The Jon and Carrie Love Story, part 1

I graduated BYU in the spring of 2001 with one essential piece of paper but without one essential piece of jewelry. (Translation: I had a degree but no husband.)

I took my degree and wasn't sure what to do next. More schooling? A job at a big newspaper? Without a husband, I was a little directionless. I had always thought I'd be married at 21, we'd graduated college together, and then we'd move wherever his job took us. It sounded good in my head, anyway. But just as you start planning your life, the Lord shows you a better way.

I sought out possible master's programs and found one at ISU that looked interesting. Fine, I thought. It's a plan. I'll work in Provo for the summer, move to Idaho and work for a year to establish residency, then start the two-year program. Surely by then I'll meet "somebody" and settle into what I considered real life (ha ha). Again, the Lord showed me a better way.

A rep from the Deseret News was coming to town, and I figured I could be a reporter for the Provo bureau for the summer then move as I had planned. I brought a few newspaper clips to the interview, which was held on campus. The woman was short with short dark hair. She was friendly but got down to business right away. She only read the first few graphs of my news clips before speaking.

"These are good. These are realllly good."

"Oh! Thanks!"

"I think you should come work for us... during the Olympics."

"What? I thought this was an interview for a summer job."

"No. Come to Salt Lake, you'd be great."

"Uhhh."

I was taken aback. I had plans. I wasn't going to be in Utah after the summer was over. But this job she was offering would run November 2001 to March 2002. I surely looked confused.

"Well, here's my card. Call me if you change your mind."

I left the interview speechless. I was flattered but had not anticipated staying in Utah for more than a few months. I needed to think. I needed to call my mom.

"Are you kidding? That is so great! Do it!" was my mom's reply.

Yeah. Ok. Maybe she was right.

Within a week's time, the idea changed from foreign, to "why not?" to I simply have to do this. I called up the short dark haired lady and let her know. It felt good. It felt right. And from that moment on, everything laid out as easy as pie.

In the meantime, I needed a summer/fall job to last from May 2001 to Oct 31 2001, a rather odd timeframe. But almost instantly I saw an opening for an assistant at a costume shop in Provo that started now and would last until (when else?) Halloween. To that interview I took some sample clothing I had constructed and quickly got the job.

Then came housing. Where would I love in the Provo area for the summer and half of the fall term (which is next to impossible), then a place in Salt Lake City? The answers came so quickly. A former roommate asked me to room with her for a mere $50 a month in Orem at house owned by her fiance's grandpa.. I could start right away and stay until I needed to leave for Salt Lake. Then another former roommate put me in touch with her friend who lived near downtown Salt Lake who had an extra room.

Honestly, I couldn't have planned it better myself. But I hardly had to arrange anything. It was like everything was being planned for me.

The summer flew by, and soon I packed up all my stuff into my little blue 1991 Toyota Corolla and made my way down the newly renovated I-15 freeway to Salt Lake. My life was about to change forever. >>Continue to Part 2