Some Thoughts From the Last Two Weeks

1.  Tina Fey's biography was riotous.  The most memorable part (besides the word blorft which had me cracking up*), was the rule that you always go along with whatever your comedic partner says.  Which is just like life.  Sometimes you have to just go with whatever happens.

'"Blorft" is an adjective I just made up that means 'Completely overwhelmed but proceeding as if everything is fine and reacting to the stress with the torpor of a possum.' - Tina Fey 

2.  Sometimes I desperately need a little time to recuperate.  People are great, but also, blech.  I get to make small talk all day, it's not exactly high on my list of weekend activities.  So get over it roomies, I don't want to make small talk with your new boyfriend.  I want to lie on my amazingly comfortable bed and watch Netflix.

3.  There is no light switch that I can find in the employee bathroom in my current library and this seems like a serious issue.  It's normally automatic, but when I walked in the other day, it didn't turn on.  So, I tried to find the switch and there was nothing in the bathroom...so, I turned to go check on the outside wall and managed to run into the DOOR.  Yes, it made a huge thud that probably most the library heard.  No, no one asked if I was alright.  I started laughing, because it was so ridiculous and everyone else politely pretended nothing had happened, because I'm new and that's what you do when someone is new.

4.  I went for a run and then decided I was too tired to run, but I wanted to be outside...so I just walked around the park.  An older woman joined me and started talking to me. Depending on my mood, this either creates a "WHY?!!!!!" attitude or a "Tell me your life story complete with all the little details and bare your soul to me because I'm genuinely interested and looking for answers to my own life by learning about other peoples lives."  Anyways, it ended up being a great conversation.  No, she didn't give me the answer to life's questions, but she did tell me "You can't control everything, so just let go and take it all with a sense of humor.  Laugh, cause you don't get these moments back."

5.  Thanksgiving as one of my top holidays.  It combines two of my favorite things: food and family.  Sadly, working at a library means that I only get Thanksgiving and Black Friday off, so I had to drive down DAY OF, which sucked majorly.  I spent most my drive imagining my arrival being greeted like Prometheus rolling into town - "Hey humans, check out this fire thing I brought for you!" Sadly, my family did not herald my arrival with quite that fervor, but hey, families will be families.

How Taking Chances has Changed My Life

           I’ve been putting off writing on here for a couple weeks now.  I admit that it’s because I was feeling sad and I didn’t know how to put my grief into perspective.  I didn’t want to write until I had at least started putting it into perspective.

            One of the hardest things in life is change and I think I’m tired of saying goodbye to people that I genuinely care about.

            See, I just started a new job and it’s a great opportunity, but saying goodbye to my old life and the people who were in it has been hard.  Every time you promise that you’ll keep in contact.  Then over time, those contacts slip away and become only memories.  I used to be okay with it, I was so caught up in looking to the future and the possibilities that the goodbyes hardly fazed me.  Now, I realize that it’s not that easy to make new friends, that it’s going to be a lot of work, and I realize that I’m going to spend quite a few lonely moments missing my old friends.

            So why do I do it?  I mean, I keep doing it and I know I should do it.  New state, new job, new life, new me…every few weeks there something new, some change that I get caught on and start working towards.  Sometimes they work out and sometimes they don’t, but it doesn’t really matter, because it’s the very act of working on something that keeps driving me.  Because I have this need to prove to myself that

I can do hard things.

            I think some people are really passionate about their careers.  Some people are passionate about saving the planet.  This might sound incredibly selfish and please understand that this isn’t the only thing I’m passionate about, but in the last two weeks I’ve realized that one of the things that I’m passionate about and that I couldn’t live without, is this incessant need to push myself beyond what I think I’m capable of.

            I never know what the challenge is going to be.  I’m not really much of a planner.  One day I’ll wake up and something will just be there, that idea that sparks a determination to do something different.  I’d like to think that those moments are magical, the moments when my need for challenge matches up with God’s plans for me, giving me the divinely stubborn drive to do something I’d never dreamed of doing before.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, God’s work in your life is bigger than the story you’d like that life to tell. His life is bigger than your plans, goals, or fears. To save your life, you’ll have to lay down your stories and, minute by minute, day by day, give your life back to him.” – BYU Professor

            I don’t really know what God’s ultimate plan for me is, but I do know that I don’t want my own fear and lack of self-confidence stop me from allowing Him to shape me.  I had a mission president who wrote this equation during a conference:

Doubt  +  Obedience    =   A Witness

            I think I’m always going to be afraid of change.  I think I’ll always be sad to say goodbye to people and afraid that I won’t make new friends.  But I’m also learning that it’s only by not knowing and pushing myself into action despite that, that I can ever truly change.

Run, Run as Fast as You Can

I wasn't planning on going for a run today...but those cops came out of nowhere.

Okay, so I did plan the run.  I also didn't get chased by police officers.  I just thought that the irony in this picture was right around perfect.

And Thus the Holiday Season Comes Upon Us

The last three months of the year are some of the best because of the amazing holidays and celebrations that take place.  This smile basically embodies how I feel all throughout October, November, and December:

I'm pretty sure he gets his smile from his mom...
I swear she used to smile like this every Christmas morning

 And first up we have Halloween...the Nightmare before Christmas if you so will :)

Sand Canyon, Canyon of the Ancients

The beauty of traveling is that by putting yourself in an environment outside of your comfort zone, you're almost forced to look around yourself.  When we look up, we have the amazing opportunity to look beyond ourselves and our own small lives.  We get to see a far grander picture than we're presented with every day.

This was a really fun hike and I sincerely enjoyed it.  The ruins were inspiring and speak of a different lifestyle than the one we have today.  There was once a time where people didn't get everything they wanted by swiping a card.  There was a time where information was accessed by just a few taps of our fingers.  I think those times had beauty and eloquence, though despite the trials and hardships, but I have to admit, that I'm glad I don't live in those times.  I'm very grateful for the modern advances we have.

Is it a Suggest a Purchase Submission or a Job Application?

I know we're not supposed to have favorite patrons at the library.  I mean, that's like having favorite kids! Literally, though, sometimes people just leave their kids at the library, so I probably shouldn't choose my favorites...

 Anyways, I do have favorites and the other day a "Suggest a Purchase Submission" came through that was submitted by one of my favorites, a cute kid who has autism.

Instead of putting in a title of a book he wanted us to buy, he put in his name and then in the comments section he put:

"I would work as librarian as a job at MILLCREEK LIBRARY.  i love to work hard and always happy."

And I just went, "AWWWWWWWWWW."

Moral of the story:  Sadly, it's not that easy to get a job in the library.  Also, as a side not, applying for a job via the "Suggest a Purchase" form is definitely not the best way to apply, although it will get us to notice you and give us a bit of a laugh.

It's Located at the Corner of Get a Map

So, at the library, we have this book sale section.  We sell our old books and then people can donate books that we'll sell.  At bare minimum, we try to sell readable books.

But there's this homeless guy who keeps hiding his old, smelly books in our book sale.  And I mean, I normally like old books, but these books are seriously nasty.  The last one smelled really bad and had stuff growing on the pages.  Anyways, the point is, it's super weird that he keeps hiding them in our book sale.

But I have this theory:

In all these books, there are random highlighted lines. 

And I kind of think maybe he's trying to send us a message.  The novelist in me wishes it was a secret code or map for treasure, but it might just be a bit more profound than treasure.

The book he hid today was "The Novels and Tales of Robert Louis Stevenson" and he had this highlighted in it:

"Hope, they say, deserts us at no period of our existence.  From first, to last, and in the face of smarting disillusions, we continue to expect good fortune, better health, and better conduct; and that so confidently, that we judge it needless to deserve them."

Message received, random citizen.  Message received.

Keep Calm and Swim On

Aquariums are magical places where people surrounded by land can pretend they live near an ocean.  Especially when they have a special little bubble you can crawl into that literally lets you pretend you are in the ocean with the sharks, rays, eels, and fish...and everything else that was in that tank. Obviously I'm not the one who's a marine biologist.  But I don't have to be a biologist to know this guy is ADORABLE.  Just look at that happy face.

5 Reasons I Go to the Ren Faire

Let's face it, the Renaissance Faire is that thing that normal people laugh about in the open, but secretly desire when they're home alone.  Yes, there are those brave souls who have absolutely no shame and can openly love and enjoy it, but those are the same souls who stay home over the weekends sewing costumes and creating fake chain mail.  Needless to say, I'm not one of those people.  I'm not very good at sewing and the thought of trying to make chain mail makes me feel ill.  I am, however, a fan of the Ren Faire (though I have to be careful who I say that to) and here's why:

1. Jousting.  It's a real thing people.  I mean, it's actually done today, in the present, in this day and age.  And apparently the group that goes to the Ren Faire in Utah is like the world champions, because other people actually compete in this.  Did your mind just blow up or what?  Because I totally thought  jousting was a thing of the past.
   
2. People Watching.  I used to go to Comic Con just to people watch, but it's become such a hassle with SO many people there, that it's not even really worth it anymore.  Instead, I've replaced it with the Ren Faire, which has some sweet/dorky costumes, far less people, and where you can overhear some classic phrases such as, "Falconry is fly, bro!" "Can you pass me that sword?  I'd like to go slay a dragon."  "Do I like him or is he just tall?"  "It's been one of those days for like two weeks now."  Also, can we all just recognize that I legit saw Gandalf watching the Jousting?  I couldn't get a good picture of him, but he was laughing and apparently Gandalf likes watching men be idiots just as much as I do (which actually explains a lot about those quests....)
3. Armored Combat.  Again, what can I say except there's something really amusing about men in metal suits just hacking away at each other?  Why does this happen?  I  have absolutely no idea, but I'm not here to question it.
   
4. You can LITERALLY be anyone or anything you want.  Okay, I'm not one for dressing up, so I don't do this, but it's really amusing to go and see other people who do this.  As my friend put it:"I don't understand why there are elves, fairies, witches, pirates, and mermaids at a Renaissance Faire."  Me: "There's also Vikings, Gandalf, someone who's dressed like a Mistborn from those Brandon Sanderson books, and that guy who's got furry pants on and little horns on his head...I think he's supposed to be a satyr."  Because apparently nothing is off limits at the Renaissance Faire.  The best part is that this encourages hours of entertainment of trying to tie these random characters to Renaissance.  Hint:  People started exploring from Europe in the 1400s which leads to piracy which leads to mermaids which are closely related to fairies and elves.
   
5. Random plays are performed and they have some amazing one liners.  "Can't you be a man and defend yourself for once?!"  "She's an untamable shrew." "I'm kerfluffled!"   "You know the saying...when one door closes, get yourself a battering ram and show them who's really king here!"

WARNING! Don't Feed Your Fingers to the Animals.

This post is a little late, but I went to the zoo on Friday.  I swear this guy was just asking for me to take pictures.  I mean, look at the flipper on hip action.

#Can'tTouchThis #IDoThisAllDay #HardToGet #ComeHither

I think the zoo is an amazing place to remember that we're part of a much larger world.  Seeing all the animals, reading the signs about them, and learning always reminds me that there is so much out there yet to be learned and seen.  I just looked it up and it turns out humans cover about 10% of the Earth's surface (which makes sense when you realize how much of the Earth is covered by water...).  Now take an individual human...an individual human is not likely to go visit every area that has been inhabited by other humans (even if they are travel freaks).  It's just not realistically possible to travel to every country, city, town, and village.  Which means that there is a lot out there that we haven't seen yet.

And that makes me want to go explore.

The Conspiracy

Today at the library, I got to shelve the kids magazines...and I came across this:

Seriously?  Infiltrating the homes of innocent families with adorable magazines?  That's not even sly, Disney, you old dog.

The biggest question I have, though, is why in the world do you need three different magazines?  At bare minimum, can't Frozen and Princesses be combined?  Or do Elsa and Ana not count as princesses?  (I guess technically Elsa was Queen...)

Also, these are just the magazines that the library has.  I just looked it up and there are about twenty other Disney magazines.

It's a global conspiracy to take over the world one child at a time.

Starry Starry Night

I decided today as I was running under the stars, that the coolest thing about the eclipse a couple days ago wasn't the eclipse itself.

It was that for an hour, people stopped looking at their phones and instead looked up to the sky.

I wonder how different life must have been in the past before people had so much technology to distract them.  When I was living in India, I loved how simple life was.  I never drove anywhere and I didn't have a phone...I didn't even have internet that often.  It was like being freed from a lot of burdens and when I talked to people, it seemed extra precious, because I was actually present in the moment.

I honestly think if we let go of the things that are binding us so tightly to a virtual life, we might be quicker to recognize the beauty in our actual lives.

Sprinkler Shower

I was thinking earlier today that we're only granted so much time to be a child.  All too soon, life requires that we grow up and with today's world and media, I think that there's added pressure for children to grow up even faster.  I'm always shocked working with kids by how these eight year old girls walk in with make up and looking like they're 14.

So, on that note, I decided that it was time to revert to being a kid and enjoying the world.

In a sense, I want to actually participate in the life around me.

Which is why I totally ran through the sprinklers after going for a run.

"Real Christians Have Chest Hair"

My friends and I were discussing a little gem I came across a while back.  It's a Harry Potter fan fic that was rewritten to be more "Christian" appropriate.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all about people expressing their creativity, but I'd be lying if I didn't say that this fan fic hasn't been a source of constant hilarity.

I can't read more than one chapter at a time, because it's THAT much.

But my favorite part is how the author goes on and on about Hagrid's hairy chest...and then my friend bursts out with the best line ever.

"Real Christian's have chest hair."

So, when you're feeling down, remember that the internet and friends are really good sources of cheer.

YO-YO

My parents are in town staying with my sister and I went over there to have dinner.

Afterwards, I was lying on the ground next to my little nephew watching Mickey Mouse.

I overheard my mom say, "So, I just heard..." And then she kinda just stopped talking.

So, being very mature, I call out, "That she's pregnant!"

Right then my little nephew shouts, "UHOH!!!!!"

*I burst out laughing before I realized he was actually trying to say "yoyo" because Mickey had gotten a yoyo from Toodles*

But hey, it's the little mistakes that sometimes make the day bright :)

Cuppa Tea

 "Some days shine bright.

Some days must wait for stars.

Some days things can change with a whisper.

And some days a speck can grow into something glorious."

I really wanted to love this book.  The artwork in it is stupendous and right up my alley.  It started out rather grand, full of symbolism about growing up and leaving home, but still finding power in our memories and roots.

I don't know what it was about the ending that left me just a bit dissatisfied.  I think it started out with such beautiful symbolism and then the end was just...less symbolic to me.  I do like the taglines at the front of the book, haha (see above lines).

Either way, the artwork was incredible.

This page was easily my favorite and I'd love to paint something similar to this:

Why was the jack-o-lantern afraid to cross the road?

My roommate's garden has really taken off.

There's one particular pumpkin plant that is starting to worry me.

At first it was just creeping steadily along the fence.

Now it's branched out and is heading towards my room which is on this side of the house.

Pretty sure one day I'm going to wake up and  be wrapped up in its vines.

Let Lythronax eat cake

I was walking through the museum and came to this section featuring Lythronax. Note that there's a facial reconstruction on display along with a model of the fossil skeleton and a real fossil skull:

As I was walking past, I noticed this mother with her four year old (?) daughter.  The girl was sobbing uncontrollably.  I stopped to ask if everything was alright.

The girl was too shy to answer me, but the mother pointed at me and said, "She works here, so she has to tell you the truth!  You can ask her."

Me:  "Uh...what did you want to ask?"

Girl, after mom's continued urging, tearfully asks: "Why did you behead him?"  She points trembling at the Lythronax facial reconstruction.

Me, fumbling to explain facial reconstruction to a four year old: "Oh, it's just what someone imagines he looked like and they made it, kind of like an art project."

Girl, very confused and still sniffling: "So it's not real?"

Me:  "Definitely not."

Girl: "Oh."

Mom, as they're walking away: "See, I told you it wasn't real."

Me inside my head while watching them walk away: What kind of four year old not only knows the word behead, but actually grasps what it means enough to think that a replica is an actual head?

*Fun fact: The facial reconstruction for Lythronax was done by the same guy who reconstructed Otzi the Iceman and in the Nova video about the Iceman, when they interview him, you can actually see the partially finished dinosaur head in the background!*

Dinosaurs don't read....now they're extinct...coincidence?

I was working the circulation desk yesterday and this young guy walked up to me and handed me a bunch of books.

Me: "Would you like to check these out?"

Patron: "No, I'd like to rent them!"

Then, while I was out shelving, this lady approached me.

Patron: "The last time I was here, a librarian recommended a book to me, but I can't remember what it was.  Do you remember?"

Me: "Do you remember which librarian helped you?"

Patron: "No."

Me: "Do you remember what she looked like?"

Patron: "I can't remember that either.  Don't you keep track of what you recommend somewhere?  Like a spreadsheet or something?"

Me *Mental facepalm*

I then spent almost ten minutes trying to explain that we can't feasibly keep such a record because we have hundreds of patrons coming through the library. 

She eventually walked off in a huff.

Thursday Tennis

Found some friends to play tennis with who aren't my family...it only took me almost 25 years!

I swear that I know other people who play, they just don't seem to want to play with me lol

Is it because this is the perfect tennis meme for me?

Perfect Wednesday Pick Me Up

This book is adorable and it made me tear up a little reading it.

"If I hadn't endeavored

and found my wings clever,

I never a sky would have scaled,

never a world would have seen,

and never a friend would have found."

You're a Wizard, Harry

So, it's my beautiful Mother's birthday.

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the most amazing woman ever!  We've been on too many adventures for me to even name/remember them all :)  Looking forward to many more and you're beautiful smiling face!

ALSO.  It's Harry Potter's birthday. 

"Bless my soul...it's Harry Potter."

Oh my gosh, I don't know why this makes me laugh so hard...

I'm dying right now from laughter

Fred and George have always been my favorites...
they don't even need anything extra to make them funny

Just a little more Fred/George love...and also...yessss

For the ultimate Harry Potter finale...I'm sorry, but something about these Potter/Twilight combos is KILLING me.  I'm like crying from laughter.

#TooTrue

Ahhhhhhhh...the tears...can't hold them in....

But Ron's face here...it's just too perfect...

*Whispershout* SPACE CAMP :)

I didn't get to blog Saturday. But it was amazing.

How can you beat Space Camp?

Mission: Successful

Thank goodness for my above average, amazing crew :)

#BestCrew #ThisJustGotReal #BeatTheProgram

Great Workplace

I haven't been feeling great this week...caught some kind of stomach or flu bug that I'm having a hard time kicking.

Sadly, I can't really take time off from work.

On the other hand, I have to admit that I'm pretty lucky to get to work at such cool places.

I mean, where else do you get to see things like this?

Oh hello there, old friend
#Gryposaurusmonumentensis
#RealFossils

Actually, I spent most the day working on this section, trying to develop a ten minute tour for 4th graders:

Early Hominids Family Tree

Is it weird that we have almost the exact same family tree display for the Ceratopsians just two floors down?

Not gonna lie, this wall looks far cooler than the early hominids wall.  Point dinosaurs.

And then this is just too cool to be passed by.

Because Allosaurus is just this cool...especially with the Ceratopsians in the background.
#MuseumMode #LivinTheDream #WorkLife

Learning from the Past to have Courage for the Future

This is a painting by John Clare from the series of paintings
 known as Saints at Devil's Gate

Learning from the Past to have Courage for the Future

            Sometime last December the idea to teach English abroad hit me.  I’ve thought about it before, but it never seemed like there was time for it.  This time, the idea seemed just as ludicrous, but it wouldn’t leave me.  I mean, I have two jobs and while neither of them are amazing, both of them at least offer experience and have potential to turn into something else.  Teaching abroad means quitting both jobs, putting off grad school, and basically taking a risk.  But the idea persisted and finally, I started giving it real consideration.

That’s when I got this feeling, a feeling that I’m starting to get to know pretty well. It’s the exact same feeling I got when I decided to go on a mission.  It’s also the same feeling I got when I decided to go to India, which was one of the most life changing decisions I’ve ever made.  In fact, every huge, life changing decision I’ve made has almost always been accompanied by this feeling.  It’s my own personal fire of the spirit.

            But the truth is, I’m terrified to do this.

            Which might be why Pioneer Day actually means something to me this year.  I don’t think it would be right for me to compare myself to pioneers, but I’ve been reading some journal entries and I’ve found them to be such a great source of comfort, that I thought I’d share a few of them and the lessons they’ve taught me in courage.

      1.  Shoot for a goal out of reach and never know when to quit because that’s when the impossible becomes possible.  “Yesterday we travelled over the most intolerable roads! It was a query in my mind how the first company, going as they did early in the spring, ever forced their way through so much mud! I was led to exclaim, what is there in all the world, the Mormons will not attempt to do?”  Louisa Barnes Pratt Age 43, June 1846, exodus across Iowa.

        2.  It’s okay that other people might think you’re insane, that’s just another word for the mentally creative. “Drove about 3 miles & came to a house the last one on our route. We thus leave the abodes of civilization to go forth as wanderers on the Earth without homes not knowing on what part of the continent we might be permitted to stop . . . I have often laughed at an observation made to me by a settler with whom I chanced to meet one day on the prairie. His inquiry was what part are you expecting to locate in. I answered in all sincerity, I really do not know sir. His reply was, When I leave with my family not knowing where I expect to stop, any person is at liberty to call me a damned fool.” Lorenzo Brown Age 23, May 28, 1846, exodus across Iowa.

      3.  The best way to live life is with curiosity and a dash of humor. “ In the course of my walk I saw a large buffalo which had been to the river for drink. He was just rising the bank as I came in sight of him. It appeared that his curiosity was as much aroused as mine. He gazed at me for a moment, as I did at him. Then shaking his head and switching his tail, [he] started toward me in great haste, but as there were several deep gulfs between us I was not much afraid of his reaching before I could gain the wagons, however I concluded it was best for me to be leaving. . . .” Caroline Barnes Crosby Age 41, August 1848, Willard Richards company. Trail journal.

        4.  We all have our moments, so we need to be patient with each other and with ourselves.  These two quotes are from the same woman, Hannah Tapfield King. “We have had the Platte River by us for the past week. It is very pretty—full of little islands— Oh! I can write no more. The mosquitoes drive me mad!” and “A long day’s travel! This day these sublime bluffs in view all day!— They plainly speak a designer— tho’ ages must have rolled along since that design was carried out. “ The Bluff ruins . . . are very beautiful— I should like to have an explanation about them—but I suppose none know their history— They stand out in bold relief with a silent eloquence that speaks trumpet-tongued to every thinking mind— There they are looking eternally silent.” Hannah Tapfield King Age 46, English convert, August 3 and 5, 1853, Claudius V. Spencer company.

        5. Nature can offer relief from our predicaments. “ Our minds were so much delighted with the novelty of the surrounding scenery that we almost forgot we were a little past the meridian of life, and for a moment imagined ourselves mere children, sporting at leisure. All the animal we saw was one little rabbit which ran from us in great fear and a few very pretty birds that seemed [to] make homes in the old cedar trees.” Caroline Barnes Crosby Age 41, August 11, 1848, Willard Richards company. Trail journal.

Took this picture at Arches a couple months ago...I love Utah's landscape

        6.  Almost every huge change that has happened, is because someone asked questions. I think the future belongs to those who are curious.  “Yesterday we travelled till quite late & passed some splendid bluffs ruins. These bluffs are something I cannot describe. They are sublime & mysterious— There is beauty & order in them, and it requires no very fanciful stretch of imagination to form baronial buildings—‘Keeps’—gateways. . . . They are very high— I should like to hear a philosophical description of them— They please and interest me more than [I] have language to express— There is much design in them—yet they say they are solely the work of Nature— Well I must leave them like all mysterious things.” Hannah Tapfield King Age 46, English convert, September 10, 1853, Claudius V. Spencer company.

        7.  Just do what you can.  We prize sacrifice so much that sometime we forget that to do our best is sacrifice enough.  Furthermore, don’t forget to notice the people around you.  There are hidden moments in each day that will tell a story of sacrifice and love.  “As we gazed down the yawning chasm that lay before us; the narrow road with rocks and bushes on each side, and leading, we could not see where, was a sight to make the strongest heart falter. My mother felt that she was not equal to the task of guiding her oxen down that fearful road, and my father tried to get a man to drive the team down for her. They were all fully occupied with their own teams, and she had to go down the best she could, hanging to the horns of her cattle, and leaving her dress as usual on the bushes to mark her way. I wonder if those coming after knew what those tattered rags meant.” Mary Jane Mount (Tanner) Age 10, autumn 1847, Abraham O. Smoot–George B. Wallace company.

        8.  We've done hard things before.  We know we can do hard things again. “As we enter the valley of the mountains and look out over the vast land of Zion, I am dismayed by the very immensity of the view. The boundless silence, and to see miles of sage brush everywhere. Behind us now are the heartaches and many thousands of silent tears that fell on the long unknown trail. I remember my dear home in England, of the flowers and trees and beautiful surroundings at that safe home. And I am home sick for my dear mother and father. But just as I have covered those endless hundreds of miles, so now I will begin work with renewed faith, begin the task of building a good home in this new wilderness.” Mary Pugh Scott Age 26, English convert, circa August 1848, Heber C. Kimball company.

*The quotes are courtesy of LDS Church History's Exhibit: "Saints at Devils Gate".  The online portion is accessible here:

https://history.lds.org/maps/museum/saints-at-devils-gate-online-exhibit