Don't hate on Provo

So many times, I hear people here at BYU bash other students because they are such "typical" BYU students. They say that Provo is a bubble and that people here are so ignorant about the real world, that this community we live in is so artificial. These people strive to go to the "real world" and be with "normal people."
Well I have a news flash: the real world ain't pretty and "normal people" are nowhere as cool as they think they are. Provo may not be a party place, but I've had more fun (in a more wholesome way, too) here with my friends than I ever had before at "real" parties back in France. I am so grateful to live here at this moment in my life where I can make friends who have the same beliefs as me and who help me to become better. Here in "the bubble" I have met outstanding minds and kindred spirits who have helped me stretch and become a bigger person. I have had more intellectual conversations with brilliant people, have been challenged by classmates who were my equals, and have made life-long friendships.
It is here in "happy valley" that I have met the man that I plan on spending the rest of eternity with, here that we developed a relationship in a healthy and uplifting environment.
It is here at BYU that I had the opportunity to see a prophet and shake an apostle's hand, here that I have learned from brilliant professors who have expanded my vision and inspired me to work harder. Here, in this wonderful university, I can study the fascinating field of Broadcast journalism in a program which, by the way, is one of the best in the nation.
Here, I get to be a part of the outstanding BYU Ballroom Dance Company, a performing group that brings fun as well as the spirit to audiences around the world. Provo is the only place in the world where ballroom dance can be practiced in a healthy environment.
Here, I have received precious professional experience by working in an excellent translation company that spans the globe, and I am still polishing my resume surrounded by wonderful coworkers. I get to go study on a beautifully landscaped campus nestled at the foot of majestic mountains, and I can study religion in the same classroom as I study biology in.
What is wrong with an environment where it is safe to go on long walks at night, where there are whole stakes of young adults who are seeking and preparing for marriage, that most sacred of covenants? What is wrong with a place where instead of going to nightclubs single adults meet to go serve or sing hymns? What is wrong with a place that has been so good to me?
Provo is my home for now, and I love it with all my heart. Not everyone here is perfect, and that is a fact no matter where you go, but I am determined to always defend it as one of the most wonderful places on earth.