The Life Of A Runaway.

In April of 2002, I ran away from home.

In 2002, I was a sophomore at Weber State University. I had been off my mission for seven months, and I was really lost. I couldn't point to anything specific about WSU that was "wrong", but I just did not feel like that was the place for me. Ogden definitely was not the right place for me. My family had gone through some pretty huge changes over the previous three years, and I found it overwhelming and thoroughly unpleasant running into people that I had known before my mission. Inevitably, the first words out of their mouths were questions of how my family was. My family was not well, and I hated being the one to share that news with people. The second question would be if I was dating/seeing anyone. This question stung like a bee sting every time it was asked of me. The first question led to a feeling of being broken. The second question led to feeling of being damaged. So, in an effort to avoid these encounters, I ran away from home.

I moved to Provo, Utah. Far enough away that I could avoid most of the people I knew, but close enough to home that I could make it for Sunday dinners. I moved into Cinnamon Tree Apts on Freedom Blvd. Krissy Silvestro was living there as well with her friend Lisa. I loved living at the Tree. I felt all the pain and pressure of the previous three years slowly and consistently fade away. I made amazing friends quickly. Brooke, Jason, Marie, Sarah, Jeremy, Shawn. We had a lot of fun. Too much fun.

It's interesting to look back on the past eight and a half years. Being in Provo at 22 is perfection. Provo at 26 is comfortable. Provo at 30 is a constant remembrance of what was.

I feel a closer attachment to Provo than I do to Roy. I've become the man I am in the city of Provo. Midnight runs to Beto's, bike rides up the canyon on the river trail, Skiing on Utah Lake, Sundance Summer Theater, BYU Football games. The thought of leaving all these behind chokes me at the neck.

As I sit in my room for one last night, a stampede of memories pass through my mind.

I feel like I'm running away from home, again.