Yesterday, right after I got home from work, I read an email from my fellow Washington Seminar gal, Amy. The email so kindly reminded me about the ward temple trip that night--and everyone was meeting at a metro stop fairly far away (as in not even in DC) in under an hour. (That isn't a very long time when you are traveling in DC...just in case you missed that implication.)

Of course I had already changed out of my nice internship attire, but I remembered the counselor in the bishopric saying something about it being a great opportunity and how they only go twice a year. Well that just doesn't really compute very easily, for one, and for two, I thought they were just going to go to a session (the counselor said THE session starts at 8--but I think he actually meant appointment).

Anywho! I am talking myself through this, mostly because I was confused and then I remembered that I had so much homework and junk to do (that was the devil talking), but I go to find Amy anyway. No answer at her door. I call. No answer. Text. No answer.

Fabulous.

So I'm talking to my next door neighbor, Sweeney, and she is telling me that we'll go some other time and it's okay when BAM! Amy calls. She tells me that I should come meet up with everyone at such and such a metro stop and that she just left early for something else. Then she tells me that she is bringing her own underthings. Crap. I didn't really look into that when I packed up my life and moved. I don't have any in that one specific color ya need. SO...I told Amy that I would call the temple to find out if I really needed to bring them and then I'd call her back.

So I call the temple. The nice man transfers me to the baptistry. No answer.

Fabulous.

So I call Amy and get the number of our ward temple coordinator, Heidi. I call her. No answer.

Yeah. Still fabulous...

Then I thought, Ya know what, Talyn?! Just suck it up and GO, dang it! I knew I would regret it and I knew that Bree and Haley and Cam would smack me upside the head (figuratively of course--except maybe Haley) if they knew I had blown the opportunity.

So I change my clothes and run to the our closest metro stop (yes, I did give myself a quick bout of shin splints. Thanks for asking!). I go three stops toward Largo, switch to RED toward Shady Grove, and I'm on the 2o minute home stretch! I get to Grosvenor (where everyone was meeting) in record time. Not kidding. It was about a half hour or less. Anyway, I get there and see that Amy was super nice and stalled everyone.

So then we hop in a car with David, the physics dude who words for NASA (seriously), and Greg, who is super tall and from Kenya. Sweet. We drive through the most beautiful, green woods, and about twenty minutes later the massive temple pops out of the trees. It is BEAUTIFUL! Here is a visual--just in case you forgot what it looks like (or heaven forbid, if you doubt me).















There were probably 20 of us (very rough estimate), and it took four hours total (including travel time).

But it was so great and worth it because 1) we got to wear the grippy socks, 2) there were a few guys with us that were there for the first time. Awesome. and 3) it was a whole new temple experience. The workers had all of the endowed men doing something (recording, witnessing, confirming, and baptizing) and I had never seen that before. Especially the recording part! I thought you had to be specially trained for that job.

The temple is always a good place to be. It was such a fabulous experience and I am so grateful for the voices of Bree, Haley, and Cam in my head that knocked some sense into me. I'm also so thankful to the ward members who were extremely nice and welcoming to me and Amy, who were the only "Barlow kids" there.

I definitely encourage everyone to go to the temple sometime soon! You won't regret it!
I love you all!

-T

P.S. Because I know you are dying to know...they had underthings for me there. Good to know, right? Right.