While my parents lived in Nephi, the school I ultimately wanted to attend was in Pleasant Grove, about an hour away. I could rely on barrowing my parents car anymore so I needed two things. A car. And a job to pay for it. In American fork, near the place I wanted to go to school there were two restaurants hiring. I applied at both and was hired at both. I began working for McDonalds in the mornings, Carl's Junior in the evening.
For a brief period I stayed in the upstairs apartment of my parent's Payson house. I was supposed to be helping to get it's carpets cleaned and the walls painted but when I started the two jobs I was too busy to get it done, and I could not get any room mates to make it affordable staying in the three bedroom apartment by myself. I found that one of my neighbors would be willing to rent out a room to me.
Commuting to American Fork from Payson was an adventure I actually sort of enjoyed. It was a time in the car I could jam out to the radio or just be alone to think. I considering trying to find an apartment further north but time after time nothing panned out..
The job as cashier at McDonalds had it's ups and downs. The managers were all different, some more jovial and understanding, others more serious and stern. I felt like I learned fast and did well. The store owner would come in on occasion to inspect things and let us know if things should be done differently. She was very condescending in the way she said things and no one really liked her.
I began attending classes at The Institute of Healing Arts. I worked out a deal at first with the director of the school that I would transcribe a lot of the processing sheets from the school into text printouts out the computer in return for tuition. But my lack of great typing skills, the illegible writing, and the time that I would rather spend doing other things became too much. So I ended up taking out a loan through the bank to pay back the tuition I owed.
The classes were really enjoyable. I came to know a great group of people and the information being taught made SO much sense to me! I felt like I had finally landed where there were people like me, we felt differently than many people do and learning to process those feelings did wonders for my perspective on life.
The job as cashier at Carl's Junior was fun and I fell in like with one of my managers, who turned out to be a loser. He had a wife and kids but flirted with all the girls. I quit that job. I like McDonalds better anyway.
Eventually the McDonalds in Payson had an opening and I transferred. It was only part time at first but what I was saving in gas made up for not being full time for a while. At this store the managers were mostly awesome, some still more uptight than others, but mostly awesome. I quickly acclimated to the differences between how the two stores operated. I even felt motivated enough to begin training to become a manager, but ultimately decided McDonalds would not be my career and stopped the training.
