Zoo-Lander

Every once and a while, Andy and I have a Salt Lake Day. These excursions date back to our first big date when we went to the Leonardo, the Living Planet Aquarium, and Ikea all in one day. Our Salt Lake Days have continued and we've since taken trips to Tracy Aviary, Comic Con, Capitol Hill, and now Hogle Zoo.

Although my memories of the zoo have always included massive crowds, sweltering heat, the inability to see any animal, and screaming children, I have always enjoyed the zoo. To avoid reliving most, if not all, of these unpleasant memories, Andy and I planned to go to Hogle Zoo on a Friday morning. In the winter.

It was amazing.

There were a total of maybe 30 visitors to the zoo that day. Yes, it was a brisk day, but we could go to each exhibit and enjoy the views of the animals by ourselves!! There was no one around! We got to see every animal up close and personal (behind glass or a fence). There were no screaming children, and no one to block our pictures.

We were also very lucky to have visited around feeding time. All of the animals were up and active. The lions and tiger were roaring as they were impatiently waiting for their food. 

We also got to see this gem:

It even tried to woo me!

Our trip to the zoo was very enjoyable. The lack of crowds, due to the season and the time of day, made for a very quiet afternoon, and I actually preferred the cold to the blistering summer heat. I highly recommend Hogle Zoo and deem it an acceptable outing for any time of year. 

My Greatest Adventure

Over the past year, I've shared my desire to leave my small town. Last year I applied for out of state internships, I bought a ticket to India, and I had every intention on escaping my known world for that of the unknown.

It all fell through.

My internship applications for out of state were rejected--all if them, an old hip injury became unbearable, resulting in a surgery rather than a flight to India, and it seemed like my life was going in the opposite direction of what I wanted.

It was utterly perfect.

I ended up working in a laboratory in Salt Lake City for the summer. This internship was in state and definitely not what I had intended, but it was exactly what I needed. My internship allowed me to live at home and allowed me to strengthen past connections. Through my seemingly ruined plans I found a greater plan: I started dating Andy.

We started dating and as August and my India trip approached, we became very close. It also became apparent that there was an ongoing problem with my hip. After a few doctors visits and an MRI, it was determined that I would need surgery, and my trip needed to be canceled.

I was devastated. My chance to escape was gone.

As I became increasingly depressed, Andy had an idea: Disneyland. Andy's mother is a Disney Queen, she loves everything Disney, and she jumped at the chance to go.

About a week after my surgery we were in the car on the way to California. We spent two days in Disneyland. I spent one day in a wheelchair, and one on my crutches. I was the only person in the park on crutches.

Although Disneyland is no where near the caliber of an India trip, I loved every minute of it. Andy and I became so much closer. We continued dating and, on October 11, Andy proposed.

We made plans for forever and were married December 29 in the Salt Lake Temple.

Although my summer didn't go as I had hoped and planned, it turned out better than I could have ever imagined. My out of state internship applications were rejected, and my India trip canceled, but because of it I was able to build the most important relationship of my life. Andy is my everything, and I'm so grateful for the unexpected path life took me down this past year.