Doctrine and Covenants 88:19 - "For after it hath filled the measure of its creation, it shall be crowned with glory, even with the presence of God the Father ..."
My friends wanted a ride down to their homes in Las Vegas.
I wanted a spring break.
But first, we needed to clock out.
The break of dawn on Saturday morning heralded the final check-out of all of the residents living in the dorm complex watched over by me and my fellow RAs. With their departure came our last-ditch cleaning efforts, including everything from raising and lowering beds to filling out damage reports.
Eventually, the hall was cleaned, reports were filled, and the last-minute details were sorted out. I stowed the last of my possessions in my new room for the summer, then joined my companions outside, at my vehicle.
And then we rode.
Over the foothills of Utah, into the borderlands of Arizona, and across the Nevadan desert we four cruised, laughing, talking, cebrating, loving as we jammed out to our playlist and to the rhythm of our adventure.
Many hours following the sun's farewell to the sky, we peaked a ridge and glimpsed the source of the orange light fighting away the darkness on the horizon. It was our destination.
The city's hustle and bustle reminded me of my desire to live near such a place, perhaps not strictly in the midst of all the chaos, but somewhere I could easily access the sights, sounds, and attractions so readily available. The city pulsed with life, and I loved it.
The Vegas Veterans in our group led our group around to appreciate some of the more interesting attractions, though we mainly strayed toward a "look-don't-touch" mentality. Well, I guess we made one exception for this gorgeous statue, here.
I eventually saw enough of the Vegas strip to formulate an opinion of the entire establishment as a whole, but that didn't matter so much to me as did the many experiences and lessons I obtained while spending time with these dear friends of mine.
You see, back when the trip was an inkling of an idea in my mind, back when our party was two instead of four, I decided, fairly firmly, that I needed to visit that city. There was a reason I was there. And on every corner, I looked.
You always find what you're looking for.
With every mistake I made, extremely minor though they may have been, I learned something. I learned something about being considerate. I learned something about how to have quality in your life. I learned something about the kindness of strangers. I learned something about my mission to Jamaica. I learned something about diligence and perseverance and strength. I learned a new way to love those around me.
And the weekend wasn't over when I considered all this late Saturday night, staring up at the ceiling from my borrowed bed. The journey was just beginning, and my friends and I had so much more to experience. In some ways, I'm still experiencing.
But, in the end, my point is this. I firmly believe you cannot experience anything without learning something. The more we push out of our established patterns, the more opportunities we have.
Leaving was hard, though we'd only spent less than a day being around. Regardless, its mark was firmly planted on me. As the three remaining members of our party began the drive home, I made the decision to do more things like that more often.
God made this world so we can see its breadth, and I've barely walked the surface.
