Reflections of BYU- sophomore style!

It amazes me that another year at BYU has come and gone. I'm going to be a junior in college and it feels like I just started my senior year of high school. It kind of makes me reflect on my life. Am I where I want to be in my life? Have I done my best in everything? Do I have any regrets so far? [haha, I just realized I sound like I'm like 80 and lecturing (I mean bestowing my wisdom :P) to my grandchildren like Grandma Barker. (I love you grandma)] But seriously, I don't think you're ever too young to evaluate your life and learn from your mistakes. I am happy where I am, but I definitely can make some improvements.
Sophomore year was a good one. I learned so much (and had such an awesome time) freshmen year, as can be expected your first year away from home. I honestly didn't expect to learn so much sophomore year, being the know-it-all that I am [but trying not to be, I'll get there some day... I hope :)]. This year was different for me because I didnt hang out with my usual type of friends. Everyone has a guy type, but if you really think about it, you have a girl type too. There is a certain type of people that you are naturally drawn too, girl or guy. My "type" is super fun and over the top spontaneous, really happy and outgoing and LOVES PEOPLE, (sporty would be nice), driven in school, and really just good as a person and spiritaully (does this sound like a newspaper add to anyone else?, if you're interested call.....). I feel like I thrive with these type of people. They make me happy and strive to be better in every aspect of my life. But this year my eyes were opened to new types of people.
I had some apartment struggles, so I started just hanging out 24-7 next door. In fact, when they came to extend me my calling, they came to that apartment, thinking that I lived there. Things like that happened many times and people were always shocked to learn that I didn't live there. (For reference, my apartment is #24, and next door is #23). Anyway, none of the girls in apartment #23 fit my normal "type". Don't get me wrong, they are AWESOME GIRLS, just not my status quo. They are very musical, need alone time, aren't spontaneous, and aren't over the top happy and outgoing, and overall don't play sports. Not gonna lie, these are usually the type of people that I MIGHT say hi to at church. But I really just didn't want to be at my apartment (a lot of this was my fault, because I avoided the issues instead of facing them head on), so, out of default, I spent a ton of time next door. For the first time in my life, I was forced to give these type of people a chance. There was one girl in 23 kinda like my type, miss Emily Mayda Low, and I latched onto her (as I have been known to do. I'm sorry I just love people! Once again, Im workin on it...), and we became really good friends. At first some of the the other girls boggled my mind. I honeslty jut couldn't understand how not having a ton of fun with tons of people could make anyone happy. Slowly, I started to get to know the other girls in the apartment. To make a long story short, I loved what I found when I finally gave them a chance. Now I'm ridiculously good friends with Valerie Nishiguchi, [a vocal performance major, who doesn't play sports, wants to be a princess, and likes to sew and paint in her free time (and now hang with me!), and Kelsey Howell ( in concert choir, loves alone time, not sporty, and really moody in the mornings HAHA!!, love ya kels). I just told you the things about them that are different from me, but they are such great girls and I love thier goodness. In fact, I'm even living with Kelsey next year and Im so stoked. (Trisha, don't feel left out! I love you too, you just don't fit in that category. You're my favorite snuggle. And you know how much I love you Julie, and your nontouchiness)
I definitely think that this has been the biggest lesson that I have learned this year. I thought it was weird because I felt so strongly that I should live in #24 instead of with my freshmen friends that I loved. I started REALLY struggling with my apartment and couldn't figure out why I had felt that I should live there. But now I totally know. My freshemn friends are pretty much my normal type and if I hadn't lived there, I never would have met the girls next door and given that type of people a chance. I would have missed out on so many great people throughout my life. (Well I guess Rachelle Hanshaw is a lot like those type of people (not all the way), and everyone knows how much I love her, but I defnitely thought she was the acception to the norm, even in her own category almost, cuz she is so crazy.. :P )
And near the end of the year, I finally met a girl, Jana Barker, in my ward. We found out that we're 4th cousins, hence the same last name. Anyway, she is 1000% my normal type and AMAZING! We had so much fun together and even though I have branched out, I still like my old friends. Life is great and Im grateful for all the experinces I had my sohpomore year. I find that when we are having the hardest times, we grow the most, and learn to depend on the lord. And heaven knows, I can always get better at both of those (along with everything else)...