2005 - jobs, jobs and internships

2005 seemed to be the year of the job. and the year after the job. and the year before the job. both our lives were focused on graduating, interning and job finding. 

at the beginning of 2004, i acquired an internship at a local marketing company that was fine, but nothing special. as time continued on, certain things going on in the company seemed strange to me. i wasn't always getting paychecks on time and management seemed secretive about lots of things. that august, i was laid off. i was devastated and really scared - we needed the income! but as the days wore on, i felt so peaceful and knew it was all for the best. the company ended up closing its doors shortly after. i registered at the local temp agency and, after being placed on two jobs, both about a week long, i was asked to work at the temp agency. it was a much better environment, better pay, much more stable and so close to our apartment. i still considered it temporary, though, and spent the next two months applying, interviewing and being rejected from job after job after job. 

little did i know, the best job in the whole world was waiting for me. in november, a position opened up to which i applied and was interviewed for in the counseling and career center in byu's academic support office/university advisement center. the people i met there were so wonderful and it was such a positive environment to be in from eight to five each day. this job led to another job solely in the academic support office where i provided support and advised students who earned below a 2.0 gpa during any given semester or term. before any judgement is made, very few of these students were simply goofing off or giving up {there were those...}, but most had much more complex reasons for being in academic trouble. and it was wonderful to help them through their struggles each day. 

as i settled into this job, ryan decided to search for an intership. after lots of discouragement, he secured an internship in hangzhou, china. the problem was, i had a great job. and i didn't want to quit it just to have to find another one in a few months when he returned. so we decided that ryan would go alone that summer. he lived with a wonderful family who welcomed him into their home with open arms and he lived chinese life to the fullest {including riding in a car that backed up on the freeway, feeding live chicks to the alligators at the zoo and eating pickled pigs feet with hair still on them}. we only got to speak in person a few times because of the time difference, but we replied to each others delayed emails each day. that summer represented quite a bit of independence for me. i lived by myself and had my own car. i could do what i wanted, when i wanted. and it was quite the adjustment for ryan to be home again. but, obviously, it was preferable. i missed him so much i even made a paper chain to count down the days until his return. and when i picked him up from the airport after those long two and a half months, i gave him a big hug and kiss...and then demanded he shower. living in mainland china doesn't do much for your body odor. it took a good long run to sweat the stank out of him.

the next summer, he was able to get an internship with boeing in alabama. we again decided that he would go alone as it didn't make sense for me to lose my job just to come back and work for one semester before he graduated. this time, however, he took the car with him and i was left in provo without personal transportation. i remember walking to the grocery store many times and walking home with a milk jug in my hand, switching hands often so i wouldn't have to cut my fingers off from frostbite when i got home. i was able to visit a few weeks, twice, with him in the south. we gallivanted all over alabama and tennessee, wiping sweat from our brows due to humidity and gagging over our food at the waffle house {we had no idea!}. i worked from the studio extended stay hotel room the first time and the one bedroom apartment the second {this one had a pool!} and we were welcomed with open arms by the entire southern community - especially the marsaws - a new family ryan met that we immediately clicked with. 

ryan returned home that august {2006} just in time for his final semester at byu. a semester he spent scouring the university's job search website for full time positions. he interviewed for who knows how many and received offers from five. it was hard to choose, but we were grateful to even have a decision to make. after crossing palo alto, ca off our list, we somehow ended up there with our soon-to-be family of three. 

although these months of job searching were at times exhausting and oftentimes heartwrenching, we really felt divinely directed to be where we should have been at a time we were meant to be there. we both feel blessed to have met the people we did during those times - people who continue to bless our lives today. our educations and employment have opened up so many wonderful doors for us all over this globe and we are grateful. 

also in 2005:

 {mother's day}

 {may - jackson hole}

 {august - lake merwin. 

i think ryan is crying because i'm winning our boom log battle. 

that or he's praying i'll never wear that swimsuit again. wowzers.}

 {with co-worker and friend lisa at our joseph smith the prophet performance in salt lake city}

 {still loving that little arianne}

 {kinnersley kids on christmas}