Salt Lake University 18th Ward

I woke up at 7 15 this morning...very ahead of schedule for me. It was an exciting day though...my first day in my new ward. I have had to be in new wards relatively few times in my life. I spent four years in the El Camino YSA ward in the Santa Barbara stake (shout out to my SB peeps!) and had grown to be a real part of it. When I left, I remembered people that almost no one else did (Ian, for example, was a regular exception). In that ward I went from 17 and less than a year old in the gospel to 22 and a returned missionary. I was so loved and cared for in that ward. So very cradled.

As most of you know, I have been somewhat transient for the past few months, so I am ready to put my roots down. Here. In the 18th ward.

So...first impressions. I wore a simple black cotton dress that I bought yesterday at Wal-Mart for 12 dollars, a yellowish scarf and green heels. My face and hair was moderately done up. I've become a little bit apathetic towards make-up in my old age.

So I go to the institute at the U to meet my new family. The institute has 4 chapels. 4! I was a bit late, as I lost my orientation inside and didn't know which chapel was the NE one. But I found it and very much enjoyed sacrament meeting.

I met the bishop and had a nice conversation with him. I missed all of Sunday School waiting to speak to him though. I walked into RS with only 20 minutes left. After the block there was a mingle, which I had NO intention of going to. In my experience, singles wards in Utah aren't particularly good at fellowshipping people, and I was not in the mood to deal with trying over and over again to find someone who would actually talk to me. But as I prepared to leave RS, I met a very nice girl who recently moved to the ward from CA as well. She went to the mingle with me and even invited me over for dinner that night. There were 4 other girls from the ward there. I had a great time! Then we went to ward prayer where I met a number of other very kind and potentially fun people.

Now I'm home. I'm excited for this ward. I am going to fit in whether they like it or not.