Rakas Dragon: Enjoying the Furnace

In comparison to last year, this summer has been scorching. Although I've been burned a few times (excuse the pun), I've thoroughly enjoyed Summer 2011. This summer, I've been averaging ~ 35 hours a week at Qualtrics, where I call European corporations for 6+ hours a day. I love it! However, when I'm not saying "Bonjour" or "Cheers!" at work, I'm planning my next adventure. So far this summer, I've hiked/climbed in 4 of Utah's 5 national parks including Arches, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, and Zion. I even bought my first pair of rock climbing shoes (2 sizes too small) thanks to David Rackham. And I finally became an uncle thanks to Cam & Ashley. My family and I saw my favorite Shakespearean play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, at the Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City, Utah. My Grandma and Pop Pop took me to that same play (which was my first) about 12 years ago. Dad, Izzie, Ethan, and I enjoyed a summer concert by Brad Paisley and David Archuleta at the Stadium of Fire (head sponsored by Qualtrics). I took my MTC companion, Torben Schmidt, and his family on a day tour of Salt Lake City. And a few weeks ago, I was admitted into BYU's business program, which is something I've stressed over for the past 2 years! There's no doubt in my mind -- God has been good to me this summer.