Finding Beauty Wherever You Are

When I went to Europe this summer, by the end of the trip I was more than ready to come back to America. I loved Europe! Don't get me wrong, but all of us were starting to get tired of all the walking, bus rides, etap hotels, and cheese (we ate way too much cheese on that trip!). We were starting to get a little homesick. It was just time to go back home. So we waved goodbye to France, hopped on a plane, and some hours later, we arrived at the Salt Lake City airport. It was so nice to see my parents again and to enjoy some of the things we had to give up on our trip...like a washer and dryer. Now, I saw some pretty amazing and beautiful things in Europe. I'd love to go back! But after spending a month out of the country and then coming back and the first thing I got to see was the Utah landscape, I came to realize something.

I'd never really thought Utah was a pretty state. It's nothing compared to the vast trees, green, and water of Washington state where a piece of my heart will remain always (um...yep, Washington is that awesome). But as we got in the car and drove towards my aunt and uncle's, for the first time probably ever, I stared out my window, grateful to be back in my own country with my family, and I thought all that dirt, brush, and hills were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen...okay...not the most beautiful....but the point is I was finally able to see some beauty in it.

Since then, I've come to believe that you can find beauty no matter where on earth you are. If you can't find that beauty, it's because you won't allow yourself. Perhaps you can't get over the fact that wherever you are isn't like home or some other place. Well, two places are never going to be exactly alike. Anyway, I've noticed how there's a good handful of people in this college town who complain about the ugliness of Idaho. I probably would have said the same thing a year ago, but this semester I've found that there is beauty here too. If you complain about it, how it isn't home, how dreadful the snow and wind is, how there's nothing to do around here, than yes, Idaho will be ugly to you. But if you stop thinking about how much you hate the place for one moment and give yourself a chance to look around, I can guarantee that you can find beauty even in a little town in Idaho.

So, wherever you are at this moment, take some time to find a piece of beauty around you. It can be different things that make that place special or beautiful to you. Give it a shot, and tell me what you discover!

For example, one thing that makes Rexburg, Idaho beautiful to me is simply the people who I've met here. Maybe that shouldn't count, but really, that's one of the reasons why I like it here. Now, something else that is beautiful here is when you are up on the hill towards the temple and you look out over the Idaho wasteland (I couldn't think of another word :) ) and the sun is setting. The sky fills with the most beautiful colors and there's still enough light to see all the hills in the distance. That, my friends, is a beautiful sight.

So what makes your home or whever it is you may be at present beautiful. And don't say nothing because I won't buy it!

Oh, and speaking of home, only two more days until I go back for a few weeks :)