Quack.

(I apologize in advance for this hokey post.)

There is no escaping the letter "O". Among many things, it has helped me win high school elections, been significant in tagging me with a nickname, and has saved me small amounts of ink everytime I sign a check.

I now look to it to move me on to the next exciting phase in my life...

After what I consider to be a long journey over the last few years, but mostly intensified in the past 7 months, I finally sent off my acceptance letter and have finally committed to the MBA - Sports Business program at the University of Oregon in Eugene.

I left BYU with a Broadcast Journalism degree in 2002 and I never thought I would see the inside of a classroom again. But as life has progressed and my interests and goals have evolved, I find myself anxious to go back to school and excited for the opportunities that are soon to come.

Los Angeles has been a good home and I have finally come to love living here, but despite that, the time is right and I feel spiritually and emotionally prepared to leave on the "up" and return to the Northwest and to a part of the country I miss.

The decision hasn't been easy - though I get anxiety just from buying movie tickets online - but I have felt good about graduate school and Oregon from the beginning and I have only felt bouts of doubt when I have pondered staying where I am. I think that's a pretty good vantage point for making a decision.

I thank my family for helping me through this process and especially my parents as they truly showed their care and concern for me and the decision I needed to make. If anything but a decision made for the next two years of my life, I am grateful for this entire process as it has strengthened my relationship with my parents and I feel greater of their love for me.

So, quack. Call me a duck. Oh but, how I would long to be a polar bear! Just think how soft and cuddley I would be?!