time's getting away from meeeee

hello blogging world! sorry i've totally sucked this summer. whoops. so let's recap.

the week before Memorial Day, my sister & I visited my grandfather's in Nags Head.  this is a big deal since we don't typically get along very well. but we survived. the weather was great & it was wonderful to get some major sun before the pool opened.  the only negative were the flies - we went through an entire bottle of bugs spray in 2 days!

and then, the pool opened. hello, end of summer. i worked 43 hours the first week it was opened.  it was a little intense. plus, we had all of my kelsey's graduation festivities.  and by all, i mean all. it was a little crazy those couple of weeks.  we had family in for graduation, worked after-grad & then guarded all before leaving for a week in Disney. 

this was trip #7 to the happiest place on earth for us.  needless to say, it made me feel REAL old with all the little children running around.  but it was still fun, a little hot, but we did a lot.  i even rode some new rides! one would think that after 6 times, i would've ridden everything possible to ride, but i guess i'm getting a little more courageous as i've gotten older.  (slash, can be tricked into things easier...you should see the pic from me on Rockin' Rollercoaster....legit scared) 

we were back for a week - revolving around matt's baseball - before i got my wisdom teeth out yesterday.  not too bad at all since they weren't impacted.  no chipmunk cheek status, but i have a busted bottom lip that looks like i lost a fight. oh well, could be worse.

so basically, that's been the first month of summer. and it as definitely flown by.  ahhhh. hopefully i won't suck as badly the rest of the summer.

"palm trees, ocean breeze, salty air, sun-kissed hair. that endless summer take me there."

YAY YAY YAY. One word. SUMMER. Since my last exam was over last Wednesday around 2 & then I got grades this weekend, summer is the only thing I've thought about.  Meaning I've accomplished nothing really awe-inspiring in the last week.  Not that I've really needed to and I guess you can count unpacking & reading a few books as being somewhat productive, but not really.  So during all of this unproductiveness, I've come up with a some things I do want to achieve this summer. And lucky for you, I thought I'd share a few!

1. Choreograph a new Zumba song each week - this sounds easy enough, but fingers crossed, I'll actually do it.  I'm starting to get a little bored with the songs I'm already using, so hopefully I'll be able to create a few more to have in the fall.
2. Read more than 40 books - 40 was last summer's magic number, so of course, I have to top that.  I'm already three in in about 5 days, so I think this one is definitely achievable.  I also want to add a condition.  There are a ton of "classics" I haven't read, so I want to read at least one over every break.  Maybe become a little more educated.
3. Look at grad schools - this one's a little self-explanatory, but since I finished sophomore year, grad school is approaching too fast.
4. Learn a new recipe - my mom gets a lot of magazines during the year & they always have some recipe that looks really good, so I want to try out a few & name a favorite.  Maybe I'll even like one enough to cook for the house next year...


I have a few more, but I think I've bored y'all enough :) you'll definitely hear about my progress as the summer speeds by!

such a summer girl

four exams down...one to go. and the only thing on my mind is SUMMER! this could be a little problematic since the last exam will most likely be the hardest, but summer is going to be my motivation.

i cannot wait.

i don't wanna grow up

It's really hit me the last week or so that seniors are graduating. And I'm getting old.  I don't know if I'm more upset about the seniors leaving me or the growing old part.  Both aren't very desirable.  I know. Everybody has to grow up, move on, make a place for themselves in the world.  But I think this is why Peter Pan has always been my favorite Disney movie.  I'd prefer to not grow up.  I'm pretty sure I don't like change either, which comes with growing up.

Don't get me wrong. I can't wait until I have a classroom of my own, students to teach, and cute teacher clothes to wear.  But right now. On this day.  I don't want anyone to leave.  We had our last chapter of the year tonight.  Many seniors stood up to talk & proceeded to cry.  Which caused a significant portion of the chapter to cry.  I'm typically not emotional, but when other people do, I lose it.  Needless to say, tonight was a little rough.  I'm going to miss them all. Way too much.  But, the positive, is this makes room for the wonderful class of 2015 to enjoy all of the opportunities that Tech has to offer.  And that just makes it okay.  Along with the fact that I have two more years to make memories with some of the amazing people in my life. After I study for exams....

"I've heard that it's possible to grow up - I've just never met anyone who's actually done it.  Without parents to defy, we break the rules we make for ourselves.  We throw tantrums when things don't go our way, we whisper secrets with our best friends in the dark, we look for comfort where we can find it, and we hope - against all logic, against all experience.  Like children, we never give up hope."

my favorite things.

Nothing too exciting has been going on in this "blog-worthy" life with the stress of the end of the semester. But these past couple of days have had some of my all time favorite things.

1. Panera & a movie night.
Friday night after a quick stop-in at a slightly chilly Relay and a run in Panera, a night in to watch movies with a friend was perfect! Not that I made it too long through the movie, but 27 Dresses is one of the best ones out there and Panera's on the top 5 favorite restaurants, so an awesome start to my list.

2. FOOTBALL.
Yes, I know it was just a scrimmage. But it was the last one of spring practices, which means football season is close! I cannot describe how excited I am for this season. Saturday was made even better by the fact that my sister, a future Hokie, rode up to come to the game. We walked around campus for a while, but she's pretty familiar with Tech, considering she's basically been coming since birth.  I did take her to West End for lunch, where she was overwhelmed, but I'm sure she'll adjust quickly :). We meet up with some ADPis & got ready for some football!

3. Driving with the windows down. especially blaring country music.
Kels & I had a great drive back to Lynchburg after the game, blaring some country with the windows down. I don't typically listen to country, but it's definitely a summertime thing.  And summer's right around the corner!

4. Home-cooked food.
I love to cook & have a full kitchen this year so I definitely could, but that doesn't really happen. So I love the food my Mom cooks so a weekend full of good food is always a favorite.  And, with it being Easter, I got some of my grandmother's good food too!

5. History.
Yes, I am a nerd. I was able to attend the Panhellenic Council's Recognition dinner for Dr. Robertson, a Civil War professor here at Virginia Tech who is retiring at the end of the semester.  He has been in Blacksburg since 1967, teaching for 43 years! It was an incredible experience to sit across the table from the man who's class has been filled each semester.  Definitely my favorite class I've taken so far & I'm not sure any will surpass it.  This university will definitely miss him!

I think I'm all favorited out.  Hehehehe

how do you know?

I had an absolutely wonderful & very much needed relaxing weekend at home.  I got to go to la carreta, my all time favorite restaurant, AND see one of my brother's baseball games.  Even though they lost, it was great to see some of my high school friends who had also come home for the weekend.  It's kind of sad that I see these guys more at home than I do at school - even though they also go to Tech.  I'm totally fine with it, that's why I'm glad I picked such a big school, but these friends are the kind that never really left high school.  Both of them applied to Tech early decision our senior year & were ecstatic when they got in.  But now - one's dropped out and the other is transferring. Why? How can you go from being so excited and in to going to a place and then hate it? I, on the other hand, wasn't 100% sure about Virginia Tech. It was too big. Too close to home. Too many friends from high school went there. But now, I'm 100% sure I couldn't be anywhere else.  

This is all kind of hitting me this week.  It's high school spring break.  Also known as the busiest two weeks of the year to the Hokie Ambassadors. Today, over 1650 people went on tours. INSANE. And it was just day 1.  High school students from 10th graders, who are just getting started in their college searches, to seniors, who are down to the last two weeks before they have to decide.  And I'm somewhat responsible for the potentially 120ish [ahhhhhhhh] people I could give tours to during the next two weeks.  What I say could impact their decision.  Only a little bit of pressure.  I mean, I love Virginia Tech.  I love the campus, the community, the football team, the professors (at least, most of them), the drillfield....legit, could go on for days about everything I love about this place.  But I don't have days.  I have an hour to convince however many people that Tech is the place for them. Or maybe a place they could see themselves.  Definitely don't expect every single person coming on tours over these next few weeks to end up here - but I don't want to be the reason they don't.  So, needless to say, I will be brushing up on the dates, random facts, important facts, and thinking about every single reason why I love Virginia Tech so I can give the best possible, most convincing tours ever. And hopefully the Class of 2015 will learn to love Tech just as much.

the life of the one-handed

To say that this week has been difficult would be an understatement.  But difficult in a good sense.  It's made me look at all the things I take for granted. Like having the ability to type with two hands. (when you're bored one day, try typing something significantly long with one hand. takes forever). Or opening a car door. Or teaching Zumba. Blow drying my hair.  Very difficult to do with one hand.  It's also made me appreciate the other things I've been blessed with.  Like my friends who've been texting to check-up on me, offering to feed me and type up my papers to my roommates who've helped with opening ibuprofen, filling my water bottle, & pushing up sleeves to my mom who drove an hour & a half just to go to the doctor with me. As frustrated as this injury has made me, these things don't let me stay frustrated for too long.  I have too many things to be thankful for that I can't let a couple of broken bones & torn ligaments slow me down.  We'll just chalk this one down to another one of those trials that make you stronger.  And hopefully, I'll remember to appreciate all of these things more even when I get the use of my left hand back.  

p.s. sorry there's no deep, inspiring, thought provoking ideas this week. i've been a little distracted. 

 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.      

[james 1:2-4]

the art of falling.

If only I got paid for falling, being clumsy, or seriously injuring myself, I'd never EVER have to work again.  They say that dancers use all of their grace on stage.  If anyone epitomizes that, it'd be me.  My picture probably belongs in the dictionary beside the word "clumsy" or opposite the word "graceful" in the thesaurus.  One would think that after 13 years of dancing, I'd be able to walk. Yeah, I guess I missed that childhood lesson.  Pretty sure my parents have come to expect that when they get a phone call at a random time, it's probably because I've hurt myself.  And not just some little bruise.  But needing stitches from falling up stairs, totally scrapping up both legs from falling down stairs, and just straight falling walking into school resulting in X-Rays.  Totally my life.  Definitely don't do it on purpose.  The most recent injury has resulted in a hand swollen to a "hulk hand" as one of my roommates most aptly called it, also requiring me to type this one handed. Definitely not encouraging the whole typing a paper thing. Whoops. But like I said, it's typical. Maybe someday I'll learn to be graceful.  But that's unlikely.   

veroclassicalballet.com

my back-up plan.

It's a well-known fact that I make some pretty mean snickerdoodles.  I may or may not make them so often that I have the recipe memorized. Whoops. Who knows. Maybe knowing a cookie recipe on the spot will come in handy sometime. Or, it can just be the back-up plan.

If for some reason the whole teaching history thing doesn't work out, I'm fairly confident I could open a bakery (insert cute and adorable bakery name here) and sell snickerdoodles.  I mean, I'd probably have to expand my expertise a little.  But we all know the "Blanks chocolate chip cookie curse" could be my downfall, so maybe I'd just stick to what I know.  And I'd have to hire somebody to handle the business aspect of owning a bakery since I can barely handle college intro economics classes.  But that's what business majors are for.

Or maybe, I'll just save the snickerdoodle making for fun nights watching Say Yes to the Dress with friends, eating dough, planning our dream weddings, eating dough, designing our wedding dresses, eating the actual cookies, and then spending the rest of the night regretting the calories, but enjoying it all the same.

enjoying the "little things" in life

They call it the "sophomore slump." And that's definitely what it is.  a slump. Half of the time anybody asks me how I am, I respond that I'm dying. Which really isn't true, but this semester is a killer. It's the "I hate all of my classes" to the "No motivation to do anything related to school" to the "How far away is summer??" semester.  And I've decided that I"m tired of that. Yes, there's still a month left until summer, which means I still have finals, papers, and other stress causers between me, a good book, and the beach.  But as I sit here with an iced coffee from ABP, the sun shining outside, Itunes on shuffle, and amazing friends surrounding me, I've decided I'm going to get more enjoyment from those everyday things that make life wonderful.  Like enjoying a lunch with people who make you laugh harder than you've ever laughed before to taking advantage of a canceled class to be productive to going on a walk just because. In the big scheme of things, these aren't really significant.  But they're the little things that help you survive. The little things that make me excited for each new day.  The little things that add up so you can't stop smiling. Just loving the little things.  

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”

 - Robert Brault

making my life blog worthy.

My newest hobby (more like form of procrastination) has become blog stalking. legit blog stalking. And all that does is make me wish that my life was interesting enough to blog about. Well, it's not, but I'm going to do it anyway. If anything, I can make this my new procrastination.  And maybe, my life will magically become more exciting.

I could always do the journally type..."Today, I gave a tour." yipee. Everybody would be dying to read that. Or I could do the "look what exciting website/quote/picture/song I found today." Nope, don't really want to do that one either. Maybe I'll try to become super philosophical. I mean, that'd probably be humorous since I'm SO not that deep.

Maybe I should title this blog trial run. Because that's exactly what it's going to be.  See if I have anything intelligent, interesting, maybe even thought-provoking to say.  But we'll definitely keep the "Dear Diary" option open.