Firsts

• The first time I saw fireflies this summer, I was giddy. They were magical, just like that scene beneath the waterfall in Robin Hood. Amazing.
  
• My first sleepover was with Michelle Scoville who lived just up the street. We had pizza and were supposed to be watching Ferngully, but decided we would be cool and watch Poltergeist with her older sisters, which inevitably led to me having horrible nightmares, waking up balling in the middle of the night and my mom having to come get me.
• I remember the first time I moved out of my parents house; I was 18, just starting at BYU and I can vividly remember lying in my new dorm room after a day of unpacking, staring at my roommate's poster of the Beatles and just grinning to myself and feeling oh-so-independent. I still remember the first time I had to wear flip flops to shower...not so fun.
  

• My first time jumping off the high dive, I was little. I mean, maybe 6 or 7. I was wearing my favorite pink swimsuit with sparkly glitter and Roger (from the tennis club) was screaming at me and the other little ones from the side of the pool. I think I was crying....probably. But I did it. Roger didn't even have to throw me in like he did some of the other kiddies. Somehow I don't see him getting away with that anymore.
• My first love, obviously that was Leonardo DiCaprio, I was 13, I saw Titanic seven times in the theater (which is almost an entire day when you consider it's three hours long), I bought a book about him, and you better believe I knew every single word to My Heart Will Go On--still do, come to think of it.

• My first job not working for my dad was in college, Cafe Rio Provo. Life-changing. Seriously, I made so many great friends and had a lot of learning experiences from that one. Who'd have thought...

• My first heartbreak (not counting Leo of course), was so not worth it. Lesson to my single friends: always listen to your friend's honest opinions and heed those red flags.
• My first time outside the U.S. (not counting a cruise stop in Ensenada, Mexico) was Barcelona Spain. It was scary and overwhelming and completely wonderful. Even when our cab driver didn't speak a word of English and we were pretty sure was trying to rip us off.

• My first college test. It was Astronomy. It didn't turn out great...and was a total eye-opener. It's all blurred into one, big seventy-something (Kath that was for you).
• The first time I met Brody---not to be confused with the first time I saw him, which was a year prior when I was at dinner at the Jasmine where he was waiting tables. I was at dinner with one of my favorite friends, who left her number for him on our bill---I'll admit the first time we actually met I thought he was 19 (he's got that baby face) and that his sister was his girlfriend. Thank goodness our very first impressions aren't usually correct.

And there have been so many firsts in the last six months. My first time living outside Utah, and all the firsts that come with that. My first time having to stay at work past 10:00 pm, my first time having someone ask me if Mormons believe in Santa Clause, my first time getting out of a ticket (finally!), my first hurricane and earthquake, the first time I've ever missed snow, and our first time having to fly home for the holidays next week. How is it already mid-December?!