Turning 21 & Landing the Job of my Dreams

Like I said in my last chapter, I met a guy named Devin on a dating app at the end of June 2017. We had so much fun together in the first few months of our relationship. Devin had an apartment in Holladay, Utah which I visited pretty frequently since I still lived at home. He sold life insurance policies for his job, which kept him busy everyday. I would go along with him to his appointments since I didn’t have a job at the time. I would sit in his car while he would go into customers houses or workplaces to sell them life insurance. This threw me back to my experience with J and sitting in his car while he socialized with his friends at car meets. I guess you could say I was pretty used to sitting in cars at this point.. haha.

After 1 month of dating I decided I wanted to live life on the edge a little and move in with Devin. One day while I was sitting at home, my dad and Mat went to the gym. At the last second I packed my entire closet, blankets, bathroom, and anything else I thought I’d need to live on. I carried it all down and put everything in my car. In about 30 minutes I had my things packed, and started to drive to Devin’s. Living at my dads was comfortable, it was all I knew. My dad and Mat did nothing to make me want to leave, I was just a rebelling girl who wanted a change.

Once I got to Devins, he was at work so I carried all of my things up 3 flights of stairs to the top floor. I took at least 10 trips back and forth all by myself. After everything was in his apartment I started to unpack a little bit. Yes, I did get clearance from Devin to do this. When he got home, he was so excited to see me there! I was also excited for this new change. He had been begging me to move in with him for awhile, so we were both happy I finally did it. I remember later that night my dad called me and asked where I was. I told him I had moved in with Devin and that is where I’d be living from now on. He was definitely not happy with me, but I was an adult and felt like I could make any decision I wanted.

I didn’t have a job at the time, I was in the middle of trying to find a salon to work at. Since I was unemployed, and Devin wasn’t he decided to make a chore chart for me while he was at work. I told him we both would have to pitch in if this chore chart was going to happen. Somedays I’d tag along with him to work, somedays I just stayed home and did the chores I was assigned. Devin expected dinner to be made and ready for him every night when he got home from work. Me being the caring person I am, made sure his apartment was spotless and dinner was on the table once he got home.

We would sit down to dinner, and talk about his day not mine. He had so many stories to tell me about the customers he had to deal with. Luckily I didn’t have to pay rent to stay at his place, which was nice but made me feel worthless very quickly. Sometimes we would turn on a show and eat in silence if there was nothing else to talk about.

Devin had a Saturday off which was rare, so we decided to go to Lagoon. Lagoon is an amusement park in Farmington, Utah. It is the only amusement park in the entire state. I grew up going to Lagoon, but only on special occasions. Rollercoasters have always been on the top of my list, of fun things to do. I would go with my family on trips when my parents were married to Disneyland, Disney World, and Lagoon. Don’t get me wrong.. when I was little I hated rollercoasters, my mom and dad would have the hardest time getting me to go on them. But once I pushed past my fear, they became my favorite thing to do.

Our day at Lagoon was filled with laughter, food, rides, and fun! I’m pretty sure we rode every ride in the park. Devin got us matching socks to wear for the day, which I thought was cute. We took lots of pictures, and I could see him being my boyfriend for a very long time.

One day during the weekend, Devin decided that he needed a new TV and laptop that we could both share. We went to RC Willey which is a huge furniture store in Utah, and looked around at all of the options. He told me that he would be buying both the TV and laptop, so I was just along for the ride. After we had picked out both items, we went to pay for them. They pulled Devin’s credit score, which was not good at all so that meant that he wasn’t qualified for financing. He asked me if they could pull my credit to see if it was any better. Guess what.. it was. I’ve never had bad credit in my life, and had always made it a goal to keep improving it. Devin decided to go ahead with financing using my credit, which I did approve of because he promised me that the payments would be paid on time. We left RC Willey with a brand new TV and laptop, he was really happy.

Devin took me on many dates, our go to spot was NickelMania off of State Street in Salt Lake. We would spend so much money at that place every time we went. Our goal was to get as many tickets as possible to buy the best prize.

He also took me go kart racing out at the Larry H. Miller park in Tooele, Utah. That was terrifying. I have always had a fear of go karts for some odd reason, maybe it was the simple fact of crashing into the side or another kart. But, I trusted him and his driving abilities and had a blast! Side note: Devin was the first non LDS guy I had dated. Felt like I had to throw that in there.

In August of 2017, my moms side of the family made it a tradition to go up to Manila, Utah. We would all stay at my grandparents cabin, and spend the weekend as a family. I had been going up to the cabin for as long as I could remember, that was the one trip I always looked forward to every year. This year, my mom was single, my brother Parker was still dating his girlfriend Lexi, and my brother Ashby was single. I decided to ask if Devin could come up with us to see what cabin life was like. He ended up driving up with us, which was very exciting for me.

Devin and I shared a tent with my brother Parker and his girlfriend Lexi. We pitched the tent right beside my grandparents cabin on the grass. My brother Ashby shared a tent with some of our cousins, and my mom slept in a tent right next to ours. We had the best time, going boating, fishing, playing games, roasting marshmallows, and just hanging out. I remember very vaguely Devin getting mad for some reason, I don’t remember why. We argued towards the end of the trip, which in the long run ruined my entire experience.

On the last day of our trip, our entire family went to church with at my grandparents ward. We decided to only go to sacrament meeting since we had to get on the road to go home. After church our family took a huge group picture with everyone that was there. After we did that, we drove back down to the Salt Lake Valley. Once we got back to Devin’s apartment, everything was back to normal. I still didn’t have a job at this point which really concerned me. I was getting no leads, nothing to look forward to.

On August 25th my Uncle Jed and Aunt Sherri held a little farewell for my grandparents in their backyard. My grandparents were called on a mission by the church to Bluff, Utah. They were getting ready to leave for one full year, to serve the people of Bluff. Our entire family showed up to show them all the support and love. The evening was full of laughs, great food, and good company.

In early September, my dad, Mat, and myself drove down to Cedar City for a few days. Back in my dads day, there was a bakery in Cedar that carried a special pastry called ‘Alligator Jaws’. He started to get a lot of requests from his friends and family to make, and sell them. So, Sugar Daddy’s Treats hit the road! I have always enjoyed roadtrips with my dad and Mat, we stopped at a few gas stations and a restaurant on the way down. Being in the car with both of them for 3 hours was the best time. We would blast broadway tunes, sing at the top of our lungs, and just enjoy the time we had together.

Once we got down to my grandparents house it was time to get the supplies we needed and start baking! I had never made alligator jaws before, so this was a new experience. My grandma and grandpa helped us a ton. Grandma made the dough, and cut it into individual triangle pieces. After they were cut, Mat would bring them out to the back patio where we had two huge pots of oil on a camp stove. Mat and dad would stick the dough pieces into the hot oil and fry them. After they were cooked the pastries would be transferred to me. I was standing at a long table with glaze in two big bowls. Since the cooked pastries were burning hot, I had gloves on to protect myself. I took a painting brush from the glaze bowls and brushed it onto each pastry. This process was NO JOKE. I think we made at least over 200 alligator jaws in one full day. If it wasn’t for the team and system we had going, I don’t think it would’ve been possible.

After we let them all cool down, we filled them with a cherry filling which was the signature piece. After they were filled we packaged them into boxes with the Sugar Daddy’s Treats logo on them and waited for people to come pick them up. Everyone who ordered some had a huge smile on their face once they had a box in their hands. It made them feel like they were young again, in good ole Cedar City.

My birthday is on September 6th, I was so excited to finally be turning 21, and throw a big party with all of my friends! Devin was kind enough to offer his apartment for my big day. On September 7th before my party, we met my dad, Mat, Ashby, Parker, and Lexi at Top Golf to celebrate as a family. I ordered my first legal drink, which was huge for me! We had the best time, ordered some delicious food, and enjoyed each others company.

My dad made me a brownie cake. When I say brownie cake, I mean a full sized cookie sheet of brownies. I swear, he knows exactly what he’s doing when he comes to baking. Everyone sang ‘happy birthday’ to me, and I blew out my candles.

After we left Top Golf, Devin drove me to his apartment. He had decorated his entire place with pink, white, and purple decorations. I was very surprised and thankful! All of my friends including my brother Parker and Lexi showed up! I guess it’s a thing when you turn 21 to receive alcohol as a gift. I had no joke over 10 bottles of different kinds of alcohol once everyone showed up. I took my first ever shot, along with a few of my friends. We had pizza, chips, and other snacks to munch on. We played games, and had the best night ever!

The next morning I woke up not feeling very good. I was sick to my stomach with a raging headache. Devin informed me that this indeed was a hangover. Man, being hungover is not a good time. I was so thankful for all of my friends and family that showed up to celebrate me.

At the end of September, my dad, Mat, Ashby and I took a roadtrip down to Saint George, Utah. We had been gifted tickets for a few off Broadway shows that were playing at Tuacahn Amphitheater by my dads friend. We saw ‘Newsies’ and ‘Mama Mia’ in one weekend. I loved seeing shows with my brother Ashby. We were always so close, and shared the love for musicals.

On our way back home, we stopped at Zion National Park. I think I had been there once before when I was little, but didn’t remember it. We explored the small town, visited gift shops, and were in awe of the beautiful red rocks. We visited a ghost town just outside of Zion, in Grafton, Utah which was pretty cool and terrifying at the same time.

My dad and Mat had been attending Lifetime Fitness for years, and I also had a membership there but never used it. My dad made the suggestion I submit my resume to the salon and spa manager, I did just that! I didn’t hear back after a few days, so I decided to walk in and ask to speak to the manager about my resume. Note to self: if you don’t hear back from an employer about a job, always walk in and make your presence known. I talked to the manager the second time I went in. Her name was Courtney, talk about an absolute gem! She was so kind to me, loved my resume and hunger to start working. She understood the need to build my clientele which I was so thankful for. I met the other stylists, toured the salon and spa, completed my interview. I got the job on October 2nd, 2017. I was so excited to put my all into my career. There was nowhere to go but up!

My new job also included a free gym membership, I had never been the kind to workout but this was the perfect excuse to get back into the gym. Like I said before, I had a job after I graduation hair school at a nutrition company. I was the receptionist, and had the opportunity to get a free meal/workout plan. Throughout the 6 months I worked for that company I got into the best shape of my life. So looking back on that I already had gym knowledge. I tried to workout every night after work if possible. I met an employee who was a personal trainer and he offered to give me a few sessions for free. I started to get back into shape quickly.

The stylists at the salon were all so kind to me. If I needed any help, they were there to lend their advice. Jeramiah, Eliza, Elowyn, Nemiko, and Emily were my co-workers. There were a few other stylists that worked here and there but those four were my main crew. I started to get busier with new clients, but very few rebooked with me. I wasn’t sure why, and started to doubt my skills. I got to a vey low place.. thinking ‘was this really what I wanted to do with the rest of my life?’

I tried to put my doubt aside, and set out into the gym with my business cards. I spoke with so many people, got turned down countless times, booked some appointments, and made my presence known. My parents have always been my main supporters, they would both come in to get their hair done all the time. Their constant love and support helped me keep going. I used social media to get my friends into the salon, their support meant the world to me as well.

When I wasn’t working at the salon, I would be at home reaching out to as many people as I could in hope they’d become my new clients. I was working off commission only, which was very difficult. If I wasn’t doing someone’s hair I wasn’t making money. I forced myself to stay until the salon closed most nights to see if I could get anyone walking by that needed a quick cut or color. At times I felt like I was wasting my time, but knew that it would all pay off someday. I made friends with the receptionists since I spent a majority of my time at the salon. Brittney comes to mind when I think of receptionists and staying late. She was always so positive, had a great work ethic, and always knew how to lift my spirits.

Shortly after I had been hired on at Lifetime Fitness, I decided it was time to move back home with my family. I told Devin that I needed to be closer to work, and felt like I’d be more comfortable at my house. He took that as I was breaking up with him, which I didn’t mean it that way at all. My dad drove to Devin’s apartment and helped me carry all of my things out to my car. Devin had left for work, because he was upset with me. I was damn thankful for my dad in that moment. He was there for me, even though I had made a huge mistake by living with Devin.

I was single yet again, but this time I felt really good about it because I could put full focus on my new career!

All in all this chapter of my life taught me many valuable lessons. I learned that “love” makes you do crazy things. I learned that family is so important, and they will support you through anything. I am thankful for my relationship I had with Devin, he taught me things that I never knew but also taught me what to avoid in a relationship. My next step in life was to figure out if hair is what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, and how to get consistent clients in my chair.