Best Friend

I have been trying for 3 days to post Camryn's christmas play and Darin's orchestra concert but the videos must be too long as they will not post. I will try later but it has frustrated me. So instead I will write about the fun I had the first 2 years of college and my best friend, Jill Salyers, who kept me thankfully reined in. And Mom, just close your eyes as you read this or pretend it was another daughter who wasted their time:)

I had the privelidge of attending BYU in 1987. I was accepted with early acceptance thanks to good grades at high school although it was a good thing I was accepted early as I had a bad case of senioritis. It was a no brainer when it came to who I would room with. I was just thankful she wanted to room with me and that her big sister was also at BYU and took us under her wing. I remember the first day we got into our dorm room and Jill and I both thought, this is so small!! It was a good thing she was clean as it made me pick up and keep my side clean our else our box would have been a mess. We ate in the cafeteria and I don't think either one of us gained the freshman 15 lbs as the food was just soso. We hung out with Deneim (her big sister) for the first month as we eased into college life and making friends with the girls on our floor. We were lucky to make good friends with the girls next door and the ones across the hallway from us. We all came from different backgrounds but had the same church background and we all clicked as friends. I will have to say that Kim and I were the more wild of the bunch and tried to talk the others into staying up late and going out late. If the others would not, her and I just would go. There were plenty of times Jill would say "Don't do it Steph" but I did not listen. I was far from home and thought I knew it all and could just take care of myself. Boy, was I dumb!!!

Thankfully by going to BYU we had to sign a code of honor. It meant no drinking, no smoking, no illicit drugs, and no premarital sex. I took these things very seriously and did not even think about breaking this code. I had fun but did not push the limits on these issues. What we did do was go out dancing at the Palace and then decided we would hitchhike home as it was a far walk and cold. Jill stayed home and did her homework (like I should have!) We did hitch a ride and made it back to the dorm after joyriding with a group of boys for awhile. Looking back that was not one of the most intelligent choices we could have made. Who knows who could have picked us up or their motives. When I told Jill, I was properly chewed out and I did not do it again. And I needed to hear that-what was I thinking?! That was not to say Jill did not go to dances with us or have fun, she was just mature and made wiser choices and reminded us we should too.

The next year, 6 of us decided to live at the Riviera apartments. This was the happening place to live (the Osmonds had lived there at one point) plus my two cousins had lived there the year before. We divided up who was going to bring dishes, cooking utensils, baking dishes, silverware, etc. The furniture was provided and we all brought pictures and other things to make it cozy. Again, I was lucky enough to have Jill in my room with me. This was bigger than our box and was a real room!! We signed up to inspect apartments for extra cash-this actually was a fun way to look at boys apartments and get bribes not to write them up for having disgusting apartments.

The rule at BYU was no boys in the rooms. We had some best guy friends from home (just friends) that hung out at our apartment all the time. We had a many a slumber party with them by bringing all of our mattresses into the front room. That way we were not technically breaking the rules and we had great fun staying up watching movies, giggling, popping popcorn and just sharing stories with the other roomies of growing up with Eric Brown and Chris Barkdull. I remember Chris steamrolling all of us and Jill with her great laugh going into hysterics and telling him to get off her and quit steamrolling us (of course he would do it again).

Jill's sister was dating and engaged to one of the Brown cousins so we had the great fun of going to their cabin for each conference. It was fun to get away and be in the outdoors and just have fun with Jeff's parents and the roomies. It was beautiful up there (just before Park City) and many a fun time was had throwing things from the loft to the 2 lovebirds down below. We are lucky Deneim still talked to us after doing that to her!!

Jill and I also went to all the football games. What fun that was cheering on the cougars and generally having a great time. If I ever said I was going out with a boy or staying out late, Jill was quick to say "You better be back at a reasonable time!" It was a good thing she was waiting for a missionary the first year of our college experience. The second year she started to date so I was allowed to stay out later and get away with a little bit more:)

I never once got upset with Jill for playing mom. I was always so happy to have my best friend there to bounce off ideas, cry with, laugh with, reason with and love with. I needed that influence in my life even though I thought I was soooo grown up. And Jill is younger than me!! Jill is still there for me to chat with, cry with and now I can give her nursing advice and sometimes life advice (haha). Jill, I will always love you for being such a best friend and mentor (and going to watch dirty dancing with about 20 times:))