You're My Best Friend

Well folks, it looks like this will be the last post on this blog until after my mission. Except probably really the last post ever because I suck at blogging. But then again being on a mission supposedly teaches you to be more diligent in whatever it is you do. But then again I might just come back and be a huge lazy bum. Um. Anyway, for the last time the URL to my mission blog is www.elderhunterstewart.blogspot.com.

So as I mentioned in a previous post, I was hoping to do a little something for Clayton and Mikey in a post and this is pretty much it. If I had more time I would have been able to put together a sweet video of like everything we've ever done together, but since I'm, you know, moving to Africa in two days, time is a little short.

Michael Big Black Nielsen and I have been friends since we were 4, since I moved to Louisiana. I want to say he has been with me for every single birthday (except for a few when I was out of town), even after he moved to Texas. I called him Big Brother when we were in pre-school, and well, he literally is a big brother. . . He's huge.

Turns out 18 year olds aren't supposed to do wheelies on children's toys

Clayton Bridge moved in next door when we were five or six, and man we did everything together. Ten o'clock sharp we would be at each others house, no exceptions. We were masterminds of the commercial, and champions of the black belt. Sometimes it creeps me out how much our brains think alike. He moved to Texas for 5th grade. That didn't change a thing.

 awkward

With all the goodbyes I've been saying it has never been a thought that I wouldn't see these guys very often after my mission. Nope, these guys are my buddies for life. Yup. There's some serious bromance right there. As if you couldn't tell from this picture:

...

So without further ado, here are some videos from our youth, with all of them being equally embarrassing and awesome.

This was an attempt at a horror movie sequel to the 1958 film The Blob. Which is by far the greatest movie ever (fun fact for you Grease fans, this was the movie that was playing during the drive-in scene). Anyway, at some point during us trying to make this incredible sequel we decided to do stunts. I guess we were just that upset by the making of the sequel (and my attempted British accent) (.

Yes. For anyone who didn't actually believe I was a black belt, here's the proof. Clayton and I were 10 and this was at the school talent show.



And finally the greatest thing known to man (besides The Blob. And Legend of Zelda) commercials made by Clayton and myself. Which were made for the beauty competitions Breeann would host with Savannah, Clayton's sister and another family friend. Enjoy.



Oh, and see ya in two years. Kbye.

P.S. Noonafish, Sweet baby noonas, Holy noona, Noona.

Africa

So just a heads up, I actually posted my talk on my mission blog if anyone wants to read it. The website for that blog is: www.elderhunterstewart.blogspot.com.

85 hours to go!

On and On

Counting today there are officially 7 days left until I am on a plane leading me to the great expanse known as Africa. Today also marked the last day I got to spend with my very long time friend Clayton Bridge, and in a couple of days it will be the same with Mikey Big Black Nielsen. I intend to do a couple posts about each of them, but first I really need to get my farewell talk for this Sunday finished. I'll get that done sometime. I guess.

By the way I set up a blog for my mission and the link is here. If you click on that the same day I posted this you will see there is nothing there. That is primarily because I haven't left yet. In case you were concerned I was playing a mean trick. Basically what that blog will consist of are the emails I send home to my family every week, and if I'm able to send any pictures with those emails, then they will be in the blog post as well. But I hear internet is pretty sketchy in Africa, so I have no idea how often there will be pictures. However, I am thinking that before I leave I will post the aforementioned farewell talk on there. For all you people who have more important things to do than come to Louisiana (soooo pretty much everyone).

(But even the alligators are friendly here!)

But speaking of farewells, it's once again a pretty weird time in my life. In some ways this summer has been a bit like last summer. At least as far as the whole feeling of the looming unknown, and the fact that everyone I know is leaving for school before I leave anywhere. But the thing with this summer is that the goodbyes are much, much different than the last. The goodbyes began almost four months ago when I was concluding my winter semester at BYU, and they have continued sporadically up until today, and will continue until the day I leave. But the reason these goodbyes are so different is because with some people it really was goodbye. For whatever reason it just felt like that was it, and that the role in each others lives had come to a close. Whoever those people are they played a very important role in my life, and I would never regret meeting them, because it's all about what you take out of it right? Right.

(That's a door. You often pass through them at some point after saying goodbye)

Then there are those other people. The people you say goodbye to but you both know it really isn't a goodbye. Saying goodbye is just easier and less awkward to say than "Hey, I'll see you in a couple years because I know we'll still be friends and I'm pretty sure you still have a pretty important role to play in my life." But then again maybe I should say that, I'm sure it would make them feel nice to know that. All the same though, saying goodbye is never easy, especially because of the fact that I won't be seeing anyone for two whole years. It's weird because two years can sound like it's not that long, but at the same time it sounds so incredibly long. I mean two years ago I had just turned 17 and was feeling pretty cool because I no longer had an 11 o'clock curfew. The thing is though, it doesn't matter if those two years seem short or long, my true friends are going to be there when I get back. At times during this summer I've put too much thought into my plan for when I get back to school. Of course it is good for me to have a plan, which I do, but I think I was just a bit wary about all the unknowns that are still lying ahead. But then I think about those people and the fact that I have them around, and immediately any concerns go right out the window. Even people who I won't be around, such as Clayton or Mikey. I guess the main point I'm trying to make is that I'm thankful for the people who have come into my life, because it's those people that help me make it through just about anything. And I haven't even mentioned my parents because they are just way to stinking awesome for this blog post ;) All in all, I'm so excited to serve a mission for two years, and so excited to be reunited with everyone when the time comes. But with that said I can honestly say I have no plans to rush through anything, and I'm very okay with an open book ahead of me. I have everything I need to make it through, and I'm so incredibly thankful for that. So basically if you read this entire post you're probably one of those awesome people, and if not well, stop stalking me. Or just send me a package full of good stuff. Or a letter. Or a postcard. Or whatever. Because pretty much anything with a hint of home will probably be a really big boost to my day. Cause Africa is a stinking far away place from home. And the funny thing is that when I say home I don't just mean Louisiana, I mean all of freaking America. And that's a really big place. This has gone on much too long. I tend to ramble on when it comes to any kind of goodbye. But this isn't goodbye... right?

P.S. this post turned serious. Don't worry, my mind still pretty much works like this: