FHE and Hugs

Monday at FHE I learned some new games and had awesome conversations with awesome people and was just feeling super happy about life. When I got back to my apartment that night my roommate was skyping with her boyfriend and she said “I haven’t gotten a hug from someone I love since my mom left, I can’t wait for you to get here!”

In my mind I was thinking really you haven’t gotten a hug since you’re mom left? I get hugs every Saturday at youth night and Sunday at church and on Monday at FHE all by people I have come to love. I know that when I walk into the building someone is going to come up to me and ask me how I’m doing and tell me how much they appreciate me and then probably ask me to say a prayer or something but I know that if I’m ever in need of a hug I can just walk into the church in Athens and someone will greet me with open arms.

I never thought about that aspect of being away from home. All the other study abroad students don’t have a built in support system anywhere they go. I know that no matter where I go (ok except like China) I can find a church building and walk in and immediately be welcomed with a warm smile and possibly a hug.

Also for the rafting trip I went on we had to list an emergency contact and one of the international students asked me who I put down and I said I put the Relief Society president from my church down and they were like well what should I put? I love that I know that there is someone here who could and would help in an emergency.