GOODBYE

So Ben cleaned out his wallet the other day...

I couldn't throw them away.

I really, really like Provo, just in case you never knew. So, you must know I miss it.

I already miss—well, foremost on my mind lately is BYU Football! It may seem trivial, but I miss just the feeling of football season, even when we stayed at home and folded laundry as a family with the game on TV and the front door open because it was sunny, but cool, and outdoor chores were being done too. I miss the ambiance and the atmosphere of a BYU game—whether feeling like a queen in Grandpa's seats or in the crowd of hyper students (OK, some of those hyper students I don't miss), I miss the memories of meeting up with friends (Ben) at a game when we were in high school. I miss the traffic, even. And that's just what I miss about BYU Football.

I miss the mountains and hikes, the summer festivals and the Downtown eagerness to grow. I miss the variety of Hispanic joints and mercados. I miss the student-ridden grocery stores, and the MTC. I miss the very-last-minute-possible post office dropbox. I miss Robert's 40% off always, I miss Cafe Rio and I miss the Creamery's Kids Meal (with Cookies n' Cream on a sugar cone). I miss Provo Parks & Recreation. I miss the Provo River (Trail) and Utah Lake. I miss the trees—the fake one, the raining one, the oldest one. I miss driving Provo Canyon, and visits to Sundance (summer outdoor movies and the Film Festival). I miss knowing every street and the fastest route to anywhere (except from our house to University Mall... that takes long no matter which way you take). I miss knowing where to go for everything.

I miss my perk-y job at Nu Skin. I miss all Ben's plants on the front porch of Bishop Booth's house. I miss the Provo Peaks 11th ward. I miss living a block down from Mom's work or across the street from Papá's. I miss family Sunday dinners. I miss walks with friends, and Redbox walks. I miss temple trips. (We were so close to getting to all of them, Ben—just 2 more!) I miss my class, dear Class of 2KX. I miss Grandma Annie Claire's garden outside Adrian's room—most stunning when all those trees are goldenrod. I miss the studio and our "late-night social life" there. I miss the letterpress and the stock room and even the Bookstore. I miss 422-INFO and the HFAC and the Amanda Knight.

I miss the days of house shows and Velour nights. I miss the Annex—the girls, the wards, the bike-ride to school. I miss writing/making Ben letters. I miss meeting so many peeps after breaking out of (though still keeping) my High-School-friend-shell. I miss Beverage Club, and ROC!
I miss DT and that handy cafeteria. I miss my freshman routine of sack breakfast & lunch, 4 classes from 9-1, and my dear Law School Fishbowl job til 5. I miss that 'new freedom' to go out to the Hot Pots on a whim, and the epiphany that I could even see Ben every day.

I miss high school days, of course—there's way too much to say about that; though Ben, Student Government, and Soccer stand out most. I miss longboarding the river trail from just above Nunn's and jumping in the lake from the bridge before the dock. I miss Girls Camp at Mia Shalom. I miss middle school weirdness-but-fondness, which also was the time of my only "big move" I remember: from Northwest to Southwest Provo. I miss that little duplex spot—riding bikes to Little Dickens, sneaking into Branbury's pool, walking to "Double-time" for treats, movie-hopping during the summer at Movies 8, and the perfect climbing tree out back. I miss Timpanogos times—the teachers and the building and the commute, from Mom's "Don't try this til you've been driving 20 years"-U-turns to our bike rides along the River Trail. I miss the KFC picnics and pinatas at the park by the river. I miss Gymnastics at Timpview and our Friday-night browsing at Toys-R-Us.

Phew! I wasn't born in Provo, but it sure feels like my whole life! The cool thing is, I don't feel dead now that we don't live there.
I'm really excited to be here in the East. I miss all of Provo—especially the fam, but we've got a bit of family here too and it's already part of what I love about North Carolina. So, like Ben's cards, I'm tucking away this oliviainprovo blog and starting afresh—with Olivia in North Carolina! And, let's face it, I'm a sentimental sucker and I'll miss any good times once they've past even if they're out of Provo. . .