Utah Trip, 2013

Before this trip, I hadn't been back since I had graduated in August 2012. What I missed most about Provo were the people. I loved my classes and campus life, there are some good places to eat, but I really missed my buds.
Naturally, my agenda was: friends, eating, eating with friends, General Conference, friends. Because that's really all I did in Provo when I lived there. Besides watch basketball #gocougs
I drove with some peeps from my ward. I took the Frontrunner from SLC to Provo for the first time once we got there. Uhhh why did we get the Frontrunner, Chik-fil-A, AND H&M AFTER I move away from Provo????? Dumb planning on somebody's part.

I stayed with my most recent roommates, Kimberly and Hilary, (#224 #roomies4lyfe). I walked in to Hilary presenting me with Cafe Rio. Come to Oregon, you delicious barbacoa salads, you! In true fashion, we then went and saw "Gravity" at Wynnsong. Wynnsong really is our home away from home. Once we found out about $5 movies there one summer, we were there every week. I wish I was exaggerating, but I'm not.
Saturday was the start of Conference weekend for us Mormon folk. It was an uplifting weekend and I always look forward to it at least a month in advance. I stayed in my sweats, even when we went to breakfast at Kneaders (unlimited French toast, also a tradition), until we went up to SLC to meet with our fourth 224 buddy, Meagan. Meagan was getting married the next week and I was bummed that I couldn't stay for the festivities. But we ate yummy food at my favorite downtown, Buca di Beppo, and then helped Meagan choose her wedding shoes.

Sammy's pieshakes because duh.

Love these girls.

Allie happened to be in Utah that weekend, also, so she dropped by.

Photo c/o Allie

Sunday, I had tickets for morning session of Conference with my wardies, so we met up and enjoyed that amazing session together. "Music and the Spoken Word" is right before every Sunday morning session, so Asia and I made sure that we were there on time for that. If any of you haven't attended Conference, I HIGHLY recommend getting into a session, especially one where the Prophet speaks and when the MoTab sings. It's 1000000xs better than watching on TV.

Asia - Me - Roy

Lovely day in Temple Square

On the drive back to Utah, we drove until the wee hours of the morning. It would have been less painful if we hadn't blown a tire on the way back. Of course, I was driving (crazy things always happens when I'm involved) and we were in the middle of nowhere at 12:30 at night. Pitch black. Freezing cold. Thankfully, we had some studly men in our car who were able to fix it and get us going again. Always an adventure.

It's GONE.

As much as I was ready to move on from my time in Utah, I miss the times I had with the AMAZING people that I befriended while I lived there. You guys rock. Move to PDX so that we can hang out more, k?

family time in the district

I was so so so excited to have my family in town this last weekend!!! Happy happy happy.
They got in last Wednesday night and we ate dinner at Nandos in Old Town. We also tried a cute ice cream place called Creamery where they make their own ice cream.

Thursday, we went to Mount Vernon, thanks to my awesome roommate Megan (she works there)! We had never been, so it was fun. The only thing was that it was really cold so we were a little bit miserable (really, Virginia? Really?). It may seem a bit macabre, but my favorite part was seeing Washington's tomb. I was two feet away from George! OK, that's a little weird, but it was cool.

George and Martha's tomb

memorial for Washington's slaves

we were cold

warming up after getting cold

We saw the George Washington Masonic Temple.

King Street

I can see the District from here!

We saw Christ Church in Old Town.
We ate at Bertucci's. SO GOOD.

my cute family

Then we visited the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial. It's probably my favorite memorial in DC. They have a bench for each victim lined up in order of the year they were born. The benches facing away from the Pentagon were the victims in the Pentagon and the ones facing towards the building were on the plane. It's so beautiful at night.

Friday, we visited where I work. We tried to do a couple of other things, but it was so crazy with the Cherry Blossom Festival tourists that it didn't work out. My mom and I went to the Art Gallery while the others went to the Holocaust Museum. Then we rode bikes around the tidal basin to see the...not...cherry blossoms...and the memorials. Then we saw a show at the Kennedy Center, ate at an Indian food place in Georgetown, and got cupcakes at Sprinkles for dessert.

Tom

Kennedy Center models

Saturday, we took at trip to the temple and visitor's center. I introduced my family to Shake Shack. Then we went to the National Geographic museum to the pirate and birds of paradise exhibits. My favorite part were the NatGeo photo gallery. So amazing.
That night, we went to a murder mystery dinner. The food wasn't very good, neither was the acting, but it was fun for the kids.

It was so great having Easter Sunday with my family. It was the best day I could ask for. Really. We went to Church and then my momma made my favorite salmon dinner. Then they left and I cried. It was a fun trip and I miss them! It was weird and cool having them in my world here in DC. Happy happy happy.

I Like Chocolate.

And another good weekend in Virginia!
Taryn and I had a girls' night with some girls from the ward. We tried an awful hip hop class at the gym. But we made up for it with homemade pizza and cookies and "Pitch Perfect." I love that movie. It reminds me of the 224 girls (+Lizzy, of course). <3 guys="" nbsp="" p="" you="">Saturday night, I had the opportunity to attend the Washington DC LDS temple (which is actually in MD). It is the biggest temple I've seen, yet! HUGE! And so beautiful.

in case you were wondering what it looks like when I'm bundled up and on the metro

On Sunday, I was snagged as a newbie to give a talk in my singles' ward. I like my new ward! There are lots of nice people. That afternoon, we were able to make valentines for the old folks' home close to our church building. I met a man who told us about his life in about 15 minutes. He spoke like he was straight out of a old movie: his time in the Korean and Vietnam wars and during "peacetime." Only people from those days can use "peacetime" casually in a conversation.
That night was an Iron Chef competition/party at a house of some cute ladies with the key ingredient being chocolate. Chocolate! I made yummy buttermilk chocolate cupcakes with chocolate chips and a chocolate ganache frosting. I didn't win, but, like, whatever. I don't mind...
These are the recipes I used:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Buttermilk-Chocolate-Cupcakes
http://www.food.com/recipe/whipped-chocolate-ganache-filling-or-frosting-106954
Then a Brach's candy heart for cuteness :)

new temple in el salvador

I think that this new temple is beautiful!! (Like all of the others, but, you know...)  It was dedicated on August 21st and the article was posted on the LDS Church website. Click here to see it!

I read somewhere that President Monson said that their goal is to make it so everyone in the world has access to a temple within 200 miles.  I can't get over how amazing that is!!  Now the people of El Salvador can have a temple nearby and receive the many blessings that come from it. 
For most of my life, I have grown up only 15 minutes away from a temple.  I have tried to never take it for granted and it's my greatest goal to go through the temple someday.  Having it just a couple of exits from my house has been the best reminder of that important goal.  I'm literally eternally grateful for my awesome parents who also thought it was really important to have our family be under the covenant. 
If you want to read the truth about our holy temples, click here.

Temple Trip & Lunchtime with Winston Churchill

TUESDAY


Classes were squished and earlier today so that we can get on the coach to head to the London, England LDS Temple! It was sunny and pretty and the temple was beautiful. I loved being there with some of the kids from the program. I love those people. They will forever be associated with being my friends during some of the best months of my life and experiencing this life-changing experience with me. The other night, we were talking about little habits and things that each of us does and I discovered some things that they know about me that I didn’t realize until they pointed it out. I don’t know how I’m going to spend a summer away from everyone. I’ll probably die.
{Roommates at London, England LDS Temple}

{me and my best mate}
Anyways, great day at the temple and then 5 pound night spent in Nando’s. Oh, Nando’s.

WEDNESDAY

Last Wednesday trip with the program…It was a really cool day. We’ve seen SO MUCH and yet we haven’t seen it all, today’s activities included. We lucked out for the timing of our tour at the Palace of Westminster, aka Houses of Parliament, because GB is having an election soon to vote for a new Prime Minister and so Parliament was out of session and open for us to see. We got to see Westminster Hall, where some important people, like kings and queens and prime ministers, lay in state before they’re buried. We also saw the chapel where Parliament was held a long time ago and where Charles I stormed in with troops to oppose Cromwell. Finally, we saw the House of Commons and the House of Lords, where the government happens, basically. This day was also the last day for the Q&A with the P.M. before the election and that happens after prayer time. So around 11:30, we stood in the middle of the houses and watched the official procession for the beginning of this. The lady who holds the staff that symbolizes the royalty being present at Parliament and the Speaker of the House of Commons (along with some others) walk down the long corridor to the Commons. An officer yells, “Speaker!” when they enter the corridor and when they got to us, another officer yelled “Hats off, strangers!”. And that was it haha. If we would have been able to wait for another 20 minutes, we probably would have been able to see the P.M., himself.

{Houses of Parliament}

But, we had another appointment at the Cabinet War Rooms on Whitehall. These are the bunkers where Winston Churchill stayed and worked during WWII and they just up and left it at the end of the war. Some people found it and opened it to the public just how it was left behind. Inside was also a Churchill museum, which was cool. I knew before that Churchill was a cool guy, but I never realized just how cool he was until today. I decided that if I could have lunch with any 3 people at this point in my life, I would choose: Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, and Brigham Young. How cool would THAT be? Maybe I’ll get what I wish for in Heaven.

After a solid nap and dinner, Anna, Alyssa and I hit up Starbucks for study time. We got kicked out early than expected because they closed and we encountered a crazy homeless guy at this time. He walked in, talking to himself, set a suitcase down, walked out, came back in, still talking to himself. So we left. We tried to go to McDonald’s to get WiFi, but they didn’t have plugs for our computers. On our way out, we got stopped by a sweet, old lady who talked to us for 10-15 minutes about her life story. Weird homework outing.