Eh...

Well, I have hit that magical point of time in the summer when I am suddenly ready to go back to school. Whether it be boredom at home, frustration with people, or just being excited to move into my apartment, I am ready.

Afterwards

People keep asking me "So how is it, adjusting back to being in America?" And I must tell you- it is great! I hadn't realized just how much I loved Texas until I had to leave it. Sure, it's REALLY hot here, and some people say it is boring, but I don't think so. I will confess, it is really hot when you go outside, but at least there is AC when you go indoors to cool you off. In most of Europe, there is no AC. So you go from being really warm outside, to walking inside a building where the air is all still and it is no cooler. It is really pretty uncomfortable. One other thing that is just so great about America is that you get free refills in almost every restaurant. McDonalds wouldn't even give us a free refill over there. Crazy, no?

I loved Europe. I will have to say my favorite place to be was in Rome. I knew we would get to see tons of cool old landmarks, but I just didn't know how much I would love the general feel of the city. It actually seemed really clean to me, everyone there was so friendly and always wanted to help us, and it just seemed so timeless. Now I know why they call it the Eternal City. It really was a gorgeous city- everything from the Mediterranean foliage and the beautiful gardens to the gigantic Colloseum made me realize I was in a special place that was the home of some of the worlds most incredible sites.

I feel so blessed I was able to study abroad in England and visit France, Ireland, and Italy. It was truly an amazing experience that I will never forget and always treasure. I also feel incredibly blessed that I was able to find a job for this next month until I have to return to school. I had been very stressed about not having a job the rest of the summer after spending so much money in Europe. But I found out today that I will be able to be a part-time receptionist until school starts. Hope this finds you all doing well.

Europe

Europe has been awesome! So far, I have been to Oxford, Paris, Caen, and Bayeux. I will admit, I haven't loved every single moment of the trip and have been a little homesick, but for the most part am enjoying myself immensely. I loved Paris. It was truly a magical place. And driving around the French countryside to visit various towns in Normandy was amazing as well. I hope everyone is having a great summer!

♥

I love being home. There is nothing like having the dog wake me up and hearing Mom in the kitchen making me breakfast, taking the little sister to school, and going to lunch with David. I have had a wonderful week here at home just relaxing and seeing my friends and family.

So many people say that you will lose touch with the friends you had in high school/youth group, but so far, we always consistently hang out together and have a ton of fun when we are all home, and that is something I miss a lot whenever I am not home.

I also cannot believe this coming fall, I will be a senior! I am pretty sure I am going to do graduate school at Baylor, but I am nervous about applying, interviewing for things, finding money, and registering all over again. It was stressful enough two years ago, and I'm sure it will be this time around as well. But it will be totally worth it and I can't wait.

David and I bought a couple of really good smelling Yankee candles today, so I am going to go light my favorite, eat a bowl of cereal, and watch a good Columbo episode.

Summer

It doesn't feel like summer at all. I just got home yesterday and unloaded everything from my car-my room is so packed with stuff! I already miss everyone from the pod a lot. It will be really strange to not live with them in the fall. I am not quite ready to go to Oxford yet. I mean, I'm excited, but it is nice to just relax at home for right now. I love being home.

Family

I went and stayed with my grandparents and my aunt and uncle this weekend. It was so nice. Sometimes, I think we take our family for granted and forget what a huge part of our life they are a part of, whether good or bad. I love my family to death and am so glad to have them as part of my life and know they will be around long after I have moved away from all my friends and move on with my life after college. It is kinda comforting. One of the biggest joys for me is being able to go home for the weekend to a place where I am totally familiar with ever aspect of it and am loved tremendously. I know it isn't like that for everyone, and I am sorry. But I did want to acknowledge my blessings and thank God for what I have been given in my family.

Almost

I cannot believe classes are almost over. Only a week and a half to go! Even though this has definitely been my most busy and stressful semester, I have had so much fun being with all my friends/pod-mates, and getting to feel more included on campus. I will actually be fairly sad when it is all over since I won't be living with my best friends in the fall. But- I will also be really excited when this semester is over since my brother will be here in the fall, I won't be living in a dorm, and I will be headed to Europe in less than a month!!! I cannot wait to experience the different cultures abroad and learn neat things about different places, food, and people.

Other than having to finish up a database project, I am pretty much settling down for coasting through the last week of school and into finals. I have been so blessed and I'm so thankful for the support from my amazing family, David, and also that I have such fun friends that help to take my mind off of the stressful things in life. I am also very thankful for my job. It is amazing to be able to go in to work whenever I want, for as long as I want. There is no way I would be able to work a job right now that had a fixed schedule. God is great.

Today.

So today I am just not all that happy. I'm not totally sure why, I just feel like I'm trying to trudge uphill against the masses or something. I told myself I wasn't going to write a blog that was anything but positive, but I just couldn't help it today. Today is also just one of those days where I have no patience and feel pretty anti-social. It is probably just because school is crazy and hectic right now, and my grades aren't all I want them to be, or that I miss my David terribly and feel kinda lonely.

I know it isn't good to live in the future and wish the present was over, but who wouldn't wish they were at home in the summer with their loved ones instead of being at school struggling to get 3 different projects done this week?

If you read this, just pray for me to have a better attitude about things, and to have patience and love in my heart until the future does inevitably arrive.

Easter

I am so glad I have Jesus in my life. No matter how bad things may get, or how how well things are going for me, I know I will always be blessed with the love and comfort that having a relationship with Jesus gives. Even though my relationship with God seems as if it has become a little weakened this past year, I am taking the time to remind myself to try and make it better and stronger. I love Jesus and believe he can do incredible things in a person's life. Hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

Happy

I feel really happy today, probably because the weather has been perfect all day. I also got my first pedicure today =) It was lovely and now my little toes are lovely too.

I am so glad I get to go home for Easter tomorrow. Just thinking about Easter always makes me think of little kids searching for eggs, a good church service, a delicious lunch, and being outside on a wonderfully sunny day. Yay! I just love hummingbirds, don't you?

Strange

I feel kind of strange today. I really just want to sit outside and contemplate things and relax, but it is a little chilly outside today so I can't really do that. I also have a big project due on Thursday that I wanted to finish tonight, but I have several questions about it, so I have to wait until after I talk to my professor tomorrow afternoon. But I know I will keep having this nagging feeling that I should be working on it.

This is the first semester I have really been stressed about school work. It is also the first time that even though I study really hard, I am not making the grades I wanted. Oh well. I just need to calm down and take a breath... and remember that in 30 years, I will be able to look back on everything that is currently happening and realize it was all ok and happened for a reason.

Home

You know, there really is no place like home. Even though I spend a great deal of time here at college with all of my good friends, I would really rather be at home than anywhere else. I love being with my family and being involved in their lives. It is also pretty hard to have a boyfriend when he lives 180 miles away. But I will say, I think we have mastered the long distance relationship =)

I went home this past weekend, and it was amazing. David and I took Kathryn and Sydney down to the lake on Friday afternoon and it was so much fun. On saturday, my mom cooked me my favorite meals, and I just relaxed with everyone and had a super nice day.

School can be really stressful sometimes, and it is so nice to get away and have things back the way they used to be for a couple days.