I'm feeling 22!

Long time, no talk, huh? It's been a long time (a really long time) since I last wrote here. I hate when I go too long without blogging - this is such a good outlet to write, I just wish I had more time!

John's birthday and my birthday last week call for a blog post. Honestly, it was one of my favorite weeks ever. John came to Austin to celebrate with his brother and I! It came right after my spring break, so I basically had a two week spring break... :) 

When we got to Austin on Monday, I took John to class with me - he sat in the library near my classroom. It was so nice being able to walk on campus with him. I often think about what it would be like to have my boyfriend with me here, just walking to class or doing other normal things together. We rarely get to do that, since our time together is usually cut short. I loved just being a normal college student walking with my boyfriend... I don't know if that makes any sense, but for a second, it didn't feel like we were doing long distance!

The next day was Johnny boy's TWENTY FIRST birthday!! I was determined to make it a good day for him! We started the day with a walk around Town Lake and a visit to Homeslice Pizza, one of John's faves (and mine too!). John ordered his first beer of the day there! We got to sit, eat pizza, and split a beer. Being 21 is fun!

Later that afternoon, we made a liquor store trip... hahah, but we needed some supplies for the night ahead! Then we met up with Andrew and laid by pool for a couple hours. I felt so relaxed, laying out and drinking margaritas from a can. It was a summer teaser, that's for sure! 

We went to dinner later that night with some sweet friends of mine. I love love love when I get to introduce my friends to John - he is such an important part of my life. If you know me, you should know John, too. They loved him, of course! John and I ordered a pitcher of margarita and somehow we drank it all... we were feeling good!

We then made it downtown for the classic 6th street night. It was his 21st birthday, so we had too! We went from bar to bar, getting free drinks for John's birthday! We were seriously having so much fun! John and I have never been out like that together, so it was hilarious drinking together and so, so special.

^ A Photo Booth strip from 6th street, haha!

The next day, I was 22 - my favorite number! My golden birthday! Mine and John's birthdays are only a day apart, but I am 364 days older than him... so we got to be the same age for a day, at least. We went and got a yummy breakfast and then went to a favorite store of mine for a birthday gift! Then, we laid by the pool again and chilled. It was a super laid back birthday, just how I wanted it! That night we went to one of my new favorite restaurants with his brother and a couple of really good friends. It was a sausage and beer place (perfect for John) and had such a cool vibe. It had so many types of beer, I had no idea what to order. I am not a beer drinker, so I asked the waitress for something that I would actually like. She brought me the best beer I've ever had - I told her I liked margaritas, so she brought me a sweet beer that I absolutely loved! I have feeling the next time John is in town, we'll be visiting this place again. We ended the night with some Amy's ice cream, because why not?

The day John left Austin, I was a wreck. I don't know why, but I was already crying by 10:00 a.m. Saying goodbye to him is the absolute worst - my stomach drops just thinking about it. We went to Homeslice (again) and made one last dessert trip for bananarchy, another one of our favorites. Spending all day with him for three days was perfect. I felt so spoiled getting John all to myself! He is my best friend and one of my favorite people... I wish I could have him with me all the time! Till May, Johnny boy!

I am so, so thankful for all the birthday wishes and love. My friends made me feel so special, with their hugs, texts, gifts, cards and flowers. I truly am surrounded by some of the most caring people. Thank you Kappa Delta for putting them in my life! Here's to 22!!!

Coffee Talk with John

^ His & Her's snow boots... and Riley 

I loooove a good coffee shop. If you know me at all, you know coffee shops are like heaven on earth to me. But John on the other hand - he's not a huge fan. So today, I finally dragged him along with me to a Starbucks. It's been snowing here all day (which is crazy) and the Starbucks we are in is like, literally 30 degrees. It's as cold in here as it is outside. My hands are ice as I'm typing this, so I apologize for any typos. So I'm not too happy that John is finally in one of my favorite places and it's pretty miserable .

John is working on school stuff while I don't really have anything to work on, expect my blog and my peppermint mocha latte. So, to make things better, I've decided to ask John a few questions. 

What is your all-time favorite movie? "All time favorite? Hm. I Am Legend. Starring Will Smith. Because it's a great story of a courageous man finding himself... it's really cool because of zombies and action and stuff... but it's also kind of spiritual and it has a lot of reggae music. It has a weird but good message. It's pretty intense. At one point, I thought Will Smith was the best actor."

What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you? "I love my girlfriend" - him "People would be surprised to know that??? I'm offended." - me "Okay never mind. People would be surprised to know about the brain behind the brawn. I am a nerd. Just looking at me you wouldn't know it... but I'm the geekiest guy. Sometimes I think Madison doesn't even know that." *editor's note: I do know that.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? "Anywhere with you. Okay, actually I feel like living near a beach would be the most relaxing... life is so simple in a beach town. You can only work at the gas station or at the grocery store. I'd like to own the gas station."

What do you love most about me? "I love... I don't know, you're really fun and love to do things. You come up with fun things to do. Naturally, I'm a very sedated person... I don't venture outside the confines out of my house very often. But, you make me do fun things."

What do you like most Yale? "I want to say the people, but I don't like a lot of the people there as well. It's cool to be with people with such varying backgrounds, but the longer I've been there, the more I realize the people are all the same... It's annoying." *I then reminded him of the question* "Okay, it's really easy to have intellectual conversations. You can argue a point, expect about politics, without people getting super offended."

New Year, New Me?

I guess it's that time of year again - time for some New Year's Resolutions. I've never been very good at them... actually I'm horrible at keeping them. But, it never hurts to try right? I have some resolutions, not just for 2017, but for my life in general. Resolutions to add positivity and happiness and better health to my life!

2016 was wonderful to me, as every year is. Life seems to exhausting and way too hard sometimes, but when I look back, I see how immensely blessed I am. That's not to say I had 2016 didn't have it's challenges - I said goodbye to my Grandpa which absolutely broke my heart. Anything else "bad" that happened this year seems so small in comparison. Life is funny like that - things that seem so important and horrible are forgotten as time goes on. Good things that happened  consisted of my family or friends or my Johnny boy. Too many happy things happened to simply list here. 

I'm excited for 2017 and what it will bring.  It's a humbling feeling sitting here thinking about the next year and not having any clue as to what will happen. What will I be doing this time next year? What will I feel? Who will I be with? I love this crazy mystery that is my life.

Some resolutions: 1. Be more present. Put my phone down more. Look around. 2. Don't freak out so much... recognize that things are out of my control. 3. Be there for anyone who needs someone. Love and help them. 4. WORK OUT!!! 5. Read more books. Just for fun. 6. Respond to people. Text, email, call them back, whatever. 7. Eat more fruits and veggies. 8. Stop being selfish - put other people before me. 9. Get outside more! 10. Spread more joy. As a pessimist... be positive!!!

Christmas on the Beach (just kidding - kind of)

^ Matching with my favorite girlies!

If you know me at all, you know that Christmas is my jam. I wait all year long for this special time and when it's here, it goes by waaaay too fast! I started listening to Christmas music in November and even that isn't long enough to enjoy it. I think I may have been a North Pole elf in a past life. 

^ Walking in a weiner wonderland!

On Christmas Eve morning, John and I stuck with our tradition of going to Local Diner for breakfast. After some chocolate chip pancakes and a lot of coffee, I went home to finish up some wrapping. The weather here has been so warm and it was about 75 degrees on Christmas Eve (don't even get me started on the 80 degree Christmas Day weather...) so it didn't feel like Christmas at all! I tried to get into the spirit, but it proved to be really difficult! When your wearing shorts and a t-shirt on Christmas Eve, it's hard to feel very festive. John joked that we were spending Christmas on the beach... we might as well have!

For the first time, John got to tag along to my family's Christmas Eve. After 6 Christmases together, I'm so glad he finally got to come! I love getting to share him with my family. We played some games and exchanged white elephant presents, which was hilarious, per usual. We ate a lot of mexican food too, so that's always a plus!

Christmas morning consisted of opening presents, eating brunch and then taking a nap. As I get older, it feels less and less like Christmas every year. But, Christmas time is magical and it always will be.

^ My sweet, pooped puppies on Christmas morning.

^ Merry Christmas from John and I!

^ And just for funsies, here's a pic of the flowers John sent me for our 5 year (5 years?!) anniversary! He knows I love Christmas and sent me a Christmas bouquet he said! 

Thankful Thoughts

^ It's always hard taking pictures with him... at least he's cute?

Every year around this time I realize how much I have to thankful for. It's an infinite list of wonderful things that makes me believe I'm the luckiest girl in the world. I am surrounded by the most loving and supportive family, loved by a kind and patient boy, a student at the greatest university in the world and cherished by sweet friends just to name a few. 

As thankful as I am for the incredible gifts in my life, I'm also thankful for the lessons I've learned. I'm learning to be more patient, understanding and forgiving. I'm learning to work hard for myself. I'm learning how to be a good friend and daughter. I'm learning so much every single day. 

Something about winter makes me so jittery and excited - I can't help but do a happy dance when I think about this time of year. Something about the cold and twinkly lights and memories truly makes it the happiest time of the year. I have a lot to be thankful for - the season being one of them.

This year's Thanksgiving was casual and comfortable. Just a few members of my family got together for some good food and conversation. Later that night, we decorated our tree and watched a movie (Bad Moms... raunchy, but hilarious to say the least). I ate a lot of pumpkin pie leftovers which is never a bad thing. Then today, my grandma put together another Thanksgiving for us! I will never argue against two Thanksgiving dinners!

Yesterday, John and I had a day to ourselves which was much needed! We cooked dinner and watched Gilmore Girls. Not to spoil anything, but I'm actually really upset about the way Gilmore Girls ended. After being an avid fan for years, it was not the ending I wanted... I'm obviously really passionate about Gilmore Girls - maybe a little too much?

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas! It truly is the best time of the year. Go eat a candy cane, listen to some Christmas music and hug your loved ones!!

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!