Reflecting on 2014.....

Blogging used to be something I really liked to do. Then life got in the way, I became way too busy, and suddenly blogging was no longer a priority.

And I honestly don't miss it as much I thought I would. I'm not planning on picking this up regularly like I used to either. I no longer feel the need to write about what I did last week or what kind of books I'm currently reading. But as 2014 is rapidly coming to a close, I've had too many thoughts that I just needed to write down somewhere.

2014 was an interesting year. I changed this year. Like, a lot. I'm not the same person I was at the beginning of 2014.

Sure, certain aspects of my personality remain the same and my faith/beliefs haven't changed much over the year, but the direction of my life has changed.

I started out this year with a lot of unanswered questions. There were a lot of things that I would "cross that bridge when I got there." In other words, I didn't have a lot of things figured out, but I assumed that I would deal with them later.

And now it's the end of 2014, and I've never been more happy or sure of my life before. I came into this year feeling like I was in the middle of a busy train station with a very vague idea of where I wanted to go but no idea how to get there. And now I feel as though I am on the right train, full speed ahead. The pieces of my life have really started falling into place this year, and that's why this has been such a year of change.

One of the biggest things that has changed for me during 2014 has been my attitude towards change. I used to hate change. I put up a fit when my family decided to go to a difference mass time on Christmas Eve a few years ago ;) I kind of hated graduating high school and having to say goodbye to that period of my life.

And although I still would not say I have totally mastered accepting change, I'm gotten way better at it.

I changed my major this year. I started off in finance, but was never passionate about it. I don't really care about annuities and perpetuities or the stock market. I switched to Operations Management and have found that I actually enjoy it. I took my first OM class this past semester and was so relieved that I found the class extremely interesting and that the material came naturally to me. Do I know exactly what I want to do with OM yet? Nope. But I can feel that I'm in the right major, and that's one of the best feelings ever.

It's also funny how quickly your mind can completely change its outlook on certain things.

When I started college, I wasn't totally set on my major. I didn't know what organizations I wanted to be involved in. I wasn't sure which study abroad options I wanted to do. But the one thing I was sure of? I would be living at home all 4 years of college.

I laughed at the idea of "the college experience". My high school friends would talk about finding roommates and buying things for their room. I would see pictures of them moving into the dorms, and I was never felt even a teeny bit jealous. I never wanted that - any of that. I live close to campus, so why on earth would I need to pay a bunch of money to live on campus or within walking distance?

I joined a sorority with a 1 year live-in requirement. But being the numbers person I am, I knew that there would be more girls in my pledge class alone that spots in the house, so I assumed that there would be a way (if the house filled up on its own) that I would not have to live there. It was one of those things that I figured I would deal with later, but that I might be able to get by without actually living in the house.

And now I'm moving on campus into the Kappa Delta house in less than 2 weeks. As I'm writing this, I am actually laughing at myself and how I've done a complete 180 degree turn.

I can't pinpoint a moment when my mind changed either. I guess it was kind of a gradual thing. It started at the beginning of the semester when we had our Spirit Week, and I had to be up on campus every day preparing for recruitment. Then we actually had recruitment, and I felt like I lived at the house anyway with the amount of time I had to spend there.

I was Assistant VP-Finance and was over at the house helping with things for that. I got a lot closer to girls who lived in the house. I spent time there crafting for my little. And then going home every night became inconvenient. I would be at the KD house until 11 or 12 at night, and I hated the fact that I had to drive home just to go to sleep, wake up, and drive back to campus early the next morning.

Over the course of the semester, I got more and more involved in Kappa Delta, which meant I was spending more and more time there. Fairly early in the semester, I made up my mind that I would be running for VP-Finance. I was already the assistant and felt like this was going to be my way of taking on a large leadership role in chapter. Council members are elected at the end of fall semester for the following calendar year and are required to live in the house for the following school year. However, I decided that if I would be elected as VP-Finance, I would want to live in the house starting in January.

I knew that being on council requires an even greater time commitment to Kappa Delta, and I was already at the point where I was tired of driving home every night just to sleep. So I emailed the woman in charge of housing and was told that I would be on a waiting list if a spot opened up. For weeks, I was nervous that I would end up not getting in.

There was one week where I spent the night at the house 3 nights in a row, and I remember driving home thinking how much I wished I could just live there already. It was so weird because a few months before that, I had never wanted to live anywhere but at my house.

The day I got an email saying that a spot had opened up for me was one of the weirdest days. I was so happy, but it was still strange to me that it was something I wanted so badly.

Now don't get me wrong, living at home and commuting was great.....my freshman year. I do not regret it AT ALL. In fact, if I had to do my freshman year of college all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. But this year has just been different because I was always at school anyway. Fifteen hour school days were not uncommon - they probably happened at least twice a week or more towards the end of the semester. I felt like I never even saw my family anyway because I would often come home after they had gone to bed.

And I did end up becoming VP-Finance. Which even that is something I laugh about because I never used to see myself as a leader, and now I'm in charge of the finances for an organization of 130 women that pay substantial dues every semester ;)

So in 2014 I changed my major, took on a major leadership role in Kappa Delta, and made the decision to move out of my house for the first time.

But it wasn't all just big changes - I also traveled to Charleston, Montreal. Alaska, Georgia, and New York City.

I made a lot of real friends. The type of friends who you always lose track of time when you're together, who you can laugh with over movies, but who will also really listen when you have a problem.

This year was truly great.

But I'm more excited for 2015 than I ever have about any other year. 2015 is going to involve some pretty big changes as well and it will be a very different year, but I am so ready it hurts.

2015.....I can't wait to see what you have in store......

It Did.

I find that I tend to draw a lot of post inspiration from songs I listen to, especially songs by Brad Paisley. He always seems to write songs that are so real, and I love that about listening to his music.

A few weeks ago I was shuffling through my songs on my iPod and came across Brad Paisley's "It Did". It was in my music library, but I had never heard it before. And I loved it. If you've never heard the song, I strongly recommend going here and listening to it!

My favorite part of the song is these lyrics:

And I said to myself

It doesn't get better than this.

No, it doesn't get better than this.

And it did.

It did.

Just when I start thinkin' it's as good as it can get,
This crazy life does something just to let me know
I haven't seen anything yet.

There have been so many times in my life that I've thought the exact same thing.

When I was graduating grade school, I thought I was at a high point. I had a big group of friends that always got together on the weekend, and I thought that it wouldn't get better than that. And it did.

I went to a fabulous high school and made so many memories with my grade school friends, but I also met a lot of new people. This time last year I was super sad because once again, I thought to myself that surely something so great and wonderful couldn't possibly happen to me again. I couldn't get that lucky. It wouldn't get any better than that. And it did.

Now I'm in college, and I love where I'm at in life. Things are crazy and uncertain, but I love college. I've made new friends and gone out of the country, and my first year has been so much fun. A small part of me thinks, once again, that college is it - the time in life where it won't get any better than this. But another part of me thinks that if the past is any indication of the future, then it will.

There are still so many more things ahead of me that I know will make my life so much better.

And I'm excited for a lifetime of more it did moments :)

Down the Road

When I was younger, one of my favorite games to play with my friends was called Chattitude. I can remember playing it at lots of slumber parties. The whole idea behind the game was that when it was your turn you selected a card from 1 of 4 categories, read one of the questions out loud, secretly punched your answer into a little electronic device, and then passed the device around while your friends had to try and guess which answer you had chosen. The person that got the most guesses correct won.

One of the question categories was called "Down the Road" and all of the questions were things about the future.

Looking back now, some of the questions seem funny, like.....

I wish I were old enough to: A) wear my mother's shoes, B) reach the top shelf in my closet, C) buy clothes in the Junior Department.

And there are plenty of other silly ones.

I came across the game recently and was looking through the "Down the Road" questions, and I couldn't help but feel a little weird about how almost all of the questions about the future are now things that have happened in my past.

Like the question....

If I could look into a crystal ball and see myself on a special day, I'd pick: A) the day I go to the prom, B) the day I graduate from high school, C) the day I leave for college.

Prom? High school graduation? College? Those all seemed so far in the future when I was playing Chattitude in the 4th grade, but now I lived through all of those events.

I can't help but wonder a little bit about how I answered some of these questions in 4th grade. It's funny how I bet some of the answers wouldn't have changed, like this question.....

If I had to start deciding on a college now, I'd probably: A) go where my mom or dad went, B) go somewhere near home, C) go anywhere that sounds cool.

I would bet that if I had answered that question 10 years ago, I would have picked "A) go where my mom or dad went" and that's exactly what happened - I now go to the college where my mom and dad went.

I feel like when you're young, you spend a lot of time thinking about what life is going to be like when you're older. Where do you think you'll go to college at? What career do you want to pursue? What city do you want to live in?

It's interesting to me that some of the things I envisioned for myself 10 years ago are actually things that either have happened or are happening.

But far more often are the times when you do things that you never would have envisioned for yourself.

As my first year of college is rapidly coming to an end (so crazy - I only have 16 days of class left!), I've been doing a lot of thinking over the past year and how a lot of things have changed.

In the past year, I have done so many things that I never would have thought were possible 10 years ago, let alone only a few years ago.

I couldn't help but be amazed when I was flipping through the "Down the Road" cards when I came across this question:

If I worked in a bakery I'd specialize in: A) filling jelly donuts, B) making cream puffs, C) decorating wedding cakes.

When I played this game in 4th grade, I probably would have skipped over this question because I would have thought it was stupid. Never in a million years would I ever do anything with baking.

And yet, last May, I baked, designed, and decorated a wedding cake for my high school's Senior Project.

I never would have I thought that I would be able to do something like that. Ten years ago I didn't even know yet that I liked or was good at baking.

Even since starting college there have been so many things that I've done that I never thought I would have been able to accomplish.

The fact that my favorite class was my speech class and that I was voted by my classmates as one of the top 3 presenters for both of my speeches? I never thought that I was good at getting up in front of a group of people and giving a speech, but I'm better at it than I ever thought.

And my SWOT presentation in front of a large classroom of people including influential P&G executives? I could never do something like that - or so I thought. And then I did it.

Another "Down the Road" question that I found was this:

When I go to college I want to: A) join a sorority, B) make the Dean's List (honor roll), C) live in an all-girl dorm.

Ten years ago I probably would have said "B) make the Dean's List (honor roll)". And I did make the Dean's List my first semester. I never would have thought about joining a sorority though.

But I did. And I joined a sorority where I knew absolutely no one in it. I don't usually like to join groups without at least knowing someone going in. When I got my Bid from Kappa Delta and ran down the hill to the girls in my sorority, I didn't know a single one, and it was a little scary. I met people though and made friendships. I also took on two leadership positions this semester, yet another thing I wouldn't have envisioned this time last year.

If nothing else, college has taught me the importance of trying new things. More importantly though, it's showed me that I'll be able to accomplish more things in the future than I think are possible right now.

I can't even begin to imagine all of things I'll do over the next several years and beyond, but even if I don't think I could do it today doesn't mean I won't be able to do it tomorrow.

I've also learned that the things that have seemed to be the hardest and scariest turn out to be the things you're most proud of.

Just like when I was in 4th grade and sat around playing Chattitude with my friends, I can't try to guess at what my life will be like another 10 years down the road, but I'm excited for the possibility of accomplishing things I don't even think are possible now.

The Little Things

Every morning I wake up two hours before I have to be at school. I like being able to sit down and eat breakfast without immediately rushing out the door.

I've got my routine timed pretty perfect to where I'm always ready to leave an hour after my alarm goes off.

It usually only takes me around a half an hour with traffic to get to school, but I always like to give myself plenty of time just in case. That also gives me some time to get to class and read some e-mails or do some last minute studying before class.

But one of my favorite things is the drive there and back. Don't get me wrong - most of the time I absolutely despise the rush hour traffic, but I truly do enjoy commuting.

I say that to people, and I don't think anyone really understands it. Most of my friends I go to school with are shocked that I commute, let alone that I like doing it. Sometimes people can't believe that I drive half an hour each way, but it's really not bad at all.

I've always loved driving, especially on nice days. There's absolutely nothing better than driving with the windows down and some good music cranked up.

One of my favorite things about driving to college though is the view of the city I get to see each day. I have to drive over a viaduct to get to campus, and it always gives a perfect view of downtown. Most of the time the sun is rising as I drive across and the sky paints a gorgeous backdrop of the city.

I see it every day, but every time I still have to steal a couple glances at the city as I drive by. A lot of times my breath catches in my throat because I can't get over how lucky I am to live here.

So even though sometimes I'm about ready to pull my hair out because of the traffic, the view of the city from the viaduct always calms me down and puts me in a better mood to start the day, especially if it's a particularly pretty sunrise.

{This is a view of the city at sunset from the viaduct that I took last fall (not while I was driving!), and it doesn't even do it any justice of what the sky looks like when the sun is peaking up over the buildings.}

The view is just one of the little things in life that make it worth living, and I'm thankful for simple things like colorful sunrises and even more vibrant cities to call home.

2014.

Happy 2014!

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I'm not one to do New Years Resolutions. However, this year I'm thinking of doing something a little different. This afternoon I may go through my planner and write in a little goal for each week. Even if it's something simple like take a walk at the park, text a friend I haven't heard from in a while, or set aside more time that week to pray. I think I would actually be able to stick to goals like that, but I feel like they would still enrich my 2014 year!

I'm also still planning on doing my Project 365 in 2014 where you take a picture every single day of the year. I've done it the past 2 years now and still just love doing it.

I also downloaded an interesting app yesterday called 1 Second Everyday where you take a 1 second video each day and then you can make them into a video at the end of the month or the end of the year. I want to at least give that a shot too.

I saw this on Pinterest, and I think these goals are pretty neat. I want to incorporate some of them into my weekly goals this year.

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I'm so excited for 2014. I don't know if I've ever been this excited about a year before!

Here are some of my predictions/things I'm looking forward to in 2014.....

I'm traveling to South Carolina very soon. My friend goes to school there, so I'm going to visit Clemson before we take a little trip over to Charleston for a few days. I am predicting that we will have so much fun. I mean seeing the beach in winter? I can't think of any other way to start off my 2014!

I'll finish my second semester of college in April. It's so crazy to think how fast college is flying by already. I hope to continue to do well in school, and I'm also hoping to get more involved in my sorority!

I'm taking a study abroad class this upcoming semester, which means that I'll end my first year of college with a trip to Montreal with my KBS freshman class (which are the people I have pretty much all of my classes with). I'm so excited for it.

I'll turn 19 in May. I feel like 19 is such a dumb age, but I don't want to rush through being 19 either. It's just crazy to think that this is my last full year of being a teenager before I'm in my 20s. Yikes! I'm anticipating a very low-key birthday, as most of mine are. I'll be out of school, so my college friends will be heading home, but a lot of my high school friends will just be starting to come home around then, so a nice dinner out with my family is what I'm anticipating.

I'm hoping to continue to grow my baking business this year. I'm contemplating starting a little website/Facebook page for it this summer :)

My family is taking what I predict to be the best vacation of my life this summer when we travel to Alaska. It won't be our traditional sun and sand vacation, but I am looking forward to it like you wouldn't believe. We've been planning it forever, so I'm excited that the year is finally here!

My cousin is getting married in Georgia this summer, which means another trip. 2014 is going to be the year of vacations, and I am absolutely ecstatic about that.

I'll start my second year of college in the fall. I don't know what that will hold for me, but I'm excited nonetheless. One of my predictions for this year is that I will change my major. I know I want to do business, but I don't think I've quite found my niche within it yet. I'm hoping I find it this year!

Overall, I'm super excited about all the holidays, vacations, celebrations, shopping trips, and time spent with family and friends that lie ahead in 2014.

I'm hoping to be a better person this year and further deepen my faith as well.

I'm happy that I have lived to see another year. I love the fresh start that a new year brings. I have so many fun things planned this year, but I also can't wait to see all of the unexpected things that happen as well.

I hope you all have the best year yet!

2013.

Two thousand and thirteen.

A year of change.

A year of new experiences.

And, quite possibly, the biggest year of my life so far.

I think that when I'm older and look back on my life, 2013 will be a year that stands out. It will be a year that won't be quickly forgotten.

Sometimes I find that as you grow older, the years start to blur together. Questions like "What year did we take that trip?" and "What year did that happen?" aren't uncommon. But then there are the years that you center things upon, and 2013 will be one of those years for me.

So like I've done for the past three years (2010, 2011, and 2012), on this last day of 2013 I'm doing a little recap of some of the best things that happened this year.

I made a super short video of pictures from this year that I thought you might want to see!

In 2013......

I had my last Father/Daughter Dance.

I made homemade French macarons, something I've always wanted to do.

I decided officially where I would be attending college.

I ate Rita's several times!

I celebrated Easter with my family.

I started an awesome new job in the Registrar's Office on campus.

I went to my Senior prom!

I celebrated my 18th birthday.

I took my last AP test ever. Wahooo!

I designed, baked, and decorated a 3-tiered wedding cake all by myself. That was one of the prouder moments of 2013 my life.

I spent the last day of high school on the roof :)

I spent a lot of time being sad about my high school graduation.

I graduated high school.

I took a senior trip with my friend Danielle to Savannah and Tybee Island (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), where we ate some of the best ice cream....

....met Paula Deen.....

....and enjoyed Paula's Southern buffet!

I celebrated my graduation with a party in June (Part 1, Part 2).

I vacationed in the Dominican Republic (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4)!

I got to see the Jonas Brothers in concert one last time.

I spent a lot of time downtown.

I said goodbye {temporarily!} to friends leaving for college.

I made princess cake pops along with so many others!

My family went to Steak & Shake at 2 AM for shakes - ha!

I officially started college at the University of Cincinnati.

I joined Kappa Delta sorority.

I got to enjoy Moerlein's blueberry cobbler several times throughout the year!

I met the Pioneer Woman for a second time.

I enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family.

I baked Minnie Mouse cake pops for my goddaughter's second birthday!

I gave part of a presentation on our SWOT semester-long project and then celebrated finishing it with a trip to the Cheesecake Factory with some friends!

I made about a bazillion Christmas cake pops. And I loved every minute of it.

I celebrated the birth of Christ with my family for what was an awesome Christmas (Part 1, Part 2).

Some other things that happened in 2013.....

I read 18 books.

I wrote 170 blog posts.

I flew on an airplane twice (both in the month of June!).

I traveled out of the country.

I sold approximately 275 cake pops.

But most importantly, I grew in my faith, spent a lot of time with my family, and made a lot of new friends!

..............................

At the beginning of this year I made predictions as to what I thought this year would hold. It's funny to look back on them now. I didn't know that I would go to Savannah on a Senior trip or vacation in the Dominican Republic. I didn't know that I would get a job working on campus. I didn't know that I would be accepted into KBS or that I would join a sorority.

Going into this year I was scared. I was afraid because so many things were unknown. I was afraid to leave high school behind and start college.

I think back to my life 365 days ago. So much has changed but so much has stayed the same too.

2013 was a crazy whirlwind of a year, but I am so incredibly thankful for it. I did things this year that I never thought I would. I stepped out of my comfort zone at times, and I survived.

2013 was one of the most emotional, difficult, and stressful years of my life, and yet looking back, I can't help but only see the good.

It was also one of the best years of my life. In fact, arguably, the BEST.

And now, 365 days later, the year that I dreaded, the year that I feared, is also the year that I am sad to see go.

I hope you all have a great New Years Eve ringing in the new year with people you love.

"That's what New Years is all about, getting another chance. A chance to forgive, to do better, to do more, to give more, to love more, and to stop worrying about what if, and start embracing what will be. So when that ball drops at midnight, and it will drop, let's remember to be nice to each other, kind to each other, and not just tonight, but all year long."

Now I'm just so excited about 2014 and everything it has to offer, but more on that tomorrow......

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving! It's hard to believe it's already here, isn't it?

This day always makes me take a step back and think about the things I'm thankful for.

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A lot of things come to mind. I'm thankful for my house, my car.......

But those are just material things, and although I am thankful for them, I'm even more thankful for the irreplaceable things.

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This year, I'm thankful for the relationships in my life.

For my family.

For my old friends.

For the new friends I've met since starting college.

I'm just so thankful for all of the blessings God has given me!

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365 Days Later

Exactly one year ago today (October 17th) I went on my "official" tour of UC's campus (you can read more about my first visit here).

It was pretty much on that day that I truly realized I wanted to be a UC bearcat. I had always assumed I would go to UC because growing up I wasn't really exposed to that many other colleges since both my parents went to UC. That's why I was relieved that when I visited, I actually liked it as much (if not more) than I had hoped I would.

I walked away that day knowing that if everything worked out the way I thought it would, I would be attending the University of Cincinnati.

Obviously, it did work out.

However, even just 365 days ago, I didn't know exactly what my UC education would look like.

If I'm being honest, it's so much better than I ever could have planned.

This time last year, I didn't have my job on campus that has given me the chance to learn new skills and meet some great co-workers.

This time last year, I didn't know I would get accepted into KBS (heck, this time last year I had barely even heard of KBS), a program that has shaped and will continue to shape my college career more than I ever would have hoped for. It has already deeply enriched my college experience.

This time last year, I hadn't met, let alone even heard of, the incredibly sweet people I have come to known and call friends over these past few months.

This time last year, I didn't know such things as business fraternities existed, and now I'm pledging one.

This time last year, I hadn't truly given thought to the sorority life, and once again, now I'm pledging one.

These past 365 days have truly impacted my life and my future. The doors that have been opened for me since starting college are incredible.

Sometimes it's crazy for me to take a step back and see the transformations that have taken place just in one year.

I'm so incredibly thankful for this past year even if it was filled with some really hard moments, like having to say goodbye to high school teachers and friends.

Life seems to have a way of presenting exactly what you need when you're feeling sad though, I've come to learn.

I can't wait to see what the next 365 days have in store for me.....

Drive Down Memory Lane

Friday was a really good day. Two of my three classes were cancelled, so I didn't have to be at school until 11:15, and that class was even done early, so I was only in class for about 40 minutes on Friday. Yes!

I ate a quick lunch and then headed to work for a few hours. After I was done with work, I stopped over at Altar'd State, which is one of the cutest stores ever, to pick up a scarf I saw earlier. Last week was a super hectic week (lots of meetings and a big economics test), so I thought I deserved a little treat :) And what better treat than a cute new chevron infinity scarf (my first infinity scarf too!)?

A new Starbucks opened over that way too, so I stopped in for a frapuccino. It was a pretty perfect afternoon!

It was a gorgeous and sunny afternoon, so I was driving with the windows down and the music up. It felt good to be able to completely relax after such a crazy week.

I started driving home and decided to go home a different way for a little change of scenery and since I had some extra time because my last class had been cancelled.

I ended up driving by my high school, and before I knew it, I was driving past the garage and heading back down the streets I always used to drive after school.

My junior and senior years of high school I babysat every day after school. So I would just drive straight to their house after school.

It was a drive that I had done hundreds of times over the years, but I hadn't done it since the middle of May.

It's funny how a drive can bring back so many memories. I got a little sad driving by my high school and turning down those familiar streets that seemed so familiar, but yet so far away.

Nothing and everything has changed.

Does that make any sense? I feel like college has changed everything. High school seems like so long ago. And yet, I drove by and saw that my calculus teacher's car was still parked in the same spot. I still drove the same streets.

My hands could practically guide my car without any thought as I had made that drive so many times. It got to the point where I would pass certain landmarks at pretty much the same time each day. It was almost weird to be doing it again.

I drove past the school where I kids I used to babysit go to school. As I turned onto the street, I saw familiar kids walking on the sidewalks.

Kids that I don't actually know, but that I had seen everyday last year as I waited outside on the other side of the crosswalk.

It's weird how life goes on the same way even when you aren't there anymore.

Life can change so much in such a short period of time. I mean, it was just five months ago that I was waiting outside of that school everyday to pick the kids up.

A part of me misses it.

As I drove by the school, so many memories flooded back to me.

I couldn't help but smile though at the memories. I'm happy that I had that part of my life, even if that chapter is over.

I'm also thankful that I have the opportunity to take that drive down memory lane whenever I feel the need to.

Friday morning, I had spent the day spending time with classmates I didn't know five months ago, working at a job I didn't have five months ago, and chatting with professors I didn't know five months ago. Then in the afternoon, I was still able to take that familiar drive down memory lane and see the places and people I did know five months ago.

Nostalgia.

I feel like I have had a lot of time to think lately. I find my mind just wandering a lot about a bunch of different things.

But lately my mind has been guiding me towards thoughts of the past a lot.

And I've been feeling pretty nostalgic about it.

I have been thinking a LOT about high school and the steadily approaching college situation.

I feel like it's finally starting to sink in that I'm completely 100% done with high school. I'm never going back. I find myself reminiscing about high school stuff. I think about the teachers I may never see again. I smile a bit when I remember the way we used to joke around in so many of my classes. And then I start to get sad when I am reminded of all the incredibly sweet people who came into my life in the past four years.

It seems kind of unfair, you know?

I meet new people and make new friendships (some of which I only made in the past year or so), and now I feel like those relationships are being taken from me.

Sure, I'll stay in touch with high school friends over Facebook and Twitter and through Instagram and texting. But that's not the same.

Technology is nice, but it's no where close to being able to share real laughter with those people.

When I graduated, college still seemed kind of far away. I mean, three months is a decent amount of time. Everyone was talking about senior trips and graduation parties back then.

Now suddenly the topic of conversation has turned into class schedules, orientation, and move in dates. WHAT?!

Where did the time go? How is it that I only have about a month until some of my friends leave this state completely?

There are still things I want to do and memories I want to make before college starts.

The girls I ate lunch with this year want to get together for one last meal together. I am certainly excited for that, but a piece of me is sad about it at the same time. I know that when we walk away from that meal, there is a good chance that we'll never get back together for another one.

It's not that we aren't friends or that we will no longer get along. Instead, I have found that life often tends to get in the way of things a bit.

My grade school friends had wanted to get together one last time during the school year before we headed off to college, and that never happened.

People naturally grow apart, and I think that's what is making me so nostalgic.

There are people in my life now that I don't want to grow apart from.

I am afraid of the uncertainty that comes with the distance of college.

I admit that I don't have a TON of friends. But the friends I do have? They are real, and they have shown me what it means to be a friend. I've got a few quality friends, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

So the nostalgia has been creeping in as reality has finally hit me. I don't think it's going to go away super fast either. In fact, I think there will always be a little place in my heart that hurts a little bit when I think back on high school. Not because it was a hard, depressing time, but because it was so good that I didn't want to leave.

So for now I'm taking it one day at a time, and my time hasn't run out quite yet.

I'm praying for guidance and strength as I near a huge transitional time in my life.

I'm also praying that maybe, just maybe, this quote is true......

via

Coincidences?

I'm a big believer that everything happens for a reason. I think all of the experiences I have encountered over my last 18 years of life have led me to this exact moment. I think everything we face has the ability to change us into better people.

And I love how there are days when everything just "clicks."

You can go through some uncertainty, doubt, hardship, sadness, whatever, and then a moment or a series of moments come along that make you realize exactly why you went through that uncertainty, doubt, hardship, sadness, etc.

I have found that days or moments pop up in my life where it seems the the event couldn't just be a coincidence. There are things that happen in my life where I am convinced more than ever that there is definitely a God who has a plan for my life.

And these awesome days where none of it seems like it could just be a coincidence?

I had one of them today.

Today was my first day of college orientation.

I was dreading it.

Waking up at 6:00? Stupid!

Playing icebreaker games with people I don't know? No way!

Stepping out of my comfort zone? Scary!

This morning all I wanted to do was crawl back into bed and hope that I woke up a carefree 5 year old instead of an 18 year old starting college.

I was sad that high school was over, and I was resisting going on to college.

I'm a relatively quiet person and it can take me a little while to make friends. That's why going into a room full of complete strangers while we introduce ourselves and play silly games was the last thing I wanted to do.

But then one of those moments that's too crazy to be a coincidence happened, which kind of turned the day around and led to more "coincidences".........

Over the weekend I was at my friend Erin's graduation party. She's going to UC too next year, although she's dorming. She was telling me about how one of her roommates is in the DAAP program and is from Colorado. This girl was coming in for orientation this week and they were going to meet and get lunch somewhere.

Then today when we broke up into our small group sessions, there was a girl there who said she was in DAAP and was from Colorado. When I got the chance, I went up to her and asked her what dorm she was living in and whether she was rooming with Erin. And of course, she was!

Now, what are the odds of that? There are so many different orientation dates. I think they have about 4,000 incoming freshman, but only 300 go to each orientation. So the chances of her even being in the same orientation as me were slim. Then what are the odds that she just so happened to be in my small group?

She seemed nervous (rightly so - I was nervous and I didn't travel halfway across the country to get there), but she was so nice. I like to think that us being on the same orientation in the same group wasn't just a coincidence. I think that maybe God knew that I needed the opportunity to introduce myself to someone (that's not something I usually do on my own!) and that she needed a friend and some reassurance on what I'm sure was a very scary day for her.

The whole time I just couldn't believe how that had happened!

Then we played some random game with our small group that resulted in getting a partner. We had to talk with our partner and try to figure out something a little out of the ordinary that we have in common. I was talking to the girl I was partnered with, and we were having a hard time. She played sports, but I don't. I travel a lot, but she doesn't. She has siblings and I don't. We figured out that we both have dogs, but that's really not that uncommon. But then I mentioned how I like to bake, and she said that she does too! That sparked a whole conversation about how she likes to bake cupcakes and decorate them with fondant, so I told her about my wedding cake. It was just SO cool that I happened to get partnered up with someone that shares a big passion of mine. Who knows if we'll ever cross paths again since we have very different majors, but it was just another little reassurance to me :)

After our small group we went to our individual colleges for most of the afternoon. All of the people at orientation for the college of business today were KBS students, which is an Honors program within the college of business that I got into. I knew two girls going into it since they went to my high school, but not too many more.

I happened to sit by this super nice girl (again, I'm thinking not a coincidence!). We talked about how we both had similar Fossil purses (HAHAHA!). She's from out of town, so I gave her the lowdown on the great places to visit in Cincinnati.

Oh - and a funny story that would only happen to me. We were sitting there in the college of business and the dean of the business college and head of the KBS program was giving a nice introduction/speech. In the middle of it, my CHAIR BROKE, and I proceeded to almost fall on the floor. I let out a little scream that I couldn't help, which of course turned all eyes on me. I was a little embarrassed when asked if I was alright, and I had to admit that my chair had just broke. Why do these things always happen to me?!

Thankfully the nice girl next to me whispered to me that she thought it was funny, and we were able to laugh about it. :)

Then when it came time to do our schedules, I worked with two of the girls sitting by me (one being the girl next to me - I feel weird typing their names when I really hardly know them myself!), and we were able to get almost the exact same schedules. I will most likely have the exact same schedule as the one girl depending on AP scores. These girls were super nice, and I will be glad to have familiar faces in all of my classes on the first day of school.

The whole day was filled with so many different things that seemed to be exactly what I needed in that moment that I can't help but believe that they weren't just coincidences.

I feel much more excited for college now. Heck, I feel like I already made a few new friends.

I also feel such an overwhelming sense of peace that this is exactly where I need to be, and I couldn't be more grateful for that.

Life can be so crazy and weird, but it is SO, SO good.