President and Sister Randall

How wonderful it was to hear from you. Because of the opportunities that we have to meet with Janice, we do get some opportunity to catch up on what some of the London students are doing. This Blog will be great for us to read in order to stay in touch.

Sister Randall and I have been serving as President and Companion in the Canada Edmonton Mission since July of 2004 -- perhaps some of you will remember that we received our call while in London. Never in our wildest dreams did we realize the great blessings we would receive from doing such service. We have been blessed with over 250 additional members of our family (missionaries). Our lives have been touched by their service and dedication. We have also been blessed to see many join the church and several who have come back into activation because of missionaries and members working together. What a wonderful experience it is to see the changes that come into peoples lives as they grow in the gospel. We will ever be grateful for this marvelous experience we are now having. Unfortunately it will come to a close in June of 2007, but there is still much to do and we try not to think about coming to the "end of the middle of our mission."

Our family at home has grown. Brock is now married and they have a little one. Since we left home we have also been blessed with additional grandchildren -- we now have 18 1/8. President hasn't met Brock's wife and has only met one of the new grandchildren.

We remember fondly our time together in London and will look forward to reading the posted material. Thanks to each of you for the wonderful memories.

President and Sister Randall

Michelle

Has it really been three years? At times it seems like yesterday but a lot has happened to all of us and I love that we have been able to catch up again. I cherish all the memories I have with all of you from our adventures. Since London the main thing that I have done is serve a mission. I went to Italy! The Catania mission- consists of the island Sicily and a bit of the mainland. I spent about half my mission on Sicily with the Mafia! It was quite interesting to see it at work sometimes—very subtlety of course!

I returned this past summer and am now at BYU finishing my Art History degree. I am debating on weather it would be better for me to graduate in April or August. It all depends on what goals I want to pursue afterwards. Decisions, decisions! I’ll figure it all out one day right?!

I am now working at Hope Gallery. I wanted to see if I enjoyed Gallery work. From what I’ve seen I think that I would enjoy running it but right now I am just a sales person so basically just answer questions and sell the art to the FEW that are actually interested in buying something. Slow going definitely as is the art market almost everywhere but most especially here in Provo. I am hoping one day the owner will take me with him to Europe on one of his acquisition trips—I think I could convince him to let me be his Italian translator. J High hopes right now.

Well, there is not much else for me to say. I miss you all and wish we could just turn back the time, even for a day! Take care and let me know if I can ever help you out.
Love you all! Michelle

Erin U.

After London, I went home to work, but had a hard time finding a job for two months. So I made bread and folded lots of Origami. I went back to BYU for Fall 2004, and then in April 2005 I graduated from BYU with a BA in Visual Arts and a Minor in Art History. That summer I went to Vermont to work at a summer camp for girls on Lake Fairlee, called Camp Lochearn. (It slightly resembled The Parent Trap.) It was a lot of fun, but probably not something I will not do again. I lived in a cabin with a co-counselor, she was from England, and 6 girls ages 10-11. I was part of the Outdoor Adventure Program, so three days a week I took campers on hikes, canoeing trips and twice to a waterfall, to paint water colors. (I did dump a camper and myself in the lake by accident the last week of camp. But I now know how a canoe over canoe rescue works.) On the days I wasn't hiking I taught quilting and basket weaving. Camp Lochearn is 45 miles from Sharon, VT, the birthplace of Joseph Smith, which I was able visit during the year which marked the 200th Anniversary of his birth. I thought that was pretty cool.I spent most of my time off in Hannover, NH, where Dartmouth College is located. I made quite a few phone calls from Dartmouth Green waiting for the van to take me back to camp. I also consumed lots of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. There was a flavor called Chocolate Therapy. Which was very therapeutic.

After camp, I went back to my hometown of Cheyenne, Wyoming. I started looking for a professional job, while working at Little America Hotel as a desk clerk. Finally in April I was interview & hired by the Wyoming Society of Certified Public Accountants. I am the Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Coordinator. I also do the newsletter and make brochures to promote our Educational Fund. I am pretty creative, and CPAs really are not, so just about anything that passes my standards of quality flies. When I was in London, I didn't imagine myself back in Cheyenne. But it's actually been a good thing. My Dad was diagnosed with MS this past May. So I’ve been helping my family, mostly by being a chauffer. I’m getting really good at transferring my Dad’s wheelchair in and out of the trunk of my car in a skirt and heels, which I consider something of an accomplishment. I never thought I’d be helping an ageing parent in my 20s, but I’m glad I’ve been able to be of some help.

Eventually I would like to get an MBA with an emphasis in Art Management or Nonprofit. But I need more work experience first. I am currently housing sitting, with a roommate from my singles branch, for a couple who are on a mission in New Zealand. I loved our London experience and am going back sometime, I just don’t know when yet. I don’t miss the alarm clock chorus, waking me up every morning, but every once and a while, I do crave a Sandwich from Pret and the National Gallery. It’s been fun reading everyone’s update!

Erin

SaraMarie

I got married Dec. 17th 2005 to Jake Barber, who is from Nebraska. (I met him through Diana and Lindsey V.). We are living in Spanish Fork, UT while Jake finishes school at UVSC and I work. I am teaching English and Historyat Provo Canyon School. PCS is a residential treatment center for troubled teens. I mostly work with the 7th and 8th grade boys, but I do have a class of girls on the girls' campus. I really enjoy the small classes, the structure of the program and free lunch. I am serving in the Young Women's in my ward and really enjoying that.

SaraMarie Barber

Janice

Hey everyone! When I returned to Edmonton, Alberta, I too was depressed and missing London and all of you terribly. I continued to pursue my BSc. in Human Ecology since London, and just graduated this past June. When I wasn't in school, I was planning trips to hang out with you people! It was great to tour the lovely campus of BYU with Lisa, and stay with Caroline, Alexis and Emily and catch up with the rest of you found in Provo during my very first visit to Utah in February '04. Since then I also made a trip to D.C. to hang out with Caroline and Alexis, and one more trip to Utah again in the Spring '05. Last summer I also had an amazing opportunity to be in the Hill Cumorah Pageant with my family.

After graduating this past June, I lived in Montreal for five weeks to study French. In fact, it was my experience in London that has made me want to be bilingual. I believe it was right before we went to Paris, and someone said "Janice knows French, doesn't she?" and Ryan said something like, "NO, the only French she knows is what she reads on the back of a cereal box," and I've been ashamed to call myself Canadian ever since. Becoming fluent is now my life-long goal.

I currently work at the University of Alberta, here in Edmonton, as an office coordinator in a research centre. Last summer I worked part-time in a Student Services office on campus, and I think I'm discovering that my interests lie in administration and development in post-secondary education. So I'm networking hard and working hard, and trying to build a career path for myself at the U of A. I am currently not attached to any boy, and life is very full of options right now, (including accompanying my aunt to Oxford next year for three months to be a nanny!) so I just can't even guess what this year is going to bring. If any of you ever find yourself wandering north, please be in touch. The only people from SA who have made it this far are President and Sister Randall and Brock. I don't know when the Randall's will post a blurb, so I will just say that everyone in Edmonton LOVES them to pieces and thinks that they are doing an amazing job as mission president. They both work really hard and it is a blessing to have them in Edmonton. I see them fairly often and I will be sad when they go this summer.

It's been wonderful to hear from you all, keep in touch!

Kim

What a brilliant, beyond brilliant idea for keeping in touch!

I've worked for an interior plant design firm in Washington, DC for 18 months. After BYU graduation in Spring 2005, I played around in Europe for a while before trekking east. During the summer of 2006 Caroline Tung and Kelli Urry were also in the area. It was great getting together to reminisce our London times.

Any beaus? Mmm, maybe. Let's just say, I'm enjoying myself and not taking anything too seriously. It's wonderful surrounding yourself with highly driven and motivated people.

So, all in all I'm doing pretty snazzy and staying very busy. I do love playing tour guide in this historically saturated town! So if any of you feel so inclined to come east, just let me know!!

Much Love,Kimberly Mihlfeith

Dainan

It was great to hear about all of you. I am amazed to see how blessed each one of us has been over the course of the last three years. My life has been full of adventures since I decided to go to London. After coming home and graduating in the spring of 2005, I finally decided on a master's program.With a little help from Erin Hartigan I decided to go into Library and Information Sciences. It all started in London when we kept visiting the homes and palaces that had their own libraries. I fell in love with the few rare books I brought home and decided to be a rare books curator.

So, where did I go for library school? There aren't a lot of options around Utah/Idaho. Colorado has one as well as California, but I decided I might as well go somewhere more interesting and fun. And here I am in Hawaii. I've been here for a year now and am loving it to death. I feel so lucky to be here and even more lucky to be almost finished. Then I get to start a "real"job and start paying my loans back.

Before coming here, I flew over to Australia to visit my sister and her family. I spent three weeks over there going to many of the beautiful places near the Gold Coast. One of the best things I did was the Australia Zoowhere we saw Steve Irwin's wife (he was busy with the expansion project they were doing to the zoo to enlarge it for animals from Africa). His death was a tragedy.

Leslie Alridge already wrote that she had come over to visit Hawaii. We did so many things in the one week that she was here. I'm sure she would recommend that everyone visit the beautiful islands of Hawaii. If you want to read of my many adventures (and misadventures), read my blog: http://dainanskeem.blogspot.com/

I wish you all luck and success.
Dainan

Jack

So, it is pretty awesome to hear how everyone is doing. It totally freaks me out that some of you are parents or almost parents or whatever, no offense. Well, my life has been pretty normal since London; I came back and finished my junior and senior years at Spanish Fork High School, where I may say many of my friends were jealous that I got to live in London with so many cool people (all my guy friends were especially jealous about the girl/guy ratio) I was also very inspired by our experiences at The Globe, so I tried out for the Shakespeare play when I got back and got the lead, (Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor) I also competed Malvolio’s letter monologue from Twelfth Night and got ranked really highly at the Utah Shakespearean Festival, and then to round up my drama experience I took a playwriting class and wrote a play based loosely on the characters Leslie and I created around the many estates we visited. During my freshman year at BYU my drama teacher asked if the school could perform it for competition and they got ranked really highly at state with it. Holly, apparently you and I both haven’t gotten over Mark Rylance. So, it was a lot of fun to finish up high school and then I started at BYU last year. My freshman year was actually pretty fun, stressful but fun. I lived in the dorms with one of my best friends and met a ton of way awesome kids in our ward and my classes. I also met some great English kids who love that I know what they are talking in about when they reference The Tube, Jaffa Cakes, Marks & Spencer, and H&M among many things. I have continued doing Ballroom off and on and as far as the ladies…..let’s just say I have cut a wide swath among the female students at BYU, but I will say no more. So, I am now in my second year at BYU, I haven’t picked a major yet. Who knows what it will be; one minute an English major, then Print Journalism, followed by P.R, and then after a particularly touching E.R., Pre-Med. So who knows what my major will turn out to be. I am confident I will minor in French, but then again who knows. Well, that is all for now, I hope everyone is doing really well in all your different reaches of the world. I miss you all, London, and Wagamamas.

Loves-Jack

p.s. this is a picture of me and my best friend on my 19th birthday after a bit of a spending spree at The Buckle

Carly

Gosh, it has been so much fun reading the updates! You all seem so happy. I'm glad that you're living such exciting lives. A lot has happened with you while I was on a mission in România (September 2004 – April 2006). It's surprising how much catching-up I have to do for only having been gone a short period of 19 months.
After SA-London, I returned to the University of Utah, continuing with my premedical preparations and sorority activities. Shortly thereafter, I was called to serve a mission in Eastern Europe. I've been home for about six months now and am happily engaged to the amazing boy, Steve, who waited for me. Cute huh! We are getting married in the Salt Lake Temple this upcoming spring. You will all be invited to the reception! Until then we are finishing up our degrees at the fabulous U and getting ready for grad-school. Life couldn't be better!
Please keep in touch. We all became such great friends; it'd be a shame not to.
Va pup, Carly R. (soon to be Bench)

Abby Jane

After London, I lived with Lindsey I. and Heid (where we mostly pined for London and encouraged Lindsey and her British lover), finished up my associates at UVSC, and put in my mission papers. Summer 2004 I left for a mission to the Dominican Republic, which was an amazing blessing in my life! I returned from the mission February of this year. I spent the next few months traveling to Italy, Mexico, and New York City. Spring term I started up at BYU, and that is how I have been spending my time ever since, getting my undergrad in Art History and learning Italian.

The picture is this past summer at lunch with Cass, Erin, and Heid

Lindsey V.

Hey everyone! Okay, I know I'm not the first one to say this but...has it really been 3 years???? Wow, time goes sooo fast and it is so cool to see that everyone has been successful and is doing well. We truly are an amazing group! The semester after London, I think I cried as I headed back to Provo and BYU. I wanted so much to be somewhere else, somewhere cool again! Starting another semester as a prenursing student just didn't sound exciting-in fact, nursing didn't sound that exciting to me anymore! So, I took a few classes to remind me of London, and then I changed my major!

During my final year (and a semester) as an exercise science major I had the time of my life-living the single life with Di and a few other friends in Provo. Then, I started dating the man of my dreams...again! Remember the guy I constantly talked about while we were in London? Yep, we started dating again last summer (2005), and the rest is history (sorry Kirk, I just couldn't get over him)! I graduated from BYU in December 2005 and moved home to save some money for a certain life changing event that was about to take place! Josh and I were married in the Salt Lake temple on August 4, 2006, spent a fantastic week in Sedona, AZ for our honeymoon, then packed up our things and moved across the country (and then some) to Miami, FL!

I started my graduate program less than 2 weeks after we were married-which puts me in the middle of my first semester of PA (physician assistant) school at Barry University, which is in North Miami. Josh is the manager for a spa/gym in one of the high rises in the area and if it weren't for him I think I'd go insane from all this studying!! We are excited to be newlyweds in a new place and hope to get out and really see south Florida during the next 2 years. We are loving life and feel very blessed for all the opportunities that are coming our way!
It\'s been great to hear from you all! Take care and stay in touch!!

Much love, Lindsey Clark (Van Woerkom)

Holly

Wow--everyone is doing cool things! I love people like you!
I was not happy to be back at BYU after months of being way cooler than anyone I knew. After a semester of working and schooling full time, I opted to shelve the degree in favor of sanity and the pursuit of something new—work experience of course! . . . and cash money. Being a poverty-stricken post-Londoner sucked a little too much for me.

I took Summer 2004 off to intern in DC and scrounge rides off our very own Caroline, who was my best friend and savior. Now, I continue to work in marketing for great companies in Orem and Salt Lake—I get to travel a couple of weeks out of the month, so I have been lucky enough to visit Europe and Japan here and there . . . but never London. I know, right? What a bust.

After an interesting re-admissions process, I will finish my English degree part time over the next ten years (probably), with maybe a business minor thrown in. The plan is to move to London in the fall of 07 to help my Orem company launch their UK marketing office in our old hood, Notting Hill! We’ve projected that this could take two years at least, you know . . . I’m thinking maybe three, or ten . . . so Lindsey, I want to see that baby!

After London, it’s a mystery. I won’t be a corporate whore forever. I smell an MBA or maybe the law degree I was so excited about through that magical, beautiful, fateful fall of 03. In the meantime, I’m building a marketing consultancy with a former boss (the better for a “student’s” schedule, my dear), and teaching yoga in Sandy.

No boys—they can’t handle it. Besides, I never really got over Mark Rylance.
Miss you all!

Cassandra

Hello everyone!! This is one of your U of U friends Cassi Clements! First of all, a BIG THANKS to Heidi for setting this Blog up! What fun it's been to catch up on everyone! Like all of you, I often reminisce about those wonderful London days, and smile about what an amazing semester and experience it was. I'll never forget it.

First, I want to give credit to myself for being the first to be engaged upon our return home to the states. Just eight days after arriving back in Salt Lake, Jordan Allred proposed. Jordan and I were married in the Salt Lake Temple July of 2004. Three weeks after our wedding we packed up and drove across the country to Brunswick, Maine. We lived in Brunswick for a year while Jordan finished his last year at Bowdoin College. He graduated in May 2005 and soon after accepted a job in Boston Massachusetts where we've lived for the past year and a half! Jordan and I love Boston and are having such great experiences here. I am currently attending a two year professional photography program here in Boston called The New England School of Photography. I just started my second year of school. My goal is to become a wedding photographer and have already had some amazing experiences assisting and working in New England. I certainly found my passion in photography and feel very blessed.

Life is an adventure for us right now. We will move again for business school (wherever that may take us) and we're enjoying it all as we go. It's so wonderful to here from you all!! Much Love and Take Care!

Cassi (Clements) Allred

Alexis

It is so wonderful to see/read about you all. It sounds like everything is going really well for all of you, and I am so excited about all of your amazing missions, educational pursuits, marriages, jobs, etc. I have to say that we are a pretty amazing group.

As Kristen mentioned, after London I moved in with Caroline, Kristen (formerly Lamprecht), and Emily Haymond. The year after London was spent mostly in the library with occasional breaks to discuss American Idol and the Enola Gay with Caroline and Kristen. I met my husband, Gabe, the same year that Kristen met Jason. Gabe is from Vegas also (although we didn't know each other before) and is studying English Language. Gabe and I started dating in January of 2005. I graduated in April. I started the English MA program at BYU in September. Gabe and I got engaged in November and married in May. Phew...

Nowadays I am in my second year of the Masters program. I am workingon getting my thesis started, which deals with American literature of the Vietnam War. I am also teaching freshman composition and TAing forone of Phil's American literature courses. Supposedly I am also applying to PhD programs this semester; we'll see what happens. So those are some of the things I have done in the past three years. One of the things I have not done is go back to London, which is very sad. I hope to remedy that shortcoming some time soon.

So good to hear from all of you. Still-in-Provo people, I vote for the reunion.

Much love, Alexis (Turley) Middleton

Emily & Steve on the mission

P.S. This is a Photo of Steve and I in Puerto Montt, Chile. We had to get a photo together!!

Emily H.

There is hardly a day when I don’t think fondly of our London experiences.What a difference it has made in my life. One can scarcely believe that it was three years ago that we were there. I love hearing how much everyone’s lives have been going these last three years.L ike Kristen Lamprecht Gough said, she, Alexis, Caroline and I were roommates when we got back from our European adventure. It was as if London didn’t quite stop for a few months, what a blast! While I was with them I did some soul searching and found a focus for my very fun but liberal arts degree of American Studies. I decided that I was going to focus on receiving a masters in Museum Studies when I finally get out of BYU. After making that decision I was lead to the opportunity to intern with the Museum of Art here on campus and get some hands-on experience.

Having dismissed the idea of serving a mission back in January 2004, a very inspired mother got me thinking about a mission in July of 2004. Before I could even think about it I picked up my papers and within a month—to exact day—I had my call. I served a mission in the only the best mission in the world, Chile Osorno (and Steven Cowles will back me up). What a great experience it was tracking on the Straits of Magellan (during winter---the penguins aren’t even there in the winter!!!) and watching people change their lives! I am so gratefulfor all of the London girls that went before me; your examples really did help me make my decision. I fell honored to be numbered among you all. I got home four months ago (fortunately without many issues—i.e. language,being socially abnormal) and I am back here at the Y. I picked up a business minor, so I should be out of here sometime next fall… If BYU doesn’t kick me out first. I love you all so much and I am excited to hear what is going on in your lives.

Lisa

Dear friends! Hey yall! First of all, can I just say that I love this? What an amazing group we had- what an absolutely incredible experience.

Well... So much has happened in the last three years. (broken record?) I left for my mission to Budapest, Hungary in the middle of March 2004. Remember how people would ask you how your study abroad was when you got home, and you just kind of gushed about the "unbelieveable" this, the "amazing" that, but you never could really do it justice...? Well, imagine that same intensity and that's basically how I feel about that year and a half in Hungary. Beautiful cities, countryside, and people. We just got our first stake a few months ago, and the work is just booming (ha-relatively speaking...).

But, I've been home for almost a year now (which is pretty unbelieveable in itself), and I started back up at the Y this past January. I'm still an English major, still an editing minor, still
hoarding around that Texas Embassy shirt, and definitely still suffering at the sight of a ferrero-rocher (thank you, Caroline). Over the summer I went to school, took scuba classes, went to Alexis's amazingly beautiful wedding, and met a very nice boy of my own (we call him Dan). I just got a job interning with MyFamily.com, working on the editorial staff for their Ancestry magazine. I also started as the head editor for Tabulae- the humanities student journal that will actually be publishing the work of our very own Ryan (congratulations, Ryan!).

Best news for last, I was just offered a job to go back to Hungary and hold mini-training conferences for this company that has started outsourcing to Budapest. I'll just go for a week at a time, and at first it'll only be once every few months, but I start in November. Can you believe it?! (I just found out two days ago, so I'm still kinda giddy by it all). I just feel so blessed I don't even know what to do with myself. Except to give lots and lots of thanks and to work really really hard. ha.

I really do miss yall- it's so so good to hear about your lives. You're all having such crazy adventures and doing so many great things- who would've guessed where we'd be today? (except for the whole Erin and Rob getting married thing... we ALL saw that one coming... :) To all you Provo-ians... let's get together!! I've run into several of you and said the same thing, but... really now. Let's do it. And to those of you who included pictures... I have to say, you really are just getting more and more good-looking. (bunkie- Izzy is gorgeous). Great to hear from you all- hope to hear even more soon!
lots of love,
Lisa

Danielle

Like everyone else I cannot believe that it has been three years since our memorable trip to London. It really was life changing. So much has happened it is hard to know where to begin. Since London I have gone to school and changed my major about a million times. I had the wonderful opportunity to serve a mission in Carlsbad, California! It was such a blessing to be in the service of the Lord. Some of you may remember the missionary I sent off while in London. Well, our story was not over. He came home in October 2005 and we were married August 12, 2006. My life has not taken the path that I thought it would but I couldn't be happier. I love Dan with all my heart and he makes me laugh more than ever. We are both still attending USU in Logan. I will graduate this Spring '06 and then start the masters program next fall in Family Finance. Dan is going into Business Finance and after we both graduate we hope to end up back east, we are thinking about Boston right now but who knows?! Tha tis my life since London in a nutshell. I hope to see you all again soon.

Rebecca

This is Becca. I'm adding my update to everyone else's. I think doing a blog or a newsletter is a great idea. I've found that I've become out of touch with almost everyone and find myself wondering from time to time what everyone is up to. So here's my update:

I graduated about a year and a half ago (April 2005). I got married the August after we returned from London, so I've been married 2 years. My husband, Jon, is now attending Law School at George Mason University. That means we live in Virgina, right in the Washington DC metro area. He just entered his second year and loving every minute of it. I am working as a tutor, teaching English to non-native speakers, middle school age. I'm enjoying it. I've considered going on to get a Master's in English, but there have been some other developments to prevent me. Namely, we are expecting our first child at the end of April. We are very excited, except for the fact that I'm due 2 weeks before Jon's finals. Oh well, you can't time everything perfectly, can you?

Well, that's about it for me. These past few years have gone by so quickly. I miss everyone and hope everyone is doing well.

Becca (Loertscher) Brodegard

Scot

Hey everyone! It's been great to hear about everyone and find out what they've been up to since our fabulous London experience. Let's see, for me, life has been plodding along fairly well. I'm not married or anything (though I have actually managed to hold hands with a girl on a couple ofoccasions :P). I graduated from the U last year, was disappointed that the job offers I received in my field actually were going to pay me less than what I was making at my junky, "get-me-through-school" job, and so I decided to apply to graduate school. I just started at the University of Michigan this fall in their Epidemiology program. I have two more years here then I get to decide whether to take a break and work, go on to a PhD program, go onto professional school, or open a hot dog stand in Hawaii (with the hotdog stand idea currently in the lead).

I have had the opportunity to travel back to London twice since our semester there, but it's just not the same. Every time I've been there it I just want to stay and it doesn't seem like there's enough time to do everything that I remember. Oh, one kind of groovy thing is the Royal Shakespeare Company is going to be here in Ann Arbor for a few weeks in October and November, and I've managed to snag a few tickets for that (even more groovy is that Captain Picard is playing the lead in two of the plays :P). I'm pretty excited for that, mostly for the chance to see and remember the good experiences we had in London.

Well, again, it's good to hear how everyone is doing and where life has carried them. It's especially great to have a chance to remember all the great times we had back in London. Feel free to drop me an email if you ever want to chat or just catch up. Take care, everyone!
-Scot

Rob & Erin

In London, you guys voted us “Most likely to get married.” Not wanting to disappoint you, we were married in the Salt Lake Temple on December 17, 2005! Despite Erin’s constant assertions that she wasn’t interested in Rob when she was in London, we started dating shortly after getting back. It looks like Phil and the Daily Universe have covered the important details in the middle. Erin graduated in English in April 2005, and Rob graduated in English in December 2005. We are currently living in Bloomington, Indiana where Rob is working on his masters in Instructional Systems Technology, and Erin is a faculty secretary for the law school (starting on Tuesday) by day and masters student in library science by night. We’re having a great time being boring newlyweds.

Rob and Erin Cowles

Jennifer

Hi. Well, it seems like only yesterday I was frolicking through Hyde Park with my dear friend Danna...Where have the last three years gone?

To make a long story short, I came home from London feeling depressed and unmotivated (but significantly thinner--due to all the walking?). My life in Sacramento was NOT as cool as my life had been in London. Regardless, I made the best of it. Ryan (BYU '00), my best friend and boyfriend on even days, had discovered he REALLY did love me while I was gone and we were married in August of 2004. Ryan was forced to quit his job as a reporter/anchor so we could afford to eat and keep a roof over our heads while I finished school. He's heavily involved in California politics and is currently running the press for our favorite Lt. Governor and a few of the initiatives on this November's ballot. Politics is great--he travels to D.C. and NYC quite often and I get to tag along!

I'm finishing up my single subject teaching credential this semester. California makes you go BACK to school as a graduate student for 3semesters in order to get credentialed, so I feel like the eternalstudent. I'm currently teaching 10th and 11th grade English. It's killing me. I'm not sure I'm cut out for high school, but we'll see. It's the hardest thing I've ever done and I'm not even getting paid to do it, which makes it even harder. But, it's not all bad. I do have some good days. Some.

I'm also expecting our first child at the end of March. Sigh. Being pregnant is strange and not something I was totally ready for. However, after spending Monday-Friday with high schoolers, the idea of staying home to take care of something that can't talk back to me (at least for a few years) is sounding better and better. We are terrified of becoming parents, but excited for the challenge. We even have a station wagon. Anyway...that's my life. If you are ever in Sacramento, give us a call. Or, check out my blog at isntthatpleasant.blogspot.com (916)203-1131.
Jennifer Rauzon (Olsen)

Kristen L.

I'm so glad to finally hear about the great adventures we're all having! Here are some of my adventures of late...

After London, I moved in with Caroline and Alexis (and Emily Haymond) and launched into a degree in English and a minor in Editing. Fast forward to November 2004--less than six months before graduating footloose and fancy free--when I met Jason Gough, a drummer in a band ( http://www.thehandsome.com/ for all you indie rockers out there) and a student at the U (the horror!). We dated, were engaged by graduation and married that following August (and I have Caroline to thank for inviting him over to talk to us...) We spent the following year in Salt Lake while he finished up school and I worked as an Editorial Assistant at a health foods company in Park City. This past spring he was accepted to the Physical Therapy Doctoral program at Pacific University in Portland, OR and we made the leap. We're both west-coasters at heart so it's been a good move for us.

I am currently working at Nike Golf as an administrative assistant to the "golf ball team" and working on getting myself a job without "Assistant" in the title :) I don't golf AT ALL but luckily I have a dad and father-in-law who are quite pleased with my new job (read: free golf swag). Jason has three years left in school here and then who knows where we'll be. I've brought up the idea of moving to London but Jason still has some reservations (something about only being licensed to practice PT in the US--go figure). Regardless, I'll never forget what a fabulous time I had there with you all and I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for London...

Best Wishes!

Emily D.

It's fun to hear what everyone has been up to. As for me, I got married last July to the boy I was writing while I was in London. In April I grauduated from BYU in Nursing and in June took the national certification test to become a registered nurse! I am now working at Utah Vally Regional Medical Center in the Medical/Surgical Intensive Care Unit. We get all the life flight patients and other bad traumas. I am loving the variety and drama, although it's not like you see on TV. My husband Eric will graduate in April from BYU in Chemical Engineering. He is in the process of interviewing for jobs, so we could pretty much end up anywhere in the continental United States. We're excited for a change! Best of luck to everyone.

Emily Teuscher (Dennis)

Jessica A.

This is Jessica! It has been so fun to read the updates on everyone and see where their lives have taken them. So I guess here is my little blip to put on the blog:

In August, 2004 I got married to Ryan Salmon, my best friend. Over the past two years we have both been in school and working full time, which has kept us busy! I just graduated in August with my BS in Business Management and it is great to be done. I am now working for a small local company in provo that installs home theater systems, sound systems, intercom, built-in-vacuum, and other specialty items as an office manager. My husband is still at BYU studying Construction Management and he will graduate in December, 2007. Right now we are looking for an internship for him that will hopefully take us out of Utah for a change! He has opportunities in California, Colorado, Arizona, and in Canada so no matter what happens it will be an adventure. We are hoping that things will work out so that we can go to Canada because Ryan was born in Calgary and served his mission in Vancouver and he still has a lot of family up there that I don't really know so it would be a good chance to spend a summer with them. We are excited to see what our future holds for us!

Ryan & I have our own blog at http://www.thecatchoftheday.blogspot.com/ so check it out sometime!

Lindsey I.

Hello SA friends, It's so fun to read all the updates. Here is a brief history of my life during the last three years. After London I worked for the university paper and then The Deseret Morning News. I graduated from BYU with a print journalism major / English minor, then interned with the editorial department of The United Nations Association in New York City (where I met Kofi Annan -- a major highlight of my internship).

Following NYC, I married Alan and moved to London. Alan is English. To make a long story short, I actually went on a couple dates with him in the last 3 days of SA. Crazy, I know. When I came home from London we were basically just emailing and obviously there was nothing serious going on. But then we kept visiting each other and 18 months later we were married. I promise it wasn't an internet romance...not that there is anything wrong with internet romances, but this wasn't one. Anyway, we were married in Mesa, AZ (we both have lots of family there) and a few weeks later headed to London. I worked for a legal magazine for a bit and then at a children's charity.

I am now a mother to a beautiful little girl, Isobel, who is almost 5 months. I love being a mother (not counting 3am wake-up calls), but probably because I'm madly in love with Izzy. I finally understand what previous moms meant when they said motherhood was the most rewarding job. Alan is a fabulous husband and father and we are a very happy family. As I'm typing this it's typical London weather - foggy and overcast. However, we did have a gorgeous, hot summer. It's crazy how living here has become so normal for me. Still, everyday is an experience in London and I could probably type incessantly about life here, but I won't. I love it and I hope some of you come out and visit very soon! I feel like SA changed my life in so many ways and I will forever be grateful for that experience (and I'm not just talking about my meeting my husband).

Lots of love, Lindsey

p.s. Sister Kristen Daniels is serving a mission in Taipei, Taiwan. She returns just before Christmas. If anyone wants her address, let me know.

Rob & Erin (via Phil)

I just read the following in yesterday’s Daily Universe in an article by Dave Schefcik entitled “Being indoors doesn’t limit fun”:

Romance seems to be quite the motivator for students using the fun resources of Outdoors Unlimited. Recent BYU graduate Erin Cowles, 23, said one particular outing she had involved riding a tandem bike. “My boyfriend and I used to go riding up to Provo Canyon, but this time we went up on the tandem bike and he proposed to me after the ride,” Cowles said. “Its fun that other people wave to you and you look like you are having a great time,” she said. “Renting the tandem bike is memorable and is good for exercise, so I guess it makes a great date.”

That’s the most information we ever got on Rob and Erin’s engagement. We had no idea they were addicted to tandem bike riding.

Cheers, Phil

Robert & Janice Marshall

Thank you for remembering all of us. The Marshalls are all well, however a recent photo would cause a number of you to be suspect of that statement....well, at least when they saw me... Jan is as beautiful as ever. I am a year closer to retirement, but whose counting. I just finished the murals for the new Sacrament Cal temple. A great yearlong project. And my new exhibit opens at the Woodbury Gallery of UVSC, located in the Southeast corner, second floor of the University Mall in Orem, UT. Opening reception is Fri. 13 of Oct. Would love to see all of you there.
Ta Ta, Robert and Janice

Ryan

Greetings. In the three years since I left the London Center I have lived quite a charmed life. As many of you know I got engaged to Whitney in the winter of '04, and we were married that June. Married life has been great, and together we have graduated from BYU, traveled to Europe, Tahiti, Palmyra, and many other places in California. We have been to a number of weddings, a funeral, some high school graduations, and many mission farewells including my brothers'. So, life has been grand and we've been very blessed.
Currently, we are living in Manhattan while I attend NYU to get a Masters in Interdisciplinary Humanities (emphasizing in literature, of course). Whitney has a job with a financial firm, and when we are not working or studying we have been exploring the city, refinishing furniture we find on the sidewalks, checking out the MOMA, eating excellent pizza, walking through Central Park, and walking through Central Park some more. So if anyone is in New York drop us a line, we'd love to see you.
All the Best,
Ryan

Megan

Hello all! I just read the updates on the blog and it made me miss you all like crazy. I always tell people that going to London was the best thing I did in college...and I use the past tense there because I graduated in English Teaching at BYU last April!! I taught 8th grade English at Springville Jr. High last year as an intern and am currently teaching 8th and 9th grade English at Mountain Ridge Jr. in Highland, UT. I absolutely love my job. I'm not saying that teaching 13-15 year olds is the most emotionally stable environment to work in, but I'm sure NEVER bored at work (unless I'm in a dreaded faculty meeting or something :) ). It really is such a relief to actually enjoy what you went to college to do. On my classroom walls, I proudly display my poster of Shakespeare's tombstone, a poster of Big Ben, a teacloth of Shakespearean characters from Stratford-upon-Avon, and will hopefully assemble my paper model of the Globe before I teach Romeo and Juliet this spring. So, even my students can't escape my London memories! :)

I'm still living in Provo for the time being...my sort-of plan right now is to teach at Mtn. Ridge for at least one more year after this, and then I might end up in Washington, D.C., Seattle, WA, or somewhere in the middle. (Really specific, I know.) I'm still Ms. Reese for now, but I'm called Mrs. Reese so often by my students that I think I'm being inadvertently prepared for the day when I become an actual Mrs.... minus the whole last-name change, of course.

Well that's it for me... I really do love and miss you all! If you're reading this and you haven't written something yourself yet... just know that I'm sacrificing my duty to grade papers to write my little spiel, so you should get to work, too! :) I second the motion that at least us Provo-ites should get together, so make sure you write something so we know you're around. :)

Love Megan Reese

Caroline

Hey everyone! Just wanted to tell all of you that I miss you and that I love reading these little updates! It's been three years since our study abroad, but I still think about it all the time. It's so amazing to me how much my trip to London has changed my life. I think everyone should go on a study abroad! (And Nauvoo doesn't count.)

As for me, I graduated from BYU in August 2005. I think BYU basically had to push me off its premises---I was terrified of graduation and entering the real world! But after multiple letters from the administration that gently nudged me towards a graduation date, I decided to take the plunge and become a BYU alumnus. I am now a proud owner of BA in History. Absolutely useless? Not entirely... :o)

After I graduated, I interned at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC for a summer. I know, I know, how geeky! But it was fun to work with quirky curators who love Carl Sagan and Star Trek. I started working full-time at the museum in January and have enjoyed it thus far. I'm much more of an art museum type rather than an air-and-space kind of girl, but I love working in a museum. (If you're wondering, we at the museum were all in mourning about Pluto's demoted status.)

It's kind of funny, but I'm really supposed to be in London right now. A few months ago I was accepted into the London School of Economics for a Masters programme in history. I was gearing up to head off to London (I even had signed up for classes and signed a lease for a little tiny flat), but then I met THE BOY. (ie Justin) I decided to defer a year to give this relationship a shot and lo and behold, things are going really well. Admittedly however, there are times when I crave hobnobs and Tina's hot fudge and Tesco and H&M. Being in love is great but it doesn't fill you up like a good hobnob! And speaking of H&M, have you guys noticed how much better it is in London than in the States? Seriously...I am disappointed in American H&Ms.

Anyway, that is my life in a little nutshell. Please feel free to send me an email (carolineltung@gmail.com) or check out my silly blog ( carolineinspace.blogspot.com).


Love,
Caroline

Kelly

Wow, has it really been three years? I'm finishing up my last semester at the Y. I just spent the summer in DC working in the marketing and communications office at the National Building Museum (DC was cool but London is so much cooler). I'm still majoring in public relations but after going to England I added a minor in art history and would love to work in a museum after graduation. Honestly, my plans change every day - I might go pick pineapples in Hawaii or something:) Whatever I end up doing though, I'd like to keep traveling and pursue photography and writing. Thanks again Heidi, I think about London a lot too and wonder how we were so lucky to have lived there!

Snyder/Cowles Clan

I’m going to reply for the family just to make sure you get an update from us. I’ll have Delys send some photos and let Rob and Erin write for themselves..

Marissa is a sophomore at Spanish Fork High School. She’s on the cheer squad, so she spends Friday nights under the lights at football games. So far being a cheerleader has not diminished her IQ as far as we can tell. Actually, cheer involves lots of service and work. Plus, she has to be sweet and smiley to everyone lest they think SF cheerleaders fit the stuck-up stereotype.

Jack is in his third semester at BYU. I think he’s finally coming around to accept the fact that he’s destined to become an English major, although he can’t quite bring himself to go to the Humanities Advisement Center and say, “Hello. My name is Jack, and I’m an English major.” He works part-time at Aeropostale at the Provo Towne Centre in support of his education and social life. He tries to stay on the cutting edge of fashion.

Steven just passed his one year mark in the Chile Osorno Mission. As of yesterday he was serving with the zone leader in Puenta Arenas, the southernmost part of Chile and, I’m told, the southernmost mission area in the world. His companion is going home today, so only the mission president and God know where he’ll end up by tomorrow. He loves his mission and the people, but he’ll be bummed out if he has to leave Puenta Arenas before the penguins come back south after wintering in the north.

Delys is busy teaching linguistic and English composition courses while she’s finishing up her dissertation. Next year we’ll have to call her Dr. Delys. She’s still the stake music chair because the stake won’t release her to make her available for a ward calling despite her bishop’s efforts. She takes care of all the music people in the stake, all the students in her classes, and all of us.

Phil has been bishop of the Salem 12th ward for over two years now and has had lots of new experiences forced on him as a result of working with the YM/YW program: rappelling, wakeboarding, snowmobiling, and so forth. Next year it’s going to be scuba diving. He’s the graduate coordinator in the English Department, which means he’s in charge of the M.A. program. He may try to recruit some of our London Study Abroad people, so watch out.

Cheers, Phil

Marianne

Since London I've been working on finishing the English Teaching major at BYU. In spring of 2004 I received my mission call to Madrid Spain and after a great summer with friends and family I left in the fall of 2004. My mission was perfect for me. I was able to serve in Madrid itself for 2/3 of my mission, and in Toledo, Spain for the other 1/3. I learned so much and met so many wonderful people. I have never been happier or more amazed by the love of the Lord and by the miracles it works. I came home in April of this year and started again at BYU one week later. I went spring/summer term and am now (fall) in my last semester before student teaching and graduating in April. I also started teaching at the MTC in May and I LOVE it. It is the best thing that has happened to me since I got home. I am really enjoying life and am excited to hear about all of yours. London will always be a happy memory, thanks to all of you. Drop me a line when you get a chance or if you're in Provo.

Marianne

Heidi

As many of you know, in 2004, I received a mission call to Hawaii, but at the same time I met my now husband, Ben, and well, I fell madly in love and decided to give things with us a chance instead of the mission. I know- total cliché BYU story. We were married in June 2005 in the SLC temple after we both graduated from BYU, where I received my BA in Art History.

That summer we moved to Austin, Texas. Ben was applying to med schools and we both wanted a little adventure in our year off. In Austin I took an internship working as an editorial assistant at Austin Magazine. I loved it. This past summer my parents took us to Norway (where my mom's family is from). Norway was breathtaking, the fjords in particular. Not the usual place Americans travel to but I highly recommend it. On our way back to the US we stopped in London for a few days and I was able to show Ben my beloved city and we even visited the cute flat on Palace Court. SO many amazing memories of Study Abroad overwhelmed me while we were there. We stayed with Lindsey I. and her husband in Chelsea. It was incredibly hot though and you can all imagine how sweaty the tube was! Fall was for sure the perfect time of year for us all to go on SA.

Anyhow, Ben was accepted to medical school at University of Nevada, Reno, and that is where we have been since August of this year. I am working as an editorial assistant at the local newspaper. If you are ever near Lake Tahoe give us a shout out!

Love to you all, Heidi

Leslie

I can’t say enough about our experience in London and how much it impacted my life. We were so blessed to have such a wonderful group of people! I miss every one of you.
Here is an update. I graduated from Southern Utah University in 2004 in acting and directing. However, I wasn’t satisfied with a bachelor’s degree, so I decided to go for a master’s degree. I found a program at SUU that I thought would be suitable for me; MFA in Arts Administration. Basically it was a degree that would enable an individual to run a non-profit arts organization. After I entered into the program, it didn’t me long to realize that I didn’t belong in the program. A year into it, I dropped out. I wanted to pursue a degree where I could excel artistically in theatre. I was invited to apply to a costume design program at Utah State University and I got in! I moved to Logan a month ago and I absolutely love it here. The program, the surroundings, everything is wonderful. Two months ago, I had the opportunity to visit our very own Dainan Skeem in Honolulu, Hawaii where he is attending university.
I hope you are happy and well!

Kirk

Here is my little update. I graduated from BYU with my English degree and then worked for an internet advertising company full-time for a year doing account management stuff. I quit that and started law school at Pepperdine University at the end of August. I am living in Malibu, CA right now and am focusing on law school. It's pretty demanding, but it's good. I'm not dating anyone, and i'm not married, but the singles ward here is great. That's all that's going on. It'll be good to hear from everyone.

Thanks
Kirk

Leilani

Hey All! Well, we are in Seattle now. My husband, Ben, graduated from BYU last December and we moved up here in January. I'm finishing an Independent Study class and then I will be graduated as well. Our son, Bryant, turned one in June and is a ton of fun (and work :) ). That's about it for us. If anyone is up here we'd love to see you!

Love Leilani

Sorry...forgot to mention that Ben works at Amazon.com.

Erin O.

Hey friends,
It's hard to believe that three years have passed since our adventures in London. What a great and unique time that was in our lives. I am definitely grateful that I had the opportunity of being over there and of meeting so many wonderful people.
Here's the past three years in a paragraph. I left about three weeks after we got home for my mission in Ecuador. What an experience that was. I learned so much about myself, the gospel and fell in love with the wonderful Ecuadorian people. I am grateful everyday that I was able to serve a full-time mission and for my experiences in South America. I arrived home in July of 2005 to my boyfriend Jimmy Shaha that many of you may have heard about while in London. We dated, broke up, tried again, I got scared, dated some more, got engaged and married in December of 2005. We are living in Orem and are both finishing at BYU. I will graduate in December with a degree in marketing and advertising and he will be done in April. We both have callings working with the youth and are loving that. I am currently working at a small ad agency in Provo and am really enjoying that. Jimmy surprised me with a trip back to Ecuador this past summer and I loved that. It was so fun to share my mission with him and all of the wonderful experiences. We are now trying to get back down to his mission in Mexico before real life starts for us. He is in the midst of interviewing for medical school and we will most likely be moving next summer for our next adventure. I'll have to keep you posted as to where that is.
Life is good. I feel so blessed as I type this for all of the wonderful experiences that the Lord has blessed me with. London is without a doubt on that list of blessings. Thanks to everyone for making that such a great experience. I hope that the you are all happy and that life is becoming what you had hoped. I would love to get in touch, and then keep in touch with you all.
Much love,
Erin Oakeson Shaha (Shay-hay)