone. Natalia and I weren’t reunited with said camera until we traveled up to Utah just last week for Thanksgiving… and now we are finally getting around to blogging about it.
So, that brings us to PART 1 of our LOST LABOR DAY:
It was an epic reunion to say the least. As soon as the DK Crew arrived, we high-tailed it to our first eating-outing at Claimjumper:
Now, here’s a special treat. If you know Spencer, you know that he is DEATHLY afraid of babies. Nobody really knows why, but we were all looking forward to Spencer meeting Sean & Sarah’s daughter Lylah:
LOST LABOR DAY … TO BE CONTINUED.
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…
Recent Comments