Summer Trip

April 20, 2024

The summer between my junior and senior year, my friend Marci invited me on a 19 day trip with her and her parents. Her dad was a bus driver and had been asked to pick up a new bus in Georgia to bring back to Utah. Lucky me!

We flew to Atlanta where we did a tour of the World of Coca-Cola. We taste tested over 40 different flavors. We also went to the Underground Mall and Marci and I made a music video. The second day we visited a plantation and went to Stone Mountain where we saw the coolest laser show.

The next day was a long, hot, muggy drive to Kissimmee, Florida. I recall there was no A/C and I had bad cramps. I made myself a little bed and slept on the floor in the aisle. (I was lucky It was a clean, brand-new bus)

Day one in Florida we spent at Epcot Center. I loved the world showcase. Marci and I tried a tasty local cuisine from each country. They were all good except the sashimi in Japan. The octopus wasn’t bad, but the rest almost made me throw up and I smelled like raw fish the rest of the day, ugh.

Day two we did a tour at Kennedy Space Center and a quick dip in the ocean at Cocoa Beach. I loved the warm Atlantic Ocean water.

Day three was a visit to MGM studios. Marci and I made another music video of “Wind Beneath my Wings.” At one show, we were both cast in a screen test. I played a diva star and Marci played my understudy.

On day four we enjoyed the Magic Kingdom in the rain. We splashed in the puddles and got soaked and had the best time.

After Florida, we made our way to Louisiana. It was about a 15-hour drive. New Orleans was a bit of an eye-opening experience for this young Mormon girl. I enjoyed the party vibe, the beignets and the jazz music, but I don’t recommend the little shops in the French Quarter. Marci and I decided to sneak out and go to Bourbon Street after her parents went to bed. The strip clubs and bars were hoppin. We spent our time on the street talking to all kinds of people and just enjoying the music and warm summer night. We got proposed to a couple of times and missed the last shuttle back to the hotel. We started walking back and about halfway there, a taxi pulled over and told us to get in. He said we were in a bad area and shouldn’t be walking around so late. We didn’t have money to pay him, but he took us anyway. He may have saved our lives that night.

Our next stop was Dallas, Texas. We visited the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, which is the alleged sight of the shooting of John F. Kennedy. Supposedly, JFK was shot from the 6th floor window. It was informative, moving and peaked my interest in the assassination and conspiracy theories.

After Dallas we stayed a night in Oklahoma City, before heading through Colorado to Marci’s aunt’s ranch in Wyoming. We went horseback riding and watched her uncle shoe some horses. We spent a couple of days there and went home. I was blessed to be able to go with Marci and her parents on such a fun adventure. 24 hours later after getting home, I repacked and went to an officer retreat in Park City.

The rest of the summer was more drama with boys, toilet papering and volleyball at Surf n swim. We did some crazy stuff like throwing water balloons out car windows at other cars, pulling fake cats across the street with fishing line in front of moving cars. I went to my first concert, Chicago. We had ZCMI spirit week and took 2nd place to Clearfield. I helped with school registration, hung out with tons of different people, went to a few dances and up the canyon for a bonfire once (no alcohol). I was having the best life!