Idaho Saved My Life

All growing up I thought I would live in Arizona forever.
I never saw myself going to school somewhere that wasn't within an hour of my house, and I definitely never saw myself moving 700+ miles away.
I thought that Arizona was my place. I thought that I would meet someone from Arizona, marry them, and spend the rest of my life there. In fact, that is how I wanted my life to go. I wanted to stay forever. The thought of ever living somewhere else scared me. I knew what to expect and the kind of life I would most likely get in Arizona. And knowing that was comforting. It was safe. It was what I was used to. I didn't want to change any of that.
But yet I did.
When it was time to apply for colleges, I was incredibly confused. I suddenly didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I was only 18, but yet I was having such a hard time deciding what to do. I didn't know if I wanted to go to college. I didn't know if I wanted to try to just jump right into the work force and hopefully find something that worked for me with no college education. I didn't know what I wanted. This was all during the time after the missionary age change had taken place and it seemed like girls were suddenly expected to serve missions. I had thought that I was going to go for awhile too. I had started telling people that I was planning on serving a mission, but suddenly I found myself in my Senior English class staring at college applications.
I didn't know what to do.

When I finally did open it up and read my acceptance letter, I had an overwellming feeling come over me that Idaho is where I needed to be. It was such a strong impression that I know came from my Heavenly Father telling me that Idaho is where I needed to be. I hadn't even gotten my letter from BYU yet, even though I knew I wouldn't get in, and I already knew where I needed to be.
I quickly got online, found an apartment, and started learning everything that I needed to know about attending school so far away. I had not even graduated high school yet and it seemed like I was already so ready to leave to the frozen tundra of Rexburg.
But I was terrified.

The time finally came though.
I backed up my belongings, said my goodbyes, got in the car and started the long drive up north. I was more excited then I had ever been. Yet, even on the drive up to Rexburg I sat in the back of my parents car wondering if this is actually what I wanted to do. Every time these thoughts, these doubts would come in to my mind I would remember that initial feeling of knowing that I needed to be there. Thinking back on that would bring me such peace. I would take a deep breath and know that no matter what happened I needed to be there. So I clung to that feeling. I put some serious trust in my Heavenly Father and did the thing that scared me the most.
I left behind everything that I knew.
Everything that was safe.
And I finally made it to Idaho.

Idaho saved my life.
I truley believe that.
If I hadn't moved away from my sheltered bubble of Gilbert, if I hadn't followed that prompting to move 721 miles away from everything that I knew, then I wouldn't be the person that I am today. I wouldn't have met the people that I have. I wouldn't have learned so much about myself. I wouldn't have the plan and know the direction that I want my life to go in. I would be stuck in Arizona probably as the same girl that I was in high school. And the most terrifing part of all of that is, I know I would have been content with that.
Idaho still terrifies me sometimes. But now it is terrifies me in a good way. It is exciting. It is different. I am constantly learning and expereincing things that my old self would never do. I stay in Idaho because I know it is where I need to be. I still have things I need to learn. Both for my degree and just about life in general. I don't know exactly what is ahead for me, but I know that the things I have learned and the people I have met along the way will be there to help me if I need it.

Idaho has become home.
Don't get me wrong, Arizona will always be home. It is where I was born. It is where I grew up. It is where all of my family is. But for now, at this stage in my life, Idaho is home.
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