Rexburg: My Favorite Bubble

My favorite conversation goes as follows:
"I lived in Rexburg."
"Oh, I'm sorry, that's too bad."
"Why do you say that?"

The following complaints are followed by most people, usually starting with "I've heard" because most of the time, they have never been there, or only visited very briefly.

"It's a bubble"
"It's cold"
"It's so small"
"There's nothing to do there"
"It's too windy"
"Too many rules"

And the list goes on and on with what people think are negative comments about the place I love the most.

I have moved around my whole life. I lived in California for a little over 10 years (near both the beach and Mt. High where I could snowboard/ski/throw a snowball). I Then lived in Arizona for 7. I then lived in Georgia for one. Then I hightailed it back to California from where I then headed to, you guessed it, Rexburg, Idaho. I'll be honest, when I was 15 and saw Rexburg for the first time in late July with Elder Brad Foster, I thought to myself "there is NOTHING here, why would I want to go here?" Three years later, it was all I could think about. It was actually the only place I applied. Not because I couldn't get in anywhere, I had pretty great grades. But it was like Rexburg was (here comes cliché...) calling me.

So off I went to good ol' college, my overly-excited mother (love you mom) in tow. My first semester was the best. I made friends, had bon fires, had great classes, had my first experience of more than an inch of snow WHILE I WAS PRESENT, and much more. I won't tell you my whole college history, I'll just get straight to the point.

Rexburg is a bubble. That's one of my favorite parts about it. I cannot remember if it was Brother Wahlquist or Wes Belnap who was telling our religion class how lucky we were to live in Rexburg... But man was he right. For many of us, Rexburg is the only, and I mean only time where we will be lucky enough to live in "the bubble". This is a place where almost everyone share your same beliefs, morals, thought process. This is a place that literally helps solidify your beliefs and helps you grow. People will argue Provo is the same thing. I beg to differ. I have lived in Provo for 2 years and have yet to spend a day where I don't hear someone cussing off my ear or smelling cigarette smoke or sometimes having to come up with an excuse as to why I don't want to go to a party where this is drinking. People will call this being sheltered. I call it being blessed. If you want to find trouble in Rexburg, you will find it, no doubt. However it is much easier in Rexburg to stick to your morals and values surrounded by SO many people. It is a blessing. I didn't have the most straight-and-narrow high school experience as many people know, so to me this was one of the biggest parts as to why I loved Rexburg and will continue to love it. I would feel safe letting my kids walk 2 miles to school in Rexburg.

Rexburg is freezing. TRUTH. I had almost forgotten how cold it was. But leave it to the people of Rexburg to come up with activities to make the most of it. Hot chocolate parties, Oreo nights (Thanks Brighton), bon fires, movie nights, etc. Or building a snow couch with snow people watching a snow TV in front of the Hinckley. It's happened. The thing is, you forget about the cold when you fill up your time to make the most of it!! The nice thing about Rexburg is people are always up for anything. You will ALWAYS find something to do there, if you look for something to do.

Rexburg is SMALL. For sure. Very small. It's growing so much. And yet, still it is small! This once again is another reason I LOVE REXBURG. In Provo, I feel like I'm just another number. In my ward, at my school, as a friend, I am just another number. One of my friends told me once that she didn't like BYU because no one CARED. They didn't care if you didn't show up to the ward. They didn't care if you didn't show up to class. The teachers didn't know your name after staring into a crowd of students in your religion class (THEY GIVE YOU TESTS AND THEY ARE HARD?WHAT?) all semester. In Rexburg, you are an individual. People know you. Teachers now you. Your ward knows you, if you make an effort. And here's the kicker... THEY ACTUALLY CARE. I have lived in so many cities and I can say Rexburg is the most personable city ever. People won't look at you funny if you smile at them and say hi. In fact, if you DON'T smile and say hi, they will give you a funny look because clearly, there is something wrong with you. If you haven't heard about the flood that just happened this past week, look it up. Only in Rexburg would you find such a tight-knit college town ready to spend all day bailing out [poopy] water, and putting up offers on facebook to help those in need of a place to stay. I'm not talking one or two people. I am talking about almost every facebook friend I have that is in Rexburg, ready to serve anyone, even if they don't know them! It's amazing.

There's. Nothing. To. Do. Here. Those words, of this entire rant, are the most BRAZEN thing I have ever heard!! Maybe if you don't try, yeah there is nothing to do here. I've already talked about the Oreo nights, the bon fires (which may or may not require you to dress up as a cowboy or an indian), but what about Kelly Canyon, or being an hour away from Targhee if Steven Dean, Mack Wible (blaring only the best of songs), or Carson McNair is driving. What about the numerous movie nights, Thug Lyfe dances, Sammy's concerts, farmer's market (and Andy Sewell's Mexican corn on the cob... still the best I've ever had, dang it!), girls nights where you wear face masks, where sometimes your completely heterosexual guy friends join in, or your roommates boyfriend giving her highlights (you go, Alden Murray!). OR if you live with someone like Rachel Taylor Murray, the personal dance shows in your own bathroom! What about carving pumpkins, building gingerbread houses, countless flash mobs in the MC, ice blocking, hiking R mountain.... Literally, there is always something to do in Rexburg.

"It's too windy..." Go and get a wind breaker and a kite and stop whining.... (even though I DO still whine, but it could be worse... somehow.)

There are too many rules. Too many rules? Too. Many. RULES? Hi, my name is Carlie Bond and I hereby swear to you that the honor code between BYU and BYU-Idaho is strikingly similar. Sure we can't wear flip flops (sandals with straps are fine) and shorts (weren't you just complaining about the cold?) BYU-I states that it's because they want us to look professional. Here's the scoop: you probably won't get a job showing up in flip flops and shorts... Hey, go home and knock yourself out and wear flip flops in the snow and wearing NO pants if you feel so inclined. But is it really the worst thing in the world to be prepared to dress somewhat professionally? I can think of worse things.... And if you're about to bring up curfew, don't even think about it. Provo and BYU-I both have curfew. In Rexburg, they actually follow it a bit better. You signed the honor code, deal with it. Seriously, I get that star gazing with that cute guy at 3 am may be the beginning of a beautiful relationship that may end up in engagement in 3 weeks (or not), but what's so bad? You end up spending your nights making LASTING friendships with your roomies staying up until 3 instead. They are doing it to protect you... Think that we should have our free agency? We have it. There are just consequences is all.

All in all, there are probably things I complain about when referring to Rexburg (No X-box live at married university housing, WHAT?!), but overall, Rexburgians have it good- real good. We have teachers who care and will bend over backwards (usually... ratemyprofessor is a real website guys, use it...) to make sure you understand, religion teachers who will blow your MIND (literally Brother Wahlquist, every class my mouth is left agape). There are friendships made there that will last literally for eternity. Rexburg has so much to offer. I know this is the longest post you've probably ever read (if you've made it this far), but telling someone their home (yes, I consider that the place I've lived the longest since I was 17 home) is awful, and you feel sorry for them, especially when you have yet to be there for longer than a week or a month even, it's a low blow. People tell me it all the time. And I think to myself, "What if I told you your home was terrible, that I would never ever EVER want to live there because of what I've heard about it." You would get pretty offended, right?

For my second summary, Rexburg is the best town I've lived in. I have lived in 5 different states and even more cities, big and small, and I would choose Rexburg (or Idaho Falls) over any of the others any day. Gilbert comes close... but Rexburg has been, and always will be, my number 1.