Pretending I Go to Yale

This weekend has been a dream. I got see my boy up at Yale!

I left early Friday morning (hello 3:30 am wake up call…) and watched him play football on Friday night. When I got to Yale, he came around the corner of Phelps Gate and my stomach was flip flopping! I was so stinkin’ excited to see him, you have no idea! I squeezed him so tight!

Saturday was spent with his family running around New Haven. We went apple picking which was definitely a first! I’ve never even seen an apple tree before. We walked around, picking apples off of trees, tasting them and then taking some home.  Even when it started raining, I was still grinning. It was such a north eastern fall thing to do… I loved it.

Later that night, we went to Pepe’s Pizza which is one of the best pizza places in the country. Google it – it’s seriously in every article about the best pizza places in America! Now I can scratch that off of my bucket list! It was a bit of a wait, but so worth it. I’ve never been so stuffed before. New Haven pizza is unreal! I dream of Yorkside pizza back home.

Today, John had practice, so I was left to explore Yale by myself. I love getting out on my own and walking around, exploring at my own pace. I stopped and got coffee, wandered in and out of stores and took a ton of pictures on campus (I’m such a tourist). I was even able to study for a bit in a library that looked like Hogwarts. I tried my best to blend in… I think people were catching onto me though as I had no idea where I was going and kept taking pictures of every building I walked by.

^ This was my view as I was studying in the library. UT, you're pretty and all, but...

Embarrassing story time: I locked myself out of John’s room at one point… without my phone, wallet or anything. I dropped my things off while he was in practice and left to go to the bathroom quickly. As soon as the door shut I realized what I had just done and may have said a curse word or two. I ended up knocking on doors, crying, begging people to let me borrow their phones. I finally got ahold of security and they told me there was nothing they could do for me since he had to be the one to contact them. I started crying since I had no way of reaching him. He wouldn’t even be able to get into the building, since he didn’t have his keys (they were in his locked room) or his wallet (it was in his locked room, in my purse).  After an hour of waiting and begging, security finally caved and came to help. Things never go smoothly when I’m around, but all is well now!   

Tonight, John and I are going out for one last date before I leave tomorrow morning! This trip has been nothing short of perfect (besides getting locked out, obviously). I’ve been relishing in the fall weather and have loved getting to wear some sweaters. And of course, being with John has been amazing. I miss him so much while we’re apart. Every time we get back together, I’m reminded of how much I love him. He really is the best.

Now it’s back to UT! As much as I love Yale, UT is my place. But, as long as John is at Yale, it will always hold a piece (a big piece) of my heart.

GOMO

I think we all have experienced that little thing called FOMO (fear of missing out). This new buzzword is the perfect way to explain the feeling of missing out (anyone else look at people's snapchat stories and get sad you aren't there?) To combat FOMO, Eventbrite, a ticket and event website to help you discover great events and create and sell your own tickets, has coined a great new term: GOMO (going out more often). So forget FOMO, here are just a few ways we can GOMO!

Whenever I'm feeling overwhelmed with schoolwork, coffee is the best pick me up. Treating myself to a latte always makes my day a little brighter. Living in a sorority house, I'm surrounded by people who are always doing fun, cool things. I hate being stuck in my room doing homework when I see other people having fun, so getting out and studying in a coffee shop makes me feel a little less lame!

It's fall, y'all!!! This weekend my roommate and I had to get out of the house and away from studying for a while. Everyone was at a music festival in Austin this weekend while we were stuck catching up on school stuff. Because we were feeling some major FOMO, we hopped in my car and drove to the cutest little pumpkin patch. Now our room is stocked with pumpkins on literally every shelf. 

This past week I saw The Lumineers and BØRNS. Y'ALL. IT WAS INCREDIBLE. When we got there, I was disappointed we were so far away from the stage. But, they totally made up for it. No matter what seat you were in, people were immersed in it. The Lumineers even came back to the lawn for part of the show - we were literally 10 feet from them. It was insane. One of the best concerts I've ever been to (but I say that about literally every concert...) This was the perfect way to get out and relax. The weather was perfect, the music was killer, and I loved getting away from campus for a while. It was just the type of going out that I needed. 

Now that the weather is cooling down (to 85 degrees instead of 100... but hey, I'll take it) I'm going to use this time to get rid of my FOMO. Let's all come together and make GOMO a thing - whether it be just getting out to grab a cup of coffee or going to a pumpkin patch, get out and have fun. Isn't that what life is all about?

Thank you Eventbrite!

Just Keep Walking

I do a lot of walking. Being a college student, that's just a given. Lately, walking has been more to me than just getting from here to there, from point A to point B. It's now a reminder to keep walking. Even when things are crazy busy, or you're homesick, or tired or not really sure how you'll get everything done and done well - keep walking. Walking gets you places. Stopping doesn't. 

That's what I'm doing with life. Walking. Walking through it and enjoying every single step. Things don't stop for me, I have to keep up with them. 

July & August

^ My sweet baby Riley!!

Goodness, it's been WAY too long since I sat down to blog. I miss writing! This past month has just been all sorts of crazy, I never got around to blogging. 

The end of the July proved to be super emotional for me. My amazing grandfather passed away. My gran, mom, sister and I were all there holding his hand. It was such a peaceful yet heartbreaking moment. I can't help but think about him everyday. He was absolutely incredible and I know that I was the luckiest granddaughter in the world to be his. 

I also went to the ER. I'm fine, everything's fine, I just had a really bad reaction to sunflower seeds. I'm allergic to them, but this one was especially bad. I won't go into the gory details, but I was alone in my car and ended up calling 911. I now have epipens so if that ever happens again, I give you permission to stab me with one!

^ My sweet boyfriend at the ER with me.. I love him so!

Also, just for the fun of it, here are some pics of me playing pokemon go with John. Yes, you read that correctly. I honestly think these are really funny... the only reason I tag along with him to play is so I can get pictures with the pokemon. Pokemon hunting honestly took up a big part of July for me.

At the beginning of August, I left to go back to school. I said my goodbyes and cried a lot, of course, but time here has been moving pretty quickly. I've already been here for over two weeks, which I don't feel like I have been at all. That's all thanks to the crazy thing that is sorority recruitment. I can't even explain how it works, you just have to be a part of it to understand it. But, I lost my voice, went to bed at literally 7:00 pm one night and met a lot of amazing girls if that tells you anything. There was one night in particular, after pref night, that I looked around at my sorority and felt pure joy. I know that is so cheesy, but we had all worked so hard that week and there we were at the end of it, dancing and taking pictures and grinning from ear to ear. I was so happy to be with my sisters and to celebrate with them. I am a part of a seriously life changing chapter. KD has grown so much and I have grown so much because of KD. I am infinitely proud of the chapter I am a member of and can't wait to see what KD has in store for me next. 

^ Three generations of quad pod living!!!

^ Quad pod forever

^ My sweet Anna!

Bid day was fun, let me tell you. Our new members ran home and lots of hugs and happy tears were had. It's so cool to see all these strangers run home to us, because pretty soon, they won't be strangers. They'll be my new best friends, our next KD council and one of them will be my grand little (!!!). That night we took lots of pictures, wore a lot of green and glitter and went out to celebrate. 

Right now, I'm sitting in my bed, drinking some coffee and mentally preparing myself for the craziness that is about to start. My first class today is at noon, and from there, there is no going back. I know that's super dramatic, but seriously, once class starts, it's tests and papers and reading and stress from there! But, I'm excited for it. I only have two years of school left which actually makes me sad. Learning and going to class has been such a fun part of my life, that it makes me sad to lose it one day. So here's to enjoying my last two years as a student before the real world takes over and I have to be an adult... scary. 

Dallas

I'm not even sure what to say in this post. I have so many words and so many feelings about our world today, but am not sure where to begin. I try and refrain from commenting on things I don't know much about. There are a lot of people that like to talk about things that they know nothing about in this world today. I struggle seeing that as I scroll through my newsfeed. I tend to just unfriend these people, attempting to shield myself from their words. 

I'm not sure where I fall on the scale when it comes to politics. I guess I lean a little more to one side, but I still think I fall into both parties. But, I do know that I am scared to admit which side I lean towards. I feel that if I were to be honest with my true feelings, I would be generalized as a type of person I most certainly am not. I think today we look at people as their stereotype. Whether that be the stereotype of their skin, the color of their hair, or where they go to school. People are grouped together as one type of person, when we are all distinct individuals. I have experienced that first hand as a white, blonde girl from a privileged town. People tend to not take my opinions seriously as they think my opinions are not my own, but that I learned them from my parents. I hesitate to comment on things and join in group discussions as I am afraid of being looked at superficially or stereotyped.

No one is free from prejudice. I hate that about our world. I grew up comfortable in my skin and comfortable around others, regardless of what they looked like or who they were. It kills me that as I get older, that is starting to shift. I see the prejudice people have towards others and even towards me. None of us are immune from it. And as much as we hate to admit, none of us are immune from stereotyping other people ourselves. What we must do is not respond with anger and violence, but with communication and understanding. 

I have lived in Dallas my entire life. I was born here and I will probably live my last days here. With so much violence in the world, and now in our own country, I had wondered out loud to my parent's just a few a weeks before last week's attacks, 'when is it going to be Dallas?' I knew that it would soon be our turn to face the violence - it was only a matter of time. Last Thursday, my prediction came true as I watched the horrific news live with my parents. 

I don't know what to say or do from here, but I know one thing. All lives matter. Black and blue. White. Pink. Purple. Red. Who cares. Lives are so precious and so short, why take them away senselessly? 

As I leave for another year of college in just under a month, I can't help but be fearful of what is to come. I'm scared something will happen in Austin. But, I will go back to school and love everyone around me. I will be accepting and understanding. I will remember that all lives matter. 

Sorry if this post was just a random mess of words to you - to be honest, it's a reflection of what's going on in my mind. Not much clarity, just a lot of confusion. 

Mind Musings

^ John and I went to a fun country concert a couple weeks ago. It was nice getting out and doing something besides being the couch potatoes we usually are ;)

1. Lately, I've been trying to eat much better than I usually do. During the school year, my diet consisted of carbs in the morning (bagels or biscuits or waffles, etc.), carbs for lunch (hello sandwich and chips!), and carbs for dinner. I'm lucky to have a quick metabolism, but I've been noticing all of those carbs catching up to me. So, I've been more conscious lately of what I've been putting into my body. Let me tell you - it's a struggle. Scrambled egg whites just don't have the same effect of pancakes. And syrup. And bacon.

2. Last week, I ran over a squirrel. It was one of the worst moments of my life (I'm so dramatic, I know). It happened literally 2 minutes into my drive to Dallas for work and I bawled basically the entire car ride. So now, I don't drive without looking for squirrels at all times. I know it was just a squirrel, but still. It was traumatizing. I will never understand people who purposely swerve to run over squirrels like it's game or something... high school boys, I'm looking at you.

3. I want to travel so badly!!! I have the travel bug again. Next summer, I want to go to NYC to intern. Fingers crossed that happens. It sounds incredible to be a New Yorker for a summer. I'm also dying to go to Europe again! On my list? Amsterdam, Barcelona and anywhere in Italy.

4. My summer is halfway over. What?! How did that happen? I just got back home! But, part of me is ready to go back to school. I thrive on being busy and having a routine. But, I know as soon as I get there I'll wish it was summer all over again. Cue my indecisiveness.

Sweet Summer

^ I've been getting to explore Dallas this summer and it's been so great! Makes me want to get out of my little suburban bubble more often! 

Summer is in full swing here, but summer is looking a tad different as I'm getting older. With an internship this summer, summer doesn't mean laying around around on the couch, with a day full of netflix watching anymore. Summer means getting in my car and driving to work! But I'm not complaining - I'm loving my internship! I'm learning and seeing a lot and it couldn't be better. 

Lately, I've been hanging with John and my family. What's new? It was storming for like, a straight week here in Dallas so I'm enjoying the sunny weather with lots of dog walks. 

^ So my flower obsession has hit a whole new level thanks to my internship... I'm ready to grow my own garden so I have flowers all of the time!!! Peonies, hydrangeas... all of the above!

^ I'm loving being home with my guy. Two more years of college and we'll be home together for good!