Espana. Week 4. (Week of February 3rd) PART II

Cordoba, Granada, Ubeda

Cordoba

Next stop on our Andalucia adventure was Cordoba! What a city, what a city! And we stayed at a really cool hotel right across the street from the Mezquita! The mezquita really is as grand as people make it sound. The red and white striped arches, the cathedral, the pillars still standing since the 9^th century, everything in there was just beautiful! It was interesting to see the Muslim and Christian influence all in one place. The Muslim people of the area built this great Mosque with the striped arched roof and amazing side rooms for burials, with intricately designed walls, floors, and ceilings and Arabic scriptures scrolled on the walls. Then to see the cathedral part, built right in the middle of the mosque when the Catholics took over this area of Spain. (More info and pictures from the Mezquita http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosque–Cathedral_of_Córdoba )  All through the city you could see the Arabic influence as well as the Christian influence, in some places they meshed well. In others it seemed more like they were competing themes. After our tour of the Mezquita, we visited the Alcazar of Cordoba, which is basically like a fortress/castle kind of thing. The building was cool, they had some amazing mosaics, but the gardens were definitely my favorite part. We spent about an hour walking through the gardens, looking at fish and statues and all kinds of stuff! (More info and pictures http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcázar_de_los_Reyes_Cristianos ) It was beautiful, and we left just in time because on our walk home it started raining really hard. We got back to the hotel soaked, but that didn’t matter because our next stop was the bathhouse!

 In Cordoba, Austin found an awesome early birthday present for me. He took me to an Arab bathhouse! At first I wasn’t so sure how to feel about the idea, I had heard stories of friends that went to bathhouses in places like Turkey and Vietnam. Their stories weren’t so pleasant. However, this bathhouse was amazing! And bathing suits were required (much to the displeasure of the German visitors that were leaving just as we came in), so crisis averted!  They had four large pools, one that was icy cold, one that was warm, one that was really hot and a sauna room. After you soak for a while in whichever baths you want (you are free to go from bath to bath as much as you would like), you get a 15 minute massage, then you can get back in the bath. We went at 10 at night, so there weren’t too many people there. It was so fun and so relaxing! The room with all the baths were was large and open with a few sky lights. Austin got us an upgraded package for my early birthday present, so we also got to do an exfoliating body scrub, which was really interesting! They had us lay on this big flat heated rock, which looked a lot like an alter. Luckily for us, we didn’t get sacrificed. They got these huge bags, they looked like pillowcases, then filled them with bubbles and squeezed the bubbles out all over us. It felt so weird, at first the feeling of the bubbles popping on my legs and stomach kind of tickled. Then they kept putting more and more bubbles and for a little while it felt like suffocating in bubbles. Then they got buckets of really hot water and washed all the bubbles off. It was awesome, definitely a once in a lifetime birthday present! (Here is the website of the place we went to, it has pictures! http://www.hammamalandalus.com/en/ )

That night we wandered into the newer section of town to find dinner. Finding dinner is sometimes really easy, the first place we see is good food for a good price. Other times, it is nearly impossible, meaning we are a group of hungry college students walking the streets, which is dangerous for everyone. This was one of those “other times”. We wandered for almost 45 minutes before we found anything to eat! But once we looked at the menu we realized it was worth the effort, they had a famous Spanish dish that we had been hoping to try! Squid in it’s own ink! We ordered a plate and passed it around the table each trying a little bite. And a little bite was enough for most of us. It wasn’t too bad a flavor, but the squid in it’s own ink dish requires that the squid not be breaded, so it was really slimy and rubbery. But, it was totally worth a try! We also found some fountains in the main plaza that the boys decided it would be a good idea to jump over. Bad idea. Ryan cleared it just fine. Austin landed crotch first on the water. And so did Brandon. So 2 of our 3 guys walked the city looking like they didn’t find the bathroom in time. It was hilarious, then it was just embarrassing.

The next morning some of us got up in time to make the 8:30am mass at the Cathedral in the Mezquita, which was basically amazing. There were at least 15-20 priests, which is an unusually large number. But it made the singing/chanting of the scriptures sound incredible as it echoed through the huge building. It was so beautiful! It was a really quick mass, only about 30 minutes long but the chapel was packed. After mass we went straight to the bus and made our way to Granada.

Granada

Granada was a shorter trip. We got there in the early afternoon, dropped our bags at the hotel and rushed up the mountain to the Alhambra to meet our tour guide. The Alhambra was beautiful. Every detail of the huge complex of buildings was so incredible. Everything you saw was beautiful, even the bathrooms. We spent most of the day here with our tour guide leading us around to all the important stuff. We learned a lot about Spanish traditions that were really interesting. For example, I never understood why most of the old Spanish buildings have little plazas/patios in the middle of the building. The reason I learned is this: To protect the women and fortify the building while still having access to light. If they built their windows on the outside of the building then strange men could peer in and the outer wall wouldn’t be as strong. But they still needed windows in order to light the rooms, so they came up with the center patio system! (More info and pictures here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alhambra )

After our tour at the Alhambra was over, we went to a little plaza area on the hill directly across from the Alhambra to get pictures of the building at sunset, because apparently that is the thing to do when you have finished the tour of the Alhambra. We walked up one of the steepest hills I have walked in my life. And I secretly cursed every time the little trolley drove past us full of tourists. But I was saving money and getting exercise, so I guess it was worth walking. When we got to the top, the view was worth every single step, even the one really bad step that led to me falling on my face. We not only saw the Alhambra but the entire city of Granada as the sun set behind the Sierra Nevadas (The mountain range that Spain named after the mountains in California... or maybe it was the other way around...). In the little plaza there were several vendors set up selling jewelry, snacks, and other little knick-knacks.  Austin found a guy that would let you hold his parrot for a euro, so he went for it! After Austin got his picture with the parrot it bit him, hard on his hand. We could not help but laugh at Austin, a lot. The look of shock and horror on his face was absolutely priceless. It made a cute little perfectly round bruise on his palm. But the picture turned out really great, so it was worth it. That night we went to bed good and tired, the days of nonstop exploring were finally catching up to us. The next morning we started our long bus ride home, with a quick stop in Ubeda.

Ubeda

Ubeda is a little town high on a hill that overlooks some of the largest olive farms in the world. The view from the town is referred to as the “sea of olives”. We got lunch I an empty bar then wandered around the quiet town. We found a shop selling - you guessed it – Olive Oil! We got some for our host mom that was lemon flavored, and we sampled all kinds of different types of olive oil. Lauren and I took off to find some ice cream, and while we were gone Austin made a new friend. I’ll let him tell this story:

 I took the Maddens (our professor and his family) to a store I previously went to, to buy olive oil. When we entered, there was a man there that wasn’t there the last time I went it. He was short and kind of chubby. He was dressed fancy and had on a beret. While the Maddens were choosing a bottle of olive oil to buy this man came up to me and insisted that I smell the different types of olive oils. While he kept putting different types of oils in my face he was telling me how wonderful the oils are and their smells are priceless. He grew up in the orchards and told me olives/olive oil is his life. I enjoyed listening to his stories, but it started to get weird. I never thought someone could love olive oil so much. Then he poured me a glass of wine and told me to taste it. I asked him if it had alcohol in it and he said, “No, no no… pruebalo.” I then tried it and there was definitely alcohol in it.  I told him he was wrong and he said, “Well, there is a little… but isn’t it such a wonderful taste!” That’s when I started losing my patience with the guy and told him this stuff isn’t that big of a deal to me. I wanted to tell him he needs new hobbies but the experience was pretty funny, and he was just so passionate!

When we were finished in Ubeda it was back to the bus. The entire group slept most of the way back to Alcala!

Espana. Week 4. (Week of February 3rd)

Merida, Sevilla

This is part one of a two part post because Andalucia was just that great, it deserves two posts.

This week we had one day of school (Monday) then Tuesday we left at the crack-o-jack o’clock on the bus. First stop Merida. I had no idea what to expect here, all I knew was that we would be seeing a Roman Amphitheater. This place was awesome! Turns out this Amphitheater is one of the best they had left in all of Europe, and we got to walk all around it! I could not believe that people built this kind of stuff before tractors and cranes existed. It was so beautiful, and so HUGE! Near the amphitheater was another large arena, this one was for gladiator battles. We got to see the little rooms where they kept the imported wild animals for the fights and the elevated floor for draining/cleaning up the blood after fights. It was equally as amazing to see. Then we walked to another part of town and in the middle of the winding Spanish streets appears more Roman Ruins, this time part of the city plaza. There were some pillars and walls, as well as a statue of a woman still standing, right there in the middle of town.

After about an hour in Merida, it was back on the bus to Sevilla! Sevilla is my most favorite city we have visited in all of Spain. If I had to pick one place to live outside of the States I would choose Sevilla, no question. Our first morning there we met up with our tour guide and that’s when the fun began! There are a lot of really cool looking buildings that were built for the two World Fairs and Olympics that were hosted in Sevilla. Some of the buildings have been repurposed and others have just kinda been abandoned. One of my favorite places in Sevilla is the Plaza de Espana. Fun fact: Part of the second Star Wars was filmed in Plaza de Espana!! Just outside the Plaza is a big green garden, which I will come back to… I really can’t do the plaza justice with my words, you will have to go to facebook and see the pictures.

Next we saw the Alcazar, which was another beautiful building with green, green gardens. It was so refreshing to see green! Southern Spain is definitely more alive in the winter than Madrid is! There are a lot of orange trees in Sevilla, and especially at the Alcazar. They are not the kind you would want to eat though; they are a decorative breed of oranges. I tried to tell people that, but no one listened and they all tried to eat an orange. What a surprise, those oranges did not taste good at all! That was really funny to watch.

While in Sevilla we also toured the Cathedral, which ended with a trip to the top of the bell tower! It was a long, steep hike to the top and there were a few British girls who continually announced things like “I think I am going to die.” And “Great *bleep my feet are going to break!” and “I CAN’T MAKE IT!!” It was hilarious! The laughing made it harder to walk, because I could barely catch my breath from laughing and hiking up the steep tower! Once we made it to the top - and yes the poor british girls did make it - the view was amazing! We could see the entire city, and the weather was good that day, so we could see for miles!

When we finished at the Cathedral, we had some free time. Austin and I and some others from the group decided to go to see the world’s largest wooden structure. Here is a link with info and pictures, because it really is amazingly huge! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropol_Parasol

It was a bit of a walk to get there, but we didn’t mind because we got to more of Sevilla! And we found ice cream along the way, which always makes any walk better. Once we got there we decided it was worth the money to go to the top. We paid the six euros or whatever it was, and we got the walk on the worlds largest wooden structure! Once again, we got a great view of the city, and we got to have a soda at the bar up there. I am not into modern art and stuff, but this really was amazing. I am so glad I have a smart husband who looks up stuff like this and takes me to cool places!

Okay, there are two more things I have to talk about in Sevilla. Bikes and Flamenco. First thing, during our free time we decided to rent bikes for an hour and go back to the Plaza de Espana to check out the gardens. I am so glad we did, because the gardens really are beautiful. There were all kinds of birds and trees and bushes that I hadn’t ever seen before (or maybe I just hadn’t noticed before) and the more we rode the more we discovered. We found a little pond that is home to a big family of swans. We also found little ivy covered walls, more ponds, fountains, and a little plaza area were a lady was selling bird feed. As you can imagine, the area was FULL of pigeons. And because I am the daughter of Josh Cook, I decided to make a video of Ryan, one of the other kids in the group, riding his bike through the area full of birds. Once he started towards the birds the lady that sells the bird seed began hollering “NO SE LEVANTAN!!” Apparently, people come and feed the birds so much that they are too hefty to fly anymore. The closer Ryan got, the more the pigeons would try to hustle away but not a single one could fly! Luckily he didn’t run any of them over!

Alright, last Sevilla story! We got to see a real flamenco show is Sevilla! The birthplace of Flamenco! We found a little old bar with a grumpy bar tender that has free shows twice a week for paying customers. Austin and I tried some bull tail stew and enjoyed the show! The dancer was really skilled, at least she was by my completely non-expert opinion, and this show was easily one of the highlights of Sevilla for me. The stomping/clapping, and guitar paired perfectly together to create a mesmerizing show. It doesn’t get much more “Spanish experience” than sitting in a crowded bar, eating bull meat, and watching Flamenco dancing! Such a great night! 

Espana. Week 3. (Week of January 27)

This one is a bit longer than the last two... Sorry!

Avila, Salamanca, Toro, Tordesillas

Avila

This week we had our first overnight trip! We took a bus to the city of Avila, there we saw the cathedral, and the famous city wall. Avila is the coldest place in Spain, and boy did we feel it! The wind was icy cold and blowing hard, but we still had an awesome time. The wall was definitely my favorite part. It was in amazing condition, and it was huge! At the end of our tour we got to go up and walk around on top of it. Most interesting wall fact: They used the old Roman graves to build it. Roman headstones and “casket stones” could be found throughout the wall. The roman cremated their dead, so the stones weren’t very big, but you could still see the writing on them and the area hallowed out were the ashes were laid. It was a crazy. Our tour guide in Avila gets a 9 out of 10. She gave us all the facts, and didn’t waste any time with pointless stories. We got our tour done on time and I feel like I learned a lot. When people were lollygagging she wasn’t afraid to tell them to hurry up! Loved that.  Minus one because she wasn’t very funny. I would have appreciated a joke of two.

Salamanca

 After our tour we got back on the bus and drove to Salamanca, were we stayed in a surprisingly nice hotel! And it had FREE breakfast, which is the best kind of breakfast! Our tour guide met us at the hotel and we walked to the center of town. Salamanca was also really cold, and very windy. We toured the old and new cathedral/s, (which are more like one giant cathedral), walked along the pilgrim trail that runs through town (A trail that religious pilgrims back pack. Along the way there are churches, convents, and private houses that give them free food and a place to stay on their way), we toured the University of Salamanca, and the Plaza Mayor. The university was definitely my favorite part! Salamanca University is the oldest University in Spain and one of the oldest in all of Europe. It was founded in 1218. We got to walk through some of the old classrooms and chapels, checked out the library, and we found the frog! (Here is more on the Frog story: http://www.culturaltravelguide.com/salamanca-mysterious-hidden-carvings ) Another interesting tradition: when a student went for a PhD they had to go this chapel and sit with their feet against this grave all night. People would watch to make sure they stayed awake and didn’t move. Then the next morning they got to take their test after being awake all night!

If they passed they got to celebrate by writing their name on the wall outside in BULL BLOOD. From the blood of the bull your family killed in the Plaza Mayor as part of the three day party your family had to throw after you got your PhD. Salamanca was an interesting town, it really reminded me of Chico… It is definitely a college town. The local convent is a club at night in order to make enough money to take care of their nuns. A DJ sets up on the alter, the choir becomes a bar, and the chapel a dance floor. It’s a booming place, those nuns are doing well. Our Salamanca tour guide gets a 3.5 out of 10. She talked way too much about stuff that didn’t matter, like were to find the nearest H&M (chain clothing store that we even have in the US). Our tour went much longer than it should have, and by the end I was literally near tears. I know that makes me sound like a total baby, but I was not the only one struggling. We hadn’t eaten ALL day (we’re talking like 6+ hours), it was cold, my feet hurt, and she just kept talking. However, I did learn some REALLY cool stuff, and she was passionate about her city. I was definitely excited when she finally announced we were free to wander on our own. We found a really good place to eat and we had some amazing chocolate cream puffs, which can cure any problem, so after that I was good to go. We did some more exploring, mostly we just walked the streets and took it all in. Then went back to the hotel where I went right to sleep! (That is something that never happens, no matter how tired I am I have a terrible time getting to sleep. That was definitely the best nights sleep I have had in my life!) 

Toro

The next morning it was back to the bus! We drove an hour or so to the town of Toro. This one reminded me of Gridley. It was a quiet little place, and we really didn’t know what to do after we saw the cathedral. We just bought some strawberries and ate them while we walked. Eventually we found the Plaza de Toros, but there aren’t any bull fights in the winter so it was closed. We wanted to see a Plaza de Toros though, so we decided to lift each other up to see over the main gates. As soon as we got the first girl, Kristen, up, she looked down at us and frantically whispered “there’s a man!! He saw me! He saw me!” Well, we brought Kristen down as fast as possible and tried to find a place to hide! I just started running down the street hoping he wouldn't see that I was with the group of kids that were looking over the gate. Turns out the guy was really nice though. He opened the gate and instead of calling the cops on us he gave us a tour! He just happen to come around the corner just in time to see Kristen and he was actually really happy that we were interested in his Plaza! He was the grounds keeper. That was definitely the highlight of Toro. He showed us the stalls were they keep the bulls, you could see the scratch marks all over the walls from their horns. Then he showed us the area where the take the bulls to be inspected before the fight, and were they take them after the fight to drain the blood and take care of the carcass. It was really interesting, I am so glad we got to see it! The other members of our group also just happen to walk by as we were going in, so they got to tour it with us! It really was a series of fortunate events. We got so lucky! On the way back to the bus we found a green grassy hill with a walking trail, so Lauren (another girl in the group who is from MN), Marcos, Dani, Sarah (three of our professors young kids), and I stopped and did some exploring. I found some awesome bugs, and caught a ladybug! It felt so good to spend some time in the grass. Most of our time is spent cities that are concrete and more concrete. A little bug catching was very refreshing!

Tordesillas

After our awesome afternoon in Toro, we made a stop in Tordesillas, another pretty small town. We toured a convent which was interesting, but also not because it was really like all the cathedrals and there weren’t even any nuns to meet… We also got to see the building where Spain and Portugal met to divided up the Americas, but we couldn't go inside. After our quick hour in Tordesillas we got on the bus and went home!

Our first big overnight trip was a success! There are tons of pictures on facebook!  

Espana. Week 2. (Jan. 24, 2014)

Week two! We are settling into classes, took another trip to Madrid, and topped it all off with a day in Toledo! Toledo is just an hour or so Southwest of Madrid. It was amazing! Right when we got there we met up with our tour guide who took us to the top of a hill across the river from the city so that we could get pictures. The view was absolutely beautiful! (I posted pictures of Toledo on Facebook a few days ago, so go there to see everything.) After everybody got their pictures, we toured the Cathedral, which is known everywhere as the crown jewel of Spain. Ask anyone, and they will tell you the most beautiful cathedral in all of Spain is Toledo's. Following our tour of the Cathedral, which was beautiful but not super educational, we walked the narrow, winding streets to the famous Synagogue of Toledo. There was at one point a large jewish community in Toledo, but they were driven out when Spain officially became a Catholic nation. The Synagogue still stands, however, and in my opinion, it was equally as beautiful as the Cathedral. 

Once the tours were over, we parted ways with the tour guide and were allowed to wander for a few hours. Austin bought a sword, because Toledo is famous for them. All the bullfighters in Spain have swords made in Toledo! Austin and his friends found a Medieval Torture Devices exhibit and just had to go see it. I took one look at the pictures and knew I couldn't stomach it, so I continued walking while they went in. Free time started right about the same time as siesta, so the whole town was quiet and sleepy feeling. Many shops were closed, and the plazas only had a few people picnicking together. It was really cool to just walk and walk. I got lost several times, but somehow always found my way back to the main Plaza. 

Toledo looks like it was just stopped a few hundred years ago. Once you go through the old city wall, which is still standing, the "old city" part of town looks like it is from a storybook. Contrasted with the hustle and traffic of Madrid, it was a very welcomed breathe of fresh air. I can't wait to go back! 

Sorry I am already so behind on posts! Our wifi was out for a while, and we have been traveling so much. I am working on catching up, so stay tuned for more! 

Con amor, 

Reagan 

 

Espana. Week 1.

Here we are in SPAIN. In EUROPE. Across the ATLANTIC ocean! It has taken about a week for that fact really set in. Here in Spain we are 9 hours ahead of my family (in CA), 10 hours ahead of Catherine and Sean (in Alaska), 8 hours ahead of Audra (in Utah), and 7 hours behind Connie and Gary (in China). Skyping has not been easy, I'll tell you that. In fact, there are some people we still haven't been able to skype with since we got here. But more about Spain!

We arrived on January 15, around 7:30am. We then proceeded to wander through EVERY terminal of the airport collecting other members of our group that had come in from a number of other flights/airlines. The last group arrived around noon, then we met our professor and got on the bus to Alcala de Henares. Once in Alcala our host families took us to their homes. We live in a neighborhood called El Virgen de Val, or El Val for short. It is a twenty minute bus ride to school, or a thirty minute walk. We are getting really good at using the buses and trains. 

We have classes at Alcalingua at 9am (until 10) every morning, then on Monday and Wednesday we have a second class from 11-12:30. On Tuesdays and Thursdays we have our second class from 10-11. No classes on Fridays. It's a rough life. On Monday nights an emeritus general authority that lives here in Alcala teaches a religion class, and on Tuesday nights we tutor english for elementary and high school kids in the area. 

We really enjoy going to Madrid. It is a 20 minute bus ride to the train station, then a 30-40 minute train ride and boom, we are in Plaza del Sol. We have spent two full days in Madrid already and we have barely even scratched the surface of what is available to us. We have been to the Cathedral de la Almunda, it is huge and so pretty! It is the only cathedral outside of Italy to be dedicated by the Pope (according to our tour guide anyways). We have also been to the Reina Sofa museum of modern art. I am not so much in love with modern art. I don't think I want to go back, but it was a good experience. We have also spent hours just wandering around and enjoying the old city. 

In Alcala, we like to eat. A lot. I am glad our host family doesn't have a scale, because I don't even want to know. It's all bad, but so so good. There is an excellent bakery near the school that we have gone to almost every day. Everything is about 1 euro, and it is delicious. We also have a favorite Tapas bar already that we have been to several times. You can get one Tapa and a soda (or beer for our drinking friends, because apparently it is legal at 18 here) for only 2 euros and 70 cents. 

Austin's spanish is, of course, excellent. People here compliment him for being so good even though he learned it in the states. On the other hand, I am struggling. Everybody talks so fast and with that dang accent. I am definitely learning patience. I work really hard at it and try not to rely on Austin too much so that I can learn. I have been ordering my own food, ask for directions, prices, etc. It is getting better, but I have SO much to learn! 

I think I will close here and post some pictures. Next post is about Toledo! 

Love, 

Reagan :) 

Those Summer Nights :)

Midterms... DONE! :D And I still have decent grades in all my classes. Life is good :) Now we are prepping for finals in three and a half weeks... summer term goes so fast!
Summer Nights in Provo are awesome :) I just thought I should share that.. I feel like there is always something happening somewhere! My only complaint is that the entire town closes down at 10pm... Like everything. I am pretty sure there is one 24 hour grocery store, and that is all you get after 10pm. But that's okay because we are broke college kids, so we are good at coming up with weird things to do! Last night Emily, Kristen, Mitchell, Ian and I had a huge dance party in the living room. I am so glad I brought those Bose speakers ;) hahaha We did the marcarena and the hoky poky and I am pretty sure we danced to Love Shack three or four times before we realized what the lyrics actually say...
On nights when we aren't dancing, we play volleyball! Who knew that Wyview has a sand volleyball court?! Because I sure didn't! But it is awesome!! :) We also make 2am muffins, have water fights, and occasionally do homework ;) we go star gazing, eat ice cream (I think we do that too much), watch movies, and break into other apartment's swimming pools!

Whoever said BYU isn't a party school was dead wrong!

Life has been so good, I can't believe how awesome this summer has been! :) I miss all my friends in Chico, but I have been Facebook stalking all of you religiously which helps me feel like I am still there with you guys ;)

When I was studying my scriptures last night I came across this quote from Orson F. Whitney, he said, "The spirit of the gospel is optimistic; it trusts in God and looks on the bright side of things." I don't even remember when I put that in there, I am glad I did. It is so true! I know that no matter what situation we are in, turning to the Christ and studying His gospel will make it better and help us see the bright side of any situation. This is so true when we are going through hard times. He is willing and able share our sorrows and carry our burdens, and I am so grateful for that. But it is important to remember that He will share in all our joy as well! "I will never leave thee"(Hebrews 13:5) means just that! In the good times and the bad, he isn't going anywhere. It is important that we remember to keep him near in the good times, because He can make our joy even more joyful and our happiness even happier! :)

Those are my random thoughts today! :)

Much Love,
Reagan :)

I think it's the spark plugs....

Yesterday (Saturday) was one of the best days I have had... ever. And that is zero sarcasm! Everything did not go according to my plan, but it certainly followed someone else's, and I am so grateful for that. 

 On Friday night we had a big sleepover, including a midnight wal-mart run, a movie, and teaching Mitchell how to paint finger nails! Then we slept in on Saturday, and that's when the fun began! We drove up the Provo canyon and went tubing :D Ian, Mitchell, Abby, Emily, Dallin, Kristen, Jillian, and I floated for almost three hours, it was so much fun! I am so lucky to have such great friends already :) So when we were done floating all of us loaded back up into my car and decided to check out Squaw Peak! The view was awesome, and we took some cool pictures. We stayed there for about a half an hour... then it happened. I tried to start the car. Then I tried again. and again. Thirty miles up a mountain, with eight friends in bathing suits and the car won't start. So I let the boys pop the hood and poke around at stuff, because they are men and I didn't want to damage their man pride ;) eventually they came to the conclusion that it must be the spark plugs. That's when we prayed. Then the car started and we all drove down the mountain singing girls camp songs! Then end. ha, kidding! We really did say a prayer, but the car was dead as a door nail. That's when we met the Coons! They came up the mountain in a suburban. We all fit in their car! Miracle numero uno. So we left poor Freddy (the jeep) on top of the mountain and made it back to Wyview with the Coons. They were some of the nicest people in the world! They told us all about how they met at BYU and 4 of their 6 kids went here. Their son just got married in the Mt. Timpanogos temple the morning before.  Brother Coon helped me call a tow truck and gave me his number in case I need anymore help. It is amazing how the Lord works through other people just when we need them. 

So once we got a tow truck, I had to get back up the mountain to meet the guy. Problemo, I have no car. That's when my amazing roommates Emily and Kristen came the rescue! They gave me a ride back up the mountain. I brought Austin with me too, just in case the guy was a creeper. I told Austin I brought him because my mom asked me too, but really it was my idea because I am a little chicken. I am like 98% sure Austin could beat up any creepy tow truck driver if he had to. So the four of us went back up to rescue Freddy. That's were we met Shane, the tow truck driver. He wasn't creepy at all! He had an awesome handle bar mustache and a great sense of humor. Shane towed Freddy down to Pep boys, which happened to be right across the street from Papa Johns! Yay us, because we were starving!! Emily, Kristen, Austin, and I ate a pizza while we waited for Freddy, who turned out to be perfectly fine! He got all checked out in under 2 hours and we made it home safe and sound! :) Thank you Pep Boys! I am so grateful for the Lord's little reminder of how much I rely on others. None of us can make it through this life alone. I really struggle with asking for help sometimes, but that's only my pride. I am grateful for the opportunity I had to swallow it and ask for help. 

Later that night Austin and I decided to check out the progress on the Payson temple! So we drove out there and guess what?! that temple will be absolutely beautiful, but right now, it is still dirt. They hadn't even started the foundation yet! hahaha So we sat on top of the car and admired the dirt for a while :) Sometimes I worry that I might be the most boring person ever to hang out with... Hopefully I am not, but I wouldn't know! I do like hanging out with myself, but I don't think my vote counts in this situation. 

This quote totally sums up my awesome Saturday: "Sometimes the most ordinary thinks could be made extraordinary, simply by doing them with the right people." - Nicholas Sparks 

I so blessed to have extraordinary people in my life. People, even total strangers, that will drop everything to come help me when I need them. People who are so patient with me. People who are quick to love and slow to judge.  I am one lucky girl! I just hope I can be that kind of friend for them. 

- Reagan :)