The Most Important Day...

PROM.

Not what you were expecting, eh?  

Well it's that time of year again;

 time to spend hundreds of dollars on a dress you'll wear once, 

(unless you run cross country at Twin Lakes)

Each year our XC team wore prom dresses with tennis shoes to our annual banquet.

Time to get your nails done, 

hair done, 

car washed, 

flowers bought, 

reservations made.....

You get the point.

And while only one of the three proms I attended was even remotely enjoyable...I sometimes find myself wishing I got to go back to prom this year.  It's fun to get all dolled up, take lots of pictures, eat out with your friends and dance the night away, so in lieu of such an epic time in the lives of high schoolers all around the world here are some tips and tricks I have picked up along the way.

1. Try on dresses you would least expect to see yourself in.

Both sophomore and junior year I went prom dress shopping with my mother, and she would always push me to try on dresses I might not usually.  This is great advice for 2 reasons: one, your dress will be unique & two, it really opens up the amount of options you have.

2. Go with your gut.

No this is not about your plans for after prom.....

Anyway, if you are trying to collaborate with a big group of people to make lavish prom plans but are feeling uneasy, left out, or even just annoyed, DON'T DO IT!!  I can tell you from experience you will have such a better time doing whatever YOU want to do.  Whether that means having mom cook dinner at home (which is super fun and cheap) or just going to dinner alone with your date, your pre-prom plans can make or break your entire night.

3. Do something fun after prom!

I was never allowed to (cough cough) or invited to (cough cough) stay the night with friends after prom, I always wished I could, so I say if you have the opportunity, Go!  So many memories are made during prom, I remember my mom and dad telling stories about going to King's Island or doing something crazy the night after prom and I always wished I could have done something like that.

So, I know it's probably lame for me to blog about prom when I'm in college...but I couldn't resist!  I'll leave you with a few of my favorite prom moments from sophomore, junior, & senior year.

Junior prom was my favorite year! I absolutely loved my dress.

See, the dress you'd least expect...

Senior prom...not my favorite dress...but we needed some variety.

Another year wiser

This past Sunday, I visited my grandparents on Easter, and my grandma posed to me a complicated question,

"What is the most important thing you have learned in your first year of college?"

I was caught off guard.  I mean people ask me all the time, "How's school?" or "Do you like sorority life?" but never actually expecting me to answer with a developed and thought out response.

So I thought for a minute or so and responded with,

"Keep an open mind."

And there you have it.  The advice I have been giving myself this year has been to be open to new things,  to not limit myself & also to never be quick to judge.  Compared to my high school experience, college has been a complete culture shock, & it has not been an easy adjustment for me.  In high school I was your typical "Do-gooder".  I was president of 1,000 clubs, always making straight A's, and home by 12 on weekends.

Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed made it through without any major fall outs, and I respect my parents for holding me to such a high standard.  But to be honest, my attitude in high school was all wrong, & I had no idea what I was missing out on.

Another disclaimer, I'm also not saying that college is all about partying and celebrating newfound freedom in irresponsible ways, but I never knew how important it was to be open and adaptable to new environments.

This especially came into play when I went through recruitment.  At the beginning of the week I never would have guessed I would end up where I did.  But I made my motto for the week to keep an open mind, which allowed me to see the girls for what they really were.

I also found it liberating to discover that I didn't have to be in every club, or the most involved girl on campus.  & to be completely honest I was tired of my extracurricular schedule in high school.  But at the same time, the amount of random organizations at my disposal was exhilarating & I found myself participating in ways I might not have back home.

In a nutshell, I am so proud of myself for taking the road less travelled and attending a college where few alum from home would be.  By radically throwing myself out of my comfort zone, I came to learn so many new things, & grow in so many different ways.

My only hope is that going home this summer and getting tossed back into the old grind doesn't clog my newfound pores, but instead allows me to share my new perspectives with those close to me back home.

Let me tell you about my day....

I wish I could say that today was just another Manic Monday, however in the 2 & 1/2 hours I have been awake this has been one of the worst days ever. Period.

Did you want me to tell you about it?

Good.

So, it all started last night when I was studying/doing 2 hours worth of homework for a spanish test I forgot about.  I printed off 15 pages of worksheets (with my own paper and ink) with intentions of finishing some last minute cramming this morning before the exam.

Then I woke up 5 minutes before class. Awesome.

Went to class with my phone, ID, & pen. I'll keep you posted with the outcome of that one....

Came back from class and began working on a paper due at 4.  For this paper I have to show evidence of my Twitter account (the paper is an analyzation of the importance of Twitter).  

I first waste 9 pages of paper and color ink because it only makes sense that I would want to print one tenth of my tweets?  So, I have to copy and paste every single tweet (88 to be exact), correct the spacing, highlight the evidence I am required to show, and delete the ads.  

Then my printer decides to fail.

Take 2. The tweets print. 

This makes my toll of wasted paper for the day: more than 20 sheets.

The last event to complete this Marvelous Monday (so far...keep in mind its 12:30) occurred in the cafeteria. I got up from my seat to go get my food when someone's chair comes out of nowhere. I completely trip over it, knocking it and the 50 lb. backpack it bears down directly onto my foot as about 10 people walk by. Doing nothing I might add.

I would have liked to cry at this point.

But instead I decided to write about it. If you can think of anything I could do to pick my spirits up off the ground, advice would be greatly appreciated.

Only one thing missing....

So, I haven't blogged for a long long time.  I'm sorry.  I've missed it, and a recent habit of mine has sparked my blogging interest once again.

STUMBLE UPON.

I know I am a little behind on this ultimate form of procrastination craze, and boy am I sad about that.  For those of you who don't know Stumbling is a term used to describe hours small amounts time spent surfing through hundreds of pages of blogs/websites/articles handpicked to fit your interests.  

When I created my account 2 days ago I said I was interested in things like Christianity, fitness, food, humor, and.....weddings.  This last one is what inspires tonights post.

I am a completely hopeless romantic. 

I cry during romantic comedies.  

I gawk at couples holding hands and flirting in public.

  I daydream of just having someone to spend the rest of my life with.  

And mostly I fantasize about my future wedding.  

The dress: ivory lace with a v-neck front and back adorned with some sort of sash.  

The location: outdoor, or in an old vintage-y chapel. 

 The bridesmaids: many, and wearing simple J-Crew dresses in matching colors but various styles.  

The time: autumn.  

The theme: going with the season, autumn; fully equipped with earthy features to celebrate my favorite time of year.

The decorations: homemade (this will allow me to dip in to my crafty/resourceful/thriftiness)

What's missing?  The groom.

Am I bitter?  No?

 Why would I be bitter when it seems like everyone is growing up, finding the loves of their lives in college, and making plans for the rest of their lives?

Why would I be bitter when the sole wish of my young life is to be in love?

Why would I be bitter when every single wedding that comes up as I anxiously click "Stumble" are the epitome of my big day?

The dresses they wear? Perfect.

The decorations? Definition of craft perfection.

The themes? All outdoor and fall.

Bridesmaids? Flawless.

I see a pattern emerging....

But then I take a look back and think,

 "Is it really the wedding that matters?"

"Once I find the perfect man shouldn't it all just come together?"

"Should I really be spending my newfound time and freedom sulking over what I want in my future?"

I guess I'll just stick to my routine for now:

Praying for my soulmate knowing that God's got him out there somewhere, just waiting to be stumbled upon.