30 "Times of My Life"

(Inspired by a good friend and old roommate who I keep realising is cooler and cooler as time goes on.)

Making this list has made me think of many other wonderful experiences and people, but this is a good representation of the Best of Times.

In no particular order:

1. The Year 2000 – The Summer of Love. Traffic officer by morning, pool bum by afternoon, and beach volleyball star by evening. I've done things that are more fun, but never for a full 3 months. Still ranks as the best summer of my life to date.

2. Giving birth to Carson. I can still vividly remember how exciting it was to reach down and touch his head as he crowned. That gave me all the confidence and energy I needed to bring him fully into this world.

3. My first kiss and real dating experience. It ended up in something of a tragedy really, but I was grateful to know what it was like, and to have had a good time while it lasted.

4. My first (and only) breakup. It was painful, but inspiring. In coming thru the pain, I felt very grown up and strangely exhilarated. I wrote some (in my opinion) incredible poetry during that time, and felt as though I was full of more confidence and sage wisdom than any person deserved to be. It was as enlightening an experience as the actual dating.

5. Hiking Scarpf Ridge near Crested Butte, CO. For me, at the time, it was a grueling hike. But it was the first summit I ever reached, and when we finally got there, I was completely awe-struck by the beauty of the view: Snow capped mountain peaks as far as the eye could see in every direction; wild flowers and craggy rocks lining the sheer cliff on the far side of the ridge; and shimmering mountain lakes on the far side of the canyon. Breath-taking.

6. Going whitewater rafting on the Salmon River. All three times. I could almost separate each trip into a different Time of My Life. In fact, I will list them as two occasions. The first two trips were on the Main Salmon River before Austin and I were married and while he was still a professional river guide. I had never done anything like it. I was a little freaked out by the first trip, but enjoyed it so much I went again 2 weeks later and skipped out on my college graduation.

7. The third trip was last summer on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. We got a private boating license and went with a bunch of friends (and friends of friends who became friends!). The first [two times] I've ever flipped over on a boat in the middle of a rapid. Terrifying yet awesome at the same time. Every time I've been on the river, I've been so sad at the end and wished I could make the trip last forever. There aren't many things I feel like that about.

8. Falling in love with Austin. It was so easy! It was (and is) so amazing and so liberating to be with someone with whom I felt completely comfortable and confident, knew I could say anything, and didn't feel embarrassed about expressing my affection for.

9. Driving with Austin to the 2005 Sting concert in Salt Lake City. I knew I was in love when I realised that I didn't mind that we were going to be late to the concert I had been obsessing over for the last 2 months—I was with Austin!

10. Visiting Fountain's Abbey in Yorkshire while I was a missionary in England. The morning of our one day off had been cruddy and rainy, and I was all mopey that we were going to have to cancel our outing. And then when we finally did get there and it was later than I had hoped, I was all panicky that we wouldn't have time to see everything. But my wise companion and trainer pointed out that I needed to relax and enjoy the moments as they happened and stop worrying and complaining so much. I actually took her advice to heart that day and still have the imagery of those beautiful green fields, vivid blue skies, stark grey stones from the ruins, and puffy white clouds as well as the feel of breathing in the fresh, damp air burned into my memory.

11. Living in Paonia, Colorado for 2 ½ years. What a glorious, unusual, quaint little place to start off our married life, buy our first home, get our first dog, and have our first child! We got to live in the kind of place many people dream of retiring to while we were still young enough to thoroughly enjoy it.

12. Learning to mountain bike. When you have super-fun mountain biking trails just a 10 minute ride away from where you work and live, it's silly not to try. And then I discovered I was actually really good and LOVED the feeling of careening down a dusty, juniper lined path, scrambling to the top of the next hill, swinging wide to make the next turn, and then zooming down the next stretch. I even eventually enjoyed the climbing to the top part as well.

13. Hiking to the top of Mount Lamborn, Delta County, Colorado. Mount Timpanogus in Utah may have beaten me, but I made up for it by hiking Lamborn—with 20 lbs of baby strapped to my back! In the following weeks, I had the pleasure of looking out my front door at that mountain peak and saying to myself, “I've been up there!”

14. And while we're on the mountain/outdoorsy theme, mountain biking on Trail 401? outside Crested Butte with family friends from Maryland. Definitely the longest, hardest trail I've ever biked, and I did have two small wrecks, but it was SO FUN! Great views, super workout, and such a blast. (Didn't even mind the sore bum.)

15. My freshman year of college at BYU. So many good moments, memories and friends, but specifically meeting and getting to know my roommate, Joy. We bonded and got to know each other so well and so quickly. The crowning moment, I think, was when we were loading up her car to drive home for the summer and thought we were going to have to strap some things to the roof. While contemplating the possibility, my eyes began to stray around the room. The instant they settled on the cord for the window blinds, and just as the thought began formulating in my mind, Joy said, “No Erynn, we're not tying anything to my roof with that cord.”

16. The day I went to the LDS Temple in Nauvoo, Illinois to receive my own Endowment. I was accompanied by my mom, dad, brother Paul (who was also receiving his Endowment that day), and Granny. It was a beautiful experience, and I had the distinct feeling that I had been there before.

17. My 22^nd birthday. The whole week was amazing. I got some birthday kisses and fun presents, a hot volleyball player let me touch his tricep, and my roommates took me out to eat at The Melting Pot. Delicious. I also received my mission call that week. See next:

18. Receiving my Call to serve as an LDS missionary in the England Leeds Mission. I was at my 22^nd birthday dinner at the Melting Pot in Salt Lake City, Utah, surrounded by some of my very best friends and favorite people when they pulled out the big, white envelope I had been waiting for. The setting was fantastic enough, but then to learn that I was going to England...it was just too perfect.

19. Going to see They Might Be Giants at The Newport in Columbus Ohio during High School. I actually saw them several times there, but the first time was the best. Mosh-pit concerts are typically a little crowded and crazy for my taste, but this was a nice mosh pit, and the whole concert was tons of fun. And once again, I was with friends I loved—and still love!

20. Getting married to my Austin in the Denver LDS Temple. I really had the perfect wedding. My dress was designed just for me by my roommate Mina, and although it had to be completely reconstructed by my aunt and mother the night before the wedding so it would actually fit me, it was the dress I never even knew I had dreamed of. The day was beautiful and relaxing. I had great representation from both sides of my family as well as some of my dearest friends. The luncheon afterwards was also perfect and relaxed with no unnecessary hoopla. And even the departure to the honeymoon location was sweet—except for the part where we got lost in Denver on the way to the hotel! (No one wants to get lost on the way to their Honeymoon. The car wash started looking pretty tempting.)

21. Climbing on the Great Wall of China. I'd heard about it my whole life. And when I finally got there—never having even considered that I would get there—it was pretty unreal. And then we camped on the Wall that nite. With an 18 month old baby.

22. Performing in the Watkins Memorial High School Battle of the Bands concert during my Senior year of High School. I had a “guest appearance” as the flutist (and tamborine player) for the band Lyon Eyes, and we WON! We all did well and had a lot of fun, and I totally rocked out with a flute solo on “Stairway to Heaven.” Not just at the beginning where you'd expect to hear a flute, but in lieu of the guitar solo in the middle. It was awesome.

23. Camping with my family at Mount Rushmore, South Dakota. As I've learned since, the entire experience was actually pretty miserable. But all I remember was waiting the following morning for the fog to clear so we could see the mountain—hoping, as only a 9-year-old can hope, that it would clear before we had to leave. And then, in an instant, George Washington's nose appeared out of the mist. It was huge! And we eventually got to see the heads of all 4 presidents.

24. Marching in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena,California and The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City as a high school marching band student. I would never do marching band again, and parade marching is actually the most miserable part of marching band. But I got to take part in these two very prestigious events! Both very cool.

25. The summer I spent with the Salter cousins at Granny's house in Utah. I'd never spent so much time with so many girls. It was weird. But we had a lot of fun. And I think it's good to actually know and be friends with your extended family members.

26. Living for nearly a year in Beijing, China. I made some super friends, including my sister-in-law who is awesome, biked in incredible traffic, and learned to speak Chinese for crying out loud. Who'd have ever guessed?

27. My high school graduation. The day of my graduation party was one of those blue-skied, puffy cloud days that you dream about. The strawberries we bought for the occasion were unbelievably sweet. I was well supported by family and friends and some very generous gifts. And afterwards, Mom took me and my cousin Amber to New York for our graduation trip. We went to Palmyra, New York; Niagara Falls, New York and Canada; New York City; and stayed with friends in New Jersey. A perfect vacation full of hilarious “you had to be there” stories.

28. Watching Carson finally learn to talk. Watching a child learn to do anything is mind-blowing, but talking finally gave me the peek into his brain that I'd been dying for his whole life! Sometimes he talks too much now, but I wouldn't trade the experience of seeing him develop language for anything.

29. Playing guitar with my friend Brandy in Colorado. I've never before or since found anyone I was really comfortable playing and singing with. We even recorded a cd, but due to a series of unfortunate events, the cd was lost. So no documentation of the occurrence, but that's one of the things I miss the very most about living in Paonia.

30 Moving back to Provo, Utah. Never thought I could or would want to, but I'm having a great time. This is kind of a cheesy way to end this list, but I'm doing it. I have a great home, I'm finally living near friends again, I'm having a baby girl in a few months, and Carson is the perfect age for all the parks and other recreational activities we are involved in here. Austin is back in school preparing to be a real grown-up, so I'm learning to be grown-up here at home too. It's probably the best thing for us at this stage in life.